Wednesday, June 19, 2019
June 21...Moving Forward
I can honestly stay that I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and our time together! Please share a "takeaway" from our three weeks of work together. If someone has already posted something similar to what you wanted to share, feel free to add to this discussion or to pick another topic.
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ReplyDeleteA takeaway that I have from our class is that there will be many moral decisions that we have to make as teachers. I originally thought that teaching was black and white and there was always a right and wrong answer, however, this class has taught me that there are so many complex layers to issues in schools that teachers face on a daily basis. For example, if a teacher decided to not administer a high stakes test, that would have numerous repercussions. The teacher would maybe have to face backlash from the principal, and maybe even veteran teachers. Additionally, choosing to speak out may cause tensions in the school. One thing that is important is to make allies in the school to talk about ethical issues with.
I think that one of the things that we talked about that I will also remember the most was our discussion with Tammy Sober about having the one-on-one meeting and sharing your story with others to build connections. I think that will be helpful, especially as a new teacher.
I think that teachers have to find a balance between operating in the system versus speaking out against the system and knowing when to do which. I think that is a very challenging part of the job.
One of my biggest takeaways from this class was the idea of community building. This is a way to build trust and strong relationships in your classroom but also with their families. Building community with your fellow teachers is also a way to have a support network in order to de-stress but to also discuss issues in the school or community. I think that in order to do social justice work you need to know the community you're working in and that starts with building relationships and trust across the board. I'm also thankful that RTR and this class have already provided a strong community as we all start out as teachers.
ReplyDeleteA takeaway I had is that you can't always do what you're supposed to do as a teacher. We talked about this a little bit on the first day of class in regards to the student who accidentally brought a BB gun to school and the teacher who didn't report him, and last class after the Water is Wide presentation where we acknowledged that sometimes the administration will just be wrong.
ReplyDeleteWe discussed many times the concept of the teacher as a professional. I think if you want to treat a teacher as a professional, you have to acknowledge they will likely have as much as, if not more, expertise about the classroom than their administrators will. And they will always have more expertise about their individual kids than the administrators will. And if we are treating the teacher as a professional, we also have to acknowledge that if a lot of teachers have gripes with the same rules, and if a lot of teachers are breaking the same rules, maybe they're in the right.
If, in The Water is Wide, Conroy had been acknowledged as a professional in the way I outlined above, good lord it would be a completely different book. It would be a book called: With The Help Of My Administration I Devised An Innovative New Remedial Curriculum For Yamacraw Island. Or maybe it would be called something catchier but either way the theme would have been different. It's better for the students, too, when teachers and administration aren't at odds. It's kind of like two parents fighting.
Probably the biggest takeaway for me is that I dislike Ruby Payne so much. She is so dumb.
Overall this was a great class. I'm so happy I was in it.
Taylor Petty
One of my takeaways is that as a teacher you really have to think about your morals and how it relates to the classroom. It stood out to me when we talked about the zero tolerance policy and knowing the context, instead of making the decision to directly jump to conclusions. I think it made me realize how much teacher's judgement and decisions really count in situations in the classroom. I also feel like it was important for the teacher to build a relationship and trust with students in order for them to be successful. I like how these were seen in the TV shows Freaks and Geeks and Friday Night Lights. Another takeaway is that there are many ways someone can support education, such as those who are advocating for teachers and the social justice groups. I also want to say that I enjoyed the discussions in class, the book, and guest speakers in this class. When Tammy came in, I saw how one on one conversations can really help people build relationships and connect. I realized after the class that it is not easy to open up to tell your story, but it makes people more comfortable and able to open up and trust you more when you do.
ReplyDeleteKim
I agree! I feel like in the past when working with kids I was always wondering, "What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to react? Should 'teacher me' be angry about this or let it slide?" What I got from this class was that there is no right or wrong, black or white. You need to act based off your personal morals and best judgement, while working within the system. There is no "teacher code" or a script to follow. It also got me thinking more about how I should be considering other perspectives and always thinking critically.
DeleteI have thoroughly enjoyed this class! I don't have a plethora of notes to look back on, but I feel that the past 3 weeks have changed my perspective immensely and for the longterm. The subjective approach made me feel like any opinions and thoughts were valid and were welcome to sharing. Dr. Sober's bit also made me feel eager to start building relationships with parents and faculty. I not only feel that I can be a better teacher after this class, but also a better person.
