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I really enjoyed the bottom of page 73. Students list off reasons why they like their teacher. It makes me happy when my kiddos tell me why they like me or my class :)

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Oh my...I definitely deleted my entire post and there is no undo button! :0

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Integrated Schooling vs. Separate Schools

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Integrated Schooling vs. Separate Schools

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Chapter 1 discusses the idea of integrated schooling versus separate schools for African American children. As educators with different backgrounds I would be interested in hearing everyone’s opinion on this topic.

“Du Bois turned his efforts toward making the separate African American schools quality schools that offered equal education, not integrated education” (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p.5). As an American, I do take pride in the fact that all American citizens have access to free public education, but I often find myself questioning the quality of this education.

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As I read this chapter, the following stood out to me: “One dimension of culturally relevant teaching is the teachers’ perceptions of themselves and others. Too often teachers have a poor opinion of themselves and their profession. In contrast, teachers who practice culturally relevant methods not only see themselves as professionals but also strongly identify with teaching” (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 37).

This is not something I have ever thought about regarding culturally relevant teaching, but it makes sense. Teachers who have a negative view of education or themselves are unable to explore, accept, and integrate the cultures of their students. I feel that good teaching in general cannot occur if a teacher is not confident and passionate about who they are and what they do every day!

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This chapter discuss a teacher perception of themselves, their students, and their students’ parents. This chapter caused me to self-reflect about my job performance, and also my feelings about the profession. If I could have a prior student write a memory or description of me, I wonder what it would say. I would like to say that I encompass all those wonderful qualities that some of the teachers mentioned in this chapter did, however I know honestly, that really and truly depends on the day, and what is going on around me. I do have times when I am frustrated with the profession as a whole, which is usually due to some change or policy that I don’t agree with. I also believe that being a new mother has changed my teaching approach, I now understand what some mean when they say that parents are sending their best to you, and it is your job to teach them your best ( a phrase a previous administrator use to use). I now understand the stress that working parents are under, and that has made me more understanding and lenient to my parents in my classroom.

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One take away from this chapter is the “lunch bunch” Patricia Hillard has with her students (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 71). I think this is a great way to build relationships with students. During the school day there is not much time to just talk to your students about what interests them. I would love to incorporate this into my day!

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I was really struck by the following quote: "Indeed, an African American boy who was born in California in 1988 is three times more likely to be murdered than to be admitted to the University of California" (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 2). Obviously there is some shock value in this quote but it also reminds us of the realities of our world. 

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I was really struck by the following quote: "Indeed, an African American boy who was born in California in 1988 is three times more likely to be murdered than to be admitted to the University of California" (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 2). Obviously there is some shock value in this quote but it also reminds us of the realities of our world. 

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Additionally, page 10 discusses the need for educators to recognize African Americans as a culture and not just a race. Later in the book (in chapter 2, on page 18), Ladson-Billings describes some teacher's use of "talk story" in their classroom to incorporate Hawaiian culture. This incorporation was very successful and motivated many students to be much more active in their learning. 

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Additionally, page 10 discusses the need for educators to recognize African Americans as a culture and not just a race. Later in the book (in chapter 2, on page 18), Ladson-Billings describes some teacher's use of "talk story" in their classroom to incorporate Hawaiian culture. This incorporation was very successful and motivated many students to be much more active in their learning. 

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By finding ways to teach with African American culture in mind, couldn't we make that shift with these students?

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I was really intrigued by the author's comments regarding nonstandard English. Schools generally dismiss or give very little value to this language; however, the book talks about how it can be useful in many situations. I was curious if any of you have thoughts on this. How do you approach the use of nonstandard English in your classroom

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I was really intrigued by the author's comments regarding nonstandard English. Schools generally dismiss or give very little value to this language; however, the book talks about how it can be useful in many situations. I was curious if any of you have thoughts on this. How do you approach the use of nonstandard English in your classroom

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On page 47, Peggy Valentine breathed life into a lesson by pretending she was having a heart attack (Ladson-Billings, 2009). The students were slow to give creative answers; however, when she was so passionate and responded in such a lively fashion, it encouraged the students to go all in.

