Did that title get you all worked up? It's pretty alarming ha? I'm not sure that I think all people are stupid, but I have to say that my biggest bias is toward poor people. I grew up in a middle class neighborhood, and was very comfortable. However, my Dad was a school teacher and sold baby furniture at night in order to provide our middle class upbringing in a nice neighborhood in the Far Northeast Heights. I was the only Latina kid in the area whose father worked two jobs and whose Spanish speaking grandma lived with them. I knew I had it pretty good compared to my extended family, but thought I was just like everybody else around.
My dad was the first kid in his family to attend college, later getting his PhD. As a kid, it was not whether or not I would go to college, but where. I think I inherited this prejudice from my father, who has contempt for all Latinos who fail to assimilate into "main stream" culture and who fail to get a decent education and work hard. In his eyes, it's simple ignorance and laziness that prevents his cousins from bettering their circumstances. I share a little bit of that belief.
In my defense, I don't think I am nearly as prejudice as my father, but it's important to recognize that I do indeed have prejudices. I sub at a Title I school pretty often. When some of the families drive up and open their car doors, a huge cloud of smoke errupts from the vehicle, and invariably the kid is not in a car seat. Well that just pisses me off. My gosh, who would smoke around their children, and who on earth would put their kids in a car without a car seat? These are usually the same parents that are unemployed and look like they were recently incarcerated or are on probation or parole.
So there it is, I don't like poor people. More specifically, I hold poor parents in contempt because I view them to have poor parenting abilities. I feel sorry for their kids, and wonder how they are going to get a decent education when they have such crappy parents who obviously don't know the importance of education and don't reinforce what they are learning at school. There is only so much teachers can do.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sir Robinson and the Nature Deficit Disorder
Sorry this is such a late post, but kind of playing catch up this evening. I have been thinking about Sir Robinson's illustration (which was super creative and fully entertaining), and comparing it to the book I read for class called the Nature Deficit Disorder. It's true that today's child is completely over stimulated, too plugged in, too distracted etc . The book definitely referenced a correlation between the rise in electronic devices etc. and ADD and ADHD. It's funny, last week I blogged about inclusion, and referenced a severely hyperactive child who has been included in my daughter's class for 3 years now. This little boy is extreme I think. I know him pretty well as he is our next door neighbor. This kid is on him x box in the morning before he goes to school, takes an ipod to school and plays with it a recess, has a DX hand held thing, and is just constantly "plugged in". In addition, he is in a day care program with 100 other kids in the cafeteria one hour before school, and every day after school until 5:30 or 6:00. I think it's fair to say that an environment like that with a ton of other kids in a loud school cafeteria is an environment which provides a lot of stimulation. The poor kid never has quite time. Maybe that's why he has such trouble sitting in a classroom for any period of time. Certainly, it's not the only factor for this little boy, but I'm sure it's an important one.
Sadly, I think as a society we are headed toward environments that provide yet only more stimulation, not less. We live in a busy society and are surrounded by every sort of electrical device you could imagine. The book I read would argue that by unplugging our children, and returning more to the out doors, a therapeutic environment would be provided and behavior would improve. This is something I certainly practice as a parent, and it seems to be working so far.
Sadly, I think as a society we are headed toward environments that provide yet only more stimulation, not less. We live in a busy society and are surrounded by every sort of electrical device you could imagine. The book I read would argue that by unplugging our children, and returning more to the out doors, a therapeutic environment would be provided and behavior would improve. This is something I certainly practice as a parent, and it seems to be working so far.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Not a great experience with inclusion
I guess I'll be poltically incorrect and say that I am not completely in favor of full inclusion. I know, it sounds quite harsh, and I admit that my reasons are selfish indeed. It sounds wonderful in theory, but I speak from the view point of a parent who has had a very disruptive child in her daughter's class for three solid years. Unfortuantely, the special needs child is extrememly hyper-active, and his parents have told me he also suffers from anxiety, and a sensory integration disorder. This poor little boy can hardly sit still. During various periods of the past few years he has had to sit in a taped off "box" in the classroom to control his unpredictability. Currently, he has a "cubby" in the classroom which offers more separation from the other students. I truly feel bad for him and for his parents. I know his parents worry endlessly about their child, and rightly so. As badly as I feel for them, I'll be honest....it irritates me to no end that this kid is in my daughter's classroom. She has come home crying on so many occassions because his disruptions bother her so much. His behavior is so unpredicatable and disruptive that I feel it has negatively affected the teacher's ability to teach, and the other children's ability to learn.
