Monica-GSU

This chapter was an appropriate closing for me. I have learned so much in this program and know that I will continue to learn and grow. This quote really stood out to me:

“As a point of departure for the critical understanding of growing among us, existing, it is important to note that because we are ‘programmed to learn,’ we live, or experience, or we find ourselves open to experience the relationship between what we inherit and what we acquire. We become genetic-cultural beings. We are not only nature, nor are we only culture, education, and thinking. Thus growing, to us, is an experience affected by biology, psychology, culture, history, education, politics, aesthetics, and ethics” (p. 170).

We inherit knowledg from our families, something that is passed on. We acquire knowledge through our readings, experiences, education, and learning from others. All our learning is tied together. It makes me who I am as a teacher; all the things I’ve learned. I aspire to continue to grow and change and learn so that I can make a difference in education.

This chapter is apropos for the end of this semester and being close to the end of the program! There is no doubt about the fact that teaching is a difficult, but so rewarding profession! For every negative experience I have had in teaching, I can name at least 5 positive experiences. There is nothing like the face of a child who looks at you with love, respect, and admiration. Even the ones you have to be tough on. What a feeling when you win them over! Teaching is my 2nd career, and I would never want to do anything else. I have been in this profession for 18 years and could never imagine leaving. As I continue to learn and grow, I want to make a bigger difference. I want to find a way to affect change in schools; starting with my school. I am hoping my Capstone project will help teachers to be more aware of the issues and act upon and improve some of these pressing issues in education of which we have learned.

I know many teachers leave the field because they feel they are overworked and underpaid. They become so overwhelmed and feel very unappreciated. I feel strongly about having mentoring programs in schools provided by model teachers. Cobb had a good program, but it seems as if it is not pushed for new teachers to have mentors as much as before. This is so important if we want to keep good teachers. Teachers need to feel valued.

I am so disenchanted by what Cobb did last week; not giving part-time teachers their contracts. I know that they may get them in May, but they may not. The county thought it was better to not renew these contracts of many wonderful and experienced teachers. Their rationale is that it was the only legal way to do this. I’m wondering if it is really because they knew it would save them money to keep first year teachers who are paid much less in income and benefits than the part-time teachers with more years. What does that say about our county and what they think about the importance of having experienced teachers?  Yet, with all this being said, I am not sure how I feel about unions. I had to watch Eastern Airlines (my former career) disappear because our union was not willing to make concessions in a time of need. I worked in Broward County, Florida where we had a union. They would tell teachers not to work after hours, not to go to PTA meetings, not to attend conferences. I just could not do these things. It was not what was best for my students. I don’t think I am a good union person.

The Dewey quote on pg. 492 is powerful and true. We must take into account every individual in our classroom as well as their backgrounds and experiences, and allow them to contribute to their learning. I have been reading many articles for my math research class about teachers who have built their teaching on the strengths of their students’ cultures, the communities, and the families.

Finally, I truly believe it is important to “find satisfaction in the everyday” (pg. 503). Instead of always venting and sharing the negatives with our fellow teachers, it helps to share at least one positive a day. If we didn’t find those positives, most of us would not still be teaching.  It is my love and care for all children and my striving to make a difference that keeps me in this profession.

There were many interesting topics of discussion tonight. I am hopeful in many of Obama’s plans and that they will lead education in the right direction. I hope that his administration is able to help the states provide birth to five schools to give all children a strong beginning. I feel if students have a strong beginning it will help them in their elementary years. Students who might not afford the opportunity for a good preschool program might hopefully gain access to a quality education in the early years. 

I also believe that vouchers are not the way to go. I think we need to build a stronger public education program. If parents choose to send their children to a private school, that is their choice. They should not be given funds that would be used for public education. We need to find the best way possible to fund public education and make public schools a place where every child can have a quality education.

One of the things mentioned in Obama’s plan is expanding mentoring programs. This is of utmost importance. Teachers are so overwhelmed their first years of teaching. A mentor can provide feedback, understanding, and support to help the teacher prepare for the  the classroom. When  beginning teachers have strong mentor teachers it might aid in them staying longer in the profession.

Obama also mentioned about rewarding accomplished teachers who serve as mentors with a salary increase. Most teachers mentor because they want to help others. This would be a valuable incentive to continue to mentor. Mentoring takes a lot of time and dedication and should be rewarded.

I plan to continue to follow Obama’s plan and what he is able to achieve from his plan. He has very ambitious goals which I hope he is able to achieve.

