Student Teacher 36 | - ✏ Freelance Writer
Jul 30, 2014 | #1
1. Watch a tv show or video online for ~1 hour (little less or more is fine). Video/show MUST be in a different language from yours to the point where you understand LITTLE to NOTHING. Then write about your reaction to this experience. You must comment on (a) what you thought the show/video was about. (b) How you made sense of what you were watching. (c) How you felt while watching. (d) and a different language to English language learner may effect them and how you will teach them correctly.
2. Teach yourself how to do something completely new (scuba dive, sing in public, play an instrument, eat new food, etc). Explain how the process was for you to do/learn something new. Relate this process/product to what you have learned about second language acquisition and content area instruction. How will this be applied to teaching?
3. Observe a classroom of your choice. Write a reflection on the lesson observed. Discuss how the ELD teacher, SDAIE teacher, and special ed teachers work together to ensure ELLs, IEP, ISP, or section 504.
4. Interview with parents (own or others) about Urban schooling/society. More information given afterwards.
Certain elements of human communication are universal despite sociocultural differences. Increasingly, as the global community becomes unprecedentedly interconnected, the similarities and differences between the languages of nations which have long been isolated from one another are becoming apparent. The advent of Web 2.0 technology and the consequent social media has created opportunities for individuals to be exposed to a wide spectrum of language without leaving their homes, with file-sharing sites such as YouTube and Instagram paralleling social networking sites such as Facebook in their promotion of cross-lingual relationships. Additionally and perhaps more saliently, the interconnectivity of the human community has opened doors to political and social changes by rendering issues and events which would be otherwise unseen in wealthy, Western societies very visible. The following inquiry responds to my viewing experience of a video dedicated to various aspects of the Nigerian schoolgirl abduction, all of which were in the Nigerian language.
While I was aware of the abduction of the Nigerian schoolgirls, the precise context of the video was unknown. The description of the video online was ambiguous and I assumed it was primarily interviews with the families of the kidnapped girls. However, the content of the video proved to be markedly diverse, including long portions of video dedicated to the leaders of Boko Haram, military scenes, and classroom scenes of presumably Nigerian schools; all of this was interspersed with significant videos of protests that did not all seem to be located in Nigeria but also other nations.
I tried not to infer any information about the kidnappings while watching the video and am still unsure of the precise media context for the video; it could have been privately directed or a news piece. The video began by showing jungle scenes with a Nigerian voice-over, and the rhythm of the language oscillated between angry and loud to low and melancholy; these scenes were communicatively ambiguous compared to those of the wailing mothers holding signs demanding their children be found. I do not speak Nigerian, but the emotion on the women's faces was pure anguish and genuine rage. During these scenes, and there were many, I made sense of the content by the sounds, expressions, and body language of the women; these were all very intense. Additionally, they were holding pictures of their daughters which clearly highlighted why they were protesting, even in the absence of any knowledge about the kidnappings.
The content focusing on the interviews with Boko Haram leaders, some of which were parts of the actual films released by the leaders was strange, with the language generally monotonous in tone but intermittently becoming jovial and containing laughter. These parts of the video were largely unsettling, because the communication seemed unpredictable. I assumed he was making demands or delineating his reasoning for the kidnappings, but he seemed to be very informal. The communication had little genuine emotion behind it but still seemed unplanned, and I had a difficult time making sense of these sections of the video. Ultimately, the aspects the video which evoked the most emotion for me were those of the crying mothers, while the Boko Haram scenes were primarily confusing. As a language teacher, I would promote understanding of the value within facial expressions and body language as integral supplements to spoken language, urging my students to acknowledge the interconnectivity between various human cultures.
The acquisition of a new language is similar to the acquisition of a new skill in several ways; it is challenging and requires dedication as well as experience. Over time, the new language becomes more easily accessed through increased exposure, but, in the beginning, learning the new language is significantly arduous. The language learner must be prepared to encounter barriers, add to existing knowledge, and generally be aware that the journey to language acquisition is not an easy one. The following inquiry compares learning a new language to my experience learning how to knit, a skill that my mother always urged me to acquire but I resisted for various reasons.
