Learning Letter

            Looking back over the last three months, I have seen a significant growth in my knowledge and aptitude as I grow into a teacher. This class has given me so much affirmation that coming back to school to seek a career in teaching was the right choice. There have been so many gains and learning moments, and I really feel proud of what I have accomplished this quarter, and especially in this class.

            Something I really appreciated about English 493 is that every assignment we had felt necessary to our growth. Nothing felt like “busy work.” Every assignment has aided in preparing me for my teaching career. The book talks were beneficial in helping me consider books, novels, short stories, and poems I should include in my classroom (or at the very least read). I want make reading a fun habit, rather than a chore. I am super excited to look into the books that were shared. The mini-lesson was a great first experience in arranging and teaching a lesson, as well as hearing some thoughtful and constructive criticism as to what I can improve upon. And, although the unit plan was difficult, it was and incredible feeling to complete and see exactly what goes into organizing three weeks worth of lessons. I feel like I learned so much about the dedication and discipline behind teaching, and am excited to take it on.

            I also loved getting an opportunity to read some theories and concepts as an introduction to what I will be examining in my education courses. Having read a few theories made preparing my TPA lesson plans easier and gave me more of a foundation to help me think about how I can execute my unit plan to see my “students” succeed. This seemed like the most valuable part of the class because every one of the articles we looked at will be something I can incorporate into my classroom, teaching philosophy, and personal pedagogy to support my development as a teacher.

            This course also helped me recognize that I need to feel more comfortable with sharing my own thoughts and opinions. I am absolutely an active listener and I love to hear my peers respond in class discussion, because it helps me develop and process a thoughtful answer. However, I know that as a teacher, I may not have that kind of time to mature a response, especially when I am facilitating discussions. I think that it is okay to not always have the “right” answer and that it would be better to speak up sometimes that to fear being wrong. I know as I learn more about pedagogy, take my education courses, and able to observe and be in the classroom this will happen naturally.  But hey, I made it to class every day and contributed when I had something to say. I just think there is always room for improvement and I always want to better myself.

            I definitely enjoyed this class, and loved getting to know everyone in it. I love being back in school, and I love that I am working towards something I am already so proud of. I can’t wait to learn more, and begin to apply everything I have ascertained so far. I am confident that with time and practice, I will be a great English teacher. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: Lesson #1

Lesson Objective:

After completing this lesson, I will be able to analyze how an informative text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events. I will know the terms biography, autobiography, and semi autobiography.

 


-DEFINITIONS-

BIOGRAPHY: story of somebody's life, that is written by someone else

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: factual account of one's own life

SEMI AUTOBIOGRAPHY: partly dealing with a writers own life and also containing fictional elements

TPA LESSON PLAN FORMAT

1.      Teacher Candidate: Christine Jacobsen

2.      Subject: English Language Arts

3.      Lesson Title/ Central Focus: Introduction to the book and author

4.      Grade Level(s): 8

5.      Length of Lesson: 20 minutes

6.      Academic and Content Standards (Common Core/National):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.3

Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

7.      Learning  Objective(s):

By the end of the class, students will know and be able to define the words identity, biography, autobiography, and semi-autobiography. Students will also know how we can use these forms of informative texts to make connections and distinctions between an author’s life and their novel. Students will know how to fill out a Know-Want to Know-Learned chart (KWL) regarding the biography of Sherman Alexie, Spokane Indians, and identity.

8.      Academic Language:

Students will learn the terms biography, autobiography, and semi-autobiography. Students should know and be able to use these forms of informative texts to help them better analyze a novel an author has written by making connections between the author’s life and book.

This lesson will involve discussion as a whole class and in small groups. Students have been instructed on how discussions are governed during class because we often use it as a way of learning. I specifically follow Brookfield and Preskill’s method as outlined in their book Discussion as a way of Teaching.

9.      Assessment:

At the end of the class, students will hand in their KWL (know, want to know, and learned) chart so that I can evaluate and formatively assess where they are at with their understanding so far, and adjust any of my future lessons if need be to include more information about the author, background information on Native Americans, specifically the Spokane Indian tribe, and vocabulary. This formative assessment will measure student thinking and understanding as well as their ability to identify and connect similarities and differences between individuals and events that will prepare them for the rest of the unit. I am specifically looking for, and assessing, the student’s ability follow along while reading and listening to discussion, and then to apply what they know on the KWL chart.

