Final Entry This entry should be a personal reflection on your growth of understanding of teaching, this demographic of students, and the educational situation in Louisiana. Look back to your first entry; make specific references to this entry in explaining how your perspective has changed or why it has not. Explain how specific readings have affected your thinking. Explain how specific class conversations have affected your thinking. Explain how specific service experiences have changed your thinking. You may need to again be uncomfortably honest with yourself.
An arts, humanities, and science summer immersion program for high school students; An award-winning student organization; A service-learning opportunity
Within the few months of this semester, both the class and service learning of FOCUS has opened my eyes to so many procedures, problems, possible solutions to both racism and the educational situation in Louisiana. Most importantly, it has allowed me to not only work with students who attend under resourced schools but to also work beside such students (and even at times, work under these BRYC students, to help get to their goals). As stated in my very first entry, I think the most challenging part of racism, especially mine is the false assumption that I am in the position I am today, with the knowledge and opportunities I have because of some power I have earned. In my first blog post, I quoted McIntosh from one of our readings – McIntosh answers perfectly, “As we know from watching men, it is an open question whether we will choose to use unearned advantage to weaken hidden systems of advantage, and whether we will use any of our arbitrarily awarded power to try to reconstruct power systems on a broader base.” I stated that my goal and challenge for myself this semester would be to get rid of such thinking that I have earned my advantages in life as a middleclass white girl and even further realize that this toxic way of thinking is feeding the flame of racism.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts remain the same. I MUST stop thinking that I am good by my own merit and realize there are advantages in life given to me that not only help me but also oppress others. Looking back on these thoughts, however, I realize that surrounding myself with people not of my same “advantaged” class or race helps cure my faulty way of thinking. Placing myself in situations in which I not only am around but also really get to know people of different races and classes, I begin to realize we DO have advantages and disadvantages in life. The more time I spent in my FOCUS service learning the more I realized these kids are just like I was growing up – they have hopes and dreams just like mine. I more than likely had more opportunities to reach those dreams than they have been given. That does not make them any less valuable or smart. In fact, that means I must use what I have been given to help those who do not have. Same goes for education in Louisiana. We do not need vouchers and charters to revamp the system. We need thriving schools to team up with low performing schools and bring change; we need to fix problems from their roots, not bull doze schools and start over again. FOCUS has helped me realize all of this and see how important it is to not just talk about change but to get out and do it!
I think this class has made me more aware of my direct advantages and how I am, in a sense, part of the problem.
ReplyDeleteReading my first post, I realize now how I was just putting the blame on so many other people, but it is in my power to make a difference, and I wasn't. It is my advantages that indirectly hurt others. Also, my expectations that people should behave like me and know what I do when judging them as capable.
There are silent prejudices in each and every one of us, and they may not be based on the color of their skin. I used to say that I am not racist, I do not like red necks just as much as I do not like gangstahs. However, being classist is not much better and I was completely ignoring cultural and educational differences that are not entirely the individuals fault.
I think I learned to be a bit more understanding, and definitely more patient.
While I have certainly have become more socially aware of my advantages and of the unequal distribution of power in a society, a semester is simply not enough time to undo a lifetime of being taught to think a certain way. If a couple of months could reprogram the minds of privileged white kids, then it would be much easier to fix the racial and class problems that exist within our society.
ReplyDeleteMy time in FOCUS class and service with BRYC has not been a magical metamorphosis of taught but rather a catalyst to begin examining my own place and perception of the world. Certainly, I have learned a lot and gained many valuable experiences, but it is what I choose to do with this new knowledge that counts. Realizing and acknowledging the unearned privileges is just a first step.
It is my hope that I will continue to grow and expand my thinking during FOCUS this summer and during the rest of my college experience. Over time, it is possible to reprogram what society has taught us and break away from the commonly accepted pattern of "white life". If all of us FOCUS kids continue to grow and influence others, we really could make a difference. Society changes one individual at a time.
At the beginning of this semester, I knew a little about education in Louisiana. I spent a few years as a public student in Louisiana, and I have observed firsthand the disadvantages for students. The reasons and the logic behind the system, however, remained unknown to me. The material and the service learning have changed my perspective quite a bit. My first thoughts about FOCUS dealt with my confusion over discrepancies I’ve noticed in my education as I transferred schools. Through the material covered I’ve learned that it is the built-in advantages that account for most of the higher scores and better performance, and this marginalizes a sizeable portion of the population. Working one-on-one with both elementary school students and high school students with BRYC affected my perspective as well. I saw children’s attitudes about school and how they manifested in a classroom, and I also observed highly capable high school students handle the responsibility of a mentoring program. These students were not the stereotypical over achievers. They did not come from affluent backgrounds, did not attend private schools, and they lacked some of the advantages that I grew up with. Overall, I have learned that challenging the status quo in education is uncomfortable and often unpopular, but after seeing the condition of an average high school in Louisiana, I understand the need to address these problems.
