Chapter 5 - Kathleen White

Creative Connector 

Page 81 - Mr. Michie learns his new teaching placement and decides to try team teaching instead of pulling small groups out of Bob's class.

First off when I read this section I did a mental whoop and fist pump! Yes! I like where this teacher's head is at. To add teacher power to a room, to create relevant units for student learning and to keep students of different abilities in the same room. This hits on the issue of inclusion, we are all for creating the LRE for students with special needs, we want inclusive classrooms that are designed for universal learning yet when we get into reading groups there's the red, yellow and green groups, or the squares, stars and circles. Whatever label is given to these smaller groups the students know which one they're in. Kids aren't stupid (just look at the 307 class in chapter 3) they understand that they're being segregated based on ability. It doesn't seem all bad, nor is it, this is how I learned in elementary school. I see the benefit of pulling kids out to give more concentrated and specialized help with reading and writing, I also see the good that can come out of clumping kids by ability (think back to the gifted and talented video we watched in class) but I can't help but wonder why we don't team teach for the large group more often. Not to say Bob and Mr. Michie are the best in the world. It makes me think that this would be a form of inclusion, but we choose against it. I'm not trained in literacy so if someone is and has specific reasoning for this I'd love to hear it!

Page - Students use the term "brazer" in a negative connotation for Mexican students. 

They say that every teacher has their "hot button" that if students cross a certain line or do something that they are very bothered and react strongly to it. This is mine. Name calling, derogatory remarks about a part of a person (race, religion, ability, sexual orientation etc), saying something is “gay” or “retarded” meant in a negative sense. I do not tolerate these. When you use these words you are devaluing everyone who falls into that group, you are causing harm to those who fall into the group, and anyone who hears it is subconsciously affected. If I say something is “retarded,” what I really mean is that I don’t like what ever it is, that it’s frustrating, that its dumb or stupid, that it doesn’t work right etc. I don’t understand why a medical diagnosis has to be dragged into things, why we need to devalue other humans just to describe something in contemporary terms. Many don’t understand why it’s so hurtful or why someone like me would take offense, I’m not gay, I don’t have a disability. The reason I do is because this is a human issue. Devaluing others, making them into something less than human through a joke or a phrase. This part in the book made me crazy because it’s Mexican American students saying this about other Mexican American students!!! One of the things I dreaded most happened this summer, I had a camper with a mild intellectual disability and in describing a situation she said that something was “so retarded.” I don’t think she really understood what she said, it was just used around her and she picked it up. She is devaluing herself without knowing it.

I have one more section [students commenting on what they thought American/Mexican/Mexican American meant] but I know someone else will cover it and that we’ll talk on this in our group, I think I’ve talked enough here!

Essence Extractor:

School isn’t just books, its discovering yourself in the context of the world.

Rigorous Researcher:

I wanted to do a little research into Mexican heritage, it feels weird reading this book and knowing nothing about the culture. I guess this is what Mr. Michie experienced. Two of the things that stuck out to me were Children’s Day and Rondalla.

Children’s Day –  Celebrated on April 30^th, this holiday is dedicated to celebrating kids! Students still go to school but are not in classes, instead they have an all day party, food, treats, games. It’s a day, like a lot of Mexican holidays, that celebrates life and family. We actually have a Children’s Day in the US (Second Sunday in June) but it has pretty much dissipated UNICEF has named quite a few days as Universal Children’s Days and there are International ones as well.

http://www.mexico-insights.com/judysblog/?tag=/Children's+Day

Rondalla – Coming from the word ronda meaning to serenade, this is an historical type of music originating in the middle ages in Spain, played by a group, all string instruments played by picks.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-rondalla.htm

Chapter 4- Stephanie Baldwin

Creative Connector

To be perfectly honest, I cannot find anything in this chapter that has connected to my life so far.  It is sort of unrealistic to think that I am going to connect with something the author says in every single chapter.  I have not had a professor whose passion for education has really impacted me.  I did not work with students on a side project that really benefited them greatly.  I have not gotten anyone famous to come speak for my students.  I just cannot relate to this chapter.

