In the article Teachers urged to teach feminism, Jessica Ringrose, a sociology lecturer at the Institute of Education in London, believes that due to the rise in teen girls using degrading language to characterize themselves, they need to learn more about feminism. Ringrose says “almost 40 years after the feminist revolution, teenage girls still define themselves according to male desire. They feel that ‘everything is at stake’ if they do not appear sexy or feminine in the right ways.”
Ringrose is astounded by the way teenage girls are portraying themselves, she feels that the only way to contest this is by having teachers add feminism to the school’s curriculum. Although some may argue that they have targeted most of the inequalities in gender, it cannot be so due to the way women are portrayed in society. By teaching feminism in the curriculum, many of the myths about gender correspondence can be broken down. An example of this is how a electrician makes lots more money than a hairdresser. This can be because electricians are known to be a man’s job and hairdressers are known to be a job done mainly by women.
Other reasons why Ringrose believes feminism should be taught in schools is so teenage girls can learn more about self-worth. On an Internet forum called Bebo, many girls portray themselves in very tasteless ways, by having user names such as “slut”, “whore”, and “free sex”. The profile of a girl named Daniella said “Hi I’m Daniella and I like it up the bum just like your mum.” Ringrose believes that by teaching feminism in schools girls will learn more about positive ways to be noticed. They would also learn that by objectifying themselves, they aren’t being seen as a person, but more of an object.
This article applies to FEAP’s number 2 and 3, communication and continuous improvement because Ringrose believes that by improving the curriculum of the schools-by adding feminism in it, they will be able to communicate better with the students of the schools. It also applies to FEAP number 8, knowledge of subject matter, because through teaching others, we also learn.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Educational Philosophy Essay
“Knowledge is actively constructed by the learner, not passively received from the environment.” –Martin Dougiamas
After taking the “My Educational Philosophy” survey and seeing my results, I learned that my educational philosophy was that of a constructivist. Constructivists believe that knowledge can only be constructed through interpretations and reinterpretations of a steady stream of information by putting the learner [student] in the midst of the educational stage. The fundamental nature of constructivism is its reflection on learning and the steady attempt to incorporate new information. Constructivism was built upon the works of Swiss and Russian psychologist’s Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.
"[What we need] is a new conception of the mind, not as an individual information processor, but as a biological, developing system that exists equally well within an individual brain and in the tools, artefacts, and symbolic systems used to facilitate social and cultural interaction." (Vosniadou, 1996)
Applying constructivism in the classroom means that the students are taught through a lot of scaffolding, using inquiries, hints, or propositions to help students associate what they already know with what they are learning. A constructivist classroom is all about the students and teacher testing what they already know or presume.
Higher mental functions are, by definition, culturally mediated. They involve not a direct action on the world but an indirect one, one that takes a bit of material matter used previously and incorporates it as an aspect of action. Insofar as that matter itself has been shaped by prior human practice (eg it is an artefact), current action incorporates the mental work that produced the particular form of that matter. (Cole and Wertsch, 1996, p252)
An example of constructivism in the classroom can be finding the symbolism in a poem. It is letting the students discover that there is a deeper meaning behind things and upon discovering this, more students will learn to question what is and what makes it so. As a constructivist teacher, I will make sure my lesson plans include a plethora of different hands on assignments, and the use of a Socratic like approach to answering questions.
After taking the “My Educational Philosophy” survey and seeing my results, I learned that my educational philosophy was that of a constructivist. Constructivists believe that knowledge can only be constructed through interpretations and reinterpretations of a steady stream of information by putting the learner [student] in the midst of the educational stage. The fundamental nature of constructivism is its reflection on learning and the steady attempt to incorporate new information. Constructivism was built upon the works of Swiss and Russian psychologist’s Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.