It also inspired me to get involved. I can honestly say it will be really hard for me to not go full on #RESIST in the first couple years, but I'm going to try not to until I've felt it out for a bit. I'm hoping to see some of you at a TSJ or POWER meeting in the future!
One take away that I got from this class is that a lot of times people dont truly understand what a teacher has to go through. The moral and ethical decisions that have to be made are really hard. Sometimes you have to truly pick your battles. Something else that I learned is that you are your student's advocate. If there is something that they need that'll help them become successful as students/learners its your duty to provide that for them within reason. Our students will look up to us, they trust us, and its only right if we provide them with the necessary tools to make it in life.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn
One of my biggest takeaways from this class is, like Kasey said, knowing your support systems. There are so many organizations out there that teachers can join that are fighting for the things they care about, and those networks can become incredible support systems. The other teachers, the administration, and the custodial staff within the school can also be important supports. Teachers can't do effective work without a community rallying behind them to support them, so knowing what those supports are and investing in them are incredibly important.
ReplyDeleteI've also really seen that making moral decisions as a teacher is incredibly difficult. There are so many ways in which we have to work within a system that does not benefit many people, but there are also times that we need to work outside of that and fight for what is right. There are so many forces working against teachers (salaries, public opinion, politicians, etc.), so teachers already have a hard time on top of attempting to help their students create decent moral guidelines to live by. Teachers have an incredibly difficult job.
One of the biggest takeaways was how much teachers are under appreciated. Many people think that being a teacher is the easiest thing and don't understand all of the things that teachers have to go through. For example, long hours and little pay. I didn't realize how many people throw "the calling" back into teachers face. Just because they enjoy teaching doesn't mean that they will have less bills than the next person. On top off the fact that teacher work past what they are getting paid for but no one sees that. I think that until more people get together and demand better rights for teachers they will not get the respect they deserve.
ReplyDeleteSheryon
This class has allowed me the opportunity to self-reflect. I have realized that we all come to the table with biases that need to be examined (or “checked”) before entering a classroom. Educators are responsible for more than delivering content knowledge. I think that this is important to keep in mind. I don’t necessarily remember what I learned from each of my teachers, but I remember how each of them made me feel.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the (democratically delivered) lessons on deficit vs asset teaching and dehumanizing vs humanizing methods... They are pretty similar. I ask myself which of the four I am modeling in my daily interactions and thoughts, and try to make adjustments when I can.
Kira
DeleteA takeaway I have from this course is that there a million different ways to be a good teacher. I learned that it is okay to be expressive and have different opinions than your peer professionals. Teachers have a bigger job than to just teach the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the one on one lesson with Mrs. Tammy to help us learn how to build meaning relationships in a professional setting.
I enjoyed this course and it has helped me to become more comfortable speaking in front of people.
Paula
I enjoyed this course! A takeaway I have specifically for Petersburg is to find out more about any social justice events or organizations within the district. Being that we Petersburg folks are eager to begin working in the community, I am pretty sure that there are teachers within the district that share the same passion. So I look forward to finding those colleagues. Also, Tami Sober’s presentation was extremely helpful. I look forward to implementing some of the strategies for building professional relationships with my parents next year, especially during parent-teacher conferences. Lastly, I enjoy the numerous opportunities for peer interaction, it allowed me to learn different perspectives from my peers and the readings.
ReplyDeleteI also love that RTR made this one of the courses residents take before entering the classroom. Many of the conversations and ideas brainstormed are seen within your residency year, so I think it's great that this cohort is able to interact and think about some of these issues now.
A takeaway I had with this class was that as teachers, we have so much responsibility and that does not even account for curriculum. And all that teachers do, many people have no idea. Many think that teachers just teach their kids (as if that is not already a task in it self), but in reality, we will be doing so much more. Our morals will be put to the test, it is not always going to be a "right" or "wrong" answer. I enjoyed learning about Richmond Teachers for Social Justice and am very excited to get to knowing the community in Petersburg that share the same passion and can start their own little thing there (super duper excited). I felt that we got a perspective from this class that not a lot of us were thinking about when it comes to teaching.
