Letting Culture Speak Even When It Has No Voice

When we have conversations about multicultural education, we talk about students who are self-aware, in simple or complex ways, of their race and its place in their lives. However, what do we do when we have students who do not have the cognitive capacity to understand their racial identities? As a special education major, I have to ask myself this question. Should cultural curricula still be weaved throughout classroom experiences for students with more severe and profound disabilities? I believe the answer is yes, absolutely yes. We have a responsibility to culture!

My brother Mark has no concept of race or ethnicity (including his race or the race of those around him), let alone their perspectives and complexities. However, this does not mean that he is not exposed to other cultures or engages in activities that promote cultural diversity. Both through his high school and local park program, he has experienced culture through a variety of hands on experiences. Whether it be through creating a Chinese Mandala for an art project, cooking and trying foods of other students' cultures, or experiencing the music and dancing of another culture, Mark has participated. These experiences have helped him learn and try new things which he has the ability to recognize if he sees them again. Even though Mark may not understand the implications associated with culture and the struggles individuals of differing cultures face, he has been exposed to a foundation in which later skills and ideas can be built upon. Mark loves Mexican food and has gotten the chance to try new dishes through his friends at the park. If he were to participate in cooking those different foods and then continue on to make art projects related to Mexican culture, and associate those components with different people and places, he has learned valuable information about culture!

This is a Chinese Mandala that Mark created!

Here is a website with ideas for multicultural art projects. Click here! 

A valuable component we can expose to our students is music. When Mark was super young, our family would attend a music therapy class with him. Mark loves Music and always loves listening to his Ipod. He even enjoys when my Dad introduces him to older music from past generations as my Dad is quite the music buff, especially when it comes to what he would consider the classics. Music can be a great way to help students connect non-linguistically. Play music from different cultures and in different languages and see what feelings/emotions they create in your students. It might even be a great way to connect music to different feelings such as happy, sad, angry, etc. You can also introduce different musical instruments whether through hands on use or through pictures and recordings of those instruments.

Neat way to incorporate art and music- creating different instruments from recycled materials! Click!

I really like this bulletin board I saw on pinterest! :)

If your students are verbal, maybe teach them something basic like learning to say hello in a different language! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Toppel article in which the teacher talked about ways to be culturally responsive with her kindergarten classroom. All of her ideas were great! The concept of learning how to say hello in different languages and then leading students to greet each other in those different ways each morning is a small way to expose students to other languages. Another great idea from the article is getting the students families involved in helping the individual student express their own culture. Having students bring in pictures of their family and important family possessions, traditions, favorite foods, etc., can help students connect to pieces of their own culture while teaching other students about what is important to them. We can break the complexity of culture down into steps our students can grasp.

We never know what pathways we might open up for our students if we try. Our students often know more than we think! Whether it be connecting students to their own culture or connecting them to other cultures, we should not miss the opportunity we have to teach our students something valuable. We owe our students meaningful experiences! Whether students can fully grasp or identify with culture or not, simply brushing it off and claiming that it would not matter to them either way is doing our kids a huge disservice. We have a responsibility to that student and need to respect their whole identity. I wrote this blog post to start a conversation about a topic I have been thinking on. I hope that I can delve deeper into this matter throughout my future work with students!

Perspectives on (Dis)ability

When I hear the word disability, I don't think of a definition, I see images of my life. I see my brother Mark, I see my parents, I see challenges, and I see the most rewarding gift the world could have ever given me, a sibling with Autism. Growing up with my brother Mark has shown me that having a disability means living in a world that was not made for you. Mark does not look at the world the way I do, he seeks to make it a place that is safe and predictable. He interacts differently, he works differently, he understands things differently. These are the things that make him wonderful. His differences. Mark having Autism means that he has needs that the world cannot meet for him. He needs additional support and care from family, teachers, and adults. He faces significant challenges that need to be worked to be addressed so he can work towards increased levels of independence. Although my brother has a disability, I have never viewed him as such. I have viewed him as Mark, my sweet and silly brother who can ask me questions like "what happens if you eat potato chips in the bathtub" and "what if you cut off Santa Clause's beard?" These are the "sweet spots." When the kids teach you to laugh louder, love harder, and have patience. Mark has taught me to value the little things in life. Although there are challenges, there are even greater rewards. Disability is not a definition to me, it's snapshots of my life. Beautiful, sometimes messy, but beautiful snapshots.

