Seeing the Art Museum through fourth graders.

Today, I had the wonderful opportunity in joining my fourth grade class on a field rip the art museum. I must say the trip was a lot more fun with fourth graders. Before we left all the children were ecstatic about going on the trip. For some, I think it was because they were getting out of class, but for others I could tell the pure excitement on their faces. All of my students are culturally diverse, yet they all would look at a picture or sculpture and see a story. Art is a way people from different cultures, races, etc. can come together.

At our time at the Art Museum, my class was taken on a guided tour for children called, “Art Speaks.” Our guide led us to four various art pieces around the art museum. As we stopped to look at the painting or sculpture, the children were asked to explain what that piece would say if it were alive or what message the piece of art was trying to get across. Students came up with great, intelligent answers that I didn’t even think about!

On one stop of our tour, we stopped to look at paintings that looked extremely simple because they were painted with only one to three different colors. Here, the children were asked to describe the emotions the author was most likely feeling at the time he painted the picture, based on the colors the artist used. One little girl looked at a painting that was painted with dark colors, including dark purple and black. She described this artist as being, “sad, anxious, and hurt.” Those words touched my heart because as she said those words, I realized this is how a lot of students from urban settings feel on a daily basis. Unfortunately, these students continuously worry major issues including, their home life, which causes them to feel such emotions.

The article, Responding to Students Who Disclose the Violence in Their Lives, stressed how important it is for teachers to understand where their students come from. Teachers need to foster an environment that is welcomed to discussion of violence, abuse, or any other major issue in order to help understand their students more. Although, the article talked about mainly writing as away to express students thoughts, art also is a great way of expression. Pictures tell a thousand words. As we looked at the somewhat solid colored painting at the art museum, students were able to come up with a lot of emotions within a short period of time.

The Philadelphia Art Museum is not only a place filled with magnificent art, but it’s a place everyone can come, young or old, American or European, and interrupt art in their own way. I’ve only been to the Art Museum four times, but every time I learn something new. Art is a magical thing that everyone can somehow relate to.

The Teacher Effect

I walked into the classroom and immediately saw chaos. Mrs. Z* was not going to be at school today, so it was up to me and the substitute teacher to handle a room full of 24 rowdy 5^th graders.

Mrs. Z had left some worksheets for the class to work on, but the students clearly wanted nothing to do with them. I shut the door. This was going to be a   

l    o    n    g day.

As I tried to calm down the students, a million questions were fired at me: “Where is Mrs. Z?!” “Are you teaching us today?” “Why do we have to work, Mrs. Z isn’t here.” “Why are you our teacher?” One student asked me, “Are you trying to be Mrs. Z?”

It was so interesting to me that these students were so concerned with why their usual teacher wasn’t there. She had warned them the day before that she would be absent, yet when they showed up the next morning, it was as if they had been completely tricked with this information. This made me think about the story that was mentioned at the new teacher panel the other day.

The teacher said she warned her student 8 days beforehand that she would not be there. Yet, he still acted up while she was gone. He later told her it was because he was mad at her for leaving him.

This story and my experience in class made me think about teachers and their affect on a classroom. As you grow closer to the students and form relationships with them, they learn to trust you. When you miss a day of school, you aren’t there for them, and (as evidenced by my experience), this completely throws them off and disrupts their learning.

So, I am wondering if there is anything I can do (in the future) as a teacher to help prepare my class for days like these? Or will my absence from class be cause for disruption no matter what?

In case you are wondering, my day with the substitute turned out to be a great experience for me. The kids were (relatively) well behaved and I had a lot of fun as Teacher for a day!

*Mrs. Z – named changed

What will you do?

Diversity.  Webster’s defines it as differing from one another.  A simple term.  The question is, why does such a simple concept of being different cause so many problems?   Even surrounding diversity, there are many contrasting views.  Some believe diversity is something that comes between people and causes problems while others celebrate it.  Throughout my urban seminar experience, I observed both of these views in action.

On Thursday, Morrison Elementary celebrated multicultural day.  This event took place outside where many classes set up tables and booths.  Each of these contained information about a different country.  Many of the tables also had food, water ice, activities, and experiments.  Each grade level took turns in coming outside and looking at the various tables.  The goal of multicultural day, as stated by the school principal, was to provide students an opportunity to learn about and embrace cultures different from their own.