10.  Lesson Connections:

For this lesson, I have integrated a secondary source to support research and give the students more information on the author. We will be looking at a profile or biography of author Sherman Alexie written by Lynn Cline. Students can use this biography to help write their final essay due at the end of this unit. Accessing any additional sources for their essay is not required, but they are available on the class blog and library. We have discussed in our previous class that we will be reading this book, and the students have been given the weekend to look it over.

This lesson is primarily discussion based, but will include several of Marzano’s instructional strategies including the identifying similarities and differences, nonlinguistic representation, and cooperative learning through “Think. Pair. Share.” This lesson will help students build on their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

Students have been reading books and texts by culturally diverse authors throughout the year. This lesson will build on their prior knowledge but also introduce them to a new author, culture, and vocabulary words. To access the students prior knowledge, we will have students fill out their KWL chart to tell us what they know about the author, the Spokane Indian tribe, and the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Students will also have an opportunity to write in their KWL chart about content areas they would like to know more about. Finally, they will write 3-5 things in the last column, “What I learned,” so that I can assess that they are able to follow along while reading and listening to discussion, and then apply it. This lesson is based around the author as an introduction to the book in the hopes that students will make connections between Alexie’s personal life and Arnold’s life as portrayed in the book.  

11.  Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks to Support Student Learning:

As students enter the classroom, I will greet them and pass out the KWL chart and the author’s biography to avoid using our learning time. The learning objective will be written on the board. We will go over the objectives at the beginning of class by reading it, having students write it down, and then by asking if anyone has a question regarding their goals for the day.

To introduce this lesson, I will ask students what movies, books, and famous people they know who are of Native American decent in order to give them context and also help to bring the class into focus.

Following this, I will take 5 minutes to have students to try and define the terms identity, biography, autobiography, and semi-autobiography on their own to see what words they do and do not know. Students will write in their journals and then we will form small groups with their peers to discuss what definitions they have come up with. Students are encouraged to use critical thinking and to ask for help from their peers if they don’t know the definitions, and to try and define the words together. We will then turn back to the class and I will ask each group to share one definition. I will post our definitions on the class blog.

When we have defined our terms, we will be reading the author’s biography so students gain a stronger understanding of Sherman Alexie and his voice in the Native American culture. Knowing more about the author, and how his novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is semi-autobiographical will help to prepare the class for the novel and strengthen their to make connections. We will discuss how we think Alexie’s life is similar to the book and different, as well as making guesses as to what we will see in the book as a way to introduce the unit. For homework, students need to read the first three chapters.

I will observe student discussions in small groups and as a whole class as we discuss Sherman Alexie and his identity as a Native American, and how that relates to the novel we will be reading.

Because we have been using discussion as a basis for learning in our classroom, students will come to class ready to learn and willing to participate and contribute. They are to discuss their definitions, follow along with the biography, and then fill out their KWL charts to be turned in at the end of the class period. In order for students to be successful in this unit, they are to pay attention, take notes, and take advantage of the class blog where all of their handouts and tentative schedule for the class are listed.

My role as the teacher will be helping students define terms, guiding students towards fulfilling their objective by the end of class, and leading discussion by prompting questions like, “Can we make any connections between the author and the main character? Do we see differences? How does this help us understand identity? How can a biography/autobiography/semi-autobiography help us better understand a book?”

By the end of the class, students will have learned the new vocabulary terms that can be identified as informative texts, and strengthened their skills and ability to analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

We will further discuss identity as a theme throughout this novel, and how the author’s life is seen in it.

12.  Differentiated Instruction:

This lesson is appropriate for all students because it accommodates auditory and visual learners by utilizing images, reading out-loud, discussion, and time to reflect and every student has the ability to participate in the lesson’s learning activities. Each student will be provided with all of the materials they need for the class. Students can take notes however they choose.

13.  Resources and Materials:

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print.

Brookfield, Stephen, and Stephen Preskill. Discussion as a Way of Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.  

Print.

Cline, Lynn. "About Sherman Alexie: A Profile." Ploughshares 26.4 (Winter 2000): 264-266. Print.

"Contemporary People: Sherman Alexie." NIARI Curriculum Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Marzano, Robert J. "Instructional Strategies." Marzano Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.

