RAFT

            Scenario 1 seemed to me to be one of the most challenging situations. There does seem to be a bit more clarity because there are so many laws in place so some of the reactions from the General Teacher, Special Ed teacher and administrators are regulated by law, but moving within that seems tricky to me. I think the two RAFT statements pretty clearly demonstrate how this situation can be very difficult to handle as the general Ed teacher running the classroom. On the one hand I believe that every student should be allowed the same classroom opportunities, but where is the line if a student can’t handle the classroom setting or is disruptive and hinders others learning? How, as a teacher, do we draw that line when we also want to make sure the person that is struggling overcomes their struggles and learns how behave appropriately? I really like how one group talked about testing, and how before making any quick decisions, we should look at the student who is acting out and try to find a reason for the behavior, and then teach the student different ways of expressing their feelings without hurting others.

            I also think it is an important lesson for the other students in the classroom to understand that not everyone is the same, and many people have different boundaries than we are used to. Getting to work in a classroom with people that have learning disabilities or behavioral differences could be a good way for others to learn how to work with people who have differences. On the other hand, and following with the RAFT of the other group, I can see why a parent would have hesitations about their student being in a classroom with someone that is disruptive. A parent will always be their child’s advocate, as they should be, and in some ways they will have points, especially that just as the boy with learning disabilities deserves an education, so does their child, and combining the two could hurt the learning environment for all. As a teacher it is important to be able to see all sides of the argument, all the different needs that all your students have, and if you are capable of reaching all of your students and creating a positive learning environment with all of the differences.

            Another scenario that I felt would be very difficult to handle was the third scenario. This seemed to be the most confusing, as it contained the most characters. There were so many boundaries that, as a teacher, we would have to make sure we are not crossing. I think the main point I took away from this was to always check the facts. No matter what you heard from one person, as a teacher who is going to make some decisions and actions, we need to make sure that we have all the information before doing so. This situation was also interesting to me because as a teacher, we need to make sure we are being respectful to the student’s wishes, her father’s beliefs, and really understanding where the math teacher was coming from. As I am sure with many issues we will face, there are so many different bases that need to be covered, so many people that need to feel comfortable with the way the situation is being handled. I really liked the way one group wrote their RAFT in a positive way. Instead of writing to the math teacher and asking why the girl wouldn’t be moved up, what his problem is, etc. they very calmly and positively presented the issue at hand and created an open conversation so that they could work together in order to get the student in the right class.

It is clear as teachers we will be dealing with many different situations, and many times all at once, but I believe we must know all sides of the stories, and focus on education and staying positive in order create the best learning environments possible. 

Debate

            I think in most situations it is important to know and understand both sides of an issue. For the obvious reason, I believe it makes a well-rounded person; someone is not so close-minded who can see things from another’s perspective. In education I think it is especially important to understand both sides of an issue because as teachers we play many roles. Teachers are advocates for everyone that comes to talk to them, and in order to best support those that are seeking them out, it is important to know all of the information to best help.

            As teachers we will be working with students, colleagues and parents, all having different opinions about different topics. In my opinion, as an educator we need to listen closely to how every party is feeling and reassure them that what is going on in the classroom is in the best interest of the child or every student. I see the debate over State Testing as a good example of this. This seems to be a very sensitive subject because it is about testing students in a away that many believe is not beneficial or does not allow them to show their knowledge of concepts. As a teacher, we have to support the tests and teach the students what to expect, how to have good test taking skills and get them prepared. Though as teachers we may not agree with the tests and dislike the limitations it places on our teaching, we must support it because it is a requirement. When a parent walks up and wants to talk about the testing and how it is unfair, that the scores misrepresent her child’s achievements, etc. a teacher, no matter what our opinion of the test is, we must be able to support it in front of the mother. We need to know all facts and sides to the debate in order to make the parent feel comfortable with the situation.

            As teachers, we are role models for many in the community. Because of this I feel that many people look to the teachers for advice and guidance in the education sphere, and even out of it sometimes. In order to best guide people, or speak for people, we must know what we are talking about. By knowing all sides to an issue, we are only putting ourselves in the best position to be prepared when others have questions. There are also implications of knowing both sides to a debate considering a diverse classroom environment. In many cases a classroom is going to have a wide range of people with different cultures and languages. As a teacher we need to prepare every student equally. This begins to call into questions Bilingual Education, and how can we teach all students fairly, and does bilingual education take anything away from the classroom, such as delay in one language, or stigmatization, or is it a positive for all students. As a teacher we need to understand all sides to the debate of bilingual education in order to best assess our classroom culture and community and see what they need the most. I believe that understanding both sides to an issue just allows the teacher to be more open-minded when coming across issues. It allows us to be able to decide on the best methods in order to create a good learning environment, and then explain why to those that question. 

