Language Policy for the Oppressed

“The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all the people.”
~Noam Chomsky



During this section we studied the political implications of Language Policy in the United States. As you may have guessed, I was not pleased.

This section was really difficult to sit through. Wishing to remain respectful to the class, I did not get out of my chair and yell out in frustration listening to the litany of injustices that have taken place during our country’s history. These injustices seemed to be based on fear, motivated by profit or simply to maintain the unbalanced control of power in this culture. This section helped clarify and solidify my understandings of the political aspects of language. Language policy is one tool used by the powerful to control, manipulate and institutionalize racism within our culture.

As painful as it was to listen to, I was pleased that we took time in class to document the consistent efforts that have taken place in regards to our language policy during our short and fearful history of the United States. When our corporations needed access to inexpensive labor (with non-existent labor rights provided), we allowed Chinese people to build our railroads. When these laborers asked for fair pay or wanted to extend their stay after the completion of the railroad, we developed laws to push them out. German was the protected language of this land because the people who stole this land descended from central Europe. But when Germany was viewed as our enemy, any associations with that culture, or its language, were viewed as unpatriotic and no longer enjoyed its lofty status. As our fear percolated into a crescendo of mistrust for anything foreign during the 1950's we created the Immigration and Nationality Act that limits access to our country simply based on associations with any country that was outside the Western Hemisphere. Here in California, if the price of food reflected its fair and ethical price, taking into account fair wages for workers who enjoy the minimal standards of safety recognized throughout the world (not to mention access to proper health care), most people could not afford it. Instead, we rely on access to inexpensive labor to maximize profits for the elite few. Our powerful corporations are working hard to carefully manufacture access to cheap labor while at the same time, continue to limit access to any social services for the people who work these farms.

One exception to that rule is access to education. Here in California we provide access to education for all people living here, regardless of legal status. However, we have constructed a language policy that severely limits the affects of any education offered. This policy ignores the vast array of data and the experiences of other countries that illustrate that providing bilingual education is by far the most effective way to insure that academic achievement is maximized, that respect and understanding for the culture of origin lay intact and, perhaps most importantly, the student's relationship with school, education and self worth is left to flourish.

As teachers who work in the public sector it is imperative that we understand how racism is in the culture has been institutionalized. Furthermore, it is our responsibility is to utilize this understanding as we provide equitable education system to a diverse group of students.

None of us are free until we are all free

During the short write exercise in class I wrote the following statement: "I have experienced oppression living in a time where war and fear are the underlying prescription for the economic expression throughout the world. I am oppressed by the limited understanding of love and compassion manifested in my world community."

The words seem to come flying out of my hand and I put my pen down, somewhat shocked at the honesty that had come from me.

I feel blessed at my background, which I reflected on my short write about privilege: "I have experienced privilege in my life by being born as healthy, white, male, to educated, loving parents who saw me as someone who is both lovable and important. I was born during a time that was free of war and disease (for me), and where access to information and wisdom have been readily available." I know how much has been offered to me, which is why I was surprised at my writing about oppression.

All of us have developed a strategy to deal with the inequities that exist in our world. Some become bitter or hateful while others are able to find a level of acceptance. Members of the ruling class must come to grips with that fact they have much more than others. It seems unfair to say that their burden is greater than those in the minority, but the point is that we all have some pain associated with the unfair fact that some are born in to wealth and others into poverty. These questions of what it means to feel privileged and or what it means to be oppressed is relevant to all people of our global village, even our children.

The emotions that I became aware of during these practices all surrounded interdependence (empathy, oneness, understanding, acceptance and community). The insights that I can take from these exercises into my classroom all have to do with the idea of fairness and that we all cope with inequality and unfairness differently, given our diverse background. Sexual orientation, race, wealth, gender and political background all play critical roles in developing a framework through which we see the world. As important as the physical traits of the individual, the emotional capacity and wisdom of a person also helps to create one's relationship with their surroundings. For example, someone with a high degree of empathy will have a different reaction to injustice in the world than someone who may share those person’s same physical traits, but differs in their emotional intelligence. Regardless of our personal construct of the world, as teachers, we should encourage the constant examination of students and the world around them. Using the discussions of Labels or what it means to be oppressed is to encourage self-examination and the ideas surrounding equity and fairness. I see these discussions, and the wisdom behind them as part of the set of tools that I am developing to help others empower themselves.

