The general issue I want to examine is NCLB and its effect on the community, schools, students, and teachers. I know this is a broad topic, so I am going to attempt to narrow this topic down as I discuss NCLB in this blog entry....
I am studying to be an art teacher. Coming from a large, wealthy, suburban high school I did not see the effects of NCLB when I was in high school. In fact, our art department was growing, offering new courses and hiring more teachers. The budget cuts barely effected my art teachers' ability to function pre-NCLB, and they always had an abundance of supplies and resources. It was only until I came to MSU to study education that I learned about NCLB and the affect it has on schools.
I understand that the goals of the NCLB act is for all levels of students to move to high levels of achievement through focusing on reading and mathematics, and assessing student achievement through standardized tests. I do not think highly of the NCLB act, and, in fact, NCLB is doing more damage to students that good. Teachers and students are now focusing entirely on how to boost their test scores so that they can move on to the next grade. Both students and teachers are on auto-pilot, focusing strictly on reading and mathematics and neglecting science and the arts. How does the NCLB act drastically change how urban schools operate? On a larger scale, how does NCLB effect the urban community? Are the local stores/businesses where teachers and schools would go to buy crayons, paper, glue, and other "creative" school supplies going out of business or suffering?
I am floored that the arts are being cut from school and classroom curriculum nationally. I believe the arts teach students cognitive skills through skilled lesson plans involving group discussions, class critiques, and interdisciplinary lessons incorporating other subjects such as reading, writing, history, science, and mathematics. The arts gives students a different way of viewing the world, and teaches students to be creative and use problem-solving techniques. How is teaching to the test effecting students' cognitive thinking and development?
My MSU training to become an art teacher has got me thinking of the different lessons I could do with my students. I try to think of the different ways I can create lessons that intrigue the students using multiple media and the fast-paced technology that kids today are exposed to. This brings me to another question, what kind of technology are urban children exposed to? Do most urban families own a computer? How many computers does the school have, and what of programs are available to the teachers and the students? How are the budget cuts effecting urban art teacher's supplies? How are these teachers getting by with the limited supplies they have?
I hope to conclude my inquiry project with some answers of how NCLB effects the community, school, teachers, and students. I am curious to find out if NCLB has an impact on the community's businesses, the physical conditions of the community (murals and other art work that might brighten a dull shaded town), and the resources (such as libraries or an Internet cafe) that the people of the community have open to them. I am interested in who designs the curriculum and who is in charge of making sure that the students meet their obligations. I wish to discover what teachers are doing to meet NCLB guidelines and benchmarks, and what art teachers are doing to survive budget cuts. Lastly, I want to know how students' cognitive development and social skills needed for the outside world is effected by NCLB.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Open Topic -- ABC News: "Does Paying for Grades Really Work?"
I found an interesting article from abcnews.com titled, "Does Paying For Grades Really Work?" by Ann Pleshette Murphy and Laura Lacy (Feb. 18, 2008). The article discusses the Spark incentive program that participates with Family Academy, a NYC public school, which pays fourth and seventh-graders for good grades and attendance. The Spark program participates with 60 NYC public schools and was created to narrow the educational gap by giving students short-term rewards that will be in their long-term best interest. The money students earn is deposited into the students' bank accounts and they are free to spend it however they wish.
There are other programs similar to the Spark program in about a dozen states. For example, "in Albuquerque, N.M., students at the Cesar Chavez Charter School can earn up to $300 a year for good attendance. In Santa Ana, Calif., kids who do well on their math tests can earn up to $250 and in Baltimore, students can take away $110 depending on their test scores."
These specific programs are very new and have not been studied, but "research on rewarding children for good grades shows that despite short-term gains, it may be detrimental in the long-term by decreasing their motivation, especially when the incentive is removed." Aside from this research, students are excited to make the cash
This article raises a number of issues, but I'd like to focus on the issue of ethicacy. A scholarship is a reason to give students money to do well in school, not to pay school-aged children to do well. A scholarship is given to a student who is already performing well in school and the money they will receive helps that student stay at the level of achievement that they are at. If you give a student money to do well in school and it works, what happens when you stop paying the student? Will they continue to do well? I don't think so.