"The Class"

            The movie “The Class” presents a very uncomfortable learning environment for the teacher and student. At first glance it seems there is no learning going on because there always seems to be arguments and negative conversations. There is rarely a positive thing said from either student or teacher. Though there is a negative atmosphere created, I would argue that the students are learning how to be non-learners, as Kohl demonstrates in her essay I Won’t Learn From You! The teacher and students have created a culture in their classroom where the students and teacher behave often as if they are on the same level. By creating an environment where the students see themselves as equals to the teacher, they do not see why they must give him the respect that he often demands when he slips out of peer role and into teacher role. 

            While the students were not learning the topic they were there to study, French, they were learning how to not learn. Actions that helped them to not learn French was the teacher behaving like he was one of them. In many instances the teacher would fall into the role as another student in the class, partaking in teasing students, laughing and instigating unnecessary and unproductive arguments. By doing this he is encouraging the behavior of getting off topic and not learning or paying attention to the task at hand. I also believe that while the students get away from their studies, they are learning how to work the culture they have found themselves in. They do not want to study French and show great resistance to the teacher, they have learned how to push the right buttons in order to get off topic. They have learned how to hold true to their identity that they carry with them on the playgroud, in their neighborhood, and in their social groups. They keep this persona in the classroom and fight every moment of the class in order to keep this identity for the other students and their peers.

            Language and culture are obviously a huge part of this classroom and how successful it can be. Working in a classroom that is extremely diverse, you are bound to run into problems of language, words meaning different things to different people, actions portraying different feelings, etc. Delpit talks about this in her introduction in Other People’s Children. She introduces the reader to a few different classrooms where the teacher is different from the new students in her class. The teachers already have poor expectations of the students, and even when they behave the opposite of how the teachers expect, the teachers don’t’ not see it. This seems similar to “The Class” because the expectations the teachers in the entire school have for the children do not allow them to succeed. They are constantly giving negative feedback, and never positive. In one example that the teacher gives positive feedback to Souylamne (?) the boy does not know what to do with it, and only starts putting himself down.

            The language of the classroom is so confused because there does not seem to be clear roles with the students and teacher. Many times the teacher uses foul language, allows the students to use bad words, and then moments later gets mad at them for saying the word again. There are no clear rules which hurts the culture because it seems no one really knows what is expected of them, and the students are able to take control often. It seems to me that boundaries need to be created. Students, as well as teachers, need to understand their role in the environment in order to be able to try and create an environment that will foster the learning of everyone involved. 

"Country of the Blind"

There are many examples culture difference and the boundaries that can be created in H.G wells’ “Country of the Blind” that can be applied to teaching, learning, and the classroom. Throughout the reading I kept coming back to the idea that both parties are essentially blind. As Nunez and the locals in the story continue to fight and not see the other sides’ perspective, they are closing their world and both are blind. This lesson can continue into life, especially in the classroom and in the school community.

            In a classroom everyone does things differently. People answer problems differently, learn at different rates, and move through their day differently. As teachers we need to encourage our students to do things the ways that work for them, and teach all of our students to recognize when other peers are find a different path and allow them to do so.

            I think the story also showed how we do not want to learn, or encourage our students to learn. I felt to me that after Nunez realized he was going to be there, he learned what needed to be done, but not because he wanted to. He lived there only because he had fallen in love and still felt resistance toward the locals. I think that learning should be something someone wants to do. Now, I know our role as teachers is to teach our students, and they may not like the topic, or they feel down and not want to learn at a certain point, and we must continue to teach, but I think there are different ways. The story shows me that when learning, students may learn better and more efficiently when they really want to. This goes back to getting good sleep and eating well throughout the day to be able to focus. But I think it goes deeper, to the fact that as teachers, we need to put things teach in a way that gets the students excited to learn about the topic. For example, when teaching math we can create the problem in ways that allow the students to explore and as question, get excited when they find the right answer, be excited to learn, instead of passing out a handout and asking them to apply an equation to get just one answer.

            “Coutnry of the Blind” has so many different relationships and lessons that can be applied to teaching, learning, and the culture of the classroom, and I think one moral is to open to someone that is different from you in one way or another. When there is acceptance, people can move on and be better people in the culture as well as learn, and work together in a positive way. 

Where I'm From

I'm from fluffy couches and soft blankets
Open doors and fresh air
The smell of the ocean
The sound of the news with dinner cooking in the back

I'm from bike rides and sour grass with my sister
Baseball fields and big brothers
I'm from full days and sleepy nights
From where family is the most important thing

I'm from sadness and loss
The feeling of wanting things to change, and knowing I can't change it
I'm from sickness and saying goodbye to my dad
I'm from tears

I'm from love and strength
Finding myself through impossible times
I am from the belief that you must keep living, day by day