Person first language is extremely important to me. When I hear someone say, "autistic kid" I cringe a little inside. I have always made it a priority to speak with person first language as I believe the words we choose to use in our conversations are extremely important. When I choose to use person first language, I can reflect the ideal that we must focus on the unique person before we label them as their disability. When I talk this way, I can influence others to do the same. The words we use reflect our beliefs, and our beliefs shape our actions. Person first language reflects that I am conscious and aware of the value and respect that people with disabilities deserve, and from there I can make decisions in helping them, looking at their whole self and all of the qualities that are attached.

Here's an article on person first language that relates to what I was saying about the importance of words! Click here!

Looking at our class article, I fear that the "person first" ideal is missing. Blanchette talks about how so many African-Americans end up in special education, which teachers play a part in deciding. I feel like some teachers have lost their ability to use "person first" not just for students with disabilities, but also when they are thinking of students of other races and cultures. They rely on themselves to make decisions and biases and subjectivity get in the way. This can only negatively impact the students as they will be the ones who may be labeled or placed inappropriately.

Since disability has the question attached of normal versus not normal (or at least I feel it does), I am going to have to evaluate that with my class of students. Many times, cultural differences arise that make a student appear to not be acting in line, when in reality, they are just acting the way they have always acted. In academics, students who have spent their school experiences struggling may have their struggle be misinterpreted as a disability when really they were just in a cycle of external forces. As a teacher, I cannot rely on my observations and opinions solely to make the call. There have been evaluation and testing procedures put in place for a reason, and there are professionals who can make more accurate diagnoses and decisions. So first things first I will have to rely on others besides my self. I alone am not the expert of anything. This includes teaming with parents and treating them like the experts too. :)

When disabilities are seen as problems to be fixed, the classroom becomes a place where students cannot truly flourish and thrive. However, when we choose to see the definition of disability as something different, seeing the children we serve not just as who have significant struggles, but who also have special talents and traits, we can look at each helping situation seeing our students strengths and weaknesses together. When we focus just on what we see students' weaknesses are, our perceptions are skewed. We do not have the full picture. You should never base decisions off of just weaknesses. But if that is how you view disabilities, you are subject to it! In a multicultural classroom, teachers may look to struggling minority students and refer them to special education without having the appropriate amount of knowledge.

I cannot change the educational system alone. I cannot fix every situation and make the perfect scenario for every child. But I can go into my career field looking at all the parts I am going to get myself into. I can seek out information, I can be self-reflective, I can analyze. All children are wonderful and special. Whether children have a disability or not, they all have needs. And those needs all look different and need different types of support and services. Therefore, teams of professionals must work together to make decisions and placements that are accurate and appropriate. 

One of my favorite quotes is this, "If you want to make a difference, you need to choose to see things differently." As teachers, we are advocates, and we need to rise to the challenge. We need to develop, strengthen, and train so we can be fully prepared for this challenge.

EDUC 333 Blog 8: Exploring Pilsen

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Stepping into St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Pilsen, Chicago, I felt a strange sense of familiarity, like I had been there before. Maybe this is accredited to the time I spent myself in the Catholic Church, or maybe it was just the fact that it was church, and therefore, it elicited a feeling of comfort. But before I even start talking about my experience inside the church, I have to talk about the church itself. The architecture of the church was simply breathtaking. You could tell that it was a building that has withstood time and generations. The building itself was the type of building you had to physically raise your head up to see the top of. It was just so tall! The style of the building which we were later told by a man who worked at the church, was a Roman Gothic style. From what I could recall learning about the Gothic style in fine arts, my knowledge matched up with the way the structures came to a sharp point. The inside of the building itself was just as beautiful. The stained glass windows were so intricately detailed and something I could have stared at forever. Looking around the sanctuary, I saw bright color schemes that appeared to have been influenced by Mexican culture. 

Many of the members who arrived at the church were there early. In the front of the church we were welcomed by some of the women who had already arrived. They mentioned to us that after the service there would be a pancake breakfast in the lower level of the church and they would love it if we attended. It immediately gave me the feeling that we were welcomed and wanted in the church. In the main “lobby” so to speak, there was a man selling decorative palms as it was Palm Sunday. These palms were hand crafted and paired with religious images. They were meant to be kept and put on display. 

Here is a picture of the palm I purchased! 

