Thanks

I'm not sure if people will continue to look at this or not, but I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for being so supportive yesterday, and I that I really enjoyed looking at everybody's art yesterday too. What a talented bunch!!!! It's so neat to see the many different ways people can take and interpret an idea. I felt like we were able to break some new ground and open up a bit more yesterday. Thanks to Zalika for giving us the opportunity to do this.

It's a bummer that we'll be all split up next week, but we will reunite in the fall!!!!!

!

I am so blessed to be surrounded by all of you amazing people and having an instructor like Zalika. I know we're her favorites! ;) I feel like I have learned to be more patient with myself over these last few weeks. Having a child has helped too but I must say I am really impressed with everyone, really every single person in our cohort. I think we were grouped together for some special reason!! I haven't felt very supported in the professional field, and sure some of that is me (I am still acclimating to middle class culture) but a lot of the patience I am feeling is because I think of you, yes you, and I realize that we are all doing the best we can with what we have, where we are at now. I skated out a little fast for fear of crying in front of everyone. Tears of joy. I am excited about the fall and getting back to our group. I am sure the next two weeks will be a grand adventure but somehow, I think we would have had more fun if we had stuck together as a cohort! Anywho! Thank you all for all that you are. I am learning so much from everyone. Ditto to Zalika, see what a difference one person can make?

Thanks!

I just wanted to say that it's been really wonderful having all of you as classmates over the last 5 weeks. So many of your comments and blog posts have inspired me and challenged me to really examine and think deeply about my beliefs, values and ideas about education and society in general. So, thank you for that. Thank you for taking risks and supporting me when I got brave enough to take them. And a special thanks to Zalika for guiding us and giving us so much of yourself through your teaching. I really hope that we can continue to use this blog to support each other throughout the year and we can continue to discuss how to apply the things we have learned in this class to our future classrooms.

Bee bop bee bop bee bop boop

Yup, it's 3:19 am and I am still working on homework. This is indicative of many things. The first - I poorly planned my homework load for tomorrow and have therefore been spending many the hours homeworking it up. The second - the (evil) television has had many a great programs on demand this week. The third - the (sometimes evil?) internet has a plethora of interesting websites to peruse. 

Therefore for this blog post I shall not lament the passing of our time together in Zalika's class, but rather harold in the new classes, knowledge, homework, board games, alcoholic beverages, and fun that we shall have together with some of my late night findings. 

http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/ 

My favorite thus far is Miss Debbie's "Daycare."

https://www.schoolhousesupplies.org/teachers.html

This kind of seems too good to be true and I'm interested in how it really works...

http://scrapaction.org/

Neat, neat, neat.

Okay, so I actually am done with homework and now can't sleep. Hmph.

What is this? A center for ANTS!?

I've been listening to the adult alternative rock station on comcast for the past 678 hours that I've been portfolioing and arting and reflectioning and it just occurred to me that my work is TOTALLY being influenced by the sappy love songs. Hopefully for the better since I'm working on a poem of epic proportions right now.
On a serious note....I just wanna say, I love you guys. And no, I'm not drunk on white russians but I wish I was. True story. I feel like we are a great group of aspiring teachers who are striving to do more than just open a center for kids who can't read good and want to learn how to do other things good, we have higher expectations than that. And that's awesome! Keep going cohort 3, keep on keepin' on.


See you on the other side...aka tomorrow morning for some awesome puppet shows that will be serious and should be taken as such.

P.s. there is a fly that is just taunting my exhastion. It keeps landing right next to my hand and walking reallllly slowly cause it knows I don't have the energy to swat it. Stupid fly.

Too Hot To Be Creative With A Clever Subject

So a big ditto to what everyone has already said about this class and/or the weather being hot. I've really enjoyed getting to know all of you and am looking forward to spending the next year of my life with you guys/girls. I've heard a few people lately doubting their ability and "having what it takes to be a teacher". I just want to let everyone know that I know we will all make great teachers. Lewis & Clark knows we will all make great teachers (they won't admit anyone you know). I know some of these classes can be hard and make us think so much that we start over-thinking and making weird poems about the weather...but I just want to be clear that I think everyone in this class is Awesome and will make a great teacher...alright then. Carry on...

Beelzebub Has a Devil Put Aside for Me

Party On, Cohort Cubed!

Its hot

I have enjoyed reading everyones responses on the blog and I agree with a lot of what everyone is thinking and feeling. I have really enjoyed this class and have learned a lot. I am really excited to see everyones art reflection and classroom map tomorrow. I think everything I had to say I have already poured out into my art and my final reflection so I will keep this short, besides that, its really hot! It’s really weird for me that this class is coming to a close, in so many ways it feels like it just started. Like Michelle, I enjoy quotes so here are two:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

“Can I ask, what do you mean by the whole giraffe?”
Julia

I love quotes

I agree with what everyone has been saying. I loved this class and there was a lot of information thrown our way. I liked the way the class was structured, a good model for my future classroom, and I thought through much discussion I hopefully absorbed a least the most important points and overall big picture. The ice breakers were something that I formerly disliked but learned to like. The "I am from" poems were also very powerful. Here are a few quotes that I found helpful from this class, I think they are all Zalika's words:

"Purposeful goal, flexible paths."

"Choose the bridge you are going to die on."

"Memorization is not the same thing as understanding."

"Be Safe and Be Kind. Kind is different than nice, it requires more than what might feel comfortable."

"Power in love not in fear."

"Self-identifies as black."

(When talking to parents about their child's transition issues) Child has a flexibility muscle and needs to work, that is what we are trying to do in class.

(From the Boys of Baraka) "The war is here." "My boy isn't gonna be a statistic." "Try to make a difference."

My thoughts and emotions have been a roller coaster ride these past few days. I have acquired a load of information, a group of wonderful friends who have been like mentors with each and everyone's diverse backgrounds. It has been enlightening through our experience with teachers who have enhanced our awareness it such a short period of time. I couldn't imagine this program with out anything we've covered in the past few weeks. I love the drastic change from Jan to Zaher, it has been uplifting and alarming. Thank you to Zalika for helping us find our balance between these courses and offering so much to our futures as teachers.
It's funny because we've only skimmed the surface and with all I've absorbed I still feel like I am constantly rummage for more!

p.s. Let's make a pact to use this for the rest of the year!?! What do you say?

Wow! What a Term!

I often find my head just swirling with all this new information that I've gained from not only Zalika's class, but also all our classes. I wonder how will I ever process all this. It's been intense, but for the first time in a long time I feel that I actually learned. In Zalika's class particularly, between the workshops, fishbowls, blogging, and reflections I took away more information than I ever imagined was available.

I now know myself much better, I've made at least 22 new friends, and information about child development that seemed intuitive to me was brought into focus. I now have tools to know the 'why' behind what I chose to do in my classroom. Can't wait for more!

Why Be A Teacher?

To change the world --- one child at a time. I want to make an impact on this earth. I want to serve other. Next to parenting, I can not think of any other possible way for myself to accomplish these goals. Because it is through teaching that we provide others with knowledge to make them successful - whatever that might mean to them.

Teaching has been a life long goal for me. I knew since I was ten that I wanted to be a teacher. The only question was when. Because I needed to serve my county and myself in other ways first - in order to be ready - truly ready - to impart on children knowledge that could help them.

I chose early elementary teaching because it seems that at times I am like the pied piper of young children. I always have children I don't even know striking up a conversation with me. So I feel more like they picked me then I picked them. And the most important skill I want to teach is reading because I believe that reading is the gateway to anything else you may want to do.

Teaching is a calling. It's not a job. It's not even a profession. It's truly a calling. I've heard mine.

Pondering Privilege

I never pondered privilege to the depth I have in this class. In fact, I don't know that I have even used the word 'privilege' to describe those that hold power. But twice this week I've had the privilege to speak to an African-American mother and her daughter about privilege and the codes of power.

First, the mother called my house looking for her daughter. It was almost 11:00 p.m. and she knew that her daughter had taken care of my child earlier in the day. She was quite worried because she and her daughter had a fight the previous night. And it wasn't like her to not check in. So the mother and I chatted for almost an hour (upon which her daughter had come home). But what we talked about most was privilege.

