Alright, let me preface my first Paideia 2 blog with this disclaimer: the intent behind my writing this post is not to sound like a white, ignorant, "whiner" from suburbia, but to raise discussion regarding race, cultural diversity, and their implications for us as future educators (and human beings for that matter). Here it goes....
Two words: "Color" and "Culture." It seems that most people use these words synonymously. "If someone is a different 'color' than me, they're obviously from a different 'culture' too," some might say, and vice versa. I can't help thinking that this opinion is not only untrue, but perpetuates further racial discrimination, stereotypes, and cultural misunderstanding.
Consider the first two sentences of Delpit's book, Other People's Children: "The essays in this section were written for a variety of purposes. Taken together, they reflect my beliefs about educating children of color, particularly African-American children, in what for them are often alienating environments."
How can "color" and "culture" be the same? How can the color of a woman's skin determine the culture she grew up in? While two African-American men might be "of the same color," are they necessarily from the same culture? It is so surprising to me that an intelligent, African American scholar such as Lisa Delpit would use these two terms synonymously throughout her entire book about "cultural conflict in the classroom."
Here's another example: In her chapter, "Hello Grandfather - Lessons from Alaska" Delpit depicts her learning experiences (especially regarding communication) from the culture of several Native Alaskan villages. At the end of the chapter she writes, "Unfortunately, most Native Alaskan children do not have Native Alaskan teachers, just as most children of color do not have teachers from their own culture" (104). Again, the analogy that color = culture.
A couple of sentences later, she tells a story about a boy who asks his teacher, "When are we going to die?" The teacher responds saying that no one knows when they will die. The boy responds, "Well, if we don't know when we are going to die, why do we have to go to school? Why can't we just be happy?" Delpit responds to this story: "Touched by those comments, I have carried around the question of that child for many years. Why do we have such a hard time making school such a happy place for poor children and children of color?" (104)
I don't mean to sound defensive or insensitive in saying this, but there are plenty of unhappy, white children in schools too! Perhaps Delpit is partially correct about school being an unhappy place for poor children - I would think that in general, poor children have a harder time in school. I think poverty, itself, could actually be considered a "culture," or at least part of one's culture. But attributing unhappiness in school to race alone? Does she really mean that one's color affects one's ability to flourish in school?
Delpit discusses in length the differences between two cultures, for example, cultures whose actions/facial expressions mirror their words (and who, consequently, who pay more attention to these non-verbal gestures) and cultures whose actions/facial expressions do not match their words. While Native Alaskan culture may tend to embody the first cultural example, this does not mean that all people who have "Native Alaskan" DNA (or look Native Alaskan) will have grown up with these cultural trends.
It seems ignorant, to me, to assume than any one person with a specific color of skin will be a part of any one culture on the sole basis that their skin is a particular color. I believe that the majority of the United States population (especially those who have pursued education beyond high school) values diversity and seeks to embrace different cultures (in theory, at least). Luther College certainly does. But in my opinion, "racial diversity" doesn't necessarily mean "cultural diversity" and I think this is where most of the United States gets stuck making assumptions about people's cultures based on their race, and consequently furthers discrimination (perhaps unknowingly.)
Why don't we spend more time learning about and reaching out to other cultures rather than other colors? Pre-schoolers learn colors; let's learn cultures!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Efficacy
Naturally, educators are in a position of power, authority, and leadership: they are role models (whether they want to be or not!) "Actions speak louder than words," quite literally in the sense that students will learn not learn from a teacher's "words" if his/her actions are not congruent. Although no teacher is perfect, in order for effective learning to occur, the teacher needs to be able to exemplify a certain level of "togetherness." Consciously and subconsciously, students expect teachers to be confident, knowledgeable, and stable.
Ultimately, in order for teachers to be good role models, they need to know themselves well. As human beings, we need to know ourselves in order to get past ourselves and focus on others, and being a teacher is a very others-centered job (one would hope!) Teachers need to know themselves: strengths, weaknesses, interests, biases, experiences, and then be able to recognize that of their own students and teach accordingly. Good teachers know themselves and are constantly seeking understanding outside of themselves in order to reach their students most effectively.
