(Merannda Best) Leaning in to Praxis: What It Means to be a Culturally Proactive Teacher
Ya'll get the joke? PROACTIVE?? I felt like I had to do that.
But seriously. When I saw this chapter was about being a culturally proactive teacher, I knew that it was going to be important for us to pay attention to.
I know we all have heard the term so much this semester, but I think it is really important to grasp the concept of what it is. So, what does it mean to be a culturally proactive teacher? Garcia and O'Donnell- Allen define being culturally RESPONSIVE as "teaching that uses the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant and effective for them" (Garcia, O'Donell-Allen, 2015, pg 18). They then go on to talk about how being proactive means to build on the ideas that have come before us, but adding a little modern day twist to the lessons. Sooooo, we can put the two and two together, and be culturally proactive by appealing to our ethnically diverse students with our lessons.
Page 20 has a quote that I think is really important for us to ponder. It states "If you are staying silent, you are endorsing/reinforcing these conditions and perpetuating the cycle of violence in the lives of others who may not share your privilege"(Garcia, O'Donell, 2015, pg 20). I bring this to the light because I want to challenge you all to think about how sometimes "minding your business" is not the right thing to do. So what can we do to advocate for our students outside of class?The chapter at the end gives us some ideas such as :
- posting on blogs
- going to meetings
- commenting on posts and websites.
- Sharing articles with colleagues
I just want to add that being biracial and talking about these topics is difficult for me too. I grew up with privilege, and I recognize that I do not face the same oppression as my students will, or even as African Americans do in general. I grew up middle class, and had everything that was really needed and most times wanted. Even though I can relate to my students ethnically, I cannot relate to them culturally, because I didn't face a lot of the same issues, especially like growing up in a low socioeconomic area. I don't even remotely know what that's like. But I think it's important to understand that we can still all be great teachers even though we did not grow up the same way as our students are, as long as we recognize that. Part of being culturally proactive is understanding that you are different from your students and that means you have to adapt to their lives. That's the most important part of this chapter.
"If educators do not know how to do this, then they must learn how". The authors make a really valid point. It is our duty to learn how to be culturally proactive if we don't already. Which brings me to my next set of questions for you all
1.) I really want to know what you all thing being culturally proactive looks like in a form of literacy?
2.)How can we address our privilege in the classroom? How do we let our students know that we understand that we DON'T understand?
(First of all I wanted to say that this is Mayson, I'm using my fiancé's laptop because mine isn't working and I'm not sure if my name will pop up when I comment)
ReplyDeleteBut anyways...
I wanted to start off by answering your first question posed: What do we need to do to be prepared to teach such a high population of children of color? For me, becoming educated is the first step. Being in our education program at IUPUI is greatly preparing us for topics such as these but we also need to investigate/research on our own. Realizing what inequities students face, and even all humans face, is crucial to teaching proactively. Also, being able to recognize your own positionally is very important. I also wanted to add that having teachers that have the same beliefs for culturally proactive teaching on your side can also help. Like the book stated, reading blogs (or posting blogs) can be beneficial, chatting with other teachers can help us have ally's on our side and also give us more ideas, and researching and reflecting on teaching practices are all ways that come to my mind on how to take steps to become culturally proactive teachers. To answer your other questions, I think literacy is the most PERFECT subject to enhance our culturally proactive pedagogies. Using literature, music, poems, and other forms of media can help shed light on our students and open up their worlds. Showing them that there are other famous writers, poets, and musicians that aren't the "norm" (i.e. white). Addressing privilege in the classroom is something that is tough for me. I know how to converse with adults, but how can I explain this to children? I think showing them examples of privilege can help them begin to understand. Also, sharing real-life experiences that the students (and us as teachers) face in regards to privilege can be very beneficial. Helping our students to challenge the status quo could also be an effective way to get them thinking and become culturally aware students in the future. Any other ideas?