For they reside in West Linn, where I live, and have been surrounded by white middle to upper class families. She felt it was a privilege to live and educate her children here. This comment struck me. Why didn't she think it was her right? So we talked about our class discussions and the code of power. I expressed that she provided her children with an incredible gift - they learned the code of power. They can speak, write, dress, and interact in ways that make Caucasian people feel very comfortable. Thus, her children will have a better chance at becoming what they want to become in this country. The mother had never thought about this 'privilege' either.

The second instance was during a discussion today with the daughter about her experiences in college and high school. Although she was one of four black children in the high school (her sister and brother were two of the other three) she never felt discriminated against. When she went off to college, she often found herself ostracized by other black people for being too 'white' (even though she has very dark skin). She didn't talk, write, dress, or interact with her black peers in a manner they felt was appropriate merely based on her skin color. So we talked about privilege, codes of power, and how it might feel to not have access to these.for the rest of their lives. I impressed upon her that she should try to help teach her peers. Help them come to terms with their own thoughts about privilege. Help them understand that learning how and when to use the 'methods' that make up codes of power will actually give them a pathway in to power. And once in, then they are in a place to make changes. Unfortunately, this is the reality at the moment….even though it appalls me.

In her book Other People's Children, Lisa Delpit eloquently stated a similar idea. "They seem to believe that if we accept and encourage diversity within classrooms of children, then diversity will automatically be accepted at gatekeeping points. I believe it will never happen….No I am certain that if we are truly to effect societal change, we cannot do so from the bottom up, but we must push and agitate from the top down. And in the meantime, we must take responsibility to teach, to provide for students who do not already possess them, the additional codes of power."

I think Ms. Delpit is not asserting that only teachers are responsible, but in fact, we (or anyone who knows the codes) are to use every opportunity to pass them to those that don't. I hope I planted a seed in the daughter's head. And I hope to continue mentoring her so she can become what ever she wants and make the societal changes that are in such need of changing.

I am shocked that our first sets of classes are already over. Its amazing how time flies by when your having fun (: Having fun indeed but there were definetly a few days where I had some breakdowns, which is expected in this intense program. Not only in this class but also in all of our classes there is so much valuable knowledge that I want to absorb it’s hard with the total amount. My mind hasn’t worked this hard in awhile and it feels liberating. I guess I am just worried about retaining all of the valid info and being able to apply it within a classroom. Although, I am excited to start interning and being able to gain more experience working within a school and utilizing the resources I have gained. (Off subject…it is HOT!! I came to my parent’s house to get some loving from the A/C and I swear its not working! AHH!)

Anyways, as I was saying...I am impressed with the classes and professors that I have had so far. I would love to see Zalika in action with her students. (Can I?) I truly learn more through observation, which allows me to file through my memory bank to bring up past material. I have to say that accumulating all of this debt has so far been worth every penny. I am enjoying my journey through Lewis and Clark.

A Summer Poem

Hello Friends,

Since my brain is melting from the heat, and there is much more work to be done tonight, I thought I would share a poem with you all for my final Blog post this week. This poem is titled MELTING

It is just to hot
I can not think.
my brain is melting
I really stink.
Books to read
papers to write.
The heat continues
into the night.
I love my program
I love my School.
I have fallen asleep
I am starting to drool.
I have woken again
but it is still to hot.
My mind is twisting
into a Knot.
I will stay up late
I will study hard.
even though
my brain is chard.
Good luck my friends
and try to stay cool
I would rather be
in a swimming pool!


Good luck with your final work my friends!

See you tomorrow!
Ryan

Five Weeks

Everything Abbie said, ditto. It's too hot to put two thoughts together, but when I think of the last five weeks, I think for me it all boils down to community. What a daunting task we have ahead of us! I am also terrified of my own little class, and I'm so grateful we get to spend a whole year with another teacher because if I had to do it by myself after a short stint in an already established classroom, I'd have no clue. 

I also appreciate how Zalika's worked so hard to build community and have that be what encourages and supports our learning. Would we have drawn so much from our readings if we hadn't felt such a bond with each other? I don't think so. For me, what's made this class so amazing is that we've worked through some helpful texts but at the same time, Zalika modeled for us what a purposeful, thoughtful, engaging teacher does so students can learn and thrive. I will treasure this experience.

A verbal group hug!

To continue on with the theme that Julia started, I would like to say that this has, indeed, been a pretty amazing 6 weeks. I feel like I have been doing this teacher school thing forever, but at the same time it feels like no time at all. I too am amazed at how much info has been in most cases lovingly but perhaps in one case angrily shoved into our brains. I am touched by how many of my classmates toss around names like Dewey or Montessori as if we are all pals that go way back, and I am especially joyful that we can now all claim “scaffolding” as our own and use the term with authority. I am still terrified, however, of actually having my own classroom of 20 to 30 charming little people to look after and educate all on my own (or at least it feels that way). Being touched by all this knowledge has made me see how little I actually know and how badly I could potentially screw a whole bunch of kids up, but that’s how we are supposed to feel, right?
I too would like to thank Zalika for this wonderful experience and for being patient, understanding, knowledgeable, inspiring, real, realistic, caring, and not altogether scary. In addition to all the book smart stuff, I feel like we got to know each other as a cohort on a much more intimate level through the icebreakers, workshops, blogs, and personal exercises such as “I am from” and I feel like we would not be where we are now as a community if it weren’t for these wonderful activities.

So thank you and good night and good luck.

The Amazing Brain

I just want to take a moment to thank the lovely workshop people for all the hard work and effort you put into organizing the workshops today! It was highly valuable information for me, and you have definitely inspired me to seek out more information on ADD and brain development.

In fact, I discussed the workshops with Tina after class today and a lot of interesting questions and tangents came up. For example, how do you define a learning disability? Does ADD follow under this category. How does a lack of basic needs fit into this? Would we be seeing such a dramatic number of kids diagnosed with ADD/ADHD if their basic needs were being met? Now, I know many other factors contribute to this, and nobody has all the information yet. I just wonder if, in today's busy society of fast food, overworked parents and constant media exposure, we are"hard-wiring" kids' brains for these conditions?

Another interesting topic that came up was how we define learning disabilities and mental health issues. Do we need to be precise, or is it possible to view all of these brain-related states on a continuum? After all, I truly believe that most people experience dramatically altered states of being throughout their lifetimes.

Finally, I'm not sure if this is the final blog or not, but I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for a great term. I certainly learned a lot from you, and appreciate all the support you have given.

Because Nursing involves too Much Blood

I, like many of you, had never had any intention to become a teacher. When I entered into undergrad I had planned on graduating prepared to embark on a glamorous career in journalism. I wanted extravagant trips, dangerous adventures, and perhaps a spot on the local news station (keep in mind I was much younger and perkier then). By the time I graduated, that dream had just sort of withered and died on its own and I was left with a whole lot of confusion and a wicked Carlo Rossi habit.

Because I have a brother 8 years younger than myself, I had always been surrounded by and cared for children. So throughout high school and undergrad it was only natural for me to continue to nanny. Then, after college, with my liberal arts diploma tucked under my arm, I marched off and found that nannying was really still the only job I could quickly and easily obtain. I did it full time for a year to save up money, got certified to teach English, and then lived in Nicaragua for a year teaching English to children, adolescents, and adults. At some point, while preparing lessons, grading exams, and teaching, I realized that I had found my zone. For the first time I felt like I was doing something that I totally loved and felt very enthusiastic and excited about.

For me, though, teaching is more of a selfish thing. I love children, so much that I usually prefer the company of children to adults (or at least in a day in day out working environment), but I am not setting out to be a teacher with a huge goal of changing the world or turning some kid’s life around. I’m not saying that I’m not going to try, but after I worked in the group home for emotionally disturbed teenage girls, I sort of let that go. How I began to see myself in relation to the kids that I work with is that I am just one more of the adults on the good team. I see every kid as having a series of pluses and minuses in their brains: good adults and positive interactions as the plus signs and bad adults or bad interactions as the minus signs. I don’t necessarily expect all the kids I encounter for a year of their young lives to remember me, I know from experience that they don’t, but I would like to make one more plus sign. I would like to leave a vague sense of warmth, safety, and love. I mean, of course, that I would love to change a child’s life for the better or influence her to be the next president or maybe even help change NCLB or the public school system, but mostly I just want to love what I’m doing every day and become very good at it.

