Discourses, Language and Learning

I just recently taught my English class the definitions of jargon, colloquialism, slang and dialect.  We discussed why some stories are written with specific voice and why some are not.  The students decided that formal language isn’t always used in a text because the use of slang, etc makes the characters more ‘real’.  Culture plays a large role in how we speak, act, and interpret the texts we encounter.  When reading stories, my class came to the conclusion that it is necessary for us to understand the character’s background and why they behave the way they do in order to truly understand the author’s message.  These Discourses are really what make the story come alive.  Same can be said for our cultural classrooms.     In Cultural Models, Gee states that “Culture models can be about “appropriate” (Gee, p. 68).  Certain ways of being (acting, speaking, etc) are deemed appropriate in certain cultures.  This can also be said in our classrooms, as each class has its own culturally specific Discourse.  When we have students who fail to fit the “mold”, we try to change their behaviour to better suit the “norm”.  If they refuse to adapt or play the game, they are sent to a special class.  Several immigrant students are brought up to value education differently from each other.  This effects how they behave in class and sometimes this causes others to shun them.  What people say, and how they say it is culturally specific.  The level of appropriateness is subjective, but also dependent upon group membership.  People who practice similar Discourse will always have a greater understanding of each other, and an advantage in our current educational system.  I am constantly struggling with how I can better this predicament.

                At our seminar, we read and discussed risky texts.  I took a look at “Woolvs in the Sitee” (Margaret Wild) and found it to be a dark book – very artistic.  The text was riddled with grammatical and spelling mistakes, which made it difficult to read.  Despite this, the language is necessary for the context.  It aided in the mood and understanding of the story.   I could see this story meaning different things to different people, based on their personal viewpoint.  The text also made me think about how un-accepting we are, as educators, of text that is not correct or written in a straight line (like Margaret Wild’s “Fox”).  Why are we so judgemental about text?  We teach our students to leave judgements as best as they can, yet we don’t practice that in its simplest form.  Maybe there is a place for bbm and text language in our classrooms?  I guess this all comes with the learning curve I find myself on.  I need to let go of the details (a little) and focus on the main messages being presented in front of me.  I use tech-language in my daily life constantly, as do my students.  Classroom lessons do not have to be above this, but should include all types of language.  How I incorporate these new languages is what I struggle with these days... I think they all have their place.

                I really enjoyed the segment on “Sister Anne’s Hands” by Marybeth Lorbiecki.  It’s a great book to begin the discussion on differences.  Some may think that this is more for the elementary level, but I would definitely use this book in my secondary school classes.  Acceptance goes far beyond skin colour which can be stressed in the discussion after the reading.  I find that high school students need more reminders of this.  I prefer taking my students on a journey back to their younger days of reading children’s books to re-teach them these lessons.  I find that when I take them on a journey to when life was simple (prior to teenage life), and then relate it to present life with different pressures, sometimes it becomes apparent that those simple lessons are still valid and can remain simple, yet still important.

                I am really enjoying the novel reading.  My group has read “Alabama Moon” by Watt Key and “Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt” by Beth Hoffman.  Both books deal with overcoming life-changing obstacles.  Between the two books, I am more interested in getting a class set of “Alabama Moon” for my Essentials English class.  I can really see them enjoying this novel.  The main character is immediately likable and deals with surviving on his own and his need for companionship and belonging.  I can see them really taking to this book and also making connections to their own lives.

                Through the readings and seminars, I am becoming aware of how ‘set in our ways’ we are – as people and individuals.  Even though we are taught different methods, to teach, that we agree with, we are still creatures of habit.  We still, to some degree, teach the way we were taught.  We base our teaching on how “experts” who have researched in the field of education have mentored us to teach.  Yet, does anyone ever challenge these thoughts?  I began thinking about this when Jerry critiqued Allen Luke saying that Luke doesn’t trust the learning process.  I realized that I read educational research or listen to someone of authority in education and I automatically concur.  I think I’m too opinionated at the best/worst of times, but I need to be more skeptical and continue to develop my own methodology of teaching.  I suppose in some way I already do that only because I’m “set in my ways” to a certain degree, and have my own beliefs.  The awareness of this is causing me to change my teaching.  I think we all have our own styles because I know that I certainly do.  I enjoy listening to others teach, or lesson ideas and taking lessons from my experiences.  I use them when I see fit and am trying new things constantly, not always because I think they will work all the time, but I think that I might find something better than my current methods or just to have variety.  No one enjoys boring J

                I’m really starting to hope that I remain unsettled in my teaching... It’s keeping me on the ball!