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The notion that is shared in the book about African Americans achievement really resonated with me. “Somehow many have come to equate exemplary performance in school with loss of their African American identity; that is doing well in school is seen as “acting white"  Thus if they do not want to “act white,” the only option, many believe, is to refuse to do well in school,” (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 12). In school, I was labeled as “acting white” when in reality I was raised in a household where education was important, and we should always do our best to succeed. This is why making students feel confident and comfortable at school is so important, while also supporting and encouraging their success no matter their race or cultural background.

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As I read this chapter and reflected on how the author described culturally relevant teaching, I immediately thought of my practicum student. Although she had terrific ideas for lesson planning, adapted lessons for individual students needs, and dealt with challenging behaviors appropriately, when it came to reflecting on her practice I challenged her to think of her teaching practice and ways she can incorporate culturally relevant teaching. From specific comments she made it was evident that this was an area that could open her mind to her students and in the long run, make her a better educator. I wanted to make sure she understood that her future students might come from different backgrounds, live in environments different from her own, and some have experienced more in their lives than she had thus far. I also wanted her to begin to think of ways she can incorporate students’ culture and their funds of knowledge in the classroom.

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The biblical reference that suggest that successful teachers go a different route for their students was interesting. I believe all teachers at one point in time in their career have thought of ideas that were outside the box, and executed those ideas for the benefit of their students. The idea mentioned in the text where the teacher used small groups to focus on comprehension and not decoding allowed the students to discuss the text in a comfortable atmosphere that mirror them at home communication style. This idea gave students a chance to interact with the text and their peers in a non-judgmental way and allowed them to show their knowledge and understanding. I like the ideas of cultural awareness presented in this chapter in reference to instruction, but it makes me wonder what improvements are being made to assessments to make them equitable for all students.

As the chapter goes, another important part was the description of a fifth grade teacher who was an older black lady that did not look like the stereotypical fun teacher. I myself had a first grade teacher who sounded a lot like Mrs. Burns, and at all times we were to conduct ourselves with excellency, anything less and you weren’t trying your best. She left us all feeling like our efforts were our best, and we worked hard to give that to her. As a teacher now, I understand how she loved her students and set very high expectations, and she never let us subscribe to the notion that we were less than, or less capable that any other student because we always gave our best.

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One important point made in this chapter is that all classrooms are “unusual social configurations” (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 59). We often as teachers encourage group work and cooperation, but I personally think we don’t exemplify it as often. We also too, have the attitude that we as teachers are all knowing, and instill the fact that we don’t have anything to learn from the students, which is the farthest thing from the truth.  In the table presented in this chapter, some of the characteristics of a culturally relevant teacher include the teacher-student fluidity relationship, and the collaboration of students.  Building relationships is a great way to gain an understanding of students funds of knowledge, and gain information to use to help remediate or extend their education.

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on pages 6 and 7, the idea of white students being bussed to African American schools to transform these schools into magnet schools opened my eyes further to the idea and resources of magnet schools. I know a little bit about magnet schools, but was interested and could see the potential of these schools resegregating students within this "desegregated" school. In addition to the special STEM and arts programs that continue to emphasize high and low levels, I found the extracurricular activities angering. Why would a school that is inclusive offer activities or programs like skiing to children who cannot afford to rent/do not have the materials needed for the activity?? That made me angry and sad. I know people behind magnet schools mean well, but there needs to be reform and understanding.

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Side note to more of the content from chapter 2, but I love that Mrs. Benn sent her students home with the classroom plants on long weekends and school vacations. As an avid plant collector, I remember having to load up my car and be responsible for my plant babies from my classroom. I am interested in seeing if any students would like to help care for the plants over breaks, etc! (p. 21)

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On page 18 the terms: "culturally congruent", "cultural appropriateness", "cultural responsiveness", and "cultural compatibility" helped me organize my thoughts and ideas and how these terms come into play in the classroom. The terms made me think about how schools can accommodate learners from different cultures in a positive way.

