Race, Class and Gender

"Show", don't just "say" that you demand success!

After reading Chapter 3, many things stuck out in my mind. The first that stuck out was the quote from Maya Angelou on page 35. She brings out an excellent point. Are we telling young people that because you have your own language you do not need to learn another? As an educator, I certainly hope not! But is that what some are being told at home? It just made me wonder. Something else that stood out in my mind was the media attacks on Ebonics. Of course I had never heard of it until the Oakland issue. At that time I was quite young. But I was relying on what my mother thought. She thought it was ridiculous. And she should have, because that was what the media was telling her. As I mentioned in the previous critique, I really like the idea of students being able to switch back and forth between languages, and noted that some of my students can do it now. I think this really needs to be encouraged. I hope to do it more in my classroom. And I hope I help them see the value in knowing how to code switch (and maybe they won't listen to their parents telling them that they don't need to learn a new language!).

I could really relate to the author, Judith Baker in Chapter 4. She seems to be doing the same things that I am doing in my classroom by comparing the home language to Standard English. Of course, she is going about it at a much higher level. As I was walking around my room today, I paid attention to what and how students were saying things. It really made me realize that some of them (not all) are speaking very differently. I think I am going to start making a list of things that students say that are not correct English, and have another whole group discussion about it. Especially after reading all the comments and blogs this week, I want to approach it again. When I had the discussion with them the first time, I said, “school talk” and “home talk” are different. But I like how Baker breaks it down into three categories: home, formal, and professional. I would like to try that with my students. On page 58 she says, “Learning a formal grammar is a choice a student makes-not a choice a teacher makes for a student.” And my question is: are teachers making the grammar interesting and approachable for the students?

This article (chapter 7) nailed it right on the head for me! I am always trying to come up with lessons that are REAL to the students. Working at a Title I school makes it that much more difficult. The students that I have this year are musical and physical learners. I am always trying to find a way to add a song here, or make a movement there. And I know that if I give them a worksheet on contractions, some of them are going to fail. But if I can get them to learn the poem, Puddin Tang, and then recite it by translating the contractions, they will learn contractions. And if we give it a little urban edge, they will really get into it! I feel that every teacher in every school needs to demand success. And just saying it doesn’t cut it.

I like how Purcell-Gates points out that the lack of experience with literacy in the home is not a deficit but a cultural difference. It’s taking me a while to agree with her. In fact, I might be on the fence. The teacher part of me is screaming though. I do understand what she is saying. I believe that everyone should be reading to their children at night. I think it is so incredibly important. Of course I do! I am a teacher! But when I put myself in a parent’s shoes, I can also see how literacy is not a top priority for their child. But as a teacher, I want to show this child that literacy should be a top priority for themselves. I think that is truly the hardest part of my job. Teaching poor minority children that literacy is power is very difficult.

Sarah Feinman

Race, Class and Gender

I understand a fury in your words, But not the words. William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "Othello", Act 4 scene 2

Kohl made me think of a moment I had in high school. Moving from the Midwest to the South was not easy. I had issues fitting in with my peers, mostly due to the “language barrier”. But I was trying. I remember speaking with my favorite teacher, informally about something I had done. “Me and Jessie went to the beach.” He quickly corrected me. I remember being confused. I felt comfortable enough with him, and I thought he respected me. Why is he correcting me, when I am just trying to fit in? After that I was very hesitant about talking with him. I was always afraid I wasn't going to say the right thing. I even became quieter in class. He meant no harm but I couldn’t get past the fact that he didn’t understand me. In turn, I think about the damage I may be causing my students. I try everyday to give them the respect that they deserve, but I wonder if I am doing enough. I tell students that I am not understanding what they say when they answer me, and I tell them to explain it in another way. Is this hurting them?

This chapter also got me thinking about the way I use mannerisms and my own language when teaching. I will tell you that my first two years teaching were awful. And a lot of it has to do with the fact that students weren’t hearing me. And it wasn’t because they had the volume turned down. I wasn’t speaking to them I was speaking AT them. And with their behavior constantly annoying me, I am sure my tone was not great. I’m sure it was awful. Things have changed this year because I went into it with a positive attitude. I also told the students that I wanted our classroom community to be a family. And it truly is. Of course it didn’t start that way; we put a lot of effort into it. But the students are hearing me this year. They are listening. And I am speaking WITH them. I suppose over the summer I had a topsy-turvy experience. I thought long and hard about where I wanted to be in 5 years and where I had come from. I realized that teaching IS for me, and I needed to do some things to change who I was as a teacher to benefit the children.

