January 11th, 2019: Good Teaching Begins How?
What Makes Teaching "Good"?
More often than not, culture has been inserted into education, not education inserted into culture (Ladson-Billings). Due to this, it can create some major cultural divides within the classroom. Specifically, a cultural mismatch between teacher and student.
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According to Ladson-Billings, this can be prevented through the use of cultural relevant pedagogy. Culturally relevant pedagogy is defined as "consisting of subject matter knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge (Ladson-Billings)." Now this is kinda wordy, but, what she is really trying to say is empowering individuals in a holistic approach while working their strengths to better their downfalls results in a culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy. For example, ensuring academic success, cultural competence, and critical consciousness will enable students to be successful overall.
I personally have seen this happen. I did not go to a very diverse school. Everyone around me looked like I did for the most part. But, this still applies to the teachers who come from rich or diverse backgrounds that are not like the small, farm-town that I am from. Therefore, these teachers would be outwardly disrespectful to their students because they would refuse to acknowledge their history, their backgrounds, their upbringings, their daily struggles outside of the classroom. This behavior created a cultural mismatch between the student and the teacher. So, how do we prevent this from happening?
How do we maintain a level of respect with our students without downgrading them if we cannot personally relate to where they come from? How do we not shame our students when we can't relate to what they have been through? How can we help our peers learn how to be a more culturally responsive and relevant teacher?
This link explains more in depth what Gloria Ladson-Billings' discussed in the Culturally Relevant Teaching Article.
All of the articles that we were to have read for this week have been really similar to the articles we read for M320 last semester. The articles all discuss how important it is to value your student's differences, and build on those strengths. Because, different does not mean wrong, it simply means unique and unlike yourself. Therefore, I found this week's readings to be very empowering because it offered incite on how to approach and appreciate your student's differences in far more depth than we were able to see during M320.
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Awesome post Devanie! I also find myself struggling with the question, "How do we maintain a level of respect with our students without downgrading them if we cannot personally relate to where they come from?" Just like you, I was raised in a small town with my peers looking like me. I knew of other cultures but didn't ever take the time to truly understand and accept others for being different than I. At times, it's hard to grasp such things that I can't personally relate to. As we dive further into these classes and get more involved into the lives of children that are different than us, I can't help but want to know more. A show I'm currently watching on Netflix said something that went a little like this, "We only accept the things that fall into our world view." This spoke to me, especially after our readings this week and these blog post discussions. It's hard for people to learn about/appreciate things outside of their world view. I believe it's our job as teachers to break that status quo and find ways to break our personal biases.. But how?
ReplyDeleteMayson,
DeleteI think that we break our own personal bias by addressing them head on. I think the biggest hurdle is the willingness to admit that you have some bias in your mind. A lot of the common responses to social issues we read about in our texts are things I have personally heard. I have heard teachers and other people say "I don't see color" and that "we all bleed red." By separating people from their race, we are inadvertently telling them that their race is bad and they need to be white to be of importance. These classes are a lot of deep and personal dives into our own minds. We are confronted by our own biases and we must then be intentional in changing them. This is great because it will guide us in the right direction of being culturally sustaining educators.
Mayson , I read this and immediately thought you were reading my mind! All of the time I sit and reflect on my experiences in school were all of the children mostly looked like me. So I’m my head learning about the things we did was no problem! Since we all looked the same it was just the way it was , I cannot disagree with this statement more after being in this program and seeing how irrational that the logic is. Further I would like to acknowledge how all we do is center our thinking around what we already know or our world view. We live in a society who looks for information to red force what we already believe rather than to inform us and having educators that are that way is extremely dangerous and detrimental to our children.
DeleteI really enjoyed what you had to say in your post this week. I think it is extremely important to first focus on culture in your classroom, and then education. I think, like you said, it is rude and disrespectful not to do it in this order to your students. Knowing the students in your classroom is important for more reasons than one. If you do not try and get to know your students culture, background, daily struggles, and what makes them who they are, you are treating them like they are not human. I think it is apart of our human nature to create relationships, without doing so in the classroom, you and your students will struggle. "Culturally relevant teachers utilize students' culture as a vehicle for learning". (page 161).
