Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families (Mar. 25)

According to Laurea the invisible inequities between black and white families were what type of language was used between the child and adult, what their days were like and their relationships with one another in the family. Poor and middle class households put more emphasis on physical discipline where as in middle-class they were more likely to talk about the issue and work it out that way. The middle class families took the child’s thoughts and opinions into consideration where the poor and middle class families thought what the adult said is the way and that is it. In the middle-class family the children are more involved in organized activities where the children in poor and middle class households are freer to decide their activities. Working–class and poor parents emphasize the “accomplishment of natural growth.” That is why working-class and poor parent’s children would be more likely playing outside with all different types of children of different ages. They feel that the child does not need extra organized activities to make the child grow and thrive as long as the child is provided love, food and safety. With more free time it gave working-class and poor parent families closer ties with their extended family. Most of them would see their family quite often, whereas middle class families would talk with their extended family maybe once a week, but the visits would not be as often.

As an educator my response to these inequities is to understand how different each child’s life is so I can be sensitive to their feelings and to find a solution that will help them learn the best. If I become aware of different situations the children may have gone through I will not negatively judge them because I will understand where they are coming from. Instead I will be able to help them and embrace who they are. The way different students will come off to me will be different due to the way they were raised and that is something I also need to take into account. Knowing more about your students can only help you understand them instead of getting mad because you are angry at their behavior or way of doing things. Knowing more never hurt anything, but it will open your eyes to see things from all angles.

Observation-idea of Preschool in Three Cultures (Mar. 21)

One observation I noticed in the Komatsudani Preschool in Japan was how there seemed to be little safety rules the children had to follow. Two things I noticed were the children hanging/climbing on the balcony type railing and the other was the children just walking all over the place with the little children. It made me wonder if something happened what would they do. I know that in America at the preschool I worked at they did not want the kids to pick each other up in case they may drop them.

Another observation I made was in China how they are controlling of what the children do. One example is how they don't even allow the children to talk when the child is eating. The teacher told them, "Concentrate on your eating the same way you do your studying is the correct way to eat." Another example is when they were doing the activity with the blocks and the child put the paper where he wanted it and the child moved it back to where she wanted it. I just wonder if controlling the child's every move will make the less independent in the long run. It seems like they can't just do things on their own it is always the teachers approval. I mean the child couldn't even put the box lid on his desk where it was comfortable to him.

Background on the Preschool in Three Cultures study (Mar. 18)

Q. 1) The preschool in three cultures study focused on children from the US, Japan, and China. Of what value, if any, do you think this study is to those prospective US teachers who will almost certainly not be teaching students from China or Japan?

A.) I think it is important because no matter where a child is from there are similarities about the children. Seeing different teaching styles can help open your eyes to different teaching methods, changes you should make to your own and ideas you may try. Learning more about others can help open your eyes to the different children in your class. They may not be exactly the same, but it can help you to relate to them if you have seen a similar circumstance before. Knowing more about others and their culture never hurts anything. It's important to know different cultures so you can bring what you know to the classroom to teach your students.

Q. 2) There are clearly differences in preschools between these three countries. But, there are also differences in preschools within the US. Which differences do you think are "bigger" and what might be the implications?

A.) I think the difference between the America and the other countries are bigger then the preschools within the America. For one thing in America the classrooms are way smaller then in the other two classrooms. So of course because of that there will be more one on one time with the child in America. The structure of the classrooms are also pretty different. In America there are a lot of small group activities that allows the children to talk, in china there group activities where the children are not allowed to have spontaneous talk because it distracts others, and in Japan there is a lot of large group activities where they all can talk and whatever way they chose to participate is okay. Overall the structure the teacher has for her students are different in all three countries, but there are also similarities.

Teaching and Cultural Competence (Mar. 16)

Find two issues to comment on and write a paragraph on each.

1. The first thing I wanted to comment on was how she mentioned about finding teachers who are capable of teaching successfully in diverse classrooms. She said just because they have been teaching a long time does not make them capable. I totally agree with that comment. I feel that some teachers forget what is important about being a teacher and how to connect with their students. A school in Muskegon just had an article about them in the newspaper about being the worst school in the state of Michigan. That probably makes the students feel that they are not smart, but in fact it is the teachers fault for not educating them better. One bad teacher can make a huge impact for students. You see some teachers and you wonder why they even teach. In a another school district they tried to hire a english teacher to teach a social studies class which she was not quailified for. There are problems in both culturally diverse schools and in not as culturally diverse schools. There needs to be more guidlines for new teachers and older teachers to stop the not as educated teachers about an environment to be able to teach there.

2. I like this quote she made in the reading, "The real benefit in understanding culture is to understand its impact on our lives." I thought that it is extremely important because in order to help someone you have to understand what they have gone through and not dismiss the issue. You have to see how that affected them. When I got mad at someone for doing something I had to realize that the reason I was mad was because it is not something that is acceptable in my culture, but to realize it is in hers. I had to come to a common ground where it would work out for the both of us. Culture impacts us, but we may not even realize it is. I think that sometimes people forget get about their culture, but it is not just white people. I think that we can get so caught up in things that we forget about what are important issues to us.

Academy (Mar. 4)

1. How might these programs be seen as responses to particular features of their urban environment? What is your opinion in which the schools responded?

I think the schools help the children feel safe. I also think it provides structure for students which some do not have at home. At these schools it seems like the teachers believe in what the students are capable of doing and that may help the students believe in themselves. At the school they can see what else is out there for them. Like the all-boys urban prep academy have the boys believe in themselves. To push higher because that is what they are capable of doing. I think the schools did a good job at the way they responded. Changes need to be made and that is what they all did. They also all had qualified teachers teaching the right areas.

But That's Just Good Teaching! (Mar. 2)

1. I think cultural competence for students in my culture are being involved with the lesson. Being able to express how they feel about something that was talked about. I think it is important that students in my culture are able to have an opinion and to be able to voice it. I think it is also important for students to see how something they are learning may relate to their life. If they connect it to something it seems like it has meaning and it is not just pointless to learn.

2. I think that in my environment people can be pretty independent. I believe that helps so people can have feeling for what is being taught. In my culture since we are taught to speak up us voicing our opinions will help others learn as well. We are taught to express things in many different ways. Some teachers allow you to make poems or write songs about the lesson. Some that may inhibit in my school growing up was the fact that there wasn't very much diversity around us. It made it hard to relate to other people then those that are similar to you because you never were able to experience how their cultures were or beliefs.