"[What we need] is a new conception of the mind, not as an individual information processor, but as a biological, developing system that exists equally well within an individual brain and in the tools, artefacts, and symbolic systems used to facilitate social and cultural interaction." (Vosniadou, 1996)
Applying constructivism in the classroom means that the students are taught through a lot of scaffolding, using inquiries, hints, or propositions to help students associate what they already know with what they are learning. A constructivist classroom is all about the students and teacher testing what they already know or presume.
Higher mental functions are, by definition, culturally mediated. They involve not a direct action on the world but an indirect one, one that takes a bit of material matter used previously and incorporates it as an aspect of action. Insofar as that matter itself has been shaped by prior human practice (eg it is an artefact), current action incorporates the mental work that produced the particular form of that matter. (Cole and Wertsch, 1996, p252)
An example of constructivism in the classroom can be finding the symbolism in a poem. It is letting the students discover that there is a deeper meaning behind things and upon discovering this, more students will learn to question what is and what makes it so. As a constructivist teacher, I will make sure my lesson plans include a plethora of different hands on assignments, and the use of a Socratic like approach to answering questions.
As a constructivist teacher, I will incorporate FEAP's numbers 2 and 3, communication and continuous improvement by making sure the voices of my students are not just heard but actually listened to and by taking time out to evaluate myself as a teacher and see how I can do better for my students and myself.
Article Review (Journal)
Schools urged to teach feminism
Research Published in The TES on 8 August, 2008
• Comment:
5 average rating Comments (1)
• Section:
Research
Teachers should combat teenage girls’ use of sexualised language by teaching feminism in class, an academic has recommended.
Jessica Ringrose, lecturer in the sociology of gender at the Institute of Education in London, found that schoolgirls regularly used terms such as “slut” and “whore” to describe themselves.
She conducted a series of interviews with teenage girls to study their social habits, and found that sexualised language abounded. They also boasted about being good at oral and anal sex.
Dr Ringrose said that, almost 40 years after the feminist revolution, teenage girls still define themselves according to male desire. They feel that “everything is at stake” if they do not appear sexy or feminine in the right ways.
To combat this, she said that space should be made in the curriculum to discuss feminist issues.
“Pupils shouldn’t assume that we’ve met every target in gender equality,” she said. “How, then, do you explain the way popular culture portrays women?
“We need to find a place in the curriculum to look at violence against women and sexist bullying.”
Almost half of all women in Britain have experienced domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault.
Lessons in feminism could also tackle popular myths about gender equality. “Girls may do better than boys in tests,” said Dr Ringrose. “But it doesn’t matter how they perform academically, they still don’t get paid as much in the workplace. And they’re faced with dilemmas about balancing home and work.” for example, a school-leaver who goes into hairdressing, a largely female profession, is paid half the salary of a classmate who becomes an electrician, an area of work still dominated by men.
Despite defining themselves according to male desire, the girls in Dr Ringrose’s study understood the limits of such behaviour. Some criticised a classmate for talking about her thong whenever she passed a boy. “The boy wouldn’t like her, he’d like her body,” they said. “Just hearing ‘Oh, my thong is giving me a wedgie’ doesn’t give much of her personality, does it?”
Dr Ringrose said debates in class could bring up pupils’ use of language, and what it implied about their identity and self-esteem.
And, while it is widely assumed that boys need male role models, she believes that it is just as vital that girls have strong female ones.
Self-assured female teachers can provide a model of femininity that contrasts with that of Paris Hilton and Christina Aguilera. Similarly, teachers can talk admiringly about positive feminist role models such as Beth Ditto, the outspoken lead singer of US band The Gossip.
“We need to reinvigorate feminism,” Dr Ringrose said. “Teenage girls are struggling to find a positive identity that’s not completely defined by their sexuality. Positive role models can help them find the strength to resist being sexualised by men’s needs.”
‘Every Time She Bends Over, She Pulls Up Her Thong: Teen Girls Negotiating Discourses of Competitive, Heterosexualised Aggression’ by Jessica Ringrose.
