What Change Do I Want to See?
In a recent conversation with my grandfather, I was shocked to hear my grandfather’s excessively negative views on today’s youth. He claimed in comparison to the youth of his day, today’s youth are not well educated and lack motivation. He equated success to obeying rules and entering the workforce; a more functionalist approach. He couldn’t understand why students struggle to grasp basic subjects like science and history. As a white male, it never occurred to him that schools and curriculums don’t accommodate all students. I explained that only when we’ve acknowledged that the system is inherently flawed, can we work to improve it. Culturally sustaining pedagogies are a step in that direction.
Chapter 9 emphasizes that we, as teachers, are in unique positions to build communities of students with shared agendas. What are some ways that we can encourage our students to consider what causes or issues are most important to them? Stimulating critical thinking surrounding history, for instance, could result in a student realizing they are interested in fighting for the rights of historically marginalized groups. Alternately, allowing students to occasionally alter assignments to accommodate current events could have similar results. When I attended the women’s march in Los Angeles in 2017, I was surprised by the number of children I saw marching; many of them had even created their own signs. If I were the teacher of those students, I might have suggested they do an alternate assignment that enabled them to reflect on their experience marching. Through drawing on these students’ experiences, the teacher could then propose that students consider what next steps could be taken after they’ve attended a march for a cause they’re personally interested in. In this way we can acknowledge that students are active members of society who have valid experiences to draw from, while also providing them with an outlet for their interests.
Bomer and Bomer state that, “there comes a time to stop talking to people inside our own communities and to affect the world outside our usual circles. “ (Bomer & Bomer, 2001, 160) How often do we become enthusiastic when speaking about a topic, only to become discouraged upon realizing that we don’t have the necessary tools to act? One suggested solution is to identify your specific role within a group.
- What are some other methods or resources we could use in and outside of the classroom to enact change?
- What are some social justice issues that you are interested in? Do you see yourself sharing any of these interests in the classroom?
- The following website lists 8 ways we can empower our students: https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=719&category=In-the-classroom&article What are some of the pros or cons of using tips like the ones mentioned in the article above?
- As future teachers, do you feel a responsibility to work to create an increasingly equitable society?
- The below website includes resources for incorporating social justice issues in the classroom. As a preface to these resources, the author suggests that these issues can be controversial for students and parents. Is this a concern of yours? Why or why not? https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/social-justice-resources/
- Most people would agree that our current educational system needs some form of change however, it becomes harder to define and agree on those changes. What changes would you like to see in education (whether at the classroom level or beyond)?
I love how you questioned the ‘how’ of bringing culturally relevant/responsive/sustaining pedagogy into the classroom. It is so easy to read articles, books, and blogs, or discuss the merits of such pedagogy without actually doing anything. After all, reading an article is low-stakes—there is little chance of embarrassment or saying the wrong thing. Implementing these ideas in your classroom is much harder. The fears of unintentionally saying something wrong or hurtful, planning a lesson that backfires, upsetting parents, or clashing with administration are enough to keep many teachers from every changing their ways.
ReplyDeleteOne idea that kept coming back to me as I read chapter 9 was that the cause didn’t really matter. Your passion could be changing testing practices to be more equitable, planting wildflowers to save honey bees, or fighting against the death penalty. The fact that you have a cause and are actively doing something about it is what matters.
Every child has an uncanny ability to recognize when something is unfair. In the classroom this is often manifested through small issues. I’ve heard students say things like:
- No fair, he’s had the computer all morning!
- How come she gets to be the line leader again today? That’s not fair!
- It’s not fair! She always sits in that chair. I want a turn.
The task set before teachers, therefore, is not to get students to see injustices. The task is to help them learn to act against injustices in appropriate ways as well as broaden their views of what injustice encompasses. You can do this by introducing topics and ideas and encouraging students to pursue their interests. You can help them find ways to act by bringing your activism into the classroom. The goal is not to convert students to your cause, but to show them how to act for social justice. Some students (like those at the women’s march) may already have a cause they’re passionate for and just need to be shown how to turn that passion into action. Others may need more help finding something they’re passionate about and need to be introduced to a wide variety of issues and concerns.
You make a great point about children being more aware of things than we give them credit for. I read an interesting study last semester on children's resource allocations in gender stereotypic contexts. Even though the students studied were only between the ages of 4 and 6, they'd already developed specific social groupings and stereotypes that revealed they were subconsciously aware of certain societal expectations and norms. I can see how it would be frustrating for them if their teacher doesn't acknowledge things in the classroom that aren't fair.
