Ignorance Unveiled

I reflect on the difficulty it is to express in words

How I felt, how I feel, how I think about this course

Confusion.

Discomfort.

Reconsideration.

Reflection.

Hope.

Am I really a racist?

Am I considerate of others?

Does my white privilege get in the way?

Am I working towards understanding my own ignorance

Or do I simply just stay unchanged?

My beliefs, my virtues, my thoughts

should never detract from the worth of a soul

Yet how would I achieve equity in a classroom

when that same worth is being questioned on multiple faces.

The act of opening one's eyes to the problems requires sacrifice:

Of pride, of ignorance.

Requires an action but not just any act

Yes, an act of rebellion to unjust social norms

How to show acceptance?

How to focus on the "one"?

My students must become my objective.

My students are my objective.

Their comfort is my comfort

Their progress is my progress

Their personal culture has been learned, experienced.

Has it become my experience? Have I learned?

I fear the difficulty this task will require

How to change a system in place?

Where to start?

Yet I hope for change.

I can change.

I can start.

The teacher has influence.

I have influence.

I cannot afford to be ignorant. No deficits.

I must learn to acknowledge what is hidden to many.

I become a model.

I become aware.

I include.

I inform.

Re-Imagined Classroom

This is the type of picture that would be seen on the wall. Encouraging an environment of learning, the students would understand that there is opportunity in each day to learn when desire and effort are put forth. (Image taken from http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/inspire-u-poster-make-today-the-day-to/p/702590/)







This image would not only be present to help LGBTQ students and parents understand they are welcome and that they are safe in my classroom, but extends further on to all of my students. I want my students to feel free in being who they are. This is also a reminder to me to be selective with my vocabulary so as not to offend and to be accepting. (https://www.redbubble.com/shop/safe+space+stickers)





As is mentioned later on, students in my classroom will be grouped in fours to encourage group discussion. The intent is to provide greater accessibility to all areas of the classroom and to encourage group discussions. Students will work on projects with their groups and will have the opportunity to switch groups and interact with all students in the class. (Image retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elementary_classroom_in_Alaska.jpg)

This would be similar to the reading center I would like to create in my classroom. This reading corner would be creative, colorful and learning enriching. I will have a great variety of books that are expressive of different cultures, races, religions, genders, etc. To encourage reading and literacy, students would be given time each day to spend in the reading center. (Image retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS593US593&biw=1366&bih)

As my focus is Math, students will be able to understand that Math is more than a problem on a worksheet, but that it is seen all around us. This picture shows the application of Math and would help children understand how to search out Math in their day-to-day lives. The images also provide assistance to my Second Language Learners as they can visualize application(Image retrieved from http://330207677764321891.weebly.com/class-photos.html#PhotoSwipe1375268085863)






1) Imagine the surrounding in your classroom. What does the room look like? What resources are available for students? How are the resources used during the lesson?

• Pulling open the door to the classroom, the individual's attention is first drawn to the desk alignment. With space to carefully move around, the desks are grouped in fours with the desks facing inwards. 6 clusters of desks are seen throughout the room, allowing for group work and discussions. Walking closer, name tags the colors of red, yellow, and blue have been carefully taped to align perfectly with the top edge of the desk. Along the back wall are cubbies for the students to store their school supplies. A hook for a backpack has been carefully placed in the center and directly above this and there is a shelf at a height that is easily accessible for all students. This shelf is for the storing of the student's class workbooks along with projects that they have begun. The workbooks are used daily as we examine the principles of math, reading, writing, and science. Assignments can be removed from the workbook and taken home to work on. The wall opposite the door has been created into a reading center. Bean bags, chairs, and pillows lay on the floor waiting for the company of a student. This area is surrounded by a wide selection of books to meet the needs of advanced readers and beginning readers. These books vary in their type. Over the years, I have collected books from suggestions I have found on the website www.socialjusticebooks.org. Understanding the great diversity of students in my classroom and the importance of literacy, I have carefully selected these books! The books have been worn down over the years of students going to the reading center during their "reading time" or when they have finished their in-class worksheets. Knowing that some students may not have equal access to forms of literacy, students can check-out books from our class library to read in their homes.  Opposite the wall of the reading center is my desk.  Understanding that I want my students to feel safe in the classroom as well as their families, I have a "Safe Space" sticker located on the wall behind my desk. 

2)Describe the students in your classroom. What are their backgrounds? What are their interests? What are they doing during the lesson?