The other two chapters also bring out many thoughts that I am having. For example, Smitherman motivates me. She makes me want to go out and do something about this issue of language in the classroom. And Wynne is even more inspiring with the reference to the 60s and the power of words. She questions the universities and the knowledge of its preservice teachers. I have no doubt that preservice teachers are not getting what they need. It is shocking to think that some universities are pumping out teachers who think that people who speak Ebonics are inferior. Maybe I am taking that to an extreme. But I do wish I had read this book when I was getting my BA. It seems so much more profound that anything I had read as an undergrad.

Sarah Feinman

Race, Class and Gender

The question is not,—how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education—but how much does he care?"- Charlotte Mason

Everyday I hear the words "research based". Most of the research that we use in school is quantitative research. This is also what I used for my research course at ASU. I never thought about the implications that qualitative research could bring about. Right now, there is a huge issue with the grades of second grade students and their performance the following year on the third grade pretest. There is a discrepancy. And a rather large one at that. Our principal asked us in a meeting, why we thought this was happening. And this isn't anything new. K2 typically performs better than 3-5. Wouldn't it be great to jump in and do a qualitative research project to find out some answers? Is there a problem with the test? Is there something happening to boys and girls at this age? I wonder what the students are thinking. And I wonder what the parents are thinking. What happens from second grade to third grade? Or, can we select a small number of students, give them an intervention and see what happens? In the meeting, I mentioned tutoring second grade students over the summer. What if we selected a small group of students to do this with? We could follow them from the beginning of second grade to the beginning of third grade. We could give them the extra support, tutor them, monitor them. I bet we would find out something interesting things that can happen to an 8 or 9 year old over the summer that would have an effect on their performance.

I think we are always trying to get students to fit into these perfect square pegs. I think it is important to really take the time to get to know students. I would like to see more qualitative research done in schools. I am not seeing enough of it. Especially with No Child Left Behind. What are some implications of this? And how are students really being helped? Are we ready for yet another shift in education?
Sarah Feinman

Race, Class and Gender

Well behaved women rarely make history" - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

As I was reading this article, the gender aspect kept pulling at my heart. I have always wrestled with the idea of gender based curricula. The idea of separating the boy from the girls was a difficult one for me to understand. This is probably because I was raised by an independent single woman. I loved being in competition with boys in school. And I loved it when I was "smarter" then them.

There are schools in this nation that do have gender specific classrooms. I think that is an extreme measure to meet the needs of students. This article opened my eyes to the possibilities of creating "workshops" that are gender specific. I loved how these girls were able to open up, and "speak out" in these sessions.

One of Henry's research perspectives says, "Black girls are expected to adopt “female” roles of passivity and complacency; they are invisible to teachers as serious learners; they receive less encouragement and rewards; they are assessed for their social skills rather than academic achievement; they are evaluated by their physical characteristics such as hair texture and skin color; they are considered sex objects as they mature (Evans, 1992; Grant, 1984; Okazawa-Rey, Robinson, & Ward, 1987). This makes me think about some of the girls that I have in my class now. Typically they are very reserved and quiet. I never have discipline problems with them, and they always "comply". During whole group activities I rarely get responses from them. However, this quarter they are all in the same reading group, with no boys. I noticed a few weeks ago that I could not get them to stop talking, in order for me to ask comprehension questions. I quickly realized that I didn't need to ask questions, as they were proposing them on their own and discussing and understanding the text. I am not sure if it is because they were in a small group, or a small group with no boys, or just around each other that made them open up. Or even if it is the texts that I am supplying. I am glad that they have opened up. It is been very rewarding. This is something that I want to take a closer look at. Maybe in the next few weeks I can bring in texts that are more relevant to them. I would like to have a moment with this group, like Henry did with Tamisha; "turn that thing off!"

Sarah Feinman

Race, Class and Gender

Closing the gap....between home and school...

I enjoyed reading this article. It was very straightforward...and I only had to pull out the dictionary once..."phenomenological interviewing". Took me a few minutes to wrap my brain around that one. However, I was struck by the fact that Native American's do not do as well as White students on performance tests, when there is clearly an abundance of literacy at home. And it also appeared, in the case of Daniel and Zonnie, that their families were committed to their education. I quickly discovered the reason for this, which I want to address later.

I was disappointed in Zonnie's parents. They are happy with C's and B's? WHY?! If they say they are committed to her education, shouldn't they be pushing her more? The same with Daniel's parent's...D's? Hello?! It seems to me that this wonderful father who teaches his children so much would jump in and do something about it. But again...I quickly realize the fault is not on the parents or the students.

