Here is a quote that stuck out to me while reading the article "Literacy with an Attitude". "I was from the working class and I knew how working-class and poor kids related to authority. They expected people in authority to be authoritarian, and I gave them what they expected. It was an an exhausting job, but my classroom was nearly always quiet." This quote reminded me of "The Silenced Dialogue". It had to do with class instead of race. The kids knew what they had to do and did not question the authority of the teacher. The students never made a sound because they knew the teacher meant business. He stated how he was more there to teach them about control and discipline more than the actual criteria.
The second quote that stuck out to me was "Teachers rarely explained why work was being assigned or how it was connected to other assignments. Work was often evaluated in terms of whether steps were followed rather than whether it was right or wrong." This quote stuck out to me because it made me think of how in highschool I had teachers like this and hated every minute of the class. Most of the time, the work felt like busy work to pass the time and not to connect it to future experiences. This class actually has meaning to the work we do and reflects the opposite of this quote.
The third quote I wanted to share was "The dominant theme in the middle-class school was possibility.There was widespread anxiety about tests and grades but there
was a pervasive belief that hard work would payoff." I feel this is true in middle class schools. Students in low income schools usually do not get the credit or attention they deserve from authority and role models. They feel if no one believes in them, why should they work hard and have goals. This is a very sad reality that happens all around us.
I like the quotes you picked out and I agree with your explanation for the 2nd quote. Some teachers are unfortunately more interested in getting things done in time and correctly and how its expected rather than making sure the kids actually learn something and understand what they are learning
ReplyDeleteI agree with your second quote, I never liked when teachers expected us to do work the way they believe is right. I never felt like I was actually learning in classes like that.
ReplyDeleteI agree that most students don't get the attention they deserve in most schools. This will definitely have a severe affect on them in the years to come and in life in general. Well said!
ReplyDeleteI like your example with tutoring and connects it with "The Silence Dialogue."
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your quotes especially the second one! One of my teacher would give us worksheets everyday expecting us to do it and teach ourselves the work. He would then go on to sit in the corner and watch movies on his computer. Every class! I think it is really important that they need to love the class and make sure that we all understand and feel as though it is beneficial to us.
ReplyDeleteThe connection you made to the Silenced Dialogue in your first quote was really good. This was something I was also thinking about as I read the article. Teachers sometimes come off with an attitude that they are better than their students and this "silences" them.
ReplyDeleteThe connection you made to the Silenced Dialogue in your first quote was really good. This was something I was also thinking about as I read the article. Teachers sometimes come off with an attitude that they are better than their students and this "silences" them.
ReplyDeleteI really like the quotes you used , especially the first quote. I can also relate to that quote, I like the connections you made to the readings.
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