Literacy, Schooling & Social Justice

                If I had to describe my relationship with literacy today on FaceBook, I would have to select the tab “it’s complicated”.  While reading the first three articles, I’ve come to understand that literacy is everywhere.  Everything and everybody around us has or is or will impact our literacy.  Our culture influences our literacy.  Our gender plays a part in our literacy.  Our teachers and their culture and their baggage impact our literacies.  Every waking moment of realization has a bearing on literacy.  Literacy is social and society is not neutral.  The words literacy and neutral are an oxymoron.  To teach literacy, we must constantly question what we do to maintain a fresh understanding of the various literacies surrounding us.  Literacy is constantly growing and changing.   Questioning what we do in our classrooms and our own literacy makes us better teachers and learners.  With literacy constantly evolving, we cannot settle with the status quo and continue to do what we always do.  Second guessing our practices will keep us evolving as well as our students.

I found myself really drawn to the analogy between technology and literacy.  This is possibly due to the complicated status with technology as well!  When we think about how technology has changed from the time we were in elementary/secondary school to now, we see huge advances.  A cell phone went from novelty to a common everyday tool.  Cell phones in classrooms were not a concern 10 years ago. Computers also went from these big clunky structures in offices to items we can now carry in our purses.  “Literacy is a technology.” (Luke, p. 141)  Literacy is similar in that sense.  It is constantly changing and advancing.  At one point, passing a test determined literacy and now we expect more.  Literacy is constantly evolving.  Can we ever catch up – with literacy or technology!??

A person is constantly using their literacy skills regardless of their participation in formal education.  Literacy is different depending on location, culture, economy, relationships and mental space.  There are so many variables to literacy that there is nothing universal about it.  A person does not need to have a bunch of books and newspapers lying around to seem well-read.  Everything might be on their ipad or laptop?  Literacy is found in various places – signs, symbols, technology, etc.  Literacy is no longer singular.  Books can no longer only symbolize literacy.  Going into a family’s home and not seeing a single piece of text, book, or newspaper does not mean that this family does not value literacy.  In today’s society, literacy can take place on a computer, ipad, xbox, kobo or another piece of technology.  From books to kobos and everything in between, literacy evolves and cannot be judged superficially.  A boy and a girl have different uses of literary tools, yet neither more literate than the other.  A multiplicity of literacies exists – depending on the lens of the individual.

The last readings got me thinking about how I like to learn.  When I think back to my fondest learning experiences, they were socially pleasing times.  I enjoyed the learning experiences when I was with a good social crowd.  I learned the most during those times.  So when Wenger ties learning and our social lives together, it makes sense to me.  I do not necessarily need to be in a classroom with friends, but I can be anywhere and learning as long as I’m socially comfortable and experiencing new events.  Communicating about my encounters socially = learning. Regardless of our age or where we are, we are learning.  This is a process that is difficult to describe because it happens automatically.  Most of us have trained ourselves to pick up on things, remember them and connect them to another part of our learning – make connections.  Nothing about this is systematic.  This includes learning from our mistakes.  We remember what did not work, and perhaps not repeat it again.  We do not have to be enrolled in formal education to be learning.  It is a social phenomenon and is also dependent on culture.  Dominant culture determines a lot of what the norm constitutes as literacy.  This is not right.  We should be teaching to challenge dominant influences and create independent thinkers who are ‘literate’ in their own right.  I think about all the students in my classes that come from various cultural backgrounds.  Some of them struggle to keep up with their peers, whereas they would fit in just fine in the country they came from.  Maybe this is some of the reason as who why students tend to socialize with those of their own ethnicity...just a thought.

