Engagement

           Based on Episode three of The Story of Schools and entry number 49, I was able to see an aspect I wish to implement in my classroom. I found this entry in the section labeled Engagement in Teaching Hope because it allowed me to see the impact other cultures play on education. It is interesting to learn about different cultures and I want to embrace my students’ different cultural backgrounds. I find it fascinating to learn about students’ lives and this is one aspect that is important in making that they are. I want my students to appreciate where they came from and where they are now. I look forward to diversity in the classroom, and would love having an ethnic day where we learn about one another’s cultures. I believe this would help the students accept diversity and become closer to their classmates. I really enjoyed what this teacher did and the impact it had on this one women. It was a moving story and a wonderful demonstration of her passion for her students.

            Another case in this book that showed a teacher’s passion for a student from a different culture was in entry number 72. This story was so moving and something I truly enjoyed reading. The standardized testing system is not a test I enjoy but it is required so I choose to accept it at this moment in time. However, I do believe it is an inaccurate representation of students due to language barriers, types of learners there are in the classroom, and the fact that is one day that could be a bad or good day for the student. It is better to see how student progress over the years than it is to judge their ability after one day and one test. I found it powerful listening to what this teacher and their colleagues did for this student who had dreams and worked hard to advance in education to make her dreams come true. It was a remarkable way to show how special each student is for what they bring to our classrooms and as a teacher I choose to remember this entry and the message it presents.

            Lastly, I could not forget the first entry in this section. It is really entry number 46 and as I read further I was constantly brought back to this entry. It was the perfect entry to start this section because the job of being an encouraging teacher involves these aspects such as care, passion for subject, respect, and such for each individual student. I hope that even after teaching for many years I can have the same love and enthusiasm for students and my classes. Her story is encouraging to so many because it shows that we should care for students no matter what. We should get to know our students and know about their life out of school as well. This story just moved me and allowed me to think about how I want to be a teacher like this. I want my students to say I care too much and I want to show them my passion for the class and each of them. This is the most important aspect to being an encouraging teacher.

Response to Episode 3: The Story of Schools

          In episode three, it was harrowing to observe the way in which students were treated based on their ethnic groups. I was appalled that the white/Caucasian groups not allowing those of different races to embrace their culture. For instance, when they discouraged Spanish students to speak Spanish and celebrate their holidays. The idea of segregated schools still makes me cringe when it is brought up. I grew up in a town that had little diversity, but I enjoyed the diversity among students that we had. I could not imagine forcing them to go to a different school due to the cultural background. I found it fascinating asking those with different beliefs and cultures about their culture. As a teacher, I want to be open to all cultures and want to encourage my students to embrace their culture and share it.

            I was not only irritated with the segregation and lack of support for all students. I was also upset to hear that when integration became an element in the schools that they only dealt with students. The African American teachers were out of jobs because they did not allow them to teach in these integrated school systems. This was infuriating because if they are trying to teach students that they are equal then all teachers should be hired and treated the same way as a good example. This shows that they did not really fix the problems faced in the United States because they were not really integrating students and even in some communities further on they just found new names for segregation.

            It was interesting to hear the true stories of how these students overcame the inequality that they were forced to face. Their stories were encouraging and changed this nation for the better. Dorothy Raffel’s story was fascinating to me because it helped in pushing equality amongst genders, which was important. I think this was the story that most related to myself because I played basketball and sports, which could have never happened without this law being put into action. Though these problems of equality were fixed, it was hard to know that they have not been fully put right. Some sports still refuse to allow girls to participate. Students with disabilities still have not been integrated into classes with all other students. They still do zoning in some areas to keep schools separated by race. I look forward to seeing how much these areas will be improved overtime.

Response to Episode 2 of Video

            The progression of the school system presented in episode two of  “The Story of Schools” is an interesting process to experience. It was surprising to see some aspects presented are still being, used such as standardized tests. With all the information and opinions of past students about the standardized testing system, one would think they would have claimed they are not accurate at judging a student’s ability. This idea of tracking based on testing seems flawed; however, it is still done even with the facts being presented by those who were tracked in the 1920’s up until the 1950’s.  Many of the differences presented through the years seemed similar to what is being done today, which is not what one would picture since the world is progressing and information on how students learn is changing so one would assume that education should be evolving as well. Though some elements of education are moving forward with the new discoveries, other methods used have not changed much since the 1920’s such as tracking and testing.