It seemed that for Daniel's school experience, there were NO connections to his cultural background. Oh wait, there was that report from a Native American perspective. That seems lazy to me. I know that I dig deep to find things that can connect to my students' lives. And not just one assignment, it is something that I strive for DAILY. And the same goes for Zonnie's experience. Yes, she had teachers that she could bond with over poetry, but where was the connection to her personal life? How was this school making anything relevant for these students?

And now I come to my point. One teacher of Daniel's said that Daniel left school at school. He wasn't bringing school to his home. But isn't it true that the school wasn't bringing school to his home? A bridge is needed for these students. The school has to put forth an effort to pull the parents in and the parents should put forth an effort to pull the school in. What about a monthly attendance to a powwow...involving staff and students? I can't even begin to list the possible literacy activities that could come out of that. Even if the Native American students are only 5% of their school....it shouldn't matter. NO Child Left Behind, right? There should be a bridge, a nice, strong, clean, sturdy bridge between school and home.

-Sarah Feinman

PS. I recently purchased multiple copies of "I Love My Hair"- Natasha Anastasia Tarpley (Author), E.B. Lewis for my group of girls. I am waiting (somewhat) patiently for it to arrive. I will keep every updated about the discussions this brings about. Can anyone recommend any other books? 1st-2nd grade level? I could even do a read aloud with them...

Race, Class and Gender

Story is far older than the art of science and psychology, and will always be the elder in the equation no matter how much time passes. -Clarissa Pinkola Estes

As I was reading this article, I was intrigued by the shift these young men had to make with storytelling. In their home community, storytelling was an oral form. As they shifted to the camp and on to America, they were "forced" to become literate. I say forced because they knew being literate meant power. And power for these young men was incredibly important. It meant freedom. Also, the example of the message board board indicates why becoming literate was essential.

It seems as though they thought they had no choice but to become literate. One said that it was important for the oral stories to be written down so that others could find them and read them if they were from the same community. Tradition and history are important to them as it identified who they were and what they came from.

After reading an article, I always think of ways I can use it in my classroom. This article confirmed what I already believe to be true. Students lives must be a part of their literacy. Without connections learning is meaningless. Oral story telling is also incredibly important. So often we get wrapped up in the whole writing process that we forget the beauty of telling stories orally. Today I listened to one of my students use a voice for a stuffed polar bear I have in my room. Her imaginative play was a way of storytelling. It was nice to hear her talk about why he wasn't cold (because of his fur and thick skin) and why he was brave. She may have just been "playing" but that was her way of connecting her knowledge.

In another course, we talked about creating "camp fires" for classes to sit around and tell stories. I think this social interaction is essential. Students need to learn how to speak to one another, in addition to learning how to write an amazing piece of work in 45 minutes.

Sarah Feinman

Race, Class and Gender

"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." - Albert Einstein

There are a majority of working class children in the school that I teach at. My student teaching took place in a school with a population of upper-middle class children. There is a clear distinction between these two schools in my mind. I don't feel as though I need to go into those differences, but they are there, and always present. I get the feeling that many things that happen in this school district are governed by the things that happen in the upper-middle class schools. I watch the news everyday, morning and night. My school has been mentioned once in the three years that I have lived here. Other schools are mentioned many times. There are a variety of reasons for this. But clearly the other schools get more media attention. And I think this effects many things that happen in our school district.

Where am I going with all of this?

I suppose my frustration is coming from the district or government or politics in education in general. Clearly (as this class has presented), children come from different cultures. Many times these cultures are different from teachers', administrators', and superintendents' cultures. And because of that, some children are at an advantage and some are at a disadvantage. If we know that, then why aren't we being more supportive of these struggling schools? (Don't you want the best teachers and the best administrators working not and day to ensure these students get an education?) You can send me to 10 workshops about reading strategies and math strategies. But how do I teach it to these working class children? How do I make it meaningful for them? How do I convince them that sequence is more important than mom not having a job? It is really frustrating. We know where these kids are coming from and yet, as a school, we get no support from the district. "You need to expect this. You need to have high expectations." Then why are you giving me a classroom library with no female protagonists, no Latino characters, no working class families, and no minorities (and if they are minorities, it is a joke)? Why do you allow our school to be inaccessible by wheel chair? How do you expect me to reach these children that have so many needs?

I could go on my rant forever. But I think you understand where I am coming from. :) I am excited to be reading about working-class children and literacy learning. This topic hits home for me. I hope to gain even more insight in the lives of children that I am trying to reach.

