I know for me this whole experience have been a huge eye opener. I have had stereotypes on students who went to city schools, and they were so wrong. I am so grateful for having this opportunity to work with students who are in situations that I cannot understand. When I was told I was going to be in a city school, I thought of dirty school, mean kids, not very intelligent, and people who do not care. After being in this school, I realized this was not correct. These children are just like me and you. They want to learn. I have these stereotypes because I was never taught anything else. I went to a school that was primary white kids who did not come from families who had financial problems. I went in with my own views on them because I was never taught anything else. I believe I have learned a lot as a student myself being in this classroom.
I believe that I was at a disadvantage at first because I did not want to interact with the students, and the teacher did not make it any easy. She told me so many times not to be a teacher. I was afraid of these students. The first day in class, a boy told me he was going to hit me. This just made them stereotype I made for them all the more correct. I came to realize after going again; these students are loving and caring. This is when I got an advantage; they looked up to me in many ways, and wanted to learn. A number of students ask the teacher if I could teach the math lesson instead of her. After gaining the trust of the students it was easy to interact and help them learn. Those children wanting me to teach also made them want to learn.
Dennis Carlson wanted people to understand that race, ethnicity, and gender, does not affect the learning, and that all children are the same in the aspect of learning in general. He shows how “white, middle class, male, get privileged and represented as “normal” while other individual and subject positions like black working class, female, homosexual are disempowered and represents as deviant, sick, criminal, and lazy.” These were the stereotypes’ that I saw. Carlson shows how these are incorrect. He talked about normalizing community, about changing the attitude of teacher and students. He also talks about making sure there is dialog across the classroom. To recognize the importance of common interests and communicating dialog across the classroom.
1 comment:
Hey Haley!!
I can totally relate to how you felt going into your classroom! Like you, I had many stereotypes planned out in my head as to how the children were going to be, what the school would look like, and what the area surrounding the school would be like. Also like you, I was able to realize that not all children have been as fortunate as I was growing up. I believe that you do not truly realize that until you have seen something like it in your own eyes.
When you wrote about how your teacher or mentor told you not to become a teacher I was absolutely shocked!! This woman was totally putting you down. Negative people like that should not be teaching children, especially at that young of an age. I mean yes, children can be maniacs sometimes, but that is just how they are! They are full of life and energy and have wild imaginations! Lucky for other children, they will have you to look forward to as being their teacher!
Kalyn :)
Post a Comment