Mayson,
DeleteI think your post forms some great questions and topics. I can relate to the privilege part of your blog. I think it is tough for me to bring up especially with children. I think the way you thought of showing other real-life situations is an awesome idea. It is showing the problem with this while also making that culturally relative, because it showing the real world issues. I think is a great way to bring up issues in the world around us and then maybe even diving into books and other forms of literacy to tie this into the literacy subject. I think that the topics around the world are important to talk about in general, and tying that into a subject is gold.
Mayson I think you have a lot of great answers to my questions! I think you hit it spot on when you stated that being educated is a key in preparing yourself to teach kids of different races. You can't teach what you don't know, but I like that you are recognizing that we do need to educate ourselves and be prepared for these cultural differences. I also like that you stated you don't know how to address your privilege in the classroom because nether do I! It is difficult to do it in a way that doesn't make our students hate white people. And that is honestly my biggest fear.
DeleteMerannda,
ReplyDeleteI think your post is very powerful and brings up great questions along with great points. To answer your question of, "What does culturally proactive in the form of literacy looks like?". When I first read your question my mind thought, pretty much as any other subject, which I do not think is fully true. I think it is partially accurate in that it is crucial to get to know your students, and learn as much as you can about them. Then integrating that into the work done in class. I think all of that is still important, but when it comes to literacy directly I think there are more ways to do so. Such as what we are doing in field. Yes, get to know them, but get to know more than just about them. Get to know what they could change in the world, what makes them angry or frustrated, and incorporate that. Pick out books, poems, music and dive deeper into those topics and then show them how to act on that. To let them know they have a voice, and have more power than they might realize. Talking about all of this brings me back to the reading and takes me to this quote, "You will wobble around this pose in your classrooms, and it is perhaps the most difficult yet generative puzzle that you will never fully solve. Yet working toward flow is particularly important because issues of race, class and gender are ever-present."(Garcia, O'Donell-Allen, 2015, pg 19). I think what the quote is saying here somewhat sums up your blog and question. That we will constantly have to work at this culturally proactive approach. It will not come easy, and will take much effort, but effort that is worthy, because these issues are always there. It is important that we are constantly working at this approach and face these tough questions and work through them no matter how difficult, because the students deserve it.
Allison, your response about getting to know your student more than their outside lives, but getting to also know their dreams and aspirations really touched my heart. I have found with my experiences as well while taking these classes, that all of them are connected, and in all of these books (THIS IS 100% THE TRUTH) I have the SAME thing written in all of them. The key to success in a classroom is getting to know your students. Its the key to having a great class management, its the key to knowing what your students cognitively want to learn, and it is the key to understanding where their comfort zone is. My question although is a question that is posed and the book and we have already discussed in class. "Though we recognize that each of our students has a distinct identity, our classroom demographics reflect national trends in that the majority of teachers are white, female, and middle class. (Garcia, O'Donnell-Allen, 2015, pg. 23) "How do we prepare our preservice teachers for the cultural mismatch."
DeleteI understand that we can get to know our students, but like Meranda, I guess I don't think that's enough. I am all those things. I am female, middleclass, and white, and I did grow up with so much more privilege then some of these children that we are teaching. So how do we allow students to know that we don't understand without them being upset? I guess I also pose the same question. I don't think just getting to know them is enough.
I would like to start off by saying your proactive joke was very funny!!!
ReplyDeleteI want to answer your questions "How can we address our privilege in the classroom? How do we let our students know that we understand that we DON'T understand?"
I think the first step is mentally addressing your privilege and understanding your positionality. You cannot address anything until you have a deep understanding of what you're addressing.On page 18 of "Pose, Wobble, Flow", it talks about developing an identity as a culturally proactive teacher and making your own culturally positionality is on there. It states, "articulating your own cultural positionality and reflecting on the ways it shapes your teaching and your student's learning" (Garcia&ODonnell-Allen, pg 18, 2015).
