Literacy, Language & Culture

LITERACY & LANGUAGE

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Ruth, teacher who proudly has focused her contributions to the world of education through her work with adult literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL) students.


Ruth's lived all over the country and done many things, but it was a desire to serve and a lack of a market for pottery in Minnesota that propelled her into education.  She began by volunteering for an adult literacy program at an area learning center.  The CIA World Factbook states the the literacy rate for people over 15 years old in the United States is 99%.  Early on in our discussion she noted that although many believe the national average to be this high, professionals in the field recognize a literacy rate hovering around 65%.

As a volunteer, Ruth was able to work one on one with individuals at the center and was able to use whatever approach best suited their learning style.  She had many compliments for the program; the staff, who were mainly former public school employees, was smaller than the demand, but were amazing and truly made the program.  She also highlighted the fact that the program could be utilized free of charge with all materials included.  This perk, however, was also a challenge.  Since students didn't have a monetary investment in their learning they often did not come to the center regularly as jobs and other responsibilities triumphed.  As is the case with many educational experiences, she felt that the students who were able to develop a positive personal connection to their tutor were often the ones to find the greatest success in the program.

As Ruth began to work more and more with the community, the large migrant population increased the need for ESL services.  Previous to her experience at the learning center, Ruth admits that she had no idea the formal world of ESL instruction existed.  Given her positive experiences at the learning center, and seeing the need for more experienced and certified ESL teachers, at 40 Ruth went back to school.

Since then, Ruth has worked in many states and in various capacities related to ESL and literacy education.  In North Carolina, Ruth continued to see adult learners seek education to enhance their ability to get higher paying jobs, but she also encountered women who sought to gain English skills so they could better help their children with their homework.  "These women started to come in when their kids reached the 3rd grade.  They could no longer do the math or help with other assignments," Ruth remarked.  "Many came to the United States so their children could have a better education."

Although many adults who do not personally have significant educational experience tend to undervalue the importance of education for children in their lives, a feeling that Ruth and many educators hold, this example illustrates how we often make unfair generalizations.

Assumption can not only have a negative effect on student performance, but it can also leave a teacher speechless.  This was an experience Ruth's husband had while tutoring a group of 15 year-olds.  "I was holding a globe and walking around the group of students, who we were pretending were the sun, to illustrate how the Earth revolves around the sun," Paul shared.  "As I was walking one of the girls pointed to the globe and asked what it was.  I was confused.  I told her it was our planet.  Her response: 'I didn't know it was round."  Paul said he just stopped and stared at her.  He didn't know what to say as he didn't want to embarrass her further.  It isn't hard to make assumptions, but recovering from them is tricky business.

Generalizing the level of education a student has is something teachers have to do each time they encounter a new student.  Although students come with report cards and test scores these items often do little to actually share what a student knows.  When new students arrive in a classroom from another country their educational background is much murkier.  When we got to the topic of standardized testing, although she is a good test taker herself, Ruth's eyes got large and she could only shake her head.  "I had one girl from Guatemala who had no formal schooling.  When she arrived in the United States and at our school she was placed in 10th grade because that's where she belonged age-wise.  A few weeks later I had to administer the 10th grade standardized test to her--in English," Ruth recounted.  "You can imagine the trauma of taking a test for the first time and to not even have it in the language you understand.  We used to call testing torture, because that's what we were doing to these kids."

As an ESL teacher, Ruth endured great amounts of snobbery and prejudice from other teachers who would remark to her that money should be spent on our children, not these ones, referring to the students in the ESL class.   Ruth found it surprising that teachers would even share these thoughts with her, "I can't believe they thought I'd agree." Ruth shared that there were even times when she'd witnessed a principal holding a conference with a non-English speaking parent about her son's disciplinary infractions and pending 3-day suspension even though it was required by law to have a translator present and one was available.

As Patrick Schwartz (year) states, "The best quality that educational professionals can bring to the table is empathy...Educational professionals who do for others what they would want done for their own children are doing their jobs" (p. 29)

When I asked Ruth if she encountered many students with learning disabilities in her experiences in adult education and ESL instruction she said that there were not as many with the adult learners.  Her speculation about this was the fact that many of them probably had such horrific school experiences the first time that they'd lost the desire or belief that they could or should learn.  She identified that there were many ESL students with learning disabilities, but that the number who were formally assessed was low.  "The assessments need to be given in the native language by a licensed psychiatrist.  These people were in short supply!"  She shares, however, that the methods she used and that are used by many ESL instructors employ a variety of learning strategies.  She was trained to use the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) and states that it clearly has benefits for students beyond English Language Learners (ELL).

I was surprised to learn that Ruth is only fluent in English.  At first I naively questioned how one could possibly teach ESL without speaking the native language of the students.  She quickly remarked, "Oh no, you could have five different native language speakers and teach them all together."  Her strategies included a lot of speaking in English, modeling, drawing pictures, using an overhead projector, and using books with pictures.  She says that it is of course beneficial to have a bilingual person in the room, but ESL instruction can be achieved without this added resource.  I remarked that ESL teachers must have a lot of patience.  "You both [teacher and student] do," she responded.

