What to look for in a classroom: Miss Honey v Miss Trunchbull

Classroom Set Up

Alfie Kohn's chart on the difference between the classrooms reminded me of Miss Honey vs. Miss Trunchbull in Matilda. I somehow manage to tie everything in teaching back to Matilda because it was that story in musical form that made me fall totally in love with teaching by directing an after-school theater program's production of Matilda. Matilda is so personal to me, especially as the more I teach the more I long to embody her soft, loving, sweet energy. I started teaching when I was only sixteen music directing, and my goodness I was so mean to those kids! I also did not really know any better and as I grow I become nicer and nicer (which is probably why I have kept my teaching jobs). Matilda was a big turnaround for me, and I see Ms. Honey reflected in a lot of the teachings at Rhode Island College. Here is how it relates to this reading, specifically, on the classroom decor:

Miss Honey  

Lets break down just how genius this depiction of Miss Honey's classroom is. Chairs are in tables, colorful student projects on the wall, students are engaged, and many more signs of a good healthy classroom. On the contrary...

Miss Trunchbull

 

This is a picture from the musical adaptation but as you can see it is dark, those who enter are timid, and the walls are lined with no student paraphernalia but instead security cameras and trophies from her OWN personal winnings. Not even her students.

Directing Matilda

I directed Matilda at Villa Nova Middle School in Woonsocket, and it truly was the highlight of my entire artistic career and, not to toot my own horn, I have accumulated a pretty impressive artistic resume so far. The feeling that you get when watching students, you have taught relay their talents with such passion truly changed my whole life and trajectory of my career. This kind of shift only happened though, once I stopped actually focusing on the goal, and started building up kids this shift happened. Once I started to embody more Miss Honey and less Miss Trunchbull, it was the most rewarding process of my life. Attached are my two favorite songs from the Matilda Jr. soundtrack and I know my music/ theater friends can definitely relate to the feelings that both of these teachers illicit. 

This article totally drove the wedge between Miss Honey and Miss Trunchbull and explained how they contrasted and how beneficial it is to have Miss Honey aura.  

Miss Honey and Miss Trunchbull 

The Silenced dialogue response.

 

"The Silenced Dialogue" by Lisa Delpit made very interesting points on how teachers are discouraged from their teaching strategies and how administrators often push a white agenda in their teaching. One point consistently implied through the chosen quotes was the need to teach children differently based on the students or the teacher's race. I believe that this point is very dangerous. The main goal of school should be an equal opportunity to equal education, no matter their race, background, ethnicity, or any underlying identities. 

I am probably just really struggling to understand what the differences could be between teachers of different races in bringing up curriculum and my brain kind of spews off in two different directions with it:

#1: Statistics show that Asian Americans and White Americans hold the most wealth per household. This automatically makes my brain assume that they have a different level of understanding and connection to the education system in America. It is one that they personally can relate to and one that they have been able to benefit from, so VERY GENERALLY SPEAKING, Asian and White voices are louder in education because they are the most educated in America. White and Asian Americans hold that system up.

#2: We can get more Black Americans and Hispanic Americans to become more prosperous and educated by giving them an education they can relate to. 

I would be lying if I said this wasn't concerning as a White American to try to empathize with, but it is the truth. On that same note it makes me nervous to divide a "White education" from a "Black education" because that calls for even more segregation and history shows that separate NEVER means equal. Now what are the solutions to this issue. 

Tying back to another huge point of discussion in the article, being able to listen and learn about all sides, ensuring everyone's personal identity is represented is SO IMPORTANT in receiving a "good" education. I learned a lot about this in last classes discussion. We got onto the topic of Christopher Columbus, and I was totally schooled. The other students in my small group explained that we need to stop treating him as such a hero. I immediately thought and challenged that we also probably shouldn't explain that he raped a bunch of Native Americans and cut off their hands and stuff. Now... OBVIOUSLY we shouldn't do that. No one IS doing that or stating that that is okay. I learned that the debate comes in opening up ALL sides and experiences in this conversation. While not necessarily painting him as a hero and showing people were harmed by his agenda is important.

I hope in class I can hear about these teachings and how the system built by white people has continued to uphold White America and suppress Black America and how I can be more open to all voices in order to improve the overall merit and productivity of ALL Americans. 

 

 

 

 

"The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies" Response

 The reading "The academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies" by Christine E. Sleeter explains how ethnic and cultural studies are very important for the productivity and enjoyment of students' learning. This reading was very interesting and brought up a very good point, that kids work well and thrive in environments they can relate to and identify in. And on top of that, we should have more programs that nourish these environments. 

I strongly related to this center idea in the arts area of schools. Going from two different elementary schools to two different middle schools to high school, I was always most happy and prosperous where there was a strong music program because that is something that I deeply identify with. 