I’ve always known that I could never work at a desk in an office, I’ve always known that I’m going to need to be able to be creative and in one sense or another my own boss, I’ve always known that I’m going to have to be able to play at my job, and I’ve always known that my job would have to be fulfilling. All signs lead to teaching; and so that’s where I’m heading.

Here we are...

I'd say what a long journey it's been, but DAMN these summer classes pack in a lot of material in a short amount of time. I guess that's what surprises me. I feel like over such a remarkably short amount of time, my thought process has been stretched and pulled with all this reading and discussion. It's not that i'm thinking a new direction...LC is pretty in line with my own approach to teaching, but there have been some very subtle and significant advances in my thinking. Now and again I think we need a reminder from our peers, or even from a notable theorist simply putting it down on paper to call our attention again to certain iniquities that exist in our society. That we have to acknowledge how differently people have it. That we need to learn how to approach different situations with students, parents, administration or legislation with unforgiving commitment, level-headed objectivity, and grace even in the face of stubborn or rude opposition, or aggressive attitudes (hello, Kathleen...). I'm grateful for all the opportunities we've had in this class to try on the shoes of being a real teacher, albeit in little skits riddled with laughter and superheros and bratty kids. It's been a real window into what life might be like for all of us in an unbelievably short amount of time. It's been a very enlightening first taste, and I'm really glad this energetic and eye-opening class was one of our first at Lewis and Clark. Thank you to Zalika, and to all the energy that each of you brought to the class. We easily could have opted for embarrassed timidity, but instead we took on our roles and helped teach by doing and watching. It was really nice to be a part of a class that actually exemplified the theory we've been learning, and not just sitting through lectures on Dewey. I'm sad it's over!

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's overcommitted Febe!

For as long as I've known me, I've had my hand in too many plates or too many plates in hand? Expressions elude me. Then last year, about five months after my son was born, I took a job at my daughter's school as the Bilingual Parent Liaison, and suddenly, the stars aligned and everything I had ever experienced became meaningful and useful in my work with elementary age students, teachers and parents. I realized I had found my calling. 

I chose elementary education because I believe we can make a real difference when our students are young and their families are still deeply involved in their care. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of children, particularly immigrants or those living in poverty. I'd been teaching college for the past 10 years--teaching is a family trade--but I realized that the most impact could be made in early childhood. 

So, I got my "Developmental Milestones Chart" out, decided the best time to start working full time for our family was when my youngest was two, and here I am.

 

Teach for Money!

I got into teaching for the money! Although it sounds funny it is true, at least in the beginning it was. Where shall I start? Let me begin by saying, I think inside, I always wanted to be a teacher but my cousins made fun of me when I played teacher as a kid, and my mother loathed them. So, anyway that sets the stage.
Well, I started out as an art major. Although I was interested in history, I hated learning the facts of war. Art took me places that I had never been before and was something that I was good at. After a few years of ceramic study at the University of Wyoming I decided I wanted to become a studio potter and off to Woodstock, NY I went to try it out. I was an Artist in Residence and spent 6 months throwing pots that led up to my first show. I loved living in the woods and having access to gas and wood fired kilns, but it was a little lonesome for a social cat like me. So,one day I was taking a walk with an older wiser friend of mine and when I mentioned my background and how no one in my entire (including extended) family had not been to college, she turned to me with big eyes and said very matter-of-factly, well you must do that. You must finish your degree. She went on to say how it would change my life forever. So, I tucked that thought in my back pocket and worked in NY for another year while picking up some computer skills too. Then I decided to move to Colorado. Well the programming and other computer jobs were out sourced that year, so I couch surfed at a gracious friend of mine while I continued to search for a job that wasn't there.
Then --CRUNCH---- I was in an accident and was boom-a-ranged back to Laramie, WY (the local paper is called the Boomerang). I moved in with my boyfriend of all of two weeks and he nursed me back to health. So, I decided to stay there and get a job. Well, lo and behold, there was a pottery shop next to the coffee shop I worked at and she needed a pottery instructor. That was my first teaching gig. I loved it. I taught all ages and had a load of fun. I then realized, hey, I am back in Laramie and should finish my degree. I had realized that to make money as an artist, one needed serious connections and I had none, so I thought, if I become a teacher, atleast I know there is a job at the end of it, and I loved teaching ceramics. So, I entered the College of Education. After taking a couple of classes about the history of education and learning styles, theorists and best classroom practices, I was sold! What I learned was how I learn and why and how I could learn more. It was a great moment and is when I decided to learn again! (If you happened to read an earlier blog- it was about the day I stopped learning -5th grade 10 years old!). I was inspired to teach in a way one of my favorite teachers in high school taught and through my own understanding, wanted to teach integrated subjects or project based education. Then upon finishing my undergrad and with art training only, I accepted my first job as a project based teacher in a blended class of 4th - 8th graders. It was everything I wanted (I am a powerful visualizer!) I taught there for two years and loved it. I was surprised how my whole life did change after graduation and am still surprised to find that I underestimate my skills and experience because of sheer ingnorance of not seeing the varied opportunities around me. However, I recently realized a need for certification in this state and that having a mentor teacher is invaluable. So here I am and yes, getting my undergraduate has changed my life forever and my family now thinks I am loaded with money!

teacher mcteacherpants

A response to why I want to be a teacher could go on for pages and pages. It is constantly growing and morphing with all of the new things I learn and experiences I have. Yet, I can generally put my reasons for wanting to go into education in a few categories:

I want to go into education because…

1.     of the teachers and mentors I have had

2.     of the inequities in our educational system I want to try and address as an agent for social change and justice

3.     of the students I have met who have changed my life

4.     it requires me to constantly grow, reflect, change and look critically at myself and the world around me

5.     I can’t imagine doing anything else

Almost every story or reason would fit under one of those main groupings, but in an attempt to shed a little more detailed light, I’ll tell one quick story.

About two years ago I began to work at Bellingham Cooperative School in Bellingham, Washington. When I first started there I worked with the before-and-after-school kids. Two kids who came nearly every morning were G and A. G was A’s older brother, and needed to be walked to the nearby public elementary school every morning. A had never been away from her older brother (she was a few years younger and stayed at BCS during the day), and to make matters more complicated, G and A’s parents had just gotten a divorce and the two kids were being shuffled from house to house on a frequent basis.

Perhaps against my better judgment, I allowed A to walk to the public school with G and I every weekday morning and then I would walk back to BCS with her. This started in September, and nearly every morning until December, A would be fine on the walk to school, when we were dropping off G and as we were leaving the school. A few steps off of the school grounds and A would collapse in a heap, crying and screaming. Knowing that I needed to get back to BCS so I could drive to my classes, and that A needed to join in morning circle for her class, I would hold her in my arms every morning as she kicked me, cried and pulled at my hair for the 8 block walk back that felt like miles. Sometimes I would set her down for a minute and she would instantly start running back towards the public school – setting us back a few blocks, and we would start again. 

Every morning we went through the same routine. Most mornings when we got to BCS, A would run into the woods and hide. I would sit outside at a nearby tree –sometimes talking to her and sometimes just sitting – as she cried and eventually would come in. While our interactions sometimes looked bizarre to those passing by – parents in cars passing by looked mortified as she kicked me, or would slow down and ask if I needed any help getting my child out of a tree – it wasn’t strange to me. In her own way, A was testing and learning to trust me, and I wasn’t going to go anywhere.

It was one of the first days of December when A was curled up under a tree that I came near her and sat down. Some mornings she would run when I came close, but this morning she stayed. I was having a hard time of my own – there had been a death in the family and while I was trying hard to concentrate on my job when I was there, feelings of sadness, missing and loss kept creeping up. When I came over to A it was obvious that she had been crying; her eyes were red and watery, her body was so little and huddled together, and her chin was shaking. We didn’t say anything at first, but after a few minutes I blurted out something about how I was really sad and missed my family. I told her about how I was sad that I didn’t get to see my mom and dad every day, and that it was hard to be at school when I just wanted to be with them. A put her head into her arms and started to cry again as she told me how she missed her parents and didn’t like all of the changes going on.

While that wasn’t that last morning A and I ever had any breakdowns on the way to or from school, it was the last time that she ever ran away, kicked or screamed. It was also the day that I realized I absolutely, positively work with kids for the rest of my life.

How my dream of being a teacher began...