I understand that urban students need an extra boost. Unfortunately, most of these kids are not receiving the pat on the back from Mom and Dad at home, or they may not have any motivation to learn how to read and write once they reach the high school level. The Spark program and others alike are saying that poor, city kids (who are mainly African Americans) need to be bribed with money in order to succeed in school. These programs are saying that poor kids cannot be inspired or engaged by a teacher to learn, and is a target for racism.
If you pay a child to get good grades, than the student is working for the money verses working for receiving an education. What are we teaching our children when we offer them money for good grades? I doubt very much that paying students pursuades them to love school for learning. We are teaching them to work for money, not for the greater good. We are teaching our children to become greedy, and that money is the only thing in the world worth having. We single handedly ruining our children's morals.
Also, who is saying that this child will use the money earned wisely? If this is an idea worth exploring, maybe an education fund should be set up for the student as payment towards their college tuition. Or maybe the money earned could go towards a greater good of a class dance at the end of the year or some other kind of nice treat.
There are other programs similar to the Spark program in about a dozen states. For example, "in Albuquerque, N.M., students at the Cesar Chavez Charter School can earn up to $300 a year for good attendance. In Santa Ana, Calif., kids who do well on their math tests can earn up to $250 and in Baltimore, students can take away $110 depending on their test scores."
These specific programs are very new and have not been studied, but "research on rewarding children for good grades shows that despite short-term gains, it may be detrimental in the long-term by decreasing their motivation, especially when the incentive is removed." Aside from this research, students are excited to make the cash
This article raises a number of issues, but I'd like to focus on the issue of ethicacy. A scholarship is a reason to give students money to do well in school, not to pay school-aged children to do well. A scholarship is given to a student who is already performing well in school and the money they will receive helps that student stay at the level of achievement that they are at. If you give a student money to do well in school and it works, what happens when you stop paying the student? Will they continue to do well? I don't think so.
I understand that urban students need an extra boost. Unfortunately, most of these kids are not receiving the pat on the back from Mom and Dad at home, or they may not have any motivation to learn how to read and write once they reach the high school level. The Spark program and others alike are saying that poor, city kids (who are mainly African Americans) need to be bribed with money in order to succeed in school. These programs are saying that poor kids cannot be inspired or engaged by a teacher to learn, and is a target for racism.
If you pay a child to get good grades, than the student is working for the money verses working for receiving an education. What are we teaching our children when we offer them money for good grades? I doubt very much that paying students pursuades them to love school for learning. We are teaching them to work for money, not for the greater good. We are teaching our children to become greedy, and that money is the only thing in the world worth having. We single handedly ruining our children's morals.
Also, who is saying that this child will use the money earned wisely? If this is an idea worth exploring, maybe an education fund should be set up for the student as payment towards their college tuition. Or maybe the money earned could go towards a greater good of a class dance at the end of the year or some other kind of nice treat.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Influences That Shape Schools
Many influences effect how schools are shaped, including myths and many external and internal factors of a school.
When many people picture rural, suburban, and urban schools many set images come to mind. These are images that are planted in our heads through the television programs, movies, and the news. Stereotypes are built upon mainly myths regarding rural, urban, and suburban education and are major influences that shape schools and define education. The Anderson and Summerfield article give examples of many myths that are proven statistically to be false, but these myths are still giving urban centers and schools a bad reputation. For example, there is a huge misconception that urban schools have the highest crime rate in the country. In reality, students in suburban schools are victims of most crimes and the suburbs have the highest crime rate compared to urban and rural locations.
Because of false myths like these, many people are turned off by the urban school system. Parents who believe this false myth will most likely send their child to a private, suburban, or even rural school if they can affort to do so. However, school violence is everywhere, even in rural atmospheres. Remember the Amish school shooting that took the lives of five girls in Lancaster, PA? It is important to realize that crime unfortunately happens everywhere regardless of location.
I am a victim of falsely judging schools and their environments based on stereotypes. When I think of urban schools I picture small, crowded classrooms with few teachers. I was surprised to read that the student/teacher ratio for urban, suburban, and rural schools are about the same. Now that I think of it, our CURR523 class is pretty crowded! Not that I am not excited to work with all of you, but it is important to point out that regardless of location, population management like school violence is always an issue wherever we are.
False myths and stereotypes are influences on how most people view different schools, but what truly and physically shapes schools? Schools are influenced both by a school's external and internal environment. Obviously, the physical conditions of an area labels the school urban, suburban, or rural, but other external factors consist of American history, the existing government, population densities, and area demographics/culture.