ReplyDeleteMy upbringing was similar to yours in that I grew up in a small town with not much diversity. I can relate to the questions you have for when I become an educator. How and what is the best way of dealing with a student who is going through something I have no experience with? I think that is a tough question, but I believe that it will come with experience. It is not going to be easy, but we have to remember we will continue to learn as educators. We will not know everything going into our first years, and we have to remember that. In the end we are there for our students, and do the best we can at doing so.
You did a great job on this post! I loved the questions that you asked us throughout. Your question about not degrading your students when you can't relate is such a critical question. I myself grew up in a very diverse area, however I still feel as if I cannot relate to my students due to the fact that I did not grow up in an area with the same issues like being in a food dessert for example. I think a good answer to this question, in my personal opinion, is to make it clear that you cannot relate, but you can be empathetic. I think when students start to feel disrespected is when a person who has no clue what they are talking about comes in and tries to make it seem like they get it. Being able to look at your class and say, "I didn't grow up like this, so I don't understand, but can you explain it to me", that addresses the situation in a more sincere way and allows your kids to realize that you care enough about them and their upbringing to ask them more about it. Just some food for thought!
ReplyDeleteMerannda,
DeleteI like the idea of being upfront and addressing the issue of being unable to relate head on. I think this is key. It kind of reminds me of when people who do not have children try and give parenting advice. This also happens in the form of "my kids will never..." The minute you feel like someone is criticizing you or being insincere, you want to shut down or tell them to shut up. I love the word choice you had with not understanding but being empathetic. You can understand a situation and the hardships associated (such as what a food dessert is or that impoverished people tend to be the ones to suffer) and not understand the feelings that go along with the situation (like constant hunger or questioning of where your food will come from).
I really like what is being said here! I am a very straightforward and honest person, so I think saying something along those lines of "I don't understand what you're going through, can you please explain it?" is a great approach. This could also help build teacher and student relationships. Students often think that teachers know everything, so taking a step back and saying you don't know and need them to teach you can be a really empowering thing for young students to hear. Isn't one of our main jobs to empower our students?
DeleteDevanie, I really appreciate your insight and personal experience with the readings this week. Coming from a similar background as your own pre-college education, one thing that I have learned through my experience is maintaining a growth mindset and seeking to educate myself on the inequities shown throughout our classrooms and communities. To build off of your question pertaining to relating to our students and maintaining respect in the classroom, I think that personal education and understanding your positionality holds more value than what we know. Coming to IUPUI, a peer of mine told me that "I didn't need to come in and teach the children of color in the Indianapolis community" and at first, I was hurt and confused. Looking back on who I was and my overall view and education of urban communities, I realized her statement held truth in that moment. Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to learn in the classroom and through relationships built in the IUPUI community. Seeking to understand and having empathy for our student’s experiences is what can help us to prepare us for the classroom. This will help us to base our teaching and pedagogy in "contemporary understandings of culture as dynamic, shifting, and everchanging" (Paris, 2012). We cannot limit our understandings of different culture backgrounds in a past tense, but rather as something current and constantly evolving. Th reading from Bomer and Bomer talked of taking action in the communities for issues at large that affect the children in our classroom. In the same way that we must go outside of the classroom to advocate and take a stance on inequities children in society are affected by, we must take it upon ourselves to learn in and outside of the classroom about the community and culture of which our students are a part of.
ReplyDeleteA question I might bring to this discussion is how can we seek out ways to become personally involved in the culture of each student within out classroom, and how can we support and keep our peer teachers accountable to this as well in our future teaching?
I find your question to be very thought provoking. I think building relationships with our students will really help us understand our students cultures and environments. I understand that we can’t know and do everything. But even putting forth that effort can be so beneficial to our students. I think when it comes to our peers, the best thing we can do is not be afraid to give them a reality check when needed to put them in their place when needed. I think as future professional educators it is in our best interest to not be afraid to do that, to make not only ourselves but our classmates the best they can be.
