This blog contains comments from EDUCATORS who find themselves on the front lines of a war that has been waged against public education across this nation since the landmark decision in 1954 of Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka. Herein are the thoughts of Educators who serve young people across America today. While the daily challenges to increase student achievement have been discussed in circles across this nation, few of those voices include those who are the true soldiers in this battle to educate young people.
The lessons taught to students, present and past and their reactions to various assignments, can serve as a mini-lesson for those adults who are responsible for raising children. We are particularly concerned with those students who are being raised in one of the many poor and segregated urban centers across this nation. This blog serves as an authentic assessment of where our young people are in relation to what is expected of them and it will enable the reader to visit the urban classroom to gain insight into....THE CHRONICLES OF AN URBAN EDUCATOR....
My long-term goals are for my students to connect literature to life, but knowing how limited their experiences outside of the stereotypical urban drama are (crime, unemployment, lack of education), it becomes difficult for an educator to find positive connections for students to relate to. However, I was determined to teach poetry, the use of rhyme schemes, stanzas, and sound devices. Therefore, I decided to connect this with the music they are accustomed to listening to - rap and hip/ hop. Many of my students only think of rap music as lyrics without poetic merit, yet some rappers (i.e. Eminem, Li’l Wayne, and a few others) are very crafty in weaving together (mostly non sense) with poetic structure.
When I presented my students with an excerpt from “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe as an example of poetry that utilizes all of the elements I needed them to understand, I was literally staring into a sea of blank faces. When I played a portion of “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, however, (had to use the CD because the children were not going to catch on by “reading” the lyrics) faces lit up like Christmas trees. After another ten to fifteen minutes of explaining how both examples exemplified the lesson, the pistons started to fire and my students finally “got it.”
In the past I have taken days even a week to teach a lesson on poetry, but this year, I decided to do the lesson in one day and chance the outcome. The result? Beautiful two stanza poems created by the students with rhyme scheme and the use of at least two sound devices. “Ah- Ha”, right? Wrong! Because the problem with this is the student is learning by receiving quick bursts of information, and if they can’t retain what they have learned over the course of a fifty five minute period, how much do you think will be retained over the course of an entire school year?
Over the course of 4 years, how much do students really retain?
It is good that a teacher ( or should I say master teacher)is reaching into the youth's enviroment and pulling lessons out for them and then connecting it with what they need in life. i have found that teaching is like being a farmer, except we are not growing seasonal crops. We are growing fruit trees. We all know that fruit trees take years to produce fruit. All we have to do is to keep the fertilizer coming try to protect them from the pest, and parasites, and one day we will not only see the fruit, but may be able to seek shade from them.
ReplyDeleteJust know that some of them hear you and what you are instilling in them might not show for years.Stick with it Master.
I am math teacher and consumed to some degree with students retaining information in my class. In mathematics we are constantly building upon the last skill therefore, it is imperative that students retain the previous lesson. I too, have infused real world experiences with my lessons to increase engagement, comprehension and mastery of skills. However, I have found that while students may understand that day in class come tomorrow or the next week it is all a blur. I teach ninth and twelfth grades and find that many students do not do homework additionally; they do not participate in conversations related to content once they leave the school. When my ninth grader comes home from school we discuss and debate about genetics, history, literary figures, politics etc. Whatever is on her mind or peaked her interest at school it is open for conversation at home. "Practice does in deed make perfect." I was speaking to my classes about the importance of practicing. I tried to make a connection between famous entertainers and athletes who must practice constantly in order to experience success.
ReplyDeleteHow many of our students are engaged in some academic discussion once they leave school? How many hours of practice/study/homework/skill building/academic thinking are pursued outside of the classroom? Compare that to the hours of facebook, jersey shore etc....
The nation has waged a war on "bad teachers", public schools etc. Yet, what conversation exists about our nations (parents) responsibility to promote the importance of critical thinking, the pursuit of excellence, the value of knowledge intelligence. Our country seems to be consumed with quick answers, sex, ignorant T.V., violence, half truths, and is surprised that many of our children are not motivated nor see the value in retaining that which is the most valuable knowledge.
Just went back and read the question. I think students retain what they find valuable and meaniningful, unfortunately, for many it is very little.
Yarisha;
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%! Learning BEGINS at home, and it should not end once a child is enrolled in pre-school (through graduation). Yet some parents want to pass the buck and jump on the band wagon with other NON educators and blame teachers for THEIR short coming!