Prior to learning how to knit, my existing knowledge about the skill was very minimal; I had watched my mother and sister knit entire blankets in a few days, moving very quickly with the needles and barely even looking at their work. However, I had never truly paid attention from the perspective of a prospective learner. I wanted to at least attempt to teach myself on my own, using the internet as a primary source, so I began by searching the basics. I found a few YouTube videos which were very basic, but I was still confused about the materials I needed. The salesperson at the craft store told me that larger and longer needles were easier to work with, so I bought cheap, nylon yarn and a pair of pricey bamboo needles in the largest size I could find.
I learned the basics of straight knitting, applicable to scarves and blankets, very quickly. Casting on was difficult at first, and I admit that I do not do it the precise way the videos recommend; it makes more sense to me to wind the yarn around with my fingers in a way that diverges significantly from what I had seen in the videos. My first few rows of knitting were completely botched; I had dropped several stitches and changed directions without really noticing. After a few days of picking up my knitting whenever I had a few spare moments, however, my common mistakes became less frequent. After a few weeks, I was able to knit scarves and blankets very quickly, was experimenting with decorative yarns and different needle sizes, and was trying to read more challenging patterns. Once I felt I had mastered straight knitting, however, I attempted to apply what I knew to knitting socks and mittens; this was so glaringly different, however, that I became frustrated and temporarily gave up. After knitting at least a little bit every day for a month, I did not knit anything for several weeks before starting again. Presently, I am continuing to struggle with any type of pattern that is not straight knitting, but I am trying not to get frustrated in the process.
The hurdle I encountered when I attempted to add to my existing knowledge is a common one when learning a new skill, and I believe that the most difficult aspect of the process was admitting that while I had mastered a small aspect of the skill, there was still very much to learn. Languages are complex and demand years of practice; some would say there is no true native-level mastery of a second language after a certain age. In teaching language acquisition, I would encourage students to remain motivated but not committed to any sort of mastery, with experience and practice necessarily supplementing formal instruction.
The ability of educational professionals to work closely with one another and mutually support the learning process is critical to the ability of language learners to achieve their full potential. ELD, SDAIE, and special education teachers must work together to promote the learning process for relevant students. The following inquiry provides an overview of an observation which was contextualized within a general education classroom in grade three of a public school.
The lesson focused on astronomy, specifically on the solar system. There were two English language learners (ELLs) in the classroom, both of whom had an IEP. Prior discussion with the general classroom teacher highlighted that the ELD and SDAIE teachers frequently worked in partnership in the classroom, and that no special education teacher was utilized for these two particular boys, both of whom were eight years old and native Spanish speakers. During the observation, only the SDAIE teacher was present. However, the ELD and SDAIE teacher had met prior to the lesson and discussed their collaboration with respect to relating language learning to the third-grade science standards. The SDAIE teacher sat in close proximity to the two ELLS but not with them, and the instruction was primarily delivered by the classroom teacher. The relationship between the planets and the sun was discussed, with PowerPoint presentations used in addition to a handout. Both of the boys had a copy of the presentation in Spanish, but it was text-only; it seemed that both boys were missing out on the visuals within the presentation by being overly concerned with their handouts. The SDAIE teacher only communicated with the boys once, ensuring that they understood the instructions for homework and going over the worksheet with them.
In reflection, it seemed that the SDAIE could have been more involved with the boys by translating what needed to be translated instead of having them rely heavily on their handouts. Overall, however, it seemed that the boys did clearly understand the content and what was expected of them for homework, but they missed out on the visual learning experience of the presentation. In the absence of actually witnessing the SDAIE and ELD teacher work with one another, I am unsure as to the extent of their collaboration. However, the classroom teacher assured me that the professionals are very collaborative in nature and communicate every few hours with one another. They are frequently in the classroom together, but this was a unique day which demanded the ELD teacher be elsewhere in the building.
Gender inequality remains a significant problem within elementary schools, with significant research suggesting that female students are treated differently than male students with respect to communication, subjects such as mathematics, and disciplinary processes. The following interviews took place over the course of several days in an urban public school in California, with the three interviews following the same protocol. The participants were one father and two mothers in four separate families, all of whom had daughters who attended the school in grades one through three.
