Class 14 Readings

1.       She had been listening to students like Mireya and Fortino now for many years. The anger in Fortino’s voice was now in hers. ( Kozol ch.9, pg. 215)

AS a teacher it is important to listen to your students, whether it is about academics or how they feel about their school. In this case the teacher has been listening to her students express such anger towards their schooling, she has heard enough. If you hear students express such hate year after year after year, it will take a toll on you as the teacher, and it is your job to try and do something about the situation. As a future educator it is tough hearing that teachers have to listen to so much disappointment from their students about the school system they are in. The teacher is bound to have that anger transfer over to themselves when teaching or talking about the education. A teacher should not have anger in their voice when speaking about their job or the school they work in because you are supposed to love the education you are involved in as a teacher. But to see a bad education right in front of your eyes that love can quickly turn to hate.

2.       “I don’t mean that we did not have problems, but they tended to be few and far between and, for the most part, they were not ‘race problems’ but ‘kid problems’….”  (Kozol ch. 9, pg. 220)

When talking about the integrated programs that were put in order back in the 1980s, there seemed to be a positive attitude and from reading Kozol the programs were very successful. This is a quote from a principal who was involved with the programs, and he is very optimistic about the programs and seems to think the United States needs to expand the programs across the country. I have to say I find his quote very interesting because he said a lot of the problems weren’t racism, but just kid problems. Just kids being kids, not getting caught up in the white vs. black and which race runs the school, but just acting like adolescence and raising “kid” trouble. After reading this chapter, I ask myself why haven’t the east coast states put these programs into effect?

3.       “Then there is this wonderful discovery that people make: Children whom they thought to be so different from their own kids aren’t so different after all….” (Kozol ch. 9, pg. 223)

Staying on the subject of the integrated programs, obviously the programs do not just put fears and stereotypes to rest, but they realize race does not matter; kids are kids, no matter the color. It is amazing to think that many of the kids who were in the school with so many different races forgot after the first two weeks of school. I bet you many of the white kids thought “it was just another day at school” because they are not the ones that have a problem with the integrated programs. The people who have the problems are the adults, the parent to be exact. I think these parents experienced a rude awakening when they realized their kids were not being affected in a negative way, but actually in a positive way. And to go along with this quote, I think the parents broadened their horizons and actually opened their eyes to the fact that different race does not mean different people. The parents are the people setting the examples for their children and being so close minded is only a negative. But after seeing their kids interact with other races and maintaining academic achievement, they came to the conclusion that kids are kids, and being a different race does not mean “trouble.”

4.       The typical black student in Kentucky now attends a school in which two thirds of the enrollment is Caucasian. (Kozol ch. 9, pg. 228)

I believe what happening in Kentucky is a great thing because it is integrating students of all races into the public school systems. This has huge advantages for both the white students and the black students because they are both experiencing diversity they have never experienced before and they are learning about harsh reality of racism at a young age. The situations in Kentucky are building blocks to the problem of public school segregation in the United States. This sets a positive example and acts as a trend setter for this detrimental problem among public education. Hopefully from the success in Kentucky the United States will start these programs across the entire country because it is important for these children to have an equal and great education. I strongly believe that if something works in one place and can definitely work in another place, therefore the US needs to take initiative and begin the desegregation process.

5.       As things stand today, the children in the schools we have examined in this book are not protected by their nation. (Kozol ch.10, pg. 262)

When you think of the United States what comes to you mind? I know freedom and power are the first two words that come to mine. But to think of how much power we have (some may say we are the most powerful country), we have lost total control of our public school systems in urban areas. We care more about what is going on outside of our country than the education and the children from our country. This is one hell of a quote coming from Jonathan Kozol because it throws our nation under the bus. I am not saying he is wrong because I agree with everything he has to say, but he makes the people aware of a huge problem in the United States. What he is saying is true, these children are not safe in public education because there obvious problems, but the government are ignoring them or going about them the wrong way. Education is the most important factor of how a child becomes an adult and how a student becomes a learner; therefore our youth needs to feel safe in our education system. This means ALL children should have the same education, education needs to display fairness.

6.       “We do not have the things you have,” the third grade child named Alliyah told me when she wrote to ask if I would come and visit at her school in South Bronx. “Can you help us?” America owes that little girl and millions like her a more honorable answer than they have received. (Kozol ch. 10, pg. 263)

People sometimes think children do not know right from wrong, and yes that may be the case, sometimes, but a third grade child knows the difference between good and bad education. This amazes me because it proves that our education problem is clearly evident, but something so evident is still being ignored by our government. Seems to me that this little girls is pretty smart, but she obviously is not getting the same education as a suburb, magnet, or charter school. Why is that? This is a question that our government cannot answer and continuously avoid when it comes up. If the integrated programs our working in St. Louis or Kentucky, why hasn’t New York attempted the programs? There stubbornness and lack of complete answers towards the people is only hurting the children in the education. You know what really boggles my mind? That our government can spend millions and millions of money to fight a war that is not ours, but cannot help our own children by coming up with ideas to fix our public education and provide every student with equal opportunities.

