Chapter 31

"Safe spaces rarely exist in schools for adults or children to explore race, especially when Whites- who tend not to think of race all that often - determine agendas, and teachers from other backgrounds become used to the absence of talk about race, or are convinced they will not be heard." This quote struck the biggest chord with me in this chapter. That it is politically correct to not see color. All people are the same and should be treated as such. When that is just an escape from reality, these children have experienced racism and it is a real part of their lives that needs to be confronted and questioned. Otherwise, it will never change and they will believe the world is full of white bigots.

Futhermoore, my sentiment is that there is racism out there, but the real issue is classism. Racism validates many minorites position in society and gives a justification for their position but the real issue is they are there because others don't want any level of financial eqaulity in this country but because they are afro-american, its just a scapegoat to me.

Quote I like:

As much as racism bleeds America, we need to understand that classism is the real issue. Many of us are in the same boat and it's sinking, while these bougie Mother-F**kers ride on a luxury liner, and as long as we keep fighting over kicking people out of the little boat we're all in, we're gonna miss an opportunity to gain a better standard of living as a whole.

Social Construction of Knowledge

Social knowledge is "the product of agreement or consent between individuals who live out particular social relations and who live in junctures in time." I feel that the key idea is that knowledge needs to be questioned, that "dominant discourses" can not become assumed truth just because the powers that be claim them to be such. These so called "great men" and "great event of our past are not all that the majority would like you to believe. These were men to be respected in some of their motives and actions but not seen as omnibenevolent. My belief on this is that it is hard to attack this cirriculum of the majority in other areas besides history. I suppose in teaching multiple languages is one area that you can do this but I feel history is the main source to teach students about prespective of what happened so that they questioning what is happening and who is saying it. My hope is to teach from a reformist point of view of history and show students not to accept our past as absolute truth but see event as something controlled by those who wrote it.

Lesbian and Gay Adolescents

The text speaks about a "period of intense anxiety when they first realized that they suddenly belonged to a group of people that is vehemently depised" leads to a "identity crisis." I understand this statement but at the same time I do not. I understand that the individual has been taught that homosexuality is something dirty and unnatural by much of society and now has a certain degree of anxiety and self-hate about this "identity" forming. The reason I do not fully understand this is because the text also says that the sexual feelings come out around 12 years old, younger for males but isn't the major concept of today is that you are born gay or straight. I mean, I didn't start to lreally like girls openly till I was around 3rd grade but I atleast understood the concept of attraction before this time. I was just afraid I would get the coddie comment from one of my friends. Basically, I am confused that the concept of attraction to the opposite or same sex is being implied at around 12 when mine was much earlier. I am also confused by the inference that I get from the text that homosexuality is something that blossoms or forms. I never looked at it like that. I mean, I can see that we all have sexual growth and maturity in our attraction to others but that is more experience based and not genetical.

The Black Youth Male

The media projects "an ensemble of images of black youth as not childlike." They're projection of young black males as someone capable of "commiting serious crimes" and the "demonization" of them as a group. These extreme acts are publicized as the "norm" and not as the acts of the small minority of black males. I feel that these publicized acts are used as an excuse by the popular majority to not improve upon the urban education system. People look upon these few acts of radical behavior/crime and think "why should they even attempt to educate "these people." Although in reality, I feel that the radical behavior of the few is in reaction to the societal issue that popular society "White America" rejects the minority economically and socially. When you make it impossible to be heard and feel helpless, than some feel the need to make themselves heard through radical behavior. The literature also refers to the characterization of the black male youth as an animal and lower than human. I think this can be seen throughout histoyy with the larger concept that it is easy to humilate, oppress, and forget a group people if they are seen as less than human. The concept of "dehumanization."

Militarism of Urban and Poor Education

"While Ph. Ds are being hired to teach wealthy youth, Troops to Teachers is preparing retired military personnel on a "fast track" for certification in education adminstration, to provide leadership and structure in at risk schools." The major agrument is the culture of the privledge within schools that advocates choice while in at risk schools it is the culture of miltiarism. This argument is central but I feel that it goes further than just this. Education is suppose to be the great equalizer but in reality it is a reflection of our society with rigrid class, gender, and racial structure. Children are not giving the same chances in schools that other more wealthy districts are and in a public service such as education this is not acceptable.
Also, I agree that urban schools tend to be more militray than surburban. At my placement the students are not allowed to talk at lunch and have to face forward. Classes are very structured. However, it seems that most students like the structure because it comes with explanation to why it is being given. They do not just yell at students for no reason.

Dual Nature of Middle School students

In my reading for my project I read that middle schoolers are in a transitional phase from concrete to abstract thought and that they are very curious about the world now around them. As good teachers we should support this by enacting a methods that promote such thought patterns. However, I also read that students at this age need a lot of structure in the form of directions on what to do and how to it. To me this presented an issue of how to teach an abstract but yet structured lesson. The best explanation I came up with was that students need an abstract theme with a structured lesson plan to achieve the goals or perhaps and abstract lesson plan with a structured theme. I would defiantly lean towards the one with an abstract theme though. I think that students at this age are more engaged with the ideas they are learning are tangible and not concrete under a very guided structured environment.

CHAPTER 9-11 CURRINS 310

"The anger of the preadolescent is more intense and deeper than that of the younger child" and is "beginning a period of self-awareness". This anger is probably due to this deeper understanding of who they are and what they want out of life. When they can't these things, it results in a deeper more emotional understanding of pain.
I feel that the "recommendations for transforming middle school grade schools" is not realistic. These are all good ideas in theory but I would rather see concepts more applicable, like smaller class size and more exceptional education teachers. (ensuring sucess for all students)
Also, does anyone notice that the aurthor seems to think that middle school children are all using drugs and getting STDs. What exactly is a "healthy lifestyle" anyways. It just sounds like he has lost faith in the education system but yet his ideas for "transformation don't address this "self destructive" life style. I do, however, believe in the "ensuring sucess for all students." I really do not like the titles to these articles "A GOOD CITIZEN", "A CARING AND ETHICAL INDIVIDUAL" is this really for teachers to instruct. What a good citizen to me, might not be to the other. It is kind of laughable.