DeleteKristen I can honestly say I appreciate all the information and knowledge you continuously bring to these discussions from past readings and appreciate the way you brought it in to tie in with our readings from this past week. The readings from Bomer I think also relate to Chapter 9. We must create environments in our classrooms that are common to situations outside of school. We have to bring their community and their social changes into the classroom so that we can prepare our students to utilize the knowledge they gain to become activists in this democratic society. Because we are educators, and not only do we teach math, science, literacy, social studies, etc., we are teaching our students to be citizens therefore we must uphold to this teaching of advocacy. We must contribute to the change our students want to make. Chapter 9 also says "If we want to improve the life chances of children, its no good staying in our rooms." (chapter 9, pg. 157). This really stood out to me because the problems we face and our students face shouldn't just stay in the classroom, it must spoken about. Our students home life, their culture, their community, anything about our students should be important and its always important for our students to know that and one of the biggest ways of doing so is literally using their life to educate themselves. Great connections from two different readings.
DeleteKristen-
DeleteI couldn't agree more with you Secilla. I love how you bring all all the information that we have learned so far in the education program and you can relate them to new readings. Making an environment that your students are used to in their home life. If their not comfortable in the environment where you teach, then they are not going to retain the environment that you are teaching. Making those relationships with your students is very important and it was very interesting to see your input on how you would do that. I loved the question that you said you said you would bring to the discussion. Many teachers might want to bring the cultures of their students into the classroom, but they might not know how. So, they need to go into the lives of their students and see how they celebrate there culture.
I appreciate your insight Devanie. I disagree to some extent of how Ladson-Billings is describing the Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. The way your definition is worded, although I may have misinterpreted, comes off more as a deficit in my opinion. "empowering individuals in a holistic approach while working their strengths to better their downfalls results in a culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy" in my mind it is saying that you are trying to work with their strengths in order to make them fit into the form of the dominant group. My take away as to what she is saying is that the dominant and the students funds of knowledge need to be integrated. The teacher is responsible for then using this information and presenting the knowledge to fit into both situations. A great example of this was Patricia Hilliard. She used rap music to teach poetry "as a bridge to school learning (Ladson-Billings)." The outcome was that the students met the standards and surpassed them because she made the information relevant to them and didn't look at rap music in their culture as a deficit.
ReplyDeleteThe questions that you pose are really insightful. I think that we are in a wonderfully unique situation at IUPUI. We must all really dig deep into our own thoughts and biases in order to be active participants in the class. This will really serve us well in our future careers. We will be able to look past the differences. I say that in a way that does not mean colorblindness. I say it in a way that we can acknowledge any issues we may have and make an intentional effort to be respectful, caring, and culturally responsive to all learners.
I think my definition might have been misinterpreted. I linked it back to Ladson-Billings when she talked about using a students strengths to better benefit the student. Meaning, if a student learns best through movement to use that to better benefit the student. I am glad you challenged me though. So overall, I think what I was trying to say was it’s okay to use a students strengths to benefit them, but you also have to work on the skills that they lack because not every teacher is going to be willing to take the time out to help them grow.
DeleteMelissa, I appreciate you respectfully challenging Devanie's definition of Culturally Relevant teaching. Devanie, I also respect that you took it with a grain of salt and more thoroughly explained what you were trying to say. This is a great example of why we do what we do in these discussions. We're all here to better ourselves and each other as future teachers, and to keep everyone in check on where our hearts are when it comes to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy.
DeleteMelissa, I am glad you brought in the example of Ms. Hillard and the rap music in her classroom. Another great example of Culturally Relevant teaching that I saw from "That's Just Good Teaching" was that all of the teachers that were considered exceptional by their principles, students' parents, and fellow teachers had one thing in common, and it was that they all "identified strongly with teaching. They were not ashamed or embarrassed about their professions... they saw their responsibility as working to guarantee the success of each student." (Ladson-Billings, 1995). This is what we should strive to be as teachers. Melissa, I would agree that we have a very unique position here at IUPUI to be ahead of the game in this area. Through this experience, we can be those teachers that were labeled as exceptional and be agents for change when it comes to the education system. We are here to reach every student where they are at, not where they should be according to the skewed standards of our current society of education.
