Journal No. 10

One of the most interesting points in Collignon, Men, and Tan's article "Finding Ways In" talks about how Southeast Asian students and families face difficulties adjusting to the education system in America. The authors (2001) make the argument that Cambodian, Laotian, Hmong, and Vietnamese families that came to this country "brought with them beliefs and cultural practices with respect to teaching and learning that differed from one another and from prevalent beliefs and practices in the United States." (p. 30) From what I've learned about different cultures and their respective beliefs, there are some groups of people who learn and act differently in the classroom. For example, there are some cultures in which it is considered disrespectful to make eye contact with one another while speaking. In other cultures, having group discussions are more accepted than each student answering a question individually. Collignon, Men, and Tan give several examples of what is expected in the Southeast Asian education systems. In Cambodian schools, students primarily learn the Cambodian language along with traditional Buddhist teachings. French schools were the basis for Vietnamese schools and for the Hmong of Laos, "learning was embedded in shared cultural practices with adult community members in their hill-tribe villages rather than in schools." (Colignon, Men, & Tan, 2001, p. 31) We cannot expect students to immediately adhere to the classroom customs of this country, if at all. What we can do is learn as much about each of our students as possible and where they come from. By connecting with our students on a personal level, we will be able to create a more positive learning environment which, in turn, will make the content much more accessible to each student. We obviously do not want our students to lose their own cultural beliefs and values that they have brought with them to the classroom. Rather, we should be encouraging their cultures so that they can succeed.

Journal No. 9

I went back to the Teen Coalition this past Wednesday for another visit. One of the things that struck me was how much attention the leaders of the Teen Coalition give to the Cambodian culture. During one of the group activities, the kids were asked to introduce themselves using basic Khmer phrases. They were also asked to name their favorite Khmer meal. Many of the kids that I've talked to at the Teen Coalition have told me that they are of Cambodian descent and that they appreciate the program taking an interest in their heritage. Even the kids who aren't Cambodian really seem to enjoy talking about different aspects of Khmer culture. It allows the kids to learn more about their own culture and the culture of those in their community. After a few activities, one of the leaders started to write down a list of Khmer foods that the kids were going to be cooking a few weeks later. The kids were so excited that they were going to be able to learn how to cook traditional Khmer dishes. In a city with a high population of people of Cambodian descent, this sort of activity can help the kids form a sense of pride in their community. Some of the kids who take part in this cooking activity may be able to use the experience in order to connect with family members and friends who know how to cook these dishes. The Teen Coalition continues to impress me each time I visit. I don't know if I've ever seen one of the kids with a frown on their face, which I can't say surprises me. The leaders at the Teen Coalition are trying to give the kids a sense of pride in their community while also teaching them to make the right decisions in life. I have no doubt that each one of the kids who goes to the Teen Coalition on a regular basis will be successful in life and be a source of pride for their community.

Journal No. 8

As I was reading Gloria Ladson-Billings book The Dream-Keepers, I tried to reflect on my own experiences and interactions with the African-American community. Growing up in Malden, Massachusetts, I had a few close friends who were black. But that changed when I moved to Haverhill, Massachusetts during the fifth grade. I had moved to a predominantly white neighborhood. All of the kids that I hung out with were either white or Hispanic, so I had very little contact with African-Americans throughout my teenage years. Even through my college years, I didn't have any friends who were black. As I read the book, I wondered how my limited interactions with the black community would impact my ability to teach African-American students. On page 48 of Ladson-Billings book, one teacher, Mrs. Powell, was described as being "out of place" in a predominantly African-American school. The teacher was a middle-aged white woman who, from what I can gather from the text, has had very limited "exposure" to African-American students, which seems to have negatively affected her teaching. She didn't seem to think that any of her students were capable of being successful in the classroom, and even resisted giving "A's" to students who rightfully deserved them. Every student has the ability to succeed, not only in the classroom, but in life. Even if you don't feel that way, you need to expect the best out of your students when you teach. If you go into a classroom and expect the students to fail, then you're not doing your job as a teacher. It doesn't matter what race your students are; every student is capable of doing great things. Even though I haven't had much interaction with African-Americans, that's not going to change the fact that I expect the absolute best from them. I feel as though some teachers are in this profession simply to receive a paycheck. They're not doing it because they're passionate about teaching or making a difference in the lives of their students; they're only doing because it was the only thing available to them. It's incredibly disappointing to read accounts like the one about Mrs. Powell. I just want to do what's best for my students in the hope that they succeed in life.

Journal No. 7

I made another visit to the Teen Coalition this past Thursday. When I got there, the kids were getting ready to go out on a project that they had been working on for quite some time. A few of the group leaders took a handful of the kids down to a local liquor store in order to "tag" cases of beer and bottles of wine and liquor with stickers that discouraged people from buying alcohol for minors. One of the supervisors managed to capture the project on camera and was working on putting a video together. When they got back, the kids were all excited about how well it went and how cooperative the manager of the liquor store had been (side note: they had received permission from the store manager prior to going down there on Thursday). I also noticed that the Teen Coalition had made up beverage coasters that had the same message of the stickers printed on top of them. I assume that they will deliver these coasters to local pubs in the hopes of deterring even more people from buying alcohol for underage people. That is what I admire the most about the Teen Coalition at the Lowell Community Health Center. Not only do they give the kids a place to go after school to do homework, work on college applications, and hang out with friends; they teach the kids how to make the right decisions in life. I was amazed at how receptive the kids were to going out and doing this project. They knew that they were doing the right thing and helping improve their community. I've visited the Teen Coalition twice, and I have yet to see a frown from any of the kids. They just seem to appreciate the opportunities that the program is providing them, which is great to see as a future educator. I want my students to be able to appreciate the opportunity to go to school and to further not only their educations but their careers as well. I was talking with one of the kids about college and he mentioned to me that he was going to be studying electrical engineering when he goes to college in the fall. He seemed to know what he wants to do with his life and what he needs to do to reach his goals. As teachers, we can only hope to have motivated kids like this in our classrooms. It makes our jobs much easier.