I will provide enough copies of the KWL chart and a copy of Sherman Alexie’s biography for each student. Each student and myself will have a copy of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Students will need to bring their English binder and a writing utensil with them to complete the days activities. All notes that I take will be posted on the class blog for students to have access to.

14.  Management and Safety Issues:

The class has been instructed on classroom rules, and they are available in the syllabus to look back on. There are no safety issues that are of concern but to watch for normal behavior. I will also watch to make sure students stay on task during class discussion and group discussion times.

15.  Parent and Community Connections:

I have sent a letter to the parents addressing this unit that outlines the book we are covering, why students should be studying it, and if there are any portions of the text that may be of concern. Parents are given a list of homework for the unit and when it is due, as well as instructions to the link where the class blog is located so they can see what is happening in our classroom, their children’s grades, and get my contact information. This is a great way for students to form an interest in our community since Sherman Alexie is a local author, and often comes to Spokane to do readings.

PAPER TOWNS: Links!

John Green's Website:

http://johngreenbooks.com/

John Green's YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers

Nerd Fighters:

http://nerdfighters.ning.com/

Paper Towns Road Trip:

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209026802880544103614.0004c06ca8efdd95a1030

For Teachers:

https://yareviews.wikispaces.com/Paper+Towns+by+John+Green

A Students Response:

http://rachelsheddaplitblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/literary-analysis-1-paper-towns-by-john.html

Assessing and Evaluating Students' Learning

This was an incredibly helpful article to read; especially as I am getting into writing up my TPA lesson plans. Since I haven’t taken any education specific classes, learning more about assessment as a whole, assessment strategies, and assessment tools has definitely given me more context as to what I can do with my students in the classroom to make sure they are learning and growing in their skills as readers and writers.

One idea that I would love to try in a classroom is evaluating journal/blog responses and pairing that with peer and teacher response in order to get dialogue and thought flowing. If a student posted a blog, than yourself and at least 2 other students would need to comment on it. That way you and other students are “providing your own insights about a text in your responding to students’ interpretations” (230).

Another assessment I would like to implement is using a rubric and criteria to outline the prompt of a paper. This way, students know what is expected of them and exactly what they will be graded on well in advance. Learners should have every tool possible and accessible to aid them in their success. If our goal as teachers is to prepare our students for college, than we should not tease them with success. By that, I mean that we should not expect them to know what makes a paper good, how to analyze papers, and be able to take a test without having covered the aspects. We need to guide them to a place where they can achieve, reach goals, understand objectives, and learn how to be successful.

I also really loved the portfolio. I think kids get really excited when they are able to lay out their work over the year and see how they have grown. A portfolio is a great opportunity for students to evaluate their own growth, so they can see how the hard work has paid off and all they have accomplished. I definitely think this is worth trying!

I think it is so important that we really take the time to build relationships and feel out our classes. Every class is going to be different, because every student is different. Some classes may have more energy and engage in discussion well, while others may take more coaxing. If we understand what our classes need to be at their best, to reach their learning objectives, than we can determine how to best assess them. When we know our students and our classes, than we can determine student learning. The author writes, “assessment must recognize and reflect the intellectually and socially complex nature of reading and writing and the important roles of school, home, and society in literacy development” (238-39). That doesn’t necessarily mean passing out a test. Instead, we need to actively be seeking ways our students learn, and apply that to how we assess learning. I think by doing that, we will see more positive outcomes.

Guest Speaker: Katie Brown, Washington State Teacher of the Year

Background:

Katie Brown is a teacher at Shuskan, a low-income middle school in Bellingham, Washington. Over half of the students at Shuksan Middle School are on free or reduced lunches, and parents were desperately trying to get their kids into other schools in the area. That was, until a few years ago when the culture began to change. Katie tells Bill Gates “it started when a strong new superintendent and principal came in and started changing the culture. It’s more collaborative now, and the school has created ‘a culture of high expectations, balanced with high affection.’” Now students are on a wait list to get into the school. 

One of the things that stuck out most to me during Katie interview with Gates is that, just like students need to be engaged in their learning, so do teachers. She explains that we would never have kids sit in class and listen to lectures all day, so why do we continue to do that to teachers with conferences and seminars? I fully agree!

I want to be an amazing teacher. That means I need to be reading everything I can get my hands on about teaching and pedagogy. However, it also means I need to be willing to learn from and observe other teachers in action. I love the idea of “small group training” that Katie talks about in her video, where teachers of English meet with other teachers of English to discuss how they can improve their classroom. When we are learning in that environment, we are learning better.