Class 13 Readings

1.       The second most important tiebreaker was a racial factor intended to maintain racial diversity. ( Parent Involved in Community Schools vs. Seattle School District No.1 2007)

When reading about this court case in Seattle it seemed that there idea of racial diversity was a good idea for their school district, but the way the school went about it was the wrong way. A tiebreaker that dealt with their predetermined diversity percentages seems pretty ridiculous to me and that is not the way they should be handling school enrollment. It is good that Seattle school districts are making sure their schools are more diverse, but putting the tiebreaker in place does not seem to be fair. This idea can be good and bad for the school district; it could be bad because the percentages may never be reached, therefore allowing more whites into school because of the lower percentage. This could be good because it allows for students to experience more diversity in the school setting, therefore putting the segregation talks to rest. I like how the school district is thinking about the idea of racial diversity in their schools, but the tiebreaker is not fair. To be honest I don’t know what would be the fair way to handle this type of situation.

2.       No distinction was made between various categories of non-whites; Asian-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and African-Americans were all treated solely as "non-white" for purposes of the tiebreaker.  ( Parent Involved in Community Schools vs. Seattle School District No.1 2007)

This fact of the story seemed to catch my attention when reading because the wording of it reminds me how racism is still going on in our society, but our education.  Every school should break up each race into their own categories for percentages, not whites and non-whites. This makes the white race sound like the dominant race, which is not the case, and educational boards should not be displaying this type of message. It makes the races that are not white sound second fiddle, but all these students are Americans and that is what should matter, not skin color. What if the roles were switched and the categories were “blacks” and “other races?” How would society be reacting to this categorization? If the education board categorizes races like this, the board is only making things worse for themselves, and honestly I believe there shouldn’t be any categorization when it comes to school because it sends the message of looking at students for their background and not their achievements.

3.        Our argument is that there is lots of diversity in our schools without using the racial tiebreaker and that, you know, diversity means more than skin color and that, you know, the school district was really looking at having a ratio of white versus nonwhite kids. And the way they used the tiebreaker was clearly a form of discrimination. (Interview with Kathleen Brose on NPR)

I never really looked at diversity being more than just race. People talk about diversity being just about race and racism, people misunderstand the fact that diversity goes much deeper than just skin color, but when it comes to education the only real diversity problem is skin color, and this is why so many schools are segregated. I don’t think the parents understood that the school district was trying to make a change for the good. I believe what the district was doing could have been a good change for Seattle schools, but they should have never involved a tiebreaker that dealt with race percentages. This whole thing blows my mind and I find it interesting that it was a group of white parents starting the fight. Discrimination has been going on for many years, but it has only been one sided, against the non whites. Parents of children of color have been fighting for their child’s lives for years now, but very few positives will come out of it. Yes, it was discrimination, but do these parents know it was for the good?

4.       And for her, that was a good experience because it was a 15-minute public bus ride from our home. She did get involved in a lot of after-school activities. (Interview with Kathleen Brose on NPR)

I believe Ms. Brose is contradicting herself when saying this in the interview. The main reason her daughter applied to Ballard was because it was the closest public school to her house, and yes, she said the main reason she filed a lawsuit was because of the discrimination factor, but mentioning the fact Ballard was her daughter’s number one choice because of distance makes this whole situation seem interesting. After the case was over her daughter ended up going to a brand new school that was just created and Ms. Brose’s first comment on why it was a good experience for her was the 15 minute public bus ride to the school. So her daughter ended up going to a school farther away and a new school just created, I do not understand why she even brought the tiebreaker to the attention of the Court. Was she really filing a lawsuit for the right reasons? In my opinion I don’t think she was. I believe she was pissed at the school district that “non whites” held a higher power over the white race. I think I am sensing a little racism in this court case.

5.       But the record suggests that Seattle actually is a residentially segregated city. The record suggests 75 percent of the district's minority students live in the southern half of the city, while 67 percent of white students live in the northern half. (Interview with Dennis Parker on NPR)

After reading this interview my view on the Seattle school district has changed significantly. When reading what Mr. Parker said about the segregation in Seattle made me realize that Seattle was really doing a good thing for all students. It is about time that school districts are concentrating on fixing the segregation problems in the public school, and it is too bad there was a stink about the movement in Seattle. Mr. Parker says that statistics clearly show that the city living arrangements are segregated, therefore the diversity idea for public school was a great one. It is important for these students to experience different cultures and different backgrounds because they are clearly not getting it outside of the school system. If Seattle is so segregated it is essential that the students have this opportunity to be around diversity in the education. I believe this type of exposure to diversity in the education will lead to desegregation outside of the school because students will become friends with other students who live in a different part of the city, leading to interaction within the southern and northern part of the city.

