Other Peoples Children

         Other Peoples Children, written by Lisa Delpit.  This looked at a few things and it made me think back to my first FNED 101 class with a lot of the topics, such as cultural biases, power differences, and middle-class cultural norms.  This makes me realize just how important it is to think outside of yourself so that no one person or group gets targeted or is put at any disadvantage for any reason, on purpose or accident.  As a teacher it is your job to ensure every person gets the same quality of education no matter their background.  A lot of this passage focuses on the fact that there are a lot of people who do not think about what they do and what they do not do subconsciously.  Your cultural bias can make you forget about the intricacies of other races and what they go through or what they do not have access to.  Not being valued in the classroom and being alienated in the classroom because maybe they are different is not something that does not happen, and it is something that needs to be talked about because this can be a detriment to both their education and growth.  In this text there is also an emphasis on direct instructions, because someone who is used to the school system or has had parents in the school system might be able to follow indirect instructions okay, but what about the children who either have not had parents in the American school system before or have not been in themselves?  The instructions must be clear enough for everyone because otherwise there will be children who feel they are on the outside looking in, and that is a detriment to their education, focus, and self-worth.  This text really focuses on a more culturally responsive approach to education, one that recognizes and values the diversity of students' backgrounds and experiences, and I feel that this is really important to learn about so that as a teacher you can be the best you can be.  

Ethnic studies in Schools

    

Ethnic Studies or The Lack Thereof

     Hey all, after reading that article about the content in most schools I see that there is a problem with the number of diverse topics in the classroom.  I feel like there are a lot of topics in schools that are really important that get ignored or are labeled as unimportant.  This can be detrimental to children who do not know what they want to do in life.  In this article it was about a man who has had a passion for something his whole life but did not know about it until later in his career, and he almost never knew that it was even there.  This is the case for a lot of kids who go through public schools, they miss out on what really makes them unique. this is also the case for music students.  There are students who know that they love music but either are unable to join because of cost, bullying or even maybe their school doesn't put much into the program.  Even in these music classrooms, there is a strong focus on western music, there is very little diverse music.  This can be a problem with students because there might be children in those music classes that have a strong passion for African, or European music, but don't learn they do until later in life if ever at all.  

        Looking at where I went to school, it was a very white school, my middle school even whiter.  But there was a push to get African American history talked about, but there was a lot missing, I had never learned anything about Mexico or Canada, even the American territories.  It was ninety percent focused on western culture and our history, Americans history, which is important but the focus on it was too intense.  When I speak to people from European countries, they focus on a lot more history regarding other countries as well as their own.  I find myself really struggling to keep up with their level of intellect went it comes to other countries.  I barely can even find them on the map, but I know all fifty states.  I believe there is too strong of a focus on American history and too much of a focus on American music.  

History of American Schools

     Looking at how segregated schools were, we can see that segregation made one party have significantly less quality of schooling.  This making it harder to succeed in life, it's important to look past skin color to ensure everyone is treated equally and together.  One of the main topics I read from this article is about how there was a specific group of people targeted, and we need to work together as a group and community to help remedy this issue.  The first step is talking about it, making sure people see the problem.  Then when we diagnose it then all of our great minds can come together and work together to remedy said problem.  It's important that we have people who care enough to push for equal schools, like the no child left behind act.  Protecting the children's educations because they can't defend their own.  

Shifting The Paradigm Thoughts

  

Today I read "Shifting the Paradigm" From Shannon Renkly and Katherine Bertolini

          Looking at what kind of person I am and teacher I want to be, reading this article has helped me understand where I felt I struggled in school as a kid.  Public school in my opinion is a one size fits all mindset or was one.  Looking at what this is saying is a lot of teachers are now encouraged to get to know their students and think about each and every one of them, which is good.  But this was not always the case, I was always told and got in trouble for being lazy or not doing my work or not paying attention in class when I just was not really learning how they were teaching.

        As a music teacher I feel like the role of a teacher is quite different than a regular teacher.  You typically will be able to spend a lot more time with a group of students because you will be running a choir or band and those typically will run after school and during summers, field trips will happen and there will be a tighter connection between teacher and student.  Being able to know your students like this will help you figure out how each individual child learns and thrives, when something bothers them or if something you do works especially well.  My chorus teacher and band teacher both knew me very well and were vital to me passing my other classes, they knew how to help me and when because of that connection.  Even reaching into my personal life as well, they helped me figure out I have a real passion for music and teaching.  In music classes there is a little bit of a difference when it comes to the content, a lot of the content when teaching a choir or band is very emotional.  You are creating music and that is a very vulnerable activity.  The kids involved need to be able to open themselves up and feel comfortable enough to tell their story through their instrument whether that be via voice woodwind brass etc.  

    Knowing your children is such a large part of teaching, and the way you get to know them is pay attention to grades and instead of assuming this is because of a reason, dig a little bit to find the real problem.  You can possibly change that child's life.