Journal No. 6

Being a substitute teacher, I'm granted privileges that full-time, content area teachers are not. I don't have to plan lessons, attend meetings, or stay after school to help students with their work. My time is basically occupied with handing out assignments and making sure the students in my classroom are well-behaved and respectful not only to me but to one another. Having so much free time during prep periods has given me the opportunity to witness the interactions between teachers and students. The other day I was helping out in the school's curriculum office during MCAS testing. While I was there, a student walked into the office. This particular student is a Senior and should be graduating in a few months. The student talked about while he needed to attend some weekend classes to make up time that he has missed, he had finally passed the Biology portion of the MCAS and was on track to graduate. He had been so stressed by the MCAS because it was the basically only thing that was holding him back from graduating with his classmates. Fine and McClelland (2006) talk about the concerns that they have with regards to standardized testing and the effect it has on some populations of students. The authors talk about how young girls who are forced to drop-out of high school because of high-stakes exit exams are more likely to become pregnant than those who do not drop out. (p. 302-303) They also talk about how minority populations are affected. The student a mentioned earlier is of Latino descent. The article talks about how minority populations are "disproportionately required to pass high-stakes tests in order to graduate from high school and disproportionately fail", which ultimately leads to these students not receiving their diplomas. (Fine & McClelland, 2006, p. 302) I've never been a huge fan of high-stakes, standardized testing, both as a student and as an educator. It puts too much pressure on the students to do well. Students obviously need to be assessed to see where they are in terms of their development. But these tests often mask what students actually know and how students learn. The pressure to do well on these tests can certainly have an effect on their performance, which can then lead to the students dropping out of high school. The students who drop out are, according to Fine and McClelland (2006) "earn less, are more likely to be sick, have higher mortality rates, are more likely to be incarcer- ated, be on public assistance, get pregnant, bear a second child, and/or give birth to a low-birth-weight infant than those who graduate." (p. 302) The student I observed is going to be able to get his diploma. Some students aren't so lucky.

Journal No. 5

I went to the Lowell Community Health Center Teen Coalition yesterday after work. My first visit was cancelled because of February vacation, so I didn't know what to expect. Are these troubled teens? What kind of homes do they come from? Do they have any interest in being at the center or are they being forced to be there by their parents? After sitting and talking with the kids who attend the after-school program, all of the questions that I had were answered. The kids talked enthusiastically about things like going on college visits with the group and what classes they enjoy and don't enjoy. Some kids were getting homework done; others were helping prepare a survey that the LCHC administers every two years to the local high school and middle schools. The most enjoyable part of the experience happened around 3:30 in the afternoon, when one of the kids called everyone into the main room for a "Mood Check". Everyone in the room got a chance to tell the others what their mood was on a scale of one to ten, which I feel would be a great tool to use in managing a classroom. It got everyone involved and seemed to strengthen the connection between the kids. With everything that I saw, I can say that I am extremely impressed with the work that they are doing down at the LCHC Teen Coalition. The kids love being down there with each other and get a lot of help looking for and applying to colleges. I can only hope that more programs like the one at the Lowell Community Health Center will be opened in order to help those teens who may need some encouragement in taking the next step in their education. It is something that I am definitely interested in getting more involved with.

Journal No. 4

Mary Waters's article, "The Intersection of Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in Identity Development of Caribbean American Teens", raises a few interesting points. On page 65, Waters talks about the time in an adolescent's life when he or she chooses their "desired self", which essentially means they choose what race or culture to associate themselves with. It made me think of a certain well-known figure. Professional golfer Tiger Woods is often praised for breaking grounds as a black man in a predominantly white sport. However, not everyone knows that Tiger Woods's mother, Kultida, is of Asian descent. Despite this fact, most people (including Tiger himself) seem to designate him as just African-American. There is rarely a mention of Tiger's Asian ethnicity even though it is a big part of where he comes from. I can't speak to whether Tiger identifies himself as black, Asian, or even bicultural. What I can say is that many people tend to only look at the color of one's skin when they try to define someone else's identity. People normally don't take the time to talk to others to see where they come from or how they define themselves. 

Another part of Waters's article that jumped out to me is located on page 68. Waters talks about going to an inner-city high school and asking a research assistant to tag along with her. The research assistant was black, played on the Harvard University football team, and grew up in New York City. He essentially helped Waters "break the ice" with many of the students and assured them that it was alright to talk to her (being an older, white woman probably gave her an intimidating presence). This story made me a bit nervous. I've been looking at jobs in inner-city neighborhoods and I've always wondered how receptive the students might be in these schools. I think that it would help that I'm relatively close to their age; they might feel more of a connection with someone closer to their age group. But being white in a  predominantly black / Hispanic / Asian population could present a similar problem that Waters faced. Some of the students might be skeptical and not want to open up to me even though I am their teacher. Ideally, I would be able to connect with each of my students as soon as I walk into the classroom. That is not how it works, unfortunately. We as teachers need to forge a connection between ourselves and our students no matter the racial or cultural barriers that may exist.