After you have understand your own positionality, I don't think there is anything wrong with saying "I have not been through what you're going through and it's hard for me to understand, can you help me understand and explain it to me?" There is nothing wrong with expressing to your students that you don't know something. This may make you vulnerable in the classroom, but it will help you and your students grow.
Hannah,
DeleteI like that you said understanding your positionally is the first step to address our privilege in the classroom. I truly believe that in order to know and understand your students, you have to know yourself first. Therefore, discovering ourselves first is a big thing for educators. It is known that teachers' positionality affects and shapes how one teaches. So since it has such an impact on the students, it is crucial to take it into consideration.
Hannah,
DeleteI love what you said about accepting that we will be confused, we wont understand, but we can ask. Teachers tend to act like the all knowing and never rely on students to really show them how they feel. In reality we won't understand. We won't be able to step into their shoes 100%, but we can ask. It takes one teacher talking to a student and really asking them how they feel, for a student to feel like their is someone on their side who wants to understand what is happening. Accepting our positionality and understanding it will help us when it comes to knowing what questions to ask a student who possesses a different positionality. It is also incredibly important for us to show students that we are not the "all-knowing". Having a vulnerable classroom can be a very good thing.
Hannah,
DeleteI agree with you that self reflection and acknowledging/understanding your positionality is a huge step in addressing privilege in the classroom. I really like how you said you would ask "I have not been through what you're going through and it's hard for me to understand, can you help me understand and explain it to me?" There is absolutely nothing wrong with this approach-- like you said, it is okay for the teacher to not know everything. Rather, it should be viewed as a team effort where the students and teachers work together to develop a deep understanding of one anothers experiences and how they have come to affect their lives inside and outside of the classroom. In my other response, I referred to this as transparency. Being upfront with students in letting them know that this will be a continuous, mutual learning process for everyone. I do believe that vulnerability leads to the best learning experiences where you realize that you can learn and benefit from others when you yourself don't have the answers. It may not always be the most comfortable and easy process, but it is certainly one that encourages authentic learning and understanding that will come to benefit all students.
Merannda,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the perspective your brought to this discussion about growing up biracial but still feeling some cultural disconnect to the African-American community due to a difference in class and the geographic setting you grew up in. I think this really relates back to the point of not stereotyping our students and others to occupy a certain lifestyle or face the same injustices that another may face. It reminds me of when we talked about intersectionality last semester with Professor Cosby and how none of us are ever "a single story" of one identity that we occupy. Also, cute joke about the Proactive picture! With that being said, when it comes to your question about what does being culturally proactive look like in the form of literacy in our classrooms, I think it relates back to our discussion in E340 a couple of weeks ago when we read about the different literary workshops teachers used to address societal inequities. I think that literacy is a powerful tool that we can use to broaden the scope of our students perspective or empower them to advocate for change surrounding different inequities that they face. I think critical literacy can take the form of studies, novels, documentaries, movies, videos (Ted Talks), media, social media, and so much more, but in our selection of what we use is what will make the greatest difference in the classroom. Relevancy to our students lives is important for developing lasting meaning and also analyzing different inequities that people may face around the world in order to develop our students sense of them as a global citizen and responder is a major factor when selecting critical texts for our classrooms. In Garcia it says, "This means using what you learn from students and their school communities to inform what you do" (p.19), but I would add an extension to that to say that it informs what we do and what we bring into the classroom. We cannot know or begin to understand what critical literacy looks like in our classrooms until we meet our students, understand them and their experiences, and become a member of the communities in which they live. Great post!
Merannda,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I want to say I really like the joke that you included! I appreciate the fact that you pose some important questions for us to ponder because it makes me think critically about things that I haven't really thought about. I really like the second question that you asked us, which is ‘How can we address our privilege in the classroom? How do we let our students know that we understand that we DON'T understand?” I think we talked a little bit about this before in class. The question that was asked was “what should we tell our students when we don’t know the answers to their questions? “Is it okay to tell them that I don’t know when I’m the teacher?”. This is a very important topic to think about because there are some people, including myself, who feel like they have to know everything and should be able to answer every questions that the students ask. However, this isn’t necessary. As a future educator, I realized that it is better to tell the students that I don’t know when I actually don’t know. It is acceptable to let them know that we’re human and that we don’t know everything.