Multicultural day at Morrison Elementary is a good example of how schools can strive to celebrate diversity.  Since Morrison is 70% African American and 25% Hispanic, many of the students were not normally exposed to more than one or two cultures.  Multicultural day provided them with the opportunity to learn about people from all different areas of the world.

Unfortunately, during my time at Morrison Elementary, I saw far more examples racist remarks than I did of people celebrating diversity.  Being at a school that was predominantly made up of minorities, I did not expect to hear students making many racist remarks.  I figured that these students experience discrimination enough without putting it on each other.  This was certainly not the case.

On my second day at Morrison, I heard a 2^nd grade girl call another boy a n****r.  The next day, I witnessed a boy being shoved in the hallway by an older kid calling him a f**.  The following week, three girls in my third grade class were caught fighting.  Later, when I asked one of the girls what happened she told me that one of the other girls was making fun of her for having a black dad and a white mom.  Throughout the rest of that week, I noticed more situations like this.  It broke my heart to see the way the students treated each other sometimes.  When I asked my mentor teacher about this, she dismissed the thought and said that it happens.

It happens.  Somehow, this response is not enough for me.  Why does it happen?  What makes students treat their peers this way?  I considered that my experience at Morrison Elementary was an isolated case.  Perhaps these ideas about race and other forms of diversity played a larger role in this school than they did at others.  A little research revealed that this was not the case.  Students are victimized because of what makes them diverse in schools all over the country, and likely even the world.  Where do students get these ideas about themselves and people who are different than them?

Stereotyping.  It is easy to ignore stereotyping but the truth is, stereotypes are all around us.  It is difficult to get through one morning without hearing at least one utterance about women drivers or black criminals.  What is even more concerning is that these stereotypes have been passively taught to kids by the time they enter elementary school.  In Marc Elrich’s article, The Stereotype Within, some student’s stereotypes are revealed.  This article discusses how a predominantly black class believed that “blacks are poor and stay poor because they’re dumber than whites (and Asians).”  I find it horrifying that stereotypes like these are not only present in schools, but also held to be true by the students they are about.

My experiences in the classroom and with the readings over the past two weeks left me with a pressing question; as a teacher, what can I do?  Stereotypes based on diversity are clearly affecting students’ self-image as well as the way they treat their peers.  I believe that it is important for teachers, schools, and parents to intervene.  Elrich’s article discusses the importance of having an inclusive history that is taught to all students.  This will discuss diversity, racism, poverty, and slavery openly and allow students to see the connections and what they mean.  My question to future teachers is what will you do to combat stereotyping and work towards a school environment that can truly celebrate diversity?

Interesting extras:

Video on stereotyping (particlularly GLBT students)

Article providing really useful information about racism for teachers:

http://www.tgmag.ca/magic/mt6.html

Teachers Don’t Only Teach

During the urban seminar I have had the opportunity to learn many things. The other day we had a guest speaker, Mr. Carter, who is a principal at a high school in Philadelphia. He told us how children are just like the characters on the Wizard of Oz. They do not know where to go but us, being the teachers need to guide them along the yellow brick road. He explained how children always want to learn, want to find their way, but they need help and guidance.

Since I have had so much time with the students, I’ve come to notice that Mr. Carter’s analogy did not stray far from the truth. Some of the students I had would do a few problems and then stop. They would put their head down or just stare off into space. I would come over to them and ask them why they stopped. They would say, “It’s hard. I don’t know how to do it. I’m doing it all wrong.”  I come over look at the problems they have done and most of the time they didn’t have any wrong or maybe just one wrong. It made me upset that these children had no confidence in themselves that they were getting them right all along. So I encouraged them to keep going because they really do know this stuff and that they were doing it right the whole time. They would act surprised and continue to work.

Many children do not have confidence in themselves, especially when it comes to school work. In an urban setting, it is common to have children who grew up always being told they are wrong, stupid, or useless. In schools it shouldn’t be that way. As a future teacher, I might not be able to change what goes on at outside of school. I might not be able to change students’ home lives or social lives, but I can make them feel wanted, accepted, and comfortable in my classroom. I need to boost their self esteem in the time I’m with them because I don’t know if they get that motivation anywhere else.