Essence Extractor

Making connections to students’ lives will benefit them greatly in the classroom.

           

Chapter 4-Hannah Schreiber

Creative Connector--
P.60 Mr. Michie says that his graduate courses act as a period of reflection on his teaching.
I personally feel like my classes at Naz are the same thing for me as they are for Mr. Michie. During class, whenever we talk about something pertinent to my pre-k classroom or one of my students, I think about how I have handled similar situations, what I can do to improve my awareness of those situations in the classroom, and how children might react differently to my new-found awareness. I also would like to think that I incorporate children's lives into my lessons. Children learn best when what they are being taught is something that they can make real and meaningful in their lives.

P.66 Nancy tells the group that her house burned down the night before. When Mr. Michie tells her that she didn't have to come she explains that she wanted to come. "I don't know why. I just wanted to be here" she says. Just like Nancy's passion for reading this book with the other girls, I have a passion for dance and music. I use both as my outlet and my stress relievers. Last September when my grandfather passed away, I was in the process of testing out of my piano class. I found out that he had died on a Thursday night. My test was scheduled for Friday afternoon. I spent the entire morning in a practice room just playing, not caring if anyone heard me butchering classics. When it came time for my test, I let my professor know what was going on. She told me that I didn't have to take the test then if I didn't want to and that I didn't need to be there, but I had completely buried myself in my practicing that all I really wanted to think about was the piano. I think some times that people need that comfort zone to keep their minds off of tragedies that happen. Nancy's safe spot was The House On Mango Street, and mine was the piano.

P. 67 The girls write a letter to the author of The House On Mango Street in the hopes that she will come visit their school.
I remember that when I was in 7th grade, I did a report on some Astronaut (I can't even remember who anymore!) And part of our project was to write a letter and send it to them. Our teacher had helped us to get all of the addresses we would need and double checked our letters to make sure that they were all spelled correctly. I remember wishing so badly that I would receive a letter back in the mail answering all of my questions. I even went so far as to hope that she would come visit our school just for me. Unlike Mr. Michie, our teacher didn't give us a reality check that these people were very busy and probably wouldn't have time to reply to our letters. I never did end up getting a letter back, but reading this portion of the book made me remember that hopefulness!

Essence Extractor: Learning cannot take place unless the students can relate it to their lives and make it meaningful to them.

(I don't have access to a scanner at the moment, so I'll bring my illustration to class!)

Chapter 4 - Kathleen White

Creative Connector
Pg 61 - Michie talks about an influential professor who challenged him to rethink teaching.
I remember going through elementary school and struggling with class. I didn't like going to school so I started at a deficit and I also had trouble doing what other kids in my class had no problems with. If I could play with it, do an experiment, take it apart and put it back together, make it ... I could understand it. Memorizing math facts was not one of those things. Multiplication was hell, I would just put my head down and cry. I still count on my fingers. Band was also frustrating - memorizing scales and fingerings on my clarinet never came easily. I stopped practicing because I hated the frustration of not being able to get it. (I did, however, continue playing until I graduated...Although I was always last chair.)
It wasn't until college and education classes that I realized the issue. No one addressed that, even though I didn't have a specific learning disability, I needed help understanding certain things. I've learned ways to make connections in learning for my students so that gap can be bridged, and this is partially why I am interested in getting my Inclusive certification - I want to learn tons of ways to modify and look at learning so that all of my students can understand at a proficient level.

