THREE TEACHING TOLERANCE ARTICLE REVIEWS:
Mixing It Up with Purpose by Jennifer Holladay
I chose this article because we have had a “Mix It Up Day” at lunch for the past few years. I believe the meaning it could have for our students is lost. Mixing the kids up doesn’t form new friendships, but forces kids to sit with unfamiliar classmates. Students are given a color paper, and sit at the corresponding color table. They have conversation starters, and teachers sit with at tables with students to help conversation.
I liked the article’s ideas to give more meaning to Mix It Up Day. They suggest playing games before lunch, like two truths and a false statement. If students participate in an activity where they laugh and smile together, it might help form a bond for when students see each other later in the hall or on the bus. They suggested reflecting in writing once they are back in the classroom.
I read 10 Myths About Immigration. I was interested because I teach immigration through Ellis Island to my fourth graders. I also took a history class where I learned about today’s immigrants. Some of this article is deeper than I want to go with my class. It mentions “anchor babies”, children born in the US
Social Diversity: Shouting Across the Divide: What was my plan of action and what did I learn?
1. Encouraged a Vietnamese student and his mom to make a power point about beliefs and culture, and share it. This did not happen, although maybe they will do it if future educators also encourage celebrating heritage.
2. Sherri, a college student from China
3. We used the “First they came…but I didn’t speak out” poem from Abby and wrote our own on the promethean, after much discussion about bullying. This was very effective, and I will use it next year.
4. I shared the picture book and song, “Don’t Laugh at Me”, by Peter, Paul and Mary. This song makes me cry, so I’ve only shared it a year or two. It has a place in the classroom at the beginning of the year when we set up classroom rules and routines, and discuss expectations.
5. We have had numerous classroom discussions about how to behave in school, on the bus, and how to treat others. The Rachel’s Challenge program was successful. With the Peaceful Bus Program, students knew how to “talk the talk”, but so many of them didn’t “walk the walk”. I’m not sure what else needs to happen to make all students feel safe on the bus.
6. Fourth grade teachers instituted a behavior plan/daily slip for the student making racial slurs. He was banned from football at recess. This was effective as long as he was checked on and held accountable.
7. I want to learn more about the Vietnamese culture. During our Heritage Unit in Reading each year, we will choose a heritage to research. This will have the potential for enlightening students that everyone, though we all are different in many ways, have similarities that are very important and worth respect and acknowledgment.
Social Justice Class Discussion, 3/22/2011
Students in my class said they have been picked on because of: size (too small, too large), color of skin, wears glasses, culture (ethnic background), age, gender (girl/boy), clothes, personality, name, where you live, adopted, homeless, new to the district, religion, accent, looks.
OUR SCHOOL IS TRYING:
Peaceful School Bus
Rachel’s Challenge
Friendship Groups/Girls Groups
KC Club (Acts of Kindness Chain, 100 Day Food Drive)
Morning Meeting/Responsive Classroom
Read to Feed
Earth Day activities like picking up trash
Giving Tree – Donations at Christmas
Mix It Up Day at lunch
Climb Theater at Gr. 3 – Anti-bullying interactive (7 rooms for $500.00)
New Student Groups at the beginning of the year.
Bullying – pick on others because of a lack within, to raise their standing.
Bystanders – help to give the bully more power
Ethical Behavior:
Do your students understand the idea of sticking up for what is right, even if it doesn't appear to have a direct effect on them? One activity to have students really connect to the meaning is to have them write their own "First they came for the. . . but I didn't speak out" poem. (Read below.)
The following quote is by Martin Niemöller, a prominent Protestant pastor who opposed the Nazi regime.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Socialist.
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Jew.
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.
I created a promethean and we filled in the poem with labels the students could relate to. A fellow teacher also used the promethean with her class to assist students with the ability to stand up for others.
Social
Justice
Do you practice
social justice?
Is your behavior
ethical?
Martin Niemoller, a prominent Protestant pastor, opposed the Nazi regime.
