Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Talking Points #8

Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Schooling
By: Jean Anyon

Quote #1: "I'm more - just interested in how you set up the problem as in what answer you find.  If you set up a problem in a good way, the answer is easy to find."

Why can't all teachers be this accepting? And yes i understand that you can really only hold true to this statement in certain class like math and maybe some sciences but this makes the student feel better and may help to relieve some stress.  Having the right answer proves to the teacher that they have taught their class well but letting the students get partial work tells the teacher that they are on the right track and may just need a little more practice... Are more middle class and elite schools like this have more time to spend on education where as less privileged schools the teacher constantly finds herself repeating the same thing over and over again?


Quote #2: "One teacher said in some exasperation to a boy who was fooling around in class, 'if you don't know the answers to the questions I ask, then you can't stay in this class! [pause] You never know the answers to the questions I ask, and it's not fair to me and certainly not to you!"

I believe that no matter how frustrated you are with a student you should never exclude them or basically tell them that their stupid in front of the class... In all actuality he may be one of the smarter students in the class and may just have a fear of being called on or maybe a disability that the teacher has not taken enough time to notice... And if it's not fair to this teacher than maybe she isn't doing her job very well.  Asking a student to leave just puts them farther behind which than in return puts more pressure on the teacher...


Quote #3: The teacher's attempt to control the class involves constant negotiation. She does not give direct orders unless she is angry because the children have been too noisy. Normally, she tries to get them to foresee the consequences of their actions and to decide accordingly. For example, lining them up to go see a play written by the sixth graders, she says, "I presume you're lined up by someone with whom you want to sit. I hope you're lined up by someone you won't get in trouble with."

Children don't always know what consequences will be brought when they have done something that they shouldn't have... being direct would have gotten the point across a lot quicker, to the point and the teacher most likely could have moved on already. Tell the students to line up with someone who won't cause them to get into trouble...


Conclusion: I really didn't enjoy this reading... For the most part I feel like the readings repeat each other.  And this was by no doubt a short article... I think it would be easier and much more enjoyable to pick on article throughout the whole semester and write a paper on it then to have to blog about a different one every week...  

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