How do we talk about issues that matter?

Talking about important issues can sometimes be seen as difficult, especially if they are “controversial” topics. However, I think that having these conversations is extremely important, especially in school. I think one of the biggest things we can do in talking about things that matter is to have an open mind. I think that it is sometimes easy for people to get quickly offended or defensive when having these important conversations, however we must completely listen to what the other person has to say before responding. We must be engaged listeners throughout conversations in order to effectively communicate. This allows every person to speak their opinion and give their side of the story. I think in doing this we can respond in the most responsive way and we do not have as much risk of unnecessarily escalating the conversation. I also think that it can be easier to talk about issues that matter by destigmatizing these kinds of conversations. People often shy away from these conversations due to fear of confrontation or arguments, however I think it is important to promote having these talks. Especially as teachers, we can have our students practice talking with each other about issues that matter so that they can develop the skills to communicate effectively and eventually have more conversations in the future. The more people have these conversations, the more comfortable they will be when encountering them in the future. Prioritizing respect and a safe space for conversations is a key component in talking about issues that matter as well. 

What is Worth Learning?

There are many things that deserve to be learned about in school that is neglected, and there are also things that are taught in school that could cause potential negative effects. Something that surprised me the most throughout this module was the idea of the hidden curriculum. This idea proposes that there are often times “hidden” lessons that are taught alongside regular lessons. An example of the hidden curriculum is the idea that boys are supposed to like sports and cars while girls are supposed to like dolls and the color pink. The hidden curriculum can go even deeper with harmful assumptions about expectations or stereotypes for certain races, genders, subjects, and many other factors. This idea of the hidden curriculum can be, but is not always, harmful as it can teach a lot of false ideas that may really stick with people and cause negative impacts. It is important as teachers to not let our personal biases get in the way of giving our students the best educational experience we can. I was already familiar with the idea of the null curriculum, I did not know the term for it. The null curriculum is things that go unlearned in school. I think that there are many things in school that go unlearned that are still very important to be taught. As teachers, we must be aware of this idea of the null curriculum so we can keep it in mind while lesson planning and teaching.

Overall, it is very important for us to be aware of the explicit, null, and hidden curriculum so that in moving forward as teachers we can do our absolute best to give our students the education that they deserve. This way we can ensure that we are teaching our students the most important information we can as everyone is deserving of a fulfilling education. I think that anything is worth learning about and we should strive to learn something new every day and that there is truly so much out there to learn. We should never hold our students back from learning as much as they can and we should always encourage a positive learning environment for them.

How are Schools Integrated?

I learned a lot throughout this module that I did not know before. One thing I learned is that schools are not integrated, and are arguably less integrated than they have ever been. This is caused by the systematic racism put in place decades ago by the U.S. government. In the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt created loan programs to help Americans finance their homes as part of the New Deal. To determine who got these loans, the government created maps where green neighborhoods were considered “good” and the red areas were considered “bad”. It was organized where African Americans and other minority populations lived in these red and “bad” areas and because of this, they did not receive access to these loans. This is called redlining and has caused a tremendous amount of harm that has remained over time.

Although redlining is considered illegal now, it set a foundation in inequality that is still in effect today. African Americans and other minority groups who were in these red areas were never given the resources or opportunities to relocate or have access to more resources, resulting in some people being trapped in poverty. Property value in the green areas has drastically increased allowing people to sell their homes and make more money, and because schools are primarily funded by property taxes, schools in these areas receive more funding. Because of the effects of these policies from the past, homes in the “red” areas have lower property taxes and therefore have less funding and resources in schools. This in itself is a form of segregation that is widely in place today. 

These inequalities have stemmed from a past of racism in America and have prevented integration in schools even today. The issue of funding in schools is an ongoing issue that must be addressed as it has such a great impact on integration in schools. There is still so much work to be done and as teachers, we must work together to improve these systems in order to provide the best possible opportunities for all of our students.

How Can Educational Philosophies Influence Schooling?