As we were waiting for the service to start, I noticed that the books used for songs and readings were in both English and Spanish, which showed me the value of one book with both languages versus separate books. I looked around and noticed that whole families came and sat together. I found myself personally having a liking to this as I like the sense of families all being together for church versus kids going to a separate kids service/Sunday school. As the pastor preached, I noticed that his sermon was very connected to current world issues such as politics and violence. His message involved looking at truth in terms of a person, asking the question “who is truth?” the answer being Jesus. The preaching conveyed the message of the community coming together to face and respond to global issues. When it came time for the pancake breakfast, I noticed that the food being served appealed to both American and Mexican cuisine (They served everything from pancakes and cupcakes to pozole, menudo, and flan). When we asked some of the workers what pozole and menudo were, we were met with kindness and friendly explanations. I almost felt embarrassed to ask and was expecting a strange look for seeming uncultured, but the women were happy to explain to us and my nervous feelings instantly faded and did not return.

Many people came to the pancake breakfast. People came and sat with their families, and had conversations. I never saw anyone sitting zoned out on their mobile devices, I saw and heard people engaged in conversation with one another. Kids were free to roam around the room without parents having to worry. It was trusted as a safe space to be and play. As we were finishing up eating, a middle aged man came by to take our trash from us. When we got up shortly after, we decided to ask him about what we could do in Pilsen for the afternoon (what should we make a point to see?) After brief introductions, the man told us, “This is it!” in which he meant the church. He made this statement with enthusiasm, and you could tell how proud he was of his church. He later added that a good place to see would be the Mexican Art Museum, as it was a central place people liked to go to. He was very eager to converse, and was very insightful about his parish and community. He shared that he had been working in the church for a long time. We asked him about the members and if the people who came to the church had been there for a long time. He said that oftentimes in the community of Pilsen, parents stay here and the kids move out. He stated, “Most times we see the kids at baptism, confirmation, and then never again.” There were multiple generations in Pilsen, but through his explanation he conveyed that the generation of young people was getting smaller. I wondered about this, and thought of a recent article I saw in which Pilsen was described as one of the neighborhoods in Chicago that is “up and coming” which might mean it is attracting a younger population. As we prepared to go out and explore more of the neighborhood, the man we were speaking to offered us a tour of the church in which allowed us to explore the nooks and crannies of St. Paul. The coolest part was going up to the bell tower and seeing the view of the neighborhood with the skyline in the background. The beautiful view combined with the cold air brushing against my face left me with goosebumps and a reminder of why I love the city of Chicago so much.

Aside from exploring the physical spaces inside the church during the tour, we were also able to get a little of its history! Up until a few years ago, the church had German rations in the basement. Looks like I was right about the church “withstanding time”

As we moved on from St. Paul, our next stop was the National Museum of Mexican Art, located right in the center of the Harrison Park District in which we needed to navigate through the neighborhood to get through. As we began walking, I saw a lot of small businesses and many businesses which were closed. The majority of the buildings were owned and run by Mexican business owners. The surrounding buildings had a similar feeling of many urban Chicago neighborhoods that are tall, skinny, and made of brick. There were also street vendors selling ice cream which was no new sighting for me as I have seen this in my own neighborhood. There were many people out and about, walking around the neighborhood. Individuals we passed were all of a friendly nature, smiling faces, eye contact, some even said hello!

Walking around Pilsen, the traffic was light. Cars seemed to be a mode of transportation, but it also appeared that walking, and the CTA buses and train lines were also a favored transport method. Many elements that captured my attention throughout the neighborhood in terms of aesthetic were the murals.

I love seeing murals. It was graffiti that was used to convey beauty. 

As I was thinking about the aesthetic, I noticed that there was hardly any litter or trash around the neighborhood. It felt well-kept and taken care of.

After exploring and walking around Harrison Park, we arrived at the museum. The museum is free which gave it a sense of accessibility and openness for anyone who wanted to come. There were many people at the museum walking around, and it seemed to be a place of study where locals could go to read about elements of Mexican history, culture, and expression. The art there was beautiful, and attached to each picture was a story or information regarding the piece and why it was created.  The Museum is a central place of activity and a place that individuals go frequently and regularly. I continue to see the strong value of expression through the arts in Latino culture and how it is used to celebrate their unique heritage.

Two of my favorite pictures. The one that looks like a collage of many squares was made entirely from small beads. Amazing!