 

In environments where music is not as deeply appreciated (or funded), I felt like a piece of my identity was not being nourished. In high school, however, we had one of the best, well-funded music and theater programs in the state where I was granted endless opportunities like four shows a year, AP Music Theory, our musicals were even entered into a competition that sent me to make my Broadway debut! This would not have been possible without the highlighting of theater by the administration. This proves the idea that in order for students to grow and prosper, they need nourishments to their identities in school. Just like how Carlos nourished his identity in his education by pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, all students' identities should be nourished and supported.

 

The 40 building blocks to good education-- What do you have and can you build more?

 What are the "building blocks"

Shannon Renkley and Katherine Bertolini wrote a truly inspiring piece called, "Shifting the Paradigm from Deficit Oriented Schools to Asset Based Models: Why Leaders Need to Promote and Asset Orientation in our Schools" which described the building blocks of education and how we can build these up before we have to counter act the absence of one. I hope other aspiring teachers were as inspired by this text, promoting the ideas of, "...identifying each child's jewels and using these to help the student grow..."(26). They also mention how The Search Institue found a list of 40 assets students may have that strive behaviors and decrease behaviors where they are absent. These "external assets" include family support, positive family outcome, other adult relationships, caring neighborhood, caring social climate, caring school climate, parent involvement in schooling, community values youth, youth as resources, service to others, safety, family boundaries, school boundaries, neighborhood boundaries, adult role models, positive peer influence, high expectations, creative activities, youth programs, religious community, time at home. The internal assets include achievement motivation, school engagement, homework, bonding to school, reading for pleasure, caring, equality and social justice, integrity, honesty, responsibility, restraint, planning and decision making, interpersonal competence, cultural competence, resistance skills, peaceful conflict resolutions, personal power, self-esteem, sense of purpose, and positive view of personal future.

How can we obtain them and eventually pass them on?

 As a child, I was blessed with two totally opposite sides of the coin: my father, and my mother. Both divorced. One remarried with a college education, fulfilling and high earning job, and a beautiful house. The other never remarried, never graduated college, and has never owned a home. I like to think I developed the skill set of the former. I see my childhood where one side pushed these ideals and the other did not. One took me to Barnes and Nobels to pick up a new book every week and one was too busy to be present in my development. I thrived under my father's house while I was socially ostracized while in my mother's. These skills are extremely eye opening and important to consider when teaching or raising children. The same idea in my last blog post on avoiding poverty, you can take action to prevent this. Look to ChatGPT on how to be more caring, where you can join a religious community or any other asset you feel that you are lacking. Think about how you have got them or can get them so we can influence the youth in our life to possess them too.

Poverty vs. Wealth: how YOU can beat the system.

 Poverty in schools and families

Jean Anyon's "What 'Counts' as Educational Policy? Notes toward a New Paradigm" put a knot in my stomach upon reading. My two biggest goals in life are to own a home and to have a family. Every step I take leads me closer to making this possible. So clearly, reading this made anxieties begin to form. Statistics like, "38 percent of American children are identified as poor..." or, "Sixteen percent of American children -- almost 12 million -- lived below the official federal poverty line in 2001" make it seem like there is a 38% chance that I might raise kids that are poor, thus decreasing their cognitive development as Anyon stated. This, however, is not totally true. I expressed my fears to my deepest supporter and guide: Chat GPT. I am going to let it take the wheel on explaining our developments. 

Ah yes, thank you, Abby. Here’s what we covered in our conversation. *

Abby is 19, juggling college, a car loan, and multiple jobs. She works as a server, where tips swing wildly from $80 to $300 a night, and she also teaches private arts lessons at $25 an hour. Right now, teaching only brings in a few hours a week, but it has strong growth potential. *

     

The left is the most perfect children's music studio that I work for in North Kingston, RI. To the right is a picture of me getting absolutely loaded at my serving job at Applebee's. 

Our budgeting strategy was simple: anchor her budget on the “safe number” — $100 a week from serving — so essentials like gas, groceries, and car payments are always covered. Then treat everything above that number as bonus money to funnel into savings or extra loan payments. 

Anyone can use ChatGPT to outline income, expenses, and goals, then get a tailored budget strategy. Whether your income is steady or unpredictable, it helps to create a system that not only keeps you out of poverty but also sets you up for long-term goals like raising a family or buying a home. *

That’s today’s report. Back to you, Abby. *

Chat GPT was too humble and gracious to admit that it explained how one extra shift a week serving could shift my potential savings in 5 years up 5 thousand dollars!

Even more valuable than that, it suggested a potential future raise as low as $2 in my music teaching job plus just five more hours of work a week could bring my projected savings up by 12 thousand dollars! Combined with what I have now, this sets me up to put a pretty down payment down on a starter home in just 5 years. What seemed so out of reach before looks so much closer now thanks to a good budget and a plan. 

One of my biggest lessons is to take initiative and action in every situation that you can. There have been times that I have seen a sliver of opportunity, and I always choose to dive headfirst into it. Anyone can partake in this way of thinking in many different ways if we focus on what our very next small step is, even if it is as small as a text to a boss or an extra shift at your job. The more comfortable we become stepping into the unknown, the better we shape our futures.

 *The 200 word summary Chat GPT created of our conversation when prompted asking if owning a home is possibility after an explanation of my work.