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Separate but equal schooling. This chapter was interesting to me because it shines light on an important issue, which is different sub groups are lagging behind in public education. I believe, although this chapter is focusing on African American boys, this is a fact for many other sub groups who are not deemed the dominant culture. The idea of separate schooling to attack this current problem is interesting, and has pros and cons for both sides of the argument. The text says that “African American students continue to lag significantly behind their white counterparts on all standard measures of achievement” (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 1) which makes me believe we should look at the tools we sure to measure achievement and reevaluate what they are truly measuring.

The text also brought up another interesting point when it said that a large number of schools especially in inner city areas are already segregated, however the African American immersion school movement would focus on taking control of these schools, which bring to light another issue, the lack of people of color in administrative positions in public schools.

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Believing that all of your students are capable of succeeding should be in the mind and heart of any teacher.  Students can tell whether you think they are able or not to do something.  The quote that I like is from the teacher named Winston, "You know, they're all successful at something.  The problem is that school often doesn't deal with the kinds of things that they can and will be successful at." (49-50).

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On page 52, the author shares that in Mrs. Harris’ classes students begin their day by sharing what they are going to be successful at and they conclude their day with how they were successful. This is a wonderful idea for children to focus on the positive and to help them understand how they are in charge of their success.

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I really liked the conversation between Patricia Hilliard and her student on page 67. She did not simply tell the student that he or she needed to encourage each classmate; instead, she did a couple of things. First, she compared to the classmates to the student's actual family. Second, she had the student personally connect the concept to his or her own life. Now the student doesn't have to figure out how to encourage another student. Alternatively, he or she can simply consider what happens in their own life and act based on that.Lastly, Hilliard tied it all together by reminding the student of the importance of helping everyone do well in the classroom. Instead of merely focusing on one's own success, you must focus on the success of everyone.

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After reading this chapter, I cannot stop thinking about the following passage.

"Apple points out that much of the discourse about curriculum has shifted 'from a focus on what we should teach to a focus on how the curriculum should be organized, built, and evaluated.'" (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 87).

Our district has identified "priority standards" that should be the focus of each 9 weeks. In English Language Arts they selected ONE standard (rotating between literature and informational) per nine weeks and deemed it a priority. They have listed some supporting standards, however, the priority standards were decided on based on the standards with the most questions on the EOGs. I feel like they are telling us to forget what is important for students to know in order to be successful in life, we just need to teach them what will be on the test. ARGH!

Additionally, regarding math, we started teaching area and perimeter and did not teach place value until we were halfway through the school year. The order they want us to teach the math content makes no sense and they are holding us accountable for teaching the standards in this order through the NC Check-Ins and Data Teams.

I can continue, but I will end my rant! Is this something that has happened or is happening in other districts?

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I appreciate and can relate to Margaret Rossi and Pauline Dupree (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 141) when they said that they are going to do what they need to do in their classrooms to teach their students!
This is my first year teaching a testing grade in an American public school and it has been EXHAUSTING! I have found my voice and think administration is tired of hearing it, but teaching to the test is one thing I cannot and will not do. No matter the quality or quantity of articles and research I have shared, the conversation is still the same. It only took me a few months to realize this was the case and decide that I was going to sit and listen to what they said but I would do what my students needed when I returned to my classroom.

Since everything is based on test scores, and my test scores are in line with other classes, they have left me alone and not pushed me to implement any of the teaching to the test strategies they keep talking about.

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..."Poverty and lack of opportunity often are presented as the only plausible reasons for poor performance."  

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..."Poverty and lack of opportunity often are presented as the only plausible reasons for poor performance."  

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The misunderstood notion that African Americans perform poorly because they have no money and lack opportunities suggests to me that the poor would never succeed and opportunity (be it by chance or the result of a tenacious spirit) discriminates.  That may be one of the silliest ideas that I have ever challenged in my life!

Recognizing culture as an asset is critical to understanding how to best serve students that are a product of their cultures as opposed to judging students based on the color of their skin.  You can't drown a race with water and expect it to grow, but you can cultivate culture and yield an amazing harvest!

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"These are not "bad" teachers...However, they do not understand that their perception of African American students interfere with their ability to be effective teachers for them."

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"These are not "bad" teachers...However, they do not understand that their perception of African American students interfere with their ability to be effective teachers for them."

