What is gender?

Gender definition is defined as the physical difference between a man and a woman. But I think it contributes to so much more than that. It is a distinction on how we will be raised, what we do, what we are involved in, how we act, and our lives in general.
Middle school girls are affected by their self esteem throughout middle school, creating scholarly problems throughout these years. Once their self esteem drops states Sadker so does their test scores. And once they start to drop it creates more of a problem for their self esteem, a vicious cycle! Girls in the classroom are said to be eight times less likely to call out answers as boys. I think the self esteem issue has a big thing to do with it. When your feeling low that last thing you want to do is call out a wrong answer and be embarrassed in front of the class. And I think a small incident like this can lead to a girl’s fear of answering out in class, because they are easily influenced and upset at this time in their life. Where as boys develop at a later age so they call out more frequently, not caring as much if they have the wrong answer. I believe this is why teachers call on male students more frequently, because they feel they will not take criticism so hard. In Sadker’s article he states that girls that do call out get reprimanded faster. This sounds awful! I haven’t really recognized this much, but I will now be on the look out for it. Especially as emotional sensitive girls are at this age, if we reprimand them and embarrass them in front of the whole class for no reason, no wonder they don’t raise their hands and call out answers. From my stand point if a child doesn’t ask the questions that are on their mind or are not confident with the material this makes them sink lower into confidence level and makes it harder for them to understand for test time. Students need to feel open in a classroom and be able to especially ask questions. If they don’t ask then the answer may never come clear to them. I hope in my classroom I will try and be aware of who I call on and what I say, most importantly, to a wrong answer. I by no means want to crush ones confidence and self esteem, so I will try and use the scaffolding approach and guide the student to the right answer on their own, so they are proud of how they came across it.

Multiculturalism

I usually hate the articles we have to read. But I loved this one! I liked the content and the way she told a story throughout most of it. I think I actually took away a much better understanding of why people act the way they act. It’s a multitude of reasons wrapped up; could be culture, background, parents, past experiences. And you just have to take each student for who they are.
For instance, the other children would communicate for Alma. She would shut down and not respond to Paley, an adult. She seemed just like a scared animal. When you go up to them they freeze, “play dead” in a sense. I worked in a daycare and this is very typical for a child who has never been in schooling especially when they are put in at an older age, 5. It seems that they are intimidated by everyone but latch onto the children first because their more alike, which is completely understandable. And after the part were Paley tried to talk too little Alma’s mother it was obvious to see that Alma was much like her mother. She seemed shy, and intimidated by others as well.
“You look as chocolate pudding” one student says then she goes on to say “you never say anything like that to black people.” Things like this just don’t make sense to me because no we don’t say stuff like that but it is acceptable to go up to a white little girl and say “you are just pasty white darling” or “you look like you need a little sun” and that is acceptable. I have had things like this said to me by blacks and whites and it doesn’t bother me any. I think people are just afraid of anything different, so to many people things that are and aren’t acceptable can change in situations that are unknown.
Also I think children, especially that young say exactly what their thinking. If they see a black person and they describe them as “chocolate pudding”; well, they could be the color of chocolate pudding. Or when they say “why do all blacks look poor?” These are times that children really might think what they say, it is our job to broaden their horizons and show them that all people can be poor and all people can be rich. Everyone focuses on instances like this. But I have seen even more little over weight children or even adults being described. I remember when my little sister, she couldn’t have been more than 3, said “momma Aunt Kelly is fat!” right in front of my aunt whom she was talking about. My aunt quickly said back “well, she’s right.” Children are just inquisitive, most of the time they don’t know that their being rude, or ugly. They are just curious. That is what schooling is for, to allow people to experience new situations and ideas; it’s all a learning process. As they grow and come across instances like this, I believe it is our job to point out that things like this are rude, and can hurt people’s feelings. If all little kids didn’t do this, then there wouldn’t be a whole objective on feelings in the state standards. It something that children have always done and will always do. I think it is how long the child is allowed to do things like this that can make them appear rude, and obnoxious. They need to learn at an early age lessons like this, so that they can be more successful in life. When people are uneducated I believe that is when they become naive.

