I find that after reading the articles on white privilege and cognitive dissonance as well as Brown's book, I am really struggling with how I will approach the issues of racial and social inequality in my classroom. With a tinge of shame I have to admit that I graduated from La Cueva High School and although my experiences as an undergrad at UNM were culturally rich, my elementary, middle, and high school experiences were much more culturally homogenous. I definitely could relate to the idea presented in the white privilege article about being informed about racism as a "bad thing" but feeling removed from the issue because I am just your average, white, non-racist, middle class person. I definitely had never consciously thought of the privileges I have been handed simply because of my skin color--some cognitive dissonance huh :)--however, upon reflecting it is very clear to me that I have benefited from the numerous unconscious advantages granted to those of white race.
I also have come to realize that for the most part my experiences as an educator up to this point have been with relatively privileged children. Before reading The Great Expectation School I thought that the school I have worked in for two years had a student population that were generally facing "obstacles". Although located on the fringe of the Northeast Heights, many of the students come from a lower socioeconomic families. Often times they were being raised by single parents or grandparents, few of their parents had any kind of secondary education and the students didn't always get the educational support they needed at home to be successful students. That being said, their situations seemed to pale in comparison to the students we met in Brown's book.
I also have to examine where I draw most of my experiences as an educator. I have been coaching swimming for almost 7 years and also swam myself throughout my childhood. Historically, swimming has been a very "white" sport. I can only name a handful of Hispanic teammates I had while I was growing up and I cannot name one single African American swimmer that competed in the state during the time period that I did. Not much has changed. The children that I coach today are overwhelmingly white and privileged. Many of them attend private schools or are home-schooled. Their parents have enrolled them in sports because their holistic well being is a priority. However, I don't think this phenomenon is only restricted to the sport of swimming. I would argue that for the most part youth sports programs are populated with children who come from middle to upper-middle class families who are not distracted by obstacles facing lower socioeconomic families (stable employment, housing, etc.) and who also have the disposable income to afford to place their children in sports. It is unfair to say that the children who I coach everyday are there because they are lucky to have parents who care enough about them to get them to practice. Saying that children from lower SES homes have parents who care less about them, I think is an untrue blanket statement. I think it often boils down to the fact that those children's parents are struggling to meet their families basic needs and until those needs are satisfied little else can be given priority.
This is where I find myself struggling for answers. In reflecting on this week's readings and philog questions, I think I can now say that my multicultural experience is limited and that I have been socialized up until this point in a very sheltered and privileged manner. I think that understanding where my culturally diverse future students are coming from will be a continuing challenge in my teaching career.
I kept finding myself asking the question of "what is the answer?" to fixing the obviously broken P.S. 85. After finishing the book I still don't know. It is obviously a system that is broken because of inequality and disadvantage but how do you insert yourself into such a bureaucratic, hierarchical mess and effectively teach your students? Despite claiming to be result oriented, the administration of P.S. 85(and the NYC school system for that matter) really just seemed concerned with keeping their jobs. It seemed that the obvious chances to effectively service students, such as SPED referrals, were fumbled by complicated processes and an effort to maintain an certain image for the school (i.e. low referral rate). I felt that for every step of progress Mr. Brown made with his students, he ultimately took two steps backwards either because the school's administration was not supportive or because the gap between the student's home life and the social expectations they faced at school was too wide for them to navigate. How do we lessen that gap? Is being aware of the presence of that gap enough as a teacher or is there something more that could/should be done on our part to meaningfully teach our disadvantaged students? I continue to struggle with finding answers to these questions.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Philogging Assignment #4
I found that I somewhat stumbled upon one of the key core values I hold during a job interview several years ago. I was interviewing for a job as a nanny to twin toddlers when their mother asked me what my parenting philosophy was. At the time I was not a parent but without having ever given much thought to the question I immediately stated that my goal when working with children has always been and will continue to be to help them succeed. I strive to be a positive force in the lives of the students and athletes I work with. I don’t think any teacher wants to be the “mean” teacher who is constantly yelling at their students but I also always strive to give my students positive and constructive teaching and feedback concerning their work. My aim is to teach, not belittle them for not automatically knowing what the answer is. I would say that as prospective teachers this is probably a common sentiment among us but this idea has guided how I have taught up to this point and I imagine that it will continue to be a key component in my educational philosophy.
I’m sure this seems simple and perhaps a “no brainer” but I can remember having numerous teachers and other adults in my life who taught their students by constantly telling them what they had done wrong or how their work was simply incorrect, rather than help them to find the correct answer. The overall message that students seemed to interpret from these teachers’ behaviors was that they had failed and in turn were failures themselves. If teachers do nothing more than inform their students what they don’t know by telling them the answer they have given is wrong, they are not doing their job to teach and certainly are not encouraging their students to become life-long learners. With that in mind it is understandable why students can become discouraged with the idea of school and/or dropout. It is so disheartening to see a child’s spirit broken or damaged by the negative influence of an adult in their life. This is why I feel it is so important to be the voice that consistently tells children they can succeed. So again, even though this seems like a simple, no brainer concept I think it is important to remember that not only the words we use but the tone in which we say them to students can have a lasting impact on their self image and attitude towards learning.