Reconsidering Homework

Information Guide and Homework Policy






Dear Parents,

Any homework given to your child will reflect our intentions to promote two goals: high quality learning and the desire to keep learning. When homework is given it will reflect activities that are naturally suited for home. For example, we encourage reading together from a book of your children’s choice every day. Cooking, board games and puzzles are all activities that can be done together at home that can act as a compliment to the work we do during school hours.

Homework is a chance for your child to learn by making mistakes. The point of good homework is to learn, not to prove that they have already learned. Therefore, when homework is given, it will not be graded. However great care will be given for proper feedback about what the student is learning.

Any homework given will be offered with the following qualification:
If homework ever interferes with any family activities or extracurricular activities such as music or sports, simply make a note of it on the homework and we will waive it. The same note should be made if any student is struggling with the homework.

All of us want our children to be successful and happy. As teachers, it is our intention to work with you to find the balance of school, play and home life. We look forward to (and need!) your feedback. You are your child’s best teacher and often times only you can help us understand your child and what is best for him or her. We encourage you to find out more about the affects of homework (both negative and positive) and look forward to any suggestions or comments you may have so that we can work together to help form the best learning environment for your child.


Information Guide and Homework Policy

Please take a moment to find out what current research has shown about the effectiveness of homework in Elementary schools.

____________________________________________
The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing
Kohn, Alfie. (2006) First Da Capo Press.

“There is no evidence of any academic benefit from homework in elementary school.”(p38)

“Correlation doesn’t prove causation. At best, most homework studies show only an association, not a causal relationship.” (p. 28)

“The conclusions of more than a dozen reviews of the homework literature conducted between 1960 and 1989 varied greatly. Their assessments ranged from homework having positive effects, no effects or complex effects to the suggestion that the research was too sparse or poorly conducted to allow trustworthy conclusions.”(p.25)

“The proportion of six- to eight-year-olds who are assigned homework is now almost the same as that for nine- to twelve-year-olds.” (p.7)

Negative impacts of homework: Burden on parents, Stress on children, Family Conflict, Less time for other activities, Less interest in learning. (p.10-17)
____________________________________________
American School Board Journal, (v183 n10 p48-51 Oct 1996)

Researcher Harris Cooper examined studies on homework and student achievement and found that homework substantially raises high school students' achievement; in junior high, homework raises students' achievement only about half as much; and in elementary grades, homework has no discernible effect on students' achievement.

____________________________________________
National Foundation for Educational Research
http://www.nfer.ac.uk/research-areas/pims-data/summaries/hwk-review-of-studies-on-homework.cfm

* There is a positive relationship between time spent on homework and achievement at secondary school level (especially for older secondary students). Evidence at primary school level is inconclusive, because fewer studies have been carried out at primary level and results have been inconsistent.

* Time spent on homework explains only a small amount of the variance in pupils' achievement scores, even at secondary level.

* There is a disappointing lack of reliable evidence on 'what works' in terms of homework assignments, procedures, marking and feedback.

Sounds that make me smile

After 100 hours of classroom attendance and writing about 10,000 words, my school deemed me fit enough to work with kids. The State of California requires many other benchmarks including two tests, which took me about 16 hours to take and other smaller requirements, including fingerprints and a LIVESCAN. Livescans and fingerprints are now standard procedure for anyone interested in working with the public, especially with children. During this process you admit any violations of law taken place since one's birth. So after months of preparation I have been placed with in an elementary school as a student teacher.

Do I feel prepared? In some ways, yes and in another way - I am scared out of my mind! I am guessing that's an appropriate reaction to student teaching. My tension was greatly reduced when I met my Cooperating Teacher (CT).

If your goal is to be properly trained as a profoundly great teacher, my CT is everything you could hope for. For proper training I am guessing (since I am just starting this process) you need three things: A great school to train you, a great school to practice in and about 10,000 hours of practice. The fact that I have two of them is not lost on me. [Picture Sean staring at a big box with a giant red ribbon on it].

But wait, it gets better.

Rejoice if you interview your cooperating teacher and she talks like this: "Why do I teach and take on student teachers every year? I know I have a lot to offer and I love the interaction with the younger teachers. It keeps me current and I love the interaction with them. I don't mind being called out if I am wrong and I expect that you will engage me if you think I can do something better."

I pointed out the irony that the degree to which one is secure in their understanding of something, is the degree to which they able to question it and grow their understanding. It's clear that she is very secure with herself as a teacher and her understanding of how children should be treated and encouraged to grow.