"First they came…" is a famous statement attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group. The text of the quotation is usually presented roughly as follows:
First they came for the Communists,
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists,
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me --
and there was no one left to speak for me.
Think about who gets "picked on" in our school. What would your poem look like if you thought of "they" in the poem as the bully.
First the bully came for _____________________,
and I did not speak out --
because I was not _________________________.
Then the bully came for ____________________,
and I did not speak out --
because I was not _________________________.
Then the bully came for ___________________,
and I did not speak out --
because I was not _________________________.
Then the bully came for me --
and there was no one left to speak for me.
What are
YOU
willing to do to promote
Social Justice?
August 28, 2011 Single Story Assignment
August 28, 2011 Single Story Assignment
One way I will address the single story is in Wisconsin History. We learn about Native Americans, Fur Traders and Trappers, Miners, Pioneers, Farmers, and more. One year on the history test I asked students to describe Native Americans a long time ago, and today. Some students put the same answer for both responses and I wondered how this misconception could have happened. My goal will be to address each of these groups of people as they were, but also as they are today. I will use books from the library or other sources to address how tools, homes and people have changed through the years.
Fall, 2011
Making Numbers Count Teaching Tolerance, Number 33: Spring 2008
I so liked this article that I’ve just copied what I didn’t think I could as well summarize.
“Social justice issues have long had a strong presence in some content areas. History is often a chronicle of the struggle for peace and equity. In English, students can discover how language can be a catalyst for change, can bring clarity to protests against injustice and can enhance healing and reconciliation through authentic dialogue. Likewise, art and music are often tools with which social justice activists communicate critical issues.”
“But math? Absolutely.”…. “It's called social justice math.”
“Jonathan Osler, high school math coach and founder of Radicalmath.org, a Web site dedicated to integrating issues of political, economic and social justice into mathematics classes, says the concept pairs two key ideas. The first is indebted to the Algebra Project developed by Bob Moses that seeks to increase success in math for students of color and those disadvantaged by poverty. "It's a critical issue for all students to have a quality education," Osler says. "We want students of color to be math majors in college and go into math fields professionally." Secondly, Osler says, "It is a social justice issue. I feel like many, if not all, socio-economic issues can be better understood through a mathematical lens. And these issues are right in students' neighborhoods."
“For Osler, putting mathematics into a context of the social fabric actually makes it more relevant for students, and thus more likely to resonate.”
“Statistics takes on a whole new meaning to students when you connect it to their lives. For instance, one in four girls and one in six boys will be abused before the age of 18. The median age is 9. Forty percent of victims are abused by a family member and 50 percent by someone the family knows. That means that only 10 percent of abuse is stranger abuse." Wayne watches the girls walk away. "Numbers matter in my math class and, trust me, I have students' attention."
Will using social justice issues in math class help students connect to the learning? Would this be easy to incorporate into your content area of Math/English/Social Studies/Music? Would it be worthwhile? Would the statistics/social justice issues students studied be different in rural and urban schools? What are your thoughts on this?
Making Numbers Count Teaching Tolerance, Number 33: Spring 2008
I so liked this article that I’ve just copied what I didn’t think I could as well summarize.
“Social justice issues have long had a strong presence in some content areas. History is often a chronicle of the struggle for peace and equity. In English, students can discover how language can be a catalyst for change, can bring clarity to protests against injustice and can enhance healing and reconciliation through authentic dialogue. Likewise, art and music are often tools with which social justice activists communicate critical issues.”
“But math? Absolutely.”…. “It's called social justice math.”
“Jonathan Osler, high school math coach and founder of Radicalmath.org, a Web site dedicated to integrating issues of political, economic and social justice into mathematics classes, says the concept pairs two key ideas. The first is indebted to the Algebra Project developed by Bob Moses that seeks to increase success in math for students of color and those disadvantaged by poverty. "It's a critical issue for all students to have a quality education," Osler says. "We want students of color to be math majors in college and go into math fields professionally." Secondly, Osler says, "It is a social justice issue. I feel like many, if not all, socio-economic issues can be better understood through a mathematical lens. And these issues are right in students' neighborhoods."
