Quote: "....teachers and schools must accept, believe, and act upon the belief that children of poverty are learners, have been learning since birth, are ready to learn at any time, and will learn." (Purcell-Gates, V.)
Reaction: I really liked this quote. I completely agree with it and feel more teachers, administrators, and schools in general need to be informed of this. Too many children are ignored and lost in the shuffle because the people most responsible for their education feel they just can't do it. The more I read of this article, the more upset I got. The teachers and principle should have taken the fact that the mom wanted what was best for her son and listened to what she had to say. If the teachers would have listened and kept Donny in first or second grade and continued to help him he would have had a better chance of succeeding. I truly believe that children can, do, and will learn no matter what their social or economic status is. They just need their teachers to believe in them and help them find the strength and courage to succeed.
Reference: Purcell-Gates, V. (n.d.). "...As Soon As She Opened Her Mouth!": Issues of Language, Literacy, and Power. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewera=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6DFAmexYq7vMGQxMjI1OTEtMjAyZS00NzJmLTg1OTUtODlmMGQ0ZDIxOTVk&hl=en_US&pli=1
Related Resource: This site is an article from the education information resource center. It talks about how it has been difficult to teach in Appalachia becuase of low SES and poverty. This article is Making a Case for a Cross-Cultural Approach to Literacy in Appalachia.
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED377997&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED377997
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I loved the last line in your response: "I truly believe that children can, do, and will learn no matter what their social or economic status is. They just need their teachers to believe in them and help them find the strength and courage to succeed." That was the point I made in my response. Children just need that motivation and support, and I feel that teachers owe them that. All children can learn, given the chance. You made really good points and I like your resource.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of teachers, and people in general, do not understand is the fact that everyone wants to and can learn something. Children of low economic status keep falling farther and farther behind because of the immediate assumption that they do not care. A lot of these children do care, but when everyone looks at them as a failure, they begin to believe they are one. I'm all about treating people equally and helping those in need. A lot of these children just need someone to be there for them, in their school work and in life, and we, as teachers, can be that person even if a parent isn't.
ReplyDeleteI liked the quote that you picked and your reaction to the quote. I agree when you say that too many children are lost in the shuffle, because of the lack of the teacher's determination. I believe all students are born with the ability to learn and can learn. It just takes a teacher who is willing to go the extra mile. I think students who are from a low-socioeconomic are already at disadvantage in comparison to their peer counterparts. I think that as a teacher you would not hold that against your student, but instead see an opportunity to rise to the occasion.
ReplyDeleteBy eliminating the barriers of cultural difference in a classroom can become the first step of teaching all children equally. I feel that the classroom should be a place of neutrality leaving behind all status and labels. To do that a teacher also need to leave all preconceived ideas of stereo types at the door. A classroom should be focused on the learning and progress of individuals. I think that this is something that need to be addressed to the students personally just not something that is talked about doing in the classroom or rules hung on the board. Differences in the classroom need to be acknowledged and become the strength of each individual rather than something that's held against them. If the child can feel that they contribute to the whole then any weaknesses in their academics can be properly discussed and handled in a more productive way, rather than unproductive.
ReplyDeleteMuch agreed! I believe teachers should have faith in ALL of their students, not just a select few. In my opinion, faith can go a long way, especially in a child. As teachers, it's our duty to believe in our students because sadly, sometimes, they are the only ones that do.
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