People think that teaching is easy and yeah, maybe they are right. The act of going to a board and showing how to do a problem is not very difficult, but a teacher does not just teach. Teachers need to be secretaries to fill out all the paperwork. Teachers need to be peacemakers to control confrontations. Teachers need to make sure every student understands the problem. Teachers need to control the class to get the students in an environment where learning can occur. Teachers need to be cheerleaders to motivate the students. Teachers need to be mentors for the children who need guidance. Teachers need to be role models for the children who don’t have any. Many people might be capable to teach but it is rare to find people who can be teachers. Teachers do more than just teach and most of the time they are never recognized for the “other stuff.” They do all the extras because they care. That is what makes a teacher, how much they care.

The First Step is to Pull Down the Curtain

I used to be scared.  I used to label.  I used to be bitter.  On the third day of school, I brought in my students donuts.  Sadly, only about half of them said thank you.  I tried not to show it, but deep down I was so bitter inside.  Why didn’t they respect me enough to say thank you?  I respect them, but yet I got nothing back.  I began to label them as bad students and I couldn’t wait to be done going to the schools.  I was upset with myself for feeling that way, but I just wanted to get in and GET OUT.  The teachers didn’t help in the student lounge later that day.  All I heard were negative comments and how certain students would fail in life.  I then began to join in and say how bad my students were.  My feelings remained like this until I heard Earl Carter speak at the group meeting. 

Earl Carter changed my life.

Earl Carter used an analogy relating The Wizard of Oz to teaching.  He said how the students don’t care about how much knowledge you have in your head, but what’s in your heart.  A good teacher feels compassion for his or her students and would do anything for them.  This represents the Tin Man.  Students also rely on teachers to show them that they can reach the Emerald City and their goals.  You just have to build the yellow brick road for them.  This represents the Scarecrow.  Students deep down are also really scared of teachers and failing, but they put up a fake cover.  This represents the lion.  Finally, the students rely on basic needs such as food, shelter, and love.  As a teacher, you must provide a clean and safe environment for the kids.  It must have consistency by staying organized and rules that are always followed through.  This represents Dorothy.  Earl Carter’s favorite character is Toto.  He said Toto was his favorite because when the scary powerful Oz threatened the characters, Toto was the only one who didn’t back down.  Instead Toto ran up and pulled down the curtain that was covering up the tiny professor.  The students are Oz.  They try to act tough, but you have to peal them layer by layer until you see the real person they are inside.

The next day at school, I went up to the students that I was most afraid of.  I sat down and got to know them.  By the end of the seminar, the students who I was the most afraid off ended up being my favorite students.  When I got to teach on Thursday, I decided to start class by asking some questions.  I asked….

1)      What is your name?

2)      What do you want to be when you grow up?

3)      What do you do for fun?

4)      Who is your hero?

5)      What is your favorite movie or song?