“For Osler, putting mathematics into a context of the social fabric actually makes it more relevant for students, and thus more likely to resonate.”
“Statistics takes on a whole new meaning to students when you connect it to their lives. For instance, one in four girls and one in six boys will be abused before the age of 18. The median age is 9. Forty percent of victims are abused by a family member and 50 percent by someone the family knows. That means that only 10 percent of abuse is stranger abuse." Wayne watches the girls walk away. "Numbers matter in my math class and, trust me, I have students' attention."
Will using social justice issues in math class help students connect to the learning? Would this be easy to incorporate into your content area of Math/English/Social Studies/Music? Would it be worthwhile? Would the statistics/social justice issues students studied be different in rural and urban schools? What are your thoughts on this?
Teaching Tolerance Magazine Review, October 2011
I read "Bully at the Blackboard" by Darlene Koenig & Roslyn Hester Daniels, from the Fall, 2011 issue of Teaching Tolerance. This article talks about two types of bullying by teachers. One is the power-dominant bully, who intentionally belittles or humiliates students. It could include name-calling, intimidation, or stereo-typing students based on race, gender or other differences the teacher perceives. These teachers may use sarcasm when passing back papers. The second type of teacher bully is the power-lax bully, and is more passive, lacking the skills or willingness to manage a classroom effectively. This teacher is more apt to send students to the principal and is absent more often.
The best lines in the article for me were "if you were to see bullying as a process, not a person, then your whole approach would change. There will always be new teachers, new students, and new situations." I like this line, because no matter how we try to eradicate bullying, it exists, may always exist, and therefore will always need to be dealt with. I agree more and more with the idea that to be the best teacher I can be, I have to be well-rested and taken care of so I can take care of others well.
Were you ever bullied by a teacher, or ever observe a teacher bully? What did you do? What would you do now if you knew a teacher in your building was a bully?
Concerted Cultivation (taken from another source)
Pros
•Confidence in social interactions
•Develop and value individualized sense of self
•Extensive experience with adults
Cons
•Hectic family schedules
•Everyone in family may seem exhausted
•More time consuming and tiring for the parents
•Children talk back to their parents
Language
*steady stream of speech, interrupted by periods of silence
*talking fosters development of child’s knowledge and opinion
*parent-child dialogues boost vocabulary, preview or deepen knowledge of subjects taught in schools, familiarize child with patterns of verbal interaction that is in classrooms or other organizational settings
*children are conversation partners for adults
*adults talk to child as an infant, even pausing for response
*language is a function
*whining is pervasive
*transmission of exceptional verbal skills
*reasoning skills gained can be exhausting to parents and lead to child challenging and even rejecting parental authority
*receive benefits for future reasoning and negotiating skills
*interactions verbally summarize, highlight important details, clarify and amplify information
*extensive reasoning, asking questions, probing assertions, listening to answers
The United States today places a premium on assertive, individualized actions executed by persons who command skills in reasoning and negatiation.
- Children of working and poor class families are able to see a clear boundary between adults and children. Parents will tell their children directives instead of persuading them with reasoning. Children in these groups are also in more control of their leisure activities. They tend to play with friends and relatives that live close by. Parents in these groups bring their children up in an accomplishment of natural growth. In a natural growth environment, there are daily interactions with kin, child-initiated play, long stretches of leisure time, and clear boundaries.
Natural Growth (taken from another source)
Pros
•Less time and effort on the parts of the parents
•Respectful and Obedient to Adults
•Siblings get along better
•Less whining and badgering
Cons
•Lack the language skills needed to assert opinions
•Emergence of a sense of constraint
*More distanced from educators
Language
*periods of silence, punctuated by speech
*parents talk about the children, but don’t behave as if infants and young children are viable conversation partners
*language as an end to itself
*whining is rare
*less experience negotiating with adults
For the Poor:
*public assistance doesn’t cover minimum costs of raising children
*social resources are insufficient, bureaucratic, slow working and stigmatized.