Also rejoice if your cooperating teacher says that the most important thing a teacher (at any level) can develop is to continually search for the balance of finding empathy or compassion for a child while setting high expectations for them.

Today, I am rejoicing.

Breathing in, I am aware of my joy.
Breathing out, I am taking care of my excitement.

First Language Acquisition

What I hear is who I am.

First Language acquisition refers to the process in which we form our ability to communicate with others. In the past sixty years biologists, behaviorists and linguists have developed theories that help explain the learned and innate abilities humans may share and the role culture may play in the development of first language acquisition. Although each theorist has their merits, it seems logical that the truth of how we develop language falls somewhere between the idea that we have an innate predisposition to absorb certain language properties and the idea that we are solely shaped by the personal and cultural influences.

Watching my children acquire language had an important and lasting impact on me. Any person who has spent time closely interacting with an infant can tell you that from day one they are ready to learn. The children’s ability to know their parents’ voice and respond to them after birth tells us that they have already been listening before birth. The children’s ability to mimic also happens within the first few days. Although human vocal chords do not fully develop until age two, studies show that infants of only a few days are ready and able to attempt repeating what is said to them. This ability, though limited, and the desire to communicate with the people around them is the first step in the child’s acquisition of language. Similarly, the holophrastic and telegraphic phrases young learners use also indicates an early ability (and deep desire) to effectively communicate with those around them.

My experience teaching sign language to my children also influenced my opinion that humans have an amazing ability to communicate, even when they lack the physical functions of voice. By the age of nine months (we started signing at six months) my son was able to start repeating signs and within 6 months knew over twenty-five signs. The first sign he repeated was “more”, as in “Dad, please toss me in the air again. More!”
After many times repeating the sequence of throwing, catching, signing “more”, pausing for his response, he mimicked my hand motion. The notion that he could do something that directly influenced his surroundings was not lost on him. He knew, perhaps for the first time, that what he did affected others.

Reflecting back on the experience of seeing the joy on his face and sharing in his communication, I realize that first language acquisition has two functions; to be able to communicate with others and secondly, to develop a relationship with oneself. If we examine the experiences of learning a first language compared to learning subsequent ones, we see many more shared experiences (comprehension, grammar, repetition, imitation) but the one that stands out with first language acquisition is the idea of the development of the self or sub-conscious. When we learn our first language we learn about our world and this becomes the first and most important framework we use to construct our own self-image.

Playing Nice with Others

After three weeks in class i feel like i have hit my stride. I know what's due and when. My classmates are familiar to me, I even like most of them. I can see the great potential in all of them, which is inspiring. The manageable workload is even fun and knowing that someone has to read my writings makes it even more enjoyable.

I know enough about blogs to recognize the negative effects they can have. One of my favorites (dooce.com) was written by a women who ended up loosing her job because of her writings about her coworkers, even though she never mentioned the names of the people or the company she worked for. Of course, there is that temptation to talk about all the people in my program, what bugs me about them... you know general gossip. As tempting as that is..., that will not be happening here.

As this blog evolves I am hoping to highlight some great examples of teaching. I like the idea of finding the happiest teacher in Santa Barbara. I figure that if I find the happiest one, they will have some great insights into what makes an effective, production and loving teacher. Does anyone know a happy teacher in Santa Barbara?

This week I wrote about the results of listening powerfully to people. Here is a sample:

Listening Powerfully

It is my commitment to listen powerfully for my classmates. I wish them the best and listen for them as teachers who already positively contribute to their students. Even if members of our cohorts are not currently working with kids, we are developing the skills and knowledge that will contribute to future benefit for others. As we lay the groundwork for future benefit for others, we are involved with an extremely important part of our teaching practice. When interacting with my teammates I attempt to keep this thought present in my mind, body and speech.

I believe that there is a result to listening for others in the best light. I know when people respect me, even if they do not agree with me, it is easier for me to communicate and get my point across. "Active Listening" is a great place to start when communicating with others. However, in some respects it fails to appreciate the important (but subtle) judgments we make about the speaker. We either have a supportive opinion about the person speaking (or their situation) or we have an unsupportive opinion. Either way we can affect the outcome of the speaker with the subtle judgments we make about them. The degree to which the speaker feels safe and respected is the degree to which they will be free to come to their best conclusions. That does not mean they will be able to solve every problem, but at least they will have the benefit of having been truly listen to by someone whom they feel respected by and seems to have their best interest in mind.

