View unanswered posts | View active topics It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:25 am



This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 8 posts ] 
 Video: People Like Us 
Author Message
Newbie
Newbie
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 10:25 am
Posts: 12
Location: Wilkesboro
After watching the video last night in class, I thought a lot about a former student of mine. I was in my third year of teaching and had a Learning Disabled student named Michael. At the time he was in seventh grade and I had him again in eighth grade. I felt he was very bright and I saw continuous improvements in his work. He began to question pre-algebra and diagramming senteces. Every day I knew I was going to hear the same questions from him. "Why do I need Algebra?" and "What does it matter If I know an adjective from a pronoun?" He would tell me he wasn't going to ever use it. He wanted to work at a garage with his uncle. That was his life goal. I tried my best to encourage him to take some college classes to further his education and enhance his pay. I fought that battle every day for two years. A year ago, Michael came back to see me. He had dropped out of high school but got his GED, was working at his uncle's garage, had his own doublewide and was married. He was smiling from ear to ear and asked me if I was proud of him. I told him I was very proud, yet in the back of my mind I still wished he had taken some college classes. After teaching Autistic children, watching the video, and having class discussions; I realize now I was trying to push Michael to achieve what I thought his dream should be...not what Michael felt would be his dream. As teachers and administrators are we to push our students as far as we think they are capable of going or is our job to help them to achieve their lifelong goals and aspirations, no matter what dream?

_________________
Deby R Johnson


Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:19 am
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:47 pm
Posts: 15
Post 
That's a really good question....as school professionals I think it's our goal to help our students acheive their dreams. That's not to say we can't suggest different goals/ideas expecially if we see potential in them.

I work alot with scheduling and the different courses of study. I see students all the time dropping down form College prep to Career just because they don't want to take the extra math classes. Basically, they are taking the easy way out. I see students dropping out of high school to enroll in the community college because they don't need as many credits to graduate. While this is something I wouldn't promote, it's ultimately up to the student and his/her parents.

I also see alot of parents trying to live through their children. Whether its trying to get the child to be the most popular person in their grade or trying to get the child into a prestigious college, parents sometimes push their dreams/goals onto their child.

_________________
Callie Grubb


Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:29 am
Profile
Newbie
Newbie
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:01 pm
Posts: 9
Post 
Since last night's class I too have been thinking about the video. It was a pleasure to watch but also left me wondering. The entire video was about the rich vs. poor or the prep vs. redneck. However, all day I have been thinking are there different classes of poor? I was thinking about the lady who lived in the trailer with the son who was ashamed to bring anybody home. The son was trying to improve his place in society. He did not want to be associated with being poor and living in squalor.

Then the mother - I applaud her for walking the 10 miles to work everyday instead of living on welfare. This action leads me to believe she values work but why is she okay with living at the "dump". If she is prideful enough to walk so far to work, why does she not want to put that effort into keeping the home she has clean and as nice as possible? She may not have the money to do lots of things but I think something could be done about the trash. She was obviously happy with her living conditions but why?

Then back to the son - I would almost put this boy in another social class. He is poor like his mother, however, he wants to better himself. He has a feeling of self-worth that enables him to strive for advancement in class. He helps keep the inside of the home clean and tries to encourage the mother to do better. He worries about his appearance and the appearance of his mother. No matter what people say - most judgments are made based on looks. If a person is clean and neat they will recieve more respect whether they are wearing the nicest clothes or not. If he would only clean up on the outside of the home!

Is there not a difference between the two? Few of us have the privilege of being born into money, but all of us can strive to better ourselves regardless of our lot in life.

