Woke Read Alouds: They, She, He Easy as ABC

November 11

Woke Read Alouds: They, She, He Easy as ABC & Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students

The video of the read aloud of "They, She, He Easy as ABC" is such an important reminder of how the world is constantly changing and adapting and as educators we need to do the same. As educators sometimes we are the only support some children may have, which means we need to be the most accepting and welcoming we can be. I remember a specific situation from an internship in my senior year of high school where I was working with an elementary school art teacher. A student in that same class kept asking another one if they were a boy or a girl and the other student was starting to get frustrated saying "I'm neither, I'm a they". The student who asked wouldn't accept that answer. Fortunately, the student being questioned was content with their identity and wasn't afraid to try to educate their peers. This is a perfect example of why we need to educate our students, so that someone less comfortable than that student was isn't put in a position like that where they have to defend their identity and end up questioning themselves. 

It's so important to support and respect students' gender identity in schools for numerous reasons. Their school files may say one thing where they say another and this could be for many reasons. School may be the only place they can be openly or safely out to their peers. They may not have a safe home life for them to express their true identity there. School may be the place they choose to test out different identities and figure themselves out. It's also important to support and respect identities to help end the stigma about certain gender identities. Educating students about them is crucial to spread awareness and help everyone feel welcome, accepted, and valid.

Toward Ending Ableism in Education

 November 3

Toward Ending Ableism in Education by Thomas Hehir

"Toward Ending Ableism in Education", as the title suggests, explains some key ways of how we can help end ableism in school like expanding diversity efforts to include disability and encouraging students with disabilities to develop and use skills of expression that are effective for them. It's important for different disabilities to be represented just like race, gender, sexuality, etc. is. People with different disabilities and different severities of disabilities all require different accommodations and will have different ways of working with their disability. In the education field as well as in general, we need to support students who have disabilities and encourage them by following accommodations, learning their personal ways of expression, as well as providing representation of disabilities and not only in powerful roles, but also average, everyday normal roles. We also need to keep in mind, as Hehir says, "the most damaging ableist assumption is the belief that disabled people are incapable."

This reminded me of our very first reading by Johnson and one of his main points about how a large part of working on fixing an issue is first acknowledging it is an issue instead of denying it exists in the first place. He explains this in the context of racism and how white people need to admit that they are privileged for there to be progress. Hehir explains that part of ending ableism in schools is first admitting that it does exist. I am also reminded of Lisa Delpit's "Culture of Power" and how those who are not disabled need to use our privilege to advocate for and support those who do. People with disabilities do not fit into our ideal S.C.W.A.A.M.P outline and therefore do not get the representation, accommodations, and acceptance they deserve.

Aria

 October 27

Aria by Richard Rodriguez

I really enjoyed the piece "Aria" by Richard Rodriguez and the perspective he offers to enlighten readers. Rodriguez writes about his experience as a young student being told to speak English and facing the struggles of being bilingual. Speaking Spanish at home felt more private, warm, and individual for him. When his teachers asked his parents to speak English to him more, he no longer felt as connected to his family. The safe familiarity behind those words spoken in his fist language was no longer there. Richard felt like his individuality was being held against him and taken away through language. While there are obviously disadvantages to not learning English in the US, families like Richards should still feel comfortable speaking their first language and still having that option of individuality at home and where they choose.

(Richard Rodriguez)

In Asa Messer Elementary where I have my placement, many students are bilingual. I am placed in a Pre-K classroom where there are students who only speak English and two who seem to only speak Spanish. The teacher is fluent in both, and addresses students in English first. Instructions and directions are given in English first and most of the children seem to understand. Often when talking individually to a student the teacher will repeat instructions or directions in Spanish if needed. I'm not sure if the two students who seem to not speak English yet can understand it or if they just follow how the other students act when lining up, cleaning up, etc. but whatever the case, they are able to follow directions. Based on my observations, the teacher doesn't pressure or ask the students to speak a certain language and will just adjust based on the student.

Literacy With an Attitude

 October 20

Literacy With an Attitude by Patrick Finn

In chapter 2 of Literacy With an Attitude, I am reminded of Delpits views towards education as well as Shalabys. Fifth grade classes in five public elementary schools were studied by Jean Anyon. They all were located in the same state, had very similar state requirements, the same textbooks, but there were many differences in the way students were taught. The two working-class schools had teachers who simply shut down students' creativity or ideas to complete assignments in different ways or faster than the teacher instructed. Shalaby talks about how it's crucial to not do this and to listen and encourage creativity instead. Students are simply told "do it this way or its wrong" in these schools which can have an extremely negative impact on their learning and their relationship with school and teachers.

(Carla Shalaby)

Delpit explains, "Educators must recognize and adapt to the diverse cultural needs of their students to foster an inclusive and effective learning environment". This reading shows exactly why we need to do this, students from the working-class schools are overlooked and ignored. The majority of the teachers lived in the same city of the school but lived in the better parts. Therefore, many students are lacking a true understanding from their educators. I am reminded of Delpit again from this quote from "Literacy With an Attitude", "The status quo is the status quo because people who have the power to make changes are comfortable with the way things are. It takes energy to make changes, and the energy must come from the people who will benefit from the change."