Ultimately, in order for teachers to be good role models, they need to know themselves well. As human beings, we need to know ourselves in order to get past ourselves and focus on others, and being a teacher is a very others-centered job (one would hope!) Teachers need to know themselves: strengths, weaknesses, interests, biases, experiences, and then be able to recognize that of their own students and teach accordingly. Good teachers know themselves and are constantly seeking understanding outside of themselves in order to reach their students most effectively.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Inventiveness
Encouraging inventiveness and imagination: give kids choices!!!
Freedom within certain boundaries is the key to encouraging inventiveness and creativity. Because people have different learning styles, likes/dislikes, and personalities, their creative energy is going to manifest itself in different ways and forms. One way to encourage creativity in students is by giving them choices: allowing students to pursue topics that are especially interesting to them. In my own experience as a student, I can testify that it is pretty well impossible to complete a project/assignment creatively if I am not interested in or in some way connected to the material.
Some may target modern culture such as evolving technology as the creativity-depleting element of today's learning and teaching. In my opinion, this is not the main issue. As long as teachers are providing students with many new and different opportunities to learn and choose their learning, cultural advancements (such as technology) will only serve as helpful reinforcements. Sure, if a teacher puts on a video for 45 minutes of every class period (as my economics teacher did in high school), "technology" is probably going to inhibit the students' creativity because for 45 minutes every day, they will be functioning at a low level of cognitive thinking (probably knowledge, maybe comprehension, if the teacher is lucky). Similarly, lecturing for an entire class period is most likely going to have the same affect on students.
While there are many factors that can influence the way students do or do not exhibit creativity in a classroom setting, I think the factor that ultimately determines this choice. Creativity is part of who we are as human beings; we've been "creating things" since our existence. The real question becomes: what conditions are best suitable for one to exercise creativity? As teachers, it is our duty to provide as many outlets for students' creativity as we can.
Freedom within certain boundaries is the key to encouraging inventiveness and creativity. Because people have different learning styles, likes/dislikes, and personalities, their creative energy is going to manifest itself in different ways and forms. One way to encourage creativity in students is by giving them choices: allowing students to pursue topics that are especially interesting to them. In my own experience as a student, I can testify that it is pretty well impossible to complete a project/assignment creatively if I am not interested in or in some way connected to the material.
Some may target modern culture such as evolving technology as the creativity-depleting element of today's learning and teaching. In my opinion, this is not the main issue. As long as teachers are providing students with many new and different opportunities to learn and choose their learning, cultural advancements (such as technology) will only serve as helpful reinforcements. Sure, if a teacher puts on a video for 45 minutes of every class period (as my economics teacher did in high school), "technology" is probably going to inhibit the students' creativity because for 45 minutes every day, they will be functioning at a low level of cognitive thinking (probably knowledge, maybe comprehension, if the teacher is lucky). Similarly, lecturing for an entire class period is most likely going to have the same affect on students.
While there are many factors that can influence the way students do or do not exhibit creativity in a classroom setting, I think the factor that ultimately determines this choice. Creativity is part of who we are as human beings; we've been "creating things" since our existence. The real question becomes: what conditions are best suitable for one to exercise creativity? As teachers, it is our duty to provide as many outlets for students' creativity as we can.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
"Reflectiveness"
Living the American Dream doesn't leave much time for "reflectiveness." In a society that values competition, productivity, and busy-ness as much as the United States, it can be hard to find time to reflect. Teachers experience this pressure heavily, as they rarely clock in 8-hour days. A professor once told me that to be a teacher, "you're already committing to donating half of your salary: you get paid less than half as much as you deserve, and you put in more hours than you get paid for." Being a great teacher requires a huge time commitment from the teacher. Being a student is also a huge time commitment as well. Most students (grades 1-12) are in school for 7 hours, and when they get home, they still have several hours worth of homework to do (not so much for the younger ones). Personally, as a college student and music ed. major, I have learned that I need to be working on homework/assignments almost every minute of my day that I don't spend in class in order to get to bed by 10:00 each night (this is quite a challenge!) Teachers and students live in a world where there is ALWAYS something to do - something to get ahead on, something to fix/re-do, something to plan. This is a reality of each position.