DeleteI think it's important that, like you mentioned, teachers don't attempt to "convert" students to their cause. Rather, the teacher should focus on helping the students discover their own passions or interests. With younger students who need more guidance, this could be an opportunity for the teacher to work with parents. Many students may already do activities surrounding activism with their parents, they just haven't reflected on what it means to them. I like the idea of the classroom potentially being a space for them to turn their action into passion or to find that passion.
Addy, I have had similar conversations with my father. He refers to younger coworkers as lazy, naive, too eager to learn and to book smart. What he sometimes/always forgets is that new employee is trying to impress him and gain his respect. A similar functionalist approach to the workforce. When he would share these feelings with me, I would turn in back on an example from my childhood. It would go something like this:
ReplyDeleteSon: Do you remember when you were teaching me how to change the oil in my first car?
Dad: no, (then a small smile starts to form in his eyes.)
Son: Well, I took the oil plug out and the warm oil spilled all over me and the ground. I yelled, hit my head on the car and scurried out from underneath it. (using somebody twitching to make visual connections)
Dad: Laughing (he is in a full belly laugh at this point)
Son: I did not like it then and your new younger coworker does not like it now. Be more understanding.
Dad: (not laughing now) thinks for a second and says, you can teach an old dog new tricks.
When he remembers how I felt and could instantly relate this to his new coworker and understood his mistake, sometimes it takes an outside viewpoint to the right the wrong.
Some people from a generation or two above us struggle with “Helping everyone identify his or her role within the group is perhaps more crucial then figuring out who is going to preside.” (p. 160). They feel threatened about others knowledge or actions and feeling less able. Until the group collectively figures out where each other fits there are always struggles. I would bring an older generation person into the classroom to share simple life experiences. Then with them and the classroom talk about the pros and cons. Also, how would this be handled today? Would it be different or the same?
An equitable society is Disney reality. How could one teacher effect this outcome with so many school administrations are corrupt from the top down? Twelves DPS principles schemed with a vendor to credit personal profits. If 12 principles are willing to take funds from the students, one can only imagine that teachers were doing the same on a smaller scale.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Public_Schools_Community_District.
Fort Worth district audit finds $2.7 million in unneeded technology
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article3865141.html
As a teacher teaching equitable society in a classroom would be a big responsibility in a school setting. With the second largest school district on strike for many reasons including a wage increase, how can a teacher function as a great teacher? It is hard to think as a teacher I am going to receive a low wage, little chance of a pay increase and be expected to fund classrooms supplies out of the pay because the system can not support itself. With so many large school systems being taken over by the state to fend off bankruptcy, yes, the system needs an overhaul. This article shares the 11 least efficient K-12 school spending
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/01/where-school-dollars-go-to-waste/384949/
If the spending was corrected we could get back on track to educating our students and providing the students with current resources to meet their needs, teacher workshop for new skills and continuing education. With this in place the focus of” building community is work we teachers are specially equipped to perform” (P. 159). Sometimes peeling the onion that is the school system is the way to open the process of social action.
Thank you for sharing your experience with your dad Jay! It made me think of last semester when we examined how the purpose of schools has changed over time. Considering how much the world (and schools) have changed, it's only natural that there are generational differences in opinion. I love your idea of bringing in outside people to the classroom in order to gain a different perspective.
DeleteThis was the first I'd heard of the Fort Worth district abusing their power. It's discouraging to see this since you often hear of teacher's spending their own money on school supplies because they're not allocated enough to fully support the curriculum they want to teach. I would agree that a system overhaul seems necessary, though I must admit I'm glad I'm not the one who has to figure out the technicalities of it. I like your metaphor of the school system as an onion with varying complex layers. When phrased this way, it makes it easier to see how the students' interests can be lost in the midst of everyone else's agendas.
Addy, I too went to the women's march in 2017, in Washington DC! While these marches are beneficial in getting the voices heard of the people in marginalized communities, the biggest requirement of being a part of an event like that is that you continue the momentum on your own, after the march is over. There are many ways to be an activist and to bring children into activism. What I think is the biggest part of it all is that we be consistent and vigilant in what we want to fight for, right? I think there is a divide between the people who think that gatherings such as the march are more of a nuisance rather than actually being effective, and those who believe in the power of showing up time and time again. I think that children pick up on conversations and understand the topics that adults talk about in front of them, and I think that there are ways to bring it out of them through class discussion and brainstorming. Even if the class isn't fighting for the wage gap, whatever is important to them is what we should encourage they fight for, but show them how you don't have to attend marches and raise up signs in front of the Capital to be effective. Introducing organizations like Emily's List can show them how women, especially women of color, are starting to run for offices all over the country, and can set a powerful example that girls can be legislators, mayors, and senators too!
