I am a white, LDS, female who grew up in a middle class family and so a lot of my beliefs and views on people were inherited and based on the way that I grew up. I wouldn't say that I was extremely sheltered from the world. I had an idea of the things that other groups of people struggled with and the discrimination aimed toward them. I even saw it within my family with family members who identify as bisexual and gay. I even saw some slight negative actions or thoughts toward a family member who has autism. And I'm not going to lie I may have been part of that sometimes, not directly toward the person, but when talking to others. I in no way was an expert on these subjects (and I'm still not) and I think that's what caused some of my negative thoughts towards people, even those who were my family members. I struggled with what the world was saying about these people and what I truly believed based on my faith and the way that I was raised. They contradicted each other.
But through out this class I was able to see things from the perspective of people who are being discriminated against. With the community experience I realized that my fear of those with disabilities is not because of their physical appearance but because I am not educated enough in the subject. I was afraid to say anything or interact with them worried that I would offend them in some way with the things that I said, when in all reality it is offensive to just ignore. I experienced being the other and it was not fun. I was put in a situation where I was unfamiliar with the language and norms of the class and I am a quiet person and not one to step up and ask questions especially in an unfamiliar place, so I can only imagine there will be students like that in my classroom. Patients is going to be key to teaching and getting to know my students and educating myself on their culture and the best way to teach individual student.
Through out this class I realized where my biases my show and I had always said that I wanted my classroom to be a safe environment for the students and I would do that by making sure that students were kind to each other, but now I know that I also play a part in that. I must make sure that my language and actions are representative of welcoming every culture, race, gender, and ability in my classroom. We, students and teacher, will learn together what is appropriate and what isn't. Expectations are going to be high for all students.
I know have a better knowledge of what my students may be facing and I will continue to learn as I teach, it doesn't end here. Action cannot be based on assumptions they need to be based on knowledge which is why I will continue to learn about and keep up to date in the issues going on in the world. Things which my students may be facing when they come into my classroom. The disruptions I felt during discussion just made me realize that I had things I need to change in order to be a good teacher who is inclusive of all her students.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Re-imagined Classroom
What does my classroom look like?
There are somethings in your classroom that you can not control. Like whether you are given a room with windows or what the desks look like. Things like that you just have work with what you are given. But somethings I can control are what go on the walls, how I arrange the desks, what other outside resources I can bring into the classroom. My room is not going to be empty, meaning, there will be things on the walls. Sometimes I do feel that the "decorations" put up in classrooms can distract from the learning which is something I want to avoid. So what goes on my walls will be helpful to the learning and when projects are done those will be displayed. This will let the students know that I care about what they have done.
Originally I was very vague in what would go up on the walls in my classroom. I feel like this is kind of a difficult thing for a mathematics classroom because it's not like students are making art that you can display. It's kind of silly to put homework up on the walls and I am against putting up tests that people got good grades on because that could make the others discouraged. Most often it seems that the same people are doing well on tests. But depending on what class it is there could very likely be one or two projects done and those could be displayed. I would display every single students project, so that they know that each persons work is valued and seen.
The desks will be arranged in groups if the classroom space allows for that. I believe that one of the main ways that students learn is from each other. Having the desks arranged in groups will allow for the students to work together and collaborate and bounce ideas off of each other.
A big misunderstanding with mathematics is that there is one correct answer and only one way to get that answer, but that is very rarely the case. I am going to have resources in my classroom that will allow the students to work hands on and to help them explore other ways of answer questions. Blocks, fraction tiles, calculators, mini white boards, etc. will be available in the classroom.
Here I have assumed that everyone will be able to communicate with each other. It is very likely that I will have students whose primary language is not English so I would make sure that they have an opportunity to work with other students in the class who speak the same language as them. Although they would still need to be able to explain their work and so I would still want them to work with others who don't speak the same language so that they can be learning how to explain their mathematics in a way that the whole class can understand.
