RAFTing

There were definitely some similarities between white water rafting and RAFTing. They are both dangerous... well one similarity! This assignment put us all in very real scenarios that all of us will face, to some degree, in our professional careers. I feel that it is very important to establish what kind of environment your students will be in when they first enter the classroom. All students should feel as if they are equals, treated with respect and able to approach us, the teachers, if they need anything. As wonderful as it is to have the rest of the school onboard, I feel that it is not always realistic to expect it to work the way that it should. You have control of how your classroom works and and that's a good place to start. 

Having a program set up in schools that is more structured with interactive teaching of how respect is necessary for all of them to have an unhindered learning experience. Tact is importance in a classroom. It's important to respect your students first and foremost. They'll listen to you if they trust you and will feel open expressing themselves to you. Making sure that people are not alienated by dispersing groups into different learning groups and learning about each other can help. It's also important to address the student's educational needs and make sure that they are teamed up with people that where they can all contribute to each others learning in a positive way. 

When problems arise at school, yelling or punishing usually won't get the point across as well as approaching the students and having them put themselves in someone else's position. The Moslem proverb says "To understand a man, you've got to walk a mile in his shoes, whether they fit or not." I feel that  through teaching empathy, understanding follows. 

Hopefully these kinds of methods will work in my future teaching endeavors. I feel that I have challenges similar to the child who was aggressing in the classroom awaiting me in the professional world. Educating the children in the schools and teachers on what is going on and how to address situations will be quite the undertaking, but I am looking forward to the challenges and light bulbs above heads that await me.

It Makes a Difference

If you're only looking at one side of an issue, than you're only seeing half of the story. Different viewpoints, miscommunications and misinterpretations are at the root of all disputes since humans have been in existence. As teachers, we will constantly be confronted with issues that revolve around different viewpoints whether it has to do with the system that we work in or the children in our classrooms. 

I like to think of myself as an ambiguous person that often likes to argue viewpoints that are contrary to my own. The debate that took place in our class was very eye opening as far as how aspects of cultural and language will tie in with our profession. The bilingual school debate seemed to be the most heated for everyone. It is of great importance that we maintain a neutral but empathetic standing with the people that with other professionals field along with the families that who's children are in our schools. Maintaining this position will create a more stable environment to work in and positively influence the environment that children will be learning in; and they are the most important part of this. 

Using the examples from class, there are pros and cons to both sides the 3 topics we covered. I hadn't thought of many of them before, and I hope that it gave some perspective to everyone else in the class. It really forced us into the position to argue points and opinions that  may have been conflicting for us. Hopefully gaining that perspective will help us interact with people of different cultures in the future. 

Having knowledge about multiple facets of issues that can arise in school, you can play two roles: understanding and informing. If a parent is feeling frustration about a certain controversial issue, it will immediately calm the to know that you understand where they are coming from. Hopefully, establishing this will make them feel more at ease. If you have suggestions or other viewpoints to share, then you can communicate those tactfully without as much retort. This can also apply to situations where you need to confront an issue that may be impeding a student's education etc. 

"The Class"

     All experiences in life are learning experiences whether or not you enjoy them. You can always learn about things you like, that you enjoyed learning in a certain setting; you can also learn that you dislike a certain experience more than you did initially.  I feel that there was definitely learning taking place in the classroom in the film. I also feel that there could have been more effective teaching and that there could have been a lot more learning taking place under the right circumstances.

     There were lots of teachable moments wasted, hypocrisy and cross-culture conflict that defined the culture in the classroom. Learning processes were supported and constrained throughout and varied to both extremes very often. It didn't create a stable environment for the students to learn in.

     The moment that stood out most to me was the creativity that the teacher was supporting while Souleymane was working on his Autobiography project.  He and his student moved cooperated to bridge the gap between his teaching style and his student's learning style. I can't help but think about an idealistic world where teachers would be more willing to adapt to the student population's cultural needs along with each individual's needs.

     I felt that there were a number of constrained learning processes as well. Teachers, as understanding as they need to be with their students, also need to create structure and assert a certain level of seniority in the classroom. This is to make the students feel more secure and understand their role as a learner. It is important to guide the class but also allow them to direct it to some extent. Through his arguing, then losing his temper and saying something regrettable, he lost his student's respect and validated their antagonistic, avoidant behaviors.

     The frequent conflicts in class between the teacher and students clearly demonstrated the two cultures colliding. They were unable to understand each other. The usage of language between the two groups demonstrated both supported and constrained learning cross-culturally. while the children were talking about the sensitive things they might include in the autobiography, there is a new word for "bourgeois" as someone who smells of Camembert (a very pungent cheese.) Their linguistic and cultural differences is made evident when teacher calls the girls "Petace" (skanks.) This word represents two different things for the two groups. It is translated as a very derogatory reference to being prostitutes whereas the teacher only meant is as girls being giggly.

     The good and bad approaches to the classroom by the teacher in the movie give a lot of perspective about good and bad practices when teaching. It is important to note the other linguistic barrier between English to French. There are always cultural references lost in translation.

Why, as a teacher, do I need to care?

     Being in a program that is preparing me for becoming a special education teacher requires, on many levels for me to be especially sensitive to peoples' situations and their cultural diversity. Children with special needs need to be accurately assessed and this often brings things up that need to be properly framed for the parent/caretaker so that it is not misinterpreted. For instance, if a child is 12 years old and happens to be verbally communicating at the level of a 3 year old, it is difficult and painful for a parent to digest.

     It is important to feel the families out and use any information that is already available in an IEP (individual education plan/program) or from a previous school that they attended. If you know that they come from a culture outside of the United States, doing research on wherever they are from can be helpful. You might find out the they involve the whole family in decision making for their child. If you don't know this and don't invite all of the members you may already start off on the wrong foot.  Additionally, learning about they're mannerisms when communicating can save you from offending anyone. If you come on too strong or not with enough enthusiasm, you might not be taken seriously. All of these things will contribute to having positive experiences with the family.  As a result of this, they will respect you and may seek you out with questions or concerns they have for their child. This is the relationship we all should be motivated to lay foundation for in our work.

     This is not strictly for usage with parents and family members, but also with the children in your class. If you are sensitive to each individual's cultural background and customs you can have a more intuitive approach to your interactions with them. When you accomplished this, the children will feel more comfortable, and ready to learn and approach you if they are in need of something

"I am from" poem

I am from two worlds
born with two tongues
I am from a school run by a government that wears red white and blue
but not in a stars and stripes arrangement

I am from my mothers' strength and
My fathers kindness
I am from a broken home
I am from a place where outsiders took me in

I am from spoken word and delicious beats
Where I use to walk with my walkman down the streets
Alone but never by myself
It is always with me

I also wanted to include this piece for anyone interested

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAcJ1RmhUeQ