ReplyDeleteTeaching children that starting at the bottom of the political chain can be the most personally effective for them, and where they might see the most immediate changes. Addy, your link from ISTE mentions how you can hold mock debates and introducing passion projects to them, and I think these are fabulous ways to invite active conversations into the classroom! Even if we as teachers just listen to them if they complain about things like broken swings in the local park or whether they watched Blue Planet II over the weekend and now they want to save all the sea turtles. These examples can lead you to introduce letter writing campaigns by writing to the local Parks and Recreation department, or how they can hold conferences asking their fellow parents and adults of the community to use metal straws instead of plastic ones to help those turtles out, all of these things can help bring activism into the classroom. I think this passage says it best, "It is politically crucial to connect our actions with others' because democracies work through the efforts of groups, as power is negotiated among their competing interests." (Bomer, Bomer, 2001, pg. 159)
As teachers, we should also have passions and get involved in the community around us. Indy SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) is a great way to get involved and become educated about the injustices currently happening in the community.
http://www.indysurj.org/
Emma, I completely agree that we need to focus more on maintaining an interest in certain causes/issues. With an influx of news stories highlighting injustices around the world, it's easy to replace one cause with the next (more fashionable cause). I love the idea of sharing current organizations that are relevant to the student's interest with them. Activities like mock debates and writing to the local Parks and Recreation department are great ways for students to feel like they have a voice and that their opinion matters. It's easy to get discouraged as adults and feel like you can't make a difference. This is why I love working with kids; they haven't yet been taught all the things that adults think they can't do.
DeleteI really like how you brought up the idea of bringing current events and issues in the community into the classroom. I think that it is vital for educators to be that bridge for students into the world outside of the classroom. As a future teacher, I do feel that it is a responsibility of mine to create an equitable society. However, I feel that it is something that is done with little actions every day in and out of the classroom. I think that by making that goal a passion of mine, it will be displayed in every lesson and activity we do.
ReplyDeleteI am bringing more information on this tomorrow for the news article, but the Bomer and Bomer chapter, as well as your thoughts on the women’s march, bring up the current LA teacher strikes. Teachers are taking a stand for what they believe is right for their students. The motives behind their protests are all to benefit the students, rather than just make teaching easier for them. These teachers are being activist for the students. They are being the voice for the students, and the students respect and appreciate them for it. Just like the woman’s march you attended, these protests involve students. However, instead of the student’s signs being what they want and what they need, they all say ‘we are with the teachers.’ By having the teachers be that role model for the students, the students are then becoming advocates for their own teachers.
Tori- I'm happy you bring up the teacher strikes in LA! While points of protest like that may sometimes hurt because students aren't getting the education they deserve when teachers are walking, the teachers are leading by example and showing students that they can be activists and speak up together to get the resources THEY deserve. Educators can bring these real life experiences into the classroom. The teachers are fighting for child-centered issues like less students in the classroom and more nurses on site and in doing so, and they are also showing their students how with proper organization and media involvement, you can make your voice heard to a large audience.
DeleteIt also makes me think about how students will take a stand themselves when they really find things important like raising their voices in solidarity when a favorite faculty member gets fired over her sexuality. Even though the traditional Catholic values of the school forced the school to push the counselor out of the school, Roncalli High School students made a stand in their own way, by showing pride symbols at football games, and speaking out around school. When we make real, personal connections with our students, we can empower by example. This video honestly made me tear up today when that counselor, Shelly Fitzgerald, got to tell her story on Ellen Degeneres' talk show. You're so right when you say that having teachers (or sometimes counselors) as role models allows students to become advocates for their own teachers. What a great sentiment!
Here's the link to that video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBPG0BexvtY
Addy, thanks for the post! It made me reflect on my educational experience. Looking back, I don’t recall every having any assignments or activities where we talked about how to be an active member of the community when it comes to injustice. It’s good to know that type of behavior is being acknowledged and that students hopefully will know that they too have the ability to be active in the community and fight for what they believe. Similar to your Grandfather, my grandparents have consistent views about our youth and educational system. They believe the table is set and all we need to do is pull up a chair, be nice, listen, and do what you’re told to be successful.