6.       If it's unfair, it's unfair to everyone equally. (Interview with Dennis Parker on NPR)

This line in the interview really sticks out to me because I believe it creates a good message. For many years people have been trying to figure ways to get rid of segregation in the public schools and the white race has had the top hand in the American public school system.  Many people have been complaining that the tiebreaker is unfair to students, when they have not done anything, but isn’t this the same situation that black students were stuck in during the civil rights movement? I find it funny how white parent are complaining, when this is what our race put the black people through for a long period of time.  And now that Seattle has found a way to integrate all races of students, people are saying it is unfair, selfish, don’t you think? But every race that takes part in applying to different schools can get denied and end up going to their second or even third choice. This is what Mr. Parker emphasizes, if there is a problem with the tiebreaker and people are saying it is unfair, it is unfair to all races, not just one.

Class 12 Readings

Class 12 Readings

1.       PBE boosts students' engagement, academic achievement, and sense of personal efficacy as stewards of their local environment and community. It also can re-energize teachers. (What is Place Based Education)

This is an interesting style or philosophy to go by as a teacher or school. I have heard of this type of education philosophy, but never knew the actual term for it. When reading what this was all about, the first thing that popped in my head was how every physical education program leans toward place based education. Even though many people do not consider PE as an actual class and just an extracurricular program, physical education boosts student engagement, academic achievement, and the sense of personal efficacy. But most of all physical education is a class that gets students to be more involved in the community and environment. PE classes can guide students in the right direction when it has to do with life-long activity and health issues, and this transitions from a place based program into a school based program. It is important to keep students up to date on the current events in the world and local community and somehow translate the material into the classroom.

2.       Through project-based learning, students make tangible contributions to resolving local environmental issues and conserving local environmental quality. (What is Place Based Education? Ecological Integrity)

Since students are involved with the community much more in place based learning, they are made aware of many issues with the environment and community. Place based learning allows students to make contributions for helping the environment and it really keeps the students eyes open to problems they were never familiar with. These students are not only helping the environment, but they are doing hand on work to learn the material needed. This gets the students outside of the classroom and away from the traditional type of teaching. I remember in my high school we had classes and activities similar to place based learning.  I know, speaking for myself, that being involved and actually doing activities and experiments, the knowledge I need sinks in much easier than sitting in front of a teacher and listening to him/her talk. This type of education can make a well rounded student because they learn and know how to “do” rather than being shown what to do.

3.       Our educational institutions now play a central role in expanding the influence of industrial culture in the lives of people in the West and Third World countries. (Bowers- Revitalizing, pg. 15)

Yes, public schools and even private schools play a huge role in expanding the industrial culture to the West and Third World Countries, but this is not an easy thing to do. I really don’t know how to interpret this quote, but when I read I think of students in the United States helping other students their age in countries that are less fortunate. I think it is important for our students in the public school systems to be aware of the living problems people in third world countries have to deal with on a daily basis. Our schools play a huge role because of the material they are being taught in the school; it can be world-wide. If students are aware of these problems then there is a higher chance of them trying to do something to help, such as rainforest trips or working for organizations that travel to impoverished countries. What we teach these students in our school systems and how we teach the material affects their views on world-wide current events and provides students with ideas to assist the problems.

4.       Childrens worlds are small, detailed places-the crack in the sidewalk receives their full attention, as does the earthworm flipping over and over on the pavement after rainfall. (A Pedagogy For Ecology, pg. 32)

This quote just proves that children can get excited and put their whole attention on something that adults believe to be so little. Students at a young age need to know that there is so much to be learned in the little things that go on around you, and I think adults take that for granted in today’s society. What this quote says is that the small detailed places that the child gives their attention too should not be forgotten, but teachers need to expand on them. It is easy for teachers to guide them in the direction you want them to go, but when guiding them, don’t let them lose the detail of the surroundings. It does not matter if they go to a school in the suburbs or the inner cities; children focus their attention on attractive things. For example, the earthworm on the pavement would be something adults would forget about, but children put their full attention towards it. As a teacher, it is important to show the children the importance of the earthworm and why the earthworm is above ground when it rains. Just remember there is meaning behind everything.