At the seminar, I really enjoyed the activity on ‘I Am Thomas’.  It was fascinating listening and watching the multi-modal interpretations of the main character.  It was a good demonstration on how to integrate all key learning areas using a single story.  My group used play-doh to build our Thomas.  Each of us had a different interpretation of Thomas and each of us felt like we have taught or are teaching a Thomas.  I really liked the Math group’s interpretation of Thomas – the boy who doesn’t fit the mold.  Just like our students AND literacy – they are both up for interpretation and can be interpreted in a variety of ways. None of these approaches superior to another.

Why is the wolf always the bad guy??  (or should I say antagonist, since this is a literacy blog!)  Why is the little old lady always depicted the same way?  I suppose I could say the same for some students... Do they feel like they are always labeled a certain way?  Are they ever able to break the mold they are forced into?  What assumptions do we make about our students?  What assumptions do we make about literacy?  Something to think about...  I would love to do this wolf/old lady exercise with my English class next semester.

I guess what it comes down to is educators not being as close-minded about literacy as they have in the past.  What I appreciate about these articles is that it recognizes the need for family and community to play a role in promoting literacy-learning opportunities.  We need to move away from developing a ‘universal literacy program’, but recognize the multitude of literacies – in our class and in our daily lives.  I just struggle with what this looks like in reality.  Until next time, I continue my complicated literacy journey...

Properly Literate...my thoughts

The seminar began with the topic of banned books and how they can be used to educate.  Oddly enough, my school still uses a couple of those books (Fahrenheit 451 and Of Mice and Men).  They are great books with many lessons to be learned from them, and I enjoy teaching with them, but they are dated.  There are plenty of books that have been published since then, banned or not, that would better engage the students.  I am sure there are many underlying reasons in which the books haven’t been changed, funding, etc, but there is something to be said about moving forward in learning tools, when several generations have passed along using the same materials.  This is probably not the point Jerry was making, but it was food for my thoughts, nonetheless.  :)

On the topic of dated material, I found the readings to be very behind the times.  During our group’s inkshedding, we agreed that it is very disheartening that these issues were still being discussed in this day and age.  The articles are from the 70's and 80's, and we are still dealing with the same issues!?  Are we any closer to having solutions to these problems?  Contrarily, I do not think that the situations we find ourselves are as dire as the articles would lead one to believe.  We agreed that varying levels of socio-economic statuses exist, but there are many assumptions being made about those from a lower socio-economic status.  Assumptions can be viewed as excuses.  These excuses give reasons as to why things are the way they are and are used as a back door out to solving problems.  The Garland, Therrien and Hammonds article states that “Children of uneducated parents are less likely to develop the early language skills and excitement for learning that will prepare them for school.”  This is probably based on a study of a specific community, but it sounds like a single story and shouldn't be used to generally describe those of a lower income or anyone uneducated.  I know of plenty of people who come from families where the parents do not have any higher education, but their children have grown to value education and do better for themselves.  I don’t think it is fair to classify certain students and give excuses for their ‘projected’ outcome.  I think an answer can be found in raising their standards within our classrooms instead of offering excuses.  I agree that there has to be some understanding for why homework might not be complete, etc, but there are ways around that within the classroom.  Sometimes I think that maybe education is not the institution at fault as to why the cycle of poverty exists.  It seems to be blamed, but there are other institutions that can also take some ownership of issues as well, such as the economy or politics.  Why does it seem like education becomes the scapegoat to society’s problems?  Not to contradict myself, and use that as an excuse, but everyone should be taking ownership to better our society.  This includes parents as well.  The readings did not give the parents or the students a voice.

I get frustrated when the (hopefully historical) issues of society at large are brought up in education.  I recognize that this is reality in many of our classrooms, but don’t we perpetuate these issues by discussing them?  Sometimes I find that discussing issues like racism (as real as they are, and hopefully have been) are carried on as opposed to moving from them.  I understand that discussions on some of these topics are necessary to make people aware of them, but I’d like to think that at this day and age, we are beyond awareness.   I find that these discussions to be just that – discussions.  There is limitless of talk about problems, and even more on theories as to why, but what about less talk and more action to improve concerns in order to break this cycle.  I'm not sure if that is an answer, but it would be nice to one day hear optimistic discussions of success, and propagate that instead.  I agree that there is a huge social component to literacy, but these discussions need to be reflective of current standings, especially with social media and research.