This chapter made several points that stood out to me. The first was about how important it is not to assume that our parents don’t care about their child’s education just because they seem indifferent. Oakes and Lipton, as well as the book I am reading for my book talk, discuss how parents of minority students believe that education is very important. The misconception is caused by the difference in the definition of care. Parents see their jobs as showing their child support, encouraging their child, and teaching them cultural values to help them succeed in school. These are behind the scenes things that teachers don’t see. Another point the author made that stood out was on pg. 389 when it describes parents who often seek advantages for their child. We have parents who are like that. If their child is not succeeding in one classroom, they ask for another teacher. My principal would do that in most cases, but parents who do not visit the school as often, don’t know that they could even ask the principal to help them when their child is struggling. We also have parents who push to get their child in the gifted program, even when they haven’t passed the test for reevaluation. They are able to figure out every avenue to try. That is why, even though testing isn’t always the best measure, it is good to have standards and rules that we follow. That way it is fair for all students.  Another interesting idea is that sometimes when parents want to help children of low-income families and that sometimes acts of charity can take away a parent’s dignity. Once in my classroom I had a boy whose mom was out of work and struggling. My room moms wanted to do something, so at our holiday party we had a raffle where students put their names in a jar to win a school spirit sweatshirt. This boy “won” the prize. The kids were so happy he won. Also, our school does collections for Thanksgiving and Christmas for meals and gifts. Teachers recommend families, but our couselors speak to the parents to check with them to see if they would like help. Another thing I love that our school does to help our parents who speak Spanish have a better understanding of what is happening in our school and keeping them up to date on issues is that we have parent nights in Spanish. We have had a report card night to explain the new 1st and 2nd grade report card to parents, a CRCT night to explain to parents what the CRCT is, when testing is, and a demonstration of how parents can help their kids log on to the site to take practice tests. We have these sessions many times throughout the year.  I think we need to continue to work at communication and relations with all our parents, but I know my school is trying.

I found this a very interesting article to read. I honestly cannot argue with one thing this author had to say. I personally agree with Gardner’s theory of muliple intelligences. Each person has strengths or intelligences that should be embraced. The idea of “successful intelligences” is very true and I think our society is aware of these intelligences. That is why some people are really great mechanics and some are incredible musicians and dancers. Some have a gift for being a parent or a preacher. I know that I don’t have the intelligence to survive in a Kenyan village and figure out the right herbal medicines. We as teachers should not assume that just because students are not able to pass a test that they are not bright. As a gifted teacher, I see this all the time. It is a good thing that Georgia allows for multiple criteria to be admitted into our gifted program, but children still need at least one area of achievement or mental abilities. However, if a child is highly non-verbal, but also shows signs of creativity and motivation, it is still possible to qualify for gifted classes. We need to teach in a variety of modalities to reach all our children and pull out their areas of intelligence. We need to get to know our students individually and talk with them consistently. The more we get to know our children, the easier it will be to recognize their abilities, regardless of their culture.  Through our conversations and learning about their cultures and experiences we will find out important information which will tell us what they have to do to survive outside school. Testing is not the be all and end all. I think we all are aware of that!

I feel I really have to respond to the Bohn and Gorski articles for this week’s posting because I have been required by my school to read Ruby Payne’s book. (This is the 2nd time in this county I have had to do this.) I already had the Gorski article and a couple others that criticized Ruby Payne’s book and their reasonings. I shared this with members of my staff. It has brought up some good dialogue with those who have been interested in reading it. I was glad to read the Bohn article because I wanted to salvage something from being required to read this book again to gain something from this seven-month book requirement, other than the PLUs I will earn (which I don’t even need). Although the only positive thing Bohn says is that it is a good sign that teachers and administrators do feel an urgent need to help students from impoverished backgrounds. Also, that Payne does introduce strategies that are helpful. It is funny to me that Bohn brought up the same things I did in our book talks at my school; about how the strategies were good for all students, not just students of poverty. Our school did an entire study on Max Thompson Learning and he too had similar strategies for all students. Also, about the questions Payne asks you to answer about surviving in poverty, middle class, and wealth. I also thought that some of them were so ridiculous. Do only people in poverty own a gun? Do all people in poverty feel the need to own a gun? Are people from poverty backgrounds the only ones who entertain their friends with stories? I think what bothers me most is that our county insists on using her book to teach about poverty and what is best for helping students who live in poverty, even though many have questioned her book. I have spoken up with what little knowledge I have, but I have so much more to learn. There are several readings on Gorski’s list that I am planning on reading. I do have one question though…Both of these authors stress that Ruby Payne is part of a for-profit organization; would they speak out as vehemently if she was a non-profit organization and then just say her book is bad, but at least she’s not making money on it? Just curious.

