No Brothers.....

I chose to do my posting on the "No Brothers" chapter.

I'm going to be completely honest about something here, which may get me some flack in the long run. I am tired of hearing about white privilege. I really am. It is NOT my fault that I was born to white parents. The same as it is not a childs fault if they are born to black parents. But I am getting really tired of hearing teachers write about white privilege. "At least Duke can still get a cab at night............" (pg 486)

White privilege isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Trust me, I know. I was THE ONLY white girl to graduate from my senior class in highschool. I was the FIRST white girl brought home to a Hispanic family. My children are THE ONLY part white children in that family. (The others are fully hispanic, or half Hispanic, half Black) Almost all of the articles dealing with race mention white privilege. So please, spare me the race talk.

(sorry, its been a really long weekend)

Social Justice

I found this article to be very helpful as we are working on our problem based learning assignments.

I suppose that I never really thought about teaching social justice from the math perspective, but as I read the article, I realized that we can use the math approach for our project. We are doing "lead paint", I was a bit worried how we could incorporate multi-disciplines for our project, but I now realize that it may be easier than I had previously thought to incorporate different subject matters.

I have heard (in a currins 100 course) that problem based learning and problem solving skills are emphasized in suburban districts rather than urban school districts. However, most of the classes that we read about are urban based districts that choose to incorporate problem based learning (social justice, service learning, etc). It seems that children in urban districts, or students whom are in trouble really benefit from such teaching.
Perhaps it is because the students are put in control of their own education. Perhaps it's doing something positive to change the world. Perhaps it's the sense of accomplishment when the project is finished. Whichever it is, it seems like a positive way to connect students to the world around them, and make an impact on their own lives, as well as those around them.

readings

The stereotypses that the students face in the classroon often do not begin in the classroom. These are issues that students deal with, and bring to school with them, like extra baggage.

It is hard to help students break out of these stereotypes within the classroom, if the second they leave the school, they will be bombarded with them once again. I think we can try to have a fair and equitable classroom, where everyone feels welcomed, however I don't know if we are capable of removing stereotypes that out students deal with.

Some students will immerese themselves within a stereotype because it gives them a sense of belonging. Even this causes problems. Asians- the model minority- are expected to achieve well in school, which could make people of another race react in a negative way if they fulfill the stereotype. Asians that struggle in school may not know how to get help, since they are expected to naturally be smart and excel in school.

African Americans can be looked down upon or accused of acting white if they excel in school. All this does is show how little progress we as a society have really made. Education is the best way to improve one's lot in life. What kind of message are we sending our children if we tell them that succeeding in school is selling out?

Naughty By Nature.....

I was a bit shocked and disheartened by what I read in this weeks readings. I suppose I have taken for granted the "white privilege". I had not really ever paid attention to the disparities in the classroom. I was very surprised by one of the examples listed early on, that a black student was written up for given the teacher a look that said "you bitch". I can see the kid being in trouble if they actually said it, but for a look?!?! come on now.

I was a bit surprised that the article didn't go more into the disproportionate number of black students that receive suspensions or expulsions as a way to deal with behavior problems. In Milwaukee, this is a huge problem. In other districts as well. Usually it is a small percentage of students who receive a majority of the suspensions / expulsions, and the majority of those students are black.

I also found the discussion about black males used to intimidate children to behave interesting. It got me thinking about my own placement. The school has three security guards. Two of them are black. All are male. All are pretty large. There is a very visible lack of minority males in other positions in the school.

Identity

I suppose that when I read what the topic for these readings was, I expected something a bit different. I'm not exactly sure what though. I thought that chapter 16 was outdated and didn't apply much to the formation of identity, at least my version of identity formation. The article about the black women was a weak argument until the very end. I thought there was a lot of fluff, and the author didn't really make any kind of argument until the end. I thought that the article about the difference in schools in the Chicago area was very interesting, and that it highlights the need for an overall educational reform. I understand that the students in Mountain view are afforded more benefits because of the area they live. Schools are funded through property tax. Perhaps this article is a prime example for a change that is needed to make the educational system more equitable.

project post

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I'm stuck. Maybe just going in the wrong direction. Our topic is "What resources are available to help troubled youth, build self esteem, etc" not exactly, but that's the gist of it.

I wanted to focus on "alternatives" but I don't know if I'm doing this project right or not. I'm finding a lot of information & statistics for Milwaukee schools, but I don't know if I'm doing a good enough job tying it in to our topic.