 Learn more about The National Museum of Mexican Art- Click here!!!

Pilsen is not just a neighborhood, it is a community, with a strong cultural emphasis that individuals who live there celebrate. They tend to the beauty of the neighborhood and they make their neighborhood a place that is not closed off to others, but is open to anyone who wants to take part in it. I sensed an emphasis on family togetherness as I observed many families doing activities and walking around the neighborhood together.The Catholic faith is also central to the neighborhood. As we were walking back to our starting point after the museum, I noticed a house that had a framed photo of Mary hung on the siding of the house. I noticed through multiple means that images are used as special reminders of the importance of the faith (the palms, the images around the church, and now the picture of Mary.) 

Our last stop was at Viva Food Mart, a convenient store where we went to grab something to drink. What stuck out to me at the store was that there was a fresh brewed pot of coffee sitting at a table that you could pour for yourself and then purchase. You could also tell that many people knew one another around town. As we were looking around, a customer came in who appeared to be a regular. He addressed the cashier and struck up conversation with him. The cashier already knew what the man needed and grabbed it for him. I noticed myself smiling thinking about this small interaction because sometimes I feel like as Americans we have grown impersonal, always looking to move from one task briskly to the next. Our busy lifestyles cause us to miss simple conversations with those around us. One of the biggest things I appreciated that I observed through interactions I had directly and those I observed from afar was the idea of putting time with others first. Looking back to the man we interacted with at the church, I was surprised at how much time he spent talking with us and his willingness to answer our questions and show us everything he could. I found myself constantly thanking him for his time, thinking to myself, "I feel bad that we are taking up his time, I'm sure he has work to get to!" Even if he did have somewhere to be, it did not matter to him. He was engaged in conversation with us and any other distractions did not have room to interfere. 

The whole day was a fascinating experience to explore more of my own backyard in Chicago. I live twenty short minutes away...how have I never been to Pilsen before?! I am so happy I took the time to check it out! I can't wait to go back! I would like to go to another service at St. Paul and want to see everything else I did not get to see this first time!

Here is a map of where we explored! 

EDUC 333 Blog Post 7: The Value of Values In The Classroom

My mind has been wrestling over the idea of values in the classroom and continues to remain tangled up as I even start this post now. I have been wrestling over what I guess I would call fear of the thought of pushing values in my classroom, either directly or indirectly, and resulting in one of my students being made to feel inferior or offended. Looking back, I recall stating more than once about how I plan to teach values in my classroom. I want to teach values, but after thinking a bit deeper about what that would mean, I also do not want to teach values. Can there be middle ground? I am going to attempt to find it!

Value neutrality is important when you have a variety pack of values in your classroom. You want students to feel like what they value is important and holds weight. You also want to allow them to develop their own values as they journey with you through the year. As the teacher you have the power to shape your students worldviews. Students should not be forced to adopt the values you hold, but should have the chance to make their own decisions. Imposing your own values can lead to relational issues with both students and parents. It has the power to burn bridges. When students feel like their values should be silenced, it will show in your overall classroom environment. This is where my fear steps in as one of my top priorities thinking about my future classroom involves creating a positive space where students feel comfortable and at ease. I often refer to this as "being kumbayah" which to me basically means that myself and my students are willing to come together and support each other.

In creating this value neutrality, it's all about how we respond. To what exactly? Everything! How we react to what students both say and do. To me this means that when students respond and share, we should not shut them down. We should embrace answers, responses, stories, and ideas students give (either one on one or in a group setting). I believe students should always be acknowledged for effort given, even if their answer is off base or incorrect.
Another point is the question of how well do we represent different values in our classroom? This can be through curriculum such as the literature we read. Are we representing our values through the books we choose or are we giving space for other values?
Another big one is through behavior- what we choose as acceptable. I think this requires conversation about how behavior is situational and that there are different behaviors you have depending on the setting (in the lunchroom versus in the library, school and home). This way students know that even if their values are different at home, it does not mean that that they are wrong, they just look different in school.
So can you be sincere in respecting students whose beliefs you do not agree with? Yes. Truthfully, the student is not expecting you to follow you their belief or take it on as your own, they are just trying to share who they are. And when they are sharing who they are- seize the moment. Use it as a chance to make a connection. You can respect their beliefs as a part of who they are and what it means for THEM, not what it should be for YOU. It requires us to put ourselves aside and put the students feelings first, which I think if we go into our classrooms everyday with that intention, the rest will come naturally.