• Students in my classroom are roughly 8-9 years old. Most of them enter in the classroom full of energy with the occasional student who grudgingly drags their backpack into the classroom, only because there exists a greater desire to sleep in. Teaching in the Utah area, a majority of the classroom comes from white American Mormon families. I have students from various backgrounds. Being that I am teaching in Utah, it may appear that a majority of the students come from white American LDS families. However, with a closer look at the students one can see that these students are so diverse. A further look into the lives of my students would reveal diverse family situations (divorce, step parents, homosexual parents, etc), religions, races, socioeconomic status, etc. Although there are moments of sass and attitude, most of the students are found reaching out to others and slow to act in bitterness towards classmates. Problem solving is evident and hands are always outstretched to include others because they have seen this modeled by me and other adults with whom the students interact in the class. At the age of 8, most students are developing the ability to think abstractly and it can be seen on their faces, heard in their questions, and evident in their imagination. This stage causes many to react in excitement when they understand the new principles or concepts that are being taught. Recess is a highlight. The students race towards the playground for games such as "Hot Lava", jump rope, tag, and kickball. Energy is expended at recess and tired bodies return to the classroom ready to pull out notebooks and try their best to focus as their minds start to wander, thinking of the snack Mom has waiting for them at home. 

3)Describe your classroom policies. What are your classroom rules? What is your discipline plan? What are your homework policies?

• More than only logical thinking, creative thinking is inspired. Posters hang on the wall encouraging exploration, learning, and diligence. It will be expected of students to complete the assigned worksheets that will be sent home with them. Worksheets will be given a grade for completion and will be reviewed in class so students can understand where they answered incorrectly and why. In situations of students acting up or defiantly disobeying, they will be given a warning privately.  I will approach the situation, explain what I am seeing and let them know the consequence if the action continues. If a student causes continual disruptions, an email will be sent home so that I may meet with the parent and student to discuss options of how to solve the situation. There is also a no tolerance policy for disrespect to one another in my classroom. In situations where students are bullying or being bullied by others, I will have a meeting with the child and the parent. If it is needed, we will talk to higher authority in the school district to right any wrongs that may have been done. I have stated my policies in the letter I sent home with students on the first week of school so that parents are aware of where I stand. I have let parents know my willingness to listen and expressed a desire for them to reach out to me, knowing that their children feel more comfortable talking about difficulties or problems they are facing with a guardian than a teacher. 

4) Describe a typical lesson you will teach in your classroom. What will you teach? What is the topic? Why did you choose this topic? How will you teach it? What is the main thing you want students to learn during this lesson?

• I would like to focus on Mathematics. Through personal experience, I have found a love for Math and desire to help others understand the concepts and daily application of the topic. I loved that through a process of methods, one could find an answer to a problem. This logical thinking gave me great satisfaction as I learned math over the years. I desire to now not only focus on teaching the methods of math, but also understanding why it works and why we learn it. Although my focus will be on 3rd grade, I will search for opportunities to help the older grades with Math as well. According to the Core Standard for 3rd grade math (www.uen.org), students are learning the different operations of multiplication/division as well as algebraic thinking. I want students to visualize what they are doing with multiplication so they can see it as more than just a fact they memorized, but something they can explain the process for. Simple addition and subtraction problems combined with story problems would be seen daily in my classroom. Supplies will be given to students and they will have the opportunity to do this visualization.  

5)Imagine your work as a teacher during this lesson. What are you doing during the lesson?

• Understanding that muscle memory comes with time, I begin the lesson with a warm-up problem on the board. A problem to review what we have learned in the previous class. Students are invited to discuss possibilities of the solution to the story problem or question that I have posed with the other students in their group. I walk around the classroom, listening in on conversations, pausing occasionally to ask students "Okay, so what are we thinking?". A general understanding of where the students are has been gauged and I return to the board. I open it up for students to share their answers and how they arrived at the point. I also give students the opportunity to question what they are hearing and to provide their thoughts. I pose another question that leads the students to ponder or question more advanced concepts. This provides the perfect segue into our new concept for the day. I walk around the room asking questions to help the students consider different options of solving a problem. I don't give the solution or method right away. My questions are given to probe at their understanding. More than giving a lecture, I am acting as a catalyst for their thought process of problem solving. Knowing that Mathematics is a language of its own, I look for and provide attention to students who are Second Language Learners. I have done researcher before in their language for some vocabulary that may help them understand more clearly.  After we have explored the concept, I give a general understanding and clarify any confusion. I lead the students into different forms of practice in hopes of leading them towards mastery and application.  

