Me as the "Other"

In order to get a small taste of what students of different background might feel coming into an new environment, I needed to go somewhere that was foreign to me.  I decided that a good place to start would be going to Tuesday Club Night in the Wilkinson Center.  I’d never been to a club night before.  I'd never even been to a non-language oriented club at all.  I was nervous about what it was like and how I would know what to do or where to go.  I couldn’t even find out online what clubs might be there, so I was walking in blind and clueless.  At the front, I was delighted to find that guys were giving out free BYU brownies!  I shyly took a brownie and asked them how things were run, although they seemed to think that it was self-explanatory and didn’t say much. 

I then saw the map got a good idea of where things were and started walking around to the different places.  The ones that seemed most join-able were the dancing clubs.  I saw people country dancing, but it looked pretty normal and there were lots of people there.  It wasn't something super foreign to me. Then, off to the side, I discovered the Hip Hop club.  I know nothing about hip hop and am very uncoordinated.  I rightly guessed that this would be a good place to be the "other."  I took off my coat and kind of just stood in the crowd with the other people of the room.  I felt suddenly terrified.  I had no idea how this club functioned or what to do.   I was sure that I was going to stand out like a sore thumb and look really stupid.  I was also late and had a lot of questions. Were people supposed to sign up for clubs?  Was I supposed come with someone or come prepared?  Did the other people already know what we were doing?  Did I miss anything?    Then, to my further mortification, the person directing the activity reminded everyone that they were supposed to have a partner.  I panicked and decided I would just dance off to the side and hope no one would notice me.  However, someone did notice me and asked to be my partner.  He was super nice and said he’d never danced like this with two people before.  He also could definitely move his feet though, whereas I could not.  As we started learning the steps, I noticed that most people in the room were in comfortable exercise clothing and light shoes while I was still wearing my polo, jeans, and heavy tennis shoes that I'd worn to school.   It made dancing even harder that it might have been - not only because of restricted movement, but also because I was much more conscious of how I appeared (focusing on that instead of performance some of the time). 

Eventually, I started to get it down, sort of. When the fear faded, I started to get excited about doing something new and learning how to move my body more freely.  I was able to at least fake it pretty well - as long as I could see the lead couple, but when they were out of view I got completely lost.  At these moments, I was no longer scared, but on the boarder of past caring.  By the end I was putting a lot less effort into it, feeling a little hopeless. We never mastered the dance.  I’d gone through stages of fear, excitement at a new opportunity, and a sense of futility as I couldn’t seem to get the steps right no matter what.  I felt a little bad for my partner, but he was so nice about it and we had fun.  He let me get a picture of us at the end of it.

The dance involved a lot of foot-work and fast movement.  I could easily imagine that people near me were judging me when I got to close the their dancing space. I also was always worried when my partner was too far away from me that it was my fault. I was worried he'd be annoyed. Here's a sample of the other dancers doing things with their bodies that I couldn't figure out:

(I took these pictures and the video myself, but more professional ones should be available on the BYU Hip Hop Facebook page soon.)

From this experience, I learned a little bit about what it means to be the "other."  I learned that it can be terrifying.  Students who come to a new school probably anticipate running into a lot of school culture that they know nothing about.  Those first few days are probably terrifying when they don't know what is expected of them. I think teachers can help by explicitly explaining some things to classes.  I think it's also important to a student's success that they have a positive attitude.  The hip hop experience would only have been worse if I hadn't come in actually willing to try something new.   I hope to learn what I can do to help students have good attitudes about new experiences.  I also learned that there really can be something exciting and valuable from being in strange surroundings.  It forces you to reach beyond yourself.  There's a lot both students and teachers can learn from each other and their different backgrounds if they are willing to reach out. The most concerning thing about the experience though, was when I started to grow more apathetic towards my progress when it got to difficult and when I knew I wasn't going to fit in. When students come to school with a different level of social and cultural capital than most students, it can be hard for them to have self efficacy.  A lack of efficacy can cause them to give up easily and not give their best because they lose hope for themselves (as I definitely started to lack self efficacy when the lead couple stopped directing.)  I think teachers can be encouraging and positive around students, as well as to check for understanding and give clear instructions, to help students maintain self-efficacy.  A little help and attention goes along way, just as help or support from my partner was really important while I was learning the dance.