Mang, I like that you are willing to tell your students that you don't know what its like, but also I think it is important to ask them to tell you. Or to maybe do some research for yourself. But I agree and appreciate that you are willing to say you don't know what it is like. I think you personally have a different position with being from Berma, because you don't have privilege. You aren't apart of the dominant culture and so I actually think it is interesting that you say "we". I would like to hear you talk more about that and how you feel like you being apart of such an underrepresented culture effects you as a teacher.
DeleteMang and Merannda,
Delete(Merannda I apologize, I spelled your name wrong above.) I actually liked a lot what Mang said. According to Garcia, O'Donnell-Allen, "In traditional educational models. 'not knowing' Is often seen as a sign of intellectual weakness or even unwillingness to accept received knowledge" (2015, pg. 40). I know that this is talking about knowledge on a cognitive level, but I think the point that Mang is posing is that you can be straight with your students. Tell them because I am white and because I am middle class and female, that I grew up with more privilege than you guys will. I know that that is a very sensitive thing, but prior to my post above, I now thing being honestly, and establishing that relationship of trust is important for your kids. And although this is a tough subject, its important for their cultural understandings outside of the classroom as well.
For both Ashley and Mang,
DeleteI think the both of you have similar and different points of views. I think that going in and saying "Hey I don't know" is a good way to start. Then saying right after, "So how about we learn together" can be used through out the room. One thing I loved doing is asking my niece questions about her day. I ask her what did she learn and ask her questions well what else about that. I kept asking until she said "I don't know, we stopped learning about it". That is when I asked if she would like to learn more. She said yes a lot and no sometimes. I get that we can not stop learning about something because another student says no. But, what we can do is add to the discussion, to let them know their input in the learning process is needed. One example I would say involves my buddy and I. He said he likes sports and I went to get a book on sports and I want to introduce him to it and then see what he liked and did not and then add something after. Then if something made him upset, I would say sorry and we would see where we can improve on the lesson.
Hannah, I love your response. I think it shows the genuine in you and that you are able to recognize your different but you like that and you are willing to learn more. I guess the only other side that I am having a hard time with is how do we teach them that the system is set up for them to have a hard time succeeding, how do you address that without making them hate the world? Is it even proper to address it at all?
ReplyDeleteKristen, I like all of your suggestions about being culturally relevant in literacy. I like that you said Ted Talks and media in general because I think a lot of the time we forget about that stuff as a form of literacy and we focus on books and poems. I also like how you talked about making it relevant to our students lives. I think we could even expand on that and go beyond our students lives in to cultures they don't know!
ReplyDeleteMerannda,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to first talk about the quote you brought up: "If you are staying silent, you are endorsing/reinforcing these conditions and perpetuating the cycle of violence in the lives of others who may not share your privilege"(Garcia, O'Donell, 2015, pg 20).
Over the last year I have realized that most of my years have been spent with me being silent. I thought if I just didn't do it then it would be fine. This last year I have spent a lot of time reflecting on things I should have done, things I should have said. I actually reflect on when I haven't stopped a conversation recently. My privilege has gotten in the way because I have a fear of how people around me with the same privilege will respond. It is hard enough for my to say something to my family, but family friends are a different story. I struggle a lot with knowing when and what to say because most of the people I am around are very one-minded. No matter how much I try to talk and explain things their argument is that people are just "offended easier now". This is one reason I feel so strongly about advocating for children, and helping students put their own privilege into check. I think the only way to really discuss privilege is to show students what it looks like. For example, With Dr. Kazembe he showed us the people in power throughout government and media. Most were rich white males. I also think it is important for us to have circle discussions about our lives. Talk about what is going on, so students can see how other respond to the world around them outside of school. I don't really think there is one specific way to handle the discussion, but it at least needs to be had.