5.       In Utah, I understood that place is a part of our identity-that place shapes our identity. (A Pedagogy For Ecology, pg. 30)

I have to say I strongly agree with this saying. Place does shape our identity and children need to be able to grasp that point at a young age because as people grow up they can forgot who they are and where they came from, or as I would like to say, “they get lost in the world.”  I believe this is kind of like being proud of where you come from. I come from the hills of northwest corner, so I try not to lose touch with my country side and hardworking mentality. Every time I go back home I make sure I take in the land and scenic because that is my home and identity, it is where I came from. I think identity is directly correlated with pride and in some way I think this is what the teacher is talking about in this section of A Pedagogy For Ecology. My identity is the country and the beautiful hills, the rivers, the land, the change of seasons, and  I know all these things are important to who I am today and what I have become.

6.       “The ants are in the hole talking. If they hear loud noises, they won’t come out. We have to be very quiet! If they see us, they stay in because they’re scared…..” (A pedagogy For Ecology, pg.34)

This is just an example of how creative a young child can be when talking about something. It just proves that children explore with creativity and unbelievably open minded at such a young age. Children know the repercussions at hand if a teacher takes the time to explain it to them. The teacher in this situation took the time to ask what she thought of the ants. The quote is an amazing depiction of how children can be aware of the environment and surrounding if an adult asks the questions and listens to them. It is important for children to know about their surrounding and the other living things around them. In this case the child is talking about ants and relates the ants to people. She says they have a family, they communicate with one another, and they can hear the “humans” when they are in their ant hole. The most interesting thing about this quote is at the end when the students bring up the ants being scared. She believes that ants, just like people, have feelings.

Class 11 Readings

Class 11 Readings

1.       The Times observed, “the New York City school system last week admitted that the Higher Horizons program is being closed down.” (Kozol ch. 8, pg.189)

This quote is interesting to me because throughout this whole chapter it talks about how the New York Times has an influential role in the public schools. Everything that was happening in the school system, The Times was reporting on it. I just do not think that the media or newspaper should have this much of a role in what is going on in the public school system. In all honestly it is really just the newspaper, because I never see stories about the education problems on the TV news, but it is always in the newspaper. Why does the newspaper have the right to leak everything going on behind closed doors? It is funny how the newspaper is the first media to leak the positive when everything in the Higher Horizons program was going smooth, but it is also the first to talk about the negative when it closes down after a long run in years. I understand our public education is “public,” but the positive and negative aspects of something should only be for the people involved in the school, such as, teachers, parents, and students.

2.       “Here Are Seven Ideas That Work”-remarkably enough, exactly the same number that The Times identified a decade earlier. (Kozol ch.8, pg. 195)

This amazes me that throughout ten years of education, the times still only have seven ideas that work and seven reasons why the education is good. This brings up the question, what has the public really been doing in a decade? Or this could have just been a media trick to bring down the “flawed” education system.  What I get out of this quote is that the public education is not doing their job by teaching students. They have been settling for the same techniques and teaching styles from 1991 to 2001, a decade of the same stuff. The funny thing about this quote is how Kozol says “remarkably enough,” kind of like he is making a joke of the public education in the inner cities because there has not been any real improvement. You think ten years there would be some kind of change, whether little or dramatic. I am going to be a future educator and I can tell you there is definitely more than seven reason why the public school system is working or works.

3.       Rudy Crew, a black administrator who was also greeted…………Right or wrong he was convinced that much of the harsh treatment he’d received in his last year in office had been tinged with racial condescension….  (Kozol ch.8, pgs. 197-198)

After reading this quote it’s funny to think how times have changed in the United State over the past few years. To think a black principal was being treated unfairly, receiving harsh treatment, mainly because of the color of his skin. Now, in 2010 we have an African-American president leading our country, oh have times changed or what? But when I read this quote it becomes clear to me that it is much easier to treat a principal harshly because of his skin color than treating the President of The United States harshly because of his skin color. After this quote, he goes on saying that many of the other black school officials would have to agree with the statement from Rudy Crew, which makes it clear we had or have a problem in the education system when it comes to African American authority figures. It amazes me we still have these racial issues in the working world, especially education, to this day. So does this mean Rudy Crew was let go or fired because of the pressure other people put on the board of education or did he really deserve to be fired?

4.       After Clark threw out 300 students who were often late for class or had high absence rates, who he described as parasites and leeches. Two thirds of the students he threw out ended up in Passaic County Jail.  (Kozol ch.8, pg. 199)

After reading this quote, readers can go two ways with this, either for or against, but in my opinion I think I, myself, stand in the middle. Okay, it was proven that Clark initiative to throw students out of his school if they had high absence rates or late for classes had a positive effect on the schools profile. But, as a teacher or administrator should we only be worried about the school? There is another part of this quote that refers to the students who were kicked out of the school. It says that two thirds of the student who were thrown out ended up in the county jail, so was Clark doing a good thing? I told you I stand in the middle of this tactic because it benefits the school, but it does not benefit the students. It says in the book that Clark was applauded for this tactic, but can you really applaud the man? I feel he just gave up on the students, instead of educating and giving them chances, but most of all listening to them and seeing why they were having these problems in school. Kicking the students out just put them back on the streets, so it was as if Clark was telling these kids they were no good. That’s not how education should be handled.