A way of asserting power over men … and each other
The study of the social habits of teenage schoolgirls by Jessica Ringrose, of the Institute of Education in London, found that many choose usernames such as “slut”, “whore” and “freesex” on Bebo, the social networking site.
Daniella, 15, included the following tagline in her profile: “Hi Im Daniella And ii Like It Up The Bum Just Like Your Mum! And I Suck Dick For £5 =]”.
The girls’ pages also included references to sexual practices and positions and to selling sex.
They defined their own desirability by their willingness to meet men’s needs.
They carried stationery bearing the Playboy bunny, despite an awareness of its association with nude models. Marie, 16, said: “With girls it’s just the bunny … It’s just a good cartoon.”
But Dr Ringrose found that girls needed to be careful how they played out their sexual willingness. If they crossed an invisible line, their behaviour ceased to be desirable, and became “slutty”.
And, while it was acceptable to call yourself a slut, the girls did not want to be accused of sluttiness by anyone else.
The interviewees attacked a classmate because “she has got a nice figure, but, like … she shouldn’t show it off to everyone”.
Another classmate is described as having “a stunning figure”. “That’s why boys like her,” an interviewee said. “She lets boys come up to her and touch her bum.” This girl wins approval, however, for her ability to “stun” boys.
Dr Ringrose said: “We see that slut is also a sight of awe and identification (even fetishisation) for girls, for the power it potentially commands over men.”
Terms such as “slut” and “whore” also provided a socially acceptable way to express assertiveness, aggression and rage - characteristics that are usually frowned upon in girls. It was their way of managing anger and competition.
“Girls and women are not offered space to express aggression, while boys are,” Dr Ringrose said. “Everyone gets angry, but girls’ anger is read as ‘mean’ or ‘horrible’. As one teenager points out: ‘They don’t say boys are mean.’”
Research Published in The TES on 8 August, 2008
• Comment:
5 average rating Comments (1)
• Section:
Research
Teachers should combat teenage girls’ use of sexualised language by teaching feminism in class, an academic has recommended.
Jessica Ringrose, lecturer in the sociology of gender at the Institute of Education in London, found that schoolgirls regularly used terms such as “slut” and “whore” to describe themselves.
She conducted a series of interviews with teenage girls to study their social habits, and found that sexualised language abounded. They also boasted about being good at oral and anal sex.
Dr Ringrose said that, almost 40 years after the feminist revolution, teenage girls still define themselves according to male desire. They feel that “everything is at stake” if they do not appear sexy or feminine in the right ways.
To combat this, she said that space should be made in the curriculum to discuss feminist issues.
“Pupils shouldn’t assume that we’ve met every target in gender equality,” she said. “How, then, do you explain the way popular culture portrays women?
“We need to find a place in the curriculum to look at violence against women and sexist bullying.”
Almost half of all women in Britain have experienced domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault.
Lessons in feminism could also tackle popular myths about gender equality. “Girls may do better than boys in tests,” said Dr Ringrose. “But it doesn’t matter how they perform academically, they still don’t get paid as much in the workplace. And they’re faced with dilemmas about balancing home and work.” for example, a school-leaver who goes into hairdressing, a largely female profession, is paid half the salary of a classmate who becomes an electrician, an area of work still dominated by men.
Despite defining themselves according to male desire, the girls in Dr Ringrose’s study understood the limits of such behaviour. Some criticised a classmate for talking about her thong whenever she passed a boy. “The boy wouldn’t like her, he’d like her body,” they said. “Just hearing ‘Oh, my thong is giving me a wedgie’ doesn’t give much of her personality, does it?”
Dr Ringrose said debates in class could bring up pupils’ use of language, and what it implied about their identity and self-esteem.
And, while it is widely assumed that boys need male role models, she believes that it is just as vital that girls have strong female ones.
Self-assured female teachers can provide a model of femininity that contrasts with that of Paris Hilton and Christina Aguilera. Similarly, teachers can talk admiringly about positive feminist role models such as Beth Ditto, the outspoken lead singer of US band The Gossip.