6)Imagine your students again, what are they doing during the lesson?

• Students are actively participating in the warm up. They feel confident in solving the problem because they have learned the concepts and methods in our previous class together. Since we are trying to solve multiplication problems, the students are using the resources in the classroom to help themselves understand.  They are drawn in my the story problems because their names are represented in the problems. The problems give them something concrete to hold onto. For example, students may be asked to find out how many sticky notes can fit on their desk. They will actively find this out. How would you represent this number as a multiplication number? They eagerly share their answers with others in their group and noise fills the air. Their confidence allows them to shoot their hands up to share their strategies in solving the story problem. Students have access to different objects to help them do direct modeling (creating a representation of the problem with counters). For today, students are using beans to help them with their multiplication problems. They are using beans for Partitive and Multiplicative Division. At times, their conversations about solving problems carry them into other topics, but they are able to refocus easily. 

7. Imagine how you will assess your students' learning and achievement. How will you know they have learned?

• As one of my objectives will be to help students master the concepts of mathematics, I will use group projects related to application of the concepts. More than a test or quiz, I would like the students to understand the daily application of what they are learning. Tests will be used to evaluate basic concepts; however, to analyze the process of learning/application, they will do group presentations of how the principle is evident in every day life. Students will show understanding of learning the concept (through worksheets and tests). Assessment will also occur as I walk around observing group work and interacting with my students. I understand that testing may be difficult for some students so I will also provide oral testing. Teachers aids can sit with students and read the test out loud with them. Application will then be applied as together they think of a real problem that can be solved. 

After having participated in Multicultural Education, I realized that the task of changing the dynamic of the classroom to make room for social justice is a daunting task. We are facing years of teaching patterns and attitudes that need to change. However, by going back through my imagined classroom and consciously looking for opportunities to make a difference for my students, I realized there is much that we can do. But, it must be a conscious effort. The changes I made were centered on helping all students feel welcome. Curriculum and literacy materials were altered. My perspective of my students changed. They are more than white American Mormons. There is more diversity than just race. I have decided to be more communicative with the parents of my students so they feel comfortable in approaching me if their child is facing difficulties in the classroom (whether this be with homework or issues of social justice).  I have realized through class discussions my need to not only focus on the comprehension of the class as a whole, but take time to help the individual student. However, I do not want my students to feel like they are deficits. This is something I will need to study further. How do I help the individual without making them feel like they are not as good as the rest of the class or that they are a problem. I will need to be willing to go above and beyond in my preparation to ensure that my students will have the resources they need to understand. Although I am not able to understand exactly how I will apply all the principles I have learned from this class into my future classroom, my eyes have been opened to accept the need for change and start with what I know. Encouraging my students to work harder is not good enough. I need to be aware of the structure of my class and what needs to change for my students to succeed. It's the structural ideology that I want to focus on!

Book Club

Throughout the book Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates pulls on the heart as he brings to view problems that have faced society, that are currently facing society, and will continue to face society in connection to the oppression of minorities (in this case, black minorities). As I read this book, I tried not to take personal offense. Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing to his son of the reality of the world, hitting on every point of injustice and wrong white individuals have done to enslave and take ownership of the black body. I felt uncomfortable reading this book within the first couple of pages. I felt like a finger was being pointed at the white privileged Americans...and I couldn't respond, defend, or deny what was being said. It's hard to hear that the perfect Dream that you have always longed for is a sign of arrogance, your inability or lack of desire to understand what this Dream may mean to others. Hegemony is ever present as Coates helps us understand it is Dream with a capital "D". The American society has adopted these "big house with a white picket fence" ideas. It has become part of the american culture, so to speak. However, not everyone yearns for this Dream. Coates fears his son accepting this Dream and writes this book in an effort to bring things to light which cannot be brought about in any other way because people don't talk about it like they should.