American history that effects urban education is the existing racism against African-Americans because of slavery. Fruchter discusses the Brown vs. The Board of Education, which ordered the desegregation of schools. Our government and school systems never followed through with desegregating school, which left many poor black children doomed for a terrible education and limited futures. Not much as changed since 1954 when the Supreme Court ordered desegregation, and there have been few efforts to change since then. I believe that there were good intentions to desegregate by passing this law, but not following through made matters worse. Additionally, our existing government heavily influences bureaucracy and school decisions. Teachers have benchmarks to meet and have to teach to the test thanks to NCLB.
Population densities and demographics shapes schools because it gives a school physical characteristics of the student body. Focusing on urban schools, these communities are heavily populated and consist of primarily Spanish-American and African-American decent. These people are poor and some live in extreme poverty. The culture of the students and surrounding community heavily influences the way schools practice such as school holidays, traditions, and academic content. Also, a student's family life effects their education. Some families may place an importance on family time, religion, or work, and some may be homeless and have to move around a lot.
Internal factors that shape schools are school policy, budget, curriculum, teaching techniques and experience. These internal factors directly effect urban schools' ability to function. Urban schools do not have proper funding, which results in small budgets, inexperienced teachers, and few teachers. It only takes a couple bad teachers to make a child turn away from education. I am not sure what I could do as a teacher to make a difference in the large scheme of things besides to be a great teacher to these urban children. Negative urban education influences have existed since the beginning of time. How will it change?
When many people picture rural, suburban, and urban schools many set images come to mind. These are images that are planted in our heads through the television programs, movies, and the news. Stereotypes are built upon mainly myths regarding rural, urban, and suburban education and are major influences that shape schools and define education. The Anderson and Summerfield article give examples of many myths that are proven statistically to be false, but these myths are still giving urban centers and schools a bad reputation. For example, there is a huge misconception that urban schools have the highest crime rate in the country. In reality, students in suburban schools are victims of most crimes and the suburbs have the highest crime rate compared to urban and rural locations.
Because of false myths like these, many people are turned off by the urban school system. Parents who believe this false myth will most likely send their child to a private, suburban, or even rural school if they can affort to do so. However, school violence is everywhere, even in rural atmospheres. Remember the Amish school shooting that took the lives of five girls in Lancaster, PA? It is important to realize that crime unfortunately happens everywhere regardless of location.
I am a victim of falsely judging schools and their environments based on stereotypes. When I think of urban schools I picture small, crowded classrooms with few teachers. I was surprised to read that the student/teacher ratio for urban, suburban, and rural schools are about the same. Now that I think of it, our CURR523 class is pretty crowded! Not that I am not excited to work with all of you, but it is important to point out that regardless of location, population management like school violence is always an issue wherever we are.
False myths and stereotypes are influences on how most people view different schools, but what truly and physically shapes schools? Schools are influenced both by a school's external and internal environment. Obviously, the physical conditions of an area labels the school urban, suburban, or rural, but other external factors consist of American history, the existing government, population densities, and area demographics/culture.
American history that effects urban education is the existing racism against African-Americans because of slavery. Fruchter discusses the Brown vs. The Board of Education, which ordered the desegregation of schools. Our government and school systems never followed through with desegregating school, which left many poor black children doomed for a terrible education and limited futures. Not much as changed since 1954 when the Supreme Court ordered desegregation, and there have been few efforts to change since then. I believe that there were good intentions to desegregate by passing this law, but not following through made matters worse. Additionally, our existing government heavily influences bureaucracy and school decisions. Teachers have benchmarks to meet and have to teach to the test thanks to NCLB.
Population densities and demographics shapes schools because it gives a school physical characteristics of the student body. Focusing on urban schools, these communities are heavily populated and consist of primarily Spanish-American and African-American decent. These people are poor and some live in extreme poverty. The culture of the students and surrounding community heavily influences the way schools practice such as school holidays, traditions, and academic content. Also, a student's family life effects their education. Some families may place an importance on family time, religion, or work, and some may be homeless and have to move around a lot.
