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[relayrae]

Living both sides

Living both sides The first thing I picked up from the reading was “the distinct eras” of the Veteran English Teacher Melanie Allen. She goes into talk about how she had been a teacher for so long that when she became a mother and she started to look at children differently. In the time that Joshua came she cut back on her teaching and became a part-time teacher. But when it came to her students she learned “through mothering nurturing means holding on and letting go, and that her son learned when I gave him enough freedom to learn”. Our future students and all human beings are different with different personalities and we can’t control when becoming a mother it does change how you look at yourself and for Melanie she stopped thinking of herself so much and started to think about her students what she could do to allow them to take more responsibility. Going from child-free to motherhood can have its ripple effects. Myself as a mother, I can totally relate to this. When I was younger and my sister had a baby. I was very upset that my sister wasn’t in school or even trying to graduate from high school. I didn’t realize until I was mother how hard it is to be a mother. Your views of life and priorities change. With Melanie loving Joshua so much she would preserve most of her energy for her son and soon her classroom “became a classroom in which they would learn to take more responsibility for their own learning. The lessons learned from her mothering found their way-naturally and effortlessly-into her classroom.” “this paradox- of separating and merging the roles of mother and teacher.” We must understand a teacher is not the mother. If we try to play this role then student tries to act like a child and not a student. The attitude of child is different when it comes to the mother and teacher. “Teachers must develop more distant relationships with their pupils and escape the dangers of rivalry with mothers, who are the legitimate owners of the child” As a mother we respect the teachers but at the same time we are the mothers and we are the ones that know best. Teachers are only in our child’s life for that year and although that year is very vital and you have to earn the trust in such a short time but we also must realize the time frame is not forever. But in the end being a mother helps you to understand children better and may bring out your best work. Two Eras Elizabeth Morgan Who taught for five years the first grade class before becoming a parent realizing how narrow of mind she had. Yes you do wake up after having a child and realize the world is much more complicated. You learn tolerate a lot more then you normally would. Being a parent you can relate to the parents more too. Leaning in this part of the chapter what you say to a child can be very vital. You must never be sarcastic, being sarcastic can be the most hurtful and maybe the most damaging. Reading this Chapter I could relate to the mother part. In reality as a future educator we can never fully take the role of a mother. Being a mother is much more than just that year in the classroom. A mother for is for life. As much we try to fill that void of a mother, it can never really be filled. Being that I am mother I can understand the nurturing part in the classroom and I plan on having a very comfortable room for all of my students. I also think by me being a parent I will be able to relate to the parents as parent level. I need to remember that I am not the mother but I am a very important person in a student’s life to the point where I need to watch what I say and how I react to certain situations too.

[thelongestridemovie]

8 seconds is all it takes to fall in love with Scott Eastwood. Watch this new clip from The Longest Ride, and see it in theaters April 10!

[relayrae]

Crossing the line of Objectivity!

The Injustice of it All. Antoine the sixth grader, seem to struggle in school but his brother on the other is the complete opposite and does very well in school. I have seen this with my sister and I growing up. I never had to go to summer school or nothing but my sister had too. I can remember her parent teacher conferences but I can’t remember mine. The teacher’s always seemed to have trouble with my sister. The one teacher said “Fay can have a conversation with the wall if she wanted too”. I can very much understand her Fania’s situation here, because I saw how hard it was for my mom and how it can be very frustrating. As teachers we shouldn’t brand out students. Especially if the mother seems to be very much involved in the success of her child as a student. I am very discouraged by the teachers in Antoine’s life being that he struggles so much but even with the little things that he does he is not rewarded for them. This can be very discouraging not only to me but I bet it for Antoine. With Weissbourd’s “he urges us to recognize the notion of plasticity and growth throughout the life span. In principle, there is no single period in life that should claim primacy for the origin of development process. Second he urges us to see the strengths in even the most injured and scared child and find the goodness and those who seem most difficult and delinquent.” But even if children seem to be perfect we must not leave them out as well, they might have problems too. It goes on to say in the chapter how now a days we go to training to become better at recognizing the different strengths in all students. “to look on the bright side, to see the glass half full”. As teachers when we build that bond with our student’s family we tend to work better together. The more communication the better. The relationship becomes more expressive and we come to a “mutual appreciative of one another”. It’s a must to build that bond with the parent or parents of your student because you share a common goal and that goal is the success of the child. I have heard and been through this assumption that if the child born black or brown or even poor that they will be less likely to succeed. “It is certainly important to counteract those negative assumptions and tendencies on the part of teachers”. Every child is more than capable of succeeding. I know I didn’t grow up in the best of situations but I am here and I have come a long ways. So I know that it is possible. Fania is screaming inside and only wants the best for her child. And then Fania goes into to talk about when she was in school and how she struggled with her vision in school. Fania comes from a very dysfunctional family of two parents and seven children. Both parents didn’t graduate from school. Of course the drunk father who seems useless. She knew deep down that something was wrong but never blamed it on her poor eye sight. Despite all of the obstacles Fania faced she still went back to school and finished. I want to be like Fania, overcome some of the harshest situations and still succeed. I also like her motto “She hopes to help her students fight the good fight, openly, courageously, and always with her full support”. I as a future educator and as a mother fully support my son and students to the best of my ability. I would go to great lengths to see my son succeed as well as my students. I never want to be that teacher that parents can’t communicate with it. I want to see always the glass half full. Students, when they walk in the classroom, It is a new day and anything is possible. Every opportunity I can get or training I can get to become a more effective teacher I am going to take. In life some children the only positive person in their life is the teacher and if I have the power to change a life I will.