 Growing up, I always went to a traditional public school. This consisted of sitting at a desk, listening, and doing the occasional group activity. I think that most of the time, my schools revolve around the ideas of “Essentialism” and “Perennialism” which focuses primarily on the essential subjects, such as math and reading, as well as “perennial” knowledge that has been passed down for generations. In school, I remember how exciting it was when we did something out of the ordinary such as having class outside or going to the library to pick out whatever book we wanted. Moments like these made me love to learn and are things that I wished were incorporated more often into the average school day. I think that these factors were definitely influenced by my teacher’s personal teaching philosophies. Each year I had a different teacher, making each year and the way that we learned things differently every time. It is interesting to look back and see how certain teachers incorporated certain aspects of learning more or less than others. In my future classroom, I want to incorporate more of the activities that made me love learning as a child. I want to allow my students to explore within their learning and make learning fun, which I think is essential. I think that our philosophies as teachers can definitely impact and influence schooling and I think it is important to encourage teachers’ individuality and to promote different teaching and learning styles in school.

What am I willing to do to educate all children?

 I am willing to do whatever it takes to educate all of my students. I think that in order to educate all children it is very important to first get to know them and learn their strengths. Last week we learned about how every person learns differently and this has really stuck with me. I know that when I am a teacher I will encounter many different kinds of learners and it is very important to me to be able to incorporate things into my classroom that will help each student learn. If a student doesn't understand something, then I will find another way to explain it to them or find a new activity that will help them understand. I will not give up on a student because they do not understand something right away. If a student is struggling, I will give them every resource I can to help. I am also willing to change lessons if needed. If I see that the entire class is struggling or not engaged in the lesson, then I am willing to change my original plan to best suit their needs. I also want to individually get to know my students for who they are. I want to learn their interests and personality so that I can teach them in the best way that I can. I always want to be there for my students no matter what and do whatever I need to in order to help them grow, learn, and be successful.

How Does Gender Affect the Teaching Profession?

I think that gender has played a large role in teaching today. When public schools first became mainstream, it was primarily taught by male teachers with the opportunity not given to women until years later. When normal schools were open to women, they were seen as far less prestigious than colleges or academic high schools that were mainly available to men. Women teachers were sadly hired on the basis of sexism, with women being paid significantly less than male teachers, receiving less than half of a male teacher’s salary. Women who were teachers at this time were also controlled by extremely strict rules, regulations, and expectations.

Men started to leave the profession of teaching in order to pursue "better" opportunities and more prestigious jobs. This made the number of female teachers increase as most men were leaving the profession. It seems as though during this time, teaching was seen as almost an unimportant or less significant job. As more job opportunities opened for men, teaching was pushed towards women under the impression that they are not worth the same level of recognition or respect as men.

I think that a lot of these old concepts are still somewhat rooted in teaching today. However, despite this long history of sexism that female teachers have faced in the past, women have worked very hard to overcome these stereotypes and to show that teaching is actually one of the most admirable and difficult jobs one can have. Today, the teaching profession is still dominated by women, which I think stems from the stereotype from the past that teaching is only a women’s profession, but that is simply not true. Anyone can teach, no matter who you are. 

Why Teach?

 

I feel like I was almost born to be a teacher. When I was a child, my absolute favorite thing to do was play "school" with my family members. I was always the teacher and pretended to give homework and teach lessons. I could have played that for hours and hours. Looking back, I think that was a sign that I was going to be a real teacher one day. My mother is also a teacher and has been for over 30 years. My whole life I grew up around school supplies and worksheets all over the house. I always felt so drawn to it. I would always go to my mom's classroom after school or on weekends. To this day I go to her classroom every summer to help her set up. Being around my mother's class I got a lot of first-hand experience in a classroom. As I got older, it took me a while to really decide that I wanted to be a teacher, but I quickly realized that it was exactly what I wanted to do. I think the main reason why I want to teach is so that I can help children grow into their potential and help them to embrace their individuality and strengths. When I was in elementary school, I struggled a lot in certain subjects. That was really hard for me and I felt low on myself because of it. I want to be a teacher so that I can help students who are struggling like I have and support them in every way possible. I want them to know that it's okay to not understand things right away to be able to give them the resources to learn in the best way they can.

I want to teach elementary school, particularly the younger grades such as Kindergarten through 2nd grade. I have always felt drawn to these grades because of how much I remember loving them when I was a child. I just love how creative and open-minded children are at that age and I want to be there to help them explore their creativity and passions. I think I also feel drawn to these grades because my mother has taught them, so that is where I have had most of my experience. I am definitely open to teaching other grades if I feel like that is something that I would be interested in one day.