Since I was a little girl I always wanted to be a teacher. I’m the oldest child in my family. I had some responsibilities to help my youngest brothers and sister with their homework. When I was in a fourth grade, I met a Mrs. Tipikina. She became my favorite teacher. She worked as a language arts teacher and was my classroom teacher till high school. It is different than in US schools, in former USSR republic classroom teachers were thought of like a “second mother.” They were responsible for not just their students’ educational achievement, mentoring and advising but taught how to be a good person in general.

After high school graduation and I have enjoyed volunteering in her classroom. This helped me realize how fortunate I was to discover how fun learning is when I was at such an early age. Mrs. Tipikina’s lessons were authentic, colorful and interactive. I remember when I was her student and we learned how to write compositions, Mrs. Tipikina made a lot of comments on the margins of my homework papers and always returned with stickers, stars, and words of praise and encouragement. Memories like these bring a big smile to my face. I also remember Mrs. Tipikina when she read a chapter to us from a storybook. She would change her voice with the characters and use gesticulations to add to the events in the story.

In addition to appreciating learning as an ongoing process, Mrs. Tipikina taught me that discipline, hard work and having fun are all a part of learning and teaching. These are skills and traits I plan to instill in my students and have them benefit from my passion for education similar to how I benefited from Mrs. Tipikina’s passion. I admired her eagerness to teach her students. I witnessed the growth that her students experienced. I know that her students learned much more than the words in their textbooks. I witnessed how every lesson was carefully planned, every student was taken into account and how she made every effort to give her students the very best education.

From these experiences, I have learned the joy of teaching and educating others. As I continued through school, my dream of teaching grew stronger and I felt myself being drawn to positions where I was around children. This sentiment has led me towards volunteering and teaching activities where, for example, I worked as a Teacher Assistant, camp instructor, Russian Literature Teacher, and had the benefit of working with children for the past seventeen years. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with so many children and look forward to working with them on a daily basis.

In spending time with children, I have experienced and observed how important the relationship is between the role model teacher and the student. Mrs. Tipikina planted the initial seed to inspire me to emulate her. This combined with other great teachers I have had and my own teaching experiences have reinforced and further strengthened my desire to be a teacher. I am eager to share my passion with my students to better shape their futures.

Becoming a teacher has been an important part of my life for many years. In fourth grade, I met the person that would inspire my career path – my teacher. From her, I learned so much more than writers’ biographies and proper sentence structure. Thanks to Mrs. Tipikina and other great teachers I have had, I know that there is more to learning than what the teacher writes up on the blackboard. To future students of my own, I plan to pass on the principle that education is invaluable and help them create dreams of their own. A skillful teacher can inspire, motivate, stimulate, and develop the minds of students. He or she must be well educated; be able to work with a diversity of students, parents, and other teachers; and be highly competent in presenting subject matter.

I want to live a life of service to others, especially children. I want to nurture them and be the person that lifts them up. I want them to feel like they could fly if they put their mind to it. I want to show them the beauty, power and courage inside them, even if they don't always see it in themselves. I want my classroom to be an exciting adventure land but also a safe haven all at once. I want children to leave my class with more confidence, compassion, and enthusiasm for life and learning than they entered it. I will teach them the skills they need to know to succeed academically, and the skills they will need to love themselves and others. Perhaps I will only plant seeds that I may never personally see flower, but I will not ever give up. As a teacher I will have great power to change lives. This power will be humbling, exhilarating, overwhelming, frightening, but exceedingly worthwhile. That’s why I decided to be a teacher!

While reading other people's post, I find that a lot of why you all wanted to become teachers rings true for me as well. Like many of us, I initially resisted my inclinations for teaching because I refused to follow in my parent's footsteps and fall into everyone else's expectations for my life. However, every job and almost every volunteer opportunity I have ever had seemed to revolve around children and I loved (almost) every minute of it! I enjoy their company so much more than adults and can't understand why everyone doesn't want to surround themselves with children all day and get paid for it! But I have come to realize that this says something about me and what I am meant to do. I have found my time working in day care and elementary schools to be some of the most amazing and illuminating times of my life and now understand that teaching is what I want/love to do.
I have had the opportunity as a special ed. assistant to observe an array of teachers in different grade levels and have learned so much from my time in the classroom about the kind of teacher I want to be. It has been a great way to see the amazing ways a teacher can touch the life of a child and to get great ideas for my classroom. On the other hand, I have also learned so much about the kind of teacher I do not want to be. In fact, I think my biggest inspiration to become a teacher has been my exposure to so many negative experiences in the schools I worked in. I have witnessed firsthand how a teacher's negligence in getting to really know and appreciate their students can allow children to slip through the cracks for yet another year. I have seen too many teachers use the same standard lesson plans year after year, even when they are obviously ineffective for most of the class. And most disappointing, I have witnessed negative stereotyping and discrimination and have seen the way it can affect a child's attitude about school and their sense of self-worth.
Being a witness and sometimes a part of these classrooms has ignited a passion in me to make a difference in education. I can't wait to work with my own students and to make all the positive changes I have been thinking about for so long. I am also excited to implement my LC education and my continually evolving educational philosophy in the classroom. I will continue to push myself to be the best teacher I can be and work to create a place for my students to excel where they all feel a sense of belonging and pride.

Influences by fate....

I moved to New Zealand in 2006 and the opportunity to work in a pre-school presented itself. Something inside me said do it. I had an amazing time working with these children and watching them progress over the year. It was inspiring to watch them connect with me and see the influence I alone had on them.

Prior to my year in New Zealand I had recently graduated college and had been working as a freelance graphic designer in Portland. When I returned I worked for a small company in SW Portland as a designer, which I enjoyed but found myself comparing it to my experience in the pre-school. I found it stimulating contributing to these children's learning and I had a hard time finding a days work as a designer to be as rewarding.

Both my parents are teachers and I have quite a few friends in the Portland area who teach and love what they do too. After some time and reflection on how remarkable it felt while working with children I started spending time in 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms. When I was younger I wasn't keen on following in my families footsteps, I wasn't sure if it was my calling. But after entering a classroom full of young people I felt the impact I had on them and could see the difference I as an assistant could make. That's when I got started filling out applications...

I feel so fortunate to be here and to have been placed in cohort 3. I truly can't imagine a different group of people to be working with. After these few weeks and the amount of material we've digested, I know there is much more to learn and consider. The most important part of my future will be to find a way as a teacher to make a difference. My goals are to hopefully make a lasting impression on my students that will eventually grow into something more among families, fellow teachers, even communities. I know this will take time but that is why I am here.

Why Teaching?

When I was growing up, I absolutely hated when people would asked "what do you want to do when you grow up?" and I would respond, "I want to be a teacher".. and they'd be like "awwww. just like your dad!" or "just like your mom" or "it must run in the family" and so on and so on. In the beginning, since my school was a K-12, I would volunteer after school while I waited for my mom (since she was the Dean of Students at my school and we'd be at school at least until 5:30 everyday) at the elementary after school care program. That evolved into me working for the summer sports program at my school and I worked there for two summers before becoming an instructor.
Then when I was working as an instructor, I was teaching the kids to play baseball and I was trying to teach this girl Lauren to hit the ball. Her group leaders were like "just let her use the tee" but all her other group mates hit the ball by tossing it and so when they kept insisting that she hit off the tee... she looked sad. So I told her group leaders "No, I believe that Lauren can hit the ball so I'm going to give her three more balls" and the third ball she hit the ball and she was soooo happy as she ran to first. After the game was done, Lauren came over to me and gave me a hug and said "thanks for letting me hit like everyone else".
To me thats when I knew when I wanted to become a teacher.. when the kids have that "ah ha" moment, it really makes me happy and feel good inside like I made a difference. I've always enjoyed working with children so I felt the next step was going to graduate school to get my master's degree in elementary ed. and there is my story!! :)

What could be better?

I love children as much as the next guy, but I had never seen them in a school setting until working at Grout Elementary these past two years, only baby sitting, or summer camps. It is a completely different environment. They come alive, and make you feel invigorated in a way that no 9-5 cubicle job could ever satisfy. Even when I was doing work I loved in a free clinic, or other non-profit work, there was still the dreadful paperwork and data entry that made each day kind of an eye-on-the-clock experience. At school, there is no time for that! Each kid needs you at every moment to be here now. To give your full attention and effort. And the kids keep you awake with their energy, and their moods--no day is the same, and it is the best kind of inconsistency. I find I enjoyed their company more than adults, but the adults I worked with were all (though sometimes we had VERY different methods which caused some friction) working towards the same goal, solving these problems facing our children. And the problems were and are very real. And the solutions can be very visible, tangible even, which offers a tremendous amount of satisfaction. I'd say the best part about teaching is it satisfies so many different ambitions of mine. We're serving others. Every day counts. You're doing something to better the world at large, and the world as we know it within our small communities, and within each individual, you work with brilliant, creative and stubborn people, and are challenged by conflict everyday, but the battles are WORTH it. It's the greatest job I can think of. But I want a raise.