5.       I don’t believe a good school or a good school system can be built on miracles or on the stunning interventions of dramatically original and charismatic men or women. (Kozol ch.8, pg. 200)

This quote is the complete opposite of the one above. Clark was known to be a strong principal and some believed he changed the school himself. But this says that not one man or woman is responsible for miracles in the school. I have to agree with Kozol when he says this because making education better is a group effort. Changing schools for the good take an equal amount of effort from the teachers, students, and parent. All three of these people need to have voices pertaining to the education and they have to work together to make their voices heard. I think what Kozol is trying to say is that building a good school or school system takes time, just like everything else in the world and people cannot dramatically come in to the school and expect quick change, and I agree. Yes, I believe it is good to have original and charismatic people in the education system, but it takes a huge effort as a whole to provide change. So do tactics such as cleaning house with students or teachers work?

6.       “As far as intelligence is concerned, the tests have told the truth…..” (Kozol ch.8, pg. 211)

I have to say I do not agree with this quote one bit. In Kozols book he uses a quote by Lewis Terman, an educational psychologist, who believed that intelligence was directly related to race. What? This belief is out of control and I cannot believe people that ignorant take place in the world. The first problem is that Lewis is referring to the all and mighty test scores that so many educators care about. The only people who care about test scores are the administrators, because test scores do not explain how intelligent a student is or can be. To be honest I had low SAT scores, but I happened to think I am a very intelligent person and student. In my eyes, test score are bogus.  The other problem is, Lewis Terman actually thought that races of lower intelligence should actually be segregated in schools and classes. These races included Mexicans, Negroes, and Indians. I mean, come on, how absurd is this thought? But as ignorant is Lewis Terman was, he was right in a ways, because inner city schools are still segregated to this day.

class 10 readings

Class 10 Readings

1.       The point is that teacher education programs often lose sight of the need to educate students to examine the underlying nature of school problems.  ( Anthology pg. 199, ch. 21)

This quote really stands out to me because of what I am learning in the EDF class. In my four and a half years I have taken education classes, but have not really taken an in depth look at our public school systems. I have to say that I have taken the information I have learned from this class and absorbed it because I was made aware of many things that I had no clue about. Its interesting that this person says programs are losing sight because I did not learn about the behind the scene problems of public school until this class. Being in the physical education department, of course I learned of the problems we face as a teacher related to PE, but not the problems we face in public schooling. It is important for education classes to open up the eyes to future educators, so they know what they have to deal with once they get a job, instead of having them going into their new job completely blinded of important issues.

2.       ….time on task pedagogies operate from the theoretically erroneous assumption that all students can learn from the same materials, classroom instructional techniques and modes of evaluation.  (Anthology pg 201, ch. 21)

This is an obvious problem in public school systems today. All students have individual learning needs, which mean not all students learn the same way. Therefore, teachers need to adapt to all learning styles and teach to the children not the subject or curriculum. Yes, some students can cruise along, not having any problems, when teaching with the same materials, same instructional techniques, and same evaluations. The number of students who can sail by with this type of teaching is very low though. It is important to switch up your teaching strategies and techniques in the classroom, so students do not get bored and keeping student involvement high. This quote just proves that teaching the same way to all students is an underlying assumption in education today. If teachers are going to give homework to students, it is only fair that teachers need to do their own homework form the classroom in order to make education useful and enjoyable at the same time.

3.       Today, the standardized curriculums and lesson plans which were always part of the traditional public schools-even when ignored-are being republished and reissued, in even greater detail.  (Anthology pg. 206, ch. 22)

Being someone who has gone through the education process for four and a half years now and about to embark on student teaching next semester, I am well aware of the extensive detail in lesson plans and curriculum. Since I have been in the PE department, they have taught me to make a very detailed lesson, no matter the lesson. They have drilled this concept into my head and take many points off the work if it is not as detailed as they want it. Since public schools are now looking for detailed lesson plans, I feel CCSU has prepared me we enough to meet any schools expectations. But at the same time I do not agree with all of it. Yes, curriculums need to be more detailed because that is the backbone of the education you are providing for the students, but I feel the extensive detail of information in the lesson plan is really only busy work. I understand how it helps in our field experiences, but I have not seen that many detailed lesson plans in my practicum hours. As a teacher, I think you know what kind of lesson plan you need, therefore I think detail depends on the teacher.