Ms. Wagoner,
DeleteI really enjoy hearing about your family. I am not being sarcastic I TRULY respect you for being so open about your personal life with us. I know it is hard .. You brought up a good point, "having a circle discussion about our lives." This allows students to reflect on what is going on in their lives and observe what is going on around them as-well. It gives them a variety of different points of views. Which again relates to what you do, I personally do not experience the issues you go through but that does not mean they do not exists. So thank you for allowing me to see a different point of view, Ms. Wagoner. Different text can help facilitate discussions over social justice issues & can be the pin point for allowing students to reflect on themselves & their personal life's. R. Bomer & K. Bomer (2001) explain, "Matilda (Dahl 1988) can inspire fascinating conversations about the power adults have over children and how they can abuse it." Introducing this book & asking probing questions such as - Why do you feel adults treat children differently? Then just standing by and letting the students have a discussion about the text (which is very similar to what we do in class) allows students to discuss real life situations and hear others points of views.
- I would also like to use this space to tell Miss. Best a message - Your proactive joke was hilarious xD
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DeleteKyrsten,
DeleteI also found that quote extremely relevant and important to be touched on throughout the blog posts for this week, as well as class discussions. This quote aligns with the fact that silence is complicity. When you choose to stay "neutral" or "apolitical" regarding a situation, you are therefore making a choice and taking a stance. Many teachers have stated that "they don't feel it is there place to take a political stance". However, Antero Garcia and Cindy O'Donnell-Allen states, " But there's no such thing as an apolitical position in teaching. Choosing to not disrupt the status quo is itself a political choice (Garcia & O'Donnell-Allen, 2015, p. 30). It is important that we recognize that every choice we make, whether we feel it is "neutral" or "apolitical" in meaning, that choice sends implicit, or sometimes explicit, messaged to students that can help to maintain the dominant narrative and lead to less opportunities for students to practice using a critical lens.
Merannda,
ReplyDeleteI want to start off by saying that I found it insightful that you clarified your experience as someone who is biracial will not represent the entire experience of other biracial or African Americans. I think that it is crucial we don't over-generalize the experiences one person has to the next, and I am grateful for your voice in that.
Next, I want to say that in order to get to know our students and act proactively by implementing a culturally-sustaining pedagogy, we must position ourselves as learners, rather than experts on learning in the classroom. Antero Garcia and Cindy O'Donnell-Allen state, "This pose implies that we will not enter the classroom as all-knowing experts, but as learners with and from our students, their families, and their communities (Garcia & O'Donnell, 2015, p. 19). We cannot get to know our students and value their funds of knowledge if we don't see ourselves as learners and in need of valuable information and dialogue in the classroom as well. Teachers must position themselves in a way in which they are vulnerable, but are also the facilitators of learning as well to ensure there be structure.
Emma, great point!!!!
DeleteSomething I also mentioned in my reply was that we ourselves are on a continuous journey ourselves when it comes to educating ourselves about lives outside of our own. We talk in our classes a lot about how important it is to bring this into our classrooms, but it is just as important that we stay completely up to date with the issues and challenges that people face everyday. The truth is, that we may never fully understand what it is like (for example) for a person of color to live in the world that we live, but it is important that we always try our very best to do the research, talk with our students, get into their communities and find ways to be there for them so that they feel respected by us even if we may not look the same as all of our students. Thank you for your thoughtful response to Merannda's post.
Merannda,
ReplyDeleteYou have a way with words that perfectly gets your point across and I just wanted to throw that out there. On another note, this blog post is chocked full of some really challenging, reflective ideas that are really important to bring into conversation. I would agree that students need to be taught to be activists instead of "minding their business." The best way for us to teach this is to lead by example in the way that we teach our students. Social justice should be intertwined into everything we talk about with our students. Giving our students a critical eye for these things will change the world as they each go on to teach other people the same.