If I had to pinpoint my frustration, I guess it would be that when I walk into my classroom, I do not see race or class (two words that really bother me).  I see individual faces – each one with different stories to tell.  I understand that some may come from hardships due to their background.  I don’t think that these hardships should be censored in anyway, but maybe be used as a stepping stone.  I think next steps are important for everyone involved, teacher and student, and the student within the teacher.  I do not think that the past needs to be dwelled upon, but used as a lesson to move forward.  Nor is the past an excuse for the future.

These courses have me doing a lot of thinking as analyzing about what I do in my classroom and how I teach my students.  I have to admit that I feel like my horizons have really been broadened and I'm enjoying teaching more than I ever have!  I am applying a lot of what I have learned throughout the year in my classes.  Jerry would be happy to know that I had my class draw an image from any short story we read in class and we had to guess which story they referred to.  As much as my students grumbled about not being able to draw (as I'm sure we did about being artsy in the summer), they had a blast looking at each other’s talents and guessing.  I will be using a Sandra Cisneros excerpt for my first attempt at text rendering this week...stay tuned!  My grade 11's loved the little origami book they made for their private thoughts while we discussed relationship abuse.  Looking forward to more learning and thinking...

My Evolving Lens on Literacy

I thoroughly enjoyed the readings on teaching and learning and the strategies presented in the seminar.  The readings represent my thoughts and feelings about my current views on teaching.  From Barnes’ first sentence, “It would be a mistake to think that what a teacher teaches is quite separate from how he teaches,” I was captivated.  Since beginning these Masters courses, I find myself delving deeper into what I do in the classroom.  I’m starting to firmly believe that a teacher’s personality plays a large role in how students learn and how much they learn.  I am very interested if where on the grid I fit in between a Transmission and Interpretation teacher.  I enjoy dialoguing with my students about various topics related to the curriculum.  I encourage them to think and be sceptical.  I want them to form their own opinion, not feel the need to agree and follow mine.  I’m thinking that this puts me more on the Interpretative side, but I guess that depends on the lesson and day.

                Although I do not participate in these conversations and most times, just end them, it interests me in what students think of their other teachers.  I hear about the “piles of useless work” (which makes me think Transmission) and “he’s so funny...I love that class” (Interpretational).  To explain myself: knowing the teachers that the students are talking about and I see the work and assignments they give their students (their offices are nearby), I form a judgement (bad, huh?).  I do not make these judgements harmfully, but more internalize them.  How do I make myself the ‘likable’ teacher – not that it’s a popularity contest?  But I think that the students respond better to learning if they enjoy the classroom/teacher they have.  It’s all part of the positive learning environment.  This positive relationship needs to exist.

I think that there is something to be said about listening to students and making the classroom environment more personal.  I enjoy telling my students stories about myself.  Their feedback is that they enjoy listening and they feel more comfortable sharing their experiences.  This is what I believe is part of the learning process.  I’m ok with making mistakes in front of my kids (most of the time).  I feel like it breaks down barriers and puts us more on a level playing field, similar to what Murray and Palmer discuss in their articles.  I feel like being real with my students makes me more human to them and they to me.  I do not believe in an ‘us vs. them’ mentality that I, unfortunately, find to be a common theme in the staffroom.

My favourite quote is from the Picene article: “to really learn how to fly”.  I think this sums up what we want from our students.  We want them to leave our classrooms and use their heads – use their good judgement – and go out into that big world and think for themselves.  Rough landings (mistakes) are okay as long as they become learning experiences.