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Blinded by the lie.
This is my personal definition of CRT.
Stereotypes chain destiny to circumstance.  I cringe at who I may have become if I had allowed unfair expectations to dictate my future.  I am not simply a product of my environment...I am a product of my faith in my abilities.  Faith that was fed by the few teachers that believed in me.

Believing is seeing.

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Matthew..."the bad boy"...it is obvious in this scenario that the opinions of his peers were misguided by his teacher's response to his behavior, but my greater concern is how this treatment will impact his self efficacy and subsequent desire to make an effort, moving forward.  Labels...stigma...chains, quite frankly heavier than those of his ancestors.  (This is a real issue and concern that plagues me a great deal in my current work environment.)

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Matthew..."the bad boy"...it is obvious in this scenario that the opinions of his peers were misguided by his teacher's response to his behavior, but my greater concern is how this treatment will impact his self efficacy and subsequent desire to make an effort, moving forward.  Labels...stigma...chains, quite frankly heavier than those of his ancestors.  (This is a real issue and concern that plagues me a great deal in my current work environment.)

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"Saying we are aware of students' race and ethnic background is not the same as saying we treat students inequitably."  EQUALITY IS NOT SAMENESS.  (I feel like this one should go a a t-shirt)

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"Saying we are aware of students' race and ethnic background is not the same as saying we treat students inequitably."  EQUALITY IS NOT SAMENESS.  (I feel like this one should go a a t-shirt)

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"being literate has always referred to having mastery over the process by means of which culturally significant information is coded."
-and-
Ferdamn's argument: "In a culturally heterogeneous society, literacy ceases to be a characteristic inherent solely in the individual.  It becomes an interactive process that is constantly redefined and renegotiated, as the individual transacts with the socioculturally fluid fluid surroundings." (112)

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I was told the same thing. When observed, I was asked which of the "Power Standards" I was focusing on. I did not know what that meant, and was told they are the standards which appear the most on the NCFEs and EOCs. I was to be mainly teaching one of those standards at all times, but I could work in other standards in the lessons if possible.

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I use music in class from time to time. The way that it was described that the teacher had the students "translate" from their dialect into standard English seemed pretty fun. It would be interesting to see the translations different students come up with for modern slang.

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I also love the way the music was integrated into the classroom. Music and the arts has been very influential and plays a large role in African American culture, for other cultures as well. Incorporating familiar music in the classroom gives them a chance to share something they may be passionate about and can also be an outlet for them to discuss traumatic things they are experiencing at home that could actually be affecting their ability to focus in school.

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“Both teachers help their students understand that societal expectations for them are generally low. However, they support them by demonstrating that their own expectations are exceptionally high. Thus they indicate that to prove the prevailing beliefs wrong, teacher and students must join together,” (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p.127). This is powerful to me because if our African American boys feel like noone is looking for them to succeed, this shows them they have control and power over their greatness. It also creates a relationship between the teacher and the student so they can learn from one another.

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I too am on the mindset that my students always come first. I understand that I have a curriculum to follow, but the needs of my students whether they align with the curriculum or not, is what I am going to focus on. I am quick to change a lesson, because a conversation with my students and their emotional needs may cause for something different.

I like that Ladson- Billings highlights what teachers need to educate themselves on culturally relevant teaching. I think sometimes when people think of culture the first thought they have pertains to food, fashion, and flags. In my undergrad program we didn’t have many course that discussed culture and I think it does teachers a disservice. Our own experiences are so different from others and if we want our children to understand our classroom then we need to take the time to really understand them and what they contribute to the class.

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I enjoyed the following quote on page 90: "We spend a lot of time talking about language, what it means, how you can use it, and how it can be used against you." I really like that she mentions the importance of talking about how language can be used against you. I don't know if it is because I have never heard that explicitly stated in that way before but it struck a chord with me.

On a similar note, I was also impacted by the assignment that required the students to answer whether or not the Egyptians were black. It was such an active learning experience for the students and as Ladson-Billings stated, the students took so much more from this experience than they ever would have from a textbook. This encourages me to continue finding creative ways to teach through projects. In this section, I enjoyed the following quote, "They talk about Egypt but they talk about it like it's not Africa" (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 93) because I remember wondering about that as a kid in middle and high school.