*the lack of economic resources make almost every aspect of daily life more complicated and stressful than it is for middle-class (or even working class) families
Fourth Semester, 2012
During roller skating in Phy Ed athletic students were skating over a physically challenged student. We wrote a "looks like" "sounds like" poster, and the students carried it to class and back again. We had heads down votes, and more discussions about caring about others, and not just ourselves. I feel that Responsive Classroom and Social Justice work very well together. We are also going back to the rules we wrote as a class at the beginning of the year, and rereading them when necessary.
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio - I am reading this book about a boy with a malformed face, and how others learn to overlook his looks to see the great kid inside.
Ubuntu! - I copied phrases from the book and posted them by our classroom rules in the front of the room. We end our morning pledge with "Ubuntu!" We are all in this together. I am realizing that we need to go over the rules and give reminders throughout the course of the year.
Junkyard Wonders, by Polacco - I shared this book with my students. It is about the author's childhood. She was in a special education classroom due to troubles with reading. She had a teacher who believed in her students. It is a great story to share because it teaches students not to judge others.
Whoever You Are, by Mem Fox - I read this to my students. The book talks about how we may all live in different homes, different families, have different colored skin or look different, but we all feel the same and have the same joys, laughs, tears, and hopes.
Clotee, The Diary of a Slave Girl - This book supplements my History teaching on the Civil War. It shows the treatment of slaves. Students are impacted when they find out the parents could be separated from the children, the children don't know when their birthday is, they are not taught to read, write, or swim, and their name may have been given to them by their master.
Update of Growth:
I now know what social justice is, and have done my best to share resources with others about social justice issues. I will continue to grow the read aloud list I use in my classroom for social justice issues, as these are the heart of teaching compassion, empathy, tolerance, and eliminating bullying and other behaviors.
Check-In - Due to complaints of classmates getting hurt in Physical Education class and complaints on the bus, I ran a check-in activity. Students put their heads down, and when I went through the class list, raised their hands if they know that person named had difficulty being a kind friend. If 3 or more hands went up, I followed up with the student at recess. This helped to curb the negative behaviors.
I read "Bully at the Blackboard" by Darlene Koenig & Roslyn Hester Daniels, from the Fall, 2011 issue of Teaching Tolerance. This article talks about two types of bullying by teachers. One is the power-dominant bully, who intentionally belittles or humiliates students. It could include name-calling, intimidation, or stereo-typing students based on race, gender or other differences the teacher perceives. These teachers may use sarcasm when passing back papers. The second type of teacher bully is the power-lax bully, and is more passive, lacking the skills or willingness to manage a classroom effectively. This teacher is more apt to send students to the principal and is absent more often.
The best lines in the article for me were "if you were to see bullying as a process, not a person, then your whole approach would change. There will always be new teachers, new students, and new situations." I like this line, because no matter how we try to eradicate bullying, it exists, may always exist, and therefore will always need to be dealt with. I agree more and more with the idea that to be the best teacher I can be, I have to be well-rested and taken care of so I can take care of others well.
Were you ever bullied by a teacher, or ever observe a teacher bully? What did you do? What would you do now if you knew a teacher in your building was a bully?
My Action Plan for 11/7-11/11, 2011
Democracy, Diversity and Social Justice in Education III:
Reason for Lesson:
Some students in my class show little interest in my learning disabled student who comes from Guatemala and has expressive language and processing problems. Several of my students were overheard (by another student) making negative comments about a substitute teacher who is overweight. Three of my boys are physically able in football, and academically pretty solid. They are quick to deny any wrong-doing of their own. I have not seen any compassion or empathy from them toward others. This four day lesson is designed for awareness of our own behaviors and the differences that make us all unique and valued.
Day 1: Promethean, Student Worksheet
1. Students define “diversity”, and talk about it in relationship to animals and then in each other. Use butterfly poster entitled “Diversity Creates Dimension in our World” or “Everyone Matters”.
