1. "... the job of high school English teachers, especially considering that preparing students to read and write at the college level was a primary goal. Today, I think that goal is secondary. I still believe teachers should prepare students for postsecondary education, but we should prepare them first for life." (p. 9) How do we, in more than a psychological way, prepare students for life? For many high school students, college is not in their future. What specific skills would these students need to function well within their lives once they graduate?
2. "How do [teachers] affirm these voices while at the same time questioning and challenging the racist...assumptions which inform them?" (p. 28). I hadn't thought about this question before, because I forgot that students who held racist opinions would exhibit these in their writing. Gaughan talks about the difficult with having a student improve her writing by adding more specific examples of her racist beliefs. How do we improve the writing when the subject matter is difficult to digest?
3. "What happens, though, when the values constructed by the teachers' and students' assumptions conflict? Do I have the right to pry them out of their comfortable shoes? Can I offer alternatives without selling a prepackaged set of different beliefs?" (p.32-33)
How do we as teachers remain open towards our students' beliefs, even when the contradict sharply with our own? Do we let students explore within their current set of beliefs and hope that by providing them with enough alternate voices, their opinions may start to change? How do we keep assuming that our opinions are right in the first place?
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Bridget,
ReplyDeleteI have similar questions. I liked the question, "Do we let students explore within their current set of beliefs....." I like the way that I felt Gaughan answered this question. He says at one point that the opinions that differed the most from his own were not based so much in knowledge, but on impressions or stereotypes held by his students. One way in which he got them to change their views was by challenging these stereotypes and biases with exercises designed to force the students to support their opinions and view those of others. It seems a moumental task and would expend much more energy than simply teaching reading and writng. But I want to do that, do you?
Remaining open to students' differing opinions may be one of the most difficult aspects of teaching. Luckily, Gaughan give us a few ways to address those students without ridiculing them or making them feel that their opinions are invalide. One of the most interesting examples he gives us is the "Four Corners" exercise. It requires the students to defend their beliefs but also to respect other people's opinions. What I like most about this exercise is that it gives students the opportunity to change their opinions. It would be interesting to see how many opinions changed after this exercise.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your first prompt, if going along with what the author says, I would say that positive means of communication would be at the top of the list of things we need to teach our students. This goes hand in hand with reading and writing proficiently, but clearly beyond it as well. I believe that teachers should role model positive communication anyway...so I feel like this could be easily incorporated into any classroom.
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