I then taught about energy levels in an ecosystem and helped my students make a giant food web.  They were no longer the students, they were my students.  I created the food web myself with the knowledge of what I learned about ocean animals.  Biology is the study of life and usually animals especially ocean animals are ignored.  Each student had a name tag with a certain organism on it along if it was a primary producer, primary consumer, or secondary consumer.  I also made a powerpoint with pictures and other facts about the ocean animals.  I had videos from when I worked with the sharks and then we made a web out of string.  For the first time ever, I saw all off the students smiling and laughing and they were asking tons of questions.  At the end of class, I said, “Have a good day,” to every single student.  According to Earl Carter, most of the students never hear a comforting comment like that so it’s important for them to hear it.  Five students told me how much they loved the lesson and every student said something nice back to me.  I also heard teachers in the student lounge that saw me teach say how impressed they were and wanted to steal my ideas.  On the car ride home, I read their answers to my questions six times!  I was so intrigued.   I laughed at times reading it and at other times got very sad.  A lot of the students didn’t have a hero and said that they only trusted themselves.  Even the toughest students became vulnerable and answered my questions sincerely.  A boy said his favorite movie was Titanic and girl wrote down that her favorite movie was Halloweentown on Disney Channel and crossed it out because she was so embarrassed.  I could relate to every single student and I loved them.  After reading the article, “Respecting Students’ Cultural Literacies,” I tried to think of something that would really inspire the kids.  I decided to make them cds with all of the classes’ favorite songs.  Music is the one thing that every person can relate to and it lets people know that they are never alone.  I stayed up til after 3am making the cds because I really care about them.  In class, we first played a game about labeling.  Six students had to be labeled by sticking a label on their forehead.  An example would be “Ignore me.”  The students didn’t know what their label was, but the other students had to treat them with that label.  The game was interactive with the audience and the kids absolutely loved it!  The point of the game was to make the children aware of the effects of labeling.  I wanted them to know how it felt to be yelled at as a teacher and to become aware that they are not their labels.  Finally, I ended class with a ten minute speech.  I told them how yesterday I read their papers six times and that I was so fascinated.  I said a lot of them probably thought it was stupid, but it meant the world to me.  I realized how FREAKIN AWESOME every student was.  I said that a lot of students get labeled as bad students and they do not deserve it.  I continued to say that they do not hear it enough, but they are amazing people and they will all succeed.  The speech then went on about what I read and how I could relate.  I also told them quotes that I live my life by.  I then explained how I admired their heros because they made them who they are today.  For the first time ever, every student sat there straight up and just listened and they were all smiling.  They needed to hear that positive reinforcement.  I passed out their cds and they were so excited.  Each student had a song dedicated to them on the cd.  At the end of class, they presented me with a card and gave me a million hugs.  With tears in my eyes, a girl told me that they never had a teacher care so much about them and that I’ll be a great teacher.

I needed to open up my eyes and see the beauty of each child and I did.  I love my students and they taught me so much.  Now I want to teach in Urban schools to inspire and help students.  I ripped down the curtain just like Toto and I’m no longer afraid of my students.  Instead I want to learn about how wonderful they are and I assure you that they all are amazing.  It all begins with ripping down the curtain.

 

The Main Cause of Judgement is Due to the Lack of Understanding

About one year ago, I applied to be an American delegate to China.  I remember first hearing about the opportunity and thinking that my parents would never let me go.  I remember apprehensively asking them in my kitchen.  My mother just kind of laughed it off because she really didn’t want me to go due to cost and safety.  Then my father said that he thinks I should go.  He said that opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime and that I should seize the opportunity.  He told me that I was going to feel homesick and maybe even scared at one point during the trip, but he told me to remember the opportunity that I have been given and to live every day there to its fullest.  I honestly expected to be scared in China, but I wasn’t.  My views were entirely turned around when I set aside my stereotypes and got to know the people as individuals.  The people in China shocked me when I got to know them.  They were the kindest people that I have ever met and their hospitality was beyond generous.  I also got to see the poorer sections in China while I was there.  The people had rough lives.  Way harder than my life, but yet they weren’t sitting around feeling sorry for themselves.  Every morning at 6 a.m. when I was walking to school, I would see them outside in the bitter cold practicing tai chi.  I would never do that!  It was beautiful to me to see people who appreciated life so much.  My views of China were completely contradicted after I spent time there.  The same experience happened to me when I came to Philadelphia.

            I visited Philadelphia last summer on a trip with my friend and her father for the first time.  We were going to New York City, but decided to stop in Philadelphia for a few hours.  During the course of these few hours, we decided to go to Geno’s and Pat’s Philly Cheese Steaks.  I remember that the area around the cheese steak buildings looked like a third world country.  I remember saying how much I hated Philadelphia and how I couldn’t wait to get to New York City.  I wasn’t excited to come back to Philadelphia this summer for the Urban Seminar.  I did it so that I could get some mild field experience with handling bad students.  After spending two weeks in Philadelphia, I saw a side of the city that I never thought I’d see.

            “The main cause of judgment is due to the lack of understanding.”  I wrote that quote after coming back from China and I feel the same way about Philadelphia.  We were all over the city of Philadelphia, including some of the places that were labeled dangerous and ghetto.  We picked up trash in Germantown, a very poor community, and it changed my view.  The city was gorgeous, it was just covered up with a veil of trash!  We picked up everything from condoms to syringes.  After picking up all the trash and meeting some very amazing people that the community contained, I realized how special Philadelphia really is.  We met a war hero, a Baptist Minister, and an Indian chief.  It was the people and my students that changed my views of Philadelphia.  In the article, “What Urban Students Say about Good Teaching,” students are the most inspired by teachers who actually care and get to know them as individuals.  Individualism is a very powerful word. 