I’m sure this seems simple and perhaps a “no brainer” but I can remember having numerous teachers and other adults in my life who taught their students by constantly telling them what they had done wrong or how their work was simply incorrect, rather than help them to find the correct answer. The overall message that students seemed to interpret from these teachers’ behaviors was that they had failed and in turn were failures themselves. If teachers do nothing more than inform their students what they don’t know by telling them the answer they have given is wrong, they are not doing their job to teach and certainly are not encouraging their students to become life-long learners. With that in mind it is understandable why students can become discouraged with the idea of school and/or dropout. It is so disheartening to see a child’s spirit broken or damaged by the negative influence of an adult in their life. This is why I feel it is so important to be the voice that consistently tells children they can succeed. So again, even though this seems like a simple, no brainer concept I think it is important to remember that not only the words we use but the tone in which we say them to students can have a lasting impact on their self image and attitude towards learning.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Philogging Assignment #3
First, I have to say that I read the questions posed in this week's assignment during class on Tuesday and since then they have been heavily looming in the back of my mind. The concept of "equal education" seems so vitally crucial to bring to my classroom and students, and yet it seems so abstract and intangible at this point in developing my educational philosophy. How do I ensure that every single student who passes through my classroom door gets not only equal, but the best quality education they can possibly have when each student, and consequently their backgrounds and the challenges they face, will be so unique?
I would say that as a society, we have moved past the blatantly racist and classist beliefs of Eliot and other progressive reformers of that era's definition of "equal education opportunity" and would probably agree with a definition along the lines of what Aristotle and Mann had envisioned the phrase to mean. However, I don't believe that as a nation we can achieve an education system that truly offers its students equal educational opportunities across the board without first addressing the conditions that have caused the current system to be deemed as failing. I personally believe that the first step towards addressing these issues is developing a national education plan with national educational standards. How can we expect our children to be high achieving, college bound, students when the standards with which we measure them vary so greatly from state to state?
To me, educational equality means that every student has the opportunity to pursue an education to the fullest degree. This means that whether they choose to or not, they are prepared to attend college and beyond. So then the question becomes how do I, as a teacher, deliver that equal education and ensure that each student meets those preparation goals? I think a key word here is accountability. The accountability I have to both students and parents that, as a teacher, I will not only teach their children to the best of my abilities but also hold them to the standards which are necessary to pursue a college education. In turn, I feel strongly that parents also have to be accountable in the sense that they must put a priority on education and set a standard for their own children that they must achieve to best of their abilities. At some point it also becomes the responsibility of the student to take their education in their own hands and in that sense they also must be accountable. I think Dewey made an important point several times throughout his creed that the education of children is not just the responsibility of the teacher but of the whole community. A student's education cannot start and stop at a school's door. Without the full support of their parents, how are children supposed to understand the importance and benefits of an education? Although, the idea of parent support brings up the question of what to do when parents are not a supportive force in their children's education? We can't just ignore those students but how do we, as teachers, fill the hole that their parents have left in their education support team?
If all of the inspirational stories and movies about the underdog achieving greatness have taught us anything, it is that hard work and dedication can go a long way. I firmly believe that as a teacher I have the duty to empower my students by showing them that despite the challenges they might face both at school and at home, educationally, nothing is out of reach for them. It seems that one area where the nation's education system is not failing is in providing resources to students wanting to go to college. Whether it be merit scholarships or need based financial aid, the burden of paying for college does not seem to be the major struggle for underprivileged students. With that in mind I think the second key term to an equal education is self determination. If there is a student who expresses the desire to go to college, I feel that it is a teacher's duty, without question, to do everything in their power to make that desire a reality. This of course brings up another question, what about the students who don't overtly show an interest in higher education?
It seems that working within the current educational system one of the most influential tools I can use to provide my students an equal education is to inspire them to find what interests them and to reach for their goals, whether that be college or not. That may seem contradictory to my earlier statement that every student should be prepared for college, but I believe just that, prepared. If a student doesn't wish to go to college, that is their prerogative but I feel they should still be prepared to do so if they choose. Is a traditional, four year college for everyone? I don't think so. There has to be a place in our education system for those students who don't fit into the mold of a college bound student.