Rules, Policies, and Expectations
Students are going to be expected to show up to class and to be present and attentive. Meaning they will be expected to participate in small group and whole class discussions.
Classroom rules: be respectful of others, stay on task, learn from your mistakes, come prepared and ready to participate, and have fun!
If they fail to follow these rules they will get a warning, lose privileges, grades will suffer, and if it becomes a constant thing we will have to talk with parents and/or principal.
I also want to get the students involved in coming up with the rules and expectations of the classroom. When they feel like what they have to say is being heard and that they are making a contribution then they are going to be more willing to follow those rules.
As a teacher I must have high expectations for all of my students. If they feel like you don't believe in them then they are going to give up. I don't know if I was clear about this but participation points can be earned for participating in the whole class discussion or in small groups. For some students it may be real intimidating to speak in front of the whole class, I know for me it always was, so I need to be accommodating for those who will not speak to the whole class. There are several factors that could cause this to happen and I need to be an understanding teacher. But they are expected to participate and cannot just sit back and never say a word.
While I do want my students to have a say in the rules and expectation in the classroom there are a lot of issues in the world that may come up in class and will need to be address, there is language, sexual orientation, race, etc., and I need to be upfront on the first day of class saying that inappropriate language and bullying will not be tolerated. When speaking to them I will not speak down to them as if they are children. They are learning to be adults and need to be treated as such. I obviously will not be able to address every little detail on the first day of class and I'm sure things will come up throughout the year, but my students need to know that we are going to take the time to discuss the issue in class. It is not going to be brushed under the rug. Every individual in my classroom is important and if I feel uncomfortable or feel that someone is being treated unfairly then it needs to be taken care of.
My Students
My students are going to be from all different backgrounds and they are all going to be welcome. My vision for my classroom is that it is a safe environment where students from different backgrounds and interests will feel comfortable sharing and participating. I want it to be place where you see the varsity sports players and the music/arts students, and math enthusiasts are all working together, forgetting about their label in school.
Expounding on the fact that I want my classroom to be a safe environment. Saying that is one thing but actually creating it is another. They way that I will do that is with the rules and expectations described above. They are made to make everybody feel comfortable. Also as the teacher I will make sure that I am aware of each of my students, the different cultures, languages, races, gender identification, etc., that may be present in my classroom so that if issues do come up with some kind of bullying or misunderstanding, I will be able to address them in class. If I am educated in these things and show my students that we need to treat everyone equally then my students will be more likely to pick up on that idea. I'm not saying everybody has to be best friends but everyone needs to respect each other. If this can be accomplished then they will feel more comfortable participating in class.
This may be a lofty goal, but I want to create and environment where if my students were outside of the classroom and saw one of their classmates being picked on that they would stand up for them.
I want to really get to know my students so on the first day of class I want to give out a get to know you survey asking questions like:
- what are your interests?
- what is the best way to contact parents/guardian?
- what do you want to learn?
And maybe just some silly random questions. But if I can get some basic information and interests then I can gear my tasks towards those interests to get the students more engaged.
Me as a Teacher
There are somethings in your classroom that you can not control. Like whether you are given a room with windows or what the desks look like. Things like that you just have work with what you are given. But somethings I can control are what go on the walls, how I arrange the desks, what other outside resources I can bring into the classroom. My room is not going to be empty, meaning, there will be things on the walls. Sometimes I do feel that the "decorations" put up in classrooms can distract from the learning which is something I want to avoid. So what goes on my walls will be helpful to the learning and when projects are done those will be displayed. This will let the students know that I care about what they have done.