            I strongly believe that a teacher has to realize it is their job to care enough about the students and will do anything in his or her power to help them to succeed.  Every child and human is blessed with certain abilities.  Book smarts are not going to be every child’s forte.  A teacher needs to help students find their place in society and support them on their journey to succeed.  A student needs to feel secure enough in you to come and tell you personal information and ambitions.  One Friday in class, I decided to bring in donuts for my students.  I’d say that only about half of them said thank you.  Of course that whole weekend all I could think about was how the students didn’t appreciate what I did.  It’s easy to start to feel bitter towards someone who doesn’t respect you, especially when you are surrounded by other negative teachers.  A lot of my cohorts would just talk about how awful the students were and would even call them dumbasses.  The next Monday when I went into school, a student offered me a piece of gum.  He said he wanted me to have it because I cared enough about him to bring him donuts.  For the next couple of days, he would come and talk to me during his lunch.  I asked him all about himself, and he said he never had a teacher do that before.  When I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said a Marine Biologist.  It just so happens that I used to work with sharks at the Pittsburgh Zoo and was majoring in Marine Biology.  I knew it was his birthday coming up so I bought him the comic book he wanted and decided to give him my shark keychain and lanyard that I had since my internship.  I gave him something really special to me because I support him with all of my heart.  I also gave him my email so that we could keep in touch and so that I could hopefully get him an internship at an aquarium when he turned 18.  He was so grateful and I was positive that I gave him the consistent care that he needed.  I didn’t need a principal to tell me that I mad a difference and I didn’t need praise, I have the faith of knowing that I did what a teacher is supposed to do.  If I didn’t take the time to know my student, I wouldn’t have been able to help him with his future and he wouldn’t have inspired me to love Philadelphia and its amazing people!

walking on ice

My mentor teacher had asked me to plan three lessons on Family Tree’s. Many fears arose when  I had accepted her request; I have never created a lesson plan before, will I be able to handle any issues that arise from the topic and how do I create an environment to support all families being equaly special and important? A quote from the reader stuck out to me during my preparation time:

“Students usually “know” when teachers have negative or uneasy feelings toward their differences, whether differences include language, color of the skin, or one’s cultural beliefs and mannerisms. Failing to accept diversity can result in negative feelings and consequences for both educators and learners. First, educators might allow their feelings to interfere with their social interactions with learners and also with their implementing appropriate teaching-learning experiences. Second, perceiving educators to take deliberate efforts to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to teach and interact with diverse learners” Understanding Diversity, Accepting Others.

Along with anoxious feelings of teaching my first lesson plan came more anxious feelings that this article provoked. It claims that students can easily pick up on a teachers negative feelings towards differences.  My mentor teacher gave me a warning about several students with non traditional home lives, she asked me to be aware of  how all  families are different. The article also states that the consequences of not accepting differences effects both the educator and the student. I felt as if I would be walking on ice through the whole lesson. The consequences had high stakes.

I set high expectations for my lesson plan, the students behavior, and my ideas of all family stituations.Only three students out of twenty-one heard about a family tree!  Bringing new information to children was  a wonderful feeling. The students behavior was excellent! I took in a picture of my family and called it the talking picture. In order for a student to talk they had to be holding the family picture. This really helped control kids from shouting out. The last step in the lesson plan was for them to create a family tree on their own. I was thankful for reading the quote in Understand Diversity, Accepting Others because I found much more value in talking with all students about their famlies. At the end of the lesson students who wanted to present their family tree to the rest of the class took pride in their family members and what they like to do together.

From being in charge of a lesson plan, I was able to learn how to prepare for the lesson, behavior, acceptance of diversity and how to meet a teachers criteria. It was a wonderful experience and a joy to connect to students through learning about their families.

So in conclusion, I have discovered the importance to take deliberate efforts to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to teach with diverse learners.

“I am sooo thank you”

As I think back over my two weeks at Morrison Elementary, I fight back the tears. The experiences I’ve had, the memories made, and the lessons learned are something I would not trade for anything. As I walked the children outside on my last day, they turned to me and asked why I was crying. I told them I was going to miss them very much and they all came over and comforted me with a hug. Through all the emotions I was feeling, there is something one of the students in particular said that I will keep with me for a very long time.

