Put Me in Coach...I'm Ready to Teach!

So I recently started a new job at a toxicology lab, and my overarching desire for a career that involves helping real people in real social contexts is reiterated in my head several times a day. I studied biology in college and for a long time believed that I wanted to be a scientist. Now that my job involves biology in it's rawest sense, including the euthanasia and necropsy of test animals; I have gotten a better glimpse of how I understand my content area as well as how I will pass that understanding on to my future students.

Don't get me wrong, I am still a science nerd, and wearing a lab coat and PPE (personal protective equipment) makes me feel quite important. My scientific knowledge and course work from college has been very relevant to what goes on daily at my job, but each day I leave feeling both satisfied and completely unsatisfied. (Not to mention, I am an animal lover and the things I've seen are, well, not too pretty...believe me, you don't want to know.) I love science, but I love it in a way that makes me want to make others love it too. That is not to say that I do not respect it in its own right, I just feel that this job has shown me that I cannot sit at a lab bench all day dissecting rats. To me, human interaction must be the essential part of my future profession rather than a mere consequence of my job.

Teaching is the best of both worlds in this sense. Not only do I get to continue learning and discuss scientific topics daily, but I also get to show others the beauty I see in science. Along the way, I can educate and influence my students in meaningful ways that go far beyond the topic of biology. I know that seems corny and "pie in the sky", but after coming home from a long day of seeing the insides of animals, it sounds damn good to me. In fact, I am smiling right now.

I am elated at the fact that soon I will be out of the lab and into the classroom. I think that is where my real career path will begin. Unfortunately, as for now I am in desperate need of both a salary as well as medical benefits, so as for now it looks like I will be returning to work tomorrow.

Collaging my Culture

As I have already stated in previous blogs, I choose to look at the term "culture" in less static, bounded terms and rather see it as signifying a sense of fluidity; a constantly shifting entity that is difficult to define due to its very nature. I think it is very important to remember that every person has their own, unique, culture that is forever a part of their past and present, even if they cannot quite describe what that culture is. We are social beings, we learn behaviors, social expectations, and even our biases and prejudices through our cultural systems; a process that is perpetual.

In class, we made culture collages, and what I found most interesting, besides getting an inside look at people who I knew previously from mainly what was on their outside, was the choices people made with their collages. To me, seeing what people chose to include and also what to leave out, and even where and how they arranged their items, was very telling. Every item found on our collages was strategically placed; motivated by some choice or decision, whether conscious or not. This is really interesting data for a teacher because it shows the many ways that people interpret, plan, and overall, act as their own agents. Even though we were all given the same task, we are individual actors, and we made our collages not only for ourselves, but also with the knowledge that we would be making them for others to view.

For some the assignment was fun and interesting, while for others it was painful. Even this is interesting for a future teacher to realize. You never know what information or assignments may tap in to your students' own personal feelings and may trigger emotions and feelings that the students would rather not deal with. For me, the assignment was important and necessary none the less. It allowed me to personally see what I "carry" daily with me, and also forced me to realize that others also "carry" their own very different collages.

I feel a heightened sense of awareness of the presence of both my unique outlook and cultural experiences as well as those of every other human being around me. This level of sensitivity not only needs to be upheld and honored as a future teacher, but it can also be a very valuable tool. It can help in generating new models for teaching, especially for those who may not share anything in common with the images and texts that appeared on my own collage. By making my own collage as well as examining and understanding others, I got to experience a shifting of perspective that I hope to continually reference and refer back to both in my teaching as well as in my everyday understandings of the world and the individuals that inhabit it.

Awakening Class Consciousness in Teachers

While reading Annette Lareau's "Unequal Childhoods" I constantly find myself asking the same questions. Lareau makes clear that class differences have a concrete effect on parent's child rearing practices, which in turn effects how students learn to interact with and in turn what they expect from the institution (the school). Why do these inequalities remain subverted? How can we change the current situation which places poor and working class children at a disadvantage and leaves them ill prepared in an institutional setting?

Lareau gives solid evidence of the different child rearing practices, contrasting middle class strategies as opposed to poor and working class strategies; the latter can be grouped together as they are very similar in their attitude towards children and their role in the household. While in poor and working class homes, children's lives are seen as distinct and seperate from adult's lives, in middle class homes, children see themselves as equal to adults and acquire a sense of importance. They feel that their parents are obliged to cater to their every want and need, even if that means adjusting and/or making sacrifices in their own lives.

