Troublemakers

 "Troublemakers" by Shalaby

    The reading "Troublemakers" by Shalaby reminded me a lot of my service-learning experience I'm currently doing for this course. I am working in a kindergarten classroom that has some very severe behavioral students that can really disrupt the class. There are about twenty students in the class and there are 5-6 students that cause a lot of trouble throughout the day. Each of the students causes "trouble" in their own way. 

    One student will constantly interrupt lessons because he is either being "bothered" by another student in the class or by something the teacher is doing. This causes him to call out and yell in the middle of activities or lessons. One student has autism, so he is often being rewarded for small wins such as sitting in his chair when he is asked because he is frequently moving around the room. Another is extremely defiant towards almost any class activity. All of these students can be causing trouble at the same time, and there are only so many teachers in the room that can help at the same time while also trying to continue the lesson for the rest of the students. Each of these students requires a different type of care and attention throughout the day. I am normally in their classroom from 9:00am to 12:00pm every Thursday. I typically walk in while they are in the middle of their morning meeting on the rug. This is when they go around in a circle and do their morning introductions with each other. It is very rare that these introductions go without any interruptions from one of the "troublemakers". 

    My supervisor for my service-learning has been teaching kindergarten for 27 years now, so I would consider her very experienced in this field. She says to me that this is by far her hardest class she has had to deal with in her career. I would say that her classroom environment is very warm, inviting, engaging and fun for her students. The other "non-troublemakers" in her class seem to really enjoy all of the lessons and they behave very well. The reading states, "The child who deviates, who refuses to behave like everybody else, may be telling us- loudly, visibly, and memorably- that the arrangements of our schools are harmful to human beings. Something toxic is in the air, and these children refuse to inhale it. It is dangerous to exclude these children, to silence their warnings". This makes me wonder what exactly it is that these "troublemaker" students in my service-learning class are not happy with because I believe that it is a wonderful class to be a part of. I wonder if maybe the students were giving choice time in the morning when they come into school before their morning meeting begins if this would help them behave better. 

    Currently, the students will complete a worksheet when they come into school before morning meeting begins. I have been in other kindergarten rooms where they do have 15 minutes of choice time before the day begins, which could help them with the transition from home to school. Maybe if they started the day with doing something they want to do, it will lead to a better rest of the day for them. They could be misbehaving first thing in the morning because they are being forced to start doing work right away. Kindergarteners are still very young, and I believe that having some freedom in the mornings could help them be more compliant throughout the day and cause less interruptions or outbursts. This was a really interesting read since I was directly able to relate it to my service-learning experience so far. I found a wonderful article discussing the importance of free choice in elementary school and the benefits it can have on students. I definitely recommend giving it a look!

Literacy With an Attitude

 "Literacy with an Attitude" by Patrick J. Finn

The reading "Literacy with an Attitude" by Patrick J. Finn was a very interesting read. I really enjoyed chapter two specifically which was about how Anyon studied five different elementary schools ranging from poor neighborhoods to rich neighborhoods. The teachers and students varied drastically between the five schools. It was really eye opening to read about the differences between all give of these schools and how much the teachers' teaching style and class structure can impact students. 

    The first two schools were labeled as the "working class" schools. The students came from families in blue-collar jobs or unemployed. All schools used the same math curriculum books, but the working-class schools skipped a lot of the pages the teachers thought were "too hard" or had "too much mathematical reason". They did not think their students would be able to handle this advanced of math. The work in the classrooms was mostly following procedures correctly rather than being right or wrong. In history, the teachers used a "low ability student" history book because again, they did not think their students were capable enough. These history textbooks were intended for special education classes and the students scored high. The teachers in these schools were very strict with students and often held them for extra time after school to finish their uncomplete work. Even though the teachers were giving their students lower-level work, they were testing with an average IQ score of 100. The author said the dominant theme in these schools was resistance. The students would vandalize the school, cause disruptions in class, and were not enthusiastic about their lessons. They were a bit less resistant to "easy work" than to more challenging work. These students reflected workers in factories, sales floors and offices. It is clear to me that the teachers in these working-class schools did not believe in their students succeeding and were not challenging them to be the best they could be. 