ReplyDeleteI learned much about the surprisingly illustrious history of Louisiana's education as well as theories behind education in this class. While it was most definitely not as was expected, it was an informative and interesting class. Before it, I had no idea about the Ursuline school or the strong tradition of Catholicism carrying over into schooling that far back in time. I also learned how ineffectual English tutors can be, which scares me a little bit about my future career.
ReplyDeleteThis new information has informed me more extensively about Louisiana's public education system, and showed me a little bit about how great this state could really be. As for my own personal growth, I believe I have developed a lower tolerance for fake discussions no one participates in, myself included.
Final Journal
ReplyDeleteFOCUS and HNRS 3110 has been an eye-opening experience for me. I discovered that I am not ready to participate in a program that isn’t essentially spoon-fed to me. This is embarrassing because I’ve always considered myself the type of person that can roll with the punches and perform well in any type of classroom environment. Instead of being given work that I could readily find in a textbook or online, I was asked to volunteer with students who were in some cases only a few months younger than me and then reflect on how these complex individuals with experiences I didn’t understand applied to the concepts in a class that I didn’t fully understand. Maybe it’s because I came in with the mindset that this was going to be perfect and I was going to impress everybody with my limited knowledge of how education should work; or maybe it was the fact that I thought I would have an advantage because I had seen both sides of the socio-economic world. Either way I have missed out on the chance to effectively contribute to a program that has enormous potential.
At the beginning of the semester I never knew how bad the public school systems in Louisiana actually were. All of my friends came from private school, because that was all we knew. I now have a better understanding of what is going in our school system, and what really goes on. I also have a new appreciation for students of public schools, especially elementary, because they know no other means of education.
ReplyDeleteEvery element of FOCUS has brought me to a new level of thinking. I think the most shocking moment during class was the talk from Dr. Delpit, she really opened up my eyes to the racial problems that go on in schools. I also enjoyed the discussion on constructivism, it made me think how accuarte this method can be.
I had a great time with my gardening service project, and think about it whenever I water the plants I got to take home to care for. FOCUS definitely opened my eyes to a new world and a new way of thinking.
By tutoring throughout the semester, I have learned just how much patience quality teaching truly takes. Teachers can teach memorization as the easy way out, but teaching true understanding is a very demanding task. In my first entry, I talked about using my talents to foster the students’ talents. My attitude has not changed, but I have realized how difficult this task is. I still have a lot of room for improvement. Reading Ravitch has added to my concern with education in the United States. After reading about failed reform after failed reform, it was easy to get discouraged about the whole situation. I already have a pessimistic view towards the future of education, but I know that it is our responsibility to come up with a way to fix it no matter how difficult that seems. Tutoring these bright young students has given me some encouragement at times and frustration at other times. I hope that I can use this encouragement this summer to have the patience to help these students learn and have a good time.
ReplyDeleteReading about subjects like constructivism and cultural capital really helped me to put these ideas in the context of the educational system. I had learned about these concepts before FOCUS class, but I have now realized that their applications to the success of schools and learning are undeniable when observing the system in its present state. Especially in terms of the state of Louisiana, things like demographic, class, race, privilege and socioeconomic status, and cultural capital all play a huge role in shaping a student’s educational options and experience. FOCUS and HNRS 3110 have opened my eyes to the incredibly specific ways these things among other affect everyone within the system. Additionally, the lessons I’ve learned through this class applying to teaching methods and how to implement them during my own FOCUS seminar have really affected my way of thinking not only about this summer’s program, but about the huge impact every teacher can have on his/her students throughout their lives. This also caused me to reflect on my own experiences in the public school system in order to identify those teachers who have positively affected me as a student throughout the years. I then was able to reflect more critically on these experiences in order to determine what specific tools or techniques made those teachers so affective. I hope that I can give to the FOCUS students this summer at least a portion of the opportunity for positive reflection and observation that I have received during this semester in FOCUS class.