The idea of discourse being not just print and oral literacy was not lost on me. I immediately think of the story Beloved by Toni Morrison. The theme of identity runs rampant through this novel. By connecting discourse to this novel, I am able to think about how learning and growing happen in every facet of one's life.
Sarah Feinman

Race, Class and Gender

“Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing”

(I love doctors, don't get me wrong. But this seemed like a good quote for this post....)

This chapter was difficult for me to read. I struggled with two issues.

One issue that really stood out for me was the difference in Laurie's academic progress from kindergarten to first grade. She was doing well in kindergarten, and then faltered in first grade. Hicks talks a lot about the use of center time in kindergarten. In fact, there are several episodes in which students are working together in small groups. And yet, when she is in first grade, there is no mention of small groups. Most of Laurie's academic schooling in whole group or independent. How can this be? And it seems as though there was no mention of differentiated instruction, until she moved onto second grade where she was "placed" in a program. In my experience a balanced literacy program MUST have differentiated instruction. You need to teach kids where they are at, not where they SHOULD be. And just because this first grade teacher was experienced does not mean she was meeting the needs the of Laurie. I don't think she was. Most of the activities I do with my students are differentiated. I have small groups for everything. The only teaching that I do that is whole class is TDR, which is mandated by the district. Spelling, math, reading, writing, science and social studies are all small group. I really struggled with this. Of course Laurie was able to look like she was understanding. How could the teacher really know with a whole class to watch?

The other issue was the diagnosis of Laurie's ADD. As teachers, we all know. We know that kids act differently while on meds. In my experience I have met ONE student that truly had ADD. And, granted, I know I am not a doctor. But misbehavior does not mean they have a hard time paying attention or that they have a disorder. I had one student who I jokingly called Mr. Hyde. He was rotten when he wasn't on meds. But he was bright. His creativity and problem solving skills were astounding. But that only happened on the days mom forgot to give him his meds. When he had his meds, he was a zombie. I didn't recognize him. I could always tell if he had taken his meds by the look in his eyes. If he had taken them, his eyes were typically half closed. He rarely spoke and tired out easily. He didn't care about school work or friends. It was horrible watching it. I even told mom that I thought he was being over medicated. And her response was that she couldn't handle him when he wasn't on meds. (!) This whole ADD, ADHD thing has gotten out of control. During a SAT meeting I watched as a social worker told a parent which doctor to go to because that doctor was sure to diagnose ADD. WHAT?! I don't feel that Laurie had ADD. I think she had a difficult upbringing and it put extra stress on her. I do not see that as a disorder.
Sarah Feinman

race, class and gender

Home/School Connection

I envy Deborah Hicks’ role. She is able to see the home life and the school life. As the educator, I am often blinded by why happens at home. When I am able, I try to make home visits. But I will admit, this rarely happens in reality. When it does, I am shocked by what I see at home. I once visited a home in which the child was one of ten in the household of 5 adults. There were 2 bedrooms and one bathroom. There were no beds. There was one beat up couch and odd pieces of junk lying around. But to my amazement there was huge big screen TV in the living room. It was larger than the wall space and blocked part of the front door. I had many problems with this student. It wasn’t until I visited the home that I began to understand the issue he was having at school. As teachers, we can only rely on what the students and parents say part of the time. We really do not know until we step foot in their lives. For this reason, I envy Hicks. She is able to see where the issues are. She is able to make recommendations for school change. I only wish our system could see the power in this. Our school has lost 3 positions for next year. One of which is the home school coordinator. This position is one that the teachers greatly respect. We rely on this man to go to homes and speak with parents when we are unable to. He comes to us and tells us what he has seen in the home. He is a huge help in the home to school connection. I really do not know what we are going to do without him next year. How can a school system cut this position? We all know the research. We all know how important this connection is. Why is it being cut off?

Sarah Feinman

Race, class and gender

Ver'nost and an open heart

I often complain about my undergraduate program. I feel as though it did not prepare me for teaching at all. They even warned me, “You will not be prepared for teach”. They gave me many wonderful lesson ideas (which I haven’t used at all….) and many great resources for curriculum (which I also haven’t used…). But there was clearly a lacking of ver’nost. No one prepared me for the connections that I would make with students. They are stronger than most connections I have ever made. I certainly think that a few philosophy requirements would have better prepared me for teaching. Even the reading of Rose’s work would have been suitable.

Countless behavior management workshops have told me that in order for my students to respect me, I need to respect them. Some have even mentioned that students can read your eyes better than your words. I would try to respect my students, but it never seemed to do anything. It wasn’t until I truly got to know my students, and meet them where they were, that I began to respect them. The beginning of the school year is always incredibly hard for me. I put so much time into my students. But by the end of the year, (like right now) I discover how much I love my students. I also see how much they count on me and need me. They know I will be there, everyday greeting them at the door. Perhaps ver’nost is not something that teachers can learn how to do with students. But if we can learn to be open, maybe we can try to reach it.