Ubiquitous Philosophy Paper

I guess every young graduate student gets a chance to express their opinion on what it means to be a great teacher. I got mine last week and I took it and ran. I have been thinking about these ideas for years, I guess every parent does, or at least the ones who want to be good at it do.

I have been so blessed to have had many great teachers that I hope I can do them justice when I talk about what it means to give back to our kids and communities.

The Way You Do the Things You Do

This paper will examine the values and philosophy I have about education, what philosophies support these values, how children learn, and the role the teacher should play in the classroom.

Values of a Teacher

My Philosophy about teaching starts with the assumption that all people seek happiness. Animals seek pleasure and avoid pain and almost all organisms seek to find a balance in the surroundings in which they exist. In our quest to find happiness humans use knowledge, reason and the process of education to develop a sense of joy. It is through this formal education process as well as our individual informal and reflective assessment, access to different principled ideas, personal experience and relationship to others that helps us define who we are and what makes us happy.

Our motivation to find happiness leads us naturally to question our world and how it works. This leads to my second assumption about education; people want to understand the world around them. As a teacher, making the assumption that children want to learn can change the entire dynamic of the class. Smith (2003) points out in his book, Conscious Classroom Management “There is an invisible covenant between Teacher and each of her students. The student covenant says: “Please teach me appropriate behavior [and content] in a safe and structured environment. I may act out, I may behave in ways that suggest I am not interested, but in truth I really want to learn appropriate behavior [and content] and I won’t be satisfied unless you are holding your ground teaching this to me.” Teachers who hold this assumption and effectively facilitate learning can help form the framework that people use to develop their personality and sense of self.

As we develop our personalities we are at the same time manifesting certain assumptions about the world and either reinforcing those assumptions, questioning them, or changing them based on the continual flow of influences in our lives. If the variety of influences is low, assumptions are harder to question or analyze and tend to become solidified and reinforced. However, if one has the capacity, willingness and opportunity to question our reality, one can develop a stronger understanding of the surrounding world and create tools that can lead to long-term happiness in and around them. Good teachers who can understand the interdependencies and intra-dependencies in the world are in a great position to impact students with whom they work.

In an attempt to deepen our understanding of our interdependence with each other Thich Nhat Hanh (2002) has a created the term Inter-being. Inter-Being is the idea that people do not exist in a vacuum but develop as individuals based on the relationships they have in their lives. The manifestation we have in our lives is a result of these relationships that, in turn, affect others in our lives and the kind of future influences and relationships we have. Happy people draw others into their lives that seek the same, and in doing so, further increase the likelihood that they will help others find happiness. Conversely, those who find themselves surrounded by violence and ignorance tend to repeat the examples shown to them. In both cases we are the results of our influences. At times humans seem to be able to escape the influences in their lives: children of abusive homes can develop loving relationships, and those raised in poverty can escape it. I would claim, however, that in every example we would find a significant person that was able to support, encourage and facilitate this seemingly impossible transformation.

How People Learn

Both children and adults learn from playing. The educational process is a highly personal activity and to become an effective learner (or a teacher facilitating learning) it is necessary to have a context or relationship with the content being learned. Play is the key component giving context and meaning in our lives. I would argue that people only learn something when it has relevance to them. Giving meaning and relevance to a teaching is the role of both the teacher as well as the student.

Vivian Paley writes in her book The Boy Who Would Be a Helicopter (1990) “The fact that all children share this view of play makes play, along with its alter ego, storytelling and acting, the universal learning medium. Children, of all ages, expect fantasy to generate - indeed they cannot stop if from doing so - an ongoing dialogue to which they bring a broad range of intellectual and emotional knowledge at a very early age.”

As ego-centered children, our play provides us a sense of power by generating an opportunity to have control over our soundings. In addition, as our skill sets of body control and language grow, we gain the reinforcement and acceptance from our parents that we so clearly desire. Finally, play provides us a medium to work out concepts, which are not clearly understood. As we grow we also develop a deeper sense of balance and can understand that our happiness and joy cannot exist without the context of those around us. We still seek personal pleasure through the mastery of skills and acceptance of others but we widen our definition of joy and play as we widen our understanding of our place in the world. We are then able to delay gratification as we set longer-term goals. For example, some high school students may develop a mastery of mathematics, not for an affinity for the subject, but because she knows that this will lead to a college degree and a job in the future, which may bring about eventual happiness. Younger learners vary in their relationship with delaying gratification and understanding the long-range consequences to action taken, but the motivation is the same, which is to seek out happiness and understand the world around them.