ReplyDeleteYour post stated from Bomer and Bomer that, “there comes a time to stop talking to people inside our own communities and to affect the world outside our usual circles.” I personally feel that this is the hardest thing for any student or adults. We are all creatures of our own habits and it’s hard to go against the current. This could be as simple as taking a different a route to school or complex as to standing up for social justice. Jokingly, we see this in our “self” assigned seats in the classroom. Change is hard and takes constant momentum moving forward in order to work. It’s going to take more educators like us who are aware of these injustices and then make it our responsibility to transform these into the classroom.
I like how Bomer and Bomer referred to teachers as “brokers.” They stated that “A broker, in this sense, is someone who stands at the boundary between two different communities or systems of activity and who actively imports the ways of being and doing of one community into the other (Wenger 1998).” In order for us to be the brokers as Bromer and Bromer puts it, we first have to be active in the community. If we are not active in the community, it will be impossible to translate our activism to our students.
Great post Addy! I really like your statement "What are some ways that we can encourage our students to consider what causes or issues are most important to them? Stimulating critical thinking surrounding history, for instance, could result in a student realizing they are interested in fighting for the rights of historically marginalized groups." I think this is really important because it is easy to just tell our students "this" is important and why, but having them critically think about the issue being discussed and to understand what is happening and why it is happening is crucial. Also, having students consider what causes and issues are important to them is important because the motivation is already there, you just have to guide them into ways they can feel like they are contributing.
ReplyDeleteAnother part of your post that I really liked was the Bomer and Bomer quote "there comes a time to stop talking to people inside our own communities and to affect the world outside our usual circles." I think this is really important because it's easy to think about your own community and circle, but there are so many communities out there that are very similar and very different than our own, that all have their own issues that are important. I think this is one of the bigger problems facing social justice, and if more people would look in more places that aren't their own, they would see how big these issues really are and change could happen faster.
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ReplyDeleteAddy, I really enjoyed your post (especially the Dwight meme)! I particularly enjoyed hearing your ideas for how to implement activism within our classrooms, such as assignments based on the women’s march. I have had a similar experience with my father about today’s youth and highlighting the issues within our school system and how important it is to recognize the injustice that minority students experience through curriculum. While I’m sure times were different and joining the workforce to prove adulthood was necessary back then, it did not set up equal opportunities for all backgrounds and thus created a larger gap that we are still working to close today. I believe being critically conscious is a key element of being a teacher in today’s society in order to benefit all of our students and provide them with the best opportunities for success. As Bomer & Bomer highlighted, not only do we need to recognize the issues within our school system but also be an advocate for these students and set an example by standing up for issues we are passionate about.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, I would say the key to your question about becoming discouraged when we don’t have necessary tools to act is passion and identifying a purpose for your advocacy. I think far too often we see people participating in events such as the women’s march but show little drive afterwards. I think it’s important to show our students the dedication and purpose that accompany our advocacy in order for them to be critically conscious and evaluate their own passions. Students are constantly looking at parents, teachers, and peers for guidance and we must set them up for success by demonstration.
(I knew I was forgetting something. Why am I like this?)
ReplyDeleteAddy, I think many people agree with your grandfather’s position. Unless you are a marginalized person, it is difficult to see social dysfunction because the system works. Some may say the system is broken, but I think it is functioning as intended. The hierarchal social system is designed to perpetuate the status quo by consolidating the power of the dominant group (white, middle class male) at the expense of others (people of color and women). As we have discussed in class, schools are social organizations that transmit the inequities found in broader society. In order to shift the purpose of school from transmitting status quo to transforming it, educators must use culturally relevant pedagogy to empower their students to enact social change.
The news provides many examples of stories that can be used as a springboard for conversations that discuss social inequality in the classroom. Asking students what they think about these stories and how they make them feel is a way to establish the classroom as a safe space for open discourse. Opportunities for discussion will come organically from student concerns and culturally relevant educators must welcome conversations despite any discomfort they may feel about the topic. The first article you linked to offers useful ideas to help facilitate class discussions. The second article you linked to offers guidance for how to handle inevitable pushback. As we have established, relationships with students and their families are critical. Having established relationships fosters trust and provides the foundation for what could be difficult conversations with parents or students that may disagree with your position. I do feel it is the responsibility of teachers to discuss social justice issues with their students because they are going to experience the effects of inequality. They need to be able to engage in critical thinking, so they can identify the sources of their oppression and work to overcome it.