“We need to reinvigorate feminism,” Dr Ringrose said. “Teenage girls are struggling to find a positive identity that’s not completely defined by their sexuality. Positive role models can help them find the strength to resist being sexualised by men’s needs.”
‘Every Time She Bends Over, She Pulls Up Her Thong: Teen Girls Negotiating Discourses of Competitive, Heterosexualised Aggression’ by Jessica Ringrose.
A way of asserting power over men … and each other
The study of the social habits of teenage schoolgirls by Jessica Ringrose, of the Institute of Education in London, found that many choose usernames such as “slut”, “whore” and “freesex” on Bebo, the social networking site.
Daniella, 15, included the following tagline in her profile: “Hi Im Daniella And ii Like It Up The Bum Just Like Your Mum! And I Suck Dick For £5 =]”.
The girls’ pages also included references to sexual practices and positions and to selling sex.
They defined their own desirability by their willingness to meet men’s needs.
They carried stationery bearing the Playboy bunny, despite an awareness of its association with nude models. Marie, 16, said: “With girls it’s just the bunny … It’s just a good cartoon.”
But Dr Ringrose found that girls needed to be careful how they played out their sexual willingness. If they crossed an invisible line, their behaviour ceased to be desirable, and became “slutty”.
And, while it was acceptable to call yourself a slut, the girls did not want to be accused of sluttiness by anyone else.
The interviewees attacked a classmate because “she has got a nice figure, but, like … she shouldn’t show it off to everyone”.
Another classmate is described as having “a stunning figure”. “That’s why boys like her,” an interviewee said. “She lets boys come up to her and touch her bum.” This girl wins approval, however, for her ability to “stun” boys.
Dr Ringrose said: “We see that slut is also a sight of awe and identification (even fetishisation) for girls, for the power it potentially commands over men.”
Terms such as “slut” and “whore” also provided a socially acceptable way to express assertiveness, aggression and rage - characteristics that are usually frowned upon in girls. It was their way of managing anger and competition.
“Girls and women are not offered space to express aggression, while boys are,” Dr Ringrose said. “Everyone gets angry, but girls’ anger is read as ‘mean’ or ‘horrible’. As one teenager points out: ‘They don’t say boys are mean.’”
Educational Philosophy Survey Results
Your Results
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| Constructivism | 82 | |
| Essentialism | 62 | |
| Progressivism | 78 | |
| Existentialism | 75 | |
| Perennialism | 57 | |
| Reconstruction/Critical Theory | 71 | |
| Behaviorism/Objectivism | 67 |
Teacher Interview
Shirley Davis has been working as a teacher since fall of 2000; this upcoming school year will make it her 11th year as a teacher. She attended FIU and majored in Elementary education. She has been teaching Kindergarten at Little River Elementary since August of 2000.
When asked why she wanted to become a teacher, she said “I feel that teachers are more than just teachers, they are more like fortune holders. They hold the keys and tools that you need to discover your place in the world and by becoming a teacher I would be helping many students find their places in the world.” Her idea of the “ideal” teacher is one that tries to incorporate all of the FEAP’s in themselves. She feels that the problem with education today is children aren’t getting a chance to really spread their wings in school and try things out due to all the testing practices. However, she does feel that it is a good thing that students are beginning to learn better due to smaller class sizes.
Davis feels that her greatest strength as a teacher is her ability to make sure she gives each child the amount of attention they may need. Her weakness is that she sometimes takes things personally if one of students do not do as well as she expected of them. When one of her colleagues was asked how they felt about Davis’ relationship with her students, he said “The way Shirley interacts with her students is amazing! She is always finding ways for her students to better understand the subject matter.”
Davis believes that communication is the key in keeping a successful classroom. This why she sends home a home-school communication log everyday so that parents can see what their children are learning, how their behavior has been in the classroom, and their progress in the subjects. Davis believes that unless you develop a relationship with the parents of your students, you will not have a positive teacher student relationship. Whenever she has a student that decides to go against the grain and refuse to do or complete assignments, she has a parent teacher conference and things are put into order.