Why teaching?

Finding my way into a M.A.T. program just sort of happened, the way most great and wonderful things do. Upon graduating from my undergrad, I swore I would never go to grad school. I had absolutely no desire to be in school any longer and I thought those that did were crazy. In short, I was burnt out and naive to what the real world really required for success. I was convinced that I was going to make it as a public relations executive and I couldn't wait to start making all that money that Samantha on Sex and the City made and wear all the designer shoes and bags I could ever want!
Then I got into public relations, I made a bit of money and I started buying nice clothes and purses and realized hey, I'm turning into a huge sell out and hey, this isn't success, I feel more empty doing this lucrative job than I did cleaning up throw up and getting peed on by babies at the day care I worked at.
Then it hit me, I need fulfillment through helping others and only through achieving that will I ever feel "successful". It dawned on me that for me, success is not at all connected to money and once I let go of my designer dreams, I plunged head first into my M.A.T. applications and here I am!
I can't wait to start teaching. At this point in my life, I can't think of a more rewarding and selfless position one can hold and that's exactly what I'm looking for. Simply put, I just want the opportunity to make a positive and real difference to the people who matter the most to this world; the next generation.

Teaching for the future!

When most people are asked why they want to become a teacher the most common response is that they love to work with children. This is a given! I always enjoyed working with children because I thought maybe I could change each and every child I worked with, and make them love school and love learning. I know now that you can not change every child, but you can make a difference in their lives. When I first graduated from college I made the decision to teach over seas for a year to see If it was something I really might enjoy doing. My initial plan was to only stay abroad for a year, but I ended up staying three. It was during my time in Japan that I realized I loved to teach. It was also during this time that I realized you can not change every students mind. Though my situation was a little different because I was teaching English, and this is a subject that is difficult for Japanese people to learn, I always had a few students who despised the idea of even opening an English text book. It was also in Japan where I found my calling. I always found the good in my students. Even if I could only bring one smile a day it was well worth the effort.
The most reoccurring question that kept popping up in my head was "If I can not change each child's mind than how can I make a difference?" Could I really make a difference just by bringing a smile to one child's face? In my opinion the awnser is yes! By changing the way just one child thinks we can make a difference. My thoughts are now that if we can change how one child thinks, they might in return change how another person thinks, and this helps give me hope for the future. This is why I want to become a teacher.

Teaching (it's a fmaily thing)

I was not going to be a teacher! Almost every single person in my family was in education; therefore, I was going to work with animals. My undergrad was Zoology with Fish and Wildlife minor, I volunteered/interned/worked in the zoo, and that was definitely where my career was going to be. However, slowly my jobs shifted from working with animals to working with children…what was happening? I was falling into the inevitable family trap, the one that makes us Williams most happy when we are working with children. So, I accepted my fate as a (*sigh*) future teacher. After working in a school this last year and loving it, I am now convinced that, that is where I want to be. Oh well, I’m sure that Zoology degree will come in useful (schools are similar to zoos…right?). At least I won’t have to go to work while the rest of my family gets summers off.

To teach or not to teach?

Why do I want to teach? That is a great question, a question that I have been asked by many people. My answer is simple I want to make an impact on peoples lives and I love working with children. So why not teach? Throughout my life I have some way been involved working with children, they have this energy that captivates me. There were definetly times where I drifted from the idea of teaching due to spending too much time with children but I always got redirected. There is something about introducing new ideas to a child or seeing them having an ‘aha’ moment. When you see a child finally grasp a concept that they have been pondering for sometime, it’s an amazing feeling to be able to experience that with them. I also truly love the thought process that goes behind their life investigations.
Not only does the ‘aha’ moments inspire me but being able to play a key role in so many children’s lives is an honor. I want to be that teacher they remember for years on end, the one that gave them a helping hand through their academic struggles or even personal struggles. I want to inspire their minds. I want to help them grow within and be the best they can be but not in the army or maybe. (:
I have always wanted a career that can aid in the development of people. I wanted a job that contributes to the development of the world. Its crazy I want to be able to have an impact, as did the school of Baraka for those boys. Speaking of that documentary, it makes me mad that the school of Baraka just gave up on the boys. Why couldn’t they open up another school somewhere else? Anywhere else? That movie inspires me to create opportunities for children that truly need to experience a different community, to show them that they can do anything they put their minds to. The film also inspires me to work at an inner-city school where qualified teachers are needed however I am also terrified of getting chewed up. I get pretty emotionally involved but at the same time I am strong and persistent. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me!

Why I went into teaching...

It’s kind of funny, I used to think that I had a coherent answer to this question. I guess it’s not so much my answer that has changed in the last five weeks, but my vision of what it means to be a teacher and what good teaching looks like that seems to be changing every day…

I've always loved children. I remember when I was a teenager I always loved playing with my friends' younger siblings. I babysat neighborhood kids all through middle and high school and then worked in day care centers, after school programs and summer camps throughout college. People had always told me that I was good with kids and this type of work always naturally to me because I loved the energy that I got when I was around children. Their energy, imagination and creativity are so contagious!

However, my mother was a teacher for many years and a bit of a pessimist so she tried to steer me away from teaching, because it's not well-paid and it's hard work. I was always good at math and science so I think she wanted me to go into engineering or physics or something. But that never worked out. I had the impression that scientists were boring people locked up in labs all day and I hated math even though I got good grades. Thinking back, I was probably influenced by the fact that I had wonderful, passionate social studies and language arts teachers in high school and dull, boring math and science teachers... just another example of how much teachers can influence their students!

So anyways... I arrived at college with vague notions that I liked working with people and loved children but I shouldn't go into teaching because it's badly-paid. During my four years at college, I became increasingly politically conscious as I became aware of many of the issues of power, privilege and oppression that we are talking about in this class and Zaher's class. I finally decided to major in psychology with a concentration in social psychology and became very interested in the psychological research around race, class and gender issues. I began to get interested in the role of educators in addressing these issues and in my senior year, I took an education class in which we read Paulo Freire and a couple other theorists that dealt with the role of education in promoting social change. So I finally had an excuse to go into teaching, who cares if it’s badly paid because I was going to change the world! Pretty idealistic, but I was in college...

A lot has happened since then… I went abroad to Spain to teach English (I originally intended to stay only one year) and got distracted and stayed much longer. I was dealing with so many different things, adapting to a different culture and language, finding a job, place to live and navigating the immigration system that I a lot of the issues I had been so passionate about got lost somewhere. I was also an outsider coming into a culture with a very different social structure and history in which many of these issues play out in very different ways. I also didn't have the formal training, tools or community to help me bring them to the classroom effectively. Another problem was that I was working mainly with teenagers who I had no idea how to handle because all my previous work had been with preschool and elementary age children. One thing I did learn was that I have absolutely no desire to teach middle school or high school. ..

So I’ve finally made my way back to my decision to teach elementary school and the last few weeks have been a great way to remind me of why I got into this in the first place. It’s taken me awhile to get here but I hope I will be able to combine experience with idealism and everything that we’re learning in this program to give my students the education that they deserve.

Why Why Why?

I have been working with children most of my professional career. Yet it has never been intentional. I attended summer camp as a camper and loved it so much the natural thing to do was to go back as a CIT and then a counselor. From there i was convinced I should become a unit head and division leader. Everyone was always saying I have a gift relating to children and should become a teacher. I just smiled and said thanks, but I dismissed them thinking I was destined for bigger and better things. I pursued a degree in Marketing, I thought money would make me happy. That is what society taught me to believe.

Working in business was certainly not for me...the money was there, but the passion, caring, and ultimately happiness was not. I found myself heading up youth groups and other recreational youth activities in my spare time. Again I head from numerous people, you have a gift, you really should be a teacher. Again I smiled and nodded, I enjoyed working with children, but it didn't seem like a career. I wanted to do something HUGE.

