PARCC and it's stupidity

I’m pretty confident when I say that there is no one who hates standardized tests more than me.  God...the PSATs, the SATs...run me over...I beg of you.  I totally suck at them!!!  I freeze.  I freak out.  I forget how to use my pencil. Does anyone have a Xanax?! :-/  How can a 15 year old be expected to sit back so calmly and quietly and complete a test that could determine where their future lies?  Crazy town, really!  I did horrific on my SATs and the anxiety I had while taking them was palpable to others surrounding me.  I can certainly relate to many of the teachers interviewed in this article who felt that the PARCC tests “had a negative experience for their students.”  Shouldn’t teacher objectives be focused around motivation, promoting interest and higher level thinking and making children feel capable of their abilities?  Why is it that we utilize such norm-referenced measures to compare our children?  Can’t we just work towards empowering what students are capable of in other ways?  I will piggyback what one teacher said around the topic of time.  The amount of time that is spent towards juggling schedules for children to take such tests is ludacris. Time could be utilized so much better.  How about getting children together to work on projects? How about challenging students by promoting their individual upper level thinking skills instead of seeing how they do compared to others?  

I felt it necessary to ask my husband about the PARCC tests and how it operates within his school. My husband is a high school phys ed and health teacher and was able to provide me with some insight around the “nutty-ness” that goes along with coordinating PARCC.  His opinions were similar, if not exactly alike, to another teacher who expressed “wasted time.”  The time it takes to create different schedules and create block periods so that these kids can “squeeze the test in.”  Fitting in a large amount of mandated curriculum in a smidge of time, while finding the student’s understanding of it all invalid. Horrible.

Why can’t we respect and honor our teachers thoughts and feelings around such a heated topic?  Aren’t they the masters of all of this?  Or does it really all just have to do with a face on a the dollar bill?...

I believe the authors of this are arguing the same thing that I am....get rid of these damn things....

Sticks and stones...

From as far back as I can remember I have struggled with acceptance.  Acceptance of my whole self- inside and out.  I have struggled with the scars that have been instilled in my mind from “the bullies who felt like moral champions.” I can recall specific instances where I was bullied on the bus ride home from school by a couple young and immature male classmates of mine.  I was probably only in the second or third grade at the time, but it was at that young age where I was told I was “fat,” “chubby,” “chunky,” you name it.  It was at that young age where bullying truly impacted the perception that I have forever had on my body.  I was a bit more “rounder” than some of my close friends and am humorously reminded of my “pretty plus” days, when I was forced to wear clothes in the “big girls section.”  Now, don’t get me wrong...I certainly was not obese by any means...and looking back, I was actually quite “normal.”  I was a little bit heavy set and “matured” a bit sooner than many of my peers.  I was what you would call “a bit different from the rest.”  The bullying, the insults, the jokes all impacted me in many ways.  I can recall a time when I walked off of the school bus and hurried home as quickly as I could so that I could free myself of the tears that hid behind my blue eyes.  I shut the door and cried.  Cried because I was hurt.  Cried because I felt judged.  Cried because I felt different.  Cried because I just wanted to be like the rest.  How terribly mean children can be.  How terribly sad that we live in a world where we “can’t all just get along.”  

While working at Butler Hospital, I have been helped many, many people who struggle with depression, thoughts and attempts of suicide and self injurious behaviors, feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and despair.  The list can go on. I have been a shoulder for them to cry on and I have been an advocate for improved mental health.  I remember times when I felt sad and lonely all because I was judged by the size of my clothing.  The feelings of despair that I had is something I would never want another to experience.  To feel unaccepted is an awful way to feel.  So, how can I help others feel loved, worthy and accepted?  By doing just what the authors of Safe Spaces insist we should all do.  Accept, educate, include, change our ways, challenge assumptions and really….don’t assume.  Don’t make an ass out of you and me.  

A lot of what I spoke to in my final paper reflected the term perception.  I continue to feel that word is one of strength and power.  How we perceive others and how we perceive ourselves can take such a toll on the world and how we live within the world.  We need to see others perception.  We need to understand others points of view and respect one another.  We need to see that we are all different and we need to love and embrace one another for our differences.  Not judge.  We can not be the red pen that erases one’s definition of self.  

I believe this article argues that “challenging assumptions is difficult work, however we need tools to do it well, to do it at all.”  We need to integrate and interpret the differences within the world in our classrooms so that all children can feel safe and accepted.  We need to strive to help others find their voice and challenge them to raise it.  

What a wonderful resource GLESN truly is.  How wonderful to have this powerful tool for others to seek out in times of need.  How wonderful that our educators are being handed this opportunity for growth and empowerment within our school systems.  I found several different articles that I found to be quite intriguing.  One that particularly stood out to me however, included some very alarming statistics around suicide.  Something that boggles my mind in so many ways.  There is always help. There is always opportunity for wellness.  We just need to advocate for it and talk about it.