2. Students will list 10 ways they may be the same or different from other students in the classroom. Include ideas like “How many in your family?” “Where you’ve been on vacation” “Your favorite food” “Your favorite team”, etc.
3. Teacher collects these and makes a list of “That’s Me” statements from these.
Day 2: Promethean, Journal
4. Class plays the game, “That’s Me”.
5. Class discusses ways it is good we are not all alike. Journal response.
6. Students journal one way they are different from everyone else, and comment how that can be a good thing. (save)
7. Teacher introduces students to the Social Justice Flipchart.
8. Discuss all the ways people are different from each other.
Day 3: Promethean, Social Justice Poem Worksheet
9. Students write their own Social Justice Poem. Share if desired.
10. Teacher Shares names of famous people who were once learning disabled.
11. Have a class discussion. Students may journal their thoughts/reactions.
Day 4: Promethean, Book, Construction Paper for Names, (Journal Writing or Poem to put on a Bulletin Board)
12. Teacher reads The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco to students.
13. Class discussion.
14. Students make a bulletin board entitled, “Diversity Creates Dimension in our World”. Each student cuts out their name in block or puffy lettering, and puts their journal writing or social justice poem under their name.
Social Justice Poem by _________________________
Date _________________________
First the bully came for _______________________,
and I did not speak out…
because I was not ______________________.
Then the bully came for _____________________________,
and I did not speak out…
because I was not _________________________________.
because I was not _________________________________.
Then the bully came for _____________________________,
and I did not speak out…
because I was not _________________________________.
Then the bully came for me…
and there was no one left to speak for me.
Answer these questions about yourself! Questions/Answers for "That's Me"
1. My favorite food is ____________________________.
2. My favorite football team is __________________________________.
3. I go to school at _____________________.
4. I am in ________________ grade.
5. There are _____________ people in my family living at my house.
6. I have been to ______________________________________ on vacation.
7. My favorite color is ______________________________.
8. I’ve lived in Osceola all of my life. Circle: Yes No
9. My favorite special is __________________________________.
10. One of my favorite actors/actresses is _________________________.
11. One of my favorite movies is _________________________________.
12. My favorite color is ____________________________________.
13. My favorite candy is ________________________________.
14. I like the holiday ____________________________________________.
15. My birthday is in the month of _____________________________.
16. The number of the day I was born on is _________________________.
17. I have a ________________________________for a pet at home.
18. A restaurant I like to eat at is _________________________________.
Tell two more things about yourself!
19.________________________________________________________
20._______________________________________________________
Unequal Childhoods, pages 82-133 Summary
Middle Class
Parents
*preoccupied with children’s lives
*increase pressure on children to succeed;
*more labor intensive to before/after school activities
*assist students in figuring out homework
*sense of obligation to cultivate their child; child seen as a project
*watch, evaluate and encourage children’s at home performances with board games, word games, engage in backyard sports, help with projects
*make accomodations to their schedules to accommodate extra curricular activities of child
*freely share laughter, language, affection, reasoning, negotiation
*in matters of health and safety directives are given ( not reasoned)
*may explain directive; may offer choices for decisions
Children
*entitled to have adult focus; believe or sense they are special, opinions matter, adults should adjust routines
*the act of interrupting a person of authority is a display of entitlement
*organized play, which leads to less creativity and spontaneity
Language
*steady stream of speech, interrupted by periods of silence
*talking fosters development of child’s knowledge and opinion
*parent-child dialogues boost vocabulary, preview or deepen knowledge of subjects taught in schools, familiarize child with patterns of verbal interaction that is in classrooms or other organizational settings
*children are conversation partners for adults
*adults talk to child as an infant, even pausing for response
*language is a function
*whining is pervasive
*transmission of exceptional verbal skills
*reasoning skills gained can be exhausting to parents and lead to child challenging and even rejecting parental authority
*receive benefits for future reasoning and negotiating skills
*interactions verbally summarize, highlight important details, clarify and amplify information
*extensive reasoning, asking questions, probing assertions, listening to answer
Poor and Working Class
Parents
*decline attention to child’s activities
*more labor involved in transportation (bus) and limited $ resources
*parents give answers when helping with homework or doesn’t check it over
*doesn’t see nurturing creative talent as their responsibility
*can have poor living conditions (roaches), transportation problems, broken appliances, leaky plumbing
*separation between their world and their child’s world
*belief that the children will thrive naturally
Children
*accept parents’ decisions silently
*not trained to see themselves as special and worthy
*sense of constraint
*please themselves in play (more creative, spontaneous, enjoyment, initiative)
*no rules regarding TV
*very aware of money problems
*perform for the adults but get no attention
*can miss school if they have no clean clothes
Language
*periods of silence, punctuated by speech
*parents talk about the children, but don’t behave as if infants and young children are viable conversation partners
*language as an end to itself
*whining is rare
*less experience negotiating with adults
For the Poor:
*public assistance doesn’t cover minimum costs of raising children
*social resources are insufficient, bureaucratic, slow working and stigmatized.
