Prior to Monday, please construct a post of your own for either 3a or 3b, then for the one you did not choose, please provide a comment on one of your colleague’s post. So, in other words, if you choose to post in 3a (7 Characteristics of Multicultural Education), then please respond to one of your colleagues in 3b (Learning from Students). Said one more way, your assignment is two posts—one original, one as a response to someone else.
In chapter 8, Nieto begins to explore student success by revisiting issues of culture. She helps us understand Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, by explaining, “Schools primarily reflect the knowledge and values of economically and culturally dominant groups in society, they validate and reinforce the cultural capital that students from such groups already bring from home” (pp. 311-312). In effect, for students not possessing the most ‘spendable’ cultural capital, “Students may perceive that what is not taught in schools is not worthy of learning” (p. 312). In order for the students to be proficient, then, they may have to give up (major facets of) who they are. Using Michelle Fine’s work, Nieto laments, “The price of success for students who remain in school may be silencing one’s voice” (p. 314). Also related to culture, Nieto warns us that culture should not be essentialized, nor is it destiny. That is, all students of a perceived cultural group do not learn the same way, act the same way, etc. They are each individuals. She cautions, “knowing about such cultural behaviors may lead teachers to have stereotyped expectations of all students of a particular background. . . .Being aware of cultural differences should not lead teachers to expect only certain behaviors” (p. 319). In the end, she suggests that we need to find ways to use students’ cultures to their and our advantage capitalizing on the real strengths inherent in all cultures: “Rather than attempting to erase culture and language, schools should do everything in their power to use, affirm, and sustain them as a foundation for students academic success” (pp. 321-322).
To the end of success, Nieto first outlines a few issues that go ‘beyond academics’, enlisting shields against peer pressure, development of critical thinking and leadership skills, belonging, and keeping on track. As well, she discusses the articulation of family, community, and school as a critical combination that can lead toward the success of a student: parental involvement, high expectations at school and at home, caring relationships between teacher and students, etc.
If posting here, talk about ways you, your colleagues and you, and/or your school have gone about trying to make your students successful. Have any of the ways been similar to what Nieto outlines above? How so? If you feel your school is lacking in this area, might your final project for this class provide a possibility to try this upcoming school year? What are some of your initial thoughts about this assignment that might capitalize on the strengths of your students?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
This chapter about Learing from Your Students really spoke to me. When I first started to teach, as I have stated previously, I thought everyone was going to be like me. Both parents together, strong family support, wanted to be educated or "smart", etc. I soon realized that wasn't the case. I began to really listen to my students and tried to learn "where they were coming from"-what shaped their thinking and how they defined what is meant by being successful.
My first students were LBD students in a resource history class. They all defined their success in different ways. Most of them were from poor backgrounds, with very little support from home in the way of education. However, they all wanted to work hard, and "be somebody". Having a good grade was important but not as important as working hard and being the best you can. All of them seemed to have a purpose in that they wanted to show others that they could be just as "good" as the other, typically developing students were. This goal united them in a cause which drove them to be successful-at least in my class.
As the years have gone by, I have had the opportunity to speak to several students of different cultures and backgrounds. Some were from Poland, Finland, Africa,and Germany and even some parents in the Bahamas while I was on my honeymoom. These students helped me to understand the differences in people's view of education and to really define success. Yes I know earning all A's was successful, but not all students will get that A and many do not define themselves by their culture or grades, but in values that are presented to them. Doing well in school to them meant working hard, becoming educated, not working for an A, not getting a job, being respectful, nice, and learning about others. These were all common threads I found. They all had strong support systems, could for the most part participate in thinking critically about issues and they opened my students eyes to how to be successful in that these students from differnt cultures taught some aspects of their culture to my students. Now it wouldn't be fair to say these student's didn't become "Americanized", but they identified with thier heritage as well as American customs and values-I believe that Neito called it being "cultural hybrids". Culture wasnt what they do but who they are (311). So my kids said being poor, being hispanic,etc shouldn't be a deterent in trying to be successful in school and out in the world.