Internal factors that shape schools are school policy, budget, curriculum, teaching techniques and experience. These internal factors directly effect urban schools' ability to function. Urban schools do not have proper funding, which results in small budgets, inexperienced teachers, and few teachers. It only takes a couple bad teachers to make a child turn away from education. I am not sure what I could do as a teacher to make a difference in the large scheme of things besides to be a great teacher to these urban children. Negative urban education influences have existed since the beginning of time. How will it change?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Media Shapes Perception of Education
Film
Urban: Dangerous Minds, John N. Smith
The film takes place in an inner-city high school in East Palo Alto, California. The streets are dangerous, full of violence and drugs. I saw this film when I was about ten years old. This film certainly put the stereotypes of urban schools being dark, dangerous, and scary. Similar to my perception of urban high schools, the students in this film are poor, angry minorities who are violent drug users and caught up in gang life. They do not show respect, and are lost in street-life. LouAnne Johnson’s character is an inspirational teacher who finds ways to connect to her students by changing her teaching methods. Johnson changes her teaching style by wearing a leather jacket, teaching karate, and teaching poetry using Bob Dylan’s lyrics. Johnson is also a mentor to these students by guiding them through tough decisions.
Suburban: Breakfast Club, John Hughes
This film takes place in a suburban middle-upper class high school. The viewer can tell this is a wealthy high school because it has a nice library, a football team, and the hallways look new and clean. I assume that the community is predominately white, because all of the students are white. The main characters are five high school students of all different stereotypes (the criminal, the princess, the brain, the athlete, and the basket case) who meet in detention and get to know one another on a very personal level. They discover that they all have more in common than they thought. This reminds me of my high school years because I came from a very large school with many different “cliques.” I never fit into one click as an adolescent because I was a part of a few different stereotypes: I played sports (the athlete), was an art student (the basket case), and did well in school (the brain). The principle is a power hungry man, who gets pleasure from seeing students suffer. This was my perception of my principle when I was in middle school, and I was scared of him.
Rural: Varsity Blues, Brian Robbins
This film takes place in a small-town Texas high school where high-school football is a religion. There is a lot of pressure from the people in the community for the football team to do well. I can see elements of this movie into my own stereotypes of rural communities; the rural south is undereducated and their priorities are far different than the coasts.’ Football is more important than school and grades and it is all these boys know. The ball players also learn to face the fame and pressures that come along with football, girls, popularity, etc. I feel sorry for kids who are uneducated. Their hometown lives are all these kids will ever know. As role models for these boys more emphasis is put on the coaches rather than the teachers. The coach has his ethics mixed up; he is verbally abusive control freak, and all he cares about is winning. This film is an example of my perception that mid-western and southern states revolve their lives around sports, not education.
Music
Urban: Coolio, “Gansta’s Paradise”
This song was part of the soundtrack for the film, Dangerous Minds. I assume that the artist is discussing a personal story or one from the point of view from an urban adolescent. The street life is the “community” in this song. The singer says that he has received some kind of education, but not good enough to keep him off the streets, “So I gotta be down with the 'hood team, Too much television watching, got me chasing dreams. I'm an educated fool with money on my mind, Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye.” I picture an African American young high school or post-high school-aged kid who is constantly running from the police, drug dealing, and committing other types of crime. The teachers obviously did not have a powerful impact on this young man, “I’m an educated fool.” When I think of inner-city adolescents in the media I usually do not picture them to be well educated.
Suburban: Vitamin C, “Graduation (Friends Forever)”
The listener can assume this is based on a suburban school; “Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round? Will these memories fade when I leave this town?” This song came out during my senior year in high school and reminds me of my youth because I went to a large, suburban high school. The song represents the stereotypical moments of high school; “Will we still remember everything we learned in school? Still be trying to break every single rule. Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man? Can Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?” The song does not discuss the teachers, but obviously the experiences that the singer shares are pleasant and will be missed. Relating this song with my high school experience, there were many great memories of teachers that I miss.
Rural: Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner’s Daughter
The community that Loretta Lynn lived in was a small town called Butcher Hollar. Everyone who lived there was poor, and her father was obviously a coal miner. I believe during this time survival was important, not education. Loretta had little to no education, and left her town at the age of thirteen. By the age of 17 she was married with a large family. Her teachers were her life experiences, the people she met, and the struggles she had. The lesson I take from the story is that hard work and determination can take you far, but these kinds of stories are few and far between.