Originally I was very vague in what would go up on the walls in my classroom. I feel like this is kind of a difficult thing for a mathematics classroom because it's not like students are making art that you can display. It's kind of silly to put homework up on the walls and I am against putting up tests that people got good grades on because that could make the others discouraged. Most often it seems that the same people are doing well on tests. But depending on what class it is there could very likely be one or two projects done and those could be displayed. I would display every single students project, so that they know that each persons work is valued and seen.
 |
| Image 1: This picture demonstrates a temporary arrangement for working in groups. I would arrange the desks so that they wouldn't need to be moved every time we wanted to work in groups. |
A big misunderstanding with mathematics is that there is one correct answer and only one way to get that answer, but that is very rarely the case. I am going to have resources in my classroom that will allow the students to work hands on and to help them explore other ways of answer questions. Blocks, fraction tiles, calculators, mini white boards, etc. will be available in the classroom.
Here I have assumed that everyone will be able to communicate with each other. It is very likely that I will have students whose primary language is not English so I would make sure that they have an opportunity to work with other students in the class who speak the same language as them. Although they would still need to be able to explain their work and so I would still want them to work with others who don't speak the same language so that they can be learning how to explain their mathematics in a way that the whole class can understand.
 |
| Image 2: Expectations, rules, and policies will be posted so that all students can see them on a daily basis. |
Students are going to be expected to show up to class and to be present and attentive. Meaning they will be expected to participate in small group and whole class discussions.
Classroom rules: be respectful of others, stay on task, learn from your mistakes, come prepared and ready to participate, and have fun!
If they fail to follow these rules they will get a warning, lose privileges, grades will suffer, and if it becomes a constant thing we will have to talk with parents and/or principal.
I also want to get the students involved in coming up with the rules and expectations of the classroom. When they feel like what they have to say is being heard and that they are making a contribution then they are going to be more willing to follow those rules.
As a teacher I must have high expectations for all of my students. If they feel like you don't believe in them then they are going to give up. I don't know if I was clear about this but participation points can be earned for participating in the whole class discussion or in small groups. For some students it may be real intimidating to speak in front of the whole class, I know for me it always was, so I need to be accommodating for those who will not speak to the whole class. There are several factors that could cause this to happen and I need to be an understanding teacher. But they are expected to participate and cannot just sit back and never say a word.
While I do want my students to have a say in the rules and expectation in the classroom there are a lot of issues in the world that may come up in class and will need to be address, there is language, sexual orientation, race, etc., and I need to be upfront on the first day of class saying that inappropriate language and bullying will not be tolerated. When speaking to them I will not speak down to them as if they are children. They are learning to be adults and need to be treated as such. I obviously will not be able to address every little detail on the first day of class and I'm sure things will come up throughout the year, but my students need to know that we are going to take the time to discuss the issue in class. It is not going to be brushed under the rug. Every individual in my classroom is important and if I feel uncomfortable or feel that someone is being treated unfairly then it needs to be taken care of.
My Students
My students are going to be from all different backgrounds and they are all going to be welcome. My vision for my classroom is that it is a safe environment where students from different backgrounds and interests will feel comfortable sharing and participating. I want it to be place where you see the varsity sports players and the music/arts students, and math enthusiasts are all working together, forgetting about their label in school.
Expounding on the fact that I want my classroom to be a safe environment. Saying that is one thing but actually creating it is another. They way that I will do that is with the rules and expectations described above. They are made to make everybody feel comfortable. Also as the teacher I will make sure that I am aware of each of my students, the different cultures, languages, races, gender identification, etc., that may be present in my classroom so that if issues do come up with some kind of bullying or misunderstanding, I will be able to address them in class. If I am educated in these things and show my students that we need to treat everyone equally then my students will be more likely to pick up on that idea. I'm not saying everybody has to be best friends but everyone needs to respect each other. If this can be accomplished then they will feel more comfortable participating in class.
This may be a lofty goal, but I want to create and environment where if my students were outside of the classroom and saw one of their classmates being picked on that they would stand up for them.
I want to really get to know my students so on the first day of class I want to give out a get to know you survey asking questions like:
- what are your interests?
- what is the best way to contact parents/guardian?
- what do you want to learn?