I went to film school. Started working on films, hanging out with big name celebrities on the sets, started making connections...but again I didn't feel fulfilled. I was put in charge of the child actors that were extras on the set. The Assistant Director on my last film felt like I would be good with kids he said. I guess it was there and then I realized that teaching is what will make me happy, not big pay checks or hanging with movie stars. It seems to be my destiny. I moved to Portland and decided to apply to teaching programs and haven't looked back since.

I choose Portland because 1)I have friends here and fell in love with the place when I visited, and 2)It is an amazingly progressive city and has great variations from the traditional schools like the environmental and magnet schools. I was considering Lewis & Clark, Montessori, and Waldorf programs. Inevitably I chose Lewis & Clark because I thought here the possibilities are endless, where I would be limited with Montessori and Waldorf programs. I want to make a difference, I want to be part of the change that is needed, it's time for me to stop talking about it and start doing it.

I'm not sure if teaching is my final destination. I'd like to open my own school down the road, encompassing all the theorists' and my own philosophies and ideas (a lot of which we've learned about in this class), and eliminating the standardized testing and other things I don't agree with. It would probably have to be a private school seeing how in order to take government or state money you have to adhere to their testing and curriculum. This is down the road anyway I don't even know why I'm writing about it now. Must be ADD in which we'll be talking about on Monday.

In summary, I'm very excited to become a teacher. I'm loving the journey, this program, the classes we are taking, Lewis & Clark, my cohort, and Portland.

Wake Up!

After high school, I began undergrad studies at PSU as a business major. That was sort of a passive, default choice for me, since I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life, and it seemed "safe." The country runs on business, I told myself, so there will always be jobs for me there. Well, yes, there were jobs, but after a couple of decades doing them, I felt empty, unfulfilled. I felt like I was finally waking up in a strange place after a very long sleep and wondering how I got there, and how I was going to get back to...? Where was it that I wanted to go? What am I doing in my career that has any sort of meaning for myself as well as others, I wondered. How am I making a difference?

The fact that I felt this way and was asking myself these kinds of questions meant that I was at a crossroads, a crisis of fulfillment, and a breakthrough, all rolled up into one. The process of finding my calling would require a lot of soul-searching and reflection, but I knew I needed to move on. I had been at a staffing service for nearly nine years, managing the larger accounts we had with a virtual who's who of eastside businesses, plugging people needing jobs into mostly entry-level production work assembling multi-tools and winches, packing boxes, filling orders.
Most made $9/hr or less, barely enough.

And I often found myself wondering how different the lives of our employees might have been had they been more invested in their education, if they had been encouraged and inspired to aim higher, to ask and expect more of the world and of themselves. This turned out to be one of several signposts pointing me in the direction of education. Another was the time I heard an OPB broadcast of a speech by Jonathan Kozol. I was on my way to Thriftway to get a couple of things for dinner, and he was mesmerizing. It was like a rallying call, making the case that America desperately needs its bright, educated and motivated people to join its education system to make a real difference in society, to temper the inequities, to help achieve social justice. I sat in the parking lot listening, unable to tear myself away. Jonathan was speaking passionately, and directly, to me!

So, I'm here to answer that call. I'm here because in teaching I see the power to affect positive change in others, to make a difference. And I'm here because I know that by serving students, their families, the school community, I will also be serving my needs for meaning and fulfillment.

Why I want to teach well

As the oldest one in the cohort, you would think that I would have the greatest degree of certainty about my commitment to pursue teaching. I am afraid that I don’t. I am often questioning my decision to become a teacher, even though it was a long path to get here. I want to teach because I want to make a difference in children’s lives. What I don’t know is, can I indeed do that well?

I pursued journalism because I wanted to help make lives better. I think I was able to help do that. Many stories I reported or edited led to improved lives for people. The stories led to changes ranging from bringing sewer services to children who attended school in waste to reforming the ethics rules for how the government conducts experiments, from ousting corrupt public officials to reforming how the state investigates and handles child abuse. But throughout almost 30 years of journalism, I always felt as I was on the sidelines. I could give people information that would help people take action, but often times shedding light led to no action or indifference. As the industry’s problems grew, I felt increasingly as if I was trying to save journalism to be able to make a difference, so I was becoming even more distanced from touching people’s lives.

Throughout my decades of journalism, I saw thousands of types of careers. Out of all of the ones I witnessed, the one that had the most profound impact on people’s lives was teaching. Great teachers can change lives. They can empower and inspire. They can give confidence and hope to children and communities. I am drawn to that opportunity and have been for many years.

I also admit I am partially drawn because teaching needs contributions from people with varied talents and experiences. Teachers always have been so undervalued. The pay does not begin to reflect their value. Their status among professionals is low. The profession desperately needs to draw people with rich experiences, but lacks the incentives to help do that. In a very, very small way, my move to teaching in the last stage of my professional life is a small step in trying to help reverse that.

Yet my greatest fear is that I won’t be able to do it well. The first six weeks of the program have delivered a huge amount of knowledge about teaching. They have been inspiring, making me even more eager to get in the classroom. But they also have revealed the complexity of teaching, the desperate need to improve it and the potential to cause harm. To not do it well would defeat my whole purpose for pursuing teaching: I want to make a difference, but it must be a positive one. My hope is that the coming year will give me the skills, the confidence and the wisdom to know I can do that.

Why I am becoming a teacher...

As all of you probably know, I have had one of the worst years in my lifetime this year. I found out through a series of horrible discoveries, that my husband whom I thought I knew so well was not who he was at all. My life was completely turned upside down, and thanks to family and good friends like all of you, I am finding much joy!
I have always wanted to help people in some way and have tried to take part in many ventures where I could do that. Since I have had my children, I have not had the time I would like to contribute to various charitable activities. I had thought about being a therapist for a while, but I have decided that teaching is what I want to do. Having my children has really helped me in deciding what I love. I want to make a difference for children and be a symbol of stability and love in their lives. I am also fascinated with child development and what the key areas are that children need to satisfy to be able to move ahead as learners and as human beings.
I know that I only have one year with a child and that I am one teacher among many who will have any influence over a given child, yet for that one year, I want my students to develop academic competencies, learn about living in community, experience the excitement of life-long learning and understanding his/her emotions.
Since I have been involved so heavily with the issues that face my son, I have been learning so much about brain development and I see how my son is progressing with early intervention to deal with his sensory system and delayed language development. The early years are so crucial for building a strong foundation for the rest of a lifetime. I want to leave work at the end of the day feeling that I have truly made a difference in a child’s life.
Being a teacher will also work well for me as a single mother, so that I can spend time with my children. I would never want to spend countless hours in the corporate world and miss the lives of my children. It does not matter how much more money I could earn doing something else. I want to feel good about what I do and have time and attention for my children.

Mother Knows Best

I think I might have told some of you this story already, so I apologize for the repeat...

I guess I've always known that I was meant to be a teacher. I started babysitting from an early age, taking care of my two younger brothers and other kids in the neighborhood. In high school, I branched out into teaching summer programs in theater and art for the Parks and Recreation Department. By the time I was a University student, I was teaching in after school programs for the Minneapolis Public School system. However, throughout my young adulthood, I tried my hardest to avoid becoming a teacher, pursuing my other passion, theater. Of course, I don't need to tell you the odds of securing a job in the theater world, but that was inconsequential to me. I was bound and determined to avoid becoming a teacher. Do you want to know what was my biggest motivation for acting like this? My mother.

While my mother is a wonderful and lovely person, it has always been my personal goal to do exactly the opposite of what she wanted me to do. I don't know why. Perhaps it was that smug "I told you so" kind of grin she would get when I went against her advice and, more often than not, failed. So when my mother informed me that she took a personality quiz from some pop psychology book to determine what her children's future careers would be, I bristled when I heard her prediction for me. You guessed it- it was that I would become a teacher.

So, I spent the better part of my twenties trying to run away from my mother's forecast. Yet I always ended up working with kids in some way, shape or form. First it was the Montessori job, then later the day care downtown. Finally, I decided enough was enough, and tried my hand at teaching English to adults in Japan. That lasted about a month. I missed kids! So, I was lucky enough to land a job at an international preschool and stayed there for almost four years. I had such a great time working with kids and families not only from Japan but from all over the world. The connections I made there and the progress I saw the children make, particularly with their English and Reading Readiness skills, made me realize that teaching was the most enjoyable, rewarding profession for me.