Aria & Collier

Public individuality versus private individuality…

Google defines individuality “as the quality or character of a particular person or thing that distinguishes them from others of the same kind, especially when strongly marked.”

Distinguishment.  Uniqueness.  Differences.  All characteristics that make up oneself.  Poor Ricardo.  Ugh, Dr. Bogad this was a sad one for me.  Having to compromise what makes him and his family a family.  Their heritage; their language; their close-knit-family- all taken away from them in order to make themselves fit in with society.  Ricardo’s parents are informed that they must start to speak English instead of their native language, so that their children can learn the language of public society.  Ricardo points out in this article that “they agreed to give up the language (the sounds) that had revealed and accentuated our family’s closeness.”  He speaks of his later developed confidence in himself to finally fit in with public society and expectations, but also recalls the despair he felt when surrounded by his now forever changed family.  The shyness that his father exhibited when surrounded by the English language, the memory of laughter and jokes replaced by utter silence at the dinner table.  How the “dramatic Americanization of their children,” had now somewhat made his parents a bit more confident living in this society.   

What stood out to me the most in this article was when Ricardo states, “I moved very far from the disadvantaged child I had been only days earlier.  The belief, the calming assurance that I belonged in public, had at last taken hold.”  How awful to feel as if you don’t belong.  How awful is it that we all just can’t get along and accept one another and adapt to others uniqueness.  How awful that at such a young age he noted that his language and heritage made him disadvantaged.

Collier’s article on “Teaching Multilingual Children” seemed to contradict a bit of what poor Ricardo had to go through.  It speaks of how demanding and challenging it is to be a teacher; especially to those who may not be proficient in the English language.  It encourages teachers to be aware, respectful and accepting of a student’s home language and to incorporate that into their learning.  It is important that the child does not lose sight of who they are necessarily, and that they “need to incorporate their own language to help them master the English language (pg. 225).”  Collier goes on to mention that children who are able to first master their own language {prior to being “forced” to learn English} are more academically successful in the future.  She later goes on to state (pg. 227) that “eradication of their language turns students off from education and never encourages school achievement of minority students.”  This brings me back to Ricardo’s mention that he would have “felt much less afraid if teachers addressed him in Spanish {his native language} and that he would have trusted and responded in ease.”  

I can’t imagine how incredibly challenging a bilingual classroom must be for both students and teachers.  I applaud both parties for the tremendous courage they have to be apart of these classrooms.  I believe that Collier argues that teachers need to be sure that children don’t stray away from their native language, but that they first learn {that} language and then work towards teaching them English.  She believes it is imperative for teachers to be respectful of children’s home languages and incorporate that into their everyday learning.  The respect and patience that teachers exhibit will lead to future growth for these children.

I thought that I would include a little added humor in this blog….and who doesn’t just love Joey!? :)

How Mr. Cardinal opened my eyes...rethinking schools assignment

Michele Russo

“I See Birds Everywhere I Go”- Engaging Urban Students in the Natural World; by Ellen Royse

“Look Mom...it’s Mr. Cardinal! Hi Mr. Cardinal!” Those sweet little words that my 2 year old yells aloud while he is amazed at the sights and sounds around him while so innocently standing on the pavement.  How adorable.  How pure.  How beautiful.  To be able to share in that excitement would be a wonderful skill.  I think to myself, “Why have I never noticed that beautiful cardinal?” How is it possible that my two year old son is so magically aware of the beauty that surrounds us while there I am fidgeting on my cell phone, as I quickly scroll through emails and reminders for the week.  Wow....I’m kind of jealous of his unique, capable little mind.  Why didn’t I notice that cardinal?  Why don’t I notice those birds that swarm around so sweetly in the sky?  What else am I so preoccupied with that I can’t look up for one minute and see the beautiful sights of nature?

In scrolling through the rethinkingschools.org website, I became particularly intrigued by the article titled "I See Birds Everywhere I Go"- Engaging Urban Students in the Natural World; by Ellen Royse Ellen begins her story by informing us that she grew up in rural Kentucky, where nature was always considered a beautiful sanctuary.  She speaks of always being aware of the presence of nature and all the wonderful things it has to offer us- just as the beautiful wildlife that flies right above our heads.  Ellen eventually moves to Washington, D.C. where she obtains a job teaching Urban Ecology to high school seniors.  She recalls the moment that she eagerly takes her students to Rock Creek Park for an educational experience.  She explains that her students, who are all primarily black and latino, have the face of fear written all over them.  Ellen stated that “they were afraid for their personal safety away from the protection of street lights and watchful neighbors; the woods became a maze where people were vulnerable to attack.”  How naive Ellen had been- she thought.  How was her perception of the woods, so beautiful, peaceful and relaxing so completely opposite of that of her students?  She goes on to note that while walking through the woods, items such as televisions in garbage bags, used condoms and needles paved the pathways into the woods.  How had she never noticed such things before?  How enlightening...How amazing it is that we are all surrounded by that same thing, but that we are not all seeing the same things.  Our lenses are all different and unique.  How can she teach them the beauty of nature when all they are seeing is fear and disgust?