    In the middle-class school, knowledge was more conceptual than the lower-class. Teachers were having students work towards the right answers rather than the structure or routine. Teachers explained to their students why answers were correct to help them better understand. The students were not using much creativity in the classroom as their teachers' focus was more on getting the right answers in the right way. In history lessons, controversial questions were avoided. The teachers in this school varied from strict to easygoing. There was very little excitement in the schoolwork because assignments did not take students' interests into account. The teachers would tell their students that their rewards were good grades that lead to going to a good college and getting a good job in the future. The theme for this school was possibility. They talked more about their goals for the future than in the low-class schools. The students had a lot more anxiety about tests and grades because they were trained to think they need good grades in order to succeed in life. They were more excited about holidays than the low-class schools because it meant they would not have to come to school. They were developing a relationship with the economy, authority and work for white collar jobs, which were not creative qualities. 

    In the high-class school, or "affluent professional school" as they call it in the reading, the teacher came from upper-class backgrounds and were mostly women. The main goals for all students in this school were creativity and personal development. The teachers wanted their students to think for themselves and make sense of their own experiences through discovery. Something that the teachers always said to their students was "what makes sense to you?" which encouraged students to think for themselves and use their creative sides. In social studies lessons, they learned about higher concepts than the middle and lower-class schools. They did a lot more creative projects such as sculptures, plays, stories and murals. They would actually allow their students to pick which project they wanted to do. The teachers believed in flexible seating which allowed them to feel more comfortable in the classroom. The theme for the affluent professional school was individualism/humanitarianism. The students had concern for one another and the school even ended morning announcements each day by saying "do something nice for someone today" which I loved. 

    The last school that Anyon studied was known as the "executive elite school". The students learned more complex topics that were more analytical. The teachers even had their students plan their own lessons and teach their classmates about the topics. Teachers often said to their students, "it's up to you", giving them some freedom to think for themselves. The teachers were all very polite and had a lot of hope for their students' futures. The overall theme of the executive elite school was excellence and being the best. The students had a lot of self-discipline and were taught to be the "masters of the universe". 

Reflection: In my opinion, the affluent professional school seemed like the school I would want to work for. I believe that all students should have access to this level of education no matter their social class because it is the most effective way to teacher students. They deserve to use their creative side in all subjects because that is the best way they will learn. Being able to choose what kinds of projects they do allows them creative freedom. They will be more engaged to the lesson when they can choose what they want to do. This ties back to asset-based learning and having lessons relate back to students' interests. Which school resonated most with you and why? I found this great article discussing the important of creativity in school that I recommend reading. 

    

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy & What to Look for in a Classroom

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

    After viewing the "What to Look for in a Classroom" chart made by Alfie Kohn, I have a new perspective for what I want my future classroom to look like when I become a teacher. This is something I look forward to most when I think about becoming a teacher because I want to create an inviting and positive environment for my students to be in every day. Something that stuck out to me was the "On the Walls" section that listed some helpful tips. Showcasing students' work on the walls is so important because it shows them that you as a teacher value their hard work and want to show it off. They also mention having signs that were created by the students rather than the teacher. An example of this would be to create a classroom expectation list and have each student sign the bottom to show that it was a collaboration with everyone. Additionally, something I'd like to implement in my classroom at the beginning of the year is have every student create a positive saying picture to display all over the classroom. Something like "keep on going" or "be kind" are great reminders for the students to reflect on each day. During my time as a substitute teacher, I have seen some great classrooms and some not so great classrooms. I think this really effects the way students behave in the classroom because they are going to have a negative behavior if that classroom does not make them happy. Bright colors, positive quotes, some natural light can really add to a classroom. This chart gave me some great ideas to utilize in my future classroom, and I am so excited for that day! A happy and positive classroom makes students more motivated to want to learn. 

    I found this great classroom tour of a first-year teacher's 2nd grade classroom. This video gave me a lot of great ideas for my future classroom and made me so excited! I hope to incorporate some featured from this video in my classroom someday. 

