As soon as she opened her mouth:

Quote:

“And when we do this, we play God, conferring or denying educational opportunity to individual, socioculturally different, children.”

Why this quote:

I think that this is more of a statement then a quote, but I really like how it is stated.  I think that some teachers forget just how much (for lack of a better word) “power” they have over their students.  Children look up to adults especially their parents and their teachers because they come in contact with them every day.  Teacher’s attitudes towards their students will help to shape the way students learn and look at themselves.  So if teachers refuse to show all their students the same respect and strive to teach them all, then they are basically playing “God” and leading children’s lives down paths that more then likely they were not meant to go.  By denying them their education, they are crippling them for life.   

I found this article about a teacher who was sucked into the stereotyping only to realize that maybe she was wrong.  It is a good article that forces us to ask our selves if we have ever stereotyped.   

Article on stereotyping

Questions:

1.  Literacy knowledge is knowing or understanding that reading and writing coincide with communicating.  Reading is an example of print literacy and verbal communication is an example on non print literacy knowledge.

2. If you have a stereotype about something, it may enable you from giving instructions in the best way. 

3. When a child comes to a school they should be given every opportunity to learn and prosper.  By teachers not varying their instructions and trying to have all students learn in the same manner, they may be preventing other students from learning.  Not all students learn the same or in the same way and if the teacher truly wants to reach all students that they need to try and accommodate them all, and help each students reach their full potential. 

4. When teachers (or any role model) take into account a child’s (or adults) language or social status and use it in a negative way, such as saying they will never learn to read, it is a denial of educational opportunity. By taking different social cultures and looking down on them and not adjusting instruction to meet their needs is denying them a proper education.

5. That just because a person speaks a different language, that they are incapable of being literate.

6. They can stop looking at and listening to stereotypes and try to help and accommodate all students.  Teachers have the power to shape students lives.  They look up to teachers and want them to like them.  If a teacher treats a child poorly and cast them aside with the notion that they are incapable of learning, then that child may never have a chance to succeed in life.  No teacher or person should be able to determine that for anyone, and yet unfortunately they do. 

7. Proper English to me is a term used back in the day when people were expected to talk and act a certain way.  Today life and people are different.  We have changed (well most of us) and need to accept that what might be proper English to me, may be different for someone else.  And what right do I have to ask someone to conform to my idea of “Proper English”?

Tall Tales of Appalachia:

Quote:

“Not long ago, one of the student counselors at West Virginia University told me that the most persistent problem she encounters is a lack of self-esteem.”

Why this quote:

Again I think this is more of a statement then a quote, but I can relate to the statement and I think it is completely true.  I have children of my own and each of them has completely different personalities.  My oldest daughter is always so unsure of herself, and my husband and I are constantly telling her that she can accomplish what ever she sets her mind to.  I firmly believe that my daughter as well as everyone else is capable of succeeding in life if they set their minds to it, and don’t let other people or obstacles stop them.  

 This picture really shows how children and adults should perceive themselves

Citations:

Purcell Gates, V. (2002). As soon as she opened her mouth. In L. Delpit & J.K Dowdy (Eds.), In The skin that we speak: An anthology of essays on language culture and power. (Print: Anthology)

O'Brien John. (2003, May 10). Tall tales of appalachia. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm

Sullivan Amy. (2012, January 11). Stereotyping in the classroom. Retrieved from http://www.inspiredteacher.net/2012/01/stereotyping-in-the-classroom/ 

Frisk Phil. (2008, March 31). Phil frisk. Retrieved from http://philfrisk.com/about_me.htm