Pg 61 Mr. Michie talks about his lack of knowledge of Mexican American culture and how this impacts his teaching because he is not as able to engage students in the class because their worlds aren't easily brought into the classroom by Greg.
This made me think about a two of the campers that I've had over the last 3 summers: Esperanza and Jackie. Esperanza was born in Cuba and because of a tragic head injury and lack of proper medical care became severely intellectually disabled at age 2. Jackie is from Jamaica and was born with a moderate intellectual disability. Esperanza only knows Spanish and is non verbal and Jackie has limited verbal skills and a very strong Jamaican accent. I pride myself in the care that I give to my campers so it is frustrating when I don't know what to do to help people. Jackie can make her needs known but because I can't understand her speech its near to impossible for me to help her have the full camp experience. The reason for a behavior could be boredom but it could also be any number of other things. When Esperanza was at camp some of the counselors could speak Spanish and taught us songs that we sang. She responded, especially to the music, but I still felt helpless. The situation in the book is difficult, I couldn't help thinking though, what if Mr. Michie not only had little experience and knowledge of the Mexican American culture but also had limited/no knowledge of disabilities and curriculum modification. Those students would have little or no success in his classroom. Its a scary prospect to think of.

Pg 62 "They enjoyed the stories, but because of their difficulties in reading and limited vocabularies, we were muddling through in painfully slow fashion, and [the author's] poetic language and rich narrative were often lost." (He goes on to talk about how he decided to have people read the book out loud and record it for his class.)
What a cool modification! I really wish the chapter had addressed the effectiveness of this modification on the class. I feel like they would be able to do great things with it, listen and decode the message, build vocabulary from sight and sound and access new literary subjects that would broaden their understanding of what books can be about. I thought of the "Single-Stories" video that we watched in class while reading this. It wasn't a very profound moment but I just was aching for these kids to know that books aren't just written by and for old, rich white guys!!!

Pg 77 "They can say, 'My teacher lives in my neighborhood. She's lived here all her life. She's just like me."
I don't necessarily have a connection to make to this except my reaction to it as incredibly astute observations on this student's part. How nice is that to be able to relate to those who are in positions of authority? They have credibility, they understand where you are in life, they "get it". Its almost a catch 22: on one hand how wonderful would it be if this happened more? but if it did teachers and students would miss out on a valuable diversity experience, learning not only classroom knowledge but knowledge of each other's differences as well. Something to ponder!



Essence Extractor
Students need curriculum that relates to their lives for real learning.

Vocabulary Vitalizer 
Chanclas - Flip Flops

Como se llama en ingles? - "What is the name in english?"

Cooperative Learning - A teaching strategy that places students of varying abilities in groups to work together on understanding course material. Students are responsible for helping each other learn.

Whole language - A complex learning philosophy, focusses on meaning making in reading and writing, emphasizes learning whole words and phrases by encountering them in meaningful contexts rather than phonics exercises.


ESL - Englis as a Second Language

BD - Behavior Disorders

LD - Learning Disability

EMH - [Can also be EMR] Educable Mental Handicap [keep in mind that theses terms are from 1991 and are out dated]

KWL - "Know, Want to Know, Want to Learn" it is a chart used in classrooms as a tool for increased reading comprehension.

hermana del alma - soul sister

Chapter 4! - Rachel Mosher

Creative Connector

Page 60-61: Greg Michie's describes his experience in graduate school!:
I started out reading this chapter and realized how much this sounded like our lives and the lives of other in our graduate courses! He mentions that there is a range of people in his classes: from recently graduated undergrad students like myself, to veterans who have been teaching for years. As I read this, I was getting a sense of how he felt in a few of his courses, I do feel like I am getting a lot of information out of them that could help me in the classroom, and for Mr. Michie, he is currently in the classroom so he feels that these classes absolutely help me and he applys what he is learning in graduate courses to his classroom. I was also wondering how in the world he survived a year of graduate school and working full time at the same time!!

Page 61-62: When Greg first discovers The House on Mango Street:
I loved this book!! I remember reading it in middle school I believe and remembered having a very difficult time with the language in it, but at the same time, I enjoyed all of the fascinating stories! I loved that Mr. Michie decided to replace this book with the traditional Basal Readers so that his students will be able to connect with the literature based on their own personal experiences. I feel that this is extremely important for students to find connections and interests in what they read and they even help Mr. Michie with some of the complicated "slang". Sometimes, we have to throw those Basal's out the window when we want to create something magical between the students and the literature they read!

