Imagination and Community Building

 “Teaching involves making an immense number of decisions, and all these decisions have an impact on how students will learn, how they will treat one another, and what the classroom atmosphere will feel like”  (Shevin, 99).

This is such a wonderful quote! The sense of building community is obviously not limited to the classroom.  The atmosphere or “feeling” of a community is crafted by the members, but as a teacher it is my responsibility to lay the foundation.  Classrooms should feel safe, where children can be free to learn and take chances without consequence.  I want to create an atmosphere with clear expectations and trust.  They can expect that each of their opinions is valid and will be respected in my classroom not only by me, but their peers as well.  I’m sure there are numerous creative methods of accomplishing my goal, and I cannot wait to get started.

Speaking of creativity…

“We must use our imagination, she writes, to apply concepts to things. ‘This is the way we render the world familiar and therefore manageable” (Greene, 35).

            Our class discussed last night the concept of imagination and the arts, and their role in the classroom.  Other cohort members expressed that they did not feel they were artistic.  It’s a similar assumption I made about myself initially.  However, looking deeper I would like to assume there is potential for more.  I have taken dance classes, and art in the past.  As a child I loved to draw.  I do not seek it out as an adult habitually, but I can be optimistic about my ability to participate in and inspire creative learning.  In response to the question: “What would homework look like if it were not 47 worksheets”, I appreciated solutions such as using math in cooking, time, shopping, or even video games.  Given my lack of personal experience as a teacher, I would imagine one challenge would be making sure the child is learning.  Not all children understand the lesson immediately, even after working on it in class that day.  Homework is strenuous but personally that was how I have learned throughout my education.  I’m not willing to dismiss the idea of “no homework”, but rather examine it more closely.  How do we show that homework is effective?  Is it ethical to remove homework, experimentally, to prove one way or another?

Gender "Roles"

In class last night one group covered “Gender Issues in Teaching and Learning” from our readings for the week.  We constructed a list of attributes society connects to men and women, as well as boys and girls.   The question was then posed: “What if we remove these ‘gender roles’? Would children turn out the same? Is it possible?”

These questions pick at the idea that gender roles sprout gender stereotypes and discrimination which are harmful to both males and females.  Men were characterized on our board as being brave, rational, tall, and strong; while women were pretty, soft, weak and emotional.  However, in discussing our favorite toys, we realized as a class that no one male/female fits strictly into their “gender category”.  One woman at my table chose her bike as her favorite toy, rather than a doll. I personally chose a cabbage patch kid, but remember my “Creepy Crawler” kit quite well.  Inevitably any crossover (i.e. “tomboys”), we determined leads to discomfort in society. 

Would removing gender “roles”, remove the discomfort?  I agree with Julie, and similarly spoke with my table, about the merits of gender roles.  There is truth to every stereotype and many characteristics written on our long class list do exist.  For example, women have a tendency to be more outwardly emotional than men.  Removing “gender roles” or stereotypes is not going to change this fact.  Someone from class spoke to our race discussion from last week: “If we remove gender, should we remove race too? Or just segregate everyone into separate classes according to race, gender, class, ect..?”

As a teacher, preconceived notions about how a gender, class or race performs in a subject need to not enter the classroom.  These are assigned stereotypes which are unhelpful in identifying how to teach the individual.  We cannot fix society, however in the classroom we shouldn’t be colorblind to race or gender nor should we perpetuate stereotypes.  Even if removing gender “roles” were possible, it would only serve to cloud the individual.  We are all unique! We should embrace it.

Student Identity

        This week we were assigned a reading by Buchmann, Delpitt, and Chapter 4 of Ayers.  Both Delpit and Ayers matched well with the discussion of race and culture we are having in Allison’s class, while Buchmann defines the role of teaching. 

            One common theme I seeing running through the discussion of race and culture between our two classes is the importance of a child’s identity.  Their identity can be defined by a combination of their race, culture, family, age, abilities, interests, and experiences; School is a place where identity is further shaped by their peers, experiences, parents, and educators.  Implicit in these readings is a message for teachers to set aside assumptions and stereotypes, see the identity of each child, and assess how to teach the individual.  As one fellow cohort member pointed out last night, it is a daunting yet necessary task.  Limited time to cover curriculum along with thirty students does not leave much elbow room to individualize your teaching.    It is daunting because each child matters, their learning matters, and you want to devote the time so each child feels that. 