Lareau assesses the costs and benefits of each strategy, and her bottom line is that middle class children gain a sense of entitlement, as if something is owed to them, due to the ways in which their parents speak to them as well as cater to their needs, a practice which Lareau coins as "concerted cultivation". They learn how to negotiate and verbally interact with adults, while poor and working class children do not gain the same social "capital". However, Lareau is careful to point out that their are many benefits to the poor and working class strategies as well, including the fact that children are more respectful of adults and more appreciative and connected to their families, as well as that children have a chance to be creative and make meaningful decisions about their own lives.

In a perfect world, all ways of interacting and speaking would be appreciated, respected, and seen as equal. All kids would be on an equal playing field due to the very fact that they are humans and have culture, thus are taught how to behave and act by the larger society. Unfortunately, institutions place a value on a specific way of interacting and speaking. The institution ascribes to a set of norms and standards that it expects people to conform to. Therefore, students (middle class) that are taught and get practice behaving in a manner that aligns itself with the hierarchical value system of the institution are at an advantage to those that are not taught these behaviors (poor/working class). Lareau makes this point beautifully when she says that "it is the specific ways that institutions function that ends up conveying advantages to middle class children" (p. 160). Lareau is saying that in reality, both child rearing methods have their costs and benefits, but in the eyes of the institution, the middle class practice is the practice is the one that aligns itself with the institution, thus gives middle class children an advantage over poor and working class children.

How do we enact a change in this inequality? To me their are several options. Changing the institution and its expectations may seem to be the most obvious, but institutions are powerful and serve the interests of those in power, thus can be difficult to change. As teachers, we do have the ability to change the way things function within the institution itself. I believe that by educating teachers as to first,the existence of class (a notion that many Americans do not like to admit to) , and second, the distinctions in child raising that Lareau points out between classes, teachers can begin to change the current disparity.

By being aware of class and its manifestations in the classroom, teachers can become sensitive to those students who have not grown up in a setting that prepares them for success in the classroom, and beyond, teachers can educate those students on what it takes to be successful in the face of the institution. This education will not only help poor and working class children be successful in school, but will also give them the necessary skills for continued success in the future, as interaction with institutions will always be a critical part of their lives. It determines their future jobs, where they live, and what resources they and their families will have access to.

Teachers are powerful. That power vested in the right place with sensitivity and creativity can drastically change the lives and futures of children. In order to change the current situation of inequality in the classroom that to me equates to inequality in life, teachers need to be aware of class and its manifestations. They need act as agents of change for their children who lack the social capital required for success in today's world. This means giving them an education that is academic as well as once that prepares them to negotiate and act as their own agents in the face of the institution.

The Perks of Breaking Your Leg

After a few days of moping around and feeling sorry for myself as I hopped along on my crutches, I realized that breaking your leg is not all bad. My pity party ends here. In fact, I can think of many things that I've actually enjoyed about the whole ordeal, however masochistic that may sound.
I recently fractured my tibia playing in what will probably go down as my last soccer game ever (I've already had two other major knee surgeries as a result of the game). I think I am finally going to take the hint that my body has been rather nonchalantly dropping on me over the years and hang my jersey up on the wall; at least end my career as a player and look for other opportunities through which I can still be involved in the game. Anyway, here are some of the great and some not so great situations that breaking a vital appendage such as your leg can bring about....

Pluses:

1. Copious amounts of time to read, as well as search the internet and watch youtube videos. I have found some really terrible stuff, as well as some stuff that I find rather amusing. For those of you who like political satire, watch this: I'm Voting Republican
2. Sitting down in the shower...this adds a whole other level of unwinding and relaxation to the experience
3. Coming up with new ways for to carry stuff. I have found some very creative ways to transport the necessities to my life, and by that, I mean mainly my multiple cups of coffee in the morning
4. Getting an insider's look at what it is my dogs really do all day....survey says, sleep, bark, and then sleep some more as barking can be quite tiring
   

5. Getting some much needed cuddle time with my cat. He has a 6th sense that can tell when you don't feel well, and he makes sure to stand guard at your side

Minuses:

1. Having someone follow you to the bathroom in your own home and shut the door behind you. Quite an awkward moment, no matter how many times it happens.
2. Listening to your neighbor from 8 AM to about 12, leaf blow, weed wack, mow, plant, reap, sow, and do god knows what else to his front lawn. Its actually kind of sad, and I'm starting to feel kind of creepy spying on him doing yard work. Hey, it beats daytime television.
3. Not being able to get food or drink without it being an at least twenty minute affair, and at often times, extremely messy
4. Frustration. Although having others take care of you may seem appealing, it gets very frustrating. There is something rewarding about doing things for yourself, even if it if only a glass of water, and I feel as though I have lost some control over my own life
   

On a much more serious note, being immobilized for the time being has given me valuable incite as a future teacher. I had to give a presentation this past Saturday in class, and it was then that I realized how much physical movement is involved with teaching; movement that up until now I have largely taken for granted. I am not saying that being able to walk is absolutely necessary to teaching and someone who, for example, is in a wheelchair, cannot be a successful teacher. Rather, being unable to move around freely as I normally would has raised the actual physical aspect of teaching to my attention. I am being to realize the depth of teaching; how the process comes down to the level of our very own bodies.

Secondly, this injury has given me a glimpse into what life may be like for some of the students I may have who are disabled, whether it be physically and/or mentally. I consider myself a sympathetic person, but actually living as a disabled person has made me realize that the people I encounter who are disabled never get a break from their disability. What I mean to say is that I have considered difficulties people may have when I am in their presence, but the realization that when they go home, when they are out of sight and mind, they are still dealing with their disabilities every minute of everyday has really hit home to me now. This is not to say that I feel nothing but pity and sorrow for people with disabilities, rather I am both humbled and awed by them. The fact that they live normal lives and come up with new and creative ways to allow them to be "just like anyone else" (pardon my cliche) lends itself to the amazing capabilities, tenacity, and creativity of human beings. It shows how powerful and determined the human mind really is, and how no task is ever impossible, it just needs to be examined in a new light.

And so, although this injury may suck, I would like to take a moment now, to thank my cracked tibia, as it has allowed me to look at some aspects of my life and my future with a new light as well.

If you are interested in more material on dealing with disabilities in the classroom, there are a number of rich, useful websites and sources. I found the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities website very helpful, containing endless amounts of information ranging from legislation on No Child Left Behind and its relation to disabled children to valuable research and practices teachers can use in the classroom.

To think or not to think? (This is NOT the question!)

I am the type of person that does not run from technology per se, but I would definitely not consider myself technologically savvy by any means. I interact with computers daily, mainly to check my email, but my internet literacy does not extend far past the all encompassing usefulness and ease of google. I would say that my reluctance (avoidance is too harsh of a word) to interact more with computers on the regular comes from the fact that although I grew up with a computer in my home, I managed to get by most of the time without using one, besides the obvious typing course I was obligated to take in the 9th grade.

As we discuss teaching technological literacy and usefulness in the classroom, and also demonstrate how helpful it can be as a teaching tool, I have been thinking about my own education and whether or not it suffered from the lack of availability of the internet in the classroom. If a question arose in the classroom, our first option for a solution was going to the library. Today, the answer could be found in a manner of seconds on the world wide web. Yes, I agree the speed and vastness of the internet is revolutionary. But I also think that it changes the way we critically think about problems, and at times we are quick to remove our greatest tool, our own brains, from the equation altogether. This sort of escape may save time, but at the same time sacrifices real learning.

I think that their needs to be a delicate balance, one that reconciles technology with individual inquiry, the need to ask why, and than actually try and figure out why before resorting to simple, solutions. Teaching is much more about teaching how to think than how to teach rote memorization of facts, or in this case, teaching how to easily access facts without actually thinking about the facts themselves.

As a teacher, I think this distinction needs to be constantly considered and reconsidered in the classroom. Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe in the usefulness and necessity of learning how to use technology, as my own personal experience with and knowledge of technology leaves something to be desired. Technology can be a great aid and supplemental resource to a teacher, it offers many different educational tools as well as links students to the world that they live in, giving them invaluable skills and a literacy that my parents still view as an enigma. As I both explore and educate myself as to the value and uses of computer technology, I also hope that I can learn to navigate appropriately the thin line that separates educationally useful technology from the mindless use of technology as a means to an end.