Page 68: The Mango Girls continue to meet with Mr. Michie:
Even though the project is done, the girls continue to meet with Mr. Michie before school just to talk and hang out for fun. This is what teaching is all about in my opinion. Forming those bonds with students through a special project that means something to the teacher and students where they can bond and keep that bond going long after it's complete. That group of girls were changed after that simple extra project before school and Mr. Michie was changed as well getting to know them for the people they were. This is a strong belief of mine as a teacher and one of the special things about teaching that made me want to become one!

Essence Extractor:

In teaching, a day's work may not be seen daily, however it's what's seen twenty years later that truly matters.

Rigorous Researcher:

For my "rigorous researching" on this weeks Chapter 4, I decided to research other activities, besides Mr. Michie's reading group, that our own classrooms could participate in using the story The House in Mango Street. Here are a few great links on reading and writing units with the book:

http://urbandreams.ousd.k12.ca.us/lessonplans/mango_street2/index.htm

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/cisneros.html

http://www.masconomet.org/teachers/trevenen/mango.html

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/reading/activity/5952.html

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSLAUnderstandCultureDifferencesWHouseOnMangoSt1112.htm

http://www.enotes.com/house-on-mango-street-lesson

These sites provide some great ideas on how to incorporate this amazing story into your classrooms! It's also a great way to introduce the topic of diversity:)

Chapter 3 Hannah Schreiber

Creative Connector
When I finished chapter 2 and saw the title of the next chapter, "TERRIBLEHORRIBLENOGOODVERYBAD" I knew it was going to be a good chapter. Though my experience is not nearly as stressful as Mr. Michie's is in the chapter, I am going to share my terrible horrible no good very bad day. I was in my 1st student teaching placement, and the day started off pretty horrible. My alarm didn't go off so I was late waking up, the hot water wasn't working properly in the shower, I ripped my tights trying to get dressed quickly, my hair was just NOT cooperating. And of course, this was a day that my supervisor was coming to observe my lesson. I finally made it to school (later than usual) and my cooperating teacher wasn't there. She called about 5 mins later and told me that she wouldn't be coming into school that day due to illness. At this point, my stress level was through the roof. I scrambled to get all of my supplies ready for the day (at that time I didn't have full control of the classroom). My cooperating teacher had told me that she wanted me to take over that day and do my best to get though the day. About 5 minutes after the phone call from my teacher, the substitute for the day informed me that from 11:30-2:00 she needed to be in another class. Of course my observation was smack dab in the middle of that time period. As soon as I had gotten settled (as much as I could have) I found the school counselor and specifically asked her for the book "Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day". I had probably 5 different teachers passing the word around that if anyone had the book I was having one of those days and would like to borrow it. The preschool teacher had it and let me borrow the book for the morning. As soon as the children came into school and got situated, I pulled them into circle and explained to them that their teacher wouldn't be here today. Then I told them that I was having a bad day and read them the book. They all seemed to feel sympathy for me because the regularly rambunctious class was actually rather mellow. I ended up doing fine for my observation (even though I was the only teacher in the room during the lesson and my meeting with my supervisor) and I kept the class running relatively smoothly for the rest of the day, but reading this chapter really made me feel sympathy for Mr. Michie.

"Our whole class is dumb", Armando told me one day... "Why do you think they put us all in this class?"
This passage from the book made me think about my first student teaching placement. Although once again, my experience was not nearly as severe, it had similarities. My cooperating teacher was known as the kind of teacher that really did well with troubled kids. She had such a mothering philosophy that her students from years and years ago would come back to visit her and thank her for showing them how much she cared for them. And she did. I have never met another teacher that was as loving and nurturing as Mrs. Smith. I think that's why everyone decided to give her all of the children with troubled home-lives... which brought along with them many behavioral problems. Out of the 18 children in our class, I would say that about half of them were the kinds of kids to be considered "trouble makers" and another quarter were the kind of children that could easily be pulled into mischief. When testing time came around, it was no surprise that our class had some of the lowest scores. My cooperating teacher did her best to make sure that the children felt safe and cared for at school while at the same time attempting to nix the bad behavior. Based on what we've read so far in the book, I truly think that Mr. Michie is a younger male version of my cooperating teacher.