As the students were getting packed and ready to go home for the day, one of the little boys came up to me and said, “Miss B. I wanted to tell you that I am going to miss you and that I am soooo thank you!” Now, what he really meant to say was “thankful” but, regardless, this filled me with so much joy I almost broke down in tears right in front of him. I never thought that while being in a classroom for two weeks, I could make such a connection with the students. At the end of my experience with them I thanked them for accepting me into their classroom and teaching me many new things, but I never realized the impact I was making for them as well in just two short weeks.

As discussed in many of our Penn State small group discussions, labeling students is very detrimental to their education. While Miss H. may have labeled students and warned me of them, I managed to never let them affect my opinion of each individual student. I managed to build a relationship with each individual student and came to find that every single one of them was very intelligent and talented in many different ways. I managed to remain calm and keep a soothing tone and I found that soon the “bad” kids were sitting quietly, the “dumb” kids were answering questions correctly, and the “ADD” kids were paying attention. As discussed in the article “Stories from the Classroom: How the Expectations and Efficacy of Diverse Teachers Affect Academic Performance of Children in Poor Urban Schools”, children are going to reach whatever standard it is that an individual sets for them. I stepped into Miss H.’s classroom and believed that every student was capable of doing certain things, and to my great surprise, many of them did.

These urban students who are suffering from violence, hunger, poverty, and so much more are so thankful for the smallest things. A pencil, an eraser, and an icepop: things I believe to be so miniscule and unimportant are incredibly important to these children. Walking into the classroom to find three brand new sharpened pencil with colorful eraser tops was like walking down the stairs on Christmas morning to these children. They were so accepting of me from day one and never missed an opportunity to tell me how much they loved having me in their classroom. Johnathan Kozol stated in an interview that, “these kids have an extraordinary capacity to open up their hearts to strangers, to reignite their faith in life.” But, while this little boy stood in front of me telling me that he was “soooo thank you”, all I could think to myself was “no honey, I am sooooo thank you!”

“A Miracle Worker”

I’d like to share a few stories about one student that was in my practicum site.

Student X was introduced to me by my teacher as the student who doesn’t talk.

-Student X would often raise his hand when the teacher asked a question. She would call on him, but would not give him enough time for a respond “Don’t trick me student X. I know you aren’t going to say anything.” Or “Student X, put your hand down.”

-“Ms. Y, he did it again.” During gym class student X was returned back to his classroom because he would crouch down in the middle of the auditorium chaos to cover his ears with his hands and his eyes with his elbows.  

-Often student X would slink down under his desk, sit behind the cubbies, or hide in the bathroom. His head hung low, at a ninety degree angle from his neck.

-Student X will be repeating first grade because he won’t speak for verbal reading testing.  He has full ability to move onto second grade (his writing and math skills are ready for the next level) although from his teacher’s expectation of him he is unable to break his label, quite kid, and read out loud to prove his reading skills.

I felt terrible for this student; first because of the expectations for him to remain quiet and second for any experience that has created his need for distance from others.

My mission was to connect to him and to create a relationship with him so he can comfortably sit, look up, make eye contact, smile and speak.

By the end of the week, student X was making eye contact, smiling, holding my hand, sharing stories about losing his tooth, doing our secret handshake and reading to me. Although his behavior wasn’t a consistent change throughout the day, nor was I able to retest him for reading, I am so proud to give this child an opportunity to break his label and have a voice in the classroom.

 

This is a picture of the student on the last day of school. When my teacher saw this picture she told me I was a miracle worker. I take no credit for the progress in this child. The success was from the child, all that he needed was someone who had understood the importance of the following articles to provide an opportunity to cater to his situations:

1. Responding to Students who Disclose the Violence in Their Lives by Douglas Fisher

-“Trust is an important ingredient in the learning alliance between teacher and students.”

      2.     Stories from the Classrooms: How Expectations and Efficacy of Diverse Teachers Affect the Academic Performance of Children in Poor Urban Schools.

- “The teachers’ statement in this study reflected a belief that some students cannot or will not learn in school and that there is little, if anything, a teacher can do to alter this unpleasant reality.”