Television
Urban: Family Matters
This show was based in inner-city Chicago. This was an African-American, middle class family who lived in an African-American neighborhood. Watching this sitcom as a child gave me the impression that most people who lived in cities were African-American. Laura Winslow (the oldest daughter) was a smart, straight-A student who had the goal of going to Harvard Law School. Eddie Winslow (the son) is a smart boy, but he only performed average in school. This family was similar to my own; the girls in my house were straight-A students while my brother was an average student. As a child I thought girls were smarter than boys. I don’t recall episodes that involved teachers, but it is interesting how this family was not “perfect.”
Suburban: Boy Meets World
The high school’s exists in a suburban community of middle class white people. Cory’s family and school life are perfect for the most part. I watched this show almost every Friday night, and I enjoyed it because it resembled my life as a kid. The main characters, Cory Matthews, Sean Hunter, and Topanga Lawrence, are the best of friends. Each character has their own unique personality; Cory and Sean struggle to keep out of trouble and to stay focused in class, Topanga is very smart and always does well in school, and Minkus is the brain of the class. George Feeny, Cory’s high-school principle and next-door neighbor, has a special relationship with Cory. Mr. Feeny acts like a mentor more than a teacher to Cory, Sean, and Topanga throughout their adolescents. Another teacher, whose name escapes me, is also a friend to the boys so much so that he takes Sean under his custody temporarily. These two male teachers represent how teachers should treat their students. The teachers find comical ways to connect with the mischievous teens.
Rural: Little House on the Prairie
This show takes place during the 1870s in Minnesota. The community is so small that everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows everything about everyone. I watched this show as a child and believed that life must have been so hard back than. The students were extremely obedient during class and never talked back. I remember Laura’s parents always making sure that Laura and Mary did their homework before bedtime. Of course, the students/children back than still dealt with similar pressures and dramas of the lives of children today. Education was very important to this community and Laura Ingalls became a kind-hearted and caring teacher.
News
Urban: 4/22/08, CBS: “Shock Over Student Gun Deaths: In This School Year Alone, 24 Students Were Killed, Leaving City Rattled To The Core”
Ignorant people turn a blind eye and say, “That will never happen to my kid. Most of the victims are poor and black.” I’m sure the students are always on the lookout for violent behaviors. I can only hope that the teachers are doing the best they can to keep the students safe, and to teach them how to be book smart and street smart as well.
Suburban: Columbine School Schooling, 4/20/1999
Columbine is a small suburban town of Littleton, CO. I believe that the students were well educated, and it seemed to be an average high school with the typical cliques of students. Sadly, two male students decided to shoot the students and athletes who picked on them. Several students and one teacher were murdered. I can’t imagine what the teachers who had these boys in class were feeling.
Rural: Amish school shooting, 10/3/2006
In Lancaster, PA a humble Amish community lost two young girls in a school shooting. After the shooting the community tore down the school because they could not bare to relive the horror. Students were horrified. There were five girls killed, and five survived. One teacher was let go by the shooter, Charlie Roberts. This tragedy demonstrates the sad truth that school violence can take place anywhere, in urban, suburban, and rural atmospheres.
Urban: Dangerous Minds, John N. Smith
The film takes place in an inner-city high school in East Palo Alto, California. The streets are dangerous, full of violence and drugs. I saw this film when I was about ten years old. This film certainly put the stereotypes of urban schools being dark, dangerous, and scary. Similar to my perception of urban high schools, the students in this film are poor, angry minorities who are violent drug users and caught up in gang life. They do not show respect, and are lost in street-life. LouAnne Johnson’s character is an inspirational teacher who finds ways to connect to her students by changing her teaching methods. Johnson changes her teaching style by wearing a leather jacket, teaching karate, and teaching poetry using Bob Dylan’s lyrics. Johnson is also a mentor to these students by guiding them through tough decisions.
Suburban: Breakfast Club, John Hughes
This film takes place in a suburban middle-upper class high school. The viewer can tell this is a wealthy high school because it has a nice library, a football team, and the hallways look new and clean. I assume that the community is predominately white, because all of the students are white. The main characters are five high school students of all different stereotypes (the criminal, the princess, the brain, the athlete, and the basket case) who meet in detention and get to know one another on a very personal level. They discover that they all have more in common than they thought. This reminds me of my high school years because I came from a very large school with many different “cliques.” I never fit into one click as an adolescent because I was a part of a few different stereotypes: I played sports (the athlete), was an art student (the basket case), and did well in school (the brain). The principle is a power hungry man, who gets pleasure from seeing students suffer. This was my perception of my principle when I was in middle school, and I was scared of him.
