Conclusions and Recommendations for Practice

As we come to the end of our chapter studies “Start were you are, But Don’t Stay There” I reflect on the fact that we have come so far, but yet we still have a long way to go. Our children are at Stake, our Future, and their Future. As educators, we make decisions everyday based on what is best for our students, yet as we know, those good intentions can have negative repercussions. This week I saw a colleague reprimanded for making a decision which she thought was best for the student, but administration saw the action as crossing the line. On another hand, as a parent my daughter, came home and told me that her teacher gets upset and when she is upset she belittles the class through name calling, e.g. “You are all acting like a bunch of animals”, “punks”, and “idiots”. Now I ask my self, is she doing what is best for her students, is she trying to deter them from a negative action by calling them names? Now as a Parent, I want to call the school and speak to the administrator about my concerns but as a fellow educator, I hesitate to do this and instead wonder what would make a teacher act this way towards her students. In my opinion, I am sure this teacher knows best practices and know about building positive relationships, but because of the frustration maybe with FCAT, maybe she feels overwhelmed. Unfortunately, this is what some of our students face in urban school settings, teachers that feel overwhelmed and frustrated. It is imperative that administrators are aware of these issues and provide strong support for their teachers.

Bittersweet Challenges and Possibilities in Teacher Preparation

This week I didn’t have a first hand experience, however, as a parent and an educator my perspective helps me better evaluate the experiences my children are faced with in their individual schools. This Month schools are recognizing Black History, the contributions of African Americans past and present. My son (Edwin) who is a senior in High School is partly in charge of organizing the “The Black History Show” at his school. According to Edwin, during one of their class discussions, he asked his teacher, why is there a month set aside to recognize the contributions, of African Americans, when the history of African Americans is woven in the foundation of American History, why isn’t it just American History? Edwin went on to say that his teacher responded by saying “ son you make a good point” but she did not elaborate or extend the discussion. Based on our reading this week, I believe the teacher missed an opportunity to extend her students’ learning, but it could be that she was not comfortable or prepared to respond skillfully. In today’s school atmosphere it is imperative that administrators provide PLCs for their teachers, to empower them or give them the tools needed to handle diversity in their classrooms.

Recognizing Assets in unexpected People and Places

This week I am focusing on the positive in our schools, and so I will focus on the Talent Show held at our High School on Friday, February 8th. As I sat and waited for the MC to announce, the first performance, I was excited, because I expected some of the performances to be ok-I was in no way prepared for the talent that was on display. Performance after performance the students gave their all, they were very proud and I felt just as proud, as if each one of those students were my very own child. The Talent Show, showcased the minority population, and I could tell by the reaction from the student audience members that they didn't know their fellow students possessed such talents. As teachers, it imperative that we are aware of our student's interest, and we are connected to them in other ways than academics. Students, can be a great resource during the teaching and learning process, they can add creativity to the lesson and help connect classroom discussions to real life experiences.

The Integrity of our Schools and What is at Stake

As I sit and reflect on the past week, I started thinking about our schools and the issue facing our community. Our schools are in rezoning discussions, and I recall at one of the meetings, one concerned citizen got up and was very upset-she in no way minced words when she stated she didn't want certain students at her school or in her community because they were changing the face of her community. I was very offended by her remarks-but this week my Son who is currently a Senior in high school, stated that this week alone there were 13 Fights at his school and they all involved African Americans. So now I ask myself, does this parent have a legitimate concern?