The interview protocol was structured to highlight whether the participants believed that gender discrimination existed within elementary schools and, more saliently, the extent to which they believed this problem to be systemic in nature. Rogoff (2003) suggests that individuals are socialized to become members of cultural communities, with cultural norms and values systems thus inextricably bound to the particular agent of socialization. In this instance, the socialization agent is the elementary school, with the belief that gender discrimination exists in elementary schools thus paramount to the perpetuation or converse weakening of gender-based prejudices. In essence, schools exist, in part, to convey cultural norms to children, with discriminatory practices then particularly problematic in the elementary school environment. The following report documents the participants and their answers, with the five questions as follows:
1. Do you believe that your daughter's education is affected by her gender?
2. How do you feel about male or female teachers for your daughter? Do you have a preference?
3. Have you noticed any differences in communication between your daughter's male teachers versus her female teachers?
4. Do you believe your daughters' performance in mathematics or science is hindered at all by her teacher's instructional or communicative style?
5. As a parent, what do you believe your role is in empowering your daughter within her academic experience?
Participant A: John Juarez, High School Graduate, Construction Foreman, Daughter: Nita Juarez, Grade 2, [School and Location], Middle Class, Interview 5/14, 12:30pm at the School
Participant B: Sandy Middleton, BA in Journalism, Administrative Assistant, Daughter: Janine Middleton, Grade 3, [School and Location], Upper-Middle Class, Interview 5/14, 12:50 at School
Participant C: Joy Wright, High School Graduate, Stay-at-Home Mother, Daughter: Rowan Wright, Grade 1, [School and Location], Middle Class, Interview 5/15, 12pm at School
Participant A's Interview:
Question 1: "My daughter's education is not negatively affected by her gender, if that's what you mean. In fact, I believe she is treated better, as a girl, than most of the male students in her class."
Question 2: "I have no preference, as long as they're good at what they do."
Question 3: "No, but I wouldn't know. I rarely get to see them communicate with one another since I work all day while she is in school."
Question 4: "Again, I wouldn't know."
Question 5: "I encourage her in school the way I encourage her in everything; she can do whatever it is she wants in this world. No one will stop her."
Participant A's interview focused largely on the interviewee offering short-duration answers; it was the briefest interview of the three. The interviewee was defensive regarding the issues raised in the interview and seemed unwilling to speak about most of the questions. In summation, Participant A's answers highlight that he does not believe gender issues to significantly impact his daughter's schooling.
Participant B's Interview:
Question 1: "Absolutely. My daughter is affected by her gender in the classroom the way she will be affected by her gender in all areas of her life; it is unfortunate, but it is reality."
- "Socialized to be compassionate and nurturing"
- "Taught what good little girls should do"
- "The same with male and female teachers"
Question 2: "Not really. Male and female teachers are equally guilty of subjugating female students. It's our culture."
Question 3: "My instinct is to say that I prefer female teachers, but I don't believe that's really true. It is my hope that schools will eventually be vehicles for gender equality, but that is not the case now. And definitely not in this school."
Question 4: "Yes. Absolutely. Girls are taught they can't do well in math and science, and the teaching system is biased to support this; it's a subtle but pervasive problem."
Question 5: "I believe that it is my role to encourage my daughter to think critically about everything, and to be aware of how schools are cultural institutions which can act to reinforce inequities.
In contrast to Participant A, Participant B adamantly believed that gender issues affected her daughter's schooling. She believed these issues, more saliently, to be systemic in nature rather than indicative of individual biases. In summation, this interviewee was the most vocal regarding gender discrimination in elementary schools.
Participant C's Interview:
Question 1: "Yes, unfortunately, but it seems to depend on the teacher. She's had wonderful teachers which motivate her, both men and women, and she's had terrible teachers of both genders as well."
Question 2: "Her best teacher was a man; he encouraged her in everything that she did, and he was wonderful. He told her that she could become an astronaut if she wanted, and she still talks about that."
Question 3: "Not personally, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
Question 4: "Again, I'm not really sure. It's possible, but I haven't seen it happen. I think that might be something that becomes a problem later in life but not so much now."
Question 5: "I think I need to be endlessly supportive; that's my role. If a teacher treats her differently because she's a girl, then I will call them out on it. I don't think there's a need to highlight a problem that may not exist, though."
Participant C seemed to fall mid-way on the spectrum between believing gender issues are a significant problem in elementary schools, the position taken by Participant B, or rejecting the notion that gender problems existed in elementary school, the position taken by Participant A. In summation, Participant C acknowledged that gender discrimination existed but did not suggest it was a widespread, systemic problem.