I am excited to have Katie in the classroom, to learn from her, and to talk to her more about teacher collaboration and CCSS.

Questions:

What are some books you would recommend reading?

What is your biggest piece of advice for a brand new teacher?

What is your teaching philosophy?

What is your approach to classroom management?

How do you involve parents/your community in your classroom?

Any tips on applying CCSS? What have you liked about CCSS? Would you change anything about them?

The interview with Katie that I looked at:

https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-08-18-what-bill-gates-learned-from-washington-state-s-teacher-of-the-year

Readicide: A Quick Response

Right before I started school again, I grabbed lunch with a really good friend of mine who did Teach for America in Phoenix. Jake had gone through his two years, and stayed on at his inner-city school because he loves it so much. I wanted to ask him about his experience teaching, to make sure this was really what I wanted to go back to school for. He is incredibly passionate about what he does, and was super encouraging. During our conversation, Jake was telling me it had been a struggle to get his students to find enjoyment in reading. He said, “I really believe teachers kill the joy of reading.”

I have to send this book to him.

I loved Kelly Gallagher’s Readicide. As an avid reader, and someone who cannot wait to talk to students about books and why they are so incredibly valuable, I want insure I am making reading a movement my students are excited about. When I read that one of Gallagher’s students said she was “not really interested in books, pages, and words,” I felt my heart break a little. Gallagher talks about the factors that make students feel that way; such as focusing on the test, overteaching and underteaching books, as well as dismissing authentic experiences with reading. But most surprisingly, Gallagher states that students are not doing enough reading in school.  So how do we end readicide? Gallagher fills his book with concepts and ways for teachers to bring the joy of reading back to the classroom.

I am a huge fan of classic literature, but I recognize that not all of my students will be freaks like me. I want to select books that challenge my students, but still engage their passion levels. Gallagher writes, “We are English teachers, not English assigners, and as such, we are paid to get in our classroom and present texts that stretch our students thinking” (57). He doesn’t say this has to be Beowulf, Chaucer, or Aristotle’s “Allegory of the Cave.” Just a book that makes them think critically; we can help and should them think through the text.

I am doing my unit plan on To Kill a Mockingbird.  It happens to be one of my favorite books, but I also think it is one of the most important pieces of literature written. Gallagher gave us loads of statistics and examples that examined how race is sadly still a large issue in our society. He proceeds to tell us how and why To Kill a Mockingbird can be an asset and opportunity to talk about these issues in the classroom. He says, “strictly adhering to a 122-page curriculum guide will not make out students wiser about the world they are soon to inherit” (69). That is the thing with books, we have all of these tools at our fingertips to help us learn more about the human condition, and help us grow as people. Yet, we dismiss reading novels full of universal themes to make sure we are teaching students how to pass standardized tests, or shoving books down their throat without taking time to actually talk about it. I want to be a teacher who encourages their students to be lifelong readers, and to use books as a tool to help students gain a deeper self-awareness.

To do this, need to be sure I am not overwhelming my students by expecting them to shove sticky notes into their books or pausing to do a worksheet after every few pages. I realize I need to assess what my students are learning, but Gallagher has suggestions that allow your students to curl up with a book and just read. One suggestion he makes that I am excited to try is the 50/50 approach, where half of the books read in class are for academic purposes and the other half are selected for recreation.

This book taught me so much about how reading is being killed, and how to prevent it. I have to remember, reading and English are not going to be every students favorite subject, but I can make it something memorable and enjoyable. I am excited to bring the joy back to reading.

Response to TPA Lesson Plan Format

·  General reactions/responses to TPA lesson plan

I have to admit I am nervous about the TPA lesson plans. This is the first education class I have been in, and looking at this overwhelms me slightly. My hope is that once we go over it in class, I’ll feel more comfortable. My guess is that it will take practice to feel comfortable. It looks like everything is straightforward, but I hear students complaining about how difficult this is all if the time. I am excited to just jump in and give it a shot.

·  What in here seems valuable and worthwhile?

