In The Classroom

The teaching program I'm in provides for a lot of classroom experience--we do two semesters of Field Practicum before we do our student teaching. Since I've spent an inordinate countless hours as a classroom volunteer, and I'm brutally overscheduled a little bit busy, I've been wishing I didn't have to put in 96 hours that I don't have this semester.

So today I started. And I had a great time, and remembered, oh yeah, this is why I want to be a teacher. Because all my experience as a volunteer has been in a well-off, suburban school, I wanted to try something different. I was hoping for the Juvenile Court System school, but that didn't work out. Hopefully I'll be able to do it on the next go-round. Instead, I have a fifth-grade classroom in a poor, Hispanic area.

The school has a very warm atmosphere, and the students are extremely well-behaved. In fact, it is the quietest, most well-behaved classroom I've ever been in. Because I'm pretty sure I want to teach in a low-performing school (usually read as a "school of color"), I've been reading a lot about different cultural environments, and the varying parental expectations in the home. So, I know that one reason these kids are so quiet and compliant is cultural.

The quiet makes things easy, but it also makes me worry. When these students are thrown into a competitive environment with kids from home environments where they are taught to question and speak out, how will they fare? These lovely girls with their downcast eyes are so sweet, but I want them to be able to learn how not to be docile, and how to let their light shine. Looking forward to my own classroom, I think this will be the thing I need to figure out--how I can teach the difference between the academic and home environments when the skills you need to be successful in these places are diametrically opposed. Not that I think I'll figure it out tomorrow, but, something to think about.

Comments

[Reluctant Blogger]

We have the same "problem" with some of our students (I teach at University level) who come here for a year or two from some parts of Africa or India to do a Masters course. They always attend every lecture/seminar and hand in coursework in advance of deadlines. But the cultural difference is huge - like your students, they never ask a question even in a small group and in their culture it is also seen as a complimentary thing to reproduce as your own, work by others that you admire - here of course it is plagiarism.

I always try to have a small scale debate every few weeks - on a subject in which they feel comfortable just to get them opening up and putting forth ideas. It works up to a point.

Debating is a bit of a dying art even in British schools (other than fee-paying schools). I always take care to ensure that my own children develop good debating (as opposed to arguing!) skills - just over dinner and things.

As you say, when you get your own classroom you will be able to draw these students out more and run your classroom on a more interactive basis. For now I guess you just have to watch and listen.

Good luck!

[Mrs. G.]

Interesting post. Maybe your classroom will be a safe and inspiring place to speak out and spread some wings. I have a good feeling about you. I have kids in my writing classes that act COMPLETELY different when their parents are aound. I look forward to hearing more about this.

[Mary Alice]

Bless you for wanting to teach in those schools. It is difficult but oh so rewarding. My sister teaches in one them.

Maybe, we shouldn't wish to change them so much as to learn from them ourselves. Is anyone really benefiting from the competitive atmosphere in our culture? Collectivist cultures are much more content than individualist cultures....maybe we could learn something from it? Just thinking.