#10 Tying It All Together

 After looking at my blog from this semester my first thought was WOW! I was amazed by all the articles, videos, and thoughts that we had written about. There was actually a point where I had trouble narrowing down the three main things that will stick with me. 

The first thing that I would like to highlight is intersectionality. Although I have been introduced to this concept in other classes, I truly appreciated the in class task of making a collage of our different identities. This is something I would like to use going forward with a team I coach, classroom I teach or other group that I would be working with. I attempted to add the image from my blog on intersectionality but not sure if it is loading.

The second thing that stood out to me was Delpit's “Codes of Power.” While I might not remember what they are exactly years down the road, I will remember how every person initially has a different amount of power and it is the duty of those with power to explicitly tell those without power the rules in order to acquire power. 

Delpit’s Codes of Power:

1. Issues of power are enacted in the classroom

2. There are codes or rules for participating in power that is there is a culture of power

3. The rules of the culture of power are a reflection of the rules of the culture of those who have power

4. If you are not already a participant in the culture of power, being told explicitly the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier

5. Those with power are frequently least aware or least willing to acknowledge its existence. Those with less power are often most aware of its existence

The third and final thing that stood out to me in this class was learning more about ableism. While I have grown up with a sister who has special needs, there is still so much I do not know and would like to learn about people with differing abilities. The main takeaway from Hehir’s piece is that people are often afraid of what they do not know and that is something that I would like to work on going forward.

Overall, I am grateful for the opportunity to have taken this class and opened my eyes and mind to more than I thought I could have ever known and thank you to Dr. Bogas and our class for making this class a community. Thank you!

#9 Queering our schools

“How do we create classrooms and schools where each child, parent, and staff member’s unique, beautiful self is appreciated and nurtured?” (23)

This question resonates with me because it is something that I felt was lacking in the schools I attended growing up. In Catholic schools, there is a lack of discussion around the LGBTQ+ community and history. This concerns me because it is so vota; to understand one’s own individuality and to appreciate oneself as well as others for who they are. These valuable lessons should be learned in schools in order to help children understand how even if and when people are different from them they are equally valued, respected and appreciated. 

*I’d like to look at this question more in class if possible to unpack what it means.

“Community is built by working through differences, not sweeping them under the rug” (25)

After discussing the damages that bullying causes, this quote emphasizes the importance of working together by recognizing differences. Instead of following the status quo or not rocking the boat, together people can bring change when they bring issues forward. When people feel “swept under the rug” they do not feel valued, which is the opposite goal of education which should be to empower students to be the best they can be. 

“Sharing current stories of history making activists like Sasha…can inspire dialogue and understanding as we work to help schools catch up in the march toward justice” (26).

This quote expresses how every step will lead to another in the direction of justice. By sharing current stories of LGBTQ+ and allied activists with students, education can shift to be more supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Seeing peers or other young people who are standing up for their rights can inspire others to do the same. This can also inspire people to stand alongside those who are standing up for what they believe in and fighting for justice.

https://youtube.com/shorts/a0wB8IVGEnw?feature=shared

I found this activity to be helpful and goes along with the story of understanding pronouns. 

https://images.app.goo.gl/ZXwZ3WTDfPWoCaYU7

#8 Hehir

 After reading this article, I looked to the blogs for further inspiration. Brenna’s blog stood out to me. In particular, one of the images she utilized in her blog. The image is below and titled “What Does Ableism Look Like” which relates to Hehir’s articles about ableism. Brenna’s connection to Johnson about how we are afraid of what we don’t know resonates with how people without special needs treat people with special needs. While there are people who are unkind and are out to hurt others, most people say things because they do not know. As an advocate for my sister, it is important that I help others understand down syndrome and how Emme lives differently but how it is a blessing. In the reading, there were a few parts that mentioned how parents of children with special needs see their child’s birth as a blessing and not a tragedy. This helped me understand my role in guiding and advocating for my sister as well as for other people with different abilities who experience inequalities. 