When assigning tables to her students, she likes to establish a unisex environment to influence gender diversity. Davis expects all her students to be able to write their names, color inside the lines, and to learn how to think outside the box by the time the school year ends. She uses positive reinforcements in order to get her students to do what they need to do. Some examples of this is having a sticker chart on each desk, whenever a student completes an assignment on time or follows the rules, they get a sticker on their charts.
Davis believes in both individual and total class punishment; total class punishment has been more effective in her classroom however. Whenever a student is off task one of the other students will try and get that child to behave because they know that they may all get punished. She used individual punishment more when a child is expressing behaviors that are harmful to the safety of the students and her, like throwing chairs. When a child exhibits these types of behaviors, she takes them to the counselor’s office so they can have a 1:1 conversation.
After interviewing Shirley Davis, it is apparent that FEAP # 2, communication is a major part of her role as a teacher. She tries different ways to teach her students things so FEAP # 3, continuous improvement is also in practice. Most importantly however, she does everything possible to make sure that FEAP # 11, role as a teacher is a positive on her students and colleagues.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Service Learning Journal
Dates: April 7, 8, and 9 2010
I began my first week of service learning en media res-on a Wednesday at 11:30 A.M- right after the students had lunch. I clomped into a room full of Kindergarteners sitting on a rug reciting sight words. Being that these students were of the age group 5-6 years, I distracted them. They all wanted to know who this “skinny lady” was coming into their classroom. I introduced myself to the teacher and the students. The teacher introduced herself as Mrs. Lowe and decided to have the students engage in a name introductory game using a first me, then you technique. After all the introductions were made, I decided to sit and observe. There were about 22 students with an equal amount of boys and girls. The classroom was completely decorated; there was not an empty wall or window in sight!
I generally spent the first three days of my service learning observing and learning the children’s names. The apparent FEAP that I recognized during these first three days was FEAP # 9, learning environments. This teacher obviously had a plethora of techniques to ensure that the routines of the classroom went efficiently and smoothly. Whenever a student was off task, she would remind ask them “What rule are breaking?” the students would reply with the correct answer and follow the rule. By doing this, she was establishing the standards and rules for behaviors equitably and consistently.
I must say that after these first three days in the classroom, I was impressed. Being that she is a veteran teacher, I would not have expected her to be up to date with the FEAP’s. I was also glad to know that I was actually being given a chance to work side by side with this woman. Upon leaving the classroom that Friday, I was already anticipating the following week of my service learning.
Dates: April 12 and 13, 2010
The classroom was a whole other story these two days! Perhaps it was the weekend, but the kids were basically bouncing off the walls. During my days of observation, I noticed two students-boys- that seemed to have emotional behavioral disorders. When I pointed this out to the teacher, she assured me that they were actually going through the process to be placed in a classroom for students with emotional behavior disorders. I do work with students that have special needs, so I basically stepped in as a behavioral therapist for these two boys. There were times when they would accuse the teacher of only liking the girls and hating them.
During times like these, I would put FEAP # 2-communication-into practice. I would take these two boys away-it seems that they respond better to 1:2 care-and talk to them. I would first ask them what was wrong, by doing this, I was showing that what they had to say mattered. After hearing their problem, I would answer like this (take the aforementioned statement of the boys in account) count how many boys and girls there are in the classroom-they counted and told me-now tell me how many boys are misbehaving and how many girls are misbehaving-the response came back that there were more boys misbehaving than girls-I would then say, it’s not that she picks on the boys guys, it is just that more boys aren’t being nice at the moment then girls.
After seeing that I was able to assess this situation in a way that students understood what was wrong, it reaffirmed my goal in becoming in a teacher for students with special needs. I also realized that while all of the FEAP’s are important, communication really is the key.