CULTURE

I believe that, for the most part, the American schools I have encountered to a poor job in considering how culture effects the educational environment. Maybe it is because our teachers hardly have enough time to plan, breathe and execute their lessons, because our society does a poor job of acknowledging diversity or because we simply don't know how. When I think of the result of doing nothing I'm reminded of a great quotation by Edmund Burke, "The only think necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." The skills and empathy necessary to embrace diversity cannot be taught in a course; they must come as a result of personal observation, feeling and trial. Unfortunately, we sometimes act as though these skills are impossible to develop and thus since we don't possess them we should be freed of the responsibility they implore. Here is a great paradox. To have the ability to acknowledge culture in the classroom in an active and empowering way we must first recognize that we can never be fully prepared for every situation, and we can only strengthen our skills by using them.

Jeff Duncan-Andrade has spent much of his professional career trying to invigorate the relationship between schools and their students most basic needs.  In a TEDx talk, Duncan-Andrade specifically explores the reality of urban youth and the ways schools do or don't address the impact of their communities on their education.


My personal educational experiences and my desire for my classroom climate are expressed in this Prezi:

Multiculturalism in Education on Prezi

My personal experiences have never led me to truly seek an alternative educational environment, but I recognize that this is the reality for many students; it may be part of the reason why our national drop out rate is so high.

Cultural and personal identities are put under microscopes everyday, but the intensity, duration and frequency some individuals experience is far too intense and fair.  To try and understand the impact of not feeling accepted in an educational environment, I viewed the documentary Follow My Voice.

The film chronicles the quest of a record producer to compile a tribute album of the songs from Hedwig and the Angry Inch while also sharing the stories of students who attend the Harvey Milk High School in NYC to which the album proceeds benefit.  The Harvey Milk High School is a part of the Hetrick-Martin Institute whose mission is to "create a safe and supportive environment in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, ages 12-24, can reach their full potential.

I'd never heard of the Harvey Milk High School or Hedwig and the Angry Inch, but by the end of the film I came to greatly appreciate them both.  Of course these abstract names are nothing without the people behind them, so maybe it is more accurate to say that I have so much respect and admiration for Chris Slusarenko (Record Producer, Wig in A Box), Stephen Trask (Lyricist and Composer for Hedwig and the Angry Inch), John Cameron Mitchell (Writer and Director for Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Lenette Dorman (staff member at Harvey Milk High School), and Angel Stantiago, Mey Bun, Rafael Ramos and Tenaja Jordan (students at Harvey Milk High School).  These people share their passions and stories with so much courage and talent.

When Chris approached Stephen and told him that he was interested in making a tribute album Chris said that it sounded great but said later, "I didn't really expect much because so many people bullshit."  This sentiment harnesses the reality of many goodhearted people who take up social causes in the name of justice and advocacy.  We leave the gates running, but then when we end up on the racetrack and see that no one is following it is hard to keep on going.  I recently came across the term "Slacktivism" - when people passively post links in support of a cause without taking any meaningful action.  I hate to think how many people are given false hopes when we pledge to to something and forget or give up.  Thankfully, there are many people who do follow through and support positive change.  As the stories of these students illustrate, the Harvey Milk High School has made all the difference in their lives.  Although it is a wonderful place and I am glad it exists, I feel is is merely a bandaid for a much larger problem.

In other areas on this blog I have discussed the importance of the inclusive classroom.  What do we do and how do we respond when the students who are in a self-contained environment would rather be in that segregated place and are probably safer and more productive there?  Yes, we want what is best for them, but how can other students and teachers learn to embrace diversity when it is taken away?  Obviously there are not a flood of pioneering schools like Harvey Milk who are sweeping up and pulling all LGBTQ students out of our schools, so what we really have now is the opportunity to learn from this school so that instead of needing to create similar schools across the country we can instead spread the energy and success of Harvey Milk to all schools.  I believe that the tools we need to do this can be illustrated through the stories of the four students interviewed in the film; and in the end we will see that these tools already reside in our hearts.

Angel Santiago - She is a beautiful young woman who feels trapped in her own body.  She claims to love everything about herself except for that one part.  Seeing her face lit with laughs as she engages with other students or simply brushes her hair in the mirror shows how powerful feeling accepted can be.  Unfortunately, Angel is not accepted for who she is in her own home.  She comes home from school one day to find all of her "girl" clothes gone.  Her parents don't like when she wears her hair down and in the end credits of the film we learn that when she is forced to cut her hair she ends up in the hospital after an incident of self-harm.  One of the most touching scenes is when she reflects on her experience as Prom Queen.  A title and feeling she never thought could be hers and that will stay with her for the rest of her life.