"The writer...must be wary of every Dream and every nation, even his own nation. Perhaps his own nation more than any other, precisely because it was his own" (Coates, p. 53)

I was ashamed of my white privilege. I constantly found myself seeking for further understanding, almost questioning what Coates was saying. "Are you sure that's the case?" or "Am I that obvious? or "Are you exaggerating the situation because of your personal experiences?". The Dream blinds the eyes of those who are privileged. Even though I have this desire to understand more about how society is doing wrong, my own privilege impedes me from ever truly understanding as does Coates. Then the disruption came of whether I would be willing to sacrifice all my privileges to know. This is the white privilege we've taken possession of:

"They were utterly fearless. I did not understand it until I looked out on the street. That was where I saw white parents pushing double-wide strollers down gentrifying Harlem boulevards in T-shirts and jogging shorts. Or I saw them lost in conversation with each other, mother and father, while their sons commanded entire sidewalks with their tricycles. The galaxy belonged to them, and as terror was communicated to our children, I saw mastery communicated to theirs" (Coates, p. 89)

My own body cringed and was so disturbed every time he used the term "body". I have grown up hearing how my body is sacred, how I must take care of my body, etc. I couldn't quite put myself in the shoes of Malcom, or Prince Jones, or Michael Brown. Coates paints his own personal struggle with wanting to seize hold of his body but feeling it is constantly under the power of someone else. Or when he describes the aggression of parents taken out on their black children stating that it would be better that they were beat by their parents than letting someone else take their child's body. In my mind, I could have stated this as a stereotype of black individuals as just being more aggressive. This was a personal example of passive racism. I feel ashamed to have ever thought that. I'm embarrassed to even state that in this reflection. My mind immediately turned to begging for forgiveness. Not to some being on this earth, but to a more Supreme being. How many other stereotypes were still existent in my mind? I cannot express gratitude for principles I have learned through this book and this class. Though I am not perfect in my application, it is something I will continue to apply as I move into my years as a teacher.

It was interesting to look for parallels with things we have been discussing in class this semester. I've included some terms above, but there are two others I wanted to present. In his book, Coates shares an experience of walking around in the city and a woman shoved his son. Although on the surface it may not have seemed like an act of racism, there should be further examination. This is what we would call stealth racism.

"Had I informed this woman that when she pushed my son, she was acting according to a tradition that held black bodies as lesser, her response would likely have been, "I am not a racist." Or maybe not. But my experience in this world has been that the people who believe themselves to be white are obsessed with the politics of personal exoneration. And the word racist, to them, conjures, if not a tobacco-spitting oaf, then something just as fantastic--an orc, troll, or gorgon" (Coates, p. 97) 

Grit Ideology is evident as the greater gets to know the life of Dr. Mable Jones. We learn of her hard work and pure determination to be a doctor. With this ideology, we are taught that if you try a little harder, you will succeed. If you "put some dirt on it", then it won't seem so bad. All of her hard work and determination cannot, however, take away the pain and barrier that she faced with the death of her son, Prince Jones.

For the Future Classroom: 
I think of Ta-Nehisi Coates love for the Mecca as I respond to the changes I wish to make in my future classroom. I remember the story of the girl with dreads, who in loving care takes care of him when he had the major headache. Coates response to her care was simple:

"Love could be soft and understanding; that, soft or hard, love was an act of heroism" (Coates, p. 61)

 What truly made it so that Coates could feel so comfortable at Howard University? The open expression of self was every where. Students could be themselves without fear. Coates could be himself and love that part of himself. I want to create this environment of safety and comfort in the classroom. Coates didn't talk too much about his schooling in his book, but we can know it was lacking something as Coates was drawn so strongly to Howard University. After reading this book, I want to be more aware of what happens in the classroom. Just keeping an eye out for signs of racism is not enough. A teacher should look for opportunities to create equity in the classroom. Sometimes that may be a simple compliment or a statement of "Wow, I like how "so-and-so" did this assignment!". This reassurance can go far. Students will model much of what they learn in the classroom.

Coates also mentioned the lack of inclusion of the history of blacks in his childhood. "We were black, beyond the visible spectrum, beyond civilization. Our history was inferior because we were inferior, which is to say our bodies were inferior" (p. 43-4). I realized that I'm not exactly sure how, but I plan to include more of the correct truth of all aspects of history. We've talked about this as a class. How will I find out what my students should be learning? I'm not sure. Maybe it will be in me researching for extra hours to make sure I have correct information. I can bring in guest speakers of different cultures and races to educate my class. Speakers like Ta-Hehisi Coates. This seems like a daunting task. These are just some starting ideas for where I want to go!

Work Cited:

Coates, T. (2015) Between the World and Me. New York City, NY. Spiegel & Grau.