BLOG #4- Week #5 Change School System, Change..

Put the key theories/ resonances/ teachings from these texts in conversation. Choose one takeaway from each piece--what jumped out at you, made you feel/ think/ wonder? How do these learnings speak to each other, line up, crisscross, or complicate? 

When are the school systems going to change??

When is the systematic way of thinking going to change?? I know that teachers put their entire heart into their work but still the systems that be are forever impending.

Without change, how will the youth of today build the future of tomorrow?

In the reading, "A Letter to Teachers", the "regular way" of teaching, which includes putting children in the hallway, sending children to the principal's office, and isolation when a child is not behaving in class. These methods work to get children to do what you want them to do but does it have to be such harsh treatment? Children are precious, even the ones that cause a little ruckus in the classroom. Children are not purposely trying to ruin a teachers day. Children carry a lot of baggage with them when they walk into the classroom. They could be dealing with food insecurity, homelessness, abuse, or any host of things that could of put a wrench in their day. The teachers are also dealing with their own personal issues while trying to lean towards loving way in the classroom.

In the reading, "Sean, On Being Willful", It focuses on the child's behavior at home and school. At home the child, Sean gets to question and debate his mom, Kate. She gives him some authority and power in decision making. Kate allows Sean to be the inquisitive child that he is because questioning is a habit that helps people in life. But, in school, the willful debates are not a positive thing for children. I understand that the way the classrooms are structured is not ideal to allow for unneeded questioning and disputing outside of what the teacher is teaching. Children that go against the classroom rules get removed from the activity, sent to time out, or sent to a quiet space away from the rest of the class. The school system hasn't caught up to the inquisitive minds of children. The school system needs to change with the times and allow for "willful disputes" in the classroom if they want to have great political people in the offices of tomorrow.

What jumps out at me in each of the readings is that the story changes but the content remains the same. School is for learning what the teacher is teaching, stay in line, and do what you are told. The school system is slowly changing and teachers are trying to teach next level so the children can be ready for the future.

BLOG #3- Week#4 What Did I Do, Why Are You Pulling Me Over?

Name and describe three beliefs or “characterizations” about young people that these authors discuss. What ideas about children/ youth/ adolescents shape these stereotypes and how are these stereotypes impacted by race/ class/ gender/ sexuality? Share a memory (recent or distant) when you experienced or witnessed prejudice as a young person.

As a younger person, I experienced prejudice in the form of being racially profiled.

I used to work in Bristol, Rhode Island for about a year. My shift ended at midnight and I was about 40 minutes away from home. Each night I would dread leaving work to go home. At least 1, sometimes 2 out of the 5 days each week I would get stopped by the police. Either my car fit the description of whatever incident they decided to make up, or I was speeding, or I rolled through the light or stop sign. When the police officer would come to the window and ask for my license he/she would see that I was a female and tell me that I'm all set. I would ask, why was I stopped, and I would get a bogus answer and drive off. This happened for the entire year that I worked in Bristol, maybe not weekly but for sure I got stopped more than I needed to. I received only 1 ticket for actually speeding, all the other times I was let go probably because I wasn't an African American male. I HATED Bristol police and couldn't wait to find a job closer to home where the racism wasn't so in your face.

BLOG #2- Week #3 Indigenous Youth

The article on the indigenous youth was distressing. It's a sad reality that the change in indigenous people was to make them more Westernized (white). Why does the westernized man think that they were the most civilized people?? Is it civilized to strip another race of people of their names, traditional clothing and customs just because they thought their way was the best way? Just because the indigenous people lived differently than the western people does it make them savages? You can say the same thing about slavery, the African people were living their best lives until Europeans captured and enslaved them for their own benefit. Why can't people just let people be and allow them to evolve and develop naturally. It's so frustrating!