Week 4- Responding to the Articles

As I was reading three out of the four articles, I sensed a common theme. White, female or male, preservice teachers need to be more aware of the needs, backgrounds, experiences and interests of their students. I agree but also feel that this is true of any educator no matter the gender, age, religion or race. Now, in 2014, with an African-American President, women in the Senate and Congress, times, beliefs and traditions, have truly changed. In my family, four female members are in the nursing field. Why not begin to adapt the teaching path where instead of spending time in a classroom, reading a book, have the student teacher spend a semester or two in an urban district. Then have the same student teacher spend another semester in a Catholic/private school. Following that, have the learner spend time in a charter school. Just like my family members, each nurse had to spend a certain period of time in a specific setting, psychiatric hospital, county jail, pediatrics, geriatrics, etc..., called a rotation where they experienced and worked under a licensed professional. In this case, the nurse comes out a bit more rounded having been exposed to settings that she or he were familiar with but also battled in extablishments that they never hoped to return to. In my personal educational background, I found life experience to be much more beneficial than classroom time. When I began at Wilson a decade ago, our former principal, Mr. Treanor always reinforced "educating the whole child." With this concept, I ran. I take the interests of my students and try to bring them or connect them to the unit/ topic at hand. I also see more and more interest for something new, curiousity. For example, one of my sixth grade classes is very interested in learning to speak Italian. The last two or three minutes when reminded, I introduce a new phrase or sentence in Italian. This is not a part of the math curriculum but it is something they are taking an interest to. Attract the student's attention with something they know like the teacher that introduced the idea of rhythm through a Robert Frost poem with rap. Yet keep a balance of exposing them to new. The Journal of Teacher Education brought up the concept of honest discussions in the classroom about such issues as teenage sex and drug use. Again, great concept and love the idea of discussion/talking in a time where only texting and tweeting occur but sense that very fine line we walk in this litigious society we live in. Talk is crucial in our field but yet with parents/guardians, educators must dot i's and cross t's in orde to avoid problems. I also like the idea of community involvement. Of course, guest speakers are great but what about having middle school students work a bingo or volunteer at a hospital? I attempt, as much as I can, to have my students make brown bag lunches for the Hoboken Shelter or make toiletry bags for PERC shelter. Again, it boils down to a race against time. Change is a slow process states the Journal of Teacher Education. Teachers must serve as an agent for this change. What about families, society as a whole? The book It Takes A Village comes to mind. Teachers do need to be an ingredient for change but there are many other ingredients as well to this recipe. Reading Horizons mentioned different approaches to curriculum such as transformation and social action as well as contributions and ethnic additive approaches. I particularly liked the Think Aloud and Four Corners mentioned in the Critical Literacy article. I play Four Corners in my classroom but with positive and negative numbers. The concept of encouraging students to think about each step, author, perspective and CD cover is sharp. Especially when I hear from my students how they are not asked their opinion or nobody cares or values what they think. Teachers do serve as role models just like parents, doctors, firemen, grandparents, police officers, etc.... All must be open and invite change to occur. Since change does not happen overnight, patience is crucial and valuable. To attend a workshop or class and learn new techniques are great but the key is to apply them successfully in your classroom. Hopefully, we, as educators, will become as diversified as the children we teach.