                This brings me to the strategies we were introduced to during the seminar.  I really enjoyed the birthday card strategy.  I felt like I really benefitted from listening to how others interpreted a single card and all the hidden messages a simple (or so I once thought) birthday card holds.  It is a great activity of discourse analysis for students.  Social languages, perspectives, culture and media can be discussed with a birthday card.  These cards make underlying assumptions and send messages to kids about their gender.  I’m excited to try this activity with my Grade 11 Parenting class when we discuss gender roles and gender identity.  I would like to challenge my students by assigning them with the task of making gender neutral cards.  I’m astonished at myself to think that even when I’m not thinking, I’m making a decision or judgement when it comes to a card.  I’d like my students to realize this as well.  In class, we discuss transgendered children, and their struggles.  Messages are being transmitted effectively through cards that do not include children who struggle with their identity.  I’d like to teach my students to be aware of these underlying messages, and challenge them to come up with solutions.

                I will really benefit from the “What’s Your Stance?” strategy as well.  It caters to the multiple intelligences in the classroom.  It allows for a variety of ways to access knowledge.  I love being more creative with assignments and assessments.  This strategy is also beneficial to mid to low students.  It allows them to express their knowledge without being trapped use having to use words, grammar and sentences.  This approach can be used with different age groups as well, with varying levels of thought depending on the class.  It accesses various approaches and gives way to deeper thinking.  It teaches that there are always other perspectives to be aware of.  Depending on our purpose and audience, we come to different conclusions and see things differently.  This approach will help me on my road to developing well-rounded thinkers and learners.

                I feel the same way about sketch to stretch.  At first, I didn’t know what to draw or what was expected of me or my drawing.  As we shared, our sketch to stretches, I realized how different all our images were.  I then realized what the point of the activity was.  We all have our varying perspectives.  The lens in which we view our readings or stories are all different, and thus, the different images – all valid, I might add.  At one point, I think I would have preferred to write instead of draw my thoughts or inferences, but I feel more of an accomplishment with illustrations.  I also think that from a teaching perspective, this activity gives the opportunity for those students who struggle with words to express their understanding.

                As I continue with these courses, I am enjoying teaching more and more each day.  It is building my confidence – not necessarily because I am more sure of myself, but because I feel more open to new thoughts, methods and constantly questioning or pondering my lessons and changing them.  I feel like I am becoming a better teacher by opening my views and ways of doing things.  I hope that as I open myself up to more perspectives, I am teaching my students to do so as well.

An excerpt into my literacy journey...

I refused to be a slow reader in school.

I did not want to feel anxious but always cool.

So I read and read and read.

From story books to novels eventually for pleasure from dread.

Berenstain Bears to Blume’s Fudge to Brown’s Da Vinci...

Reading to learn and laugh.

Learning Language Learning

I am learning that literacy is not as simple as I once thought.  In other words, I am paying more attention to the inner workings of literacy and viewing it through a broadening lens after each and every seminar and reading.  These readings have opened my eyes to events that occur that I have taken for granted.  I now see language is this symbolic system that we use in order to communicate.  Even when we are young and not formally educated, we still succeed in getting our point across.  I like the quote, ‘children do not need to study language to make it work.’  Children are communicating before school begins.  Personally, I do not think I have ever given much thought to this.  Perhaps because I do not have my own kids or that I teach in a high school, and I took my own learning for granted.  Most likely, I did not take the time... until now.

I enjoy participating in the reading strategies that are incorporated in our seminars.  I’m looking forward to incorporating them into my lessons.  I love having class discussions and these strategies give me a different way to get my students to respond to various literature.  Even though I teach the older kids, I still use many strategies that I would with younger kids.  I still read story books and give stickers when I can.  I’m positive that I will receive a good reaction to these strategies.  I think students will enjoy taking reading to the next level, and making connections.  Like most people, teenagers love having and vocalizing their opinions.  My favourite indicator that I’ve got my class thinking is when I hear, “That’s deep, Miss.”  I like using story books to introduce topics or to make a point.  Instead of reading the books and having an open discussion, I will use the ‘target/perpetrator/bystander/ally’ strategy.  I’m hoping this will allow more students to be involved in the discussion.

