Melanie’s Blog

I must be honest in saying that when I read the title of the chapter, “Philosophy and Politics,” I let out a yawn; however, this chapter was informative and more interesting than I thought it would be.  We have definitely come a long way in our educational system!  I was interested in reading about the six philosophies of education.  Before reading, I assumed I would easily be able to pick my own philosophy out, but I feel that my philosophy incorporates bits and pieces from each. 

Jane Addams was an incredible person.  Even though she founded the Hull House over 100 years ago, her goals are current with today’s times.  She felt it was important for immigrant children to adapt to the culture in which they lived, but also felt it was important to connect these children with their own culture, including the language, history, and traditions of their culture.

 My favorite part of the chapter was reading the quotes and stories from different teachers throughout the chapter.  A lot of stories were from first year teachers who really seemed to know what they’re talking about!  I feel I relate to personal stories and learn a lot from them.

The two articles we read last week were quite informative to me.  The last time I learned about specific cultures was in college.  I remember bits and pieces of things I learned back then and every little bit has helped, especially last year when I had one of the most diverse classes I have had in my teaching career.  I feel it’s helpful to learn cultural beliefs such as those I read about in “Taking a Chance With Words.”  In college I remember learning about people from cultures that don’t shake hands or don’t look others in the eye.  It was interesting to read about the different Asian beliefs in this article.  It was kind of an “a-ha” moment when I read that Asian students, like Jeff, might not speak up in class because his culture believes it’s considered a sign of strength to solve problems on his own.  I always assumed students were either too shy or too afraid to speak up in class or ask for clarification on something.  I wonder how this is instilled at a young age?  Are these students told not to ask for help or is this a learned behavior?

I feel it’s so important that other teachers have this information so their young Asian students are not just deemed as quiet and slip through the cracks.  Teachers need to be aware of the fact that Asian students, as well as other students, might not feel they are allowed to ask questions when they lack an understanding in what is being taught.  Teachers should note the ideas mentioned in the article that will make Asian students feel more at ease when speaking in class.  Forming small groups, assigning a designated leader, and giving everyone an equal chance to speak are some of the ideas students that were interviewed in this article gave to make speaking in class a little easier.  I hope we read more articles like this on many different cultures!

You’re Asian, How Could You Fail Math?

When I began reading this article, I immediately thought of a friend I had in junior high who was Asian.  Her name was Ann.  Ann was the smartest girl I knew and her older brothers were at the top of their classes as well.  Ann was also the only girl I knew whose parents made her spend countless hours doing schoolwork every single day during the summer.  I knew of one other Asian student who was in my class, and he was also smart and very respectful.  Because these were the only two Asian families I knew growing up, I must admit that even as a teenager, I stereotyped them as this “model minority” mentioned in the article.  I never realized that this “positive” stereotype could be so negative and I also never realized that actually, there are no “positive” stereotypes! 

 Because some schools are becoming so diverse, I feel that the strategies given in the article are beneficial for every class, not just classes with Asian students.  I think the culture quilt is an activity that should be added to the author’s list of strategies!  Doing activites, such as the culture quilt, will help us get to know our students as individuals.  Dispeling the “model minority” myth is also important.