*the lack of economic resources make almost every aspect of daily life more complicated and stressful than it is for middle-class (or even working class) families
U.S. Today: places a premium on assertive, individualized actions executed by persons who command skills in reasoning and negatiation
Third Semester:
Community Discussion/Presentation During December Weekend:
Format: We will be sitting in a circle as a community. Community members will have to wait at least ten seconds prior to responding to a question to give time for reflection and framing of responses. The names listed next to each question will be the people in charge of facilitating the discussion. The poor/working class facilitators/advocates are: Karen Ha, Amanda, Rick. The middle class facilitators/advocates are: Tabetha, Janet, Tony. The purpose of the advocates is to bring up key nuggets from our readings that are of importance. Key nuggets will be listed in blue (poor/working class) and red (middle class) following the questions (if applicable).
Questions:
a.) What does the middle class look like? Follow up: What does the poor/working class look like?( Karen/Tabetha) Middle class- organized activities that are established and controlled by parents Poor/working- have clear boundaries between adults and children, have daily interactions with kin, child initiated play, and long stretches of leisure time
b.) What assumptions do you make based on students behavior/attitude in class?(Rick/Tony)
a.) What does the middle class look like? Follow up: What does the poor/working class look like?( Karen/Tabetha) Middle class- organized activities that are established and controlled by parents Poor/working- have clear boundaries between adults and children, have daily interactions with kin, child initiated play, and long stretches of leisure time
b.) What assumptions do you make based on students behavior/attitude in class?(Rick/Tony)
c.) Do you treat students differently (un/intentionally) knowing their home lives? Follow up: Should you? What unintended effects can this have? (Karen/Tabetha) favoritism, some might have unequal opportunities for verbal interactions with adults
d.) What can we do with all of our students to develop more critical thinking and deepen communication skills and vocabulary so that our students do not feel intimidated at places such as the doctor's office? (Amanda/Janet) middle class children advocate for themselves Group students across socioeconomic boundaries so they can learn interactions from more skilled students, rincorporate writing opportunities across curricular areas,
e.) What expectations should we have for our students in terms of completing tasks outside of school time? (Rick/Tony) Working class/ poor parents do not monitor homework many activities outside of school in middle class
f.) When a student misbehaves, do you see this as something that has been "trained" (whining, aggression) therefore, is it a behavior that needs to be "retrained"? Follow up: Do you see that as part of your job?(Karen/Tabetha)
g.) Are there things you do to level the playing field in the classroom for those who are skilled at dialogue and other verbal and behavioral advantages?(Amanda/Janet) middle class parent-child dialogues boost vocabulary, preview or deepen knowledge of subjects taught in schools, familiarize child with patterns of verbal interaction that is in classrooms or other organizational settings Might not be able to level the playing field in these areas, but work to develop skills. Poor/Working class students can be more spontaneous and creative, so challenge the middle class with activities that have these components.