Think of it like a box of crayons. 

 You have your own color, your students each have their own color. Sometimes they can be similar shades, sometimes completely different. The crayons can function individually. If you use one color to color over another, one color can dominate, causing the other to lose its own unique shade. But when they are used together, something beautiful can be created.

Alright let's make this a real thing. Let's attach some real life examples to this.

Example 1: You are teaching at the middle grade or high school level and you find out one of your students has gotten pregnant. She is no longer with her boyfriend and is deciding to keep the baby and raise it on her own. You are a Christian and have different values about relationships, sex, and family dynamics. How do you choose to respond to this student who will be in your class?

The truth is, your student is already feeling the pressure about judgement from family, friends, and other adults in the school. Her life has just been changed, and she is learning how to deal with it. The last thing she needs is another person giving her weird looks or treating her like she is damaged goods. Here is the moment where the teacher gets to make a connection- and even display a value of her own in a positive way- through love and support! Tell her after school that you are there for her if she ever needs someone to talk to or to listen to her. Don't tell her what to do, just listen. Ask her questions about what she wants and needs. If you reach a point of confusion of how to help, point her in the direction of others who can. (School counselor, social worker, etc.)

Example 2: You are teaching a science lesson about the water cycle and why it rains. You have a student who is Native American who questions the water cycle, sharing that his family believes that rain is caused by either prayer or through a rain dance. How do you respond?

First off, do not shut the student down. Don't be that teacher. You have an opportunity to embrace this belief. You can value it by letting it work together with science. If he believes that a rain dance brings on rain, you can explain that the water cycle is what the Earth does when that rain is being brought on. You can allow the two ideas to work in harmony while explaining that science can be the workings behind some of our beliefs. Imagine if you negated the belief- you would upset him, his family, and he would probably not be participating anytime soon.

In spite of all of this, I still believe my values can have a place, as long as they result in helping my students reach increased levels of confidence, self worth, happiness, and success.
I want my students to learn to value hard work and how it leads to rewards. I want them to never accept things just as the way they are, but that they have the power to cultivate change. I want them to be able to learn from mistakes and to be unafraid to try something even if they fear it won't work out. I want my students to put 100% into whatever they do. I want them to learn the value of kindness. I want to model to students the value of loving one another, and accepting one another, and working together. My Christian values of love and service to others can be expressed through the ways I treat and respond to students, and how I go about encouraging them.

I value positive affirmations and believe they bring out the best in others. This video gets me misty eyed every time I watch it! I wish every teacher did this!

Now those values have value :) 

ENGL 335 Blog Post 12: Hinchman Chp. 9 & 10 ~ Writing

I love writing. To me, writing is the best way for me to express my thoughts. I love speaking, but often, my mind prefers to sit with my thoughts for a while before developing them into statements and opinions...this is why I love writing, it allows me to carefully flesh out my ideas before making them final. I can think, edit, and rework statements on my own time without the pressure of coming up with an idea out loud and on the spot. I enjoyed that Hinchman mentioned that the kind of reflection and thinking that is used in writing is not often viewed positively by schools who deem students daydreamers when students do participate in deep thought that steals their attention away from their surroundings.

I agree that students' writing potential is not often obvious to them. They do not consider their outside of school writing to align with the writing done in schools. Our job as teachers is thus to make the connections between these two different realms of writing, and mold them into one. We need to talk to students about their own experiences with writing and how those experiences can shape the work they do in school. The idea of students investigating their own writing is a cool way to this. Students can take writing that is meaningful for them (blogs, poetry, online chats to name a few that were discussed) and explore what their style of writing tells them.