However, I believe that it is very important for both teachers and students to plan consistent times of reflectiveness into each day. I believe that it is the DUTY of both teachers and students to do this for several reasons:
1.) We need it! Our minds need time to rest, process, and organize. Learning comes out of reflectiveness. If we never stop, we never reflect, and we never learn or analyze. We just keep on living like robots (or animals, for that matter).
2.) Life isn't going to get any less busy - if we wait for this to happen, we will never experience reflectiveness.
For me, I am most reflective when I am alone, and my surroundings are quiet. When I minimize outside distractions as much as is in my power, I have the greatest chance of being able to think and reflect clearly. Although I am far from being a morning person (I'd like to be one!), I set aside 6:45-7:30 every morning for myself before class to sit, eat my breakfast/drink some tea, and read my Bible/journal. My roommate is still asleep and all is quiet. I depend on/look forward to this time every morning even though I am usually kind of sleepy. As teachers, students, and plain old human beings, we NEED to take some time to reflect each day or the time that we DO spend trying to accomplish things will be in vain.
However, I believe that it is very important for both teachers and students to plan consistent times of reflectiveness into each day. I believe that it is the DUTY of both teachers and students to do this for several reasons:
1.) We need it! Our minds need time to rest, process, and organize. Learning comes out of reflectiveness. If we never stop, we never reflect, and we never learn or analyze. We just keep on living like robots (or animals, for that matter).
2.) Life isn't going to get any less busy - if we wait for this to happen, we will never experience reflectiveness.
For me, I am most reflective when I am alone, and my surroundings are quiet. When I minimize outside distractions as much as is in my power, I have the greatest chance of being able to think and reflect clearly. Although I am far from being a morning person (I'd like to be one!), I set aside 6:45-7:30 every morning for myself before class to sit, eat my breakfast/drink some tea, and read my Bible/journal. My roommate is still asleep and all is quiet. I depend on/look forward to this time every morning even though I am usually kind of sleepy. As teachers, students, and plain old human beings, we NEED to take some time to reflect each day or the time that we DO spend trying to accomplish things will be in vain.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Authenticity
Authenticity is a critical disposition for every teacher. Students know when a teacher is "putting on a show" or acting in-authentic and it's annoying! The teacher sets of the tone of the classroom everyday. If a teacher is passionate/energized about the subject he/she is teaching, there is a much greater chance that the students will learn with enthusiasm as well. If a teacher is grumpy every day and doesn't care about teaching, students will most likely copy this attitude as well (an economics teacher at my HS told all of his classes that he did not like kids, so they'd better not goof off). Teachers like this should NOT be teaching.
Overall, I think that consistency in disposition should be aimed for by teachers. The little things in life that tend annoy us and get under our skin like a mosquito bite should probably be ignored. We as teachers cannot be an emotional train wrecks for our students when little things go wrong. Many times, I think it is the students' joy that is contagious to the teacher, and this is a good thing.
Once in a while though, teachers, as humans, will have either a really great day, or a really crappy day. It happens. On the occasion of that really crappy day, I believe that it is wrong for a teacher to do either of the following: 1.) Act "happy" to make up for crabbiness. Students don't buy this and it's just annoying. I'd rather have a grumpy teacher. 2.) take out their anger/grumpiness on the students. This is never fair to the students and will probably end up putting most of them in a bad mood also (grumpiness can be contagious too!) In this case, I think that it is the teacher's responsibility to let the students know he/she is having bad day, as awkward as it may seem. In life, it's much easier to judge someone to be "mean," or "crabby," when we don't know anything about the person or what he/she has been through. I used to get annoyed with grumpy sales cashiers, and upon my commenting afterward, my mom would often respond, "Maybe she's having a bad day," or "Maybe he's not always like this." This would always force me to step back and realize that I too had bad days, and I too had exhibited my fair share of grumpiness. In this same way, I think students are much more receptive to teachers who are honest with them. Again, a teacher shouldn't "pour his/her heart out" to the class, but rather let the students know he/she is having a hard day. I think this also prevents the teacher from spontaneously blowing up at his/her students for little things, as can often happen to humans when we hold everything inside.
To summarize: teachers should be both real and consistent with their students. They cannot let daily mood swings get the best of them, however, teachers should not hesitate to let their students know if they are having a very bad day. Students want their teachers to be excited, passionate, or energetic about learning, but even more, I think students want a teacher who honest.