And maybe just some silly random questions. But if I can get some basic information and interests then I can gear my tasks towards those interests to get the students more engaged.
 |
| Image 3: I hope to build a safe environment where all students hands are in the air when I ask a question |
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| Image 4: My students will feel comfortable coming to the board to share their work and teach the class what they discovered. |
Me as a Teacher
A day would look like this: the students come in and get started on some kind of warm up to review the stuff they learned the day before or maybe even a week before. This will be one way for me to assess if they understand ways they have already learned. Then we will go over homework. I will have the students come up to the board to show their work and then we will discuss as a class if we agree why or why not. Then we will get into the lesson. My lessons for the most part will be task based. I want my students to be actively learning and not just listening to me lecture for 30-45 min. So after a little bit of instruction from me they will be given a task where they can work with each other. Something we may be working on is solving equation by substitution, elimination, or my graphing. I want them to learn that there is not just one way to solve an equation. There are three different approaches that will give you the same answer which ever way you choose.
When picking students to come up to the board to show their work I am going to want to show work that is wrong as well as right so that we can walk through the students processes and I will be able to see where they are not understanding. But I will need to be careful not to just pick the minority because they may appear to be the ones who get answers wrong more often. No one group should be targeted more than the other. One way I could avoid this is to put names on popsicle sticks and pull names from there and who ever I pull will come to the board. Then it won't be like I am targeting anybody because it is random.
It is important to have multiple sources for which students and parents can receive the assignments. The Mathematics Vision Project is an online source that has tasks that can be used in the classroom. Children now a days are very technology savvy and so providing online resources will play to their strengths. One of the tasks I could use in class could be from the MVP online resource The SM1 Module 5 covers systems of equations and the tasks I could use could be pulled from there. If a student misses a day of classes or a parent wants to see what they have been working on they could go online and look at it themselves. I also think that having a class website would be good to have so that parents can look at that. I would provide past homework assignments, notes, future homework assignments, and contact info. I understand that not all families are going to have access to a computer so these things will be available in other ways as well.
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Image 5: When I give my students a group assignment that doesn't mean that I am going to be sitting at my desk. I am going to be walking around to see how they are doing and ask questions to see their thought process. This will be another way for me to assess where my students are at with understanding.
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Image 1: http://aplacetothrive.blogspot.com/2013/09/classroom-reveal.html
Image 2: http://everybodyisageniusblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/classroom-expectations.html
Image 3: http://msbrownnobullteacher.com/wordpress/talking-out/
Image 4: http://yorkvilleschools.blogspot.com/2012/10/yorkville-high-school-math-thinking-to.html
Image 5: http://www.tbo.com/news/education/hillsborough-art-classes-adopt-common-core-approach-20140309/
Friday, December 2, 2016
Book Club- Honky by Dalton Conley
Disruptions:
It was disturbing to hear of how some of the teachers taught, yes I know that this was during a time when racism was very much a thing and people, as in whites, felt that they were superior to all and had a right to degrade people of other races, (which is NEVER okay). There was one time when Alexandra had to take a summer school class while the family was in Pennsylvania so the population was very heavily whites and it was a history class and they were talking about China. Now this is a direct quote form the teacher in the book, he said, "China has one billion people. You know what that means? That means two billion armpits and one billion assholes. On to the next country..." How people can talk like that about other human beings baffles me. What did they ever do to you personally? Have you ever actually met a Chinese person? The teacher finally worked his way back to Europe and said that's where everybody originated implying that it was superior to all. Where we (and I have to say we because I am white) get the notion that we are the best I do not know?
Religion-There was one instance in the book when Dalton, the main character, was a a boy scout camp and they were taking a trip to a nearby church and he had expressed how he didn't want to go to the church. He wasn't particularly religious and the thought of going into a church scared him. But Dalton didn't have a choice and had to go.
