Journal #10

I enjoyed the article Finding Ways In because it tied together a lot of concepts that we have been learning in this class and other classes in the GSE. I feel that ignorance is the biggest factor in why many teachers can struggle with students of different ethnicities. I know that some people are racist and/or just do not want to try but I have a feeling that being ignorant of different cultures is what holds a lot of educators back. 

First of all, many people assume that people immigrant to the United States because they want to be here and take advantage of our system. This could not be more false. Many people come here because they are refugees and have no other place to go. So we should deny them a good education and compassion because their home has been torn apart and blown up? Yes, that makes perfect sense. We also question why students have not had proper education and have been in and out of classrooms. Page 31 points this out by saying, “Eventually in Cambodia there were no classrooms, students, teachers or government-level education departments. Textbooks of all types were burned. Students in higher grades were condemned to die with their teachers.” Sadly, these people did not have the luxury of an education and here in this country some people are denying them their second chance at it. The last time this country was at war did the schools shut down? Were textbooks burned? Were teachers killed? No. It is impossible for anyone to judge the education or lack thereof that these students are coming into our schools with. What we have to do is understand what they have been through have some compassion and help them get what they deserve. 

Also, the article points out that “traditionally, parents believed they had full responsibility for children at home, and teachers or adults in authority had full responsibility for children at school or in other learning settings.” (pg. 32). Just because a parent is not calling, emailing or coming in about her child does not mean that she does not care about that child. A teacher might say, “ oh that parent doesn’t really care about her child because she does not come in.” What we need to understand is that this is a different culture and way of life. That parent may not want to come in because she might think she is insulting us and our authority as teachers by “stepping on our toes” and coming into school. The best way to get by this is more education. We need to educate ourselves on different cultures and customs and we need to reach out to parents and communities to let them know they can not only come into our schools but they are more than welcome and we want them involved. 

Lastly, what stuck with me was the student saying “I was placed in the Special Education program because of lack of English.” (pg. 37). After taking Michaela’s class and this one placing a child in a special ed program because he does not know English is just completely ridiculous. Just because a student does not know English or is not yet proficient does not mean he isn’t smart or capable. The article was able to hit on many important points that I think we all need to be aware of and ready for when we start our teaching careers.