Ch. 6-15

This next section of the book finishes her first semester as an official teacher, and covers her whole year with the freshman class. Gruwell’s first semester as a teacher begins by taking her students to see Schindlers list. A local paper ends up writing a story about the students journey to the movie theater in Long Beach. The story becomes controversial, and to make it worse, the reporter put Gruwell’s phone number at the bottom of the page. A few good things come of this; Gruwell’s confidant in college plans a field trip for her and her class to meet Thomas Keneally, the author of Schindlers list. The class meets with Mr. Keneally and attends the symposium he is featured in at the University of California at Irvine. Keneally was so impressed with the students stories that he tells his friend, Steven Spielberg, who is a famous director in Hollywood. The students once again get to go on one last field trip with Gruwell before they become seniors to meet Spielberg and visit Hollywood studios.
The next year Gruwell gets the incoming freshman class. This class is no different than her previous class was when she first got them. It is a divided classroom amongst diversity and gangs, and most of the students could care less about their education. With the help of some of her former students, who are now seniors, Gruwell is slowly catching the interest of a few students. She finds it more difficult, as she does not take this class on as many field trips, or buys them new books like she did her old class. She is now a full time teacher, and does not want to upset the administration in chance of losing her job. She feels that because of this, she struggles to make more of a connection with this group. By using outside resources, she becomes more of a guide, and finds people or other things that the students can make a connection with.
Once again I can not get over how much Erin continues to impress me with her ideas, beliefs, and her overall love for teaching her students. Her students have completely changed their attitudes towards school, and their lives; and it is all because of her caring attitude. I am also impressed with her new ideas that she is using with the freshman. Even though she does not have the same flexibility with field trips and new books as she did last year, she is slowly starting to get her students engaged. She is doing the same thing she did last year, by giving her students something they can compare their lives to. I really like how Erin is more of a guide to the students. She realizes that she can only do so much, so she finds books, or outside resources that can better benefit the students learning. She does not try to do or explain everything; she finds ways for her students to truly make a connection with the work.
For the first time in the book, I have to say that I was a little disappointed in Erin. I understand her wanting to move up with her junior class, but I thought she was a little to down about teaching the freshman. I thought she would be thrilled that she got to start all over again and try to achieve with this class what she did with her previous. I feel like the first class does not need her anymore, and that it would be unfair for all the other students in the school not to have an opportunity to be with her. She puts the students in the right direction, and so far, has changed all their attitudes from negativity to being positive. Her original class now realizes what they need to do, and have changed their thoughts about education. It is now time for her to start working with the freshman and prepare them for the rest of their high school career and the real world.

Generations

These two articles introduce and discuss the five different generations of Americans that have been running the country since the beginning of the 1900’s. The five generations in order starting in 1901 include: G.I. Generation, Silent Generation, Boom Generation, Generation X, and Millennial Generation. Since the G.I. and Silent generation are either currently at the end of their career, or already retired; the two articles focus more on the Boom, X, and Millennial Generations. Individuals from the Boom and X generation are two drastically different types of individuals. While Boom is more conservative, and has trust within the school systems as they were raised during a time of strong community. The X people were born into a time when the needs of children were put last. X individuals are more people friendly then Boomers, and are more concerned with how their own children are doing in school as well as constantly checking up and pressuring the educators to make sure their children are maximizing their learning potential. The one thing these two generations do have in common is that of their children. Their children are considered the Millennial generation, which includes all traditional students currently in college and younger. Millennial generation has a good mix of all the previous generations, and will shortly be entering the real world where they will make a mark and eventually represent all the superior jobs in America. Millennial Generation has been criticized for all the same things that students of previous generations have. Some people even go further and clam that America is in trouble as soon as the millennial generation takes over. Statistics show that the millennial generation is actually in much better shape than any before it. Students today show more respect, have better attitudes, achieve at higher levels, and are better people persons than any generation before. The false impressions about students today are only myth statements that are thrown around during every generation. Today’s students are more than capable, willing, and ready to be leaders in the workforce.
I found these two articles to be very interesting. I never knew that each generation had a name and that they broke them down that much. It all makes a lot of sense to me though. My parents are from the boom generation and are very caring and always concerned about mine and my brother’s education, but there very supportive of the teachers and have a lot of trust in the school system. I can also think of a lot of people that were born in the X generation who are teachers and coach’s worst nightmares. I found it amazing how much the articles were on about each generation and could think of a bunch of examples of people who acted exactly like their generation description. I also found it fascinating all the positive facts about the millennial generation. It makes me proud to be part of that generation, and to know that I will be someone who has a part in continuing the growth and success of those students. I have thought about how I will mold many students of the future, but I never thought about how the article had described it, and how I will be responsible for trying to continue the improvement of these statistics; especially since a lot of the stats involved health education and overall well-being. These articles also made me a little nervous, as I will have to deal with many of the generation X parents. It is something that I do not think about nearly enough, nor want to, but I will have some parents at some time get upset with me. These articles only worsened my concern as I feel that these parents will be armed and ready just as soon as I make one little slip up. It is something that I will have to manage and deal with, and will only understand better over time.