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"Effective teaching involves in-depth knowledge of both the students and the subject matter" (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 136).

I keenly remember how it felt (as a sophomore and junior in college) to walk into a random classroom and teach a lesson. Although you could try to plan for different scenarios, it was tough to plan lessons for students you knew nothing about. Although I now know my students extremely well as a classroom teacher, I think it is important to remember this. When I get really busy, I know I miss some opportunities to use what I know about my students to engage them further. I think it is important to continually reevaluate what you are doing to connect with your students and how you are using those connections to help them succeed. I am hoping that as I gain more experience and deepen my understanding of the content I am teaching that I will continue to use what I know about my students to my advantage even more than I do now.

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I really enjoyed reading the teacher quotes on pages 140-142. None of these teachers were being defiant; they simply did what they needed to so they could meet the needs of their students. I love how Julia Devereaux didn't like the book she had to use so she literally went to another publisher to get different ones. I bet that action on her part made a world of difference in her classroom.

Reading through these quotes also reminds me of how lucky I am to be at the school I am at. I don't have required textbooks. My administration encourages me to be creative and think outside of the box. In fact, they would be concerned if they saw anything other than creative, fun teaching.

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I really liked that the idea that "all children are good at something" was mentioned in this chapter. So often students feel shy or knocked down by difficult things in school. Everyone is good at something and these interests and strengths should be highlighted and used to motivate and engage students.

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It peeves me when I hear people say "I don't see color". The people saying this believe they are being fair, and portraying a just view. However, like this chapter highlights, seeing color is important to account, adapt, accept, and learn how to teach best to students from all different cultural backgrounds. I normally just brush off comments when someone mentions that they do not see color, but I feel like I could politely rebuttal this statement after reading chapter 3.

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I really liked the idea of creating a family unit in the classroom through whole group, small group families, or study buddies. The sense of community that was portrayed through out the classroom environments studied showed how important collective efforts are. The students have more of a purpose and feel a sense of belonging. When talking about the negative aspects of their communities, the students can be reminded and feel at home with their classroom and school community, and the support they receive from the teacher.

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On page 92, Lewis's 6th graders worked to answer the question "Were the ancient Egyptians black?". This lesson and the overview of questions and dialogue between Lewis and her students stuck out to me. I like how this social studies lesson was made into a discussion that led to student research through making teams to conduct research. The question led the students to develop research methods and techniques to answer this question. It says that the research to answer this question lasted almost a month. I have been interested in the lessons that the teachers create in this book to teach their students. I am inspired by so many of the examples throughout the book.

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On page 92, Lewis's 6th graders worked to answer the question "Were the ancient Egyptians black?". This lesson and the overview of questions and dialogue between Lewis and her students stuck out to me. I like how this social studies lesson was made into a discussion that led to student research through making teams to conduct research. The question led the students to develop research methods and techniques to answer this question. It says that the research to answer this question lasted almost a month. I have been interested in the lessons that the teachers create in this book to teach their students. I am inspired by so many of the examples throughout the book.