There are a lot of sections I like, but I think for me, the Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks to Support Student Learning is going to be valuable. I think it would be easy to get caught up in a “really cool lesson” but not think about whether or not your students are actually going to gain anything from it. In high school, I had a teacher that had us recreate the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He told us about the assassination for the reenactment, but he never really explained that is what led to WWI or what happened before or after. I went home, and my dad told me all of that. Sure it was fun (actually it was kind of weird) in the moment, but I really didn’t learn much by doing that. I like how the Instructional strategies makes you think about how your students are going to benefit from your lesson, and what they are going to take away from it.

·  What questions and concerns do you have about the TPA lesson plan?

I worked on my mini lesson to get a feel of the lesson format. I wasn’t totally sure how to answer the assessment portion since my lesson is more of an introduction to the book. My assessment would be to see where students are at with their basic understanding of the text, author, themes, and Native American culture. Do we have to have an assessment that involves students doing a quiz or something to show their knowledge at the end of each class? Or can it be them turning in their handouts or notes?

·  Why might this be a useful exercise for beginning teachers?

I know for me, I want a base to be able to see how my lessons are structured, what worked, what didn’t, etc. And then have something to look at and revaluate and change my lessons based on what did or didn’t turn out. It helps me really look at how my class/lesson is going to look on my end and have a good point of reference. Plus, I want to know I am following CCSS and making sure my students are getting lots of good learning opportunities.

·  What is problematic about this lesson plan format?

It is the most time consuming thing I have ever done. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Ok, I am sure with practice it will come more naturally and take less time.

I Read It, but I Don't Get It

During my senior year of college I took a class called critical methodologies, and had to read Troilus and Cressida what felt like a million times. I remember sitting down to read it for the umpteenth time one night and thinking “How am I going to get anything more out of this play than I already have the first five times”? The thing is, the more I read Troilus and Cressida, the more I was able to pull out of it and create a better meaning of the story, why the characters do what they do, and developing more empathy and understanding for them. We dissected the names, the setting, and all of the words. I found a deeper meaning in the play than I ever imagined, and it’s because I read it more than once.

In her book, I Read It, but I Don’t Get It, author Chris Tovani talks about a student in chapter 8 who is upset after reading a book that doesn’t have a clear ending. The student felt like the book just left you hanging. In reality there are several clues throughout the story that allude that the protagonist has committed suicide. This student is among several others in Tovani’s class that just missed the indications, and none of the students really know or understand what happened to the protagonist or how the story ends.

I think it is very easy when we’re reading to miss important clues or ideas that can help you understand the text on a deeper level.  We get distracted easily, or are simply just not using critical thinking while we read. Tovani compares reading to “driving” (56). She explains that like driving, when we read we need to have awareness. We do this by monitoring our speed (slowing down and reading carefully), and correcting or stopping to fix a problem if it arises (stopping to look up a word, or rereading a sentence or paragraph when you don’t understand). If the students in Tovani’s class would have just slowed down, and used rhetoric while reading, they may have picked up on how the book ended and not felt so frustrated.

I think this is a huge dilemma in our students today. Tovani discusses in the first chapter of the book how students have little to no desire to read. If students are already unwilling to read, than of course when they are “forced” to read a book or text, they will fly through or even “fake read,” missing all of the valuable/important/necessary information. I wish Tovani would have focused more on how to make reading more exciting and interesting.

I did enjoy this book. The way Tovani connected analogies and the theories really helped me visualize and how to implement personal knowledge vs. personal experience, text-to-reader, questioning, guiding, and teaching strategies are among many many more. I also loved the access tools at the end of the book, and am excited to use them in my own lessons someday! Tovani has definitely given me a lot to think about, and I am certain I will keep this book on a shelf in my classroom to review in the future.

Social Justice, Education and Schooling: Some Philosophical Issues

Before I even began searching for an article, I looked up a few different definitions of social justice. I wanted to make sure I understood exactly what the term means, especially with regards to education. I found that social justice is nearly associated in a positive way, but in some political circles it has some negative connotations. This interested me, so I wanted to find an article that went into more detail as to how something that is seemingly for the power of good could sometimes be viewed as a “bad” thing.

I found an interesting article on JSTOR by John A. Clark, a professor in Education studies, that focuses on social justice and how policy makers have stretched the term, and what that means for education. Although Clark is from New Zealand, I felt this article really helped me understand what social justice means and in how it can effect our classrooms here in America. After all, social justice seems to be a universal term.

