Emma’s Blog

I found the online discussion about language, especially Ebonics, to be a challenging and thought provoking one.  While I listened to the impassioned arguments that Ebonics is a language, I find myself hard pressed to agree. I do believe that it is a dialect rather than a language. Children who speak Black English, or Ebonics, must become fluent in speaking Standard American English. Not teaching them to do so, I believe would be a disservice to them. It would cripple them and place them at a disadvantage in the dominant culture. It is possible and imperative that students’ contributions, language, and culture are respected and interwoven into the fabric of the classroom. However, this can be done without placing students at a disadvantage in the larger society.

I was disappointed one teacher’s intentions and commitment to multicultural education were brought into question by another teacher. I would have hoped that at this point in our program, we have made enough of a connection, to understand that we are all motivated to connect with and engage all of our students and to bring a variety of cultural perspectives. This is especially true of those who have traveled internationally and are fluent in several languages. I felt the comments made during Thursday’s class were inappropriate and lacked a certain level of respect.

While I respect the impassioned arguments that Ebonics is a language that should be fostered and respected in the classroom, I do disagree. I also appeal to those teachers making that argument to respect the fact that teachers can be culturally and linguistically aware and responsive, while at the same time disagreeing with them.  

I apologize for the lateness of this post…

I am grateful that we all have the opportunity to reflect upon and express what disturbs us. More than anything, I have been disturbed by assumptions made about me. This is not something new to me, but something that I have had to deal with my entire life. I am White, so there are many assumptions that go along with that. (Ironically, these are always much more predominant in a higher education setting). First, I must not have a real culture of my own. I am a product of the middle class, bogged down by power and biases. I lack knowledge of what it means to be “different” and the desire to learn. The list goes on.

So, do I sit quietly by, while internally fighting against these misconceptions? Do I explain the many reasons why these assumptions are false? I could refute these assumptions by providing examples of the myriad cultural experiences I have had, both by choice and by chance, having been born to radical, leftist hippies. I could expound on the fact that I have never been a part of mainstream, middle-class, White America, and how that culture is more foreign to me than some others. But why? That will not accomplish what is important, which is to help each other look past our very superficial assumptions of each other and seek deeper understanding. Culture is not black and white. It is complicated and nuanced. Multicultural education cannot be taught in a classroom. It has to be lived and experienced.

I think about my students, from all cultures and classes, and the feelings they must have when assumptions are made about them. What should they do? I hope that they fight against these preconceptions. It is something that I will continually struggle with. Which is a good thing.

I particularly enjoyed this article and found it thought provoking. Before I discuss what I liked about the article, I would like to preface by saying that the author did to seem very biased. As I was reading, I kept wondering about the observations she did not record, those that may not have fit neatly into her assumptions. I think it is just as important to look critically at those articles we “agree” with, as it is those we “disagree” with, such as Ruby Payne in “Savage Unrealities”.

With that said, I am sure that the hidden curriculum is indeed present. I have seen this in the two schools I have worked at. Although both schools are Title I, predominately non-white students, they are vastly different. Previously, I worked for a very low-income urban school in Clayton County. It rang so true to the author’s description of the working class schools. Following directions was the work of the students. As in the article, I never did see creative writing or any type of critical thought or discovery learning. The goal was to be quiet, still, and follow directions. Teacher quality was synonymous with classroom discipline.  In contract, in my current school, I see a mixture of the descriptions of the middle-class school and the professional school. The administration encourages creativity in the classroom, with the students having more freedom to express themselves in their work and movement.  I am saddened to think that my current students are going to be better prepared for their future than my previous students are.

Schools and the education system have the potential to be places of great social change. The schools and classrooms depicted in this article simply perpetuate the status quo. How are things going to change?  Without an administrative system and educational culture that values the qualities at these “better” schools, nothing will change.  I left my previous “working class” district because I felt stifled and undervalued in an environment that emphasized rote memorization and control over thinking and learning.  How are the low income schools going to attract (and retain) the highest quality teachers to ensure the highest quality education? I have no idea.

Beyond Pink and Blue

The fourth grade students in this article were upset about the gender biased Pottery Barn catalog. I think this was a great way to get children to look critically at the media around them for possible stereotypes. Often, children are actually far ahead of adults when it comes to thinking about bias and stereotypes. I loved the way they were able to share their knowledge and ideas with the editor of Pottery Barn, who did in fact make visible changes in the subsequent catalog. What a powerful lesson!

Culturally Authentic Bias

I liked this article. The author discusses how she herself was “perpetuating stereotypes in the name of multiculturism”. I think this is done more often than we think. I know I am guilty of just grabbing a book because it fits with the theme, without really analyzing the hidden meanings that it perpetuates. Not every multicultural book is a good one, nor is every cultural trait one that we want to perpetuate.

Down but Not Out

This article discusses the current state of multicultural education. I did not like this article at all. I found it politically biased and not at all informative. I did agree that the reason that there has been a decrease in enthusiasm for multicultural education is because of the pressure of high stakes testing. However, I disagree with the term the “enduring legacy of white supremacy.” This seems so biased and hateful. I would have appreciated a more unbiased definition of anti-racist and multicultural education and what can be done to revive these topics in schools.