Ellen informs the students that their assignment will be to “adopt a bird,” and to learn everything about that bird- from what they look and sound like to what they eat and where they may come from.  She encourages them to study them closely through the high quality binoculars that she purchased for the classroom students.  The students were more than reluctant and at times seemed resistant to this assignment.  She begins by giving them two quizzes- one in which they must name the brand names of items that are depicted in pictures that she shows, and the other for them to name each bird that she shows.  Ironically enough, the students aced the brand name quiz and very much flunked the bird quiz.  Why is that, she asked?  Students commented such things like, “we see brands everyday.  We don’t see the birds,” and how “people will never value birds the same way that they do Nikes.”  Wow...is this what our world has come to?  We are all so engrossed in today’s culture that we must have the best of the best and such high quality things that we forget the beauty that surrounds us.  

This assignment certainly became an enlightening experience for all of the students.  Ellen mentions that the students eventually found that in “naming the birds it gave them both value and individuality.”  Almost as if they now had meaning.  The students came up with their own mnemonics for the sounds that each individual bird exhibited.  Eventually the students were eager to go back into the woods to see what other species they could learn and study about.  This creative teaching approach (something that is only thought to be offered to the elite and professional class) was something that was offered to these ‘black and latino students.’  It did them great good, as several of them ended up going to college to study science, biology and even urban ecology due to this wonderful educational experience they were so very lucky to be a part of in Ellen’s class.  

I found this article extremely moving on a personal level.  Why are we surrounded by so many “things” that we don’t even notice the beauty around us?  Luckily for me, my adorable little two year old was smart enough to point such beauty out to me.  Such beauty that I neglected to notice.  Such beauty that I was “too busy” or too careless to see.  My son taught me something that Ellen taught one of her students…”Now I can’t go anywhere without seeing birds.”  Thanks Mr. Cardinal for opening my eyes.

Is America really the land of opportunity???

Is American really the land of opportunity???  Or is opportunity only available for the rich?  As this article pointed out in chapter 3, pg. 22- it seems as if the "rich get richer and the poor get poorer."  If I'm being honest, this article was a tad long to me and at times I found myself dozing off....on several different occasions, unfortunately.  After the previous assignment we completed this past weekend, this was not nearly as captivating for me.

I will say however, that I found it quite intriguing to learn about Anyon's study and the differences between all of the different "classes" of schooling.  The dominant themes that were mentioned around the working and middle class and then the affluent professional and executive elite classes were quite astonishing.  The words such as resistance, possibility, individualism and excellence really stood out to me, as did the different teaching styles that each "class" was provided with.  There was a line on chapter 1 that struck me..."sources of inequality are so subtle that the average parent, teacher, student and taxpayer are not conscious of them at all."  What does this mean exactly?  Does this mean that others are not necessarily aware of how kids that come from different "classes" are taught differently? Or are parents aware that their children are all taught differently (in the same state, ironically) and that it is just acceptable because it always has been "that way?"  Something about that statement really caught my eye...

It was equally interesting to me to see the different teaching styles in each class.  For example, the working class mirrored the more "do what I say and don't ask any questions," where the affluent professionals encouraged creativity and conversations surrounding current events.  It really seemed that the affluent students are encouraged to use higher level thinking skills, where the working class settles on lower level thinking skills.  Kind of sad to me, if you ask...Children in the higher classes were also given more freedom---such as not needing passes, being able to leave the class without permission, being able to speak out openly and honestly.  It almost seemed as if the working and middle class students can't be trusted as much as those who belong to the wealthier classes.  Talk about stigma....

My last talking point refers to page 20 of this article where the different classes and their career paths were all touched upon.  The working class aims for more of the "mechanical work with lower pay, the middle- keeps society producing and running smoothly, the affluent professional create products and art where the executive elite learn to be masters of the universe.  Talk about culture of power....

I believe that Finn is arguing that we need to have equal educational opportunities and justice throughout.  High quality and creative education needs to be given to all and not just those in power.

Tears...

Michele Russo

This American Life-The Problem We All Live

Nikole Hannah Jones

Well this was certainly my most favorite piece thus far.  I felt myself tearing up on many occasions while I listened to This American Life- The Problem We All Live With . How moving, touching and truly sad this all was.  I felt as if I wanted to jump through the speaker and hold Mah-ria’s hand and tell her “I'm so sorry that you are going through this.”