A segment in the Sealey article stated that more speech is used than written language.  I am curious if this statement is still valid.  In my daily activities, I see more the opposite.  I see students on their phones messaging each other, using a written form of communication.  Students are constantly tweeting or facebooking their thoughts to each other or the world wide web for anyone to read.  I hear a lot of students constantly talking about what they find online or on youtube, all of which require the written form of communication.  Many play video games, which do not require spoken communication, but following written or symbolic instructions in order to participate in the game.  I find myself lecturing my class on not losing the art of spoken communication and face to face communication.  Many of my students are better at communication through social media than they are vocally.  We are trying our hardest to enforce a “No Personal Electronic Device” policy at my school with posters that make reference to ‘talking’, like it is something that is completely foreign.  Interestingly enough, when speaking about this to my group at the seminar, some teachers in the elementary panel were discussing how they were incorporating technology into the classroom.  I agree that literacy and language is constantly evolving and growing, and technology is and will continue to be a large part of this.  With the introductions of e-learning and virtual books, one can no longer say their home is cluttered with reading material – it’s in a small black box (their kobo, ipad, tablet, etc).  So why are some schools blocking technology and others not?  I realize that it is the appropriate use of technology that is the main issue with the older students, but this is my argument: these students will always have their technology attached to them, so instead of trying ban them, why not let them use them (cell phones, blackberries, iphones/pods, etc) and let them decide when it is appropriate and inappropriate to use them.  We can inform them about what is and is not appropriate, but after and outside of school, they will have to decide for themselves.  They are always going to be challenged with multi-tasking their everyday duties – in the work world, etc – with the personal electronic devices. Maybe they should learn that level of multi-tasking now? Just a thought...

I was really able to apply my language journey to the concept that language is dynamic.  My language has evolved and is continuing to evolve as I continue to grow.  I was born in India where the primary language is not English, but it is my first (and only) language.  I’ve been told that I had an accent at one point and I remember when I first came to Canada, I made a conscious effort to use words that made me fit in here.  I remember feeling odd when using those words in the presence of my parents.  The more I learn and grow, my vocabulary becomes more complex as I am better able to communicate my thoughts.  My language changes depending on who my audience is as well.  I use slang at times when I am speaking casually with students in order to connect with them.  I use more academic language when I am speaking to colleagues and administrators.

The Weaver article discusses environmental print – can we include social media lingo in its definition?  The advancement of language and how it evolves should include this type of text.  It is used by the youth we teach and are learning from (I learn new acronyms from my students quite frequently).  This is the language in which most of them use to communicate.  Even though, we stress the difference between formal and informal language, I think that it is important that we include this ‘new wave’ of communication into our repertoire.  Not only does it aid in engaging students and in connecting with them, but it incorporates technology into the teachings of language.  The culture of technology invades us at every corner.  I think it would be a shame to ignore it.  It is a form of language and text and can be utilized if used in context.

Children learn to read and then the read to learn.  I found this to be almost sad.  I realize that literacy is a good thing and that this is what we, as teachers, want this in all our students. But, what about reading for pleasure?  I grew up loving to read.  My parents had to pry books away from me to get me to bed.  I also remember being in university and stopping myself from reading for fun because otherwise, I would not read my course materials.  I almost feel like children and people should always be encouraged to read – read anything.  As a person who has been through the school system, I know that I do not want to read if I do not like the content or if it is not interesting.  So why would my students?  I realize that certain reading cannot be helped, but I look at the novels that are still read in English classes at my school (ex. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men), and I almost sympathize with my students.   I’m sure there are novels that are written that are modern and more in tune with today’s teens.  It seems like taking on the world to get new novels in a school or convincing a department head that change needs to happen.  Why is this?

            Unfortunately, at times, teachers to this day still make judgements of children’s ability and performance based on their backgrounds.  Expectations might be generalized.  I found this to be very unfortunate.  When I first came to Canada from India, I vaguely remember my first Canadian teacher to be surprised that I spoke English and that my math was further ahead than what was being taught to my age group.  I remember almost feeling like I needed to prove something.  My need to be accepted by my peers superseded that initial feeling, and I am now definitely not the math genius I felt like in Grade 2.  I do know that the stereotyping I initially felt does exist.  The Luke article, affected me because it proved to me that student’s previous experience is valid in a classroom and can be used as an advantage.