This reminds me of personal experiences I have had with my younger sister, Emme, who has down syndrome. Some interactions that reflect on Johnson’s point of being afraid of what we do not know include people staring at my sister because she looks different or talking loud and close to her even though she has typical hearing. Reading the examples in the image that Brenna posted, reminded me of interactions I have seen when my sister, Emme, meets new people. When I was younger, I had trouble articulating Emme’s disability when people asked me, “what was “wrong” with her. This connects to Johnson’s reading and Brenna’s post because I felt the need to “tiptoe” around what special needs means for my sister. However, over time I realized that people are not asking in an intentionally rude way, they are just asking in a way that they know. I will always be on Emme’s side and continue to advocate for her and make sure she can share her talents with the world even if she is not always accepted in the way she deserves to be treated.

Here is a picture (left to right) of Emme, my youngest sister Brooke and me from a couple weekends ago at a cheer competition. Even though the volume and amount of people is stressful and anxiety inducing for Emme, being able to see me coach and see Brooke perform, kept her grounded. Thanks for letting me share this with you all! 

Expanding on the reading, the “Going to School” and “Examined Life” films were helpful in seeing people with disabilities and how they function in the world. My heart breaks for the students in the inclusion programs in LA and their parents. Every parent wants the best education for their child and the parents of the children with special needs are fighting and advocating with their voices not being heard. Parents do not feel supported or that anyone is there for their child. One of the moms said that they continue to push things back year after year so the IEP never gets implemented. One of the teachers expressed his frustration with how the school is noy physically accessible for students with wheelchairs. His reflective question, can everyone just walk up the ramp? stood out to me because his mindset has disabilities as socially acceptable which is the way the world should strive to be. However, that is not the way the world is. Stereotypes and barriers persist in education, especially for students with disabilities. In the conversation between Judith Butler and Sanaura Taylor, they discussed the importance of the social acceptability of disabilities. They mentioned the importance of recognizing how one is different than the typical person but also how there are structures in place that prevent them from succeeding in all areas of life.

#7 Richard Rodriguez

 

Richard Rodriguez noticed the difference between language at home and language at school at a very young age. He notes this, “incongruity - the clash of two worlds, the faces and voices of school intruding upon the familiar setting of home” (Rodriguez 35). The author argues that while being bilingual is beneficial to the individual, it also causes conflicts between their private and personal identities. While he learned English at school, he spoke Spanish at home until his teachers, Catholic nuns, came to his house to encourage the use of English at home. This resulted in silence due to the conflict between languages. Rather than speaking both English and Spanish, the family focused on building Rodriguez’s public identity that would influence his academics and professional career in the future. 

The main argument in this piece is that “while one suffers a diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality” (Rodriguez 39). While Richard’s family spoke less at home, he spoke more English out in public. The question becomes, was this shift in speaking beneficial or detrimental to Richard? On one hand, he was able to improve his English speaking skills which would be helpful in a predominantly English-speaking Catholic school. On the other hand, his family grew apart due to the silence that invaded their home. He noticed his father’s comfort ability with Spanish which brings me to wonder if focusing on English was the best choice. But did Rodriguez have a choice? While his family was not forced to speak English, they chose to in order to do what they believed was best for their child at the time. 

Thoughts for class: This makes me think of how different countries outside of the United States encourage learning multiple languages. Why is this not important to our country? Will this become more important? Learning another or several other languages is helpful professionally to interact with different people and personally because it creates more connections in our brains. 

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/commentary/story/2022-03-10/dual-langage-programs-bilingual-english-spanish

After looking at this article, I learned that being able to speak more than one language can, “enhance memory, concentration, problem-solving, critical thinking and multitasking skills - and it improve long term academic achievement” (Kelley). This “bridges the gap” between home and school lives which is something that Rodriguez views as lacking in his piece. By having dual-language programs, steps toward narrowing race and class educational gaps can be taken. 