Stereotypes and the Classroom: Muslims

We've heard the word "Muslims" thrown around a lot in the past few years as a part of politics, international relations, and cultural explorations.  With the attention that the religion has been getting from the media, many of us have formed particular ideas about what it means to be Muslim.  When we think of Muslims what comes to mind?  Here are a few snapshots of what many people might be tempted to think of when they hear about Islam:

(Gif from crystal-clefairy.tumblr.com)

(Image from www.ejumpcut.org)

(image from www.barenakedislam.com)

(Image from adsoftheworld.com)

What messages are being sent about this cultural group?

From early ages, children are exposed to cartoons like Aladdin or The Small One, which to some extent portray Arabs as violent and dishonest.   Due to the origins of Islam, it is often associated with Arabic culture. To some, the religion of Islam and the region of the Middle East are considered one in the same.  This is absurd when you consider the variety of cultures and people in both categories, but the stereotypes that this association begets remains.  This association also demonstrate how Americans view Muslims as something foreign and different.  Many of these artifacts here demonstrate how media continues to portray Muslims as violent. Since the attacks of 9/11 and the rise of ISIS, the hegemony of American culture tends to associate all Muslims with terrorism.  To many people in America, being Muslim is considered a problem.  As Donald Trump says in the above video, "I didn't see Swedish people knocking down the world trade center."  Because of this expectation of violence, things from Muslim culture are taken and twisted into something either dealing with terror or with oppression.  Burkas, for example, are usually shown as symbols of oppression or means for hiding weapons.   Although there has been a lot of recent movement for a recognition of Islam as a peaceful religion, the hate against Muslims and the portrayal of them as violent radicals persists. They are seen as suspicious and violent people from a strange and separate part of the world.

How might this messages impact how a child from this cultural group is viewed and treated in the classroom?

This single story of an entire culture as displayed in a negative light could cause serious problems for students of this culture.  A child wearing religious coverings may be teased or treated differently by other students.  Muslim students may feel like they don't belong or fit in.  They might even be accused or mistreated based on a history of violence that has nothing to do with them.  Some may consider them suspect to misbehavior if they buy into the destructive stereotypes.  They may be alienated from the classroom.  The association of violence and suspicious acts with Muslims can cause both students and teachers to treat them with distrust.  Also, when subject to a stereotype threat, students may respond by according to the stereotype.  This may put students under a lot of stress and cause them to reject important aspects of their identity as well as lose trust in those who have influence over them.  They might even just give up.

Why is it important for teachers to examine how cultural groups are represented in the media, curriculum, and policy?

It is vital for teachers to be aware of the hegemony of their society surrounding a certain culture.  It is also important that a student is able to have a trusting relationship with their teacher and be given the greatest opportunity for success possible.  If a teacher is not aware and even inadvertently perpetuates a single story of a culture, they might easily put their students at risk of a stereotype threat.  Teachers are in a position of influence and can monitor policy and treatment of students to ensure that bullying and other threats are taken care of.  They can help implement policy that raises awareness and tolerance.  Teachers can also look at their curriculum and scrutinize ways that it may effect student's perceptions of a certain culture.  They can choose materials that show more than a single story of that culture.   It might be important for the teacher to discuss these ideas with their students and help them overcome prejudices that they have already developed.  School should be a safe place where students off all backgrounds can learn and strive for success.
I will need to be aware of the students in my classroom and their situation. I need to be careful if I see a student in a hijab or find about about their religion that I don't make automatic assumptions about it or about them. To assume that they are oppressed or violent would be ridiculous.  I need to help my students also to not make sudden judgement based on what little information they perceive about people.  If my students start to bully a Muslim student or even make a racist side comment (such as calling Muslim or Middle Eastern students terrorists) I need to stop it right then and make sure that they understand why this is unacceptable and not even a little true.  I can also promote a healthy concept of Muslims by including bits of Muslim literary influence in the classroom with other diverse works.

Imagined Class room

 Images that reflect my future classroom:

(Picture from forum.paradoxplaza.com)

I imagine my classroom to have a board at the front where I can write objectives for the day and any other concepts that I need to explain as well as assignments.  I also would like a table up front for my own materials and notes.

(Picture from www.lessonswithlaughter.com)

I would like to have lots of books in the classroom, since I will be teaching English.  They will use the books for assignments and overlapping activities.

(Picture from fifthinthemiddle.blogspot.com)

I want to have clear places for students to turn in their work and supplies locations where students can easily reach things to be used for projects.

 (Picutre from thewritecombo.blogspot.com)

I would like my desk to be organized and at the front of the room, where I can keep an eye on students if I need to use the computer and easily access things I need.

(Picture from community.theeducatorcollaborative.com)

I would like to have inspirational boards or quote boards that get students thinking, even if they’re mind is wandering from the present subject.  A reading quote board they can contribute to their desire to read and participate.