            The Gary school seemed fascinating in the way it worked. The students seemed to be enjoying it and it was much more interactive in comparison to the other schools of the time. It seemed to be catering to the children’s needs and learning styles. I found this school enthralling and I wondered why it was only seen as a school training kids for the factories because it seemed much more than that to me. I feel as though some aspects of this Gary Plan are still seen today. I wish more of it were presented in the schools. It worked toward trying to get the students to retain the most information in a classroom, which suited their needs. This is what should be seen in schools more frequently a program that focuses on helping each individual student learn in the best environment for the learning ability.

            I am interested to see how much more the schools progress and what kind of changes will be made and what elements will continue to be in existence. I find it alluring to watch the progression of schools. It is also a bit frustrating to hear how certain methods hindered children’s performance, instead of helping them learn all they possibly can.

Diversity Article Response

          It is distressing that as Guild says we teachers see that students are all different, but over the 50 year span nothing has changed to help show students that we teachers see them as individuals. We should be progressing forward thinking about students as individuals instead of teaching them “as if all students [are] the same” (Conrad, paragraph 5). Guild’s statement about education having some “absolutes” or aspects that can not be changed, but there are also aspects of the class that we can change to benefit students and keep them engaged in the learning like Guild states. As Guild states in his article, there is an imbalance in teaching that we as teachers need to pay attention to. According to Guild uniformity amongst classrooms makes for competitive classrooms both with students and teachers. Our goal should not be to compete with one another, but it should be to work with one another to make the classroom experience the best for all students. By allowing students to see teachers work together, the students will realize that they should work with one another thus helping them to walk away from the class with a batter understanding. Guild’s article helps one see the realization that we are not progressing in our learning communities like we should be. He helps one see that they should challenge their students but also pay attention to the diversity in the classroom. This will help balance out lessons based on what they discover about students. This is beneficial for all to know so they know what to look for in their different learners, and Guild also shows teachers different strategies to help makes their classes better for diverse learners. This is helpful information to have.   This is in response to Pat Burke Guild's article "Diversity, Learning Style and Culture." http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/

Generation Article Response

This article made light of the age diversity within a workplace, multiple generations of the same family for example. This is something I have seen at my summer job and did not register before. I work at a little store and one family has three generations working there. However, though I have seen this before I had not given it much thought. After reading this article, I found myself pondering the idea of many different ways to communicate amongst generations. It is fairly accurate that the baby boomers are the ones who work hard; where as, the newer generations procrastinate much more.  It was very interesting to read about the many differences among these generations.

As I start teaching, I must remember that I will be seeing this happen as I discuss with colleagues who are from one generation and teach students from another. Many students will have different situations at home and their many guardians will range in the generation they are from. I must remember the key areas of communication when I am teaching, remaining patient with those of different generations because we all just want the same for the students.  There will be various ways in which faculty, students, parents, guardians, and colleagues will wish to communicate due to which generation they are, and I will have to keep this in mind. This article was very helpful in reminding me of the realization that there are many generations present and they are all unique. It has helped me brainstorm ideas of ways in which I can handle this in my classroom.  

This is in response to Greg Hammil's article entitled "Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees." http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm

Challenges

It is difficult to look at different moving stories and only pick two that impacted me because they have all moved me in some way. However, the three I have chosen are the ones that brought back memories of incidents in my high school where these challenges occurred. As a prospective teacher, I find myself optimistic thinking of all the great aspects to teaching, but there are going to be moments where the job will be difficult. Though times are difficult, as long as I am there to help my students through these struggles as best I can, I have done my job correctly.