I firmly believe in the sentiments Dewey spoke of in his creed of first enlightening students to what their true passion is and then teaching to that. Teaching students to live up to their full potential through aiding them in discovering what interests them, I feel, is the only way to produce productive members of society. Reading these parts of Dewey's creed reminded me of a 5th grade student I worked with last year. This student had an unstable home life that often resulted in him being passed back and forth between parents and grandparents. Although he wasn't very interested in school, it was the one constant force in his life. He probably couldn't count on his parents for much but he always knew he would find understanding and support from his teacher. He was very smart and usually got a grasp on new concepts quickly but they just didn't hold his interest. The one thing that did hold his interest was music. Probably the best thing his (for lack of a better term) deadbeat dad ever did for him was buy him a guitar. As soon as he picked up the instrument and started playing his face lit up. He would practice for hours, perfecting every single note and learning countless new songs. Allowing him to bring his guitar to school and incorporate music into his school day as much as possible made school bearable (and maybe sometimes enjoyable) for this student. It also gave a place to his interest and life outside of school, showing him that the two did not have to exist separately. Music is clearly the force that motivates this student and upon discovering this, his teacher had a much easier time not only coaxing him to do his schoolwork but also relating the work he produced at school to his music. By the end of the school year he tested proficient in reading and math and was excited to go to middle school the following year where he would be able to join the school's band. Will this student attend college? Who knows? He might be happier working a minimum wage job and playing in a band at nights. After the dedication and the effort made by his teacher to teach him through music though, he is one step closer to being prepared should he choose to take the college path. His teacher was able to not only prepare him for an educational future but also in a way that incorporated his passion. To me this is the mark of a successful teacher.
I would say that as a society, we have moved past the blatantly racist and classist beliefs of Eliot and other progressive reformers of that era's definition of "equal education opportunity" and would probably agree with a definition along the lines of what Aristotle and Mann had envisioned the phrase to mean. However, I don't believe that as a nation we can achieve an education system that truly offers its students equal educational opportunities across the board without first addressing the conditions that have caused the current system to be deemed as failing. I personally believe that the first step towards addressing these issues is developing a national education plan with national educational standards. How can we expect our children to be high achieving, college bound, students when the standards with which we measure them vary so greatly from state to state?
To me, educational equality means that every student has the opportunity to pursue an education to the fullest degree. This means that whether they choose to or not, they are prepared to attend college and beyond. So then the question becomes how do I, as a teacher, deliver that equal education and ensure that each student meets those preparation goals? I think a key word here is accountability. The accountability I have to both students and parents that, as a teacher, I will not only teach their children to the best of my abilities but also hold them to the standards which are necessary to pursue a college education. In turn, I feel strongly that parents also have to be accountable in the sense that they must put a priority on education and set a standard for their own children that they must achieve to best of their abilities. At some point it also becomes the responsibility of the student to take their education in their own hands and in that sense they also must be accountable. I think Dewey made an important point several times throughout his creed that the education of children is not just the responsibility of the teacher but of the whole community. A student's education cannot start and stop at a school's door. Without the full support of their parents, how are children supposed to understand the importance and benefits of an education? Although, the idea of parent support brings up the question of what to do when parents are not a supportive force in their children's education? We can't just ignore those students but how do we, as teachers, fill the hole that their parents have left in their education support team?
If all of the inspirational stories and movies about the underdog achieving greatness have taught us anything, it is that hard work and dedication can go a long way. I firmly believe that as a teacher I have the duty to empower my students by showing them that despite the challenges they might face both at school and at home, educationally, nothing is out of reach for them. It seems that one area where the nation's education system is not failing is in providing resources to students wanting to go to college. Whether it be merit scholarships or need based financial aid, the burden of paying for college does not seem to be the major struggle for underprivileged students. With that in mind I think the second key term to an equal education is self determination. If there is a student who expresses the desire to go to college, I feel that it is a teacher's duty, without question, to do everything in their power to make that desire a reality. This of course brings up another question, what about the students who don't overtly show an interest in higher education?
It seems that working within the current educational system one of the most influential tools I can use to provide my students an equal education is to inspire them to find what interests them and to reach for their goals, whether that be college or not. That may seem contradictory to my earlier statement that every student should be prepared for college, but I believe just that, prepared. If a student doesn't wish to go to college, that is their prerogative but I feel they should still be prepared to do so if they choose. Is a traditional, four year college for everyone? I don't think so. There has to be a place in our education system for those students who don't fit into the mold of a college bound student.
