"Bush focused instead on the idea that a college education is not needed for success. He told the largely Mexican American student body that 'we need people to build our buildings...people who do the hard physical work of our society.' it is doubtful that he would even have considered uttering these same words at Beverly Hills High School, a short distance away." (Marlowe 59)
This quote immediately struck me when reading the anthology, because this was our President that ran our country for two terms! With these types of destructive words coming out of his mouth how can that be true? Bush being someone of so much importance, especially for young students that are preparing to enter the real world I am shocked that he would steer these children away from trying to pursue further education. These students at this school deal with poverty and discrimination and low expectations each and every day and for someone that doesn’t know them to immediately make such judgments and put them lower than others is simply unfair. His words should be motivating and inspiring not just another person that doesn’t believe in these children.
“ She found that these pre-service teachers were reluctant to discuss racism or to consider their individual or collective role in perpetuating it. Because they saw their students primarily as victims of poverty and parental neglect, these student teachers preferred to place themselves in the relationship to their students as protective ‘White Knights.’ This patronizing stance facilitated their denial of racism.” (Marlowe 54)
When reading this quote I was immediately nervous that I would fall into this category being a female pre-service teacher. But then found my confidence to know that if I were in these student teachers shoes I would not respond in this way about the topic of racism. I was surprised that these student teachers being so close to having their own classroom would react in this way. I agreed with the statement that it was patronizing for them to consider themselves “White Knights.” Feeling sorry for these children, does not change anything for them other than make them feel poorly about their situation. Children in these urban school that are provided with very little education deserve much more than pity for their teachers. These soon to be teachers need to be more open to becoming more aware of racism and their privilege when it will be all around them in any school environment.
“ ‘We are giving kids less and calling it more,’ ‘limiting what we teach’ to what ‘we can measure,’ pushing our students ‘ to focus on memorizing information, then regurgitating fact.’ The student’s job, he said should not be only ‘to absorb information, but to make connections, find new patterns, imagine new possibilities…’” (Kozol 131)
This quote being from the former state commissioner of education in New York makes me happy to know that this quote came from someone that can make positive change. His words show that it is recognized that these tests are not providing the students with the learning that they need. These high risks test seem to be the root of a lot of major issues in these urban school systems. Because these students are at such a disadvantage from the very start how can they be expected to get goal scores on these test when they don’t have the same materials and environment that students of suburban school are fortunate to have. The part that Sobol says is missing in these student’s education is the part that is fun and inspirational! Students who don’t have this opportunity to have fun with learning are not going to have much motivation.
“What kind of childhood, it may be asked, are we designing for these children, who already have so little opportunity to play in safety in their neightborhoods… pediatricians and psychiatrists may be disturbed to hear of schools where recess is truncated or abolished in the desperation to carve out a bit more time for drilling children for exams.” (Kozol 120)
This quote gave me the realization of how much these children are losing by not having recess its not just a break to use up that extra energy its for some the only time they have to play safety and on a playground with their friends. I now see what a luxury I had as a child to have so much space and time to play all through my own yard and the neighborhood. These children cannot do that they are forced to stay in doors where it is stuffy and limiting. These children need to have that time and freedom to run and play with one another.
In the quote, "we are giving kids less and calling it more," I feel the need to comment because I have lived this through out most of my years of schooling. I grew up with many teachers demanding us to memorize material, then to regurgitate while taking a test. The material would then be forgotten in less than two days, therefore this was in my opinion not a very affective way of teaching. It did not force any kind of creativity or student center learning.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of teaching I think would probably be considered a traditional way of teaching. But I feel that teaching has come so far from that industrial way of thinking, what happened to all the innovation that is going on around us? Why isn't it able to be applied in these classrooms. Students should be being encouraged to be creative, curious, and to take initiative. These children can not possess these qualities unless they are being modeled and seen in action by the adults that they surround in school every day. The school systems having curriculum that forces rules and punishments is oppressing these kids true beings when we should be creating environments where it is comfortable and acceptable to express that. Over all Kathy I feel that the pressures that teachers and administrators are under is producing more situations that you describe although there are teachers that do not follow those types of morals and values.
ReplyDeleteTeachers are under an extreme amount of pressure to follow the curriculum, but there are always different ways to teach different things. As long as they are administering something that proves student learning, ie: test scores, they should be able to use their discression on how they want the students to learn the information. I know that things have improved since I went through grade school, and it is a good thing. Hands on, actually allowing the students to do things, and use their creativity helps the learning process and makes it fun for the kids. The way I remember most teachers taught was not fun, and memorizing information was a sure way to lose it shortly thereafter.
ReplyDeleteI think that things have improved but there are more philosophies out there that are less traditional, but where things have changed is in these inner city schools. So everyone is not on board with these different methods of teaching. Also more importantly there are people that still believe that color students should be separate from whites. So we still have a long way to go to make things right. But in order to make progress the education needs to become stronger in these schools with the majority black and latino by focusing less on the high stakes tests and more on real authentic learning. This way students needs can be address because there will be less pressure and more understanding and trust in teachers that are certified.
ReplyDelete*** have NOT changed ( in the second line)
ReplyDelete