These two articles equipped me to work with this student. Together, Student X and I were able to prove the teachers wrong in the Stories from the Classroom study and prove the Responding to Student who Disclose the Violence in Their Live correct!   

I will remember this child forever as a hero for killing his big bad label.

I challenge you to take the pledge!

The entire urban seminar has been one fast-moving, life-fulfilling opportunity.  I have loved every minute of it.  Starting from first meeting Penn State students in the front of central two Mondays ago through eye-opening school scenes up until the warm hugs goodbye.  Without Beth, Corey, Katie, Talia, Dr. Staples, and the Penn State students, now I can call my friends, this could have been a completely different experience.  I just have to thank everyone for making the weeks as they were!  Good luck to everyone as future educators!  You are all going to make outstanding teachers and will be able to touch all of your students!

Reflecting back on my days in the classroom, I can notice a reoccurring theme: the various literacies in the room.  After reading the article, “Respecting Students’ Cultural Literacies,” I was inspired to believe about all the ways students may be recognized by a unique literacy they have.

It is especially important to recognize the literacy each student holds.  What most people think of when they hear the term literacy is the ability to read and write.  Not everybody excels in those areas.  In a discussion with Katie, she brought up the importance of recognizing intelligence versus talent.  Intelligence can easily be labeled by the standard reading and writing literacy.  It would be ideal to stay away from that generalization of intelligence by acknowledging the talents students contain, those other literacies.  Teachers can misinterpret a literacy and wind up negatively labeling a student who is “creative, smart, and highly knowledgeable about out-of-school topics.”

In my own experience I witnessed musical literacy.  Mr. S. found the talent the students had in his room to write high-leveled poetry for their grade level.  He created a center specifically to allow time for the students to use their creative juices and invent poems.  On special days, he would even allow the students to use back-up beats.  When a student worked a particularly long time on one work, he would have the student write the final product on poster board, add a picture, and then hang it up in the classroom.  I thought that sort of acknowledgement was fantastic!

Another day, Mr. S. assigned the students to fill out a “resume” to forth grade (to go on the bulletin board in the hallway of the current fourth grader class).  This resume required the students to list their accomplishments, hobbies, and interests.  I decided to sit with a student when I noticed he was particularly wild and out of his seat.  Once I sat down with him, I began to prompt questions that would answer those questions.  I began to make a connection to this student’s usual unruly behavior and his interests.  He told me he was “bad at school” therefore didn’t like it and would put the other students down that would ever talk to him.  I asked him then, what was he good at.  He told me he could rap.  I was fascinated and asked if he would perform for me.  He immediately put a smile on his face, asked a fellow student to join him and give a back beat, and rapped a song off the top of his head in a low whisper as to not disrupt the class –first time for that one.  From that day on, he began cooperating more whenever Mr. S would place him with me for group work.

After discovering his musical literacy and other unique literacies in other students’ I was curious to understand the grading system of the Philadelphia school district.  I was appalled to learn what it was!  Mr. S explained that the tests he graded and went over with the students had no impact on their grade whatsoever.  So what did?  He explained that the report card grade is based off of one test that the state gives.  “What?!” I cried.  I was angered by this!  How were students expected to do well then?  It was then, after all, that I realized only reading, writing, and math literacies would be accounted into that.  If I had gone through school and my grades were based off of one test, I don’t know if I would have ended up in college.  I’m a terrible test taker.  I managed in school by being able to write papers, communicate with my teachers, and become a well-rounded student.  I can see where the students who wouldn’t complete their work were coming from.  Why would they feel it necessary to complete their work if I did not account for their overall grade in the long run.  It would be hard to motivate every student to see how the practice and discipline of the work would benefit them for the test.

Then, I asked my teacher why the teachers didn’t make an act to change that.  My thinking was that as teachers shouldn’t we want our students to do the best they could?  Mr. S. explained that teachers get burned out.  He said the teacher in the room above him would’ve said the exact same thing in my position before he started teaching.  I just thought, no, no, no, NO!  I will not stand for that.  I decided to take a pledge:

I pledge to always do what is right for my student –no matter the situation, no matter how hard emotionally or physically the challenge before me is.  I will put my students first.  I will do everything in my power to give them the future they deserve.

I challenge you to take the same pledge.  Be able to get those students to the future they all deserve.