Artistic Vision
It’s a right-brain kinda thing.Archive for Morality
Dealing with negative effects of a tough teaching job
I was speaking with a colleague today and commenting about how disappointed I had become with myself regarding my attitude with the kids at my school. And, I’m not necessarily just talking about the kids in my class. For those who don’t know, I teach high school art in an urban district. My kids either a) don’t care about my class or b) tell me I’ve ruined art class for them. The first group is comprised of the majority of my kids which is ever a disappointment for me because I long for some art majors. But, I realize that they may come in later years. The second group basically just emerged. Actually, a few students just verbalized it at the beginning of this week.
Regardless which group, though, the reality is all of my kids have wildly misplaced perspectives on art education. As I’ve stated in another post, they expect my class to be fun, a time for them to make a little craft and socialize with their friends. Anything difficult or challenging isn’t well received. Read the rest of this entry »
Chicago’s military academies raise education debate
I found the article, Chicago’s Military Academies Raise Education Debate, while on Digg and thought it extremely interesting since I presently work in an urban school and many I talk to in my own school as well as those in other urban districts think a military-like structure would be a beneficial.
Do I say this because I like to see African-American and Latino kids under stricter discipline than their Caucasian suburban counterparts? Actually, it has nothing to do with ethnicity at all. Frankly, I have been joking from last year that I think my school (and the surrounding district) should be taken over by the military. My school doesn’t deal with violence thankfully but disrespect and other discipline-related issues rank as number 1 on the list of why new teachers leave. Frankly, if a suburban school had the discipline issues my school struggles with then I’d recommend this type of solution-if you want to call it that-for those schools as well.
It makes me wonder why the discipline issues in urban schools are so different than (most) suburban schools. I know in my school we have a lot of professional development days dealing with culture and such things. Namely, the thought that whites don’t get black culture and don’t see how this divergence manifests itself in the classroom. I can appreciate that up to a point, of course. Yet, many black friends I speak with don’t get it either. They roll their eyes when I recount some of the things the professionals come in to speak with us about concerning urban culture and the differences of urban students in the classroom. Like I said, I can embrace their points somewhat but there remains a good chunk of their argument that I find untenable.
I’ll talk more about this, but I wonder if anyone else had anything to contribute to this discussion (about the issue, in general, and the article, in particular).
Snitching
It never ceases to amaze me what the students at my school choose to spout off over.
Today, I was walking up the stairs on my way to my third period class and a student had his cell phone out (a no-no). I asked him to put it away (vs. confiscating it like I’m supposed to do). After continuing on his way (and ignoring me), I pressed the issue to which he told me to get out of his face.
Later that same day, I walked out of my class only to see this same student speaking with the hall monitor who sits directly outside my room. Well, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity and so I asked the teacher the student’s name. He told me which prompted the student to launch into this tiring series of invectives and obscenities as he walked away from us. Whether they were directed at me, my teacher friend or both of us was uncertain since we were standing together. Irrelevant, I suppose.
In the end, I did write up the student and plan to speak with his grade-level team leader tomorrow. What shocked me is what started this whole sordid ordeal—his inflammatory response to me asking him to put away his phone. What it turned into, for me, was an internal monologue about what strange guidelines governing what gets classified as snitching in students’ minds.
Frankly, I can’t say I relate at all to this particular perception of snitching. I have had conversations about snitching on an abstracted level with students while we’re in class and they are working. For me it comes down to holding people responsible for their actions. I have to say that even when the students see my point they still consider it snitching. Baffling.
I have also gotten into discussions about this topic with other urban school teachers (since it doesn’t seem to factor in nearly as much for teachers in suburban districts). Not surprisingly, some of my colleagues throw the “culture” card thinking that just because “it’s the way of the street” that such a thing makes it proper or true.
Anyone want to share from his/her own experiences?
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