I think alternative schools / programs are great to help students who are considered at risk succeed. But I don't know how to spin it so it's a resource for the teacher. I know that placing students in the alternative programs reduces behavior problems in the class room. I know that teaching in the alternative schools is beneficial for the teacher because of smaller class sizes, and the benefits of helping at risk kids. But is this enough for the assignment?

Plus I really have no clue where my group members are at with their projects. I'm frustrated, over worked, and over tired. Maybe it'll make more sense after some sleep

Middle schools

I'm not surprised there is so much attention given to the middle schools. Paraphrasing page 164-165, middle school students deal with body growth, hygiene, become sexually aware, develop social skills for the opposite sex, changes in belonging to a peer group, become more independent from their parents, try to discover their own identity, have issues fitting in, become critical of adults, and begin thinking about adults. These are extremely important years in a persons life.

Students in this age group need the guidance and support of their parents and school staff to become aware and informed on the proper way to act and present themselves. I Imagine that this isn't made any easier by the negative stereotype that teenagers receive in the media (as we learned in last weeks readings).

I did find it interesting to note that the "recommendations for transforming middle school learners" should be our goal, as teachers for ALL students. I also find it interesting to note that the goals based on the Carnegie Corporation are very similar to the goals of the Social Studies programs.

To sum it up, I guess what I am saying is that it seems that when these children need us most, they are often overlooked and ignored

not choking yet

okay, I bit off a bit more than I can chew. I'm not quite choking yet, but I think I bit my cheek a time or two.

This semester is already wiping me out. From credit overload, to student teaching, to unforgiving professors. My son is sick, and my daughter tells me she misses me. My fiance is feeling very neglected, and has no issues about throwing it in my face that I'm never home. Most days I have to double check what day of the week it is to make sure I'm on track, and running off to the right place.

I know everyone else has problems. I'm not sure if anyone else even reads this, but I guess I just need to vent a bit. Just gotta keep in the mindset that I'm putting myself through all of this insanity for a reason. And possibly a job.

Let Kids Be Kids

What struck me most about these two articles is that we, as a society, are not allowing our children to be children. In the "Bashing Youth" article, we learned that the youth, mostly teenagers, are blamed for the majority of society's ills. However, it is adults harming children. It is a shame that the most sensational of cases are used to judge all youth. The small percentage of youth that do commit crimes, act promiscuously, etc. often are dealing with very adult situations, such as poverty and violence. In "Nymphet Fantasies" we learned that children are subjected to adult roles and stereotypes, not given the chance to be children. Both articles highlight how the nation is failing our youth.
I think it surprised me how little attention the media plays to the abuse committed against children, but how much their wrong doings are exploited for the sake of selling papers. I was also a bit surprised to find out that children spend longer time in jail for their crimes than adults do for committing the same crime. I think that surprised me because it has been said that the best place to learn how to be a criminal is in jail/prison. You would think that it would be more beneficial to the society as a whole to try to find other ways to deal with crimes by children than incarceration. Coming down hard on a child for a crime might not be the best avenue, because chances are they will continue to commit crimes once they've been incarcerated. It seems that it would benefit the society as a whole to target adults who are living in poverty or extreme situations.
I'm going to go away from the readings a bit here, because I find it ironic that one of the topics for the readings was the beauty pageants and the "adult"role that children (girls especially) are being forced into / bombarded with. Earlier today, I was having a conversation with my grandmother about clothes for little girls, and how inappropriate some are. I don't care which store you go into, there are clothes for little girls, that are inappropriate for their age group. I'm not talking teenagers, either. There are clothes meant for five and six year olds that I would be embarrassed to wear in my own size. They have thong underwear for grade school girls. Mini skirts and tube tops. Shoes with heels for every day wear. Make up. I don't know. I might be a bit conservative, but I don't think little girls should be wearing these things. Dress up is one thing. Leaving the house looking like a teenager or an adult is completely different. I believe that it is important for little girls to have the opportunity to play dress up and pretend. But we shouldn't encourage them to look like adults. When they dress like adults, we expect them to act like adults, essentially robbing them of their childhood. I am also one of those conservative mothers who does not allow my daughter to play with "Bratz" dolls. Excuse my language here, but I thing the dolls look like whores (sorry) and I don't want my daughter to think it is acceptable for a LADY to dress that way. Now that I've said my piece on clothing and dolls, I guess that shows that beauty pageants aren't the only problem for our children. With fashion and toys and media, they are constantly being bombarded with products to make them look older.
Sorry if this post is a bit disjointed, I'm a bit overextended and exhausted right now :)

Puberty Procees - Reading 2

I found several items in chapter 2 to be quite interesting. I think what I found to be the most interesting is how the process of puberty is viewed differently in other cultures. I suppose I knew this already, but it really got me thinking.