We as teachers need to listen more and less preaching. My school has provided some ways in which to help our students be successful like making parent phone calls(at least one to a parent), study groups for students strugling in a particular subject, and trying to create a non-threatening environment so that all students can learn.
One of my collegues and I have tried different ways of testing such as doing a verbal test with individual students or in groups, provinding group performances over just standard written tests. We have even "switched" students to better accomodate those that prefer my teaching style or vice versa.
I think my school could do a lot more to help students of all backgrounds to be successful. First of all I think we as teachers need to be good models for our students and try to reason with them, for a lack of a better term, showing them that educating yourself doesn't have to be at the expense of who you are but could make you better in the long run. Hopefully, as to help my students become better students, I want to help create a mentorship program in which my high school kids can help struggling elementary students feel success and hopefully they too could feel that success. One way to learn material is to actually teach it. If this is done correctly, it would be a win, win situation.
Laday, I would like to take the part of your comment that states that we teachers need to be good models for our students and try to reason with them showing them that educating yourself doesn’t have to be at the expense of who you are, but could make you better in the long run. Before we can reason with students, we have to establish a rapport that will open the lines of communication so that the students will listen to us in a capacity beyond that of what we teach. I constantly try to instill in my students the understanding that I am human and I am prone to make mistakes. If I in any way offend them, unknowingly or otherwise, I open the door for them to “check me” as we call it. I tell them that as long as they are tactful, I will receive the information and make an honest effort to do better. I also show them that I sincerely want to know them while appreciating who they really are. This is my first step in being a role model. In building these relationships, I try my best to be a vehicle for them being successful. I try my earnest to make sure that I save as many as I can.
As far as education versus the expense of not being who you are, after years of the system proving to you that something is wrong with the way you are, even if the student trusts that one teacher for that one period of the day, it is not enough sometimes to undo the damage of so many years. You and I both know that there is a teacher waiting in the wings to undo all the good that we have done the moment he/she gets that child on their class roster.
Additionally, everyone wants to make it on their own terms and not feel like some of the things that are being shoved down their throats will make them better when they don’t feel like there was anything wrong with them to begin with. We teachers, as you stated previously, have to be constantly reminded that the world does not mirror our experiences. That is so hard. It doesn’t mean that we don’t try. It just means that we have to be a role model to not only students, but, to the teachers and administrators who would tear a child down that we are trying so hard to build up.
My school tries to make students successful but are not very successful in doing so. Any student who comes to us that is ELL goes into the Sylvan program. This is a reading program for those students who have difficulty in reading. They get pulled out for one hour twice a week. Which means that twice a week they are missing core content. Sylvan does not teach them reading in our content areas they place them on a reading program completely different than ours. This is the only help that they offer struggling students. If a teacher requests extra help from the special needs dept. she must wait in line, for there are only 2 special needs teachers for 700 students. I try to take matters into my own hands by having study groups within my own class. I have also found that when I differentiate my lessons my struggling students do better. I would do this by breaking my class up into learning levels. High level kids work together, Low level kids work together and middle level kids work together. They are each given a different task that will eventually get them all to the same conclusion. I agree with Nieto when she stated that students do not see learning as worthy. I too feel this way because if a student cannot relate to their education and have an understanding as to why they need to know this "stuff" they will not put effort into getting to know the material. But when we relate it to real life and make it seen as something that they will need for their future they will learn the material successfully. For my project I am trying to get parents inolved with volunteering to help these struggling students. I am still working out the details but we have an abundance of parents who love to volunteer and are given office jobs like copying or answering phones. I feel that if I can get these parents to come into the classrooms and offer one-on-one help for these students that they will be more successful. Our school has too many students to not have sufficient needsa available for them. If our school is willing to accept ELL students than they need to make sure that they have the resources to help them be successful learners. We are only doing them a disservice if we can't provide for them. Therefore I feel that my project will offer some form of help for these students. More than what is in place as of today. My adminstration has that mentality "that our ELL students are Asian therefore they are intelligent they will catch on."