Clearly, the father held a divergent perspective on gender equality in the classroom from the two mothers. While the father rejected the notion that gender inequality existed in his daughter's academic experience, both of the mothers highlighted that the problem did indeed affect their daughters at various times in their lives. Interestingly, while Participant C's interview was very brief, with the mother at first acknowledging inequities and then becoming resistant to talking about them, Participant B's interview was twice as long in duration and the mother was very open to talking about all of the issues raised.
All three parents believe they are positioned to empower their daughters as needed, and both women acknowledged that male and female teachers are both guilty of gender oppression. Outside of the interview protocol, Participant B offered hope that gender equality would actually begin in schools and then enter into other areas of the social, political, and economic spheres, but she offered only limited hope that this will occur in the near future. The interviews generally aligned with the literature, highlighted that gender issues are apparent even in elementary school, with gender roles socialized in lower grade classrooms.
Notably, all three interviews seemed resistant to recounting any specific stories about their daughter's education, with even Participant B failing to delineate any specific narrative of an experience that would back-up her key points; despite her full disclosure and streamlined viewpoints, she did not seem to have any specific information about why she felt the ways she did about gender inequality in elementary school. She did specify that her degree was in Women's Studies, and that she tended to get "political" when discussing gender issues. Participant C did seem to have a specific experience in mind about her daughter's interaction with teachers who did not treat her fairly but she was not willing to elaborate. Participant A seemed to be uncomfortable with the line of questioning at all, heralding most of his daughter's teachers for their treatment of her and fellow students.
The interviews were limited in several ways, with the participants all very divergent in terms of social status and culture; all of their daughters attended the same school, having many of the same teachers over time, but the participants' perspectives were all very different. Participants A and C were particularly resistant to the questioning, presumably thinking that they were being asked to target specific teachers despite assurances of confidentiality and anonymity. Participant B seemed to have an agenda of her own which additionally may have skewed the results. Overall, however, none of the participants seemed to be dishonest regarding their answers, with a broader participant pool potentially countering similar limitations in future research.
The interviews do, however, reflect a common problem within the literature relative to feminist theory; if all institutions are orchestrated in order to serve the predominant patriarchal paradigm, then even elementary schools are serving to protect male power and maintain the inferior position of women, beginning in childhood. Regardless of whether or not a feminist framework is applied, however, schools remain social institutions wielding considerable power over the values systems, and by extension the futures, of children. If gender inequality thereby exists within elementary schools, however inadvertent it may be, then it will inevitably be sustained more completely than if schools sought out ways in which to be gender-equal. Rogoff's articulation of the sociocultural environment as particularly pertinent to human development has particular implications for this analysis, as young children are susceptible to the cultural norms conveyed to them as children. If a young girl believes she is unequal due to consistent unequal treatment which manifests in a number of ways, then this belief will continue to impact her throughout her lifetime.
Spring asserts that schools have negatively impacted vulnerable populations in general, with the dominant power of the heteronormative, Anglo-Saxon culture proving detrimental to minority cultures. The same author suggests that the school system is an unfortunate force, as it is structured presently, in the maintenance of the Euro-American culture as the most powerful. Women remain a vulnerable population, in essence, with the position of schools to counter such inequities a solid one that should be wielded to open up opportunities for greater social mobility for women in the United States, narrowly, and global community, more broadly.
In reflection, this interview project aided me in framing the urban schooling environment as affected significantly by parental perceptions. Parents, as important stakeholders in the school system, undoubtedly vary in terms of their acknowledgment of in-school discrimination, with the three interviewees highlighting how divergent these perceptions can be. As a future educator within the urban school system, I will seek to empower parents and students alike to promote schools as a more significantly equalizing force in American society.
2. Teach yourself how to do something completely new (scuba dive, sing in public, play an instrument, eat new food, etc). Explain how the process was for you to do/learn something new. Relate this process/product to what you have learned about second language acquisition and content area instruction. How will this be applied to teaching?
3. Observe a classroom of your choice. Write a reflection on the lesson observed. Discuss how the ELD teacher, SDAIE teacher, and special ed teachers work together to ensure ELLs, IEP, ISP, or section 504.
4. Interview with parents (own or others) about Urban schooling/society. More information given afterwards.
1. Film in Nigerian
Certain elements of human communication are universal despite sociocultural differences. Increasingly, as the global community becomes unprecedentedly interconnected, the similarities and differences between the languages of nations which have long been isolated from one another are becoming apparent. The advent of Web 2