It took me a while to actually get organized and come back here, but thus far I am happy with the choice I have made to study at Lewis and Clark. I really enjoy working with you, my classmates and the wonderful discussions we have in class. I only hope that I can transform this knowledge and experience in a way that will benefit my students. I strive to fight the odds and stay committed to helping my students find academic success for a long, long time. I guess I also hope that I can make my mother proud ;)

I think the blog is supposed to be about this...

I believe we are supposed to blog about why we wanted to become teachers, so here it is. Otherwise, here is some extra info about me; I know you all were dying to know :)

When I was little I always loved pretend-played being a teacher, it was my absolute passion. So that always stuck with me, that passion to teach. Although now I don't have to do the whole make-believe part, I think that would make for some trips to the psychiatric ward. Anyways, I got on a tangent (as I always do), back to me being a kid. In elementary school and all the way up to freshman/sophomore year of high school, whenever asked what I wanted to be, it was always a teacher. Then the realization that teachers don't make a lot of money set in. At that point I was applying to colleges and decided that I wanted to live comfortably and not depend on any man so I needed to aspire to do something else other than teaching. I considered speech therapy, but when I went in to observe my aunt who worked with young children, I just ended up trying not to giggle at how cute and funny their little accents were (I know I am mean). After that, I looked into a wide range of jobs, like physical therapy, etc. and realized that they all centered on the idea of helping other people. In the meanwhile, my jobs during school always entailed myself working with kids. Finally, I decided I needed to love my job and I could never work in some cubicle, etc as a living, it was just not me. Money should not dictate my passion for working with kids, same with other people's opinions. I have gotten a lot of, “I could never do teaching, that is great you are doing that” but also I lot of negative criticism like “why don't you get a real job so you can actually make money.” In the end, I realized I should have just embraced my childhood dream, as idealistic as it was at the time, to teach. I know it is going to be a hard job, take a lot of time and effort, and people may even look down on me for being a teacher (oddly enough since I will be teaching some of the next generation of people). But, it will all be worth it. I am going to care about my students, make sure they are getting a good education (as best I know how to give them), collaborate with colleagues to have a more well-rounded curriculum, and feel like I am making a difference, even if it will only be one student out of all of them who I have a great positive effect on. Now I see the importance of critical thinking and want to give my students the tools (as much as I can in a year) to be good critical thinkers so that they can think for themselves and be more empowered. These are reasons why I want to be a teacher!

non-original white privilege title

Because I have finished "The Boys of Baraka", I will hold back on responding to the documentary until we have finished it as a class. I will say though, that I found it very moving, powerful and hugely sobering in spite of all of our readings.

In response to the "White Privilege" article however, I'm sure I have nothing new to add to this discussion but at the same point, I think it's amazing how little we all knew about the power and privileges we have all been enjoying. It was very sobering to realize that white people are not taught to see ourselves as privileged but instead we are conditioned to think of minorities as disadvantaged and the conversation stops there. There don't seem to be two sides to the coin in this scenario and there needs to be.

One thought in particular that stuck out to me was this one, "...[I was] taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth." I find myself in the exact same boat, I have never thought of racism as something more than racial slurs, overt oppression from some higher power of authority or blatant hatred.

I'm very excited to get my hands on my classroom and begin to educate children of all races, at an early age, on what racism is, what it looks like and how it affects not just minorities but every human being. I think it's very important to make sure that white children are educated on their position of power and privilege so they aren't as blind to it as I was and so that they are mindful of their personal impacts instead of being totally oblivious. My hope is that this will help in delivering my overall message of compassion, tolerance and acceptance of others and that it will help teach white children especially, how to act responsibly, kindly and in the best interest of others.

privilege

I thought it was interesting when Peggy McIntosh said "whites are carefully taught not to recognize privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege". Maybe its because I am neither white nor male, but when I was growing up my mom and dad told me repeatedly to be thankful for the type of education that I was receiving. I had the opportunity to go to an all girls private school from K-12 on a scholarship, and without it I probably would have had to gone to a public school. So my parents told me from a very young age of how privileged I was to be going to this school. When McIntosh was listing the things that she is able to do because of the white privilege she has, I thought about how I've moved to Oregon and by being in Oregon I can be like "nope, can't do that" but if I were in Hawaii, I could see how I could be viewed as being privileged in Hawaii. I do think that people who are privileged don't realize it and often take it for granted.

A good example is the boys of Barack. They weren't privileged and had to go out of the country in order to get a second chance. Couple puzzling questions came to my mind... 1) why do these boys have to go to Africa in order to get a better chance of completing school? 2) Why can't they move to some place in America? 3) Does being away for 2 years really impact them in a way that they are able to complete school in the home town? I believed that privileged or not, all students should be given a equal opportunity to succeed and the United States government should be the one to supply their needs.

Hey, We Have the Same Belt!

McIntosh on power and privilege:
"Many doors open for certain people through no virtue of their own."

My notes from "The Boys of Baraka":
"Police presence. 'Games' re-enacting scenes of violence, arrest. Those bleak streets. Those street corners: junkies, homeless, jobless, drug dealers. Urban Wasteland. Their possibilities, outlook, vision for the future shaped by a desolate environment. What is in their knapsacks? Not much. White people in charge--how refreshing!"

Self-reflection continues after "Rethinking," Delpit, "Knapsack" and now Baraka. I didn't think I was all that privileged when I was growing up--back to school shopping at Fred Meyer, birthday and Christmas presents a la Newberry's. Lower middle class--nothing special, and wishing for more. The things working in my favor, things I didn't see then and hadn't really thought about until now, are now starkly laid in front of me. My "package of unearned assets." When I look back, I see that I've had access to a lot of things, and been able to circumvent a lot of obstacles, where others did not have such advantages.

The task is to translate this newfound discovery (and a bit of white guilt, I'll admit) into something productive. I think about the essay in Delpit, where it's recounted that elite Ivy Leaguers descended on the South to join the cause for Civil Rights. Young, idealistic, fired up, hearts in the right place--and woefully ignorant. I'm sure they did good work, and hopefully made a difference. I just hope that I enter the profession with a bit more temperence, the knowlege of my own shortcomings, that my reflection on my heritage of advantage will give me the insight to make a lasting, positive impact. I know after working at a school in a fairly poor neighborhood that I have a giant soft spot for the disadvantaged and the vulnerable, and I want to use that to help children.

And though I know that extra-school factors can work against them, I also know that I will not allow those to be a crutch for students: my expectations are that every child deserves the best we have to offer; and each one has it in them to achieve at the highest levels. This just may be the most succinct distillation of a developing personal teaching doctrine for me yet! Adherence to this philosophy will allow young learners to envision and actualize a brighter future for themselves.

Kids from Baltimore

I was very upset when I watching the Boys of Baraka video tape. Those kids deserved to be at schools with similar programs here in the United States. Why they send them so far away (Africa). This is a shame; they are children of US citizens. Yes, their parents have some problems and cannot provide a good learning environment for them, but the government should build similar schools with a good environment and good teachers for those children here in US. It could be in California near to the ocean, they could have activities for them such as swimming, snorkeling, surfing and get a good education. Poor kids didn’t see good lifestyles at home and after all that, they were sent to what appeared to be a worse place then they had before. Maybe they taught them there how to behave discipline, stay focused. They couldn’t escape but I think those kids could live in the boys scouts camps in California and have still learned discipline and good manners too. Richard said; “Life is not fair. They keep us like in prison. They lied to us.” Those 20 suspended students had the “privilege” in Baltimore of getting a diploma in Africa. What about other students in Baltimore who live in high crime areas? I think the government should spend more money in building programs for children like Richard, Devon, and Daniel here in US.

Privilege

Through our discussions, I'm realizing privilege isn't always limited to the rewards you're given in life, earned and unearned, deserved and not. It has a whole other layer extending to a freedom from worry and an ability to dismiss certain cares that others must face daily. After reading Peggy McIntosh's article, I feel an acute sense of shame in how unaware I was of certain pathways that are made easier for me simply because of how I look. More acute is the realization of how in some cases I actually use (or abuse) these pathways knowingly. I know I can get away with certain things because I am an unassuming young white girl. People place unearned faith in me based on assumptions they make about the type of person I am. That I can smile and flirt to make more tips as a female waitress. That is a privilege. That if I ask a person on the street for a dollar because I'm short for the bus, they're not going to deny me or look the other way because they think I'm trying to pull a fast one on them to go buy a 40. That is a privilege. And that I can apply for an apartment or a job and they will accept me or hire me at face value without necessarily worrying if I can make rent at the end of the month or have a terrible credit history.