_________________
Jennifer Blankenship


Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:49 pm
Profile
Newbie
Newbie
User avatar

Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2008 1:10 pm
Posts: 13
Post 
I agree with Callie. A lot of parents live through their children and the child's dream becomes that of the parent, sometimes for the good and other times not. The parents expectations play a major role in what the child expects of him/herself. For example, in teaching gifted students, who are all highly capable of mastering the skills needed to attend college and be successful, I have found that some of them never even go to college or aspire to improve their lot in life. One of the brightest students I have ever had in elementary school ended up quitting high school and working at McDonald's. Somehow this did not surprise me, even though it highly disappointed me. When I had him in 5th and 6th grade there were no expectations set down by his parents. If he didn't do his work, they had no problem with it. They told me one time that he would just end up being a farmer just like them and he didn't need all of this learning. This attitude filtered down to him and he believed that was all his life would be. The potential this boy possessed was unmatched and although I tried to encourage him and help him realize his potential, in the end his parents had the final influence. I guess the real question I ponder is this. How is it that some children find the drive to "get above their raising" so to speak and reach for all they can be despite the odds, and others are content with the status quo? Also as educators, what is our role in this?

_________________
Sandra Peterson


Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:37 pm
Profile
Newbie
Newbie
User avatar

Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:17 am
Posts: 14
Well, I disagree with Jennifer. I don't believe the lady's house is a "dump" because it has a pile of clothes in the back yard. I believe the problem here lies in her son being influenced by materialistic people outside the home. She is raising two boys the best she knows how. Her work ethic is something that is much more important to learn than what "looks nice" to others. The son is wrong. I don't think that he is "bettering himself" by dressing up or wanting his home to look more presentable. He would be bettering himself by being proud that he has a mother who is teaching him to work for your own home and love your family. Of all the mothers and homes that I have seen, he should be ashamed of not being satisfied and thankful for what he does have. I see clean and neat people everyday driving nice cars, going to church, going to their childrens ballgames, and smiling at me. Yet, I know they are dirty. The problem is not with rich and poor, it is with a societal system that values materials more than morals and values.

As an educational system, we are reinforcing this societal norm. We praise those who are smarter (smarter means making a 3 or 4 on a test). Even though they are smarter because they have been exposed to different environments. Students that have parents that constantly read and have several books in the home and students that are outside working with dad (and mom is not in the home at all) can not be expected to be on the same level because of my teaching. People are different. If we did not have standardized state testing, students who can't read as well, but can rebuild an engine blindfolded can still be successful in the classroom because of what I do-not what a computer print-out says. This would increase the graduation rate.


Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:13 pm
Profile
Newbie
Newbie

Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:16 pm
Posts: 11
Post 
I think everyone is right when they say the real problem comes from the society we live in. After having taught in the primary grades for several years I see many students from very different backgrounds getting along fine and accepting each other for what they are. But as these students get older and begin to see how society works and what is acceptable in the eyes of others they begin to become more and more judgemental. Very often kids who have been close friends begin to act like they don't even know each other after society seems to sort these kids into the groups that they "fit in" to. This is a real shame, but as we watched the movie, during the high school part of the film as the scenes switched between the "popular" kids and the not so popular kids I sat there thinking was I ever as judgemental of other people as these kids seem to be. Unfortunately, I think the answer to that question is yes.

_________________
Travis Richardson


Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:13 pm
Profile
Newbie
Newbie
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:58 pm
Posts: 13
Post 
I would have concur with Travis. I see kids at the middle school from entirely different backgrounds. They begin to form their cliques and begin to single out students who are "different". On an entirely different note, you can also see the kids who are from wealthier families, but have went to school with lower class students their entire school career showing sympathy for those students. They may hang with the in crowd, but really show compassion for all students of all backgrounds. They never turn away the idea of partnering with the "other" children and will do all they can to see that they fit in.

_________________
Dustin H. Farmer


Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:26 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:47 pm
Posts: 15
Post 
I agree that society impacts the way children behave and while students can be very accepting, they can also be very cliquish. The movie hit the high school social life right on the head. During our high school break, it is very obvious what groups students "belong" to. There are the jocks, preps, nerds, rednecks, hippies, etc. They pretty much stick to their clique.

_________________
Callie Grubb


Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:40 pm
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.   [ 8 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.