An Eye Opener

In chapter 17, I struck with the following quote from psychiatrist Gloria Powell, "when peer acceptance is dependent upon how white-like one is, then education becomes a subtractive process, a relinquishing of cultural self-identity. Black students in predominantly white settings are often living bi culturally, straddling at least two worlds: black and white" (267). This quote immediately made me think of the high school I attended, as it was predominately white, with a few African Americans attending due to Chapter 220. I never even considered for a single second, what it must be like for the African American students to be coming to my high school every morning, until the tables were turned. Northwest Secondary School, (my middle school placement) is for the most part all black. I've been there a month and I've seen a handful of white students, and about 20 Asian students; even the administration is mostly black. I'll admit that at first I was intimidated, since this was the first time I was the minority.
But I have to say, at my school, race isn't much of an issue. Students and teachers treat everyone the same, which is awesome, because I know in some places that isn't always the case. What's interesting about this though, is that the students don't give other students a hard time about being black, rather, they give themselves a hard time. Many of my black students repeatedly make comments quietly to themselves or through their journal entries about how being black can really limit their success in this world, and that they need to work twice as hard as anyone else to really succeed. Hearing and reading these statements really upset me, because my students are only twelve, thirteen and fourteen years old and they already have fallen victim to the stereotypes out there. What makes it even more upsetting is that I see many students use this "stereotype/issue" as an excuse/reason to not even attempt work. My co-op tells them all the time how important school is and that the fact that they don't do their work is the real reason why they may not succeed-not because they're black. I don't' know, I guess this chapter made me realize how hard it may be for some of my students who are not confident in themselves and their skin color.

Collaborative Planning

My group focused on the question: "What model/programs have been developed to foster team-building, collaborative planning, human relations, conflict-resolutions and/or staff development for middle school teachers and staff? My part of the project was to focus on the collaborative planning aspect and I found a ton of helpful information. Just a few highlights of what's to come for our presentation this Monday are: the four different ways teachers can co-teach or collaboratively teach, and the plus/negatives of each approach. The benefits of collaborative planning in general, tips on ways to collaborate with peers, and there is even a brief layout of an actual collaborative planning meeting, used in middle/secondary schools which will be turned into a handout. This is only a quick explanation of what my portion of the project was, but you'll see the rest this Monday.

The Emergent Middle School

I thought chapters 9-11 were interesting and informative, and found myself highlighting line after line. One line from chapter 10, "Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century" reads, "A volatile mismatch exists between the organization and curriculum of middle grade schools and the intellectual and emotional needs of young adolescents" (170). To be honest, I'm not sure if this quote is entirely true, but I can understand why some may think in this way. Since I'm in a middle school for a couple hours every day this semester, I have easy access to the curriculum, and even better, the chance to observe middle school students in their middle school environment. I'm sure we all can say first hand that if the assignment/activity/lesson is boring, the students are not going to respond in the way we most likely intended. The students need a curriculum that speaks to them, and keeps them engaged. My co-op (for her reading class) lets the students read over a number of stories in their Literature books, and had them decide which stories they thought the class should focus their attention on. I love this idea because she's not only letting the students take control over what is being read, but she makes an honest effort for her students to be engaged. I'm at my placement for first block Reading, and second block, eighth grade English, and its' amazing to see the difference in the students.

In the first block, where my students are constantly engaged, the room is quieter and more focused. Overall, much more work gets completed in a single day compared to the eighth graders. On the other hand, eighth grade has to do a daily grammar sheet and journaling which takes up the majority of the block. When the daily assignment are finished, my co-op gives them a quick grammar lesson and the class is over. The second block has more disturbances and more confused students. Overall, the curriculum needs to be suitable for the kids. I see first hand what happens with the curriculum does not match the students interests, abilities, or emotions: the students become bored, and there isn't much learning taking place.