Date: April 14, 2010
There was a substitute in the classroom today which made the students feel as if it were a free day. When I walked into the classroom, the students were all over the place; only a few were actually doing their work. So, being that I had exclusively observed the teacher my first three days in the classroom, I took on the role of the teacher.
On this day, I used FEAP # 8, knowledge of subject matter. I was able to teach the students as their teachers would do. I provided classroom ease by keeping the students on their normal schedules, and when I taught them, I taught them in a way that they would learn and remember what was taught.
After this day, I was very proud of my ability to step in as a teacher. Before leaving the classroom, I gave the substitute a general layout of the class schedule and reminded the students to “be nice” or they would receive “a sad note home” the following day.
Date: April 15, 2010
During recess today a group of kids were playing the leaf pile. While throwing leaves at one another, they found a little dead bird. The kids began to scream and came running to the teacher and I. The little bird appeared to have been blown from its nest because it was still very small and featherless. The students demanded an explanation of what happened to the bird and how did it happen.
FEAP # 4, critical thinking was put into practice here. We asked the students to tell us how did they think this happened and why. After giving us an answer we allowed the children to see the baby and say something to it if they felt.
One little boy asked us if we could give it a funeral and we agreed, we buried the little bird near a far off gate and one little girl recited a bible verse. After this day, I began to look at my students in a different light; I began to see that when given to opportunity to think critically, they would stun their elders with the things they come up with.
Date: April 16, 2010
A new student started in the classroom today; she was one of the children that came over from Haiti after the hurricane, she also knew no English. The other little girls decided that she couldn’t be a part of their cliques because she was different-she couldn’t read the same things they could, talk like them, or wear the same things as them.
The teacher and I realized what was being done to this little girl and put FEAP # 5, diversity into practice. We had each student tell about something that made them different from their classmates. When they were finished, the teacher told the students “We are all different in one way or another, but that doesn’t mean we have to be treated differently. We should be nice to one another no matter what makes us different.”
After this day, the students all began to play with the new child. They stopped seeing the fact that she couldn’t talk as a problem. Just because he couldn’t talk didn’t mean that she couldn’t throw a ball or color a page. She was different, and that was what made her just like them.
Dates: April 19 and 20, 2010
These were my last two days in the classroom. Through my service learning experience, the main FEAP that I saw continuously was FEAP # 11, the role of the teacher. Mrs. Lowe was the role model for her students. They looked to her for approval, disapproval, questions, answers, and praise. She is the grade chair and from being in her classroom, I can see why.
She communicated with the parents daily whether the report was good or bad. She encouraged her students in everything they did and was the backbone of her classroom. I hope that when I start teaching, I can incorporate many of her learning styles into my own.
I began my first week of service learning en media res-on a Wednesday at 11:30 A.M- right after the students had lunch. I clomped into a room full of Kindergarteners sitting on a rug reciting sight words. Being that these students were of the age group 5-6 years, I distracted them. They all wanted to know who this “skinny lady” was coming into their classroom. I introduced myself to the teacher and the students. The teacher introduced herself as Mrs. Lowe and decided to have the students engage in a name introductory game using a first me, then you technique. After all the introductions were made, I decided to sit and observe. There were about 22 students with an equal amount of boys and girls. The classroom was completely decorated; there was not an empty wall or window in sight!
I generally spent the first three days of my service learning observing and learning the children’s names. The apparent FEAP that I recognized during these first three days was FEAP # 9, learning environments. This teacher obviously had a plethora of techniques to ensure that the routines of the classroom went efficiently and smoothly. Whenever a student was off task, she would remind ask them “What rule are breaking?” the students would reply with the correct answer and follow the rule. By doing this, she was establishing the standards and rules for behaviors equitably and consistently.
I must say that after these first three days in the classroom, I was impressed. Being that she is a veteran teacher, I would not have expected her to be up to date with the FEAP’s. I was also glad to know that I was actually being given a chance to work side by side with this woman. Upon leaving the classroom that Friday, I was already anticipating the following week of my service learning.