What does the room look like? What resources are available for students? How are the resources used during the lesson?

I want my classroom to have plenty of storage space where I can put books for study and materials for classroom projects. In the cabinets might be scissors and colored pencils for literature related hands-on projects.  Hopefully, above these will be counter-space where I can put a basket for turning papers.  I can put other needful things here too such as a pencil sharpener.  I would also like to have a corner with bookshelves of age appropriate literature where students can read for themselves during silent activities or extra time.  As some students finish before others, there will always be an opportunity for them to read.  As they read, I can work with other students.  With the desk located at the front of the room, the students will remain in sight and there will be a place between rows where I can walk to oversee students as they work.  On the walls, I will hang student work as well as encouraging quotes.  On a board at the front of the class, where all students can see it, I would like to have listed the objectives and schedule for the day as well as the homework assigned and due.

Describe the students in the classroom. What are their backgrounds? What are their interests? What are they doing during the lesson?

My students will be from various backgrounds.  They will probably be from all sorts of ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Some will have solid families and supportive parents; others may struggle in their home life.  Some will be scholarly and some will care more about sports or video games.  Some will probably struggle with mental difficulties.  Some will be loud and others will be quieter.  Some will prefer reading to themselves than speaking up in class while others who speak up in class may be restless during quiet actives.  They will have interests varying from person to person in friends, media, sports, academics.  During the lesson they will have time to share their ideas and speak out, but also opportunities to learn on their own and work with their peers (discussing readings and concepts or working on projects).  Hopefully, they will mostly remain on task in personal work time and focused on me while the class learns together.

What are my classroom rules? What is my discipline plan? What are my homework policies?

In disciplining the class and creating rules, I would like to treat students positively and give them the greatest chances for success, managing them according to their motivations and doing my best to avoid direct confrontation that could lead them into more hostile behavior.  I can do things like involve the misbehaving students, use proximity, and focus on that student’s learning by helping them one on one.  I can also do things such as ignoring behavior until it can be addressed properly, avoiding direct criticism, and picking my battles.  Having good relations and communication with students will be essential. I will respect students so that they are more motivated to listen to me.  If necessary, I will approach privately while the students are in independent work.   As for rules, I will probably have a bathroom pass or two (depending on school policy) and let the students use it as needed.  I will also have a library pass for students who finished their work and have a particular book they want to start reading that I don’t have.  For excused absent students, I will have a missed worked folder for them to go to where they can find what they missed, but these papers will be marked so I know that they aren’t late, just absent.  About late work, I think I will accept it throughout each quarter, but with applicable late penalties on the grade if the work is not turned in within a week after its assignment (for example, taking off five points on late papers.)

Describe a typical lesson you will teach in your classroom. What will you teach? What is the topic? Why did you choose this topic? How will you teach it? What is the main thing you want students to learn during this lesson?

At the beginning of class, I’d like students to come in and I will have an activity, such as a journal entry, for them to do as I take attendance and make sure I am prepared for class. An example might be that in teaching students the conflicts of literature I might have them journal about conflicts in their favorite movies or books.   After this, I will go over on the board what we plan to do that day and the assignments.  Then, I will proceed to teach the concept and reinforce it with an application activity.  For conflicts, I might have a power point that explains each type of conflict.  Then, I might have a short game at the end of it for the students to show what they learned.  This way I will get a brief idea of how the lesson came across.  Then, I will have them do a worksheet that they can do about the subject.  I will go around from desk to desk as they do it to make sure each student understands the concept.  The concept of conflicts will help them understand literature better and help their reading comprehension as they move up in school.  I hope that they will develop greater analytical skills.

What am I doing during the lessons?  What are the students doing during the lesson?

During the lesson I will be moving about the classroom and checking on students’ behavior.  I will also ask and answer questions as I go.  During the personal assignment aspect, I will be moving among the students and helping them understand and complete the assignment. My students will be taking notes during the explanation part and working on the assignment later.  Those who finish early will have silent reading time. Not all students will probably comply with this directly.  Some will be off task or whispering to their neighbor.  Some may not feel like working.  I will be keeping a watch of the classroom and redirecting their attention where needed.

How will I assess my students' learning and achievement? How will I know they have learned?

I will grade the assignments that they did in class and plan a follow up activity if necessary. From the performance on the assignments, I can deduce if the students really learned what I intended for them to learn.  If it seems that they are still struggling, I can follow up with them in the next class period or review for the whole class if things need to be clarified.