Blog 8: Literacy with an Attitude - Patrick J. Finn

Reflection

This reading was very interesting to me. I have always been curious about the difference in education in locations and what schools look like in each socioeconomic level. When the topic is brought up, people mostly talk about achievement gaps being the result of external factors, like poverty, home lives, and culture. This reading brought me a fresh perspective of one of the reasons, which looks at the internal mechanics of the school system itself. It also led me to reflect on my experiences substitute teaching and also my job at an early learning center. 

When I started substitute teaching, I picked up many shifts at the elementary school I went to. This school is considered “nicer” than the other schools in my town. For example, the students in kindergarten were given worksheets that involved doing color pages that involved math equations that would be colored in by answer (the sum of 10 was green, 7 is purple). Along with this, some of the classes had a portion of the day dedicated to socioemotional learning. When I went to other elementary schools in the district, I began to notice differences. I saw that even in the same grade levels, within the same district, there were different curriculums, usually much more teacher-led and structured, even on a day with a substitute teacher. I also noticed there was less academic focus - students were given regular coloring pages. There were more frequent movement breaks and less time spent on lessons. I could chalk it up to this being because there was a substitute teacher, but it seemed like it didn't stray much from the students' daily routine. I also noticed that in lower income areas, the schools were more likely to have a punishment/reward system. Most of the elementary schools did give out “tickets” for good behavior, but I noticed a more public display of behavior charts - clips would be moved from green to yellow to red based on behavior, students in the lower income areas in the district sometimes had behavior charts that were sent home for parents daily to review and sign.

I recently started a job at an early learning center. It is in a higher-income area and it is very much rooted in montessori practices + very nature based. There is limited praise, no labeling of good and bad, and students are very much independent and in charge of their own learning. Students are encouraged to come up with solutions to problems on their own, and teachers are really there to supervise and only give help when students directly ask us. I often hear the young preschoolers talk about wanting to be geologists, hunters, presidents, and artists when they grow up. I found this super interesting as they are only about 4-5 years old. In these schools it isn't just a difference in "funding" or "school quality," but a fundamental difference in the socialization and type of literacy being offered to children based on their perceived future roles in society. Schools also are not only teaching reading and math. Children are learning how to relate to authority, how to view work, and how to perceive their own agency. This dives further into inequality in teaching.

Blog #7: What to Look for in a Classroom & Classroom Tour Video - Reflection

 

Reflection

In the classroom tour video, we received a deep look into how this teacher organized her classroom. She explains how the goal of student independence goes into each part of her classroom set up. Immediately I was struck by how warm and welcoming the classroom appeared. It was clear she really thought through how to create the healthiest environment for her students.

The graphic contrasts two different approaches to classroom management: a traditional, control-based model and a more student-centered, community-based model. One side shows examples of punishments, strict rules and the overall goal being control of students. The other side of the graphic shows a focus on respect, working WITH students, and collaboration and care. This reflects Kohn’s broader argument that education should prioritize relationships and intrinsic motivation over external control.

Looking at both the classroom tour and Alfie Kohn’s graphic, It makes me so glad to see the shift away from the types of learning environments I experienced when I was in elementary and middle school. I can see a clear contrast between what things were like then and how they are now. The classroom tour showcases a student-centered approach, where organization, flexibility, and independence are built into the space so students can manage their own learning and feel supported. Similarly, Kohn’s graphic argues for classrooms based on collaboration and understanding rather than control. 

In my own experience, however, school felt much more like the “possible reasons to worry” side of the graphic. There was no such thing as a “calming corner” - though I really wish there was! As someone who struggled with attention and test-taking, this made it difficult to keep up. Instead of feeling supported, I often felt like I was falling behind with nobody to go to for help.. Comparing these experiences to the approaches shown in the video and graphic, it seems like classrooms today are moving more toward recognizing different learning needs and creating systems that support students more holistically, rather than expecting everyone to succeed in the same way. I really look forward to creating a classroom that aligns with the goals of having happy and engaged students. I hope that I can create an environment where every student feels like they are capable and come to school excited and ready to learn. I found a great source that shares some classroom setups. 

Blog #6: Other People's Children - Lisa Delpit

 Connections

The works of Lisa Delpit, Khan, and Allan Johnson all surround the themes of power, marginalization and current systems in place that need to be reexamined. Khan and Johnson provide a theoretical and historical foundation for Delpit’s findings, with Khan focusing on the barriers that arise from the structure of the education system and Johnson focusing on the systems and structures of privilege. 

In “The Broken Model”, Khan’s critique of the educational system provides a historical and structural explanation for the "culture of power" that Delpit identifies. Khan's "broken model" is an explanation of some degree of Delpit’s "culture of power." While Khan focuses on how the system can crush creativity for students, Delpit highlights how this system marginalizes other people’s children, denying them the explicit instruction needed to navigate the codes of power she describes. Khan calls for a deeper look at the education system as a whole, and details how the "Prussian Model" was explicitly designed to produce "loyal and tractable citizens" rather than independent thinkers, and that the system, although outdated has become the norm, simply because it has been in place for a long time. This aligns with Delpit’s view that the "culture of power" is a system of rules that is often treated as normal/inevitable. This also can explain the resistance Delpit observes in white educators who dismiss the perspectives that challenge the effectiveness of their standard teaching methods.

Allan G. Johnson’s work, Privilege, Power, and Difference focuses on the systemic inequality, and provides a sociological reason  for the interpersonal "silence" and "defensiveness" Delpit describes. One of Johnson’s main arguments is the paralysis that society is stuck in that perpetuates suffering because people lack an understanding of how they are connected to the "trouble". He points out that individuals must understand that people are simply part of a system that has privilege and oppression built into it, and not the fault of an individual. However, the problems of racism and sexism don’t solely belong to those that are affected by it. He identifies the defensive feelings such as blame and guilt, particularly among white or privileged individuals that come up when systems of privilege are discussed. This defensiveness prevents people from taking the steps to get out of this “paralysis”. This defensive reaction is exactly what Delpit is describing when she mentions that the personal experiences non-white educators are often dismissed. The "silenced dialogue" she focuses on is the direct result of the "defensive paralysis" Johnson identifies. The dialogue stops when those in power feel threatened or uncomfortable by the truth of marginalized experiences.