From what it sounds like it didn't seem like any religion was being forced in such a way that a conversion needed to happen in the end, but his religious freedom was not respected. Even though it may seem like a child doesn't know what they want, they do and their wishes need to be taken into consideration. No one should ever be forced to do something that they don't want to.
Ability-One of Dalton's best friends Jerome had been shot and as a result was paralyzed. When the injury was still very new and people were still trying to process what had happened, Dalton went to the hospital to visit Jerome. It was all really overwhelming and new to Dalton and he had asked, "So is he paralyzed from the neck down or the waist down?" Jeromes mom did not think that appropriate and yelled at Dalton. This traumatized Dalton and even some time after when Dalton and his family had moved and Jerome was out of the hospital and was mobile by way of a wheelchair Dalton still didn't know how to really act around him. He had said how he finally knew how paralyzed he was, but it wasn't from asking it was by observation. He often caught himself talking about things that Jerome could never do again, like Basketball, and felt bad. But Jerome would make jokes and talk as if his disability wasn't holding him back.
It bothers me that at this point it has been like a year since the injury but Dalton is still uncomfortable around who once was his best friend.
Race-Race played a big part in this whole story and was kind of an underlying issue the whole time.
While in Pennsylvania Alexandra had gone to a sleep over for the daughter of one of her mom's high school friends. The girls at this sleep over were all white and just before bed they all gathered around and told ghost stories. One girl had told a story about and black man who had bitten the head off of a squirrel and how he was coming after this girl to eat here too. Alexandra said that this story was told as if the black man was a fairy tale character like Bigfoot.
It's just disturbing that people can talk about other people that way. Alexandra had said how people back home would use the word "nigga" in reference to each other but it was always sarcastically and it is very different coming from someone of your own kind and being used by someone else in a way that is degrading. I just wonder if these girls would use that word or call someone that if they met a black person face to face. How much are we comfortable saying behind someones back and how comfortable are we saying that same thing to their face. If you would only say it behind their back then maybe you shouldn't be saying it at all.
Connections to Class:
Cultural Capital-The last chapter of the book is called cultural capital is just talks about how he got into the high school that he did. It says that he was able to take summer school classes because he came from a low income neighborhood. Because of this they were able to receive a lot more than some.
Culture
- Identity- This is something I think Dalton struggled with a lot during his life. He lived in a part of New York where is family was like the only white family. He went to several different schools. He had started at a school in his neighborhood, so he went to school with the kids who lived near him, but then he transferred to a school that was out of the neighborhood which was a better school. There he had made friends but still didn't quite fit in, he kind of faked his way in. These kids were smart and at first he pretended like he knew what he was talking about and spent all of his free time reading up on what the kids were talking about so that he could contribute to the conversation. One time instead of always going to his friend Micheal's house Micheal came to his. Dalton was embarrassed and thought that Micheal wouldn't want to be friends with him anymore. Then he changed schools again and made a new best friend, Jerome. Jerome was a good kid, but it was kind of like Dalton had forgotten himself and started skipping school and was doing very poorly in school. Then once he got into high school he was living a nicer neighborhood but kids from the working class areas still commuted a long distance to get to the school. And so even though he lived in a white neighborhood he was drawn to hanging out with the wealthy kids that looked like him but with those he group up with.
Growing up in a neighborhood where he was pretty much the only white kid can really confuse someone as to who they identify with and with all the transferring.
- Language-One summer when the family had taken their trip to Pennsylvania, there mother was trying to get the kids to play with the neighbors and be friends. So Alexandra and Dalton had gone to play with some kids who lived nearby but soon returned because of their language. Dalton says that they knew never to swear at anyone directly, but it wasn't rare to use a cuss word in everyday conversations. And when the parents of these other kids heard this they exiled Alexandra and Dalton from their house.
Depending on where you live and who you associate with certain language will be appropriate and at other times it will not.