But to not completely dwell on guilt and punish myself, I'm also trying to look at it from another angle. If I was to be walking in a rougher neighborhood, I would have to be more guarded as a young white girl. If I was an older male with a more aggressive appearance, would that be considered a privilege in that scenario? I guess my point is that privilege can be absolute within society, but can also be relative. The goal is to make privileges more attainable for everyone, but to also look closely at the privileges children are already holding, or don't have, and see how they have shaped the person they are, and will shape the person they will become.

I was excited to see that Jen and Aaron referred to Tim Wise, I read his book 'White Like Me' when I was younger and it really helped me understand white privilege and gave me some words for the things I was thinking about race in our society. One issue that he wrote about in the book and that was brought up in our workshop 'skit' on Monday was dealing with white coworkers who make negative comments about students of color. I was working in a few public schools in a conservative Oregon town and have run into this problem and felt frustrated about how to best handle the situation. Tim Wise pointed out that in our society, one example of white privilege is that white people assume that they can make racist comments to other whites without feeling inappropriate or worrying about their response. I have seen this to be the case with many of my coworkers in the last two years. This is a difficult situation because I felt torn between my personal beliefs and my desire to maintain a good relationship with the staff.
I believe that with my privilege comes responsibility: in this case I felt that I had to work to change their attitudes about minority students because they were obviously unwilling to listen to their students or their families. I also felt that it was important for the children to have an advocate in a school where the majority of the staff was white. I was glad we had a chance to work through some of the racial conflicts in class because they are all something we will most likely have to deal with in our careers. It is important that we use our privilege to in a positive way to be agents of change in our schools and surrounding communities.
I want to use the outrage I feel about the inequalities in our society and the attitudes of white people I encounter in my daily life to fuel my ambition to become a better teacher. I will empower my students and and use my privileged position to advocate for them whenever there is a need. I will strive to create an anti-biased curriculum and my students will be encouraged to feel pride about their racial and ethnic identities in the classroom. I do not want to perpetuate the racism of our society in my classroom; instead, my students will be taught to identify and challenge the powers that be and the injustices that are inflicted upon them. I will work to help them become critical thinkers and give them the tools needed to challenge the system and have a better chance for success in school and beyond.

Sometimes other people say it best.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about the privilege I have and don't have. The privilege I see and that which I am oblivious or naive towards. I have thought about the "Boys of Baraka" and what it says that the black boys are brought to Africa to be taught by white people so that they can have a brighter future. I have thought about how demeaning this is and how true it may be. I have thought about the white privilege that I benefit from and whether it serves anyone but my own ego to dismiss these privileges in disgust of them, or use them to try and change the system. I have thought about what a privilege it is just to be able to think about my privilege - to have the time and resources to spend my time sitting here thinking so much about myself, who I am and what I believe in life. I suppose I have thought a lot about all of these things and realized that it is easy to get stuck in just thinking and believing that this new enlightenment is enough. But it's not. So now I want to start working on doing and changing and real tangible things while I continue to think and grow and reflect. And here are some quotes that I really, really love that help me think about these things.

This is one of my very favorite quotes, and it makes me think about how power is concentrated and who has it in our country.

You will agree that there is no harm in not knowing how to play music, or dance, or ride; nevertheless, a man who is not a musician is ashamed and does not dare to sing in the presence of others, or dance if he doesn't know how, or ride if he cannot sit his horse well. Yet ignorance of how to govern peoples gives rise to so many evils, so much death, destruction, burning and ruination, that it may be said to be the deadliest plague of all; and despite that some rulers who know absolutely nothing about government are not ashamed to set about the task of governing before the eyes not of a small group of men, but rather of the entire world, seeing that they are so exalted in rank that all eyes are turned towards them and hence not only their great but even their slightest defects are always observed.
-Baldesar Castiglione, "The Book of the Courtier"

This quote is from a "conscious" hip-hop and rap artist/poet named K'naan. He was born in Somalia and lived there during the Somalian Civil War until he was able to get an exit visa with his mother and join his father in New York City in 1991. This quote is from a song off of his album "Dusty Foot Philosopher".

"You know my closest friend got killed and we used to, the way that I used to see him, he was like the dusty foot philosopher. It means - the one that's poor, lives in poverty, but lives in a dignified manner and philosophizes about the universe, they talk about - they talk about things that well read people do, and they've never read. They've never been on a plane, but they can tell you what's beyond the clouds. And that's who the dusty foot philosopher is."

-K'naan, "For Mohamoud (Soviet)"

Intersection of privilege

I have a few kind of disperse things to say, because I have been doing some of my own thinking about the article and the film, but then I started reading everybody's post and started thinking about new things. So...

First of all, Aaron mentioned Tim Wise. If any of you are interested in doing more reading about white privilege, he is one of the big names of white people that talk about white privilege. He has a lot of articles, www.timwise.org, he came to speak at my undergrad college while I was there. Maybe we could try to bring him to Lewis and Clark... Anyways, he talks a lot about the role of the white ally as someone who gets really good at recognizing how white privilege and covert racism manifests itself and then uses his or her own position of privilege to counter it. So as a white person, when you see these types of situations, speak up, because other white people are more likely to question or change their behavior and less likely to get defensive if they are called out by another white person as opposed to a person of color (Tim Wise says it much more eloquently than me so check out the articles). This is way easier said than done sometimes, but I feel like the types of role playing activities that we did in Zalika's class on Monday could be really helpful for brainstorming ways to respond effectively.

Second, when I was watching "Boys of Baraka," I made a list of privileges that I was given by growing up in a white middle class neighborhood as opposed to inner city Baltimore. Here they are...
1. I never heard from a school authority that I probably would not graduate from high school.

2. I did not see police cars constantly driving through my neighborhood.

3. I knew I could walk to the corner store at any time of day without having to worry about witnessing or being a victim of violence.

4. At 12 years old I was not aware of people in my neighborhood dealing or using drugs.

5. My older brother did not have to worry about developing physical strength to defend himself.

6. I never had to go to a prison or jail to visit a loved one.

7. My parents did not have a real fear that I would drop out of school or end up in prison by the time I was a young adult.

So, I was also thinking about the intersection of race and class privilege here and what Zalika said about race and class issues often getting wrapped up together, especially when talking about black people. So which of these are race issues and which are class issues? In this case, I think they're hard to separate. It seems to me that these conditions are related not just to poverty, but also to the militarization of majority black and Latino neighborhoods. So, I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this is that these privileges, identities and power dynamics cannot be seen as just a checklist of haves and have nots and that it's really crucial to examine the way they intersect to really know where somebody is coming from. Relating that back to my own experience, when I was reading Peggy McIntosh's article, I could definitely relate to her list of privileges from a racial perspective. However, I definitely got a lot of no's (without even changing any wording), obviously not as a person of color, but as a queer woman. But of course, that looks way different for me than a queer person of color or a queer person living in poverty. So... all these privileges are really complicated and intersect with each other in all kinds of different ways. In doing anti-bias work, it's really important to remember that people are individuals and to avoid putting people into boxes based on their larger identities.

Privilege

Privilege

Although acutely aware of many of my privileges due to the color of my skin, McIntosh’s essay certainly made me all the more aware. Some of things I had never even thought about, which is another one of my privileges…because, I never have had to. Although I grew up in a neighborhood that was made up of mostly minority and lower income people, I was given opportunities many of them were not. I was privileged from birth. From the very beginning I could go most places or say almost anything without having to wonder how I was being judged. I did not worry that whatever choices I made personally would be attributed to the color of my skin. Reading through McIntosh’s article makes me want to apologize, not for the privileges I have been granted, but to those who have not been able to receive them. In a perfect world everyone would carry their knapsack and no one would even notice. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world so; I must do what I can. I as a teacher must encourage my students to question what is, while doing so myself. I must break down stereotypes and encourage critical thought. I must accept that I have been privileged and instead of apologizing for it, I must use it wisely. I must teach my students in the best way that I can.