4.       The second strategy is to organize-join with others. It starts with being a good colleague in one’s own schools. Not easy work.  Another way is through teacher and staff organizations. (Anthology pg.207, ch.22)

It is important as a teacher to use your colleagues as resources for professional development. Organization plays a huge factor in being an effective teacher, whether new, or having few years under year belt. But the best organization in teaching is joining with fellow colleagues to bounce ideas and knowledge off each other. Being a new teacher you have to make the initiative to reach out and talk to your colleagues because in all honesty other teachers may not lend a hand once the school year starts. This quote makes it very clear that doing this is not easy work because it takes having a voice, but not stepping on anyone’s toes in the mean time. It is important to gain your colleagues respect and find that one person right off the bat that you can talk to and share ideas with. Being involved as a teacher is essential to becoming a good teacher and professional because no one wants a teacher who just shows up to do his job and then leaves. Teaching is not just any job, teaching establishes relationships.

5.       Then there’s using your voice. I don’t just mean your teacherly voice, but your broader professional voice. Find every way you can to hone your skills as a writer and speaker-to little audiences and big ones, letter to the editors included.  (Anthology pg. 207, ch.22)

I like this quote a lot because it definitely applies to my field of physical education. In physical education it is important to get your voice out there as a teacher and professional.  As a physical educator it is essential to get involved in the many organizations we have for PE, especially CTAHPERD, if you are a teacher from Connecticut. But you can even extend your name even further with conferences and organizations such as AAHPERD and EDA. Being a part of these organizations and going to them will help immensely, but presenting at them will put your name out there as a physical education teacher. Even as students you can present at these conferences and it is quite an honor to do so. By doing all this you will definitely hone your skills as a speaker and presenter, starting with small audiences, such as your school colleagues, then moving to the bigger stage of all your colleagues from Connecticut. This is a great way to develop as a professional and gain knowledge from other teachers. Doing this and putting your name out there is essential because you are taking advantage of your educational voice.

6.       None of the three teachers spoke up to the administrators, state officials, or school boards. They did what they were told, what they had been taught, or what they themselves had experienced in their schooling. (Anthology pg. 211, ch.23)

This is a prime example of teachers not using their voices to make administrators, state officials, and school boards aware of problems in the school. Teachers need to speak up on behalf of the education and the students when there are problems at hand. Most of the times the head honchos of the schools are not aware of many things that are going on in the school. Remember teachers are the ones in the hallways and classrooms five days a week and we as teachers see everything. It is interesting that these teachers probably didn’t speak up for the three reasons in the quote above. I agree with them all, but I believe doing what they are told is the biggest reason. Teachers have that fear once they get a job and are working in the school systems because they do not want to disappoint their boss. Teachers need to be fearless when it comes to education. Yes do what you are told, but do not be afraid to voice your opinions towards the good of the education and students. Teachers need to make it known that they have a voice to, since teachers are the people that are around the students the most, it is only fair that they deserve a voice in his/her school system.

Class 9 Readings

           

1.      “This relationship involves a narrating Subject (the teacher) and patient listening Objects (the students).”

Anyone who is trying to be a teacher knows that you shouldn’t use the bank system in schooling. Students are not employees and should not be treated like a worker. Students are not just objects or puppets for the teachers to use. As teachers we need do the best we can to get rid of this idea that students cannot have a word. This is not old school teaching anymore, students need to have voices and definitely need to be heard. In order to have a good classroom experience for the students there needs to be a give and take relationship, not just a teacher centered classroom. From this quote, it seems the bank based strategy talks about the teacher and students as if they were test subjects in a chemistry lab. If students just sit there and try to absorb the knowledge there teacher is providing for them, they are not going to recall the information as well as teacher-student interaction.

2.      “Through dialogue, the teacher of the students and the students of the teacher cease to exist and a new term emerges: teacher-student and student-teachers.”

Yes, this is absolutely correct because the teacher and students are actually engaged with one another. Communication is a huge aspect of student-teacher relationships, and if there is no communication between each other than the classroom atmosphere will have tension and no student engagement. If we didn’t let students have choice or discussion, as teacher we would be keeping the students from important aspects of life. These aspects would include communication skills, creativity, self-expression, freedom of choice, decision making, and speaking up about what they may or may not believe in. As a future teacher I expect to have this type of relationship with most of my students. When this quote says teacher-student, it really stands out to me because being a teacher and adult, you in no way know all the answers. As a teacher I know I will learn something new every day I go to school and interact with students. Each time a teacher hears that bell and starts a new class, the roles reverse and teachers are becoming students themselves. Just listening to your students opens up so many more doorways and opportunities for yourself as an educator.

3.      “Problem-posing education bases itself on creativity and stimulates true reflection and action upon reality…..”