It's a tough situation, and there is no right answer. I have always loved the teachers my daughter has had, but have sometimes wondered about their ability to have 22 third graders in a classroom, two of whom have special needs. It seems like a lot to expect from a general education teacher. I never came straight out and asked, but I wonder what kind of training was provided to the teacher in order to deal with children with special needs.
Sadly, the little boy I speak of now spends most of his time in a special education classroom, joining the regular education classroom only for pullouts and social studies. I guess the inclusion approach did not have the desired result for him. It's unfortunate for this little boy and his family, but I think it has enabled the class this year to be more focused and have less disruptions. For this, I am relieved. It doesn't seem fair to ask the twenty or so other kids in the classroom to tolerate such intense disruptions.
It's a tough situation, and there is no right answer. I have always loved the teachers my daughter has had, but have sometimes wondered about their ability to have 22 third graders in a classroom, two of whom have special needs. It seems like a lot to expect from a general education teacher. I never came straight out and asked, but I wonder what kind of training was provided to the teacher in order to deal with children with special needs.
Sadly, the little boy I speak of now spends most of his time in a special education classroom, joining the regular education classroom only for pullouts and social studies. I guess the inclusion approach did not have the desired result for him. It's unfortunate for this little boy and his family, but I think it has enabled the class this year to be more focused and have less disruptions. For this, I am relieved. It doesn't seem fair to ask the twenty or so other kids in the classroom to tolerate such intense disruptions.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
what is my philosphy
Like all of you, I met with Jesse last week, thinking I had a pretty good handle on my philosophy paper. Instead, I was met with questions like "Why do you believe that?" or "How will your teaching practices affect the community in which you work?" Even worse...."How will your teaching practices affect society at large?" My gosh....do practicing teacher really think about this stuff? I suppose most of them did at the beginning of their careers, and I know for certain that only the good ones continue to think about these questions.
So, I suppose I need to answer theses questions more thoroughly. I ponder these questions daily it seems, thinking of a way to answer them in the form of a paper. I have to admit this has been one of the more difficult papers I have written, and I wrote more than you can imagine in graduate school. The difference is that this paper requires me to think more about what I believe and how I want to implement it in the classroom, instead of reviewing others' work. The latter is far easier!
So, I suppose I need to answer theses questions more thoroughly. I ponder these questions daily it seems, thinking of a way to answer them in the form of a paper. I have to admit this has been one of the more difficult papers I have written, and I wrote more than you can imagine in graduate school. The difference is that this paper requires me to think more about what I believe and how I want to implement it in the classroom, instead of reviewing others' work. The latter is far easier!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Second Career for Local Woman Reveals a Hidden Talent as Woman Receives Teacher of the Year Award
In a ceremony attended by several local and National educational leaders, Lisa Burrell was the recipient of the 2010 Teacher of the Year Award. Mrs. Burrell was nominated for the award after several of her peers and students at Terra Centre Elementary submitted her name for consideration. In an interview provided by Mrs. Burrell following the ceremony, she informed the Albuquerque Journal that she had always had a desire to help people, but went about it in a much different way during her earlier years. Following undergraduate school, she was employed as a Federal Probation Officer in Los Angeles, California. There, she attended graduate school, pursued an extremely fulfilling career, and climbed the traditional corporate ladder; ultimately serving as the Deputy Chief of Field Supervision for the Central District of California for several years. She supervised a variety of offenders including: drug and alcohol offenders, white collar offenders, and managed the gang task force.
However, after the birth of her first daughter 11 years ago, she decided to retire early from the Federal Judiciary, and stay home on a full time basis with her children. Two more children followed shortly after the birth of her first, and she found herself fully immersed in the business of raising a family. The first indication that she may enjoy a later career in teaching came when she taught her oldest daughter to read at 4 1/2 years of age. The excitement and self confidence which developed in her daughter following their completion of 100 Easy Lessons on Reading was truly a life altering experience.