Overall, I think that consistency in disposition should be aimed for by teachers. The little things in life that tend annoy us and get under our skin like a mosquito bite should probably be ignored. We as teachers cannot be an emotional train wrecks for our students when little things go wrong. Many times, I think it is the students' joy that is contagious to the teacher, and this is a good thing.
Once in a while though, teachers, as humans, will have either a really great day, or a really crappy day. It happens. On the occasion of that really crappy day, I believe that it is wrong for a teacher to do either of the following: 1.) Act "happy" to make up for crabbiness. Students don't buy this and it's just annoying. I'd rather have a grumpy teacher. 2.) take out their anger/grumpiness on the students. This is never fair to the students and will probably end up putting most of them in a bad mood also (grumpiness can be contagious too!) In this case, I think that it is the teacher's responsibility to let the students know he/she is having bad day, as awkward as it may seem. In life, it's much easier to judge someone to be "mean," or "crabby," when we don't know anything about the person or what he/she has been through. I used to get annoyed with grumpy sales cashiers, and upon my commenting afterward, my mom would often respond, "Maybe she's having a bad day," or "Maybe he's not always like this." This would always force me to step back and realize that I too had bad days, and I too had exhibited my fair share of grumpiness. In this same way, I think students are much more receptive to teachers who are honest with them. Again, a teacher shouldn't "pour his/her heart out" to the class, but rather let the students know he/she is having a hard day. I think this also prevents the teacher from spontaneously blowing up at his/her students for little things, as can often happen to humans when we hold everything inside.
To summarize: teachers should be both real and consistent with their students. They cannot let daily mood swings get the best of them, however, teachers should not hesitate to let their students know if they are having a very bad day. Students want their teachers to be excited, passionate, or energetic about learning, but even more, I think students want a teacher who honest.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Compassion/Grace: We all need it!
Compassion is the feeling; grace is the act. We all need it. Being a college student (and living life, really) is a big juggling act as far as spending my time goes. For me, it's family, health/sleep, going to classes, doing homework, playing in ensembles, practicing instruments, working, spending time with people I care about, and after it's all done (or maybe not), spending some time to read a book, knitting, going on a bike ride, or just having some time to myself. We all have a lot on our plates and we all have to prioritize how we will spend our time. I fail on a daily basis to accomplish all that I expect myself to accomplish and am in constant need of grace. This is not to say that I shouldn't constantly be trying to improve on my time management (ex. work on being on time to a particular class), this is only to say that I, as a human being, am going to fail.
Dr. Pillsbury is an example of an educator who has shown me a tremendous amount of grace (Diverse and Exceptional Learner). There were at least two or three times when I completely forgot that an assignment was due (once it was part of a take home test!) and froze when I got to class, realizing these items had not made it into my planner. It wasn't that I had intentionally not done the assignments, but rather that I simply forgot. I explained this to Dr. Pillsbury, who allowed me to turn these items in at a later time, emphasizing the importance of my learning the material, rather than having it done at a specific time. Having said this, I still realize the importance of having an assignment done on time, as I would expect my own students to do. However, knowing what it feels like to be shown NO grace (and I certainly have experienced this with other professors), I appreciate this about Dr. Pillsbury even more. The act of grace on her part motivated me to make a larger effort to get assignments in on time, show up to class on time (or even early), and I gained an even greater appreciation for her as a professor, and for her class, itself.