[relayrae]

Chapter 4 Inequalities and Entitlements One of the first things I pulled from the reading was in the first section in the chapter. When Molly Rose, a first grade teacher was preparing for the parent teacher conferences. Being that the school was new and already running in confusion and chaos. The parents being lost and staggering into each classroom, would be hard to prepare one speech for all the parents at once. I know the meet and  greet with parents may not go how planned, being that the parents were staggering one by one at different time it, you may have to plan for others ways to meet and greet the family, and not just plan for speech. I can relate very much to “culture shock”, moving from one environment to a totally new environment which is the complete opposite from the one you came from. In our journey into the many different classroom settings we will be dealing with different social classes, races, education backgrounds, and immigrant statuses, that is where we will feel the sense of culture shock. In this chapter it talks about how Molly rose came from a nice school where they had nice classrooms with books and then she comes to school where her classroom is not so grand with materials in her classroom.  Most families I don’t care what background you come from think by their child coming to school, that is where their lives are going to change, which is true. On page 109 It says “I believe that all parents hold big expectations for the role that schools will play in the life chances of their children” “ they all harbor a large wish list of dreams and aspirations for their youngsters”. In most cases even with my parents. I will be one of the first to get a college degree. They have high expectations and hopes for me and why I relate to this is because even with my child I want him to do better than me with his education. I know life happens and we take time off from school but it is very important to stay in school. “There are certain evidence of individual achievement through school, heroic stories of individuals who have climbed the ladder of success through meeting and exceeding the academic hurdles.” Yes, kids will come from bad situations at home, but it is possible with enough support, self-motivation, and hard work getting an education is possible. I love to see people overcome hardships and succeed. I know that I may not have come from the best of homes or I may not have had the greatest life growing up but it’s how you want your life to be. The first thing I would do when preparing for a meet and greet with parents, I would prepare one speech but I would also look into my student’s family, get a little bit of background from them. So that when they do enter my room I can have a little bit of understanding. I would not assume that each parent or family is going to come into my classroom at the exact same time. People have different have schedules and I must prepare for all types situations, but I believe you may not be prepared for every little situation either though. Becoming a new teacher we may have to deal with new schools depending on where we want to teach. Some schools may be better than others. I just need to keep an open mind and be prepared for every situation possible. As a parent we want the best for our kids. As a teacher we are the ones who are going to be the biggest motivators in our children’s lives. I want to be that teacher where my students will say “Miss. Rae believed in me”. With hard work in each individual we have the power to successful. I plan helping each students to the best of my ability.  Even with no materials in the classroom it is still possible to learn.

[relayrae]

Truths the Hand can touch

“Parent teacher’s conferences”

“For parents, there is nothing more precious or more important than their child they come to meeting eager, often desperate, to hear good news about their child’s life in school. They approach the conference with fear and trembling, with terror in their hearts.”

I thought this was very important because as a parent myself, I know I look forward to parent teacher conferences. When I do go to the conferences though I get a little nervous and I sometimes don’t know what to say. I even tried to remember if my parents ever went to my parent teacher conferences and I don’t recall them going. In a way that makes me feel good about my parenting. I can see it could be hard if you know your kid might be struggling with the school and you don’t know if the teacher is going to say something about your parenting.

“With so much at stake on both sides and with the expectation that conferences are supposed to relatively pleasant and civilized events this ritual can often tilt in the direction of form over substance, sentimentality over sympathy , and rhetoric over truth telling”

We figure that conferences are sometimes suppose to be calm and collective and we just try to keep the peace by keeping quiet but it shouldn’t be like that at all. Each person should be able to express most of what are they are feeling and talk about it. Communication is the key in these conferences.

“-parents and teachers – must stay focused on the child and his or her whole development”

As I am reading this the word “generic” keeps popping up. Why because as a teacher we need to have good detailed notes to prevent having a generic conversation. The Word generic is used in a sentence on page 84-85. “first They can see that Sophie knows their child in a very specific way, that her remarks are not routine , abstract, or generic.” Making the parent teacher conference “meaningful”. As teacher we will not look at our students as just another number in our class. Parents want to feel that connection we have with their child. “creating narratives of their children, then, helps both parents and teachers focus on the child and identity of his or her own strengths and potential” Also, as a teacher we must possess detailed knowledge of our students to better understand them.