I enjoyed your post. I feel it is important to take the time to learn about different cultures especially in schools. I found Ladson-Billings statement of “culture has been inserted into education, not education inserted into culture” shows a deficit on growth of minority families. I grew up in southern California, in a melting pot, where there were/are many ethnic groups. During this time, I never thought there was a difference in how different cultures were treated. I thought because the area I lived in and the atmosphere of the school never showed issues nothing was wrong. I have come to learn over time there was probably plenty wrong in my school, in my town, and in our education system, but sadly I did not pay attention. Looking back, I remember thinking if we are all welcome in every extra-curricular activity or club at school why are there specific organizations for Blacks, Latinos or Asians. I now realize the individuals in these different communities did not feel they had a voice. Yes, they were welcome in Student Body but did not truly feel they fit because there was also a Black Student Union, a Chicano studies organization, etc. on campus. This statement tells me even though culture has been put into education, culture has not really been put into education.
ReplyDeleteHow do we as teachers make change in our classrooms to insert culture into education in a positive way? I do not mean adding culture is negative by any means. I mean, it is important to address the insertion of culture into our education by sharing with all families how our society as a whole has benefited in many ways. I do realize many cultures may not agree with this statement and I definitely see why. However, if we as white educators can invite culture to be a normal part of education where content taught to students becomes natural and effective, those who have been treated poorly or pushed aside in learning can see their voice needs to be loud and help with a positive change.
The question(s) I offer is how do we show students their voice is important? How will students be able to address issues without feeling they will be quieted due to wording or uneasiness of their question or how an experience of disrespect from a superior body is handled in a prior situation? Will culture truly be accepted into education or will this become a greater concern causing additional problems down the road for our students and teachers?
Along with an overall insightful post, you included some very challenging yet important questions that we all must ask ourselves. Although I certainly don't have the correct answer, you made me think about a couple things that you may also consider. I think a big part of making students feel that their voice is important is simply taking the time to sit and listen. Let students take the lead in telling you more about their lives/experiences outside of school. Let them feel that you value these experiences by using them as a guide for your instruction. Find a way to incorporate what they tell you into your lessons so that they too can see how their lives can connect to their learning. Another thing that came to mind when I read this was the example in the Ladson-Billings reading about how the teacher recognized the social power held by the African American boys in her class. It talked about how instead of allowing the possibility of encouraging their peers in a negative way, she encouraged the boys to take on a role of academic leadership that then positively influenced other students in the classroom to do the same. Like this teacher did, how can we change the environment in our classroom so that students feel confident and empowered to share their culture and draw on it as an opportunity for learning?
DeleteGreat post Devanie and great questions. I think as educators these types of questions are extremely important to ask ourselves. Since there has already been some response to your other two questions I will go ahead and respond to your last.
ReplyDeleteHow can we help our peers learn how to be a more culturally responsive and relevant teacher?
I think this is an important question especially with all the chitter chatter we have heard from the teachers at Clarence Farrington. Someone has said that these discussions are great for keeping each other in check but I think that shouldn't only apply to our class discussions. Its quite important for us to build community in our classrooms but I believe it should go beyond that. It should be building a community with the school. Shoot! It can go beyond the school. My point is culturally responsive teaching and relevant teaching should go hand in hand and fellow educators should always help each other out and no one should be afraid to ask for help. We all come from very different backgrounds and each one is unique and we should use our backgrounds but we are all also adapting and learning from a whole new community at different school with different students who come from different backgrounds. Ladson-Billings pointed out that culturally relevant teaching has a lot of collaborative learning, teaching each other, and being responsible for each other's learning. That not only goes for a relationship with a student and a teacher, but that goes for teachers and teachers; students and students, teachers and students.