There are many things that have come up in this class that have caused me to question. I have often had to listen, absorb, and reflect. They have caused me to be curious about what others think. What I have done with the material that has disturbed me is gone to friends (of all races) whom I trust and who know me well and know that I am above all a person who believes in justice, honesty, fairness, equity, and equality. They also know that I am learning and growing and want to continue to learn and grow.

One of the things that disturb me is that many of the articles and readings we have had always generalize White people. They stereotype us the same way in which they tell White people it is wrong to stereotype other races and cultures. They assume that because I am White I do not understand children of other races or cultures, without even knowing my experiences or relationships. They say I am unprepared to teach in an urban school. Why do these authors presume that because I am White I am not able to teach children of all races, color, or cultures? Do they think that I would not care enough to learn about my children’s cultures, likes/dislikes, wants, needs, etc? Do they think I would not work tirelessly and endlessly to meet the needs of my students, no matter where I teach? If these authors say teachers of color can best meet the needs of urban students, why don’t more people of color want to be teachers? Why is it that 75% of teachers are female and 84% are White?  I am just curious.

Another thing that surprised me, which according to Margaret Wheatley means that I must have assumed something different, is Peggy McIntosh’s idea of White privilege. While I can agree to some of Peggy McIntosh’s descriptions about White privilege, (pgs. 62 & 63 in Oakes & Lipton), I feel many of them are outdated. Many of the things she mentions have changed since 1988, such as #s 5, 7, 9, 11 (actually and unfortunately, there are bullies throughout all school areas and no parents can be sure to protect their children in this day and age), 16 (now everyone tries to be politically correct), 20, 25 (many White people now do have fears of whether or not something they say is considered racist even if that was not the intent).

At least in Oakes and Lipton, the authors recognize that there are many White teachers who are trying to increase their knowledge and implement change in their curriculum and pedagogy so that all their students can be successful. I understand that the authors of some of the articles we have read want to get their point across and often take liberties in their writing, which is why it is not entirely disturbing to me that they stereotype White teachers. However; it is my belief in me, and knowing the person I am and the teacher I strive to be, that allows me the ability to read the material we are reading with an open mind, so that I may continue to learn and grow as an educator. One of the things I always say is that I know there is so much I don’t know. All of the readings in class have caused me to question, search deeper, and continue looking for answers.

One other item I “shied” away from was the “Pink and Blue” article in relationship to the books about families; “Heather Has Two Mommies” and “King and King.” This is an area that I do not feel comfortable delving into; however, I have to admit I have not had to cross this bridge as of yet. But just reading the article caused me to look further. I asked my principal what she would say to us if we wanted to read these books to our class. She said she would ask us to send home parent permission slips before reading it aloud. It also brought on a discussion with my team members, two of whom are Catholic like me, about our beliefs and whether or not they would read the books. One said no because it would make it look like it is acceptable and some parents do not share that belief and do not want their children to hear that it is acceptable. I believe that everyone has the right to live their life as they choose. Yet, some parents do not feel that way and would be very upset if I read those books to the class. This is an area that I feel should be left up to the parents. I think that we can talk about justice and fairness and how everyone has different families and everyone should be treated with respect. I know this is an area that I will continue to question. Maybe others can share their experiences and feelings so that as Wheatley says, I can listen for differences in my opinion in order to learn and grow.

I found the articles on multicultural literature to be informative and thought-provoking. After reading the part of the first article about checking the story line and the roles of women, I was wondering how fairy tales fit in this section. Many of the traditional fairy tales are not multicultural, but in thinking about Cinderella stories, there are several multicultural versions. In some the “Cinderellas” are depicted as beautiful, but also as good characters. However, their reward for being “good” is usually to marry the prince, king, emperor. In some instances they earn this reward for their goodness, not their beauty. One of the Cinderella stories I love the most is called Cinder Edna. It has a modern day twist with the character being independent, making her own money, and finding a prince that shares her beliefs and sense of humor and is compared to Cinder Ella who is beautiful and marries the prince and finds she is bored from attending all his speeches. Cinder Edna does not need a fairy godmother to get to the ball, she takes the bus.

I thought Martha Cruz-Jantzen’s discover which came about from reading multicultural literature to her fourth grade class was interesting; although children often point out important things we sometimes miss. The comment her fourth grader brought out reminded the author of the biases and multicultural racism in literature and childhood games, and the hurts she faced as a child. As educators we need to be sure to look at literature carefully for biases and myths, especially when they are hurtful to others.