Four and a half pages later, I sit back and read through my notes.  There were several pieces of Nikole’s article that jumped out to me.  Pieces such as “same convos, never works,” “bad schools never caught up to the good” and “we haven’t closed the achievement gap.”  At one point Nikole shared her personal experience with being part of a desegregation process as a young child.  She recalled getting up early to get on the bus- referring to it as a very hard thing to do.  She then made a really significant statement….”We were taken out of our community and put into someone else’s community.  We never felt like we belonged.”  How powerful that she speaks of the separation of communities---communities that were in the same state.  She referred to her own community and then specified someone else’s community.  I was particularly intrigued by that comment.  

My heartstrings were pulled on a hundred times over while listening to this piece.  First, when Nikole describes the memory that has stuck with her over her lifetime- that being the pool incident.  Her white friends were invited to her side of the community and her pool.  They all, one by one, graciously declined the invite, as their parents had all said no, but “you can come to my pool.”  The separation of both a “black pool” and a “white pool” is enough to make me cringe.  You couldn’t even swim together?  Heartbreaking.  

The tears really built up when listening to poor Mah-ria’s story.  This sweet, kind and intelligent lady.  She truly seemed to be full of life.  So much to offer.  However, has not been granted the opportunity.  The opportunity of an equal and worthy education.  Both her and her mother gave us a true depiction of the Normandy School District.  Mah-ria’s school had been on probation for 15 years----how does that happen??? How can you be on probation for 15 years???? What does it take to lose accreditation???? I thought about that over and over again----mind boggling, really.  The excitement in Mah-ria’s voice when learning that she was finally going to be given an equal and worthy opportunity, both educationally and socially, when learning of the “transfer law” and being informed about her transfer to Frances Howell school, provided me with a sigh of relief.  Finally, this girl would have a chance---a chance at something that once seemed inexplicably impossible.  She speaks of her attendance at the town meeting, where parents of children at Frances Howell spoke of their frustrations and anger about the merging of schools.  Many statements were made such as “What is going to happen to our accreditation,?  Are we going to have metal detectors and drug sniffing dogs,?  I don’t want to worry about my child being stabbed or taking a drug.  We don’t want this bad behavior coming into our school.”  Two particular comments that were made stood out to me.  So much so, that I capitalized them in large letters with several underlines and exclamation points…..OUR COMMUNITY!!!  OUR SIDE OF THE BRIDGE!!!!  Ugh- made me sick to my stomach.  All I could think about was the heartbreak that Mah-ria and her mother were experiencing.  Truly gut-wrenching.  Mah-ria’s mother’s comments about her own child- potentially being the one who could “be a doctor and save their kid’s lives,” was one that also made me smile.  She was right---100% right.  How could those parents sit back and judge these poor, underprivileged children who are so deserving of great things?  They are children for god’s sake….children.  

I loved listening to this.  I really did.  Nikole’s key points on how successful desegregation truly is was spot on. It’s really upsetting to me that it’s still “uninvited to the table.” I felt it to be especially empowering listening to real life moments of both Mah-ria’s experience and the parents remarks at the town meeting.  I wonder if the parents of Frances Howell listened to this interview- from start to finish- would feel differently about their remarks.  Could they put their kids in Mah-ria’s shoes? Maybe it would be seen in a different light...Maybe they would see that in order to get to the other side of the bridge, you must cross the whole thing.

Mean Lisa

Damn  you Lisa Delpit.  You really annoyed me in this one.  What's with the blame game???  Are we "white people" that terrible???  Really??? Man oh man I'm frustrated with this one.  I highly disagree with the fact that we are "too headstrong," and that we "think we know what's best for everybody and for everybody's children. (p21)"  I know what is best for myself and my own children...not anyone else's and I don't feel that I come off that way at all.  I feel like some of these statements were sooooo generalized and insulting; such as "they listen but they don't hear," referring to "us" as a 'cancer' or a 'sore. (p. 21)'  On page 24, the term 'miscommunication' is utilized.  This doesn't exactly sound as if "we" are perceived as miscommunicaters, but more so that there is some type of 'blame game' being put on us.  That we are terrible and ignorant beings.  Although I am not necessarily a "teacher" per say, I do educate my students in the health office and my patients in the hospital on a continued basis.  My 'teaching style' is based around empathy and guidance.  I felt that Delpit was implying that if we are not "overly harsh" then we are not doing our jobs right.  Who are you to judge Delpit?  I don't want others to remember me as "harsh and mean."  That's not my style.  So am I know being judged for my style and beliefs?  Why can't we all just get along?!?! I guess it all comes back to Johnson...

Lisa Delpit argues that whites are poor educators ....