These readings ask teachers to be very self-aware of their own culture, its influence on children from different backgrounds, and one’s assumptions about whether a child’s behavior is a reflection of culture.   It’s a multifaceted topic that I have had trouble unpacking.  I find myself instead asking: “How can I best teach to each individual?” Ayers, and previous readings, discuss the importance of parent communication, “Me” projects to learn about the children, and teaching about other cultures through various holidays throughout the year. Inspired from a conversation with the Improving Access text, my group discussed the value of teaching other languages.  To give English speakers a perspective about the challenges bilingual learners face, provide math instruction in Spanish to everyone.  I feel this exercise would not only provide empathy for the challenge of learning academics in your non-native language, but also an opportunity for English speakers to learn Spanish.  Personally, I have a passion for Deaf culture and American Sign Language.  When I volunteered, the children learned fingerspelling and basic sign language, and naturally began to share it around with other classes.  At the school assembly, Helen’s was the only class to “clap” like Deaf people.  As the children learned the basics of the language and adapted it to their own identities and “culture”, I simultaneously was able to teach them about Deaf culture and Deaf identity.  One of “my” students told me she was able to communicate with her Deaf neighbor for the first time.   It was exciting to have that impact on the students and the community.

Ayers previously asked college students to write down three cultural groups they identify with and what stereotypes exist for each (95). This is perhaps advanced for an elementary school child.  At the same time, it was a good exercise to expand my thinking.  I discussed the idea of racism with both Allison Hintz and a friend: “How do I teach children about racism, or approach the topic if a racist comment is made?”  Allison was very helpful in laying out specific and appropriate ways to talk about it: “I would begin by asking questions using a sincere and serious tone about the child's comment. Such as, "help me understand why you say you're glad your skin is lighter than _____'s?" "What do you mean when you say that?" I agree it’s important to understand the intent of the comment before making assumptions yourself that the child is being racist.  My friend suggested doing an activity to demonstrate racism by dividing the class into “blue-eyed” and “brown-eyed” kids and giving special privileges to one group.  For example the “brown-eyed” kids get to line-up first, or get five extra minutes of recess.  At the end of the day, there can be a group discussion about how each group felt and the larger picture of racial discrimination.

To address my own question above: “How can I best teach to each individual”, I feel it is important to not only understand their identity but, with that, their academic abilities.  One of the benefits of volunteering was the one-on-one time I earned from each student.  One-on-one, students and I worked on math, reading, writing, and more.  Working together we learned about one another, but more importantly set goals in their learning.  If Helen assembled the class once again for a larger group lesson, I knew which children may need additional help for a particular lesson because I was better aware of their abilities.  Delpitt’s chapter: I just want to be myself similar discusses the benefits of individualized attention.  “I have taken Anthony out into the hallway several times to talk and play privately so as to get a better idea of his actual abilities” (37).  Her example also highlights the harm of ethnic stereotyping, especially when she describes Anthony’s virtues to his teacher and receives only criticism.  The teacher unfortunately is blinded by her assumptions about his race, so much that she cannot see the child beyond. 

I asked the cohort this week for our open conversation about what passions they hope to bring to their classrooms.  After reflecting in my journal however, I can easily see how a classroom can academically reflect both my own interests as well as those of my students.  Perhaps a “unit” (i.e. Science- ‘Magnets’) could include a current events wall or scrapbook of how students interact with the topic in their own lives.  Parents can also supplement lessons with individual experience.  In this way, personalizing the lessons to the identity of the individual which are shared with the class, more learning can take place. 

Educational Autobiography

Educational Autobiography

            I first started volunteering at Margaret Mead Elementary in Helen Kraft’s fourth grade class.  She had invited me in to teach sign language to her students in 2007, and I jumped at the opportunity.  At first I assumed it would just be an occasion to use my sign language skills in a new way, but after one lesson I fell in love with teaching.  The children were excited and actively participating, and the more I volunteered in the classroom the better I came to know them.  As I finished my Bachelor’s degree and volunteered over the next few years, Helen became a mentor for me in the teaching field.  By observing and sharing in her challenges and triumphs, I came to know the requirements of the career intimately.  Then, in 2008, I received the “Children’s Award” from the PTSA for my volunteer work.  I knew then that the career I had dreamed of having since I was in third grade could soon become a reality.  I cannot imagine myself doing anything else.