hidden culture of power

I think schooling is important to everyone! No matter race, gender, economic status, or age; a student’s schooling should come first. I don’t think students today understand the seriousness of what schooling does for them. I like Delpit’s comment in the silenced dialogue “if schooling prepares people for jobs, and the kind of job a person has determines her and his economic status and, therefore, power, then schooling is intimately related to the power.” The power delpit speaks of is what, I believe, everyone is striving for in the long career run. It can be different for each person. The power can be the money one makes, the title they hold, the position they fulfill, or the home life they have because of their job. For each person the power is different. The power I hope to achieve after school is the power to have a home life I can be proud of because of my job. The power that school gives people comes in a “culture code” including linguistic forms, communication strategies, and presentation of self; that is way of talking, ways of writing, ways of dressing, and ways of interacting. All of these skills are tough in the classroom. In my classroom I hope I can make these codes clear for my students so that they are able to follow it through their schooling. Whether it is direct teaching go reading and writing or indirect role model type teaching presenting myself in a professional manner by the way I interact with everyone and my appearance.

racism in school

“It is obvious that when we talk about race in the U.S it has nothing to do with the biology of skin pigment, but it has everything to do with how we see and act in the world based on the historical construction and social implications of that it means to be associated with a certain color.” This quote comes from Pepi Leistyna in the article “Racenicity.” I like this because it doesn’t actually matter if someone is Hispanic, white, African America, or Indian as a color. It’s how they act and were represented in history, if history were mixed up and different races were involved in totally different things our prejudices would be different. I think that in the long run racism is still in the world today, but I feel it is because people are living in the past; “reflecting history.” I hope in my classroom I can see everyone for who they are rather than what they look like or what background they come from. And I mostly hope that my students will have this same sort of attitude on other people as well.
I liked the article on “beware the standards” by alfie kohn. Specifically the section titled how quantifiable. He states that people are so caught up in standardized testing and easily measurable testing that teachers loose their ambition to teach. They are veering away form thoughts and ideas and focusing on grammar. “Measurable outcomes may be the least significant result of learning” Kohn mentions that this quote by Linda McNeil should be in 36 bold font on all the walls. I like this quote because its true. Out in the real world most employees are not looked down upon because they don’t use a comma correctly but how they accomplish the task at hand. Although I do think things like this can be measured. Although it has much more potential for bias physical efforts, thoughts and ideas can be measured and graded. Yet the outcome of grade may be different for each person that grades it, it indeed can be measured. And I enjoy this type of teaching and learning, the kinds of ideas rather than facts. This is how communities grow and learn new things, through new ideas!

Should we embrace academic tracking?

In Ollie Taylors story chapter it brought up a great point about opportunities to learn. It says “grouping at all instructional levels is that students in low ability groups are exposed to substantially less material and to lower quality instruction than are students in middle or high ability groups.” This holds kids back in an enormous way. The low ability level students are given less information so through out there schooling they are always behind! There is no catching up, because they were never even exposed to some material. A student can only retain something they are taught. If a student never gets to experience all the lessons or it is dumbed down, in a 3rd grade science class how will they do in 4th grade science. I will tell you, not well! I have heard in one of my classes about students who don’t necessarily go to the low ability level classes but are in the high ability classes they just receive extra assistance. It’s called bridging or something like that. They also do this instead of holding some children back; they give extra assistance during summer or on weekends so that the student can catch up or learn new material. I think this is a great thing. This shows the students that with a little help and extra effort they can achieve the same amount of knowledge as all the other kids. I believe this gives a student more of belongingness to school and classes. I know if I was in a group that every one knew was lower level I feel ashamed and honestly I wouldn’t try just as an excuse to be in there. So I think this gives the students reason and willingness to try and achieve in school.

Although on the other hand I definitely can see the other side of the situation about the fact that if we include everyone it makes the advanced students not able to reach their full potential. And for this I say that including all students in learning, all the same material, in the same way is extremely beneficial for a student’s social, emotional, psychological, and knowledgeable wellbeing. Just as the low ability students are able to receive extra help on the side I think that a high ability student should be involved in groups or clubs such as math or debate team or even tutoring. I think this will give the higher ability students the challenge and benefits they need to achieve to their highest potential.