When writing becomes an experience, students have the chance to really develop. Writer's notebooks, a common classroom method, continues to be enjoyed by students who like to act as story tellers versus those who try to answer factual questions based on evidence and inference. My writing journal in the 8th grade was composed of the daily "bell-ringers" my teacher posed at the start of each class. After a chunk of classes, she would collect our journals and respond to them. There were multiple advantages to this: 1. daily writing practice right at the beginning of class 2. Giving the teacher the chance to know us better as students through our personal stories and voices as writers (also giving her the chance to informally assess our writing) 3. Entries only required personal responses, no right versus wrong answers, taking off the pressure and letting us as students to just write freely and truly. Another thing I think of when talking about writer's notebooks is one of my favorite movies- Freedom Writers. The teacher used writing notebooks to let students write about whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, and she gave the option to offer to read them if students wished. The students all wanted to have their teacher read their stories and personal experiences which awakened the teacher to the struggles the students faced outside of school. Writing allows for a window of opportunity for students to share things they may never get the chance to share aloud, or that they may never want to share aloud. Another memory of my middle school language arts experience came to mind as I went through the section on writing for audiences. My teacher's husband was a teacher at another local school in the area, and she decided to have our two classes become pen-pals with one another. We were each paired with a student who we got to write to several times. At the end of the pen-pal experience we got to have a picnic with the other class and meet the students we had been writing to at the other school. Looking back, I would not have even thought about it as schoolwork, it was just a fun experience! Experiences such as this along with the implementation of writer's notebooks help give students confidence in their writing as they go on to compose more formal or challenging pieces.

Hinchman's chapter 10 had a strong emphasis on the synthesizing of other sources. I think this is an ideal that definitely needs to be encouraged in middle and high school as I have found myself doing several college assignments that require it, especially research papers. Synthesizing is also a skill that many will be required to have in future careers. Even as teachers, we read educational research and strategies and attempt to synthesize them into means of practice and application for our classrooms.

I totally agree that having multiple texts from different audiences/sources assists in enhancing comprehension for students. It also appeals to the differences between students such as what grabs their attention and what genre or style of reading they comprehend the best. Reading multiple texts also helps students more accurately create their own dispositions; they have multiple voices influencing them versus just one that they either agree or disagree with. Reading other individuals voices and opinions can help connect the dots for students who are still developing their thoughts.

Writing is an area that I feel you never stop growing in, I still feel like my writing is advancing with every semester that passes. My writing has advanced through practice, collaboration and peer review, getting to explore different styles of writing (whether it be from peers, authors, or scholars) and through writing experiences that have called for personal reflection and thought. We can offer the same opportunities- AND MORE- to our students who are in a stage where their writing skills have the highest potential to grow and develop for the future. We can encourage our students to "Write On," a statement I recall with a smile thinking of my professor's PowerPoint title for his presentation on writing instruction last semester.

EDUC 333 Blog Post 6: Success On The Classroom Level

In one of my readings for my language arts/social studies methods class, I read about the "POC Model" for thinking about classroom management. This model includes teachers having knowledge about themselves, their students, and the curriculum with an emphasis on reflection. I believe this model, although described in relation to classroom management, is also a model for teachers to use when thinking about overall classroom success when working with students in a multicultural setting. When we ask ourselves what would help schools succeed on a classroom level, we are essentially asking:

What can teachers do? 

Teachers first need to know about themselves. This includes their personality, attitudes, adaptability levels, teaching philosophy, etc. This requires self-reflection on the teacher's part in terms of how their own teaching styles, dispositions, etc. mesh with that of the students. You need to ask yourself if the way you structure lessons is working for the students. Effective teachers are self-reflective, they take the time to evaluate what is and is not working in their classroom. They have to be open to change. If students are not responding well to certain activities or procedures, change them! Teachers have to be willing to take that extra time at the end of a school day. This self-reflection of teaching practices is just as important as reflecting on attitudes and dispositions. How do you believe students should be treated? What do you believe about student achievement- do you think that every student has the capability to succeed or do you believe that some are a lost cause? This is important to think about. Great teachers find the potential in every student and work hard to bring out the best in everyone. This also goes to say that great teachers are dedicated, they are committed to student success do not let time or resource limitations become a roadblock. They fight for their students.

Successful classrooms have teachers who are reflective, flexible, have high expectations for all students, and are dedicated! 

After knowing yourself and how you operate as an educator, you need to know your students (something you hear in every education course, but is of the utmost importance!) Who are they? What do they like? What are their strengths? What is important to them? In a multicultural setting, you have to reflect on what you know about students from other cultures. Have you worked with students of this cultural background before? What do you know about their culture? Will their culture play a role in how they interact in the classroom? Great teachers want to think on these questions so they can serve students in the best way possible. They might create surveys/inventories that students can complete the first week of school so teachers can get a snapshot of who they are. Aside from just knowing your students, teachers need to use that information to help students succeed. If the teacher knows a student is a kinesthetic learner, are they going to let that information sit there or are they going to work to incorporate hands on activities? So two questions are necessary for this ideal. 1. What do your students need? 2. Are you going to work to meet that need and how are you going to do it?