You made a great post, it really went into the death of the reading. I think you really captured what the three readings were really talking about. I feel like helping them will be the first difficult journey to this. I think it will be downgraded them st first, but then will turn around after sometime. Because, they don't know you and you just started to know them. The way not to shame them, in my mind is hard. I feel like writing would be a good gate way for them to Express theirselves. Writing a poem or an essay of their events. Maybe doing a play of some sorts. Anything that they feel would help bridge the gap between. I feel like the first thing that needs to happen to help our peers be more culturally relevant, is for them to see the issue. After that they should start talking about the issues at hand. Then after they get the good basis of the issue and understanding the information start thinking of actions to help. Because, you need to first see the issue and then the real help could start for others. For it is hard to help someone if there are blind to it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the readings this week made me more see that issues are more then above and below the surface. Sometimes the people might forget themselves of issues that face them and don't bring them up. I have had friends like that and they bring stuff up that has happen to them. That that just forgot.
I agree with you about doing a writing activity in order to express ourselves. When I entered high-school, I began to produce so many ideas and never stop thinking. I usually doodled or wrote songs and journals, so I wouldn't drive myself crazy. I always turned to this type of activity when I had so much in mind. I think many students will go through powerful experiences as well and sometimes they need time to unleash some feelings of happiness or sadness. Teachers who encouraged students to not bottle in personal insight and ideas to themselves are practicing cultural relevant pedagogy. These type of teachers will find a way to learn more from their students as well and following the state guidelines at the same time. As it was mention in Ladson-Billings article, "they were not dependent on state curriculum frameworks or textbooks to decide what and how to teach." It is very crucial for teachers at this time in history to not rely on traditional curriculum framework as it does not help students to become knowledgeable about cultures and academics. Chris, I agree with your point about students advocating for their peers and encouraging students to see the social justice issues that exist in many students' lives. Cultural relevant pedagogy will encourage that type of movement, where students learn about the reality and in their own worlds.
DeleteI was that student that did and still does bottle in my thoughts. I wish I was more vocal in my life. I do not wish that no to anyone in my classroom. Words should be spoken clearly in their mind and smoothly through their voice. But as it stands now, it will always be bumpy until that day comes. It might take years or decades, but one thing should be certain and that is to not give up on the idea for that to be a realized goal.
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ReplyDeleteI thought this article was inspiring, powerful, and insightful. I feel like Gloria Ladson-Billings wanted readers to know that a teacher and student connection is meaningful to all students. Students need to feel appreciated and acknowledged for the qualities that aren't academic related. I'm glad this IUPUI education program is aspiring to teach future teachers that they have a huge role in the school community. Students in urban schools are entering public schools and expecting their teachers to build them up in many ways. Every student wants to find their own identity in a different perspective than receiving it from home. Some students might receive a label that is minimal and unworthy from home. Devanie, I can relate with your statement about teachers not able to connect with student. They've asked the students about their personal beliefs, backgrounds, and history and students refused to respond. When I was in highschool, many of my teachers went through the same situation. For example, my APUSH teacher would teach a lesson and he would asked everyone if they have insight on the lesson or personal connection to it. All my peers would not raise their hand and this made my teacher pretty frustrated. He wasn't pleased that my peers weren't participating or sharing their perspectives. Also, I think my peers and I were afraid to share an irrelevant story that many will find boring or different. Maybe it is not a norm in American public schools to share our backgrounds during school time. Maybe my peers and I were programmed to respond in an academic way. I feel like this theory is very true because I'm rarely asked about my family, history, and etc. When I was asked in highschool about my personal insight on the lesson, I didn't know how to respond or know what I should share. I'm glad that Ladson-Billings wrote a piece that could inspire and challenge teachers the idea of "good teaching." Its important that teachers use of culturally relevant pedagogy is present at any grade. Teachers need to build the students' confidence along their education journey as it will help them become great learners. Teachers should not take that opportunity away from students of finding value in themselves and their education. As Ladson-Billings mentioned in the piece, "the trick of culturally relevant teaching is to get students' to "choose" academic excellence (160)."
ReplyDelete(Continued) Response to Devanie's Question:
DeleteHow do we maintain a level of respect with our students without downgrading them if we cannot personally relate to where they come from?