The “Beyond Pink and Blue” article was an amazing example of how kids can make a difference. I think it is really great that her public school system had adopted an anti-bias/racist environment. It is so much easier to incorporate this type of curriculum when your school system embraces it. I am sure the students felt like they had made a difference when they saw the catalogue and the changes that were made, even though they were not completely changed.  As far as some of the other books the author mentioned, I am planning to ask my principal what she would do if a teacher read those books in his/her class and a parent called to object to the teacher reading them, what she (my principal) would say or do.

I have never looked at the American Girl books. I think it is disappointing that authors are permitted to have their books published with inaccurate information, and that publishers would publish them without checking the information. I know they are supposed to be historical fiction, but the historical facts should be accurate. I will be sure to look more critically at historical fiction before I read it aloud to my class to make sure the contents are accurate.

Down But Not Out

I have worked in Cobb County since 1995. I have only attended one workshop that had anything to do with cultural diversity. I have been required to do a book study on Ruby Payne’s book twice. I searched Cobb County’s Picasso website where all the standards are posted to try to find any standard which deals with multicultural education and was not able to find any. I know that grade levels now have people in history of all races and ethnicities that have been added to the curriculum. Reading the article has caused me to look more carefully at my curriculum and materials with a multicultural eye. I find Banks’ comment that a positive outcome of the standards and testing movement is that it assumes all students can learn. I didn’t need the standards and testing movement for that to occur. I have always believed that all students can learn and continue to work to meet the needs of all students. I am glad that multicultural education continues to be taught at the university level as I have so much more to learn.  Banks tells us we need to keep up with the current research, which I intend to do so that I may become better at teaching a multicultural anti-racists curriculum.

I accidentally posted next week’s assignment this week, so I am going to post this week’s now. I read the chapters in order and then forgot the dates they were due.

So many things have connected for me in my personal life and educational life. In my daily personal readings I have read how, in my faith, I need to speak up for injustices that are in the world. That we can not sit back and allow them to occur. I know that I have been blessed these past two years and I always think about what God’s plan is for me. I know that I have set goals for myself, like getting my Education Specialist degree and pursuing my Ph. D., but what was the big picture? I have always been an advocate for children no matter what their race, color, creed, disability, etc… But have I always stepped outside my classroom?  As I read all of this new material, I am realizing how it is all connected. How maybe the bigger picture for my pursuits is that I step outside that classroom and become a greater advocate, make a bigger difference that in just my individual students’ lives. In Freire’s Eighth Letter he says that education is a political practice (p. 129) and that we as educator’s are politicians. I have never thought of it that way, but I am going to continue to think of it and what I can do to improve education, not just in my own classroom.  Since I am seeing the same messages in my educational readings and my faith readings, I know there is a reason and a purpose for this.

In our discussion last night we talked about equity and equality. We can all make sure to provide an equitable education and setting for our students. It is not equitable for us to say some kids can learn and some can’t. It’s not equitable to have day meetings or conferences at your school when most of the parents work. I have heard teachers say, “They can take one day off for their child’s conference.” But what if the parent is working three jobs and doesn’t have vacation pay or sick pay. What about the parents who don’t have transportation? These are all things that the education system needs to think about in order to help all students become successful.

As I was reading about Madalena and Carla I thought about how we, as educators, need to have expectations for our students. Freire said that a bystander may have thought what the teacher did was elitist. I think that we need to not worry what others think when it comes to teaching and being advocates for our children. Sometimes we are the only ones who have expectations for our students. We can’t let them down! Not that we  can’t make allowances or have understanding and compassion. We need those things also. For example, in the case of homework. We can’t not assign homework because we think the child will not get help at home. We need to assign homework that our children can do without help and teach students the importance of trying and persevering. It is not important if they get all the homeork perfectly correct, but that they made the attempt to complete it.  We need to know our students, truly know them so we can be better teachers for them and truly understand them. Freire goes on to say on pg. 102 that “our relationship with the learners demands that we be aware of the concrete conditions of their world, the conditions that shape them.” Often I dislike the words “developmentally appropriate” because many educators use that saying as an excuse for why students can’t learn. The higher the expectations we set for our students, the more they can accomplish. Yet by truly knowing our students we are able to meet them where they are and extend their learning beyond that.  If we let the students know that we have expectations for them and believe in them, then maybe they can begin to believe in themselves and set expectations for themselves.