Article: Diversity

This article discusses the different methods of teaching students with diverse backgrounds. All students are capable of learning; it’s the teacher’s responsibility to understand the culture and learning style of the student to maximize his or her learning potential. Learning and cultures are controversial in three different ways: The first one is they often lead to naïve inferences about individuals within that group; there is a persistent achievement differences between minority and non-minority students; and it brings us face to face with philosophical issues that involve deeply held beliefs. These three beliefs have lead to many new ways of approaching teaching by connecting learning and culture. Research has been done to find learning patterns within different diversities. The article gives three different examples of measuring culture and learning. The article also has research about similarities that all diversities share within learning; as well as a list of controversial teaching methods in terms of diversity and learning.
For the most part we all described our reflections differently, but came to the same conclusion. Knowing and understanding your students is by far more important than trying to teach based on their culture. Since we are all from Maine, culture differences have never been a major issue for any of us. So we have never really taken the time to think about it. But we do all know from practicum the importance of differentiated instruction. This article was a good eye opener in understanding our students’ culture, so that we may apply it in the classroom, but as far as teaching students certain ways because statistics show that historically their cultures thrive in a certain teaching style, we will pass on that. We will not pass on getting to know, and understand our students’ strengths within learning; nor will we pass on not using all the multiple intelligences. Instead of teaching based on students’ diversity, it is more important to teach based on their learning styles and personalities, and to use their culture within the learning experience.

Guild, P. (1994, May). The Culture/Learning Style Connection: Educating for Diversity. Educational Leadership, 447-453.

TWYH Ch. 1-5

The first five chapters from Teach with your Heart introduce the teacher, Erin Gruwell, her students, and some of the different strategies she uses to get them interested in her English class. Gruwell is a student teacher at Wilson high school in Long Island. She first expects the students to be eagerly awaiting her arrival and ready to learn, but she quickly finds that it is a very diverse classroom with clashing groups. Gruwell slowly begins to reach some of the kids by finding out their interests and relating them too class work. She finds this more difficult then expected; not only are the students hard to reach, but her colleagues and father are also causing road blocks. Gruwell is finding the only thing she can do is ask for help, and take extra shifts at the Marriot so her students can have the same opportunities as others. After reaching one of the studs in the class, as well as planning a field trip to see a Holocaust museum, and buying the students new books, she is slowly starting to help them all see their true potential.
I have enjoyed reading these first five chapters. Gruwell represents what being a teacher is all about. I have admired her willingness to go the extra mile and find ways for her students to have an opportunity to learn, especially where everything seems to be stacked up against her. It is difficult to follow a dream when you are on the door step to a job that guarantees wealth, your father is pushing you not to teach, and the students do not show any interest in learning. Gruwell looks past all of this, and only sees students with unlimited potential, with the need of some guidance. I like how Gruwell approaches the classroom. She seems very non-judgmental and approaches every lesson with something that she feels might interest the students. Even if her lesson fails, she still is succeeding because she is getting closer to find the method that will work, and making the students realize that she is not going to give up on them. I think the changing point in the first semester is when the class visits the Holocaust museum. The students not only realize how much she cares about their learning, but they find something they all can relate to. It was a powerful moment for the students as they all realized how common they are to each other and people who were around at the time of the Holocaust.