Evaluating Children’s Books for Bias

Presented in this article are pointers and specific criteria for evaluating children’s books for bias. I found this article to be helpful and thought provoking. I will keep these things in mind as I seek out books to read and discuss with my class.

Examples of Good Multicultural and Anti-Bias Literature

This article provides some examples of good multicultural literature. I have not read any of these books, but I will look for them in the library. Another good book is “All the Colors of the Earth” by Sheila Hamanaka. I love this book because it helps students see various shades of skin, not just black and white.

Fiction Posing As Truth

This article critiques a really good example of bad “multicultural” literature. The author has written about a Sioux girl, but from the perspective of a white colonialist. Therefore, the author has put a decidedly positive twist on a horrible time in history. This does such a disservice to the tribes in the book, but also to the readers of the book. It assumes that children are not intellectually capable of knowing about the hardships of the past.

Classroom management and community building is something that I am passionate about. Several years ago, I explicitly thought about what I wanted my students to come away with after being in my class. In doing so, I realized that most of what I wanted them to learn had more to do with ways of thinking and acting (habits of mind, I suppose) rather than academics.  This chapter was interesting in that it discussed some of the current thoughts as well as provided some historical perspective on classroom management practices. I think that it is reprehensible that so many classrooms to this day rely on coercion through punishment and rewards to control student behavior. I am adamantly opposed to using rewards, such as stickers and candies, in the classroom. I want my students to be thoughtful, caring, self-regulating, engaged participants in our classroom, not to act like trained puppies. My students are considerate and confident members of our classroom community. They are free to express their ideas and feelings, with me and with each other. Often, their suggestions and ideas, determine the direction that our curriculum follows. This can only develop when mutual respect is fostered. My students respect me and I respect them. I show this respect not simply by being “nice” but by listening and being real and honest.  They show respect for me by working hard, treating others with kindness, and always striving to do their best. Unfortunately, the authors did not provide solutions or methods of creating a classroom community. I don’t think this was because of an oversight on their part, but rather because there is not a simple answer. It is up to each teacher to work thought the answers for her/himself. I suppose this is why stickers and treats are so prevalent in classrooms, because they are so easy.

Well, I am amazed to say that this chapter really resonated with me! I have not been a fan of Freire previously, and I even found myself getting annoyed early on in this chapter by the convoluted way he writes. (Maybe it’s the translation). However, I ended up highlighting most of the chapter as it really spoke to me. When speaking of education, he writes, “To think that such work [education] can be realized when the theoretical context is separated in such a way from the learners’ concrete experiences is only possible for one who judges that the content is taught without reference to and independently from  what the learners already know from their experiences prior to entering school.”  So true! We have to know where our students come from, what they experience, and what they bring to the table. And not in a patronizing or even intellectual way, but in a real way.  I question, however, whether this desire or skill and can be learned.  I tend to believe that more effort needs to me made to ensure that the people entering the profession have the desire and openness to learn about, experience, and value other cultures. How this can be done is another story entirely…

I really liked and really disliked this article. Starting with the dislike… Something in me has a visceral reaction to any argument that seems so biased and based on opinion, with so little in the way of evidence or data to support it. It automatically turns me off, as if I am being “sold” something.

 

On the other hand, I agreed with much of what the authors stated. I have been on both ends of the spectrum. When I taught in Clayton County, the county adopted the Direct Instruction model to teach phonics. Supposedly, it was only a prescriptive program to meet the needs of the very lowest performing students. However, it was absurd. I hated what it did to my students. There was zero emphasis on comprehension or learning literacy in authentic ways. Ultimately, I could not take it and I left.

 

Since working in Gwinnett County, I am on the other end of the spectrum. So far, no one has told me when or how to teach literacy (i.e., I do not have a specific pacing guide or curriculum that I must follow.) Rather, I develop my own lessons and units based on the standards and use any materials that I see fit. It makes infinitely more sense to me to embed phonics instruction in the context of “real” reading and writing.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with the authors that, “Good teachers will always find ways of using their professional knowledge on behalf of their pupils.” Unfortunately, there are many mediocre and poor teachers out there who actually prefer a scripted program because it so much easier and do not like the ambiguity of having to design their own lessons.

 

I only wish the authors would be less agendised and more articulate. When they lump everyone with whom they disagree into such categories as “neoconservatives” and “federal ideologues” it does a real disservice to advancing their argument, which is actually a legitimate one.

This article resonated with me for several reasons. The author discussed the myth of a “model minority” and how this can have a negative effect on students.. It reminds me of an acquaintance of mine in a Calculus class in college, who was quite the comedian, and would make comments about how he “should” be better in math because he’s Asian. Although he said it in jest, I am sure he did feel undue pressure. Interestingly, the majority of the students I have had that are considered “Asian” did not at all fit into this “positive” stereotype. In fact, one of my most difficult, yet a spirited and engaged, student was Vietnamese. He was by no means quiet or subdued! The author discussed briefly in the article, some of the differences between Asians from different Asian countries. For example, the same stereotypically positive traits associated with students of Japanese or Chinese descent do not at all apply to students from poorer, more historically volatile countries, such as Cambodia and Laos. This is significant to me. Often, people we typically think of as “Asian” are quite culturally different. I think that we as teachers need to be open and aware and get to know our students on a personal level. In addition, I believe that we have to expose ourselves to other cultures and learn about other people, languages, cultures, and histories.