Ms. Moreau's Literacy Blog

     In "Aria" by Richard Rodriguez he reflects on his life with a Spanish-speaking world at home to a public, English-speaking identity in American society. Growing up he was able to form a strong bond with his family through Spanish as it gave him comfort and a sense of identity. As life when on and he started to learn English he began fitting into public, and gained confidence in school. Because of that he found himself drifting away from that family closeness. His father, who was very talkative in Spanish, grew quiet, and Rodriguez noticed that family interactions lost their warmth, and was replaced with a quiet distance. In this piece he challenges the idea that blending into a new culture makes people lose their own identity. He argues that learning to fit into public helps people grow, but it means losing some of the personal closeness at home.      I sympathize for a reality I understand deeply, but have never known myself. I think of my grandfather...

     In Literacy with an Attitude: Educating Working Class Children in Their Own Self-Interest , Patrick J. Finn talks about the impact of socioeconomic class on education, showing how schools keep unfair systems in place. He argues that students from higher social classes get a better education compared to those from the working or lower class. He claims they have access to better resources, more engaging instruction, and more encouragement to think critically and independently. Finn says that the working-class students often face educational environments that limit their creativity and thus limit the opportunities for any and all advancement academically. All of this is a root cause for the wealth gap and societal barriers to advance up any sort of corporate ladder.     Finn also mentions how a teachers’ attitudes truly contributes to the success of working-class students. These educators have an instilled belief that their students are uninterested or "i...

     In Kohn’s What to Look for in a Classroom , his idea of a good learning environment goes hand in hand with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, through learning with social interaction. Kohn believes that classrooms should be designed to help students work together, in an open environment which is usually represented by tables and not desks. He also mentions the importance of discussions between teachers and students and how a student can learn outside of lecture teaching ways. Kohn also talks about creating a space that encourages learning from each other and finding their own motivation rather than relying on extrinsic motivation.      While the ideas about classroom setup are helpful when going into teaching, however, I believe it is important to note that a classroom setting or setup is not a "one size fits all" circumstance. I think a kindergarten classroom looks different than a fourth grade classroom and with that those classrooms are different from...

      In Troublemakers , Carla Shalaby critiques the education system’s handling of students labeled as “troublemakers,” framing them as "canaries in the mine" who signal deeper systemic issues. Shalaby argues that children who may have challenging behaviors are punished for not conforming to an "easy" kid and that stifles their own individuality. Instead of looking at a broader picture of the school system, teachers have a tendency to blame students themselves and try to force them to "fit" into the environment.        I find one of the biggest issues is children are punished for acting like children. Either they are distracted, tired, loud, antsy, or just bored. Children have these big emotions and expressions and are punished for exhibiting behaviors that are natural for their age. Expecting any child from 2-6 years old to sit still and be engaged for long periods of time is completely unrealistic. Even trying to keep a child of those ages...