Suddenly I really want to teach a unit on deaf culture. It all started when I was running through the list of beautiful children's songs that I can sing with the chorus, and "Can you hear me" came to mind. It would be so cool to teach a unit revolving that song! Today we were talking about the different cultures that students bring into the classroom. In this unit they can learn more about the deaf culture, visit people, interview them, learn some sign language, write reflections and implications to their own lives, have discussion about disabled rights, and sing the song as a final performance, with the slideshow record of their work playing in the background. How awesome it that!
Yet I have to resist building my lessons solely around interesting activities. I have no authority to teach this unit. I myself know absolutely nothing about deaf culture, know no one that is deaf, and have no concerns for this community until I came up with this lesson idea. There is so much potential in this lesson plan, and yet I have no vision for it. Just as counts said, progressive educators are in this round about because they have all these opinions about pedagogical practices, but are unable to envision and advocate for the kinds of society they want to build with their students.
Long belated post... so much have changed since I last blogged.
Background: - I am back in the US - I am a junior at Wesleyan - two more years till graduation - I am in New York City (Wesleyan is in Connecticut, FYI) - I am doing a special program called the Urban Education Semester. I take education courses, and am a student teacher at an NYC public school 3 days a week. - My current placement is at a public elementary school, in a 3rd grade classroom. My students are 8 years old.
SO. I am having a hard time making a decision. Huh, that's news.... Basically I wasn't too happy about my placement school and classroom environment, and have talked to my adviser yesterday about changing my placement. She agreed and will proceed unto looking into matters.
BUT... I'm still undecided!
I don't know if I'm quoting Freud correctly, but I feel like being
caught between the id and the superego (which, I think, happens all the
time). My gut feeling is that I really want to leave that school, but
there are many things that hold me back...
Superego:
There's a student who has behavioral and academic problems, as well
as family problems which I came to know through hir (= a gender-neutral pronoun) writings. I am already building trust with hir, and for a student like this it is very important not to break the trust
I also have suggestions on how to treat a student who is often disruptive in class
because ze (= a gender-neutral pronoun) has too much energy to remain focused. I haven't voiced
that opinion yet.
I feel like a classroom (and a teacher) like this will benefit more than another 'perfect' classroom/teacher
to have a second pair of eyes. I might have a constructive role there
Leaving unfinished business behind is difficult and undesirable
Many people don't feel good about new environments - there's nothing
unique about this experience. One will just have to get used to it.
My 'ideal' placement might not exist, it is imaginary and is a projection of my negative feelings towards my current placement
The Superego also says: Think about your responsibilities, they are more important than your gut feelings.
Id:
I want to be in a happier classroom environment
If I don't leave, on a 'bad day' at school I will regret
I want to be in a progressive classrooms (with so much passion and vision that it is almost prophetic/romantic. hm...), to see the possibilities of education that are beyond my own education experience. My current placement classroom reminds me much of my primary school experience
I want a host teacher that will spend more effort/ is more experienced to 'guide' me
rather than plainly saying "let me tell you about my experience and what I
feel good about myself as a teacher" (Superego: this is a biased representation of
the attitude of my current host teacher)
I feel happy and relieved when someone tells me that I am more inclined to leave (I need someone else to tell me about my own inclinations... Superego and Id both say this is sad.)
URGH. What do I want?
Sometimes I really envy the people who know what they want, and are determined to do it without thinking too much about others. (Id wants to take out "Sometimes" and put in "Always". Superego says that is grammatically incorrect, and it is better to leave it more open this way.)
The Class of 2008 was honored enough to have Edward Kennedy address them at their graduation. But when he fell ill and couldn't make it to Wesleyan - Obama came to replace him :)
Got a bit sunburnt watching the ceremony in the lovely day It was an exciting and joyous occasion, and having taiko at commencement was just awesome :) The speech was really good too, kind of last but definitely not least :) Obama at Wesleyan
AND he did not mispronounce Wesleyan... that was an insider joke, calling it Wellesleyan.... but Fox new actually made that mistake. Watch it... oh my Fox news.... it's hilarious Obama speaking at Wellesley Fox: oops.. we're wrong again