Your post and the reading also challenged me to be more active in the community outside of the classroom and even online! Posting on blogs, commenting, sharing articles and going to meetings are all great ways that we can be more active not just with our students but with ourselves. We are all on a continuous journey and doing these things are great ways to stretch our minds and continually get out of our comfort zones. Thank you for the thoughtful points that you brought to discussion. What are some ways that we can be social activists in our own communities outside of the classroom to people who may not have been exposed to the major issues social justice matters and ways to make a change?
I agree with your point about teachers should advocate for their students. We should put in the effort to advocate even if is creating posters about a cause or writing a blog about an important issue. In the past teachers "minded their own business" and never involve themselves to their student's lives. I don't want to generalize, there were teachers who didn't follow this trend and they stood out as teachers. Our position is to be role-models for our students. We can encourage them to care for people's issues and be a voice for them. This way our society will be more helpful and caring. Education that revolves around social justice issues is a great way for students to start to care for others. I liked your examples, as future educators, we will be active outside of school and I think it gives us a purpose. We can change lives for the better and teachers have the power to do that!
Delete"Teaching your students about the world and what they will one day see is necessary to avoid ignorance" (Best, 2019). I thought this was such a great point. Whether we go into an urban setting or a suburban one, there will be students of color, and hopefully schools will become less segregated over time. In suburban schools, it will be just as important to emphasize cultural relevance and encourage our students to express their differences as well as similarities.
ReplyDelete1. For us as teachers, it will be imperative to allow students to express themselves in positive ways. We should provide opportunities for students to show others what is important to them personally, whether that be their culture, heritage, religious affiliation, hobby, or other interests. Students should have an opportunity to share what makes them happy with other students in the class, and their teachers. Having class or small-group discussions about personal goals/likes/dislikes would be helpful for team-building in the classroom, and encourages students to pursue their interests. When they get the chance to describe what makes them happy, it will open the door to other more in-depth conversations.
2. For white teachers, and teachers who come from a place of privilege (economic, for example), it will be a delicate line to walk. We want our students to feel at-ease with us, and feel like they can talk to us about any issues they might be facing. However, we don't want to be insincere and pretend we 'understand' situations we never had to encounter personally, in our experiences. I think that opening up to students about our own privilege will be an important step; we should be ready to acknowledge that we aren't familiar with some of the challenges they might face.
"If you are staying silent, you are endorsing/reinforcing these conditions and perpetuating the cycle of violence in the lives of others who may not share your privilege" (Garcia, 2015, pg 20). This is especially true for those among us with white privilege because we do have more power to disrupt some of the systematic oppression that happens in front of us. We need to be ready to take social action, and be active members of the community we teach at, so students know that we care about their area.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog Merannda! Many of the concepts in this week's reading relates to a lot to what we have learned in our past and recent courses. As a future educator, I enjoyed that we are receiving more insight into how important culturally responsive or proactive teacher is for every student. The chapter does not sugar code that aiming to be a culturally responsive or proactive teacher will not be an easy job as this is an educator's unending mission. We will learn more and more everyday from our students' stories and experiences. It is a teacher's job to be aware to the aspects of each student's way of life. Like it said in on page 19, "Teasing out the nuances of the word proactive has clarified our thinking in this regard because it underscores that teaching requires: an awareness that we initiate this week rather than waiting for others to tell us it should be done." Also, the chapter mentions that "working toward flow is particularly important because issues of race,class,and gender are ever present (Garcia&O'Donnell-Allen,19)." Teacher who less culturally responsive than other teachers is fine as long as they are motivated to learn more about student's issues. As you said, ignorance is not the lack of knowledge, it is the lack of information, and I agree with this statement. I believe if teachers are willing to educate themselves and their students about the important issues in society are on the right road to being a culturally responsive teacher. About you're question, "What do we need to do to be prepared to teach such a high population of children of color? " I think we are more prepared as teachers if we approach the students as culturally responsive teachers. We should educate ourselves non-stop about the issues that is going on in our society. We should read stories that is happening in our neighboring urban communities. As future educators, we should be aware of the issues that regards to race,class, gender, and etc. that our students could relate. After we educate ourselves about the issues, it is our duty to