Reform Through the Lens of Demographics

I believe that Harold Hodgkinson's article entitled Demographics: Teachers Should Know can be interpreted by both teachers as well as future teachers (like me) in a variety of ways, some that are enlightening, as well as in some that I believe are not altogether helpful.

My overall view of Hodgkinson's article is that it can be used in a positive way by teachers that read it, especially those who have no real experience or knowledge of cultures and ethnicities outside of their own. The article should be eye opening to teachers in that it points out the varying lenses through which people interpret and understand the world, a concept that is core to good teaching in that it allows teachers to frame their methods and strategies accordingly. It points out that environment, beliefs, values, what is seen as important to individuals, etc. all comprise how that individual approaches and sees the world, as well as their own place in that world. In this way, it forces teachers to question their own beliefs and expectations, as well as realize that their interpretation of a certain situation can be, and is often, totally different from the interpretation that their students have of that same situation. I think Hodgkinson succeeds in raising cultural awareness and sensitivity, which in turn will cause teachers to be more effective in the classroom.

My qualms with reading any demographics study coincide with some poignant points that Hodgkinson himself raises in the piece. The way that demographic data is collected is in a survey style, whereby people themselves decide what race, ethnicity, social class, etc. they consider themselves to be a part of. The reason I bring this issue to light is because I believe, like the Annenberg Institute article points out, that people are agentive. When filling out a survey that deals with loaded notions of race, ethnicity, class (issues that I believe are intimately tied to power relationships and issues of access), people have contrasting interests and will answer the survey in a way that serves these interests. These interests are constantly shifting and may, infact, be contradictory.

As Hodgkinson points out, the concept of "race" and grouping people according to race is not helpful. Although it is significant in terms of politics, justifying who has access to goods and why, and in the history of our country, it has NO biological basis. More importantly I believe that using the concept of race is dangerous, as throughout history it has justified mass murder, from the Jews in World War II, the genocide in Rwanda in 1993, to the present tragedies occuring in the Darfur region of Sudan. While Hodgkinson would agree that racial identity is problematic, he finishes his article by stating that rather than considering race, teachers should consider ethnic or national origin.

To me, the problem with ethnic origin or nationality is the same as that of race. While it may be helpful to teachers to consider the different home lives and values that students may have, equating certain ethnicities with certain values or beliefs will force teachers to have certain expectations. For example, Hodgkinson says that knowing that a student is "Cuban or Panamanian" tells teachers a lot more. Consider the different beliefs, values, religions, that conprimise the American population. I don't think it is helpful to try and understand one sort of "American psyche" or "American belief system" in that their is enormous variation between Americans themselves. This holds for Panamanians, Cubans, and Chinese also. Immigrants from other countries come to this country with contradictory ideas, beliefs, from different economic classes, etc.

While Hodgkinson deconstructs terms such as "Hispanic" and "Asian" he still uses them at the end of his article. For example, he has a sort of "us" versus "them" writing style in saying things such as, "Americans believe in the future as if it were a religion....Many immigrants have a sophistication sense of the past that puts us to shame." This statement may seem harmless, but to me it immediately raises red flags. This type of dichotomizing, lumping Americans into one, comprehensive category and stating the beliefs of that category is very limiting. Defining groups of very different people into neat, cookie-cutter categories is not useful in that it causes people, for example, the teachers who read this article, to expect certain behaviors and beliefs from what they consider "Americans" or "Chinese" or "Native Americans", which may or may not be the actual case.

Now that I have thrown my criticism out their, I still think that Hodgkinson's article is helpful for teachers. Perhaps instead of teachers evaluating the general categories of"Cubans" or "Panamanians" in their classroom, they should understand the specific circumstances of the Cubans or Panamanians who comprise the local community in which they teach. This involves the teachers becoming familiar with and actively participating in the community where they are teaching. Overall, Hodgkinson sheds light on cultural understanding. I believe that these incidents of understanding need to be specific; to a certain time, place, and set of circumstances.

While I have some problems with the article, I believe that it offers up hope in that it challenges former dominant models of teaching which are predominantly aimed towards white, middle-class values. It forces teachers not only to recognize and reflect upon their own cultures, but it also works towards beginning to offer up a style of successful teaching that can be accessible to "minority" populations. Only by first becoming aware of our own biases as well as the biases of an institution can we begin to make meaningful, successful changes.