In my classroom I hope I give each student the same opportunities and apply a broad enough learning style so that all abilities are able to accomplish and learn to the best of their ability. If their were low and or high ability students on the complete opposite end in my class I hope I have the time and drive to offer such activities or help sessions different days of the week to help both groups accomplish the material in a challenging yet beneficial way. Maybe provide an extra low ability tutoring type session one or two days a week. While on the other days or days offering to start an extra club that will involve students to higher level think and really challenge their minds.

What is Social Class?

“When class resentments surface, those in a position of power encourage a criticism aimed downward-at the poor- increasingly the scapegoats for people’s economic frustrations.” I think it is important to be aware of different social classes, and be aware of how you act around them. Especially in the education industry, it is important to look at everyone the same no matter race, gender, or social class. This is definitely a problem I have seen in a classroom. I was a 2’s teacher at a higher end daycare for 4 years. And there would be certain children that we were not allowed to call out as in trouble, because their parents contribute a lot of money to the daycare because they are very well to do. While it is okay to point out and tell another lower class child that they did something wrong. I found this completely absurd! As seeing this in action I never want this in my classroom. I want a fair advantage to everyone no matter the social background.
I found it kind of depressing in Zandy’s thought that even today it is very hard to move up in a social class. She mentions that “there is some mobility between classes and it is possible to be born in one class and acquire great wealth later in life (but not likely).” The way that life and the world is evolving it is hard to believe we still can’t find a good way for hard working people to climb in ranks. Although I do think it is possibly to better your life but to completely jump classes is almost impossible with out hitting the lottery or some sort of crazy luck. So it is important to apply different teaching methods to meet the needs of all learners and to treat and expect the same from everyone, regardless of anything physical or background. Zander says it best when she states “our knowledge is a very powerful ‘sword’ and our decisions will affect other people’s lives, and that we need to be careful in how we make our decisions.” If you expect the same from all students they will be more willing to give you more in return.
Another quick point I want to bring up is from Allison’s chapter she mentions that at one point in her life, age 13, she wanted to run away and start all over with nothing from her previous life. I find that horribly sad. I want my children in the classroom to feel like they can at least accomplish and feel proud of their work while in school. Although we really don’t have a lot of effect outside school, we can make them feel comfortable and accepted while in school. They are with us for most of the day anyways. That why I think being aware of the way we say and do things towards people needs to be watched, because some students are more sensitive than others, and some come from backgrounds we cant imagine so it is important to be aware of our attitudes and actions in side the classroom and be aware of students actions as well.

What does schooling teach besides the overt curriculum?

McCarthy states “there must be an optimal level of obedience and cooperation in a reasonable society, but obedience, as any other virtue that is carried to an extreme, may become a vice.” And then goes on to give an example like the Nazi’s in Germany. I want children in my classroom to think for them selves. Yes I want them to be under control but to an extent. I want them to explore the boundaries of rules and in life. I don’t think you can get the most out of learning and life if you don’t see how far you can go, in any aspect. “The real problem is…an irrational fear of the mildly unusual, a pervasive attitude … are about to run amok and need constant control.” I have been in classrooms like this, and they are no fun. I think everyone has experienced a fearful teacher, so they go to the extreme on discipline. I know I will be afraid of my students becoming chaotic, but I hope I have enough direction so that I can keep the kids in a balanced, loose state of mind so that their minds are capable to focus and also have fun!
Shapiro made an excellent point about what we are teaching children in our schools, teachers are now more concerned on how to keep their jobs, so they teach to the test. It mentions only the most exceptional teachers “seek to make their classrooms places that are creative and expansive in their practice.” I hope I can be classified as one of the most exceptional teachers. I absolutely do not want to teach to the test, I want more from my students. I want them to be able to take knowledge and critically think, imagine, and use it in the real world! Although to keep your job, you need to have a huge emphasize on test I want to be able to teach the test in a critical thinking level. Using hands on, creative, real life, activities that will make the student truly understand and not just memorize. My ultimate goal as a teacher is to get my students wanting to come to school and being inquisitive to want to know more.