create lessons that will relate to students' "interests, developing identities, and cultural expertise (Garcia&O'Donnell-Allen,18)." As for your last questions, "I really want to know what you all thing being culturally proactive looks like in a form of literacy?" and "How can we address our privilege in the classroom? How do we let our students know that we understand that we DON'T understand?" What we are doing in Dr. Taylor class by introducing books that explore social issues and diverse cultures into our lessons. Students who read about issues and cultures that they can relate will create a positive effect of the students. Teachers who expose students to books that relate these qualities, the student will feel understood and respected by his or her teacher. We can go further by allowing discussions about social issues, so students can share their perspectives to others. Also, we can assign our students projects, assignments, essays that will encourage them to learn more about many cultures, history of many cultures, and social issues that students face. We can watch movies or recommend movies that fit dis concept of culturally sustaining pedagogy. As for your second question, discussion about the different privileges each student has and obtaining a full understanding of the students who has less privilege is a crucial step. Teachers can educate all students about the White privileges in our society. It will give students a bigger perspective about it and allow them to understand the struggles of their peers.
ReplyDeleteI liked the joke at the beginning. It was a very creative way to catch the readers attention. I agree with what you said about regardless what classroom you are in cultural proactiveness is extremely important. If you can’t be proactive as a cultural being then you will struggle with connecting with your students. I think being culturally proactive with literacy is when you are conscious about your lesson planning and literacy selections. I also think when it comes to letting our students know we don’t understand that the best way to do so is to be very honest with them by saying “I don’t understand. Please explain/teach me.” That’s why it’s so crucial for kids to know that they are not the only ones that experience disequilibrium within the classroom and even outside of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteMerannda,
ReplyDeleteThis is for your second question to start off. I believe that a lot of issues are hard to handle. I don’t think you have to not have money to see to what they feel. All you must do is think to yourself “What would it feel like?” then multiply that by ten. Anything you feel should not have to be an example from your life. For me, I was high class then to below poverty line and to middle all within six or so years. After some time, I went to being back to below, since I take care of myself. So, I know what a dollar or even a quarter means to people. I count every minute of my life and I know what I want to do and where I want to go. My time is valuable to me, because I feel like I wasted a lot of it on stuff that was in school. I spent a lot of time crying and a lot of the time hating the place. That was not something I wanted in my life. Even young I knew what a minute was worth to me. I stayed up thinking to myself how life had changed for me so much to not waste a minute thinking about this later. I share this, because something will have a value to the students in our future classes. You must let them know that you have dealt with a lot and you are a resource for them to talk to. Also, letting them know you don’t know with questions; can you explain how you feel, can you draw my something you show me this emotion, or anything like that. Questions are the bridge to getting the information and helping them after I believe. Something I hear all the time at applies to teacher is this quote “It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it”.
To your first questions though. In the book it noted, “I believe that all students should be treated as individuals” (Garcia, O'Donell, 2015, Pg. 25). Now in the book it said it was bad, but I want to give it some reason for good. If we look at the color of someone skin or the religion or economic class when a student walks in, we failed them day one, I believe. Why you may ask for this. Well, let say I walk in and then a female for a baby-sitting job. Chances are the female might get it over the male. To the class though, oh they are below the poverty line and in my class, looks like I must give them extra help. Or they are high class and can afford the help they need. Side note I like to add, I watched a video a week ago and I remember seeing it as a child and I will add it with my blog post for a side note later. But I see a person who is young and here in my class. I see the other stuff as I get to know them. I once said in class one friend of mine, was new and as not getting the help they needed, because of some reason. I did not know at the time. But, going more into detail with that, he was black and rich and had gotten high grade in his last school. But he was failing reading in this class. He asked for help and the teacher said okay and forget sometimes to help him. To me now, it looked like he was not helped, because of these one or all these factors. I do not know and really, I don’t want to know. Because, I already have enough hate towards teachers and my past. All I can do is make up for it. I wanted to share that for to answer the first question. Because, it might be hard for some to go along with your teaching plan to being culturally proactive in the class. You must be the trend starter and start slowly with them. This allows them to get the feel for it and not have to feel like they have no choice. You can not toss a book that is so intense at them and think they will get it. But, a small book saying hey I am a boy and I like pink might start it.
