Throughout her chapter, But That’s Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally
Relevant Pedagogy, Gloria Ladson-Billings talks a lot about what it means to
use culturally relevant pedagogy. I thought the title of this piece was perfect
because as I read through it, I found myself thinking, “But that’s just good
teaching.” The part of this text that interested me the most was when she talked
about the study she did with eight teachers who found success teaching African
American students. This section caught my attention because it reaffirmed
many of my own beliefs about teaching, including a lot of beliefs I picked up
over this past summer of classes.
Relevant Pedagogy, Gloria Ladson-Billings talks a lot about what it means to
use culturally relevant pedagogy. I thought the title of this piece was perfect
because as I read through it, I found myself thinking, “But that’s just good
teaching.” The part of this text that interested me the most was when she talked
about the study she did with eight teachers who found success teaching African
American students. This section caught my attention because it reaffirmed
many of my own beliefs about teaching, including a lot of beliefs I picked up
over this past summer of classes.
As she studied these eight teachers, Ladson-Billings found that all of them took
pride in their profession and their community, and they believed that all of their
students were capable of success. They also built a strong community within
the classroom and ran their class as if the students had just as much of a role in
that community. I think these commonalities between successful teachers are
very important to note as I move closer to running my own classroom.
I believe that building a community within a classroom is one of the most
important aspects of teaching, and one that many educators tend to miss.
Throughout my graduate career already, I’ve heard and read and seen over
and over again how important it is to build a community within the classroom.
This ideal has been taught in every one of my classes. In addition, a lot of the
reflecting I’ve had to do for my classes has brought forth the same findings
from my own K-12 experiences. As I look back, my favorite teachers and
most cherished role models had all shared some vulnerabilities and built a
sense of community within their classrooms.
important aspects of teaching, and one that many educators tend to miss.
Throughout my graduate career already, I’ve heard and read and seen over
and over again how important it is to build a community within the classroom.
This ideal has been taught in every one of my classes. In addition, a lot of the
reflecting I’ve had to do for my classes has brought forth the same findings
from my own K-12 experiences. As I look back, my favorite teachers and
most cherished role models had all shared some vulnerabilities and built a
sense of community within their classrooms.
When I think about community-building in a classroom, I think about my
favorite teacher, my middle school/ high school band director. He stressed
everyday that we need to listen to each other and build connections in order to
improve our music. We would spend a lot of time within the classroom
together, but also outside of it. We would spend hours at pep band gigs, go on
trips together, and even have “Band in the Park”, where we would gather in a
city park, have a potluck, play games, and give out end-of-the-year rewards.
My teacher constantly humanized himself by conducting “Story-time”, where
he would tell us short anecdotes from his life, and speaking to us as if we were
peers, not inferiors. Overall, there was an overwhelming sense of community. I
felt comfortable around every single one of the hundred members in our band,
even if I had never spoken a word to them. In my high school, the band room
was a safe haven among a world that caused me a lot of stress and anxiety.
favorite teacher, my middle school/ high school band director. He stressed
everyday that we need to listen to each other and build connections in order to
improve our music. We would spend a lot of time within the classroom
together, but also outside of it. We would spend hours at pep band gigs, go on
trips together, and even have “Band in the Park”, where we would gather in a
city park, have a potluck, play games, and give out end-of-the-year rewards.
My teacher constantly humanized himself by conducting “Story-time”, where
he would tell us short anecdotes from his life, and speaking to us as if we were
peers, not inferiors. Overall, there was an overwhelming sense of community. I
felt comfortable around every single one of the hundred members in our band,
even if I had never spoken a word to them. In my high school, the band room
was a safe haven among a world that caused me a lot of stress and anxiety.
Moving forward into the world of secondary education, I will strive to be like
my band teacher. My first priority every year will be to build a community with
my students. I will try to get to know each one of them as individuals and form
how I teach around them. Building a trusting community within the classroom is
essential because - as is mentioned by this week's resource, Rita Pierson -
students will not learn from teachers they do not like.
my band teacher. My first priority every year will be to build a community with
my students. I will try to get to know each one of them as individuals and form
how I teach around them. Building a trusting community within the classroom is
essential because - as is mentioned by this week's resource, Rita Pierson -
students will not learn from teachers they do not like.
For my external resource this week, I have once again chosen a TED Talk. I don't
mean to produce the same sort of sources every week, but I came across this short
video on building relationships within a classroom and I just couldn't resist posting
it. "Every Kid Needs a Champion" by Rita Pierson is a seven-minute TED Talk by
a highly experienced educator who tries to counter the argument that kids don't need
to like their teachers, they just need to learn from them. I chose this video because I
thought that it goes along nicely with our readings this week and serves to further the
idea that community-building is extremely important to education.
mean to produce the same sort of sources every week, but I came across this short
video on building relationships within a classroom and I just couldn't resist posting
it. "Every Kid Needs a Champion" by Rita Pierson is a seven-minute TED Talk by
a highly experienced educator who tries to counter the argument that kids don't need
to like their teachers, they just need to learn from them. I chose this video because I
thought that it goes along nicely with our readings this week and serves to further the
idea that community-building is extremely important to education.
Source:
Ladson-Billings, Gloria. “But That's Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy.” College of Education, The Ohio State University, 1995, pp. 158–165.
Pierson, Rita. “Every Kid Needs a Champion.” YouTube, TED, 3 May 2013
Hey Courtney!
ReplyDeleteI also agree that a building a sense of community is of the utmost importance in a classroom. Trust is a crucial factor when you are teaching a variety of students. Growing up, teachers I had were very closed off and kept things very professional. They never spoke about their private lives. This made them seem not human. I think it was in the movie Mean Girls when one of the characters saw their teacher out in public and described it like "seeing a dog walk on their hind legs". Obviously this is just a joke, but it does show how distancing it can be for students who have teachers that don't allow them to get to know them personally. Last year, I worked as an AVID tutor in the Green Bay Public School system. I worked with a teacher that made a point of doing a community circle weekly with her students. In this circle, the students would go around and say their good points of the week and their low points. Students also had the right to pass. The community circle was very successful. Seventh graders shared their friend, family, and school struggles with each other. It created empathy within the class and gave students the opportunity to really get to know each other. It created a classroom of trust and love. I was particularly impressed by how vulnerable the teacher was willing to be with her students. I recall one community circle where she shared how difficult of a relationship with her mother. The students listened attentively. This teacher was favorited among many students. I think it is because she was real with them and cared about their well-being. I think it was also because she was willing to be human. I know she keeps in contact with many of her students who graduate from her middle school. She was truly an inspiring teacher in my opinion. I aim to have a classroom as open and trusting as hers.
Me again! I accidentally published the comment as 'Unknown' but hi it is Laurel.
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