h.) How do we encourage middle class students to engage in free and creative play? (Rick/Tony) may not feel comfortable engaging in spontaneous/creative play,
i.) How do we encourage parents of all classes to engage in 2-way communication with their child’s school? Are there options for differentiation? (Karen/Tabetha) Middle class parents are often overinvolved in school life, while working class/poor parents have little involvement, projects that are assigned and worked on only at school (parent won’t have access to help)
i.) How do we encourage parents of all classes to engage in 2-way communication with their child’s school? Are there options for differentiation? (Karen/Tabetha) Middle class parents are often overinvolved in school life, while working class/poor parents have little involvement, projects that are assigned and worked on only at school (parent won’t have access to help)
Middle Class
- Organized activities, established and controlled by parents, dominate the lives of middle class children. The families are often on the go and parents schedules are formed around the children's activities. Middle class children also learn to question adults and address them as relative equals. They are brought up in a concerted cultivation environment.
Parents
*preoccupied with children’s lives
*increase pressure on children to succeed;
*more labor intensive to before/after school activities
*assist students in figuring out homework
*sense of obligation to cultivate their child; child seen as a project
*watch, evaluate and encourage children’s at home performances with board games, word games, engage in backyard sports, help with projects
*make accomodations to their schedules to accommodate extra curricular activities of child
*freely share laughter, language, affection, reasoning, negotiation
*in matters of health and safety directives are given ( not reasoned)
*may explain directive; may offer choices for decisions
Children
*entitled to have adult focus; believe or sense they are special, opinions matter, adults should adjust routines
*the act of interrupting a person of authority is a display of entitlement
*organized play, which leads to less creativity and spontaneity
Concerted Cultivation (taken from another source)
Pros
•Confidence in social interactions
•Develop and value individualized sense of self
•Extensive experience with adults
Cons
•Hectic family schedules
•Everyone in family may seem exhausted
•More time consuming and tiring for the parents
•Children talk back to their parents
Language
*steady stream of speech, interrupted by periods of silence
*talking fosters development of child’s knowledge and opinion
*parent-child dialogues boost vocabulary, preview or deepen knowledge of subjects taught in schools, familiarize child with patterns of verbal interaction that is in classrooms or other organizational settings
*children are conversation partners for adults
*adults talk to child as an infant, even pausing for response
*language is a function
*whining is pervasive
*transmission of exceptional verbal skills
*reasoning skills gained can be exhausting to parents and lead to child challenging and even rejecting parental authority
*receive benefits for future reasoning and negotiating skills
*interactions verbally summarize, highlight important details, clarify and amplify information
*extensive reasoning, asking questions, probing assertions, listening to answers
The United States today places a premium on assertive, individualized actions executed by persons who command skills in reasoning and negatiation.
There is generally more talking in a middle class family. This typically lead to development of greater verbal agility, larger vocabulary, more comfort with authority figures, and more familiarity with abstract concepts.
-have connections with many other friends who are professionals such as educators, doctors, lawyers, and others
-more likely to request teachers for their children
-parents often complain or try to intervene in the classroom.
- Organization of daily life
- children learn to work as a team,
- interact with many different people (including adults),
- perform in public
- aquire skills (conversation skills?)
- develop "mentally toughness"
- exposed to many situations that others are not- staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, traveling, attending camp
- more difficult time adjusting to non-structured time, building strong and positive bonds with siblings
- feel a sense of entitlement
- not as connected to their extended family
- learn to speak up for themselves
- parents need to rearrange their schedules to be more available for their children
- schedules revolve around activities of the children
- family (including extended family) is extremely important, and takes priority over nearly anything else (ex: a cousin’s first communion may be more important than something school related, work related, or even more distant family-related)
Working/Poor Class
Parents
*decline attention to child’s activities
*more labor involved in transportation (bus) and limited $ resources
*parents give answers when helping with homework or doesn’t check it over
*doesn’t see nurturing creative talent as their responsibility
*can have poor living conditions (roaches), transportation problems, broken appliances, leaky plumbing
*separation between their world and their child’s world
*belief that the children will thrive naturally
*generally deferential to schools, regards them as “the professionals”
- Children of working and poor class families are able to see a clear boundary between adults and children. Parents will tell their children directives instead of persuading them with reasoning. Children in these groups are also in more control of their leisure activities. They tend to play with friends and relatives that live close by. Parents in these groups bring their children up in an accomplishment of natural growth. In a natural growth environment, there are daily interactions with kin, child-initiated play, long stretches of leisure time, and clear boundaries.