ReplyDeleteI found the pedagogy of poverty to be my biggest take away from the class. It really opened my eyes to what and why happens in the classroom so sometimes it will be hard to hold the students accountable, but it is the right thing to do and better for them in the long run. Being aware of this idea will help me also when I am interacting with the parents, they want the best for their baby and I am supposed to be giving their baby the best. I will approach conversations with the parents from a more "what can we do to help your baby" attitude. This is just another example of how our morals will be tested as teachers.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I really enjoyed learning about these few weeks is how many social justice resources are right in Richmond for social justice. I knew of groups such as support our schools bad had no idea there were groups like power and Richmond Teachers for Social Justice. I'll be in Petersburg during my residency and hope to bring this knowledge and these resources to start a similar social justice group there!
ReplyDeleteI feel like it is really important to know you have support from fellow teachers that are like minded. It's important to also have a support system that can encourage you to be more than the teacher that "just closes the door and teaches"
I really enjoyed our class Tuesday. It was just encouraging to hear a prior teacher soon to be graduating PHD student have such a presence and strong teacher voice.
This class has encouraged me more than anything to advocate for myself, my students and the community i'll be working in!
James Here:
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that my take away from my time in this class was the sheer amount of intricacy and nuance that goes into teaching and how we as teachers have to work with both the students AND school systems to teach effective while instigating change. When it comes down to it, I hope to bring about some change, big or small, to help make teaching a more professional job with all the support and respect that comes with it. The same goes for the pedagogy that I hope to implement with the knowledge I've gained from this class and how best to apply it to my future students to help them more efficiently grow and develop their minds. All and all, this class has been a real eye opener and I look forward to changing the system with you all!
Something I will takeaway from this course is the willingness to get involved into making schools better day 1 for teachers and students. Before taking this class in had intended to get involved into the politics of education but that was after I had a couple of years under my built. I now understand I cannot wait as the change needs to happen now more than ever. Once my contract is signed I have to start questioning the workings of the education system and get involved with the groups already established. This class has been an awakening experience for my spirit to make my career better and to fight for teacher respect. I would have not come to this conclusion without this class and the words and opinions of my classmates which has been inspiring.
ReplyDeleteJustin
Sharese
ReplyDeleteThis class was the fuel and energy I needed to continue my involvement with equity at VCU. I feel as if the lack of representation of blacks in our education classes represents the work that still has to be done from faculty and the community. In the classroom, I will have a responsibility for being more than a teacher but an advocate for social equality. This class made me realize there are politics in education and what I choose to stand for, matters in the long run. There were conversations that allowed me to think deeper and make connections to the history of Richmond. Lastly, this class taught me how to approach certain situations such as interactions with administration or being involved with the community. I feel empowered and I am willing to carry out the work for Richmond Public Schools to be changed!
This class has me thinking about how I will respond to social justice issues I may face in my career. It could be anything from inaccurate curriculum to rules/regulations that unfairly affect or target specific populations. Besides my future coworkers I know of at least two organization and could turn to for ideas and help. I feel I will consciously try to network and build community allies. --Andrea
ReplyDeleteKaesha: I have enjoyed this class as we all have. The most memorable part of this class was the video we watched. It really hit home how much a teacher goes through during their first year as well as their career. I’ve always heard that you don’t become a teacher for the pay and this is absolutely true. I noticed the pay for teachers usually doesn’t meet the economic needs of having a family. Maybe one day we will take a few pointers from Japan and Finland and place teachers on a higher petal-stool and be treated with the respect they deserve. Until then we will continue to “teach for change”. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this class and it was nice to share ideas and insight with peers especially after finishing my residency year. One take away from this course would be "there is no perfect teacher." Sometimes as educators, you have to teach your kids in a way that's best for them despite how others feel you should. A lot of curriculum guides do not dig deep into the issues and morality of our society. So it is up to us as educators to properly teach these attributes even if it requires stepping outside of our means.
ReplyDeleteOur reading that discussed educators teaching for and against something still resonates with me. I think it is important for me to identify what it is I am teaching for. RTR’s motto is teaching for change, but I need to figure out what exactly my role is in changing the current education system. Understanding what I hope to achieve as a teacher will allow me to be more intentional about the strategies I choose to implement and the way I form relationships with not only the students, but their parents and school faculty. I also have more information on the ways I can become involved in social justice efforts taking place within the city. I’m excited to look into the different organizations I will have access to on both a local and national level. In addition, I feel more comfortable around my elementary cohort. I know that if I question something that takes place during my residency concerning RTR, my school site, or the field of education in general, I can start an open dialogue with the other residents.
ReplyDelete