    

    The video "Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy" discussed the importance of including students' individual cultures within the classroom. I connected this video a lot with asset-based learning because they talked about making connections to lessons to the cultures in the classroom so that students can understand topics better. It is so important to include all of the cultures in the classroom because you do not want students to feel left out of lessons. This way, students can relate more to what they are learning about, and they will be more interested to learn more. This will also help with student motivation because they will be more motivated to work on things that they can relate to. As a future teacher, I want to ensure that I am including each and every one of my students' cultures in lessons because they will be able to make connections and relate more to the topics. This will boost confidence and motivation in my future students which will allow for a better overall classroom environment. Going back to the classroom topic from above, I would love to be able to incorporate students' cultures in the decor of my classroom to make everyone feel seen and welcome. 

Reflection for the class: What's one thing you definitely want to incorporate in your future classroom?

 

Other People's Children

 "Other People's Children, The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People's Children" by: Lisa Delpit

    After reading "The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Education Other People's Children" by Lisa Delpit, I am once again left thinking about how I can be a better educator to my future students. In today's world, there are going to be students from all different cultures and backgrounds coming into the classroom. Even though I am a white woman, I will need keep all of my students' cultures in mind when setting classroom expectations and guardrails. Although I cannot truly compare my own experiences, it does make me think about my time so far as a substitute teacher. Going into different districts and schools, I have come to learn just how different each school and district runs from one another. It can be hard to adjust to all of the different school policies and routines since I am jumping around so much. I often times feel out of place as a substitute teacher because the other teachers in the schools have a much stronger bond with each other and obviously know how the school operates day to day. Even the students will call me out for doing something out of the norm or routine for them because they do not realize that I am not aware of exactly how things operate. 

    When I connect my own substitute experience to the article, it truly opens my eyes to how minority students must feel in their schools and classrooms. School can already be such a stressful environment for students, and if they are a minority in the school, it will only make it worse. Coming into a classroom with majority white students is going to be so overwhelming for a minority. They are going to feel out of place just by the color of their skin and different "language" that is used. These students are then automatically starting at a disadvantage because they are not aligned with the school expectations. This relates a lot to the topic of an asset-based model in the classroom. When teachers shift their lessons to include all students' strengths and interests, they will have a much easier time understanding the topic and continuing to be motivated. This can also be used when setting classroom rules and expectations at the beginning of the school year. Teachers should truly get to know each of their students in their class to ensure everyone is accounted for when making these expectations. It is not fair to set a rule for a class unless everyone is in agreement and fully understands what it means. If a student is from a minority culture, they may not be aware of a certain expectation in the classroom. Even something as simple as raising your hand in class may not be a norm for a student from a different culture. A specific example of this from the reading states, "Black children expect an authority figure to act with authority. When the teacher instead acts as a 'chum', the message sent is that the adult has no authority, and the children act accordingly. One reason that is so, is that black people often view issues of power and authority differently than people from mainstream middle-class backgrounds" (p.35). This quote is saying that black children are more likely to misbehave or act out if their teacher is not as strict as they are used to. 

    It is so important for every student in the classroom to feel valued and respected by their teacher. Teachers can do this by including each student's cultural background when creating classroom expectations at the beginning of the year. Even if some of the expectations are not "normal" for a minority student, as long as they are made aware of why this expectation exists, they will be more likely to follow along. In order to have a successful classroom, teacher must make every student feel heard. A way to do this is creating "classroom expectations" at the beginning of the year that each student can add to. Coming up with agreed expectations as a class allows everyone to feel included and respected by their teacher and fellow classmates. This class expectations can go a long way if each student complies and agrees. I hope to use a technique like this is my future classroom to make each of my students feel valued in my class. I want to create a welcoming and positive environment for all of my students no matter what their cultural background is. I will ensure that I get to know each student and can rework expectations that will work for everyone. I would never want to make one of my students feel uncomfortable or unseen in my classroom because everyone plays an important role. 

Reflection:

How as future educators can we properly balance the dominant power structure and also value the students' own cultural identities in the classroom? I found this article explaining simple ways to make every student feel values in the classroom and it has some very great techniques!