Essence Extractor
We all have bad days every now and then, but eventually we get past them and grow from those experiences.

 Vocabulary Vitalizer
Foreboding-

a strong inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune, evil, etc.; presentiment.

fanfare-

an ostentatious display or flourish.

garbled- 
jumbled or unclear because of distortion or omissions
tedious- 
obsolete  progressing very slowly
credo-

any creed or formula of belief.

submissive-

of, tending towards, or indicating submission, humility, or servility

chaos-

a state of utter confusion or disorder; a total lack of organization or order.

protocol-

the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette.

culminating- 
to reach the highest point, summit, or highest development
foray-

an initial venture: a successful foray into politics.

marginalization-

to place in a position of marginal importance, influence, or power: the government's attempts to marginalize criticism and restore public confidence.

 

Chapter 1&2 Hannah Schreiber

Creative Connector
One part of chapter one that stuck out to me was the part when Mr. Michie is thrown into a classroom without much preparation or and clue of what was available in his room. This reminds me of how I started my Pre-K job this fall. I was given the position on a Friday, 2 and a half weeks before the start of the school year. The whole first week after receiving the position, I was on vacation where I had no way of getting any preparation done. The following thursday was open house for parents and children and the room had to be set up how it was going to be for UPK. I also had to plan 3 activities for the children to do during the open house. No one gave me any curriculum for UPK (other than NYS Standards) no one showed me what resources I had available in the classroom, no one told me how the day was supposed to be run. When I read this part of the book, I knew exactly what Mr. Michie was feeling and it made me feel optimistic that if he could pull his class together with less than a week to prepare, I certainly could do it too.

"If my lessons aren't learned
I hope they remember respect
rules I broke by hugging
an emphasis on laughter
and questions not answered
but asked"

This quote from Pamela Sneed really struck a note with me. I personally feel that in pre-school, academic topics can be learned later, if children can't read going into kindergarten it isn't the end of the world, if children leave knowing only how to write the letters in their name it's okay, they have time, if children can't yet count to 30 they will survive. All of these things I believe come secondary to the social and emotional lessons that children learn. Children have the rest of kindergarten to learn how to read. If they have learned school-readiness skills (such as active listening and how to appropriately interact with other children and adults) as well as respect for and trust in their teachers, they will be in a much better situation where they will be capable of learning much quicker. My main goal for my children in pre-k is for my students to know that they are loved by their teachers, that they are capable of anything they put their mind to, and that its okay to try new things. 

 Essence Extractor
The teacher must know his/her students, respect their differences, and be empathetic towards them before any learning can begin to take place.

Rigorous Researcher
Since Mr. Michie's stories come from the early 1990's in the City School District of Chicago, I decided to do a little research on some facts about drop-out rates and student make-up during that time.

•  From 1991 to 1999, an average of 1,400 youth each year left Chicago’s public schools in the sixth, seventh or eighth grade.

•   Sixteen of every 1,000 elementary students dropped out during the 1999-2000 school year, compared to nine in 1991-1992.  

•  By law, children under 16 can return after being dropped from school rolls. But 73 percent of those who left between 1991 and 1995 did not return to the Chicago Public Schools within four years.

• Until 1991, the schools had truancy officers in every elementary school. The officers were trained by the schools and the Chicago Police Department to visit homes and talk to parents. They also had legal authority to take children to school or families to court.
• The board eliminated the positions to save $4 million, according to a 1992 report by CATALYST magazine. In the following school year, 1,408 elementary school children dropped out, up from 825 in 1991, the biggest one-year increase in the 1990s.

• During the 1990s, thousands of teenagers dropped out of the Chicago public schools before reaching ninth grade, and most of them were African American. The dropout rate rose from nine to 16 of every 1,000 students between 1991 and 1999.
• Since 1991, dropout rates for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders have risen citywide. The rate among African Americans has doubled.