Teaching to Change the World – chapter 10 – The Community

Ever since I began my teaching career I have heard various teachers say that our school does not have enough parent involvement.  I’ve heard teachers say that if only parents were more involved the students would do better.  Parent involvement is to blame for the good, bad, and the ugly in all of our students, according to many educators.  Although I hate to admit it, I am guilty of making some of those same presumptuous statements.  I think I did it simply because I was ignorant and I listened to everyone else around me.  Here’s the truth, there are ALL levels of parent involvement, and it is not fair for me to judge or label anyone. 

This chapter reaffirmed for me that I have to step outside of my comfort zone and reach out to my students’ parents.  As I was reading, I began thinking about the Critical Child Project.  I chose a Hispanic student for this project and I did experience some difficulties communicating with his parent.  But it was great!  I took a risk and challenged myself and it paid off big time!  I formed a bond with this family that I believe can only be strengthened from here on out.  I just wish I had been making the effort to do this sort of thing all along.

I feel that I have fairly good relationships with all of my students’ families, but if I’m being honest with you all, and honest with myself, I know that I’m holding back a little bit.  Not having children of my own makes me unsure of what to do sometimes.  Although I know a lot about children, I’ve never raised any of my own and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes by coming off like I’m the expert.  But I do genuinely care about each and every one of my students, and I always have their best interest in mind.  There was a line that I read in this chapter on page 386 that gave me hope.  It says, “But most teachers, even those whose life experiences are very different from the communities where they teach, can acquire the understanding they need to see parents as allies and to advocate for their inclusion.”  I know that it is my job to do whatever I can to show parents that I’m on their side. I need to do my best to reach out to them, not sit around and wait for them to reach out to me.

Teaching to Change the World – Chapter 9 – The School Culture

While teaching 4th grade at my previous school in Clayton County I always felt like I was on the outside looking in.  I honestly can’t tell you what the school culture was like, because I didn’t even feel like I was a part of it.  At my current school, although our culture isn’t all that it can be, I can now say that I’m beginning to feel as though I’m a part of what’s going on.  However, we’ve got a long way to go.  There are quite a few teachers that are VERY unhappy about the current state of affairs.  There’s a certain level of tension that seems to permeate the building.  But I’m NOT going to give up hope.  We’ve got to stop moaning and complaining about the things that have already happended and stop perpetuating this negative outlook on things that just won’t go away.  I truly believe that we have the potential to develop a strong sense of school culture.  We’ve got many capable and hardworking teachers who, if given the opportunity, can make a positive difference in our school.  I plan to consistently remind myself of the 4 key principles of a positive school culture mentioned at the beginning of this chapter: 1) A press for learning and social justice, 2) Broad and deep access to learning, 3) Caring relationships, and 4) Teacher inquiry and activism.  Wouldn’t it be great if every teacher, every day, did just one thing in order achieve these principles?  It’s small, but it’s a start, and we’ve got to start somewhere.

Gorski Presentation

I find myself torn when I think back to the Paul Gorski presentation from last Thursday.  I went in with an open mind and a strong desire to connect with his message, but I left feeling empty and feeling a bit slighted.  Please don’t mistake my feelings as a passiveness or lack of concern in regards to the issues of poverty and uneqitable education within our schools.  I’m deeply concerned with these issues and motivated to do whatever I can do dismantle “deficit theory.”  I truly feel that the theory is real and it is a major problem in our schools.  However, I didn’t feel like I really got a true sense of Paul Gorski.  Instead, what I got was a 3rd row seat in a Ruby Payne bash session.  I really wanted to buy into what he was saying, but I’m still straddling the fence.  I need to feel like he does what he does for the right reasons.  I don’t feel that way just yet.

Savage Unrealities

Before reading this article I had very little information about the “real” Ruby Payne. I was introduced to her theories at the Teacher Induction Program I attended when I began teaching in Henry County.  Honestly, I did not pay close attention to the presentation, and now I’m glad that I didn’t.  I don’t know if I would have looked as critically at her theories as I do now.  Payne’s gross generalizations about the economically disadvantaged are infuriating, to say the least.  The fact that so many school systems hire her to present workshops for their teachers is scary.  Do we really have that many people working in positions of authority in school systems that support deficit theories or are they just not doing their homework? Whatever it is, it has to stop.  We are doing our students living in poverty such a disservice by buying into Payne’s theory of ignorance.  And what about their parents?  How in the world can we develop meaningful relationships with parents if we act superior to them and their way of life?  That’s not fair, nor is it right.

After reading this article and reflecting on the Critical Child Project I have thought a lot more than usual about providing equitable experiences for all of my students.  However, equitable experiences does not mean perpetuating the notion that everyone must adopt the same set of values and behaviors.  That’s just not logical.           

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Teaching the whole child and all that he or she brings to the table of learning was one of the biggest focus points that I gained from the readings this past week.  The six dimensions of Culturally Responsive Teaching addressed in the Gay article talk about just that.  We as teachers tend to get so wrapped up in covering standards and following timelines that we sometimes lose sight of the most important aspect of teaching – the children.  Gay gives us the information to critically evaluate our teaching practices and helps us to make sure that we are doing what we need to do in order to provide the most equitable educational experiences we can for our students.

1.  Validating – Making sure that the students’ cultures & backgrounds are not only acknowledged & represented in the classroom, but also seen as a tool to enhance the learning takes place.

2.  Comprehensive – All aspects of a child’s learning are addressed.  Although we as teachers have a curriculum to cover, we also have to think about the emotional, social, & physical well-being of our students.  These domains of child development can be taken into consideration & addressed when teachers work to develop a sense of community within the classroom.  When a community is developed, students feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings.  This actually leads us back to a sense of validation to be experienced by each & every child.

3.  Multidimensional – All aspects of teaching should be culturally responsive.  We can’t stop with just one area.  We have to let cultural responsiveness permeate the entire realm of teaching – content, planning, teaching, learning, community, & assessment.

4.  Empowerment – Every student should feel that he or she has a voice & that it is important.  It is our job as educators to help our students truly believe that they have the capabilities they need to be successful learners.  We are helping to create the future members of our democratic society & by helping them to believe in themselves now they will be able to carry those same beliefs with them into adulthood.

5.  Transformative – This is the scariest part of culturally responsive teaching to me.  Change is never easy, but it simply is necessary.  I try to think about the things I would want to be doing if I were a 3rd grade student in my classroom.  I wouldn’t want to do the same boring things over & over, & neither do my students.  We have to be open to changing with the times, & in order for the cultures of all of our students to be fully represented & respected change has to occur.

6. Emancipatory – This piece of culturally responsive teaching is what I aspire to the most.  I want my students to gain the knowledge that they need in order to feel liberated & empowered.  Emancipating students will allow them use & develop critical thinking skills & gain a better understanding of what they have learned.

I don’t think that being a culturally responsive teacher is any easy task by any means.  And striving to be a culturally responsive teacher is a continuous process.  It’s hard work.  However, it is a goal that is absolutely worth working towards, no matter what obstacles you might face.