Merannda , LOL I loved your little intro it made me smile. That being said great post! I found that reading your post really made me stop and think about how important it is to be involved in the communities our children live in , to make sure that we are being proactive in what we teach but also proactive in showing them we care about them and are willing to make every effort to get to know who they are. I love the video at that end , what a wonderful teacher! Everyday making sure those children feel special and ready to learn. This will all be a learning experience for each of us but I’m so glad that we are learning to become more involved then the experiences we had in school.
ReplyDeleteMerannda,
ReplyDeleteThough there were lots of thought provoking questions and ideas throughout your entire post, this quote that you decided to include really stuck out to me above the rest— "If you are staying silent, you are endorsing/reinforcing these conditions and perpetuating the cycle of violence in the lives of others who may not share your privilege"(Garcia, O'Donell, 2015, pg 20). It made me think about something that Professor Kazembe said. Something along the lines of how with all this information so easily accessible, much of it right at our fingertips/a click away, people really have to make a conscious decision to be ignorant to the discriminatory practices in our society that work against anyone outside of the white dominant privileged culture. In this case, even silence is saying something.
You also asked the question, how can we address our privilege in the classroom? How do we let our students know that we understand that we DON'T understand? There are many parts that must come together to really answer this question, but I think a huge first step is transparency. Simply being upfront and open with your students that social justice will be involved in our curriculum, that we as teachers don't know everything and it is a continuous learning process for us as well, and that although we may come from very different backgrounds, we can work together to understand one another and figure out how we can advocate for those who are marginalized. With that also comes the important step of constant self reflection on our personal assumptions, beliefs, and positionalities, as many of my peers have mentioned previously. We have to realize that although we will undoubtedly wobble, working to be a proactive teacher is necessary for the equity of all students.
Hunter,
DeleteI am impressed by the answer you gave to Meranndas second question and agree that we must be constant in reflecting our own personal assumptions, beliefs, and positionalities. We are ever changing, therefore our teaching is every changing as well. Our teaching program has been an experience of preparation and what to think about. Being wobbly as an educator is okay and we do not have to know everything and our students should know that. Being transparent is key in creating a healthy environment for our students but it allows for relationships to build, uncomfortable conversations that need to happen, and it involves so much room to grow. Not only for our students but for us as well.
Merannda,
ReplyDeleteGreat post this week. I appreciate how this topic is consistently being talked about in our education program because it is extremely for us as future educators to educate ourselves and recognize that our teaching styles and learning how to be proactive will always evolve. Being a Young Life leader and being a leader for my middle school and high school students at my church, both on the east side (Lawerence Central/ Lawerence Area) has taught me a lot of what it means to be proactive. I love being able to learn about their culture. My students range from 6th-12th grade, range from lower class to upper class, and culturally range in many different ways. With that being said, the range of music I listen to has changed, the stuff I read, the way I think, but the most important of all that has changed is the way I listen. Being proactive is actively listening to our students and not being so quick to but in. Being a leader to both of these groups of students has been rewarding in the aspect that I get to learn what it means to be proactive and being involved in their communities. And just like you I grew up biracial and understand that maybe my life has not been as culturally centered as many of the students I will come to know and teach but I do know I have ears and am willing to listen, to approach students in way where I get to learn about them and their culture, and as a future educator implement these practices into my teaching. Being a culturally proactive teacher.