Class- Because he transferred schools so much he ended up associating with kids that were of higher socioeconomic status than he was. Therefor their parents had money they could give out as allowances, where the money that Dalton was given was just for emergencies. Or they had much nicer houses and their parents showed that they cared about their child's education and well being in different ways than Dalton's parents did. Class was always a barrier between Dalton and his peers. Where he lived he was of a slightly higher class than his neighbors but at school his friends were of higher class.
Influence in my Future Work:
The biggest thing that I have taken from reading this is that you can never truly know what a child is going through at home. You do not know their circumstances and for that reason as a teacher you need to be forgiving. Yes there needs to be discipline for late or missing assignments if it is a regular occurrence but life happens and everybody needs a by here and there.
Also just being aware. Aware of everything, of my language and how I interact with or talk about people of different race, religious background, or with disabilities. Students are always watching and see teachers as examples and if they do then it must be okay. Don't snap at them when they do or say something wrong but let that be teaching opportunity and prevent it from happening in the future. Everyone has biases, but as a teacher you need to be aware of them and work on changing them and definitely do not let them show in your classroom. You have to be on every kids side and not discriminate.
It was disturbing to hear of how some of the teachers taught, yes I know that this was during a time when racism was very much a thing and people, as in whites, felt that they were superior to all and had a right to degrade people of other races, (which is NEVER okay). There was one time when Alexandra had to take a summer school class while the family was in Pennsylvania so the population was very heavily whites and it was a history class and they were talking about China. Now this is a direct quote form the teacher in the book, he said, "China has one billion people. You know what that means? That means two billion armpits and one billion assholes. On to the next country..." How people can talk like that about other human beings baffles me. What did they ever do to you personally? Have you ever actually met a Chinese person? The teacher finally worked his way back to Europe and said that's where everybody originated implying that it was superior to all. Where we (and I have to say we because I am white) get the notion that we are the best I do not know?
Religion-There was one instance in the book when Dalton, the main character, was a a boy scout camp and they were taking a trip to a nearby church and he had expressed how he didn't want to go to the church. He wasn't particularly religious and the thought of going into a church scared him. But Dalton didn't have a choice and had to go.
From what it sounds like it didn't seem like any religion was being forced in such a way that a conversion needed to happen in the end, but his religious freedom was not respected. Even though it may seem like a child doesn't know what they want, they do and their wishes need to be taken into consideration. No one should ever be forced to do something that they don't want to.
Ability-One of Dalton's best friends Jerome had been shot and as a result was paralyzed. When the injury was still very new and people were still trying to process what had happened, Dalton went to the hospital to visit Jerome. It was all really overwhelming and new to Dalton and he had asked, "So is he paralyzed from the neck down or the waist down?" Jeromes mom did not think that appropriate and yelled at Dalton. This traumatized Dalton and even some time after when Dalton and his family had moved and Jerome was out of the hospital and was mobile by way of a wheelchair Dalton still didn't know how to really act around him. He had said how he finally knew how paralyzed he was, but it wasn't from asking it was by observation. He often caught himself talking about things that Jerome could never do again, like Basketball, and felt bad. But Jerome would make jokes and talk as if his disability wasn't holding him back.
It bothers me that at this point it has been like a year since the injury but Dalton is still uncomfortable around who once was his best friend.
Race-Race played a big part in this whole story and was kind of an underlying issue the whole time.
While in Pennsylvania Alexandra had gone to a sleep over for the daughter of one of her mom's high school friends. The girls at this sleep over were all white and just before bed they all gathered around and told ghost stories. One girl had told a story about and black man who had bitten the head off of a squirrel and how he was coming after this girl to eat here too. Alexandra said that this story was told as if the black man was a fairy tale character like Bigfoot.
It's just disturbing that people can talk about other people that way. Alexandra had said how people back home would use the word "nigga" in reference to each other but it was always sarcastically and it is very different coming from someone of your own kind and being used by someone else in a way that is degrading. I just wonder if these girls would use that word or call someone that if they met a black person face to face. How much are we comfortable saying behind someones back and how comfortable are we saying that same thing to their face. If you would only say it behind their back then maybe you shouldn't be saying it at all.
