Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water.
Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water
in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes
the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can
flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend
All of this is easier said than done, of course. But by making sure we understand varying teaching theories, and most importantly, our students, we can always create the best possible education for them. Notice how I said create, not select or apply a certain theory. No two lessons will ever be the same if they are going to be the best they can be for the particular needs of any given student or classroom. As educators, we are charged with developing what works for us and our students from what we have studied.
On the subject of minority students in education, I'd like to point out an idea I learned in Professor Diem's TAL 101. Low-income, minority urban school are not failing; they are doing what they are supposed to do. We need to recognize this as teachers, as Delpit has. Minority or lower-class students are not any less innately capable than students from other school systems; they are simply the products of a system designed to make them fail, to oppress them. As educators we are forced to work in this system, but we have the blessing of being aware of this; we can "fight back," in a sense. We don't have to force students to choose between their minority culture and the white-normative culture schools attempt to impose on their students; we can help them embrace the unique advantages of their cultures to help them learn in a way that is unique and special to them. I truly believe in the power of the unique talents of every student. Every student is brilliant, absolutely. It is our job as educators to find that brilliancy and teach students how to use it any context; not just the playground, the music studio, the football field, their sketchbooks, or what have you.
"Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it." Bruce Lee
For example, when I think about minority students, I think about Hispanic-American students primarily. As a second-generation Cuban-American myself (and a huge fan of Junot Diaz) I could not be more excited to teach about the wealth of beautiful and interesting literature written by Hispanics and Hispanic-Americans alike. These are texts that are rarely taught in the average American school (and often need to be translated), but I feel they are huge opportunities to help students translate their fluency and skills from their native languages to English, as a significant number of Hispanic-American students do not speak English as primary language, or have even received an earlier education in English. My grandfather, for example, was a professor at the University of Habana, yet when he graduated to Miami must have appeared an uneducated man to anyone listening to him struggle speaking conversational English. Yet ask him a question about Dostoevsky or Hemingway in Spanish, or ask him to play some Chopin, and he is a genius. I believe many Hispanic-Americna students are disenfranchised simply because of this language barrier, and an English clash is an excellent vehicle for translating, if you will, their brilliance.
"There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." Bruce Lee
(Bruce Lee seem to be speaking to generations of future theories on his writing, though it only makes sense- he is one of the greatest martial arts teachers to have ever lived, founding his own school, Jeet Kune Do. I recommend googling it; it is extremely interesting.)
I can't say enough about your impressive writing, passion and content knowledge!! So rather than continue to stroke your ego, I want to challenge you on one of the points you make. I agree that ELL's would savor the opportunity to read, some literature, not to mention, an entire novel in their native language (I mean who wouldn't)!! Unfortunately very few of us use their home language as the medium to more enriching reading of English: A sad state of affairs indeed, since research in second language acquisition suggests that doing so is highly beneficial. BUT many of our hispanic students, who are at the negative end of the achievement gap are actually second generation immigrants who do not speak Spanish or first generation spanish speakers who unfortunately do not have strong language skills in their native tongue. I guess I'm asking you to take into consideration how complex our problems are. Dr. Diems philosophy is certainly on point but being an educator means taking those issues into consideration while under the oppression of that very system. It is sometimes an arduous battle but one that I think future teachers like you are and must be willing and capable of fighting.
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