            The bulk of my volunteer work has been in Helen’s room, although I have observed other teachers in her pod, substitutes, specialists, as well as a second grade teacher at the school teach.  As I have previously mentioned in our classroom discussions that I have a great appreciation for Helen's creative teaching style.  She actively engages her students and is not afraid to get them out of their desks. Throughout the day she continually refers to the class schedule and previews the types of lessons they have planned.  The students came to understand her expectations and would check to see if, for example, reading away from their desk with a partner was an appropriate choice.  My aim is to recreate a similar structure in a cooperative classroom environment, where the children help shape the rules and therefore feel responsible to uphold them.  My favorite activity in Helen’s class was always on the first day.  Each student received a paper listing different types of learning styles as well as three post-it notes.  They chose the three best qualities that described them, wrote their name on the post-it, and placed it on the class’ larger sheet of paper under the learning style, to form a bar graph.  This gave me a huge appreciation for the different types of learners, and how I would classify myself! One could generalize that children between ages 5-10 have high levels of energy, but that does not mean they all learn best talking in groups.  Some are better individual learners, in a quiet environment, such as myself.  It was a fascinating experiment!  The large bar graph was stuck to the door, and referred to as we began lessons.  Some types of lessons were more collaborative, such as science, and the classroom would be loud.  Some writing assignments were quiet, and she asked more “collaborative” learners to be respectful of the temporary silent environment.

            When I examine the type of teacher I want to be, I imagine a lot of Helen’s teaching techniques.  Helen’s students felt heard, valued, part of a team, and were challenged to produce their best work.  When I think about my own experiences in school, the most influential teacher I had was in fifth and sixth grade; his name was Dale Larson.  Dale’s lessons brought us outside to use our “classification” lesson on plants in the school yard.  I also remember table group teams competing on a classroom “Survivor” game board.  I found my passion for history and science in his class.  Most importantly Dale was supportive of my struggles in reading comprehension, and playground bullying that I was experiencing at the time.  I felt as though I had an advocate, and even a surrogate parent.  Unfortunately Dale passed before I had the opportunity to reconnect and tell him about my goals.  His motto for the class was: “Be all you can be”, I would be honoring his memory to meet those expectations for my own students in the future.

            In my educational experience, kindergarten through my Bachelor’s Degree, I felt most valued and connected when I could apply the task or topic of the lesson, in whole or in part, to my own life.  As I got older, finding the meaning and value of my classes became a skill I refined for myself.  As a child however, it was difficult for me to retain information.  Personal references or understanding the larger significance of the event helped me, and still aid me in remembering.  In junior high each seventh grade student chose a member of their family to report on for a large exposition later in the year.  The project enabled me to interview my maternal grandfather Peter Loos, visit my mother’s birth place, and learn about his service in the U.S. Navy during WWII.  The opportunity to learn about a period of time in reference to a family member, and create a family tree was exciting!

            At times in my educational career, I have felt disconnected when I do not understand the lesson and there is a lack of support from the teacher to help.  For example, I have always worked hard to pass math classes, but it has never come easy to me.  When I entered community college, my pre-calculus teacher made all the difference.  Tony Akhlaghi engaged every student and gave us the opportunity to pass or fail.  Whereas previous instructors provided a couple of examples and then assigned work from a textbook, Tony would actually work through multiple difficult problems on the white board.  We worked together as a class.  Some students helped solve problems on the white board while others made the calculations.  The expectations were clear, and he gave us the tools to succeed. 

            Volunteering, finishing my Bachelor’s Degree, and observing other teachers have forced me to think reflectively about my strengths in leading a classroom.  Helen has pointed out that I enjoy organization and technology, which are two skills I plan on incorporating.  I feel the classroom functions best however, when there are clear academic expectations and rules.  The children then learn respect, cooperation, and other lifeskills while participating in, and helping sculpt classroom management.  The most important attribute of Helen’s class I want to emulate is a shared balance between students and teachers, so both are responsible for creating a safe learning environment.  I originally thought it would feel safer to have total control of the classroom.  However, between Helen’s techniques and other more controlled rooms I’ve observed, I believe students thrive in an environment they help create. 

Critical Reflection: Racial Awareness

Next Monday’s reading includes Howard’s Chapter 6: Developing Cultural Competence and Racial Awareness in Classroom Teachers. This text expands upon how adopting cultural competence, cultural democracy, and critical reflection of one’s own assumptions are necessary for preservice teachers of all racial backgrounds.  I liked the idea of “we teach who we are” (114).  Whether in regards to racial diversity, personality, or other dimensions of our identity, I believe this is definitely true.  Awareness of our own prejudices and viewpoints are important to acknowledge and understand as we enter the classroom. 