In America, puberty and the changes associated is often viewed as a negative time in a person's life. In other cultures, it is celebrated and signifies the passage into adulthood. At one time, people at the puberty stage were considered adults, and married off here in the United States. As the book mentioned, this changed due to longer life spans, changing laws regarding education, etc. I am a bit curious to figure out exactly when the shift from an important event to something that is almost taboo to discuss actually occurred.

I suppose I was relatively lucky to have a mother whom was very open with discussion about puberty, changes, sex life etc. I was well informed, so I did not see it as a major event, or anything to get upset about. I was very surprised by the apparent lack of discussion that the book cites between parents and children regarding puberty.

I do not understand why parents would rather have a school inform their children about the physical and psychological changes that occur during puberty, than talk to their own children. I suppose this might stem from being brought up in a very "open" house. I think some parents might think that talking about puberty or sex with their children gives children a license to behave in a sexual manner. However, I also believe that these same parents who would rather leave the sex education up to the school are the same ones having a fit when the schools offer students free condoms.

Okay, I'm starting to get away from the reading a bit here.......
I found the reading, although a bit dry, to be very interesting and informative. One thing I did notice though..... there was no mention of the "voice change" in males. Being female, I would have liked to know if there are any possible negative psychological effects, i.e. embarrassment / low self esteem associated with that for males, like there is for a first bra of first period for females.

"Toward a Theory of Anti-Oppressive Education"

After reading this article, I was very disheartened. It seems almost an impossible task to make ALL students feel included ALL of the time.

Kumashiro mentions incorporating the voice of the "other" into your daily lessons, or units. This is a goal of mine when I do become a teacher. But there lies a risk in this as well. I can understand why different experiences need to be discussed when teaching a topic. I am looking forward to sharing with my students the fact that there are people / groups who did not and do not agree with the "majority" on different items or agendas. But who is to say that in 15 years there will be a cry from the "forgotten majority" to reintroduce their story into our lessons. As a history major, I know that everything (basically) has been recorded from a white male perspective. I was thrilled when I was finally introduced to first hand accounts of women and minorities who took part in historical dramas, when I had only learned the white male perspective in the past.

I am also a bit concerned with Kumashiro's citing the others use of violence and drugs in response to being an "other" (pg 27). I think this creates a negative image for a group of children whom are already struggling with issues of self-identity. The noticeable others are not the only children dealing with these issues. There are many of the visible majority that deal with these same issues. Perhaps they do not see themselves as part of the majority, but there is a chance that their experience / actions can be ignored because they don't fit into the category of other. They aren't expected to act out in this way.

~ Which in itself leads to another problem. There is this push for support of students in an obvious minority ( racially, sexually, etc.) but what about the students that don't fall into the category of "other" but are still struggling? Kumashiro does touch on the fact that some students might be dealing with more than one kind of otherness, so they might not feel comfortable in a support group catering to sexual preference or racial identity. I don't recall reading anything about helping students that don't fall into the category of other, so there is no support group available.

I mean, come on. We're going to teach middle school and high school children. It doesn't matter what your race or sexual preference is, or how popular you were, these are rough times for almost all children. It's when they first get to try on the hat of being adult. I know 50 year olds that aren't comfortable with being an adult yet.

Okay, so this is getting a bit winded. I'm not saying that we shouldn't try to include people that fall into the "other" category. But I don't think that we should ignore and potentially harm "normal" students in the process.

burnt out already

Only the second week of school, and I'm already exhausted.

Perhaps its the anticipation for student teaching and graduation that keeps me going. Maybe its getting some time away from the kids. I don't know. All I know is that I've been running on "E" and that's not a good way to start the Semester.

I am, as crazy as it sounds, going to look into picking up another class. :)

new to this whole thing.

okay, so this is a requirement for a class. Set up a blog, get used to using it, because this is what kids are doing now. As an aspiring teacher, I guess I should be up to date on what kids are doing now.

I don't know, the whole idea is starting to be a bit terrifying. ~Not getting to know how kids are communicating, but the whole aspect of teaching kids. And not so much teaching kids, but teaching other people's kids. yikes. These adorable children are mine (see pic) . If I screw something up with them, I'm still the greatest thing in the world. Other people's kids might not agree...........

Oh well. Basically, my life at this point revolves around my children and trying to get a teaching degree. Which in itself, still kind of amazes me. There's still days that I wake up wondering how I went from little miss raver, party girl to mommy and soon to be teacher. Funny how life can change.