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Chapter 5:  The Tree of Knowledge p. 87"However, in most low-income communities and communities of color it is neither the national commissions, the state boards, nor the local districts that affect the education of the students, it is the teacher.  Whether they exercise it or not, classroom teachers (particularly in these communities ) have great power in determining the official curriculum.” I’m embarrassed to say that while I know this to be true, my fear to stand alone and be counted disables me from taking greater strides at claiming a voice that speaks to this understanding.   p. 88“Even with the clamor for more critical thinking, memory continues to be the most rewarded skill in the nation’s classrooms.  But culturally relevant teaching attempts to help students understand and participate in knowledge-building.” Sad, but true.  It is unfortunate that more emphasis is not placed on the significance of recalling the idle facts that alone stand for nothing more than a recognition of what is found to be true.  While it is important for students to understand simple facts, it is more impressionable for teachers to utilize this understanding to claim a greater understanding of the world. Why is it important, how does it impact our understanding of the world and where may students utilize this gained knowledge in the real world are questions that should drive the ambition to recall this otherwise useless information.   p. 89“...Hilliard is wary of an approach that fails to make students cognizant of the power of language and of the language of power.” This is perhaps my most favorite quote abstracted from the text, however close to “equality is not sameness”.   Explicit teaching that highlights language as being essential to student success should be a common practice in every classroom.    p. 90“My job is to make sure that they can use both languages, that they understand that their language is valid but that the demands placed upon them by others mean that they will constantly have to prove their worth.  We spend a lot of time talking about language, what it means, how you can use it, and how it can be used against you." I posted a similar sentiment on Padlet in response to an earlier chapter.  I have been preaching this argument to my sons since they were old enough to speak their first clear words.  The reality is that we live in a world in which culture is not always respected and appreciated as it should be.  Recognizing this fact does not make you less of a person. If anything, your understanding of this reality should empower you to use this knowledge to your advantage regardless of the absurdity, despite misguided convictions and in an effort to rise above defeat.  You can’t force acceptance. You can however, refute stereotypes and bias by not giving in to expectations. p. 91(Hilliard advises students to teach her about a song.) Rather than using lyrics from hip hop or rap genres, I may ask students to translate a song from their first language using their own words.  (What is another way to express the sentiment within the song? How can this be expressed using English? p. 92“The language they bring with them serves as a tool that helps them with additional language learning, just as speakers of Standard English use English to help them acquire new languages." ELs are encouraged frequently to use cognates to help them translate and retain English.  The etymology of the English language is a wonderful tool that can be utilized to promote and develop language learning but understanding when and where words were born may also help to distinguish how cultural influences have shaped and molded the world that we live in today; to include thatep. 95“A hallmark of the culturally relevant notion of knowledge is that it is something that each student brings to the classroom.  Students are not seen as empty vessels to be filled by all-knowing teachers. What they know is acknowledged, valued, and incorporated into the classroom."  p. 96HilliardI’ve taught all kinds of kids, rich ones, poor ones, white ones, black ones.  Some of the smartest youngsters I’ve worked with have been right here in this community, but a lot of the time they don’t believe in themselves.  School saps the life out of them. You want to see intelligence walking around on two legs? Just go into a kindergarten class. They come to school with fresh faces, full of wonder.  But by third grade you can see how badly school has beaten them down. You can really see it in the boys. I sometimes ask myself just what it is we’re doing to these children. The life has been “sapped out” of me! bearing witness to this year in and year out.  It is a shameful recognition, one that teachers should not be willing to accept. How can we inspire a future by robbing students of the heart needed to fuel their success?    p. 97Elizabeth Harris God’s little flowers, that what I call them.  Everyone a little different but everyone so sweet.  And just like a garden, the classroom has got to be a place that nurtures them.  They don’t all need the same thing. One might need a little more sunlight, another a little fertilizer.  Some might need a little pruning (she laughs) and some might need to roam free. They’re just so precious and it breaks my heart to see the hurtful way they are treated.  Some teachers think they are hard because they live tough lives but they are just as fragile as hothouse orchids. It’s rewarding to hear that I am not alone in this spiritual journey or understanding that students need to be nurtured as individuals, regardless of sex, culture or creed.  They are each unique and loving them as they are means everything. Each child has their own unique category that falls under a blessing. p. 99Devereaux “How would you describe the princess?” I stopped to ask my eleven year old son why he thought that the student in the text responded this way.  His response was: “because he didn’t read the book!”. I laughed. I was encouraged by his ignorance, but sad to recognize that Devereaux’s experience was not and still is not unique.   When I went on to ask my son if he had ever read a book in which the characters included were biracial, he looked at me with a perplexed understanding that allowed be to reflect not only on my teaching, but my parenting as well.   p. 104 By building bridges or a scaffolding that meets students where they are (intellectually and functionally), culturally relevant teaching helps them to be where they need to be to participate fully and meaningfully in the construction of knowledge.  In contrast, assimilationist teaching assumes that students come to class with certain skills and suggests that it is impossible to teach those who are not at a certain skill level.