When I become an everyday teacher, it sounds to me I will use the problem-based education strategy. This obviously is a great strategy because it allows the students to be creative and have their voice heard in the classroom. I believe that every education class should promote creativity within the student. I am not saying every class needs to use the problem posing strategy, but there are other ways to get the most out of the students. It is important for the students to go through true reflection and action while attending school. Students need to have that choice to reflect upon what they are learning and use critical thinking in order to put that knowledge into action. If a teacher just uses data, test, and standard based teaching than how are those students going to use the knowledge they learned and apply it to real life situation? They are not. And this is where book smarts and street smarts come into play. If a kid is a great student and gets amazing grades on tests, will this child know what to do in an actual situation? That’s where street smarts and critical thinking play a much bigger role than knowing the answers for a test.

4.      “Great teaching has been great because it placed the learner’s needs and interests first.”

If a teacher or future teacher were to look at this quote, I would expect a response similar to “Duh!”  As I learn more about education and take a deeper look at the flaws in the system, it leads me to believe that many educators do not agree with this statement. It seems so simple to understand, the students are the learner, so why wouldn’t their needs and interests be first? Some teachers just teach to do it. I believe some educators in the United States do not care if the students are retaining their lessons, but are just there to give the information to them. Some teachers have the attitude that they are not going to change their teaching styles so students can learn and improve in the subject. In fact, their attitude is, I am not here to improve students grades and make sure they get the material, but I am merely here just to give the information to the students. This would be a clear example of a teacher not doing his/her job correctly and these types of teachers should not have jobs. Great teaching is considered great because the teacher changes his/her teaching strategies in order to help the student’s needs and interests. The teachers actually care about how the students are doing and not just about getting through the material as fast as possible. This is how correct teaching can be so beneficial to the students.

5.      “No standardized test for students can ever inform us of a teacher’s enthusiasm, caring, or belief that students can be successful- three factors that have an enormous effect on student achievement and self-esteem.”

When a student gets a standardized test put in front of them without being prepared, their self confidence is going to drop immediately or they will choose not to care and give up by shutting down. I believe there is way too much standardized testing going on in the public school system and it is taking away teacher and student time from the classes. This quote makes a great point by basically saying students and teachers need that time and it is more valuable than people think. Teachers have the ability to motivate and improve student achievement just giving the students a voice. Sometimes students just want to be heard and know that someone other than his/her parents actually cares. The teacher plays a bigger role than educator, in many ways it plays parent, brother, sister, and role model; therefore keeping these students engaged and involved in schooling. Teachers cannot give up on students, they need to show a fair amount of belief in every student, if not, students will shut down and put education on the back burner.

6.      “Every classroom should have not merely a qualified teacher, but a great teacher. But for this to happen, we must move the definition of “qualified” back from quantity indicators (test scores, college degrees, number of years teaching, and other items easily tallied) and onto quality, by teaching teachers about efficacy and caring, about the ways one can empower and engage students, while allowing teachers to retain their “distinctive character”.”

This is my favorite quote from the three weeks of reading because it sums up so much information in a matter of three lines. When observing schools, people pay too much attention to the quantity indicators of the teachers, but what does quantity have anything to do with great teaching? Just because a teacher has college degrees and has a whole lot of teaching years under their belt does not mean they are a great or even good teacher. I have teachers in my major today that have the credentials and all the degrees in the world, but are lack of a better word, awful teachers. A teacher needs to be personable in order to receive great responses from their students. In my opinion you can have the word Doctor in front of your name and not encompass what it takes to be a successful and great teacher. What this quote says is, teachers need to have more than just the mastery of in the information they are teaching. They need to have the characteristics it takes to make a great teacher. These characteristics include efficacy, caring, communication, listening skills, and engaging the students in your classroom. This quote proves that affective characteristics outweigh the cognitive characteristics in being a teacher.

Class 8 Readings

1.      Typically, on one wall, a “Big Goal” poster proclaims the class objective: “Students will, on average, achieve 80 percent of their learning goals based on state standards.” (Alex Diamond-TFA)

This is why I am worried about Teaching for America, because once again the school systems are focusing on state standards as their main goals. The government enforced this strategy in order to try something different to help our education system, but by making the focus state standards again, the education system is going in circles and not forward. I mean this is what the students are going to see once they enter the classroom. Don’t you think if high school students saw this poster they would be intimidated?  Once again education is asking these kids to live up to a certain standard, they want them all to be molded into the same person, but different bodies. I thought teachers were here to promote creativity and individualism, but by bringing more teachers that are promoting standards into school is only adding fuel to the fire that actual educators are trying to put out.