 

#6 Finn

 Literacy with Attitude 

Something about this reading that stood out to me was how the people in power are comfortable with the way things are and do not want to break the status quo. While my connection is fictional, I believe that the movie High School Musical has a connection here. There is a song called "Stick to the Status Quo" which depicts how certain students feel trapped in the roles that they are in and that they cannot branch out. For example, a basketball athlete feels like he cannot share his love for baking with others because it would disrupt the way that things are. However, a character named Troy Bolton, decides to break through and be basketball player as well as singing in the school musical. 

This relates to the reading because of Finn mentioning the status quo.

"The status quo is the status quo because people who have the power to make changes are comfortable with the way things are. It takes energy to make changes, and the energy must come from the people who will benefit from the change" (Preface). 

In Chapter 2, Finn mentions how "their [students in working class schools] capacity for creativity and planning was ignored or denied" (12). Students are told not to rock the boat or cause any waves, this leads them to focus on following commands and not questioning authority. This then leads to students graduating into blue collar jobs and unable to move up in socioeconomic status. Finn draws the connection between education and class. The way that the education system is currently set up means that students coming from a working class family will likely stay a working class family. 

If change is going to occur, there needs to be a break in the status quo both by the students and teachers who have power in the affluent school districts as well as by the students and educators who are in the less affluent school districts. 

https://sunypress.edu/Books/L/Literacy-with-an-Attitude2 

"A passionate plea for teachers, parents, and community organizers to give working-class children the same type of empowering education and powerful literacy skills that the children of upper- and middle-class people receive. Strategies for reaching and teaching these children are presented" (Suny Press). 

The bolded portion of the quote reminds me of Delpit and how the codes of power need to be explicitly told to those without power so they can have power. Students need to be given autonomy and choice in their education to learn for themselves but they cannot do this without being given the tools and education to help them succeed. By having powerful literacy skills and feeling empowered in their education, students can grow from where they are and go further than the place they started in. 

#5 Tatum

“The impact of racism begins early. Even in our preschool years, we are exposed to misinformation about people different from ourselves” (Tatum 84).

This resonated with me because while I have always heard that children are impressionable, I did not think of how it impacts children in positive and negative ways. Thinking about the environment that children grow up in, they are most likely around the same people and ideals. Only when they branch out to different communities in high school or college can students learn firsthand about different groups of people unless they actively educate themselves. 

“prejudice plus power” (Tatum 87). 

This reminds me of Delpit and the culture of power. Those who have power are often least aware of it relates to how some white people are unaware that racism exists. If it is not spoken about then it cannot be changed, therefore, not recognizing the institution of racism will perpetuate it. Another piece of Delpit that applies here is that telling those without power the specific codes of power will give them power. This echoes the previous point that without openly discussing racism and its role in society, it cannot be changed. 

“Active racist behavior is equivalent to walking fast on the conveyor belt. The person engaged in active racist behavior has identified with the ideology of white supremacy and is moving with it. Passive racist behavior is equivalent to standing still on the walkway. No overt effort is being made, but the conveyor belt moves the bystanders along to the same destination as those who are actively walking” (Tatum 91). 

This analogy is helpful in understanding the different but not exhaustive degrees of racism. Those who support white supremacy are saying and acting against people of color whereas passive racists are not saying or doing anything. This is reminiscent of the bystander effect in bullying. By not standing up for the targeted person, the bystanders are allowing the bullying to continue. In the case of racism, those who do not speak or act against racism will continue to perpetuate the system in place. 

Bio and Quotes:
https://www.depts.ttu.edu/tlpdc/Conferences/evening_with_Beverly_Daniel_Tatum.php#:~:text=Quotes%20by%20Dr.,Concrete%20examples%20are%20critical.%E2%80%9D

“While I think it is necessary to be honest about the racism of our past and present, it is also necessary to empower children (and adults) with the vision that change is possible. Concrete examples are critical” (Tatum). 

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