ReplyDeleteThroughout this semester I have learned many things about the real world. Going to Catholic schools my whole life has given me a sheltered view of life, and although that always made me feel safe, I know it is important to know reality. Going to LSU has already opened my eyes to many new things, but this class has provided even more insight. Tutoring the students was familiar to me since I have tutored before, but every time I tutor, I learn a lot about the students. I feel sad knowing that the education system is a failed system, especially since my major is education. I hope that I can try to improve things within my career, although I know it is an extremely tough situation to fix. I have great respect for teachers, and I know that although the school systems are failing, it is not the teachers to blame. The Ravitch book really enforced the failing school system for me. I always knew education was in a problem state, but I did not the extent of everything. I think before this class I thought I knew about how bad many public are, but I truly did not. This class has taught me many things about the education system, but more importantly it has taught me about what other people are dealing with in life. This information will help me continue to grow as a person, and it will definitely help me be a better worker in the school system myself.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest thing I’ve learned in this class is how horrible the education system is in Louisiana. Because the high school I went to in Texas was half low-income and half middle class, I’d assumed that a decent education was provided to students from all demographics. I thought that because my high school offered the same opportunities to a broad range of students, all schools would do that. I now see that I was completely wrong. The income gap in Louisiana only strengthens peoples’ assumptions that white people are rich and black people are poor. The public education system here needs to be completely reformed so students of all incomes, races, and other diverse backgrounds can have the same opportunities. This class has helped me realize that racism will always be prominent and it will continue to influence education. However, I believe legislators shouldn’t give up. Nearly every solution they come up with is a failure; that brings them one step closer to finding the right reform. Until it can be fixed, I’m going to put everything I can into FOCUS, tutoring, and any other way I can find to help students realize their potential and discover where they want to go with their lives.
ReplyDeleteI think that the biggest thing I learned in this class is how privileged I am, without even knowing it. I went to public school in a region where public schools are known to be the absolutely bomb. My schooling rocked. I assumed that everyone's schooling must also rock. The local private school, I knew, wasn't very good. Who paid to go to private school besides extremely religious people? Now I know how naive I was. Being in Louisiana, it's not exactly hard to see how awful the public education system is. And that's what sucks, that it's the public education system. It means the poor kids, the ones who would certainly benefit from a good education - aren't getting it. Honestly, this class made me feel that society is just set up against the poor population. And, it might even be getting worse. This class has made me think about things like education, crime, politics, health care, etc. in so many different ways - but mostly, in what all of these things mean for poor people, and what going to an under-resourced school can do to the rest of your life. It hasn't been a pretty picture.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for this course this semester because it has opened my eyes to the horrors of public eduction. I realized today that my parents were naive in believing that charter schools were bettering public education, yet I was able to inform them, from reading Ravitch, of the actual damage charter schools are causing. My generation is going to be responsible for fixing the scandal in public education, and how is this possible if we aren't even aware of the problem? I already knew that public education in Louisiana was the worst, but it is shocking to realized that most schools across America are struggling.
ReplyDeleteRavitch had such terrific information to share. I can only feel sorry for the teachers who have to be held "accountable" through standardized tests and student pass rates. Without her information, I'm afraid I could have been just as she was in the beginning and support extreme reforms, firing of teachers, and standardized tests. Ravitch revealed the crimes behind public education, and the students who suffer the worst from this are the ones who need it the most: the poorest students. Yet, Mrs. Hendry spoke about the TRUE history of Louisiana education which proved evident that it is possible for Louisiana to have a great education system.
I have also learned, this semester, of the benefits of constructivist teaching. This, too, is another factor of which I was not aware. Most students know that lectures are boring and learning does not occur during this form of teaching, but we don't always know how to do things differently. During the service experience, we were able to practice this style of teaching, and there was such a dramatic change in the children's desire to learn and participate. Similarly, Mr. Lisa Delpit and the diversity workshop contributed to this by teaching us how to connect with the students this summer and how to connect our curriculum with their lives.
During this course, we have had numerous resources available to learn how to create a valuable experience for the FOCUS students this summer. From the diversity workshop to Ravitch and the guest speakers, Mrs Delpit and Mrs. Hendry, we have received so much useful information to better the FOCUS program. One thing I have learned is how deprived underprivileged students are of a valuable education. Most of the students this summer are going to be these exact children, and I believe that with all of this eye-opening material, it would be impossible not to have the best FOCUS program ever.
During this class I've definitely become more aware about the issues surrounding public education, especially in regards to race and poverty. I've always been somewhat aware before, but because of the high school I went to and the friends I have, it was very easy for me to remain ignorant about the issues with public education in the state. The Ravitch book in particular openes my eyes to how politicians treat education as a stepping stone and have very little regard for students. A lot of times teachers are not allowed to reach their full potential, and because of that the students suffer. I'm reminded of the girls that I tutored for my service learning; they were both very intelligent and caught on to things very quickly, but they had just not been made aware of a lot of things relevant to the ACT. I think if public education was treates better then things like this wouldn't happen. The most important thing I'm going to take into the summer with me is that I will be more aware of how things really are. I am going to try my best to treat the kids with respect that they deserve. We won't be able to fix anything that's wrong with public education with what we do this summer, but if we are successful we will enable the students to realize what is fair and what isn't, and they can strive to be motivated and accomplish as much as possible.
ReplyDelete