I firmly believe in the sentiments Dewey spoke of in his creed of first enlightening students to what their true passion is and then teaching to that. Teaching students to live up to their full potential through aiding them in discovering what interests them, I feel, is the only way to produce productive members of society. Reading these parts of Dewey's creed reminded me of a 5th grade student I worked with last year. This student had an unstable home life that often resulted in him being passed back and forth between parents and grandparents. Although he wasn't very interested in school, it was the one constant force in his life. He probably couldn't count on his parents for much but he always knew he would find understanding and support from his teacher. He was very smart and usually got a grasp on new concepts quickly but they just didn't hold his interest. The one thing that did hold his interest was music. Probably the best thing his (for lack of a better term) deadbeat dad ever did for him was buy him a guitar. As soon as he picked up the instrument and started playing his face lit up. He would practice for hours, perfecting every single note and learning countless new songs. Allowing him to bring his guitar to school and incorporate music into his school day as much as possible made school bearable (and maybe sometimes enjoyable) for this student. It also gave a place to his interest and life outside of school, showing him that the two did not have to exist separately. Music is clearly the force that motivates this student and upon discovering this, his teacher had a much easier time not only coaxing him to do his schoolwork but also relating the work he produced at school to his music. By the end of the school year he tested proficient in reading and math and was excited to go to middle school the following year where he would be able to join the school's band. Will this student attend college? Who knows? He might be happier working a minimum wage job and playing in a band at nights. After the dedication and the effort made by his teacher to teach him through music though, he is one step closer to being prepared should he choose to take the college path. His teacher was able to not only prepare him for an educational future but also in a way that incorporated his passion. To me this is the mark of a successful teacher.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Philogging Assignment #2
Someone mentioned during the last class session how they had once had the feeling of "what's it all about?" in regards to the education process. I'm sure we all can relate to those sentiments. Isn't that the basic meaning behind the age old question students inevitably ask; "when will I ever use_____ (insert subject matter) once I'm done with school?" So then why do we educate our children in the United States?
Given the heavy emphasis on technology and industry in today's economy, one might argue that the agrarian nation Jefferson envisioned and the educational philosophies he developed as a result, may not be relevant in contemporary society. However, in my opinion, at least one of Jefferson's beliefs holds true. Jefferson was a major proponent of the "pursuit of happiness" ideal we are so fond of as Americans. I believe that in today's society, perhaps even more so than in Jefferson's day, education is almost always a necessary component to achieving this ideal.
While societal structure may have inhibited some individuals, such as women or slaves, from attaining "happiness" in the form of obtaining an education, owning land, voting, or pursuing various professions during Jefferson's era, there are much fewer class or societal restraints present in today's society. I would argue that often times the major impediment to achieving happiness today, has something to do with a lack of education; or perhaps, rather, the accessibility and quality of education. It is common knowledge that without, at minimum, a high school diploma or GED it is very difficult, if not almost impossible, for someone in this country to obtain a decent paying, stable, job. Although, given the recent downturn in our nation's economy, some (including recent, unemployed college graduates) might say that education is not the "fix-all" solution as far as turning unemployment numbers around.
So while maybe not the ideal, philosophical, reason as to why we should educate our children in the United States, from a practical standpoint, it is arguable that a solid education is necessary for individuals to obtain any kind of financial stability or success in our society. This doesn't mean that I believe that education simply exists to produce pawns to participate in our capitalistic society (what kind of teacher would that make me? eek!) I believe that the reasons why we should and do educate our children are vast and complex. I think that placing an emphasis on both the intellectual and financial empowerment that education can provide future students is important in my role as a teacher. An understanding of the practicality of education could potentially help them answer that "what's it all about?" question.
Given the heavy emphasis on technology and industry in today's economy, one might argue that the agrarian nation Jefferson envisioned and the educational philosophies he developed as a result, may not be relevant in contemporary society. However, in my opinion, at least one of Jefferson's beliefs holds true. Jefferson was a major proponent of the "pursuit of happiness" ideal we are so fond of as Americans. I believe that in today's society, perhaps even more so than in Jefferson's day, education is almost always a necessary component to achieving this ideal.
While societal structure may have inhibited some individuals, such as women or slaves, from attaining "happiness" in the form of obtaining an education, owning land, voting, or pursuing various professions during Jefferson's era, there are much fewer class or societal restraints present in today's society. I would argue that often times the major impediment to achieving happiness today, has something to do with a lack of education; or perhaps, rather, the accessibility and quality of education. It is common knowledge that without, at minimum, a high school diploma or GED it is very difficult, if not almost impossible, for someone in this country to obtain a decent paying, stable, job. Although, given the recent downturn in our nation's economy, some (including recent, unemployed college graduates) might say that education is not the "fix-all" solution as far as turning unemployment numbers around.
So while maybe not the ideal, philosophical, reason as to why we should educate our children in the United States, from a practical standpoint, it is arguable that a solid education is necessary for individuals to obtain any kind of financial stability or success in our society. This doesn't mean that I believe that education simply exists to produce pawns to participate in our capitalistic society (what kind of teacher would that make me? eek!) I believe that the reasons why we should and do educate our children are vast and complex. I think that placing an emphasis on both the intellectual and financial empowerment that education can provide future students is important in my role as a teacher. An understanding of the practicality of education could potentially help them answer that "what's it all about?" question.
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