Rural: Varsity Blues, Brian Robbins
This film takes place in a small-town Texas high school where high-school football is a religion. There is a lot of pressure from the people in the community for the football team to do well. I can see elements of this movie into my own stereotypes of rural communities; the rural south is undereducated and their priorities are far different than the coasts.’ Football is more important than school and grades and it is all these boys know. The ball players also learn to face the fame and pressures that come along with football, girls, popularity, etc. I feel sorry for kids who are uneducated. Their hometown lives are all these kids will ever know. As role models for these boys more emphasis is put on the coaches rather than the teachers. The coach has his ethics mixed up; he is verbally abusive control freak, and all he cares about is winning. This film is an example of my perception that mid-western and southern states revolve their lives around sports, not education.
Music
Urban: Coolio, “Gansta’s Paradise”
This song was part of the soundtrack for the film, Dangerous Minds. I assume that the artist is discussing a personal story or one from the point of view from an urban adolescent. The street life is the “community” in this song. The singer says that he has received some kind of education, but not good enough to keep him off the streets, “So I gotta be down with the 'hood team, Too much television watching, got me chasing dreams. I'm an educated fool with money on my mind, Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye.” I picture an African American young high school or post-high school-aged kid who is constantly running from the police, drug dealing, and committing other types of crime. The teachers obviously did not have a powerful impact on this young man, “I’m an educated fool.” When I think of inner-city adolescents in the media I usually do not picture them to be well educated.
Suburban: Vitamin C, “Graduation (Friends Forever)”
The listener can assume this is based on a suburban school; “Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round? Will these memories fade when I leave this town?” This song came out during my senior year in high school and reminds me of my youth because I went to a large, suburban high school. The song represents the stereotypical moments of high school; “Will we still remember everything we learned in school? Still be trying to break every single rule. Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man? Can Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?” The song does not discuss the teachers, but obviously the experiences that the singer shares are pleasant and will be missed. Relating this song with my high school experience, there were many great memories of teachers that I miss.
Rural: Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner’s Daughter
The community that Loretta Lynn lived in was a small town called Butcher Hollar. Everyone who lived there was poor, and her father was obviously a coal miner. I believe during this time survival was important, not education. Loretta had little to no education, and left her town at the age of thirteen. By the age of 17 she was married with a large family. Her teachers were her life experiences, the people she met, and the struggles she had. The lesson I take from the story is that hard work and determination can take you far, but these kinds of stories are few and far between.
Television
Urban: Family Matters
This show was based in inner-city Chicago. This was an African-American, middle class family who lived in an African-American neighborhood. Watching this sitcom as a child gave me the impression that most people who lived in cities were African-American. Laura Winslow (the oldest daughter) was a smart, straight-A student who had the goal of going to Harvard Law School. Eddie Winslow (the son) is a smart boy, but he only performed average in school. This family was similar to my own; the girls in my house were straight-A students while my brother was an average student. As a child I thought girls were smarter than boys. I don’t recall episodes that involved teachers, but it is interesting how this family was not “perfect.”
Suburban: Boy Meets World
The high school’s exists in a suburban community of middle class white people. Cory’s family and school life are perfect for the most part. I watched this show almost every Friday night, and I enjoyed it because it resembled my life as a kid. The main characters, Cory Matthews, Sean Hunter, and Topanga Lawrence, are the best of friends. Each character has their own unique personality; Cory and Sean struggle to keep out of trouble and to stay focused in class, Topanga is very smart and always does well in school, and Minkus is the brain of the class. George Feeny, Cory’s high-school principle and next-door neighbor, has a special relationship with Cory. Mr. Feeny acts like a mentor more than a teacher to Cory, Sean, and Topanga throughout their adolescents. Another teacher, whose name escapes me, is also a friend to the boys so much so that he takes Sean under his custody temporarily. These two male teachers represent how teachers should treat their students. The teachers find comical ways to connect with the mischievous teens.
Rural: Little House on the Prairie
This show takes place during the 1870s in Minnesota. The community is so small that everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows everything about everyone. I watched this show as a child and believed that life must have been so hard back than. The students were extremely obedient during class and never talked back. I remember Laura’s parents always making sure that Laura and Mary did their homework before bedtime. Of course, the students/children back than still dealt with similar pressures and dramas of the lives of children today. Education was very important to this community and Laura Ingalls became a kind-hearted and caring teacher.