My first step in engaging with this text was to attempt to examine my own assumptions about race (including my own), experiences volunteering, and experiences as a student.  It was an interesting exercise.  I’m a white female, age 26.  I’ve been discriminated against for my gender definitely, but not for my race.  The paper addresses that each person has grown up being exposed to a certain number of stereotypes of other races.  I thought this was important to point out.  I know that when volunteering in the classroom, I am not treating children of different races differently.  It’s an uncomfortable idea, only because I would hate to make someone feel I am treating them differently due to the fact that we have different cultures.  This will be an interesting idea to explore in class. 

Perhaps the assertions of Sleeter (2008) on page 115 are a little too extreme: “[White teachers]…bring little awareness or understanding of discrimination.” He also writes: “…[They are] generally ignorant of communities of color, fear them and fear discussing race and racism” (115).  I can only speak for myself in saying I do not fear people of color, and I do not agree with the judgment against white poeple.  Is this an assumption of the white race due to the discussion of “racial dominance” discussed later in the chapter?  I will agree that I have not faced racial discrimination and therefore have less “understanding” as to its impact on culture and the individual.  It does not mean that a new pre-service teacher is not willing to learn! J

This text made several important points about color blindness, and racial awareness that I appreciated being explained to me.  I think a preservice class examining one’s racial identity would be an interesting exercise in examining one’s assumptions, as well as teaching a preservice teacher how to emulate racial awareness in their own classroom.  It makes me reflect a lot on how I have encountered racism and racial slurs.  I have had to stand up for myself before.  I have combated the use of racial slurs, especially in front of children, and stood up for my own beliefs.  Despite the costs to my personal life, I feel that it has strengthened my identity as a future educator. 

Activism in Teaching K-8?

We’ve been asked to use our blog as a means of processing our experiences in class and further reactions to the chapters we read as an extension of journaling.  I’ve done minimal blogging within my Bachelor’s program at the UWB and the feeling is still strange.  This will be a good exercise to receive responses from peers and instructors on my thinking as well as for further reflection at the end of the certification. 

I would like to use this post to bring up my reaction to our book for Monday’s class after we read and discussed the introduction.  I actually found some parallels between themes from this book and Ayer’s book in the Wednesday class of influencing the next generation to change the world.  As suggested by Allison, I’ve been trying to find the logic behind the argument in this introduction, and been thinking hard about my own life experiences.  I have never reacted like this to the introduction of a book before.

The introduction from Rethinking Our Classrooms talks about many attributes the curriculum of a classroom must possess in order to emulate equality and social justice.  Activism is one of their points in which the author supports students to become “change makers”, and feel connected to a rainbow of diverse culture’s: “legacy of defiance” (xi).  My reaction to this was one of discomfort because I feel it is sending a political message.  Not once, in my own K-12 experience or in the 500 hours I spent volunteering, did politics enter the classroom.  Students engaged with American history and diversity within their academics;h owever they were never asked to search for: “…the ways their lives connect to the broader society, and are often limited by that society” (x).  I agree that academics is not limited to basic facts, it should be connected to the broader world.  My interpretation of the introduction is that it implies children need encouragement to change our society because it is broken.   The classroom has a diverse group of students; this encompasses their cultural backgrounds, learning abilities, families, past education..ect.   Each student and their differences are an addition to the classroom and an opportunity for more learning.  However, this is a different concept from what the book is introducing.  Are we being asked to drive a social reform? 

My group interpreted activism in different ways, although they understood my interpretation.  One woman stated that activism could refer to a positive experience with learning about composting, and then learning how they can actively participate with this in their own life.  I agree that learning should definitely extend outside the classroom and inspire the children to find their own meaning and answers.  Another woman in my group applied the idea of activism to standing up to bullying on the school playground.  I could understand how activism could be applied to those aspects of an elementary school experience, however the book mentions “equality and social justice” so frequently, I don’t understand what general topics they themselves could be addressing. 

Another dimension of examining this introduction is to understand how my own life experiences are influencing my interpretation.  I am picking up on key words that remind me of a political speech.  It also reminds me of entering community college and being amongst passionate teachers who expressed and encouraged their political opinions.  When I went to community college, this was a new encounter for me.  It allowed me to better interact with politics, and at the same time I felt swept up in the ideas of others.  I feel responsible to the young impressionable minds I will be teaching somewhere between K-6.  I don’t feel this level of activism fits with the atmosphere I’ve observed in volunteering and want to possess in my own classroom. 

References

Rethinking Our Classrooms Teaching for Equality and Justice (Second Ed.). (2007).  United States: A Rethinking Schools Publication.