Many years later, after all three of her daughters were in elementary school, she pursued her teaching license. She was fortunate enough to find employment as a third grade teacher at Terra Centre Elementary, where she is a full time reading specialists. During the past year, standardized test results reveal that her students raised their reading levels by two grade levels. She credits their academic gains to her uncompromising belief that all children are capable of reading exceptionally well, by making her class engaging, and most importantly, by requiring all parents to volunteer in the classroom at least once a month. While Mrs. Burrell acknowledges the responsibility of teachers, she stresses the importance of involved parents and has found that parents for whom reading instruction is modeled in the classroom, they are better able to assist their children's reading efforts at home. For Mrs. Burrell, literacy is the core of her educational philosophy, and for anyone who enters her classroom and sees the large bulletin board that reads, "THE MORE YOUR READ THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE MORE YOU KNOW THE FARTHER YOU GO!" you'll find yourself wanting to immerse your children in books!
However, after the birth of her first daughter 11 years ago, she decided to retire early from the Federal Judiciary, and stay home on a full time basis with her children. Two more children followed shortly after the birth of her first, and she found herself fully immersed in the business of raising a family. The first indication that she may enjoy a later career in teaching came when she taught her oldest daughter to read at 4 1/2 years of age. The excitement and self confidence which developed in her daughter following their completion of 100 Easy Lessons on Reading was truly a life altering experience.
Many years later, after all three of her daughters were in elementary school, she pursued her teaching license. She was fortunate enough to find employment as a third grade teacher at Terra Centre Elementary, where she is a full time reading specialists. During the past year, standardized test results reveal that her students raised their reading levels by two grade levels. She credits their academic gains to her uncompromising belief that all children are capable of reading exceptionally well, by making her class engaging, and most importantly, by requiring all parents to volunteer in the classroom at least once a month. While Mrs. Burrell acknowledges the responsibility of teachers, she stresses the importance of involved parents and has found that parents for whom reading instruction is modeled in the classroom, they are better able to assist their children's reading efforts at home. For Mrs. Burrell, literacy is the core of her educational philosophy, and for anyone who enters her classroom and sees the large bulletin board that reads, "THE MORE YOUR READ THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE MORE YOU KNOW THE FARTHER YOU GO!" you'll find yourself wanting to immerse your children in books!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
deomcracy cannot fully exist in the classroom
Just typed this in front of my 5th grader, and she asked "what is democracy"? We discussed it a little further, and when I asked her if she thought she could take part in a class that was run as a democracy, she said, "No, that would be crazy!" Well, there you have it, the functionality of democracy in a 5th grade classroom. I initially thought that a classroom could definitely have elements of democracy contained within it, but I now believe that not to be the case. I think that utter chaos would follow, and that at best, we as teachers can only attempt to provide exercises in democracy. The teacher ultimately has to lead the classroom and provide the structure and instruction.
While we can attempt to include elements of democracy such as allowing students to vote, come up with classroom rules etc., that is not truly democracy, but just an exercise in voting. I definitely thing that it is an attempt in the right direction, and an introduction to the idea of democracy...especially for the young learner.
While certainly we need to educate children in the ways of behaving in a classroom, being respectful to teachers and classmates etc., I sometimes wonder if we are teaching children to be too narrow minded and compliant. I don't know, there is a delicate balance between raising and creating respectful children who can assimilate in a classroom setting in order to learn, and raising children who are really thinking and asking why. For me, I think the that the respectfulness and ability to function in the educational system must come first, and then we ask them why, why do you think that is the answer, and what if?
While we can attempt to include elements of democracy such as allowing students to vote, come up with classroom rules etc., that is not truly democracy, but just an exercise in voting. I definitely thing that it is an attempt in the right direction, and an introduction to the idea of democracy...especially for the young learner.
While certainly we need to educate children in the ways of behaving in a classroom, being respectful to teachers and classmates etc., I sometimes wonder if we are teaching children to be too narrow minded and compliant. I don't know, there is a delicate balance between raising and creating respectful children who can assimilate in a classroom setting in order to learn, and raising children who are really thinking and asking why. For me, I think the that the respectfulness and ability to function in the educational system must come first, and then we ask them why, why do you think that is the answer, and what if?