            A year ago, I watched a television episode where a boy committed suicide. I found myself struggling with this episode because my eyes were opened to the realities that this could happen in my school one day. As the year went on, I shoved the idea out of memory because in Maine, teen suicides are uncommon (to my knowledge). However, a boy who I graduated with committed suicide this past summer. His mother was a teacher at our high school. He was an athlete who had placed a few records on the track team. The boy was outgoing and well known. He and I shared many classes together and I had always seen him as somebody who consistently smiled. I had known he struggled at times and that his mother was very strict, but I never remembered a moment when he was miserable. Recently, we would discuss how life as collegians was when he came into the store I worked at. We had both admitted life was moving too fast, but most people think this. Suicide was the last thing that I had expected him to do. Yet, on that night as I read people’s messages I realized he had done just this. I remember crying because though we were not best, he made an impact on my life with his smiles and discussions. I left a message on his Facebook wall saying how he was such a positive influence in my life. Many students did the same. His mom was really touched by all the nice thoughts people had. As I read Teaching Hope, I was reminded of this moment in the summer. It brought the reality to my eyes that this is a common challenge in all schools that has a great impact on the entire school. Entry number 23 reveals how difficult it can be to see the signs of suicide. As a teacher, I know what to look out for and I must remember to make sure I communicate with my students so they know I care about them and the decisions they make.

            Another entry that touched me personally was number 28. Rape is a serious problem that many teens have been through but keep bottled up and to themselves. It is one of those challenges we teachers might face but do not want to think about because it is emotional and difficult. The reality is that many girls have suffered some sort of rape. Many of them may not associate their accounts as rape because it was someone they knew who raped them. My freshman year of college a close friend of mine was raped. People told her to be careful for substance abuse and such, but none of us thought to warn her about who you can and cannot trust at college. Her new boyfriend from college seemed sweet enough; however, she said no to a sexual act but he and forced her. She was so sad and the police on campus told her they had more pressing issues to deal with. She was unable to change her room even though right across the hall was the person in the world that she feared the most. No one there would listen to how she was hurting at school, so instead she confided in her friends from high school after waiting a long time to feel comfortable enough to talk. Much like the girl in Teaching Hope entry 28, she felt as though she was stupid and did something wrong. She cried for days. I do not want to be the kind of teacher who tells my students that their problems are not the most pressing issues. All my students are going to be important to me and anything they feel comfortable telling me is going to be important. I want them to know I care and will be there to listen to all they have to say whether it is good or bad. I never want them to feel alone, and for them to know I will always be there to help and get them the help they need. They should not have to deal with thinking they are awful when they have done nothing wrong.

Works Cited:
Gruwell, Erin. Teaching Hope: Stories from the Freedom Writer Teachers and Erin Gruwell. New York: Broadway, 2009. Print.

Anticipation

The first story that stood out to me in this section labeled Anticipation was the third one. This one reminded me of the first day jitters I could see myself feeling as I entered my first day at my first teaching job. Much like this teacher, I feel as though I would question what I say and wonder if I can gain my students trust. Looking at the blank faces in front of me is unsettling, but I must think about how they too have similar feelings.  Generally, fears give us the opportunity to grow. Moving past fears makes one a stronger person, this story allows me to see how she reflects on what she has learned and moves past her initial fear to connect better with her students. She seems to improve her speech, and it turns out wonderfully for her because she is able to explain herself and connect with her students. This passage shows that though there will be struggles and moments where I might feel intimidated and a bit scared, my students will be open to hearing me and connecting with me. Everyone struggles with fears, but it is perseverance that gets us through and allows us to work past our fears. As a teachers, I must remember this and use this example as a way to show that one can move past fear and accomplish what he or she wants, which in this teachers case was connecting to her students.

Another story that moved me on a deeper level was the fourth story. I always associate teachers with happiness and moments of joy. Generally, I am not thinking of negatives when I look into the future. However, after reading this teacher’s story, I was reminded that at times this job is difficult and the guidelines one follows can be blurred. The idea of a student getting so angry with you that she lashes out is not one I have often thought about. This teacher’s entry left me wondering about what I would do in that situation. As a teacher, you want the best for your students but how do you know how to help them when the system of justice is not what you thought it was? How do we know when we can or cannot help our students? How do we handle situations when our students are fighting us? Do we stop them? Are we able to try to stop them? This story deals with fear in a very different way then the previous story. This teacher feared for her safety and her students’ safety. She did not anticipate this dilemma happening, but it happened and she did her best to handle it well. Horrified by this story, it makes me wonder where one crosses the line between what is right and wrong. This story shows that aspects of teaching are not always black and white because student interests are always different and sometimes cannot be reached. I may not always fix every problem, but I will show them that someone cares and is fighting for them, and that is what matters most.