There is no one piece of knowledge that is most important when discussing how we learn or what we teach but rather it is our relationship with learning that should be at the forefront of learning and teaching. Making a subject relevant to the learner is a far more important tool than any body of knowledge. Wisdom can be defined as the balanced application of one's knowledge. As critical as it is to understand how things work, far more important is the application of that knowledge. Being able to prescribe the correct action for a given situation is the domain of wisdom and I would suggest it is the most important component of learning.

Role of a Teacher:

“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”
~ Buddha

It is critical for instructors to be both a role model for their students as well as someone who can provide the tools of critical examination, understand the interdependence that exists throughout our world, and facilitate the expanding definition of play that can be utilized during a student’s lifetime. For the teacher, this takes proper motivation, a sound understanding of the subject matter being taught as well as an intuitive psychological appreciation for the learner's needs.

Although the sweeping generalizations made by Piaget's Stage Theory have not withstood rigorous scientific scrutiny over the years (www.learning-theories.com/piagets-stage-theory-of-cognitive-development.html) I believe his underlying assumption that people do progress in stages is sound. To be a good teacher requires an accurate assessment of the child needs and abilities followed by the understanding of the next appropriate step for the student. This is the art of teaching where great teachers can gracefully combine expectation, theory and practice (and a bit of cajoling) to facilitate growth in the student.

The Ayurvedic modality of healing includes the idea that an organism operates at maximum efficiency when its individual parts are in balance with its surroundings. Humans are healthy when their elements (earth, air, fire and wood) are in balance with the forces in and around them. The role of a healer in this tradition is two-fold. The first is to understand the patient and apply activities and remedies that will facilitate balance throughout their system. The second is to act as a role model or mentor to the patient. For the healer (as well as the patient) being able to manifest the expression of health is the result of applied wisdom and a true understanding of this type of medicine. Reflecting this flagrant lack of wisdom for balance in our lives, doctors in the West face some of the highest rates of addiction, stress levels, obesity and depression.

I think it would be prudent to apply some of the wisdom found in the philosophy of the Ayurvedic philosophy when defining the role of the modern teachers. There is much in common when comparing the healing modalities of the body to that of the mind. As teachers, we must also understand our patient, that of the student, and know what information they need. To achieve this we must know where they are and where they are going. Furthermore, we have the opportunity to provide for them an example of what it means to incorporate that knowledge, perhaps even wisdom, into their lives. No doubt, this is a tall order. Luckily, we are blessed with the examples of great teachers and tools that can help us meet this challenge.

Meditation is a tool that teachers should use on a daily basis to counteract the stresses of teaching and for guidance in potentially chaotic situations. The ability to develop an “inner authority” (Smith, 2003 p27) is key in maintaining a calm and safe environment in which to learn. Having the ability to stay calm yet firm in a stressful situation is the result of practicing, watching one's mind and being able to control its reactions (either physical or verbal). Understand the relationship we have between our mind and body is also important. A relaxed mind facilitates a healthy body. Those who develop a balance of mind will find corresponding joy and balance in the body.

It is important to take into account our society’s attitude and understanding of what mediation is, and its negative associations with religion. As we engaging others or as we develop programs that encourage change in our schools, I would encourage those wishing to affect change to concentrate on scientific data and concrete evidence that illustrate the positive affects of mediation, especially as it relates to academic achievement in schools. Using different language such as “deep and daily reflection” or “relaxation and stress-reducing techniques” can help others understand our relationship with meditation in a different way, which will help to facilitate change in our schools, and in our students.

A prerequisite to understanding the subtle and profound needs of students is an understanding of oneself. Teachers work in a high pace and demanding profession. Teachers who search for balance in their lives must incorporate tools like daily meditation into their lives, both to meet these demands gracefully and perhaps more importantly, to gain a greater understanding of how all minds work, what needs all people have and thus develop a greater capacity for understanding and empathy towards our students.

References

Paley, Vivian Gussin (1990) The boy who would be a helicopter.
First Harvard University Press p10

Smith, Rick (2003) Conscious Classroom Management.
California, Conscious Teaching Publications, p13, 26

Thich Nhat Hanh (2002)
No Death, No Fear: Comforting Wisdom for Life
Riverhead Books (P. 41)