:(
I’m responding to Laday and Cheryl’s post. I agree that we/society see good grades as a sign of success which creates pressure on students and their parents. Success from some students is bringing a pencil to school or walking down the hall without kicking someone. Some special education students that have been in a resource setting see themselves as stupid. We have smart kids and dump kids and if I don’t make A’s I must be dumb.
I also agree that school should be a non-threatening place for students/parents but with the authoritative nature that a school can become makes students/some parents afraid if they don’t have excused absent note, they don’t have their homework or can’t find a piece of paper they were supposed to bring back to school.
I do learn a lot from my parents…one thing I try to do is to meet/speak with them ASAP in the school year so I get a picture of their wants, wishes, and concerns for their child….even if I think they don’t care. No matter what our parenting skills we love our children.
Our school does have ESS, Title One, and one day a week program for ELL students to help them be successful in school. The time is spent looking at work completion not the work itself and if it is beneficial to the student and their success.
I had a very similar experience as Laday when I first started teaching. It did not take long for me to realize that I had lived a sheltered life. Indeed the first few years I taught, I learned alot more than the students! I think it is commendable how many of you take it upon yourself to create the opportunities for your students to succeed when the school does not provide the support needed. It always seemed to me that the last thing on the administrations mind was the students.
Cheryl's idea of letting the students "check her" is very courageous and shows her students that she is in this with them, not above them, waiting for them to make a mistake. Also her comment on being a role model to other teachers and administrators is awesome. When I hear other teachers and administrators putting students down or making negative comments about them, I wonder what they are doing in this profession! The comment about one bad teacher undoing all you have done can be disheartening. One of the most difficult things I faced as a teacher was to keep trying as hard as I could when it looked like I wasn't accomplishing anything. It wasn't until the students graduated and would see me again that they would tell me how much I had meant to them. You all are making a difference in some child's life. You never know who you are getting through too so we need to take our own advice and "do our best" and "never give up".
I see where Josephine is coming from with her frustrations toward her school’s lack of focus. Why are we in school if not to help students? But so often the bureaucracy gets in the way of this, and as teachers we need to do what we can amidst the red tape. Her planned project seems like a great way to bring parents into the school and hopefully educate the community on her school’s great need for multicultural education.
For my project, I hope to go outside the multicultural realm just a bit. For several years now, I have had the desire to start an extra-curricular exercise program at my school. The need is so great to educate and encourage young people today to live healthier lifestyles. There has been a recent trend in this type of education, but from the research out there, we are still headed in the wrong direction. I propose to involve a select group of willing faculty and staff, families, and the community to start an after-school “workout” time that meets every child on their current health level and moves them forward. We would keep track of our progress and as a culminating event in the spring, host a community 5-K run/walk/skateboard, etc. The focus would not be to lose so many pounds or for every child to look the same way. We would embrace our differences and learn what’s healthy for each person along the way.
There are so many aspects that go into providing a well-rounded education for children, and I believe that this program will address one concept often overlooked. As Nieto says, “In nearly all the case studies and snapshots of students who were successful in school, significant involvement in activities beyond academics emerged as a key component (p.322).” I want to make every one of my students successful, and exercise is a key piece to the puzzle.
I agree with Josephine that if we do not provide the students with the services we need how can we say that the student is at fault. I think that the schools should make sure that they have enough of the services for the students before they take on the task of educating them. I to feel like it is all on the teachers' shoulders to make sure the students are getting that extra help even though there is supposed to be a service that provides the students with help. While we do have those services and can recommend the services the students need more than just a half hour to an hour every other day. They need that extra help on a daily basis if we expect them to succed and be on the same level as everyone else.
I totally agree with Cheryl on the importance of building relationships. The students that I work with have often been so discouraged by their struggles in the classroom that they hesitate to work for me. I spend the first several months of school and retouch often afterward that I am their to help them. I think that it is important that they trust me enough to tell me when their are struggling both in and out of my room. I make sure that they know I am their to help them no matter what. I work very hard at making sure they are successful in the classroom. By being a good role model and building their success I see that they are more willing to go the extra mile when I do challenge them.
Post a Comment