I think there is a huge issue in education today. Relying on high stakes tests to prove growth and progress is not the way to form educational practices. Each student that walks into the door is unlike any other student. Research tells us that because students come from such diverse backgrounds we cannot rely on these tests. But we continue to do it. Grading is easy. The numbers are easy. The comparisons can easily be made. I am hoping that the shift has started. I am already hearing many things about changes with the current EOG. I have heard that there will be added sections. They will begin to use short answer questions and essay questions. It isn’t much, but at least it is a step in the right direction.
Sarah Feinman

Race Class and Gender

What then is personal identity? It is the persistence of certain defining characteristics in a very complex orderly society endowed with a preeminent linear society or "soul" -Professor Hartshorne

There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.
Michel Foucault

This has been a very powerful class for me. I never thought that an online format could produce so much thinking and internalizing in myself. I believe it was the first podcast from Dr. Jackson that said we should try to be as open as possible during our readings and posts. I haven’t that of that, until just now, after reading this quote. My ways of thinking has taken a dramatic shift. I am very surprised. I tend to be a very stubborn and outspoken person. However, I believe my thinking has shifted because it needed to. I deeply care for my students. They really are part of my family and I always want the best for them. The readings in this course have led me to the realization that I must respect my students on a deeper level than what I had been doing. And until I can do that, I will hinder them in reaching their true potential.

After reading the Dowdy article, I realized the power of being able to code switch. I laughed at and blamed professionals who use improper English. Several months later, I also saw the power in teachers using students’ language. I tried it recently on the playground. Other teachers were standing near me, and the words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them, “Go on witch your badself girl. You show dem boys how it’s done!” I used the hand and eye roll thing too. I knew if I thought about it for too long, I wouldn’t actually do it. I was afraid of the “look” from the other teachers. I think I was also afraid of how goofy I would sound. But I reached a little girl who is usually very timid and shy around me. She thought it was the funniest thing. She came out of her shell that day. She has been more confident and more willing to answer my questions. And I wonder if she saw how vulnerable I was, and saw that lightning didn’t strike me. Or maybe she even saw my happiness. Whatever it was, it helped. So, thanks to this course, I have discovered that code switching can go both ways.

With most of the readings in this course, I think of the novel Beloved, by Toni Morrison. That novel showed me just how important identity is to each and every one of us. When I think back to the Situated Histories chapter, I remember that each child comes to my room with their own identity. They have come from nothing. Even if it seems like nothing to the person next door, it is SOMETHING. I have to try my best to help them build and add onto that identity and make it much stronger. Today, I was speaking with a teacher who has a student that is starting to become a behavior problem. This particular student has a very difficult home life. There is a lot of violence, neglect and drugs. She pulled him aside today and asked him why he was acting the way he was. After a really long talk, he finally said, “It’s just what happens. When you get old you get bad.” And it troubled me to think that he already had chosen his path in life. This teacher and I both vowed to show him all HIS possibilities that he has in life. But we are walking a fine line. We do not want him to think we are changing who he is. We want to show him what he can be, and what he can accomplish.

Since I have read the chapter Fiction of Girlhood, I have had to really analyze my teaching. If any moment of the day has been wasted or I have thought, “Well let me just sit her and relax for a minute”, I think of the little girl, Laurie. She needed every ounce of her teachers’ energy. She needed the instruction specific to her. And even though I KNOW this is what all students need, I still have lazy moments. But since I have read this chapter, my lazy moments happen less frequently and are much shorter!

For each article and each chapter that I have read in this course, I always think of my students. This is partly because this is a professional setting, but it is also because this is my life. I really never think of teaching as a career, but as a huge facet of my life. But I have also come to realization that I have applied these readings to my personal life as well. I’m not nearly as judgmental of my friends as I once was (and I say this like to has been years- but it has only been a few months). This was a huge problem that I was having. In fact, one of the roommates actually moved out because of it. She thought that I resented her and liked her less because she never finished college. And I will be honest; I had a BIG problem with it. I knew she could do better. That was my rationale. She could do better. And I kept saying it. But I don’t think I ever really asked her what she wanted out of life. I regret that. I regret that I didn’t take this class earlier. I wish I could have had a more open heart before she choose to move out. I was forcing an identity on her, that wasn’t hers. And now that I see that, I see her for who she is. I really do SEE. Life is too short to place judgment on others. It is too short to put people in “groups”. We really do need to see everyone for who they ARE.
Sarah Feinman