News
Urban: 4/22/08, CBS: “Shock Over Student Gun Deaths: In This School Year Alone, 24 Students Were Killed, Leaving City Rattled To The Core”
Ignorant people turn a blind eye and say, “That will never happen to my kid. Most of the victims are poor and black.” I’m sure the students are always on the lookout for violent behaviors. I can only hope that the teachers are doing the best they can to keep the students safe, and to teach them how to be book smart and street smart as well.
Suburban: Columbine School Schooling, 4/20/1999
Columbine is a small suburban town of Littleton, CO. I believe that the students were well educated, and it seemed to be an average high school with the typical cliques of students. Sadly, two male students decided to shoot the students and athletes who picked on them. Several students and one teacher were murdered. I can’t imagine what the teachers who had these boys in class were feeling.
Rural: Amish school shooting, 10/3/2006
In Lancaster, PA a humble Amish community lost two young girls in a school shooting. After the shooting the community tore down the school because they could not bare to relive the horror. Students were horrified. There were five girls killed, and five survived. One teacher was let go by the shooter, Charlie Roberts. This tragedy demonstrates the sad truth that school violence can take place anywhere, in urban, suburban, and rural atmospheres.
Frames of Reference Urban School Paper
When I think about inner city schools and urban life I immediately think of a non-white, multi-cultural student body, over-crowded classrooms, high stress level situations, and troubled students. This is my second semester in the MAT Art program at Montclair State University. I have only taken two education courses prior to this spring semester, and I feel very uneducated about what inner city education is all about. As a future art teacher and possible inner city teacher I hope to learn more about how urban centers, schools, teachers, and students function so that I can make a difference in the lives of my future community, colleagues, and students.
My naive assumptions regarding urban schools also stems from my childhood. I was raised and went to school in Flemington, NJ where I was surrounded by predominately white children pre-school through high school, and I also attended a predominately white college for my undergraduate studies at the University of Delaware. Unfortunately, during my education I have not been exposed to a multi-cultural community until I began attending Montclair State University last fall. Many of my beliefs are shaped through stereotypes, fears, and rumors that I have heard from friends and acquaintances that teach or work in urban areas. I have heard horror stories including school violence, large classes with little to no discipline, and teens having sex in the hallway.
Much of my negative beliefs about urban schools, teachers, and students are based on television shows, movies, music, and the media that has surrounded me my entire life. Television shows such as CSI, Law & Order, and Without A Trace and movies such as Dangerous Minds and Boys in the Hood are all based in cities around the country and involve stories about urban teen life, violence, and education. Even musicians like Jay-Z and Biggie rap about their past and what it was like to grow up in the ghetto.
Fortunately, I have some experience working with inner-city children, which has given me a positive outlook on urban education. An art education methods course that I took last semester required me to travel to Franklin Elementary School in Newark, NJ. For four Fridays between the hours of 1:30PM-3:30PM I worked with my peers and Dr. Heard in the Art Backpacks Program where I helped teach children about art. This program gave me a first-hand experience of what it is like to work with inner city children. I was surprised to see that these children were very obedient, polite, and sweet. They wore uniforms, always used their manners, and acted as any other suburban students would act. I realize now that structure and discipline work best when inner-city students receive proper instruction early and are given assignments that jog their interests.
My first-hand experiences gave me a small window to see into an urban school for only four days. There is still so much that I have not witnessed first-hand such as what urban centers are, how urban schools function, the role that the teachers play, and the diverse body of students.
I have a vague understanding of what urban centers are and their function in a community. I believe that an urban center is a facility in center city where members of the community experience the cultures of the city by assembling for sporting events, parades, festivals, music events, travel, and dining. Urban centers are a common place where many people come from all over the city to find unity. I think that an urban center gives the public a sense of belonging and is the glue that holds cultural ties together. Similarly, I think that urban schools are a place where students can express themselves as individuals, but also have a sense of belonging.