Confidently Uncertain

I feel confidence in my uncertainty!  This may sound like an oxymoron to some, but completely sums up my thoughts and feelings after the readings, activities and our seminar.  At school and in the classroom, I put on my teacher hat and off I go!  I feel like I have to be sure and firm about what I do.  Not being sure and firm can be seen as a weakness to students (or so I seem to feel, and maybe even some teachers.  I feel as though I cannot let any insecurity be seen in order to maintain classroom management.  I think that teachers wear this mask of certainty to get our point across.  Another reason (not that I’m justifying anything) that teachers naturally feel the need to be certain, is that we need to feel like we are positive influences on our students – like we made a difference.  Questioning that makes us feel like we did not do all that we could do to further those students along their educational path.  What I am learning now is that the more I question, the better I feel about what I do and I feel as though I am doing more for my students.  Lots of what MacGinitie says in his article makes sense.  I feel like I am growing and learning as a teacher, more so now than in my earlier years as a teacher because I am more open-minded and uncertain.

I enjoyed the ‘Hello, my name is…/not’ activity.  I learned some new details about the circle of educators I enjoy dialoguing with once a month at these seminars.  I also learned quite a few details about myself – identities I have, but do not necessarily pay any attention to.  Some of these identities are positive and some negative.  Each identity can be used to our advantage.  For example, I don’t necessarily like being identified by my nationality or the colour of my skin as a first impression – “You know, that brown teacher…” as some of the students say.  I understand why that happens, but I feel that a lot of impressions get made and a true first impression is tainted.  Yet, because I teach at a high school in Scarborough, I might use that “brown teacher” label to identify with some of the students.  Expectations are set based on some of the names we are called or identities we carry.  I guess what comes from this is that we must continue as we are and influence the thoughts of others to change – make them question their impressions and recognize that their thoughts need to be challenged and be more open.  This goes for myself as well.  When I see my students, I should not categorize them based on first sight or what I’ve heard.  This will be a good challenge for me as I begin a new semester with new classes.  I may even attempt the same “hello, my name is…/not” with them (Thanks, Vivian!).

Most of us remember the good conversation, and I think we remember it because we connected with it in some way.  I feel engaged in a good conversation.  It is forcing me to use my brain and think.  In a conversation, one can hear many points of view, expanding their present knowledge.  When I have class discussions, I feel like being engaged goes both ways – my students and I are both learning and making connections.  We are expanding on what we know. We are making associations with previous knowledge.  This knowledge then evolves to new knowledge or expanded knowledge.  We also bring who we are into every conversation – our culture.  Our context differs based on our baggage.  We in turn, offer something new to our listeners. This type of learning, I’m realizing, can take place to teach and learn about current issues as well as text.  The Brown article touches on this point.  No one reads the same piece of literature the same way.  Everyone can have different conclusions.  This is possibly why some novels or texts are preferred by some and not others.  The powerful readings are the ones that have an impact on us.  We see the world differently or we can see light into a certain situation.  To me this is real reading.  This is the type of reading I enjoy.  It is what I hope students learn to do in order to expand their knowledge and understanding of the world.  Sometimes, though, there is text that the students have to read to learn something (curriculum).  This has made me realize that I should pause more in those readings and help my students make those connections.  I could do this by telling stories, or giving them situations they can imagine themselves in to make the text come alive.  If this sparks more conversation, I should be more open to let the conversation flow.  I should let them bring their experiences into my classroom more so than I already do.  This will give other students more opportunity to make more connections as well.  Learning seems very simple, yet complex at the same time.

As I being a new semester with new students and new classes, I’m excited to teach with my new lens of uncertainty.  I feel refreshed and recharged after the seminar to take the courses I taught last semester and improve the way I deliver them.  I will continue to question and change lessons.  I am going to try to let the students do more talking and conversing.  I’m hoping to challenge them to become more active learners.  The tricky part about class discussions is that there are times when the students want to keep talking, which I like, but they do it to make time pass, so as not prolong receiving their next assignment. (Tricky teens!! – they aren’t too quiet when they’re pretending though!)  I guess I will be to judge how things are going and track the conversation.  I’m looking forward to the challenge!