Tenaja Jordan - Similar to Angel's experience, Tenaja finds that her family cannot believe let along accept her for who she is- even after she graphically shares her encounters with another woman.  She is excommunicated from the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah's Witness, and when this happens her parents put her in a lock-down situation where she is unable to speak with friends or leave her house with the exception of school.  As soon as she had the chance, she left and has not returned to her family's home.  She shares her story with such conviction, poise and maturity.  She knows that her choice has hurt her mother and she is sad to not be there for her two siblings, but she recognized the need to do what was appropriate and healthy for her.  She was able to benefit from a program that provided her with an apartment so long as she attended school and got a job.  The program also paid for her to attend college, which she did as a Women's Studies major.

Rafael Ramos - Full of live and vibrantly animated, Rafael was often portrayed in a lot of b-roll footage in the film.  His most poignant remarks related to how difficult it is to be gay and from the Dominican Republic where masculinity is so highly revered.  This is especially important in Rafael's family where he is the only son and is expected to carry the lineage.  He smiles has he says that they will just have to deal with it.

Mey Bun - Mey is one of the happier stories in the film.  She shares that her family has been supportive and accepting of her ever since she came out.  She said that one of the best things she felt was the warmth when her mother said that nothing could change her love for Mey.  Mey appears quiet and reserved, and recounts how difficult it has been to grow up as an Asian girl who would much rather parade as a tomboy than a princess.  As the film continues, we learn of Mey's promising future as a photographer and model.

These stories, although unique in their own ways, all weave the common and familiar threads of love and hate.  These teenagers have thrived when they've felt love and have had to find love in different places when they have encountered hate.  As a classroom facilitator, there is no question to me that a safe and welcoming environment where all students feel wanted, valued and able to succeed is one where love is always at the heart of all actions and interactions.  More important than this sentiment, however, is the recognition that doing nothing (to stop hatred and violence or to actively promote a loving and accepting culture) allows the negativity and intolerance to fester and grow.




 The Origin of Love - Written by Stephen Trask, Performed by Rufus Wainwright

When the earth was still flat, and the clouds made of fire
And mountains stretched up to the sky, sometimes higher
Folks roamed the earth like big rolling kegs
They had two sets of arms, two sets of legs
They had two faces peering out of one giant head
And they could watch all around them
And they talked while they read
And they never knew nothing of love
It was before the origin of love
Origin of love

And there were three sexes then
One that looked like two men glued back to back
Called the children of the sun
And similar in shape and girth were the children of the earth
They looked like two girls rolled up in one
And the children of the moon were like a fork shoved on a spoon
They were part sun, part earth, part daughter, part son
Origin of love

Now the gods grew quite scared of our strength and defiance
And Thor said:
"I'm gonna kill them all with my hammer
Like I killed the giants."
And Zeus said:
"No, you better let me use my lightning, like scissors
Like I cut the legs off whales
And dinosaurs into lizards."
Then he grabbed up some bolts
And he let out a laugh, said:
"I'll split them right down to the middle
Gonna rip them right in half."
And then storm clouds gathered above
Into great balls of fire

And the fire shot down
From the sky in bolts
Like shining blades of a knife
And it ripped right through the flesh
Of the children of the sun
And the moon, and the earth
And some Indian god
Sewed the would up into a hole
Pulled it 'round to our belly
To remind us of the price we pay
And Osiris and the gods of the Nile
Gathered up a big storm
To blow a hurricane
To scatter us away
In a flood of wind and rain
And a sea of tidal waves
To wash us all away
And if we dont behave
They'll cut us down again
And well be hopping round on one foot
Looking through one eye

Last time I saw you
We had just split in two
You were looking at me, and I was looking at you
You had a way so familiar
But I could not recognize
'Cause you had blood on your face
And I had blood in my eyes
But I could swear by your expression
That the pain down in your soul
Was the same as the pain down in mine
That's the pain
Cuts a straight line down through the heart
We call it love
So we wrapped our arms around each other
Trying to shove ourselves back together
We were making love
It was a cold dark evening such a long time ago
When by the mighty hand of Jove
It was the sad story
How we became lonely two-legged creatures
It's the story of
The origin of love
That's the origin of love, origin of love, origin of love

Precious Knowledge
I was recently made aware of a cultural program in Tuscan, AZ that has recently been put under scrutiny for its work with the cultural heritage of its students, many of whom are Hispanic.  Although the courses are not required, and are available to all students in the school--regardless of race--policy leaders have spoken out saying that this is a form of segregation.  Although I have not viewed the documentary (Precious Knowledge) in its entirety, the clips provided on the PBS website offer a perspective--from that of students and teachers--that supports the program as it seeks to engage students in their cultural heritage though cross-curriculum instruction.  As many of these students shared, when the program was functioning, the results strongly supported the success of the program to engage students who otherwise were not being engaged in the curriculum.  The following is the trailer for the film.  It can be viewed online through June 7, 2012.

Watch Ethnic Chauvinism or Modern Civil Rights Struggle? on PBS. See more from Independent Lens.