Clark begins his article by discussing how social justice should always be worthy of our attention; however, the aim of social justice when included in policy making and practices for education is not always seeking to reach a common goal. Clark believes there is some misconstrued definitions and philosophical ere in the way some policy makers explain and use the term social justice. According to Clark, several policy makers and practitioners believe social justice does not include rights and duties of citizens and instead they focus more on the sole importance of redistribution. He goes on to say, “Rights and duties are not things, like economic commodities or material resources, to be allocated to individuals. Rather, they are that which each and every one of us, by virtue of being members of particular groups, are entitled to have either as a welfare right or a non-interference right” (274).

Clark spends much of his article critiquing these theorists and policy makers, particularly Sharon Gerwitz, a leading theorist in policy sociology, and how we should be applying social justice. He explains that we need to “return to doing some basic philosophical work on the concept of social justice” and gives us a perfect world analogy.

The core, and what was clearly the most valuable part of this article, is when Clark finally gets into his explanation of the importance of social justice in the school. He says, “teachers, as educators, have a moral duty to encourage their students to think carefully, and critically, in an ethically sound way about the desirability of working towards achievement of a just society and the adoption of social justice as a criterion of human conduct” (282). We often get so caught up in individual gain and advantage that we lose sight of the fact that there are people who do not have the same opportunities. If we instill in our students a genuine concern for all citizens, we will be reaching towards a more realistic goal of social justice. Furthermore, if we expect to see social justice emerge in our society than it is crucial that we set our schools up in a way that promotes social justice. This means that the way our school is ran, from classroom rules to school wide practices, and everything in between need to be set up in a way that allows for students to be most successful. Curriculum plays one of the largest roles in this standard. Much of the content that is integrated into our curriculum now are the inequalities we are fighting to remove.

What I learned from this article is that every student deserves the right to a free education, and that every student needs to be treated with respect and on an equal level as every other student, regardless of gender, race, class, religious background, and so forth. We should not silence the underprivileged; in the same way we should not silence the privileged. Rather, allow students to see their influence and help them make careful and critical decisions regarding their role as and individual, and their role in the outcome for the common good of all citizens is. This has to start at a young age; it needs to be instilled in our student’s minds if we want to see social justice become more prevalent and our students to work towards being moral autonomous agents.  Our schools need to be arranged in a way that allows students to have equal opportunities to be successful. 

Here is the link to Clark's article on JSTOR:

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4122421?searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DSocial%2BJustice%252C%2BEducation%2Band%2BSchooling%253A%2BSome%26amp%3Bacc%3Doff%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff&resultItemClick=true&Search=yes&searchText=Social&searchText=Justice%252C&searchText=Education&searchText=and&searchText=Schooling%253A&searchText=Some&uid=2134&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21104855565357

Critical Pedagogy and Popular Culture in an Urban Secondary English Classroom

My biggest hope and goal as a teacher is to have a classroom like the one described in this chapter. I admire Duncan- Andrade and Morrell for really stretched themselves to make a classroom where their students left feeling more aware of the world around them, and furthermore, the students actually applied what they learned and took action in their own community. It was truly inspiring. This was a great example of all the things we have so far discussed in class, that is, their class room incorporated several of the critical pedagogies we have gone over in our own class this quarter. Duncan- Andrade and Morrell encouraged their students to be free autonomous agents and make their own meaning and decisions about common notions. Their class also focused on response and discussion based learning, while meeting common core state standards (as far as I can tell).

What I really loved about this article was how the authors were able to engage their class by incorporating pop culture into their lesson plans. I think that is so important, and like McLaren says in The Critical Pedagogy Reader, “We do not stand before the social world; we live in the midst of it” (63). If we want our students to have an awareness of the world and the problems that surround them, we need to not just focus on “the dead white guys.” Don’t get me wrong, I love classics, reading them and then writing fat essays on them­­­­--it is a huge reason why I decided to go to college and major in English Lit, or what my father would consider the “worst thing to major in” (seriously, if you google “worst college majors,” English Literature is always on the list). But I didn’t care, because I loved it (and, my dad was super supportive for that reason). However, I see a huge problem in the way we are teaching high school English. Not every student is going to be a freak like me and devour Hamlet. Using hip hop, and then comparing it to Shakespearian sonnets is genius. I would have ate that up in high school. And it worked. The students in this article were excited about what they were learning, and making an effort in their learning process.