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
During this week's class, my group discussed the pros and cons of having a locally controlled school district versus a more Federally controlled educational system.
I have to say, I view almost every topic of discussion surrounding education as a parent. I have three elementary school aged girls who I have to say are doing quite well academically. I know this is a strong bias, but I feel like I know what works with them, what makes a good teacher, and a good academic community. One of the most important factors in my childrens' academic success has been parental support, expectations, and involvement in the school. Having said that, while I believe parent involvement and volunteerism in our schools is paramount, I would like to see more Federal controls in place.
By this I mean that I believe every third grader in the US should be studying the same thing. I think a third grader in NM should be learning at the same level, at the relatively same time, as a third grader in Virginia or Florida. If third graders in other states are studying the basic introduction to geometry, so should be our third graders in NM. This would allow for us to truly compare different school districts in the country, and also ensure us that a basic standard of instruction is being provided every where. I guess what I'm saying is I'd like to know that my third grader in NM is doing what is considered third grade curriculum in other parts of the country. I guess what I'm trying to say is that grade level standards need to be more standardized throughout the Nation. Does that make sense?
One disadvantage to this, obviously, is less control at the local level. As I said, I am a very active parent at our local elementary school, and I believe the parents there have a voice that is heard by the principal. She always tries to accommodate our requests as much as possible, and the thought of losing that due to less local control is intimidating indeed. However, I believe parents can still be highly involved, even in the face of mandated curriculum. Essentially, we have that now, it is just mandated locally, by the school district.
A perfect example of a lack of standardization is the fact that until last year, different clusters throughout APS had different math curriculum. Each curriculum was decided upon by the principal...something which is totally stupid. Sandia Cluster was utilizing one curriculum, and Eldorado cluster was using Every Day math. Well into the beginning of the school year, APS decided to mandate that all children use the same math curriculum. WOW!!! Talk about a rough transition. The kids really struggled to adjust to the new curriculum. It just seems to go without saying that all schools in APS should use the same core curriculum, and that if changes are made, they should be decided upon over the summer and implemented at the beginning of school.
Well...enough of my complaining about some crazy decision making1
I have to say, I view almost every topic of discussion surrounding education as a parent. I have three elementary school aged girls who I have to say are doing quite well academically. I know this is a strong bias, but I feel like I know what works with them, what makes a good teacher, and a good academic community. One of the most important factors in my childrens' academic success has been parental support, expectations, and involvement in the school. Having said that, while I believe parent involvement and volunteerism in our schools is paramount, I would like to see more Federal controls in place.
By this I mean that I believe every third grader in the US should be studying the same thing. I think a third grader in NM should be learning at the same level, at the relatively same time, as a third grader in Virginia or Florida. If third graders in other states are studying the basic introduction to geometry, so should be our third graders in NM. This would allow for us to truly compare different school districts in the country, and also ensure us that a basic standard of instruction is being provided every where. I guess what I'm saying is I'd like to know that my third grader in NM is doing what is considered third grade curriculum in other parts of the country. I guess what I'm trying to say is that grade level standards need to be more standardized throughout the Nation. Does that make sense?
One disadvantage to this, obviously, is less control at the local level. As I said, I am a very active parent at our local elementary school, and I believe the parents there have a voice that is heard by the principal. She always tries to accommodate our requests as much as possible, and the thought of losing that due to less local control is intimidating indeed. However, I believe parents can still be highly involved, even in the face of mandated curriculum. Essentially, we have that now, it is just mandated locally, by the school district.
A perfect example of a lack of standardization is the fact that until last year, different clusters throughout APS had different math curriculum. Each curriculum was decided upon by the principal...something which is totally stupid. Sandia Cluster was utilizing one curriculum, and Eldorado cluster was using Every Day math. Well into the beginning of the school year, APS decided to mandate that all children use the same math curriculum. WOW!!! Talk about a rough transition. The kids really struggled to adjust to the new curriculum. It just seems to go without saying that all schools in APS should use the same core curriculum, and that if changes are made, they should be decided upon over the summer and implemented at the beginning of school.
Well...enough of my complaining about some crazy decision making1
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