I think all teachers can find some connection with their students, if one can’t, they should research on the details that a student shared. I know every teacher will not be perfect and know how to respond correctly. Sometimes many students need an audience that will hear what they have to say. Teacher should not downgrade a student after listening to what they've shared. If a teacher does not agree with a certain statement, teacher should ask questions and look through the students’ lenses.
Very good post!! I could really tell that you were passionate about this topic and that it hit close to home. I was in about the same situation. I lived in a small town but it was a little more diverse than your school might have been. But coming to IUPUI I seen other cultures that weren't at my school, like for example, Indian and Muslim. It was kind of like what we talked about in block one, that it was a culture shock. It was interesting to learn about more cultures that are around the world. Culture is such an important thing in the classroom. If you are not implementing a culture that your students have they may feel left out and not be engaged in the material that you are teaching. There was a quote I the article that I really liked. "If a students home language is incorporated into the classroom, students are more likely to experience academic success." This quote goes along with bringing more culture into your classroom. If you have a student who's first language isn't English you can't expect them to automatically know English right away. You have to give them time and use their language in the classroom so they feel more engaged and will do better in school.
ReplyDeleteDevanie,
ReplyDeleteI thought you asked some very thought provoking questions throughout your blog post that we all need to ask ourselves as we prepare to run our own classrooms. Particularly, how can we prevent a cultural mismatch from developing between students and the teacher? As you mentioned in your post, the answer to this question lies in the successful application of culturally responsive pedagogy. However, many teachers feel intimidated by this as they question how they can bring cultures into the classroom that they have little to no understanding of or experience with?
Like some of my peers have mentioned previously, don’t be afraid to address your shortcomings head on. Simply taking the time to talk to your students will be your best opportunity to get a look inside what cultures and experiences they are bringing into your classroom. Ladson-Billings puts this idea simply by saying “culturally relevant teachers utilize student’s cultures as a vehicle for learning” (p. 161). To be successful at developing a culturally relevant teaching style, teacher’s must gain insight into the lives of their students and use what they learn to guide their instruction.
Many will read that and say it is much easier said than done. However, I believe that far too many people underestimate the power of human connection. Without teachers making a conscious effort to engage with their students and make them feel that their home life/outside of school experiences are important, that cultural mismatch that you described will always exist. It takes a teacher who sees the value in cultural relevant pedagogy to take the time to look into the lives of every student and find ways to incorporate it into their lessons rather than ones who view students culture as irrelevant and choose to ignore it.
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ReplyDeleteGood job on this post, I thought the questions were thought-provoking. On the question of "How do we not shame our students when we can't relate to what they have been through?" I was thinking that directing class activities that provide students the opportunity to express their thoughts, opinions, and experiences in a safe space could be helpful. Visual art, writing, or other modes of expression might be helpful for students. I think at least the visual art option would be engaging for many students.
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking that providing a wide selection of books featuring diverse characters would also be helpful. I think it would help establish a positive environment.
An article entitled "Creating a Diverse Classroom Library" from the Edutopia website by Meredith Kimi Lewis has some helpful ideas for building a diverse library in our classrooms. The author encourages us as teachers to involve our students in the book selection process.
Devanie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post and I am enthralled with the critical thinking questions that you tied in with evidence from the readings in order to formulate these. I can empathize with being unable to relate to some of my students because I grew up from a background different than theirs. I am mixed-race, but I was not exposed to aspects of culture outside of the dominant group (Caucasian) and some hints of Mexican culture. That being said, it is okay to not be able to relate to experiences growing up and having cultural differences. That is the beauty of our country- we are a salad of thousands of different cultures and heritages from around the world. It is not our job to represent a specific experience growing up (ex. "the white experience"," etc.)- it is our job as educators to bring in aspects from multiple different points of view and heritages. It is okay to not understand- the beauty is in WANTING to understand and wanting to be able to foster pride in our students of color in a society that doesn't want to see minorities succeed. I love the link to the TED talk (I enjoy podcasts and TED talks) and I am so excited to hear of your future experiences as a culturally-relevant educator, because you are so passionate about fostering individual expression and creating pride in each students' uniqueness.