The thing that most moved me, was that students were taking a stand for their education and themselves. There is no way that these were the first students at North High who recognized how mistreated they were, not just by their peers and teachers, but by their community. But Duncan-Andrade and Morrell were able to use their curriculum to guide these students into taking an active stance in how they wanted to see these issues resolved for the future students at North High. Duncan-Andrade and Morrell chose dominate texts that would aid in “the development and maintenance of a revolutionary consciousness for both teachers and the students in their classroom,” (184). Having the students read books that looked at post-colonialism, racism, sexism, and social injustices, while combing lessons with hip hop, videos, and current world problems helped students have a better awareness of not only their communities, but themselves. I am so thankful I read this article before I dived into my three week unit plan, because I will definitely be incorporating more pop culture in the hopes that it will give students a more enriched learning experience.

Critical Pedagogy: A Look at the Major Concepts

This article was jam packed with so many helpful definitions, explanations, and concepts that have better shaped what I know and understand about critical pedagogy. I came in with hardly any background and a small comprehension of what pedagogy is and means to me as a future teacher. I am excited to explore, adapt, and use the movement as I grow in my career.

McLaren reminded me of how much influence a teacher truly has on their students, and what you say to them and how you treat them can leave a lasting impact in their life. The problem is, there are so many elements (society, politics, sexism, racism, social class, language, prejudices, etc.) that get in the way, and leave preconceived notions on a students mind before even entering your class, that it seems unfeasible to ensure that your students are being fostered intellectually in a healthy learning environment. McLaren writes, “There is no privileged sanctuary separate from culture and politics where we can be free to distinguish truth from opinion, fact from value, or image from interpretation. There is no “objective” environment that is not stamped with social presence” (70). It is impossible for us to escape the ever-present problems that face our students in our world, society, and classroom. No only that, but we as people (in our everyday life) often do things without even fully understanding the weight it may have on children. Why do girls feel like they are not as adequate enough to be in science club with the boys? Why do children who live in the “ghetto” feel less inclined to go to college, or even graduate from high school? McLaren clearly and bluntly blames you and me.

Society, and the type of influence it has on children, is one of the largest factors in a students desire and ability to freely learn. It is so incredibly important for me to break down as many barriers as I possibly can when I step into my classroom. To make underprivileged students feel like they can be successful in all areas of life, to eliminate sexist stereotypes, and omit discrimination all together. McLaren tells us that this isn’t really a possibility; but that is the beauty of being a teacher. In reality, you do have a choice in how you treat your students. Race, gender, or social class should have no indignation on who I call on, listen to, or praise more in the classroom. I want to treat my students with the highest form of respect and integrity, because it is evident that when they walk out of my class, society will not always treat them with the same kindness. 

Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”

If I am going to be perfectly honest, some of this article went over my head the first time I read it (I had to read it twice, and there still were some concepts I wasn’t fully comprehending). The coffee cup is or is not inside me? Why would I want a coffee cup inside me? I know Freire is trying to use a philosophical illustration, but it wasn't working for me.


In fact, some of this article just did not work for me. I understand why the banking concept of education should not be used. We should be guides for our students to create a learning experience where the feel like they are gaining an awareness of the world, themselves, and the people they are sitting next to in class. And, by making a student feel like we are just regurgitating information into them, will not accomplish that. We want our students to be active participants in their education, and to take more than a bunch of facts away from a lesson. It’s important that a student learn to feel, reason, think differently, etc. on their own and I absolutely agree that won’t happen if we just deposit information into their brains.


However, I do believe that something’s need to be taught in a manner that we can build a base on. Not every student in a history class is going to know the year WWII started; what’s wrong with just telling them? Is it different if another student sitting in class tells them the answer? Are we not all being oppressive, and in return, being the oppressed? I don't know how you can ever truly escape it. But I do think you can treat your students with respect, and look at them as equals rather than your inferiors. 


On my first day in Dr. Lindholdt’s American Lit class, he told us to “question our authority.” We need to be able to take what someone teaches us, and decided whether we agree with them, or even believe, what they are telling us. We need to teach our students to do the same, to be autonomous agents. I do think that there are many things that Freire discusses in this chapter that are true and need to be applied. I want my students to feel like I hear them, that I am learning beside them and I am not just this “oppressive” machine trying to feed them information. That they can disagree with the way I read and understand a text, and most importantly, that they feel like they are in a safe learning environment where they can share their differing opinions and thoughts.