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Chapter 5:  The Tree of Knowledge p. 87"However, in most low-income communities and communities of color it is neither the national commissions, the state boards, nor the local districts that affect the education of the students, it is the teacher.  Whether they exercise it or not, classroom teachers (particularly in these communities ) have great power in determining the official curriculum.” I’m embarrassed to say that while I know this to be true, my fear to stand alone and be counted disables me from taking greater strides at claiming a voice that speaks to this understanding.   p. 88“Even with the clamor for more critical thinking, memory continues to be the most rewarded skill in the nation’s classrooms.  But culturally relevant teaching attempts to help students understand and participate in knowledge-building.” Sad, but true.  It is unfortunate that more emphasis is not placed on the significance of recalling the idle facts that alone stand for nothing more than a recognition of what is found to be true.  While it is important for students to understand simple facts, it is more impressionable for teachers to utilize this understanding to claim a greater understanding of the world. Why is it important, how does it impact our understanding of the world and where may students utilize this gained knowledge in the real world are questions that should drive the ambition to recall this otherwise useless information.   p. 89“...Hilliard is wary of an approach that fails to make students cognizant of the power of language and of the language of power.” This is perhaps my most favorite quote abstracted from the text, however close to “equality is not sameness”.   Explicit teaching that highlights language as being essential to student success should be a common practice in every classroom.    p. 90“My job is to make sure that they can use both languages, that they understand that their language is valid but that the demands placed upon them by others mean that they will constantly have to prove their worth.  We spend a lot of time talking about language, what it means, how you can use it, and how it can be used against you." I posted a similar sentiment on Padlet in response to an earlier chapter.  I have been preaching this argument to my sons since they were old enough to speak their first clear words.  The reality is that we live in a world in which culture is not always respected and appreciated as it should be.  Recognizing this fact does not make you less of a person. If anything, your understanding of this reality should empower you to use this knowledge to your advantage regardless of the absurdity, despite misguided convictions and in an effort to rise above defeat.  You can’t force acceptance. You can however, refute stereotypes and bias by not giving in to expectations. p. 91(Hilliard advises students to teach her about a song.) Rather than using lyrics from hip hop or rap genres, I may ask students to translate a song from their first language using their own words.  (What is another way to express the sentiment within the song? How can this be expressed using English? p. 92“The language they bring with them serves as a tool that helps them with additional language learning, just as speakers of Standard English use English to help them acquire new languages." ELs are encouraged frequently to use cognates to help them translate and retain English.  The etymology of the English language is a wonderful tool that can be utilized to promote and develop language learning but understanding when and where words were born may also help to distinguish how cultural influences have shaped and molded the world that we live in today; to include thatep. 95“A hallmark of the culturally relevant notion of knowledge is that it is something that each student brings to the classroom.  Students are not seen as empty vessels to be filled by all-knowing teachers. What they know is acknowledged, valued, and incorporated into the classroom."  p. 96HilliardI’ve taught all kinds of kids, rich ones, poor ones, white ones, black ones.  Some of the smartest youngsters I’ve worked with have been right here in this community, but a lot of the time they don’t believe in themselves.  School saps the life out of them. You want to see intelligence walking around on two legs? Just go into a kindergarten class. They come to school with fresh faces, full of wonder.  But by third grade you can see how badly school has beaten them down. You can really see it in the boys. I sometimes ask myself just what it is we’re doing to these children. The life has been “sapped out” of me! bearing witness to this year in and year out.  It is a shameful recognition, one that teachers should not be willing to accept. How can we inspire a future by robbing students of the heart needed to fuel their success?    p. 97Elizabeth Harris God’s little flowers, that what I call them.  Everyone a little different but everyone so sweet.  And just like a garden, the classroom has got to be a place that nurtures them.  They don’t all need the same thing. One might need a little more sunlight, another a little fertilizer.  Some might need a little pruning (she laughs) and some might need to roam free. They’re just so precious and it breaks my heart to see the hurtful way they are treated.  Some teachers think they are hard because they live tough lives but they are just as fragile as hothouse orchids. It’s rewarding to hear that I am not alone in this spiritual journey or understanding that students need to be nurtured as individuals, regardless of sex, culture or creed.  They are each unique and loving them as they are means everything. Each child has their own unique category that falls under a blessing. p. 99Devereaux “How would you describe the princess?” I stopped to ask my eleven year old son why he thought that the student in the text responded this way.  His response was: “because he didn’t read the book!”. I laughed. I was encouraged by his ignorance, but sad to recognize that Devereaux’s experience was not and still is not unique.   When I went on to ask my son if he had ever read a book in which the characters included were biracial, he looked at me with a perplexed understanding that allowed be to reflect not only on my teaching, but my parenting as well.   p. 104 By building bridges or a scaffolding that meets students where they are (intellectually and functionally), culturally relevant teaching helps them to be where they need to be to participate fully and meaningfully in the construction of knowledge.  In contrast, assimilationist teaching assumes that students come to class with certain skills and suggests that it is impossible to teach those who are not at a certain skill level.