This is a video of an amazing teacher I heard about who appeared on Ellen. She is an amazing example of a teacher dedicated to putting students and their needs first!

The last component involves the curriculum. This can look different from school to school because some teachers have a specific curriculum to follow and some have a bit of liberty in their planning. When thinking about successful teachers, I think of the class article on Mrs. Julie Wilson's teaching approach. She truly went above and beyond to make sure the content was relevant and meaningful for a variety of students. She embodied a lot of the characteristics I have mentioned so far. Reflective, adaptable, dedicated, etc. She looked at a curriculum with reading materials that did not represent the diversity in her classroom and she worked to make sure that students got new materials that did. She followed the appropriate standards that were necessary, but she made sure that the road to those standards were paved with lessons that were appropriate and that met students where they were.

If schools want to be successful, it starts with us, the teachers. It's up to us to change the game. It starts with our passion, our excitement for seeing students locked into learning and watching them grow. We can be the ones to change things for students who believed that they would always be the same. We can lead our other fellow teachers to believe this as well as the future educators we may see come into our classrooms. We can be the example.

One of my favorite teaching quotes (I have many!) Our investments are in the students whose lives we can make an impact on. If we're not in it for this outcome then why are we even teaching?

ENGL 335 Blog Post 11: Beers Chp. 5- "Tom Sawyer, Teaching, & Talking"

The idea of teaching talking is an issue that I can say I have not actually considered. As teachers, we plan our lessons, writing about how students will participate in "classroom discourse" about the given topic, but are they equipped for fruitful conversation or are they just answering questions that answer yes or no, this or that, etc.?This chapter challenges the definition of conversation for our classrooms. Maybe it's time to evaluate how we are going about discussing our content. I really appreciated the point about the problem with debates...in all honesty, I have never really enjoyed debates. I agree that the competitive nature overshadows the idea of meaningful and thought provoking discussion.

In terms of the activities mentioned for getting students involved in quality classroom conversations, I think the "setting the stage" concept is crucial. I feel like a huge indicator of if students are going to discuss is the level to which they feel comfortable in expressing their thoughts and opinions. In junior high and high school, what your friends think about you is at the top of the list for what is most important. Students may refrain from sharing their thoughts for fear of being wrong or being judged by friends for their opinion. Some students do not want to engage as they have the conception that school "isn't cool" and their reputation does not go along with being the student who partakes in conversations about literature. It is up to us as teachers to cultivate an environment that students feel comfortable expressing themselves in. Something we can do to create this positive environment is in the way we respond to the answers that students do share. If we shut down answers or ideas of students, it will lead others to hold back. However if we respond to students positively, complimenting their efforts and participation versus the idea of wrong vs. right, more students might open up. I also think that there is a small part in which we cannot control; that some students do not enjoy participating in oral discussion. I love a good discussion, but most times I feel I do much better in writing as I have more time to carefully craft my comments before sharing them. Therefore, I also think making use of online discussion boards, forums, and blogs can be a useful way to have students engaged who normally do not share aloud in class.

I would also say that while "demanding" discussion from students as the book says appears harsh in connotation of the word demanding, it can have great results. The book talks about the sticky note method for annotating texts. Another method I always enjoyed in high school English classes was the use of double-entry journals. They are of a similar nature to the sticky note method, picking pieces of the text that stand out or that raise questions and explaining why either is true. They can be helpful for students as it does not require them to think on the fly when the class discusses because their thoughts have already been done and are on their paper. This is helpful for someone such as myself who cannot just start speaking and expect my thoughts to follow, I need to form my full thought before I become willing to share.

I appreciated the discussion of what we have called in my special education courses, "field independence vs. dependence." It is true that students will not have teachers around to facilitate discussions, and therefore we cannot let students depend on us for the answers. This will require a bit of resistance on our part as teachers (which can be hard for content loving talkative teachers) but we will need to give students chances to have a sense of autonomy in their thinking before we jump in. This could include increased wait-time, more prodding questions before giving an answer, and designing multiple modes for responses (electronic, written, oral, etc.).

So should we be like Tom Sawyer in getting our students to do the work we could so easily do? Kind of, to which Beers would agree with. We should give our students the task of talking by placing them in a setting and giving them the tools that will lead them down the road of a good conversation that will keep them thinking and questioning even after they leave the classrooms.