(Lisa Delpit)

What to Look for in a Classroom

 What to Look for in a Classroom by Alfie Kohn & Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 

October 13

Looking through the "What to Look for in a Classroom" chart by Alfie Kohn, I am reminded of some key  points from "Troublemakers" by Shalaby. Shalaby writes about how school feels like jail for many students based on the rules and setup. She suggests we need to listen instead of punishing those who stick out or are loud. Isolating them and making them feel bad for creativity or personality traits will only hurt them in the long run. The video "Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy" explains how teachers have to take students' cultural experiences and make connections with examples and how schools need to adapt to the students. Shalaby repeats this again and again about adjusting our teaching and rules to the children.

Kohn's chart says teachers shouldn't be easy to find or just standing/sitting in the front of the room. They should be moving around and interacting with the students. The class should be decorated with student work and display all different types, not just the "best" or "most correct" pieces. Different family representations should be displayed though posters as well. The teacher's voice should be warm and genuine, which can help prevent students from feeling ashamed or embarrassed when spoken to. This tactic would definitely be approved of by Shalaby since she is against harsh punishment and negative tones when speaking to children. We need to keep a warm welcoming environment and tone to have students actually benefit from our strategies instead of fearing them.

Both of these authors favor an interactive teacher and a collaborative environment to make students feel comfortable and not scared of school or worried about getting in trouble for being themselves. All three sources make a point about adjusting to the students needs, not making the students adjust to us or the school system.

Troublemakers

 October 6

Troublemakers

Throughout the preface and introduction of "Troublemakers", points are brought up about how schools do not teach freedom but rather promote confinement and capitalism. We are being taught that only some lives matter and to prioritize some over others when we need to be taught all lives are valuable. We need to teach love and learn freedom. We shouldn't treat children like animals by giving them time-outs every time they speak when told to be quiet. 

"Troublemakers" focuses on four students who are seen as the "troublemakers" by their teachers and how we should listen to them to see what they can teach us instead of punishing them. Teachers are taught to punish and hush loud students who are seen as disruptive. I can relate this to a lot of my earlier education. I have always been a "quite kid" in school and for the most part I believe this was because I was taught that that was the ideal student in a classroom. While I also have anxiety and typically don't like talking in front of groups, I would find myself nervous to speak at all, specifically to a teacher. After reading this, I started thinking a lot of that nervousness and fear was because we are taught to never disobey or speak up to a teacher and have been shown the repercussions. Over the years and in high school especially, I've had a few teachers who encouraged individuality and problem solving even if it did not fit their typical lesson plans or curriculums. This began to help me to see it can be beneficial to speak my mind instead of keeping silent and that not all teachers react the same way or have the same mindset. I think it's crucial that we do better as teachers to not instill fear in our students.

 It is clear that the point of this text is to argue how we need to listen to the children who stand out and who cause disturbances by not following rules instead of punishing them, but I am curious how specifically we are supposed to handle it. How do we successfully help children feel heard without disrupting other children and without them feeling isolated or punished? I'm interested in what the rest of this text offers as solutions. 

The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies

September 28

The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies by Christine E. Sleeter

I strongly connected this reading to our recent watch of "Precious Knowledge" as well as our understanding of S.C.W.A.A.M.P.

In "The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies," Carlos did not enjoy school and had no motivation to continue with it, however, once he participated in a Chicano studies class he was intrigued. Learning about something you really care about and can identify with can completely change your outlook on education and schooling. Because Carlos could relate to these classes, he became hooked and went on to complete a BA degree in Spanish and continue to teach. This can relate to the situations in "Precious Knowledge" because ethnic classes benefited students in that video as well. This impact is similar to that of the ethnic studies program at Tucson because many students taking these classes explained how they had never really cared about school before because they did not have classes they could relate too. Ethnic studies classes were often the only thing keeping some students in school, interested in school, and finding a passion.

This reading and specifically this quote reminded me of the S.C.W.A.A.M.P concept, "Whites continue to receive the most attention and appear in the widest variety of roles, dominating story lines and lists of accomplishments. African Americans, the next most represented racial group, appear in a more limited range of roles and usually receive only a sketchy account historically, being featured mainly in relationship to slavery. Asian Americans and Latinos appear mainly as figures on the landscape with virtually no history or contemporary ethnic experience. Native Americans appear mainly in the past, but also occasionally in contemporary stories in reading books. Immigration is represented as a distinct historical period that happened mainly in the Northeast, rather than as an ongoing phenomenon (Vecchio 2004)." The W in S.C.W.A.A.M.P stands for white, and how those who identify with that label are more privileged and idealized in our society. They get more attention, representation, freedom, acceptance, etc. 

Overall, I think its crucial we acknowledge ethnic studies programs as positive aspects in our society and not in the "we shouldn't see color" aspect that some may argue when that is truly something we should not ignore.