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Chapter 6:  Culturally Relevant Teaching p. 118…”You have your own video of your entire life in your head.  Every time you read, you can get an image of how the story connects with your life.”..I plan to use this to engage students in future activities.   p. 124  Devereaux’s book of the month clubIs there a way to incorporate this in an ESL classroom successfully?  

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Chapter 6:  Culturally Relevant Teaching p. 118…”You have your own video of your entire life in your head.  Every time you read, you can get an image of how the story connects with your life.”..I plan to use this to engage students in future activities.   p. 124  Devereaux’s book of the month clubIs there a way to incorporate this in an ESL classroom successfully?  

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Chapter 7:  Making Dreams Into Reality “Extending Bell’s concept to education, we must not legitimate the inequity that exists in the nation’s schools, but attempt to delegitimate it by placing it under scrutiny.”The urgency to support this movement still exists in schools today.   p. 149What African American students need are better schools.From a current perspective, “better” schools are needed across the nation, but particularly in areas of low-income which now include a number of races though African American is still predominate in this setting.  p. 153“But beyond those explanations, parents, teachers and neighbors need to help arm African American children with the knowledge, skills, and attitude need to struggle successfully against oppression.  These, more than test scores, more than high grade-point averages, are the critical features of education for African Americans. If students are to be equipped to struggle against racism they need excellent skills from the basics of reading, writing and math, to understanding history, thinking critically, solving problems, and making decisions;  they must go beyond merely filling in test sheet bubbles with Number 2 pencils.” 

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Chapter 7:  Making Dreams Into Reality “Extending Bell’s concept to education, we must not legitimate the inequity that exists in the nation’s schools, but attempt to delegitimate it by placing it under scrutiny.”The urgency to support this movement still exists in schools today.   p. 149What African American students need are better schools.From a current perspective, “better” schools are needed across the nation, but particularly in areas of low-income which now include a number of races though African American is still predominate in this setting.  p. 153“But beyond those explanations, parents, teachers and neighbors need to help arm African American children with the knowledge, skills, and attitude need to struggle successfully against oppression.  These, more than test scores, more than high grade-point averages, are the critical features of education for African Americans. If students are to be equipped to struggle against racism they need excellent skills from the basics of reading, writing and math, to understanding history, thinking critically, solving problems, and making decisions;  they must go beyond merely filling in test sheet bubbles with Number 2 pencils.” 

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Hi! When I logged on earlier today to post my final thoughts I realized my last few posts never saved. I was writing them on the subway from one boro to the next and lost connection. I guess that is why they didn't save. Sorry about that! I really enjoyed this book. I got a lot of great lesson ideas and ways to implicate good, culturally relevant practices. I also enjoyed using Padlet. I thought it was an easy way to read everyones comments and to post! I know that last part was kind of silly since some of mine didn't save, but I believe the only reason that happened was because I lost connection going over a bridge.

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I really liked the math in a culturally relevant classroom section. It was helpful to see how cultural relevance can be spanned and applied across the different subjects. I agree that when students are treated as being competent that they are more motivated and perform better. I liked that the importance of teachers using scaffolding was mentioned because we have talked about that in both of our classes this semester too!