"The apartment itself was a gigantic duplex. Standing on its parquet floors, staring out the huge barless windows or up at the twelve-foot-high ceilings, my sister and I felt small, as if we had regressed in our growth curves. I couldn’t understand why we should get all this and not the maintenance men who were on their hands and knees during our visit, replacing a section of floor that had warped from humidity and age.Why us and not them, I couldn’t stop asking myself. I wondered where they lived" (208-209).
I feel like only those who have seen both sides, been given more than they need and had to suffer just barely scraping by, will think of others. Wondering why they aren't the ones getting this nice house because they deserve it more. I know it's not always the case but its just disconcerting that that's how it works, the less fortunate seem to be more willing to give.Connections to Class:
Cultural Capital-The last chapter of the book is called cultural capital is just talks about how he got into the high school that he did. It says that he was able to take summer school classes because he came from a low income neighborhood. Because of this they were able to receive a lot more than some.
Culture
- Identity- This is something I think Dalton struggled with a lot during his life. He lived in a part of New York where is family was like the only white family. He went to several different schools. He had started at a school in his neighborhood, so he went to school with the kids who lived near him, but then he transferred to a school that was out of the neighborhood which was a better school. There he had made friends but still didn't quite fit in, he kind of faked his way in. These kids were smart and at first he pretended like he knew what he was talking about and spent all of his free time reading up on what the kids were talking about so that he could contribute to the conversation. One time instead of always going to his friend Micheal's house Micheal came to his. Dalton was embarrassed and thought that Micheal wouldn't want to be friends with him anymore. Then he changed schools again and made a new best friend, Jerome. Jerome was a good kid, but it was kind of like Dalton had forgotten himself and started skipping school and was doing very poorly in school. Then once he got into high school he was living a nicer neighborhood but kids from the working class areas still commuted a long distance to get to the school. And so even though he lived in a white neighborhood he was drawn to hanging out with the wealthy kids that looked like him but with those he group up with.
Growing up in a neighborhood where he was pretty much the only white kid can really confuse someone as to who they identify with and with all the transferring.
- Language-One summer when the family had taken their trip to Pennsylvania, there mother was trying to get the kids to play with the neighbors and be friends. So Alexandra and Dalton had gone to play with some kids who lived nearby but soon returned because of their language. Dalton says that they knew never to swear at anyone directly, but it wasn't rare to use a cuss word in everyday conversations. And when the parents of these other kids heard this they exiled Alexandra and Dalton from their house.
Depending on where you live and who you associate with certain language will be appropriate and at other times it will not.
Class- Because he transferred schools so much he ended up associating with kids that were of higher socioeconomic status than he was. Therefor their parents had money they could give out as allowances, where the money that Dalton was given was just for emergencies. Or they had much nicer houses and their parents showed that they cared about their child's education and well being in different ways than Dalton's parents did. Class was always a barrier between Dalton and his peers. Where he lived he was of a slightly higher class than his neighbors but at school his friends were of higher class.
Influence in my Future Work:
The biggest thing that I have taken from reading this is that you can never truly know what a child is going through at home. You do not know their circumstances and for that reason as a teacher you need to be forgiving. Yes there needs to be discipline for late or missing assignments if it is a regular occurrence but life happens and everybody needs a by here and there.
Also just being aware. Aware of everything, of my language and how I interact with or talk about people of different race, religious background, or with disabilities. Students are always watching and see teachers as examples and if they do then it must be okay. Don't snap at them when they do or say something wrong but let that be teaching opportunity and prevent it from happening in the future. Everyone has biases, but as a teacher you need to be aware of them and work on changing them and definitely do not let them show in your classroom. You have to be on every kids side and not discriminate.
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