A take on test taking: What works and what doesn't?

The Overall System 

It was very interesting to hear about how the schooling system came to be. From the short film "Class Dismissed" we learn that the system that schools follow has been around since the industrial ages. Khan's reading "A Broken Model" elaborates further on this system and claims that this model is broken and does not fit in current society. One way this broken system is carried out today is in tests. Here is my take on tests, when do they work, when don't they work, and how can we take and present tests in the most effective way.

Khan's Claim

Khan raised a lot of valuable claims about just what exactly tests test. He claims that "Tests measure the approximate state of a student's memory and perhaps understanding... at a given moment in time" (92). This statement truly encapsulates the overall purpose of tests. He goes into further detail breaking apart this claim and has does a very impressive and eye-opening take.

My Background and Defense of Tests

I have always played on the defensive side of tests. I was also very blessed with a strong foundation in test taking skills from my elementary school which set me up for life. I was taught intricate details on how to read the language of a question and how to match it to the well-designed choices in multiple choice. I like to think that throughout your experience as a student, teachers are seldom setting you up for failure. I also know that teachers are usually easy to read and understand.  

(Me, 12 years ago, on my way to learn life changing test taking skills)

In my experience at school, I could breeze through knowing:

 1.) How to take tests.

2.) What teachers expect me to know on tests. 

 A Personal Comment on Khan's Point

I believe that it is extremely important for teachers to have an understanding of where their students stand on memorization or understanding of a topic. Here are the circumstances that make tests the most reasonable and fair that I hope to implement if I am ever in the position to administer a test:

1.) Dropping the lowest test grade or weighing it lower.

2.) Having many smaller test grades to get a fairer average

3.) Creating critical thinking questions with multiple correct answers 

4.) Having specific guidelines or study guides to let students know the exact information they should be comfortable with.

These circumstances help ensure that the worst aspects of tests are no longer applicable. I think a point also has to be made that if a student does have a bad day and their grade appropriately reflects them, that bad day is included in their reflection. Showing students how to bounce back and showing them that no one is perfect all the time is very important because that should never be expected. The more personal your connections are, the more you can tailor their experience to help them grow as much as they can.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alan Johnson's "Fear of the Uknown" take... and why I take issue with it.

Johnson's Claim

Upon reading Alan Johnson's book, I took issue with a key concept he proposes: "For all its popularity, the idea that everyone is naturally frightened by difference is a cultural myth that, more than anything, justifies keeping outsiders on the outside and treating them badly if they happen to get in" (16). I admire how open Johnson is to permitting acceptance, but in the process, I think he undermines the severity of anxieties towards uncertainties. * There is evidence that supports that fear of the unknown is a very real and very human experience. The erasure of the validity of this idea only permits further bigotry. It gives a life sentence to people who would otherwise be willing to change their mind.

Psychology Today released a study in 2016 that shows, "Fear of the Unknown Compounds Many Anxiety Disorders."

Johnson also claims that "...it isn't what we don't know that frightens us, it's what we think we do know." While I see what he is claiming and how he uses it to dismantle privilege, I actually believe that the opposite is far closer to the truth-- and more importantly-- the solution. What we think we know is truly a manifestation of what we don't know. Uncertainty is anxiety's favorite feast, made from the never-ending outcomes our brains invent-- most of which never even come true. Even still, we drain our energy in attempt to feed the insatiable beast. * 

Personal Experience with the Unknown

I first learned about homosexuality when my older stepsister was watching Glee in the living room. Kurt entered with my whole family in the room and the word "gay" was introduced to me. They explained that it simply means that Kurt likes other boys. As a six-year-old, this was just as shocking as hearing that Miley Cyrus cut her hair during her Wrecking Ball era. Not because it was wrong but because it was my first exposure (to homosexuality and classic Disney freak outs). It felt extremely strange because of how new it was to me, even though in the grand scheme it is harmless and normal. Now looking back, homosexuality and Disney stars "breaking free" have always and will always happen, I just hadn't witnessed them yet. Using my elementary brain with only 72 months of development, I was not hateful. I was just a child with only three years of reasoning under my belt. My reaction was an assumption I quickly made in uncharted land because it felt safe and comfortable. * Upon later conversations, I learned that two people of the same gender can love each other just the same as two people of opposite genders. Now, nearly 13 years later, I love hearing love stories of all identities, and I know that everyone on Earth, no matter their orientation, is worthy of love and devotion.

Exposure Therapy

In continuance of backing up the claim of fearing the unknown, a well-supported idea is exposure therapy. At its foundation, exposure therapy proves that the more that you are exposed to an idea, the more comfortable you become with it. The opposite is also true: the less you are exposed to something, the more you fear it. If everyone moving forward decides to bring forth these ideas out of love, empathy, and understanding while keeping their minds open to new ideas, people will become more comfortable with new concepts. As they veer away from being "unknown" and become the "norm," learning and accepting new concepts will become more comfortable. 

*Chat GPT edited. Here is a video link of all of the prompts given.