Dr. Pillsbury is an example of an educator who has shown me a tremendous amount of grace (Diverse and Exceptional Learner). There were at least two or three times when I completely forgot that an assignment was due (once it was part of a take home test!) and froze when I got to class, realizing these items had not made it into my planner. It wasn't that I had intentionally not done the assignments, but rather that I simply forgot. I explained this to Dr. Pillsbury, who allowed me to turn these items in at a later time, emphasizing the importance of my learning the material, rather than having it done at a specific time. Having said this, I still realize the importance of having an assignment done on time, as I would expect my own students to do. However, knowing what it feels like to be shown NO grace (and I certainly have experienced this with other professors), I appreciate this about Dr. Pillsbury even more. The act of grace on her part motivated me to make a larger effort to get assignments in on time, show up to class on time (or even early), and I gained an even greater appreciation for her as a professor, and for her class, itself.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Blog #1: Respect
Respect: First of all I think it is important to define the difference between "having respect" (for someone or something), and "showing respect" (particularly to people). "Having respect" for someone or something constitutes reverence or admiration, and for a specific reason. For example, I have a huge amount of respect for the runners of a marathon because I believe it is an incredible feat to use the human body in that way. On the other hand, I cannot, in my mind/heart, respect an opinion that women, as a gender, are weaker than men. This definition of "having respect" for someone or something is purely internal and involves a person's own morals and values. "Showing respect," however, is one's outward behavior that is independent from one's own opinions (having or not having respect for something). This form of respect is unconditional and should be exhibited toward all human beings. Although I may not respect a person's opinion that women are inferior to men, its is my duty as a human being to treat that person kindly, as I would someone that I have respect for. Easier said than done! I feel that it is important to recognize the difference between having and showing respect because it protects one's right to hold opinions and values, but maintains the expectation that outward projections of kindness and goodwill (as cheesy as that sounds) that would be shown to all people.
In this way, respect within a classroom is a very important topic. All throughout school I have listened to lessons on respect; what it is, what it looks like, what does it mean. It goes without saying that teachers should show respect to their students and vice versa. However, I think it is equally important that students respect each other. Students need to know that it is okay for them to disagree with their classmates, but that it is NOT okay to act unkindly to a classmate. Depending on the age of the students, this type of lesson might be more or less appropriate.
Throughout all of the schooling I have had, it seems that students respecting teachers has been the least of all respect issues. Most of the time, kids are used to respecting their teachers (especially if their parents have instilled principles of respect at home). It's something you learn as a kid: if a person is older than you, you need to show them respect. I think some of the biggest problems come from teachers not respecting students. The issue of teachers not respecting students usually looks different than when students don't respect each other. Teachers don't usually call their students "buttheads" or "stupid," teachers show disrespect in other ways. In my opinion, assigning unrealistic amounts of homework to students is disrespectful, as is taking off lots of points for small errors on assignments/tests. Also, failure to communicate with students in a mature way (usually in person) is disrespectful. I had an educator email me once about several flaws he/she saw in my character on the basis of a complete misunderstanding. The criticism itself was disrepectful (especially considering it was mistaken) and the form in which it was communicated (via email) was disrespectful as well. (That is not to say email is a disrespectful form of communication, but that important matters and problems should be discussed in person, or at least by phone, in my opinion).
As in chapter one, the teacher sets the presedence. If a teacher is respectful to his/her students, the chances that students will respect their teacher and each other is much greater.
In this way, respect within a classroom is a very important topic. All throughout school I have listened to lessons on respect; what it is, what it looks like, what does it mean. It goes without saying that teachers should show respect to their students and vice versa. However, I think it is equally important that students respect each other. Students need to know that it is okay for them to disagree with their classmates, but that it is NOT okay to act unkindly to a classmate. Depending on the age of the students, this type of lesson might be more or less appropriate.
Throughout all of the schooling I have had, it seems that students respecting teachers has been the least of all respect issues. Most of the time, kids are used to respecting their teachers (especially if their parents have instilled principles of respect at home). It's something you learn as a kid: if a person is older than you, you need to show them respect. I think some of the biggest problems come from teachers not respecting students. The issue of teachers not respecting students usually looks different than when students don't respect each other. Teachers don't usually call their students "buttheads" or "stupid," teachers show disrespect in other ways. In my opinion, assigning unrealistic amounts of homework to students is disrespectful, as is taking off lots of points for small errors on assignments/tests. Also, failure to communicate with students in a mature way (usually in person) is disrespectful. I had an educator email me once about several flaws he/she saw in my character on the basis of a complete misunderstanding. The criticism itself was disrepectful (especially considering it was mistaken) and the form in which it was communicated (via email) was disrespectful as well. (That is not to say email is a disrespectful form of communication, but that important matters and problems should be discussed in person, or at least by phone, in my opinion).
As in chapter one, the teacher sets the presedence. If a teacher is respectful to his/her students, the chances that students will respect their teacher and each other is much greater.
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