WEEK 9- Reflect on Sonia Nieto's Writing using Reader Response
Read through the Reader Response Handout. Choose which way you will respond to the reading. Your heading should indicate which approach you have chosen. If you wish you can post this to the yahoo group to promote dialogue and discussion.
posted by Susan A. Garr at 10:41 AM
3 Comments:
The Light In Their Eyes – QUESTION
This is a topic very close to my heart and something I struggle with on a daily basis. All my students are multicultural, bilingual and considered by this as “at-risk” They presently represent 7% of the total school population and are presently creating 80% of the concerns for the Deans and Guidance offices of my school. These concerns are related to behavior and academic performance. We have a strong Heritage Language program in Spanish and Ell program, intensive through transitioning classes and a growing Bilingual program in Spanish. We also have a Hispanic Support Team which meets weekly to address students having problems and general issues concerning this population. We have a very strong faculty and immense resources. Of the faculty I truly believe there is a willing effort to support these students.
Having said all this I must admit we are failing miserably. As of the first quarter we have the largest amount of these students with multiple Ds and Fs over the last four years. I see the Hispanic student body totally disenfranchised from the institution and education in general. Yearly I see the incoming freshman arriving less motivated and at lower academic levels.
Sonia Nieto’s book presents many good thoughts and ideas on how to connect with these students. It has been and enlightening experience questioning my own values and teaching skills in relationship to her input. And I will be working on rethinking and refining my teaching practices in hopes of engaging these students in a more meaningful manner.
But my question is how to you get a whole administration and faculty to really make the effort required to create a significant change? I truly don’t know if this is possible. Will the faculty be willing to take diversity training seriously? What percent of a faculty do you need to be on board make a true difference? How long does it take to accomplish a measurable improvement?
At this point I feel the only part I can play is make this information available to as many persons as possible. At present I have ordered Nieto’s book for the Principle, Head of curriculum and Supervisor of ELL program in hopes they will read it and make it required reading for the faculty and staff. For years now they have talked about creating a diversity-training program for the faculty, maybe this will create the necessary spark needed to get things rolling.
This is in response to all those who belive that a teacher should try to accomodate every cultural ido-whaterver how you spell it. Their are certain groups of native Americans who had strong cultural values. Some of their values were stealing, lying, killing, domintaion of their women. Native Americans were not the only groups with such values, many other cultures past and present have such values. Some cultures belive it is a sin for women to go to school, or even a sick person to see a doctor. My own religion, thinks Darwins theories are not only absured, but a direct assault on the foundation of the religion. It is not the teachers job, and probably not in his ability to be the universal accomdating, know everthing, dont step on anyones toes, cultural sponge. His job is to provoke, agitate, aggravte, spark those critical thinking skills, that are so important in the worlds greatest country of free thinkers. By the way I think Darwins theory of evoution is a crock, not because of my religious affilations, but because i have never seen a chimp wear a rain coat. (chimps have been around for 1m years,modern humans only one tenth as much) noah clarke
Title: Resopnse to Michel Shirado
I come from a different ethnic background. However I have been introduced to over 6 different cultures. I had to live in Jordan for 5 months, and then moved to Malta where I live for almost nine years, and now I am learning the American culture. Moreover, in my home country Iraq, I lived among Arab people and Kurdish culture, besides having my own Assyrian culture.
Am I confused? No as much as I should be I guess :) I try to stick with my culture habits but it is very hard to live American life style and keep my traditions. I speak 3 languages, and every time I meet a different person I have to change my thinking mode. It is not easy. That is why I really understand student having hard time in this new country.
So fare I haven’t had a teacher who differentiated me from another student because of my ethnic background, (at least not that I am aware of) and I God’s willing I will not be a racist teacher
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