2.      Very few of us, including me, had formal education training prior to joining TFA. Our ideas of how to teach come mostly from a five-week summer training institute that promises to give new recruits the tools they will need to be successful teachers. (Alex Diamond-TFA)

As a future educator I don’t believe that a five week summer training program is going to help the teachers working for TFA. I am a five year senior and as I am about to go out into the field I still don’t believe I am as ready as I can be to teach to students yet. Don’t you think these people should have formal teaching education prior to teaching students? I think they should because they are taking jobs away from people like me and I find it unfair that I m going through the education undergraduate program, busting my ass, and these people are getting to teach students only having 5 weeks of training. What does this say about education? It seems to me that education is easy and anyone can do it. No, that’s false. People who choose to go into education want to make a difference in student’s lives and it is not like I have just been going through the motions these five years. I actually want to be a teacher and I don’t really agree with how these people who are in Teachers of America find something that sounds easy and gives good pay and jump at the opportunity. It is unrealistic that these teachers can get the best tools in five weeks; it is just not going to happen. And maybe this is why the teachers are unsuccessful in their first year.

3.      Because of the way we’re trained, TFA teachers tend to be very test-, data-, and standards-driven. TFA teachers are taught to begin with state standards, break them down into specific skills, and then write test questions for each skill. (Alex Diamond-TFA)

So a TFA teacher admits that the training he received was test, data, and standard driven. So the program is five weeks long and concentrates only on standard driven teaching. Now I definitely do not have anything good to say about Teachers for America. I just don’t understand how the United States is trying to fix the problem by actually using the problem their trying to fix. Standard based teaching is the problem in the first place, so why is TFA using that type of teaching to train the TFA teachers? They are just enforcing the problem. To be honest, if they want success in this strategy they should actually use certified educators to teach in their program. I think people who went to school for education would be great for this program, but the only think they wouldn’t like is usually leaving after two years are spent at one school. The United States needs to let the teachers do their jobs and stop trying to fix something they cannot fix.

4.      From the perspective of TFA, my lesson would be successful if students were able, on average, to recall 80 percent of that information on my test. (Alex Diamond-TFA)

First of all, who are they to say what measures success in school? And how do they come up with the number of 80 percent? To me TFA is setting the students up for failure again. 80 percent is an unlikely number, especially coming from teachers who do not have the background in education. They are expecting students to recall information that is not being taught well and probably being taught in a teacher centered way. If TFA actually thinks 80 percent is how you measure success than they are never going to see a positive outcome because they are basing this statistic on standardized testing and teaching. You cannot measure of a lesson based on recalling information on a test. There are many things that go into recalling information, yes the lesson is important, but it is how you teach the lesson. But if the students improve from past test scores, isn’t that considered success? In my mind any type of improvement is success especially when looking at previous grades or test scores. TFA does not have the background needed in education to set a bar that high for students, they just don’t understand education.

5.      But TFA training has not included many of the strategies that I find most effective. TFA’s test-based and standards-driven orientation stifles creativity, and nowhere in TFA training did anyone present the type of lesson that I taught on World War I. (Alex Diamond-TFA)

Once again we have someone who is a part of TFA stating that the program has many flaws. Being a future educator it is pretty obvious that TFA does not have the strategies that are the most effective. As a teacher, you strive for the students to utilize creativity and self expression, but test based and standard driven orientation does not promote this type of learning. When reading this quote Alex has learned how to improve is teaching by just being in the field. The last line of this quote proves that he used his student teacher interaction in order to make a successful lesson. This goes back to when I said the best way of learning on how to teach is being in the classroom with the students. I am a semester away from student teaching and I know I still have a lot to learn before I can be a full time teacher, but I know I am going to come away with a lot of knowledge when I go out and student teach. Being in the classroom setting for 16 weeks is going to make a huge difference in how I teach, negatively and positively.

6.      But now, just as my fellow 2008 corps members and I come into our own as teachers, we near the end of our two-year commitment. The students of low performing schools tend to already be victimized by relatively inexperienced teachers who don’t last that long. TFA perpetuates that problem. (Alex Diamond-TFA)

Alex makes a great point in this quote by bringing up the 2 year commitment each teacher has when being a part of TFA. How can students have relationships with their teachers if they are only at the school for 2 years? Maybe the TFA program could work if they make some slight adjustments to it. These teachers will learn how to be better once they get experience under their belt, but how can they make a connection with students if they leave after two years. This school hopping is a huge disadvantage to the teachers and the children; 2 years is just not enough time. As a teacher coming into these students’ lives, you are supposed to gain their trust. By doing this you show your students that you actually care about them and want to see them do well, not only in school, but in life as well. What does this show the students if you just get up and leave with no problem? It gives the students the idea that you never really cared about them and you are like every other educator they have been dealing with since they’ve been in school. And this may also hit home because some students may not have a mother or father, but they saw you as that role model and adult figure, and here you are leaving their lives without any hesitation. It might seem a little too familiar with them.