Urban schools have more issues to maintain than a suburban school because of city life. Urban schools need to look out for the welfare of the school itself, the teachers, and more importantly the students. I believe that urban schools are under-funded because of local poverty, which results in a high-stress environment, over-crowded classrooms, classroom management issues, and student motivational problems. Because urban schools are over-crowded, there is a high dropout rate in high schools and the school and surrounding neighborhoods can be unsafe because of everyday violence and gangs. Urban life can be difficult, and I believe that inner city schools are a safe haven and a second home for many students. When children/adolescents are in school they are kept out of trouble, they are off the streets, and students have the potential to make a life for themselves. Art programs in inner city schools are certainly smaller and their budgets are shorter than suburban schools. Because of this, art educators must be creative in designing a curriculum that is based on the diverse students as well as using scarce supplies that the school can afford.
The teachers of inner city schools deal with high stressed factors on a daily basis, but they are there to make a difference in the lives of their students. Teachers face issues of classroom management with over-crowded classrooms, learning disabilities, behavioral issues, and gaining the students’ respect. Educators work with a multicultural and diverse body of students, have to overcome literacy, language, cultural, and gender diversity, and may struggle with connecting with their students. Urban teachers must be hard working and dedicated to their job. For many students good teachers are more like mentors to them, and the students’ daily issues and problems become the teacher’s issues and problems. Educators will be required to guide students through issues of peer pressure, drug abuse, gangs, and the use of unprotected sex.
The students are multicultural from many different backgrounds, families, and cultures. Students live a fast-paced life and learn to cope with peer pressure, pressure at home, pressure at school, finding their own identity, living a poor life style, violence, gangs, drugs, sex, etc. Students constantly have hard decisions to make on a daily basis; life is not easy. I believe that if young children are given a stable education from the beginning, than they will have a better chance of graduating from high school and have potential to go on to college. It all comes down to the teachers to guide these children and help them be successful.
My beliefs will affect my interactions with my future colleagues and students, but before I allow my beliefs to affect my teaching I must educate myself thoroughly to gain a better understanding of urban life. I will use the classes in the MAT program at MSU, future personal experiences, and personal research to better determine what inner city education requires. I cannot teach based on stereotypes, rumors, media drama, and word-of-mouth, so therefore I will do everything I can to drop false existing beliefs and replace them with experience. I need to see first-hand who my students will be, what community I will be working in, and the types of people I will be working with.
I will plan and strategize how to survive and teach in an inner city classroom prior to my first day as a teacher. I will build strong relationships with my fellow teachers so that I can always look to them for help, gain awareness through my colleagues as to how they manage their classrooms, and familiarize myself with the history of my future school’s community and city by visiting the urban centers. Prior to my first day I will also set time aside to converse with the students to get an understanding of the student community, who they are as people, and their needs.
Once I have educated beliefs about the urban community, school, teachers, and students I will begin to shape my classroom. My first goal is to create a strong teacher-student relationship using icebreakers and other get-to-know-you activities. I believe that when the students respect you, classroom management should follow naturally with little struggle. I want my students to trust me, and I will to be a mentor to my students as they deal with the difficult life situations that they are in. I want to make learning fun for my students, and I hope to spread joy by bringing art and beauty into my students’ urban lives. My classroom will be a place where learning is not a chore, and students of all abilities will learn to create something that they are proud of. I want to build a classroom where students feel safe, happy, and excited to be a part of.
I believe that teaching in an inner-city takes hard work and dedication, and I hope to hit the ground running as an educator and as a part of the urban community. I want to use art as a tool to help me connect with my school’s community. I believe it is important to bring the school and community together, because it will also bring students closer to their families and their families closer to students’ education. I plan on coordinating art-related activities such as painting murals, displaying student work inside and outside the school building, and hopefully tie in some fundraisers that will benefit the school and/or art program. I believe that art and beauty brings about positive change and people become more optimistic and peaceful. More specifically to my students, I hope to motivate them and to demonstrate that they can create a positive future for themselves. I want to use art as motivation, and ingrain my belief that passions and dreams can be turned into real goals and careers.
My beliefs, hopes, and standards about my teaching and future students already have high standards. I want to make a difference in the lives of as many students, teachers, and communities as I can. However, my lack of experience and education leaves me with many questions: What makes urban students tick? What are some strategies that will help me deal with managing an overcrowded classroom with children with learning disabilities and different personalities? How do I motivate a variety of students at the same time? How will I know what advice to give when a student comes to me for help? Is teaching in an urban school as scary and overwhelming as I believe it is?
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