Intuition and documentation

As long as we have tangible evidence to prove our case it makes it that much easier. Take into consideration a child is struggling in your class. It would be in the child’s best interest if you keep a journal and document patterns and different behavior the child is showing. With keeping a journal this will help prepare you to prove your case. As a teacher we want to feel confident  about communicating our concerns to the parents. “encounters with parents that focus on understanding a child’s struggles and developing a plan of action are both challenging and rewarding”

Empowering the child

                “the challenge need to be in the service of seeing the child more fully and clearly, keeping the child in focus.” At a parent teacher conference…”to have a child physically present reminds the adults why we are there”. In this section of the chapter that teacher talks about how she conducts her parent teacher conference. Where the student leads the conference. Though this takes time and lots of preparations. This gives the child responsibilities of their actions and also gives them ownership. The child will show their parents what they have been working on, tour of the classroom, and test scores. Having a checklist to guide the students is a must too, reminding the students of their duties.

Listening for truths

“Truth and trust grow out of dynamic interaction in which listening for truths just as important as telling them.” We must always be truthful to one another! “teachers who are successful in working with parents, then, always stress the value of listening to their accounts of their child’s life outside of school. Getting to know our students. While in Conferences if you just listen and not speak so that you are able to learn about their life at home. Hopefully the parents will have lots to say though. “to see trust between parents and teachers as being the result of truth-telling and truth-hearing”. But hearing both points from the teacher and the parent “when parents hear the teacher capture the child that they know they feel reassured that their child is visible in her classroom- that the teacher actually sees and knows him or her- and they get the message that she really cares”

When I become a teacher upon arrival of parent teacher conferences I must do all of my background knowledge on the families to understand their home life as best as I can. I think it’s a great idea of to have a child conduct the parent teacher conference. Let them take the lead and feel empowered. Have lots of evidence to prove your case! Prepare- Prepare- Prepare!!!!! Build that trust!

[relayrae]

Natural Enemies

While starting to read the second chapter two “Natural enemies” I could relate to the word “Querencia”.  Querencia is a term usually associated with bullfighting- to conquer up the space where even in the face of conflict and bloodshed, one can retreat to safety. I like how the teacher relates this to parent teacher conference. I as a mother am naturally passionate about my son and his school. Mothers will often times act like momma bears with their cubs, protective, but then I have to understand my son’s teacher is very passionate about her job and she is with Ty almost as much time as I am with him. Naturally there is going to bond between the two of them. In both our minds we want the same things for Ty. I believe that a parent teacher conference can go smoothly or there could be a lot of tension. Ultimately the goal is what is best for the student. Keeping this in mind I like the idea of having a safe spot to retreat too in a parent teacher conference when the situation may get out of hand. I as a future educator will be sure to have a safe spot in my classroom while at parent teacher conferences.

Another part in chapter two that stuck out to was Waller’s notion of natural Enemies used to refer to the experience of human beings. “shifting dynamics between parents and children- the love hate quality that reside in intimate relationships.”  The relationship between parents and teachers could possibly be a love and hate relationship, natural allies and enemies. In this relationship we are very much compatible and have great team work. When there is emotions of love and hate, hope and despair, there is potential for alliance and complementarity. The relationship between a parent and teacher can be viewed as good and bad with truth and lies but very passionate. In the end conflict does not necessarily mean permanent injury. Of course as a teacher we are going to stumble upon issues with each other only because we care so deeply about our children. But with team work great communication all is possible for a successful student.

“Crossing Boundaries”

Where do we draw the line? The frequency encounters the home visits, how much is too much. “both parents and teachers have a sense of territoriality that shape their encounters, a map in their minds whose lines define their appropriate roles and range of their authority” The big thing is communication in this process. What is the best way you are going to communicate with your students’’ parents. This boundary line occurs more when children are younger and developing more. Parents of young children are more likely to engage more in their child’s life. As children get old the less their parents talk to their teachers the better. School for older children is more about the social experience. I feel as though being a mother I don’t even know where to draw that line. I want to ask my son’s teacher so many questions but how personal is too personal. I know families aren’t perfect but what are the questions are we to ask. I guess I just want the best for Ty and I want the teacher’s opinions. When I become teacher I want parents to be as comfortable as possible with me. I hope that we will be able to draw those boundary lines together.

  “Finding common Ground”

We have to understand that there is a bridge in each child’s life when they come to school. A bridge between families and schools and each day when a student comes to school they are crossing that bridge and they are the ones that know both sides. We as teachers need to respect both sides. Understanding that the child is the bridge. In the end we need to keep focused on the child and what’s best for the child.

     Rae

[yoursummerdreamz]

[relayrae]

Live your life to the fullest!

[relayrae]

Quote

"To be a LEADER the example you set will encourage others to want to follow you. NOBODY wants to follow someone who doesn't know where they're are going" - Author unknown

[relayrae]

[relayrae]

I believe that family and school professionals should always work together when it comes to the students and their education, so that each student is successful!