The first chapter of Christensen was enlightening because it gave me insight into what an actually teacher in the inner city has to face. My whole reasoning for wanting to teach is to go back to my community and help the kids faced with drugs, violence and peer pressure that Christensen discussed in the chapter. Everything that she discussed hit home because I’m from a city that is ranked number 2 as the most violent city in the country, so I know exactly what she was dealing with because I was surrounded by those same type of students who felt that school was just a waste of time and needed to be coached or tricked into learning. Her methods of “read-a rounds” and Poetry exercises that allowed the children to voice their struggle through writing was a great idea. Through her ideas the students found themselves able to identify with not only their classmates but ultimately with themselves. In high school I can remember never wanting to read out loud and conforming to the normal “clone” idea that everyone had to be the same and anyone who was different was picked on, so I know exactly how it feels to not want to share your feeling because it makes you very vulnerable. With Christensen’s methods the students truly created a “community” where they could be themselves.
I struggle with the idea of being a teacher because I am such an introvert but my want to help the kids in my community pushes me to get over my fear. It is going to be hard to come out of my fear of attention and all eyes being on me but with the idea’s that I am being taught I hope to use the skills to not only help my students but to help myself. Christensen’s experience gave me helpful tips and possible lesson plans to help me and my students face our fears together. Christensen and Bigelow created an environment where students could come and learn to express themselves freely through writing. She created exercises that engaged the minds and hearts of her students. Tying together those who believed their differences made them outcasts when really their difference brought their similarities to light. From the Vietnamese student to the class clown Wesley, Christensen found ways to interest the students in writing down how they feel and being able to express it to their judgmental peers in an inviting atmosphere.
1 comment:
Well said. I think you're going to enjoy the rest of the book as much as the first chapter.
By the way, although the text speaks directly to teaching in the inner cities, I think it is applicable to any student population in any school. Yes, the problems different students may face will be different, but doesn't every school face issues with various portions of the population excluding or ignoring another population?
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