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= = = = =Enhancing Learning Through Linguistic and Cultural Diversity = = = =1-6-09= Time for brutal honesty here. I feel that my race, middle class white American, is just the normal thing to be. I truly believe that my life is better then some others because of my race. I do not feel the prejudices because I am in the majority. After starting this class, I am beginning to wonder just how others feel. One hundred percent of my friends and co-workers are in the same class that I am. Some are a bit more financially blessed, but for the most part I am in a homogeneous group. Honestly, I have never stopped to think about it. It has never been my choice to not have friends outside of my race. It just has worked out that way. I am beginning to ponder if that has been my sub-contentious choice. Was I raised that way? My father is prejudice, I know that now in my adult years, but I do not recall it in my childhood. There had to be some signs. I notice culture the most when it is an inconvenience. If I am talking to tech support, and I can not understand them it infuriates me. I believe that I pay good money and should be able to get the support I need. I also notice when I am shopping and people start to speak different languages. I often wonder how did we get to be this diverse? The other day I was at a drug store and the cash machine was in Spanish. I was angry. I walked out without purchasing because I was just so mad. (Wow, I showed them didn't I? They lost my $5.83!)

=1-7-09= Today I went to school with new glasses on. I was on the look out for cultural diversity. First, let me tell you a bit about my school. We are a small school from Ohio. We have just a little over 4000 students and out of those students 103 of them are African American. (I was not sure of that number and called central office to find out. I was actually amazed at the number. I thought we had far far less the that.) We have 0 African American teachers. So, I went to school looking for diversity and boy did I find it. I ask the students to make a list of thing they got for Christmas. Several students had a huge list! So much that it was hard to believe. Then, there were the moderate lists and then there were the small and very small ones. I did a very quick evaluation of their grades compared to their lists. You guessed it, the smaller the gift list, the lower the grade. Why is that? Could it mean that much? I started to list some reasons why. BOY HAS MY HEAD BEEN IN THE SAND! Tomorrow, I am going to watch a few teachers and how they react to these students and other culturally diverseness.
 * 1) Maybe the kids who had a bigger list feel more loved and want to please their parents with good grades.
 * 2) Maybe those kids have parents who care and push them to do their best.
 * 3) Maybe those kids are more nutritionally balanced.
 * 4) Maybe those kids had to work last night or deliver papers this morning.

1-8-09
Today I came to school with the mission to watch teachers with my new diversity eyes. My eyes were wide open. I am amazed at what I saw. How could something be in front of my eyes for over 20 years and me not see it? My first experience was watching students coming in to the school. I observed the hall monitors. Yes, they let the same behavior go with some kids as they disciplined others. I started to watch a bit more carefully and I could not tell who they were more strict with, however, I know if I had more time I would of found a pattern. Then, during my lunch period, we were speaking of a child and my "friend" described him as "Trailer Park Student". What was that about? I began to wonder, can a teacher see his or her own prejudices? I don't think so. Can we as professional have the nerve to point out the prejudices of our peers? I don't think so. Could I as an educator, take it if my peers pointed it out to me? I don't think so. At the end of school I watched the students walk to their bus. I observed the bus drivers facial expressions as students got on the bus. It was very apparent the students that this particular bus driver likes and did not like. Am I that apparent?

=1-9-09= OK, I had the most interesting conversation with one of my friends. I told her about this assignment. Wow, did she give me an ear full. She is very passionate about not catering to students or parent who do not speak the language of where they choose to live. Her point was that they are choosing to live in the United States and it is their responsibility to learn the language. The most interesting part is that she is a Jewish, Hispanic teacher. She said "back in the day" she had no choice but to learn the language. Why are we catering to these students.

=1-10-09= REFLECTION: At the beginning of this assignment I was skeptical about my view points changing. I thought I know myself". I was wrong. I guess since I have been made aware of the situation I am more aware. It seemed every time I turned around another form of prejudices were hitting me in the face. Wow I picked up one of my magazine that I regularly read and found a small article about teacher and prejudices that suggested visiting the web site located at http://www.teachersagainstprejudice.org The mission on this organization is to "increase awareness of prejudice and discrimination and examine its causes and roots; open dialogue with and between students and educators from elementary school through college; and promote understanding and respect for all through the critical exploration and analysis of films, television, and other media." The quote of the month on the site is "You can't hate someone that you know a lot about. " GOAL: The goal I have set for this class is to open my eyes and learn as much about the minorities in my school as possible.

=1-11-09= This morning I read a editorial that I have been thinking about all day. The title was "What to say, or not, if flying while Muslim." Read article [|here]. The author, Leonard Pitts, was taking a comedic approach to a very serious subject. A few of the highlights include -"Do not use gee words. Do not say jeepers, gee-whiz, Jesus or jehosophat. Someone listening in may think you said jihad, and we will have to conclude that you are a terrorist" -"Do not talk sports. Somebody might say, Boy, I hate the Dolphins. Then Homeland Security will have to shut down SeaWorld, Shamu will have to be guarded by unsmiling men in sunglasses . . . and we will have to conclude that you are a terrorist."\ - "Do not discuss the weather. If someone says, I can't believe it's raining again today and someone else says, Weatherman says it's going to be even worse tomorrow, and then the first someone says, Any more of this and we're all going to drown, someone listening in will report a plot to blow up the levees and flood the town. And we will have to conclude that you are a terrorist." What a hoot, however how true is this, How many people of minorities have similar lists.