Dates: April 12 and 13, 2010
The classroom was a whole other story these two days! Perhaps it was the weekend, but the kids were basically bouncing off the walls. During my days of observation, I noticed two students-boys- that seemed to have emotional behavioral disorders. When I pointed this out to the teacher, she assured me that they were actually going through the process to be placed in a classroom for students with emotional behavior disorders. I do work with students that have special needs, so I basically stepped in as a behavioral therapist for these two boys. There were times when they would accuse the teacher of only liking the girls and hating them.
During times like these, I would put FEAP # 2-communication-into practice. I would take these two boys away-it seems that they respond better to 1:2 care-and talk to them. I would first ask them what was wrong, by doing this, I was showing that what they had to say mattered. After hearing their problem, I would answer like this (take the aforementioned statement of the boys in account) count how many boys and girls there are in the classroom-they counted and told me-now tell me how many boys are misbehaving and how many girls are misbehaving-the response came back that there were more boys misbehaving than girls-I would then say, it’s not that she picks on the boys guys, it is just that more boys aren’t being nice at the moment then girls.
After seeing that I was able to assess this situation in a way that students understood what was wrong, it reaffirmed my goal in becoming in a teacher for students with special needs. I also realized that while all of the FEAP’s are important, communication really is the key.
Date: April 14, 2010
There was a substitute in the classroom today which made the students feel as if it were a free day. When I walked into the classroom, the students were all over the place; only a few were actually doing their work. So, being that I had exclusively observed the teacher my first three days in the classroom, I took on the role of the teacher.
On this day, I used FEAP # 8, knowledge of subject matter. I was able to teach the students as their teachers would do. I provided classroom ease by keeping the students on their normal schedules, and when I taught them, I taught them in a way that they would learn and remember what was taught.
After this day, I was very proud of my ability to step in as a teacher. Before leaving the classroom, I gave the substitute a general layout of the class schedule and reminded the students to “be nice” or they would receive “a sad note home” the following day.
Date: April 15, 2010
During recess today a group of kids were playing the leaf pile. While throwing leaves at one another, they found a little dead bird. The kids began to scream and came running to the teacher and I. The little bird appeared to have been blown from its nest because it was still very small and featherless. The students demanded an explanation of what happened to the bird and how did it happen.
FEAP # 4, critical thinking was put into practice here. We asked the students to tell us how did they think this happened and why. After giving us an answer we allowed the children to see the baby and say something to it if they felt.
One little boy asked us if we could give it a funeral and we agreed, we buried the little bird near a far off gate and one little girl recited a bible verse. After this day, I began to look at my students in a different light; I began to see that when given to opportunity to think critically, they would stun their elders with the things they come up with.
Date: April 16, 2010
A new student started in the classroom today; she was one of the children that came over from Haiti after the hurricane, she also knew no English. The other little girls decided that she couldn’t be a part of their cliques because she was different-she couldn’t read the same things they could, talk like them, or wear the same things as them.
The teacher and I realized what was being done to this little girl and put FEAP # 5, diversity into practice. We had each student tell about something that made them different from their classmates. When they were finished, the teacher told the students “We are all different in one way or another, but that doesn’t mean we have to be treated differently. We should be nice to one another no matter what makes us different.”
After this day, the students all began to play with the new child. They stopped seeing the fact that she couldn’t talk as a problem. Just because he couldn’t talk didn’t mean that she couldn’t throw a ball or color a page. She was different, and that was what made her just like them.
Dates: April 19 and 20, 2010
These were my last two days in the classroom. Through my service learning experience, the main FEAP that I saw continuously was FEAP # 11, the role of the teacher. Mrs. Lowe was the role model for her students. They looked to her for approval, disapproval, questions, answers, and praise. She is the grade chair and from being in her classroom, I can see why.
She communicated with the parents daily whether the report was good or bad. She encouraged her students in everything they did and was the backbone of her classroom. I hope that when I start teaching, I can incorporate many of her learning styles into my own.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
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