Natural Growth (taken from another source)
Pros
•Less time and effort on the parts of the parents
•Respectful and Obedient to Adults
•Siblings get along better
•Less whining and badgering
Cons
•Lack the language skills needed to assert opinions
•Emergence of a sense of constraint
*More distanced from educators
- Organization of daily life
- much more unstructured time and learn to amuse and entertain themselves
- often forge strong bonds with siblings, extended family, and neighbors
- learn how to strategize and negotiate through experience
- learn to improvise and be creative through independent play
- have more difficulty conforming to set schedules
- don't learn a lot of the "bureaucratic training" that middle class children do
- expect much less adult involvement or assistance in their activities
- more likely to hear conversations about money at home.
- tend to remain quiet when questioned by esteemed adults/professionals
- Children
- *accept parents’ decisions silently
- *not trained to see themselves as special and worthy
- *sense of constraint
- *please themselves in play (more creative, spontaneous, enjoyment, initiative)
- *no rules regarding TV
- *very aware of money problems
- *perform for the adults but get no attention
- *can miss school if they have no clean clothes
Language
*periods of silence, punctuated by speech
*parents talk about the children, but don’t behave as if infants and young children are viable conversation partners
*language as an end to itself
*whining is rare
*less experience negotiating with adults
For the Poor:
*public assistance doesn’t cover minimum costs of raising children
*social resources are insufficient, bureaucratic, slow working and stigmatized.
*the lack of economic resources make almost every aspect of daily life more complicated and stressful than it is for middle-class (or even working class) families
Fourth Semester, 2012
During roller skating in Phy Ed athletic students were skating over a physically challenged student. We wrote a "looks like" "sounds like" poster, and the students carried it to class and back again. We had heads down votes, and more discussions about caring about others, and not just ourselves. I feel that Responsive Classroom and Social Justice work very well together. We are also going back to the rules we wrote as a class at the beginning of the year, and rereading them when necessary.
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio - I am reading this book about a boy with a malformed face, and how others learn to overlook his looks to see the great kid inside.
Ubuntu! - I copied phrases from the book and posted them by our classroom rules in the front of the room. We end our morning pledge with "Ubuntu!" We are all in this together. I am realizing that we need to go over the rules and give reminders throughout the course of the year.
Junkyard Wonders, by Polacco - I shared this book with my students. It is about the author's childhood. She was in a special education classroom due to troubles with reading. She had a teacher who believed in her students. It is a great story to share because it teaches students not to judge others.
Whoever You Are, by Mem Fox - I read this to my students. The book talks about how we may all live in different homes, different families, have different colored skin or look different, but we all feel the same and have the same joys, laughs, tears, and hopes.
Clotee, The Diary of a Slave Girl - This book supplements my History teaching on the Civil War. It shows the treatment of slaves. Students are impacted when they find out the parents could be separated from the children, the children don't know when their birthday is, they are not taught to read, write, or swim, and their name may have been given to them by their master.
Update of Growth:
I now know what social justice is, and have done my best to share resources with others about social justice issues. I will continue to grow the read aloud list I use in my classroom for social justice issues, as these are the heart of teaching compassion, empathy, tolerance, and eliminating bullying and other behaviors.
Check-In - Due to complaints of classmates getting hurt in Physical Education class and complaints on the bus, I ran a check-in activity. Students put their heads down, and when I went through the class list, raised their hands if they know that person named had difficulty being a kind friend. If 3 or more hands went up, I followed up with the student at recess. This helped to curb the negative behaviors.
