Blog Post #12

    The first thing that will stick with me throughout the rest of my life was the card game we played. Not only was that a super simple way to teach us about perspective, but it was also a super cool way to show the different reactions that people have when they're confused. This is something I will definitely carry with me, hopefully into my own future classroom

    Another thing that I felt was important was the Delpit reading. I think reading her work was really important because it helped me put a name to something I was already aware of. I felt that way about quite a few things we learned in this class, but this was definitely the most significant. I think it is super important to have explicit instructions in most places, and this really highlighted it. 

    Lastly, our Moo-In's will stick with me. They'll mainly stay with me because I know they won't happen in any of my future classes. I think this was a super good way to build community and learn our classmates' names. I can say with confidence, this is the only class where I truly felt connected with my peers, and I think that definitely helped. This is something I'd like to include in my future teaching. 

Blog Post #11

    Reading through the Rhode Island laws and policies feels kind of bittersweet. On one hand, it’s a relief to see our state taking gender identity and student safety seriously. But on the other hand, coming across lines like “School personnel should speak with the student first before discussing a student’s gender nonconformity or transgender status with the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s)” is a bit of a hard hitting line. One of the only reasons a guideline like that even has to exist is that too many kids can’t trust the people at home to accept them. And that’s genuinely frightening. How can some parents not love and accept their children, no matter who they are? 

    Another thing I liked was the emphasis on representation and gender-inclusive practices. Things such as not lining up boys and girls based on gender, providing gender neutral bathrooms, and having literature in the classroom that reflects different family structures and identities are super important for the development of our students. Being a student who doesn't fit into the "male" or "female" box would be very tough without these kinds of policies sticking up for them. However, I definitely don't see these things being practiced in my school. I more often than not see classroom lines separated by gender. While I understand why some teachers choose to do this, it is still a little disappointing to see. 

Everyone can be in the same line

    Finally, I think one of the most important things about these policies is their encouragement of teachers to be open with their classrooms. The document repeatedly highlights the need for teachers to be ready to discuss gender, sexuality, identity, and differences, despite being a potentially uncomfortable topic. I think it is important to teach students about things like this so they're not confused or apprehensive when they encounter someone different from them. 

Blog Post #10

    The article What Is Neurodiversity? written by Caroline Miller, highlights key concepts that we’ve been talking about and experiencing in class. The main idea of the article is that “"Neurodiversity" is the concept that there is natural variation in how people’s brains work. The idea is that there’s no “correct” way for the brain to work.” This rejects the typical assumption that there is one set way for each brain to work. As a future English teacher, whose job relies on communication, understanding, and mutual respect, this is an important topic to think about. 

    Embracing neurodiversity in the classroom is something that we as teachers need to understand how to do. One of the most important takeaways from this article is that we should think about our students with an asset-based mind. Remembering the strengths that shine in neurodiverse students, such as their creativity and hyperfocusing, can help us provide a personalized and engaging education. 

    Another important aspect of teaching neurodiverse students is creating a classroom environment that caters to all. Some students may thrive in a quiet environment, while some need 1:1 help, and others may prefer to work with their peers. These are all needs that teachers should address. I experienced this during last week's volunteering session. In the class I was helping, two students with ADHD asked to work with me individually. I realized I needed to adapt my teaching approach to better meet their needs. This is something that every teacher needs to do to truly utilize an asset-based model of thinking.

    Overall, Caroline Miller’s What Is Neurodiversity? offers a reminder that teaching is not about making all students fit into one mold, but about understanding and celebrating the different ways they think and learn. As future educators, it’s our responsibility to make sure every student feels valued for who they are, not judged for how they learn.

This image highlights some common examples of neurodiversity

Blog Post #9

This is a very powerful piece to read. Coming from a family of teachers, and having worked with kids at a few different jobs, I have seen a lot of situations with children who Shalaby would call “canaries.” Shalaby’s idea that students who act out are not just “troublemakers,” but students who are actively being failed by their education system. I do not believe all students deemed “troublemakers” are “canaries” but there are still many situations where students are not given an equitable education. 

It has become more and more apparent to me throughout the years that many schools and teachers focus only on discipline and control over real connection with their students. Shalaby does a good job of reminding us that in many cases, a child acting out could be seen as a cry for help. That shift in perspective is so important because it changes how we respond to their misbehavior. Instead of trying to “fix” the child, we start to question what in our own system could be changed. 

Humiliating punishments are still seen in classrooms today

This text also carries an important message about how we should treat and look at neurodivergent students. These students are frequently misunderstood and disciplined for behaviors that reflect their brain processes. A child who fidgets, speaks out of turn, or struggles to sit still might be labeled as defiant, when in reality, they’re communicating discomfort or trying to regulate themselves. I personally struggle to sit still in class, and this was a bigger deal in my younger years of schooling, but is not anymore. 

We as future teachers should be challenging our current system. A quiet and orderly classroom is not the best place to learn for many students. Especially in early years, we should be inviting children to express their feelings and frustrations so that we can help them grow. The ideal classroom should give children the freedom to express themselves, while still giving important lessons.

 

Blog Post #8

 Until reading Patrick Finn’s Literacy With An Attitude, I hadn’t thought much about how different the working-class vs elite education systems are. According to Finn, there are two kinds of schooling in America: one that empowers and one that domesticates.

Finn describes how working-class schools tend to focus on discipline, obedience, and routine, while more affluent schools teach creativity and critical thought. This is described in the quote, “In the affluent professional school, work was not repetitious and mechanical, as it was in the working-class school.” This made me think a little bit about the school visits I’ve done in both this class and FNED 101. Despite the creativity that is seemingly present in the classrooms I visit, the work is all still very formulaic. This type of work, along with a "push them along" attitude, keeps children at lower reading and math levels.

   What is really crazy to me is how subtle these differences are. Teachers might believe they’re maintaining order or helping students succeed, but they’re also deciding who gets to think critically and who just learns to comply. This makes me think about my future as a teacher, and wonder what kind of strategies I can use to help my students think more critically.

Video Analysis

 Classroom Tour: 

Teach Us All:

Precious Knowledge:

Blog Post #7

While getting ready for, and completing, my first week of volunteer work, I found the introduction to CRP video along with the Kohn chart to be very helpful in knowing how to base my ideals for a classroom. 

The video on culturally relevant teaching emphasized that it’s not just about celebrating diversity when you feel like it, it’s about consistently recognizing and building up the cultural strengths that students already bring with them. This was very recognizable during my visit to Mary Fogarty elementary; the classrooms I visited all had literature, decor, and set ups that encouraged the celebration of each student's heritage. The video gives the idea that part of your teaching identity should have something to do with learning from your students, along with teaching them. This seems like a good mindset to have especially as a preservice teacher. 

Kohn’s chart also gave me a good representation of what a classroom should look like physically. I think that what he wrote in regard to classroom furniture/layout, things on the walls, around the school, and the general classroom environment are all very important things that I have searched for in both the schools I'm volunteering in, and observing. At an elementary level, it is especially important to see Kohn’s ideas at play.

Reading/watching both of these pieces has definitely been beneficial to both building my identity as a teacher, and informing me of what to look for in different classrooms that I may be in throughout the semester.