I wish every teacher would think and teach like John Gaughan. His idealistic approach to teaching is great and, in my opinion, absolutely necessary.
Even though I admire him I am not quite sure if I always agree with him.
His ideas stem in the thought that only by embracing different views and lifestyles we will eventually be teaching non-racist openminded views and humanistic values. He points out how important it is to keep students an active part of conversations about race, sexuality, gender, violence, and identy. He also suggests helpful activities to do so. However, imagining myself being confronted with a racist student like Billy in chapter 2 I probably would have a really hard time to critically aknowledge his view rather than to tell him how stupid I think his opinions are. What about you?
How do you see Mary Louise Pratt's personal account about her son and his affection to baseball in the first part of her speech related to the concept of the "contact zone"?
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To be honest, I didn't think the baseball/contact zone connection was clearly established, but I think the connection would be that baseball excited her son in the same way that the sometimes controversial topics within a contact zone could engage students.
ReplyDeleteMartha,
ReplyDeleteI too would have a hard time not telling a student what I would think and feel about a racially biased piece of work. I do admire how Gaughan goes about "teaching" this student. Having a teenager myself and being around many of them, I have come to realize an important factor of their existance: They are searching for their own identity; and part of that search is misguided before they truly know who they intend to be. What a wonderful age to challenge statements, assumptions, stereotypes, bias and just plain bullshit. They are all full of it and testing their own waters! Having a classroom that is freethinking where others can be vocal can help that student define himself at a critical age. I really don't think you can tell them what to think! They have to come to their own conclusions and Gaughan seems to have some great answers of how to get them there on their own.
I also would have a hard time with a student such as billy. I agree with Gaughn that racism and the like should be openly discussed in the classroom, and i believe that students like Billy would bring direct harm to such an environment. Probably not the best idea to tell him his ideas are stupid, but I guess I might consider speaking with him privately to try to undertand where he is coming from and why he has such viewpoints. Only then, might you be able to express your thoughts (if appropriate of course).
ReplyDeleteI see Pratt's example of her son and his baseball cards as an adequate example of the "contact zone" because his experiences with those cards and other elements of baseball provided him with experiences where different cultures were meeting, and he was witness to the interactions between such cultures that occurred as a result.
ReplyDeleteI would also have a difficult time with a student like Billy. I think most teachers would (and do). And I think we all need to be prepared to have a few students whose opinions and beliefs differ from ours (and the rest of the class). For me, I would try to place myself in his shoes and try and understand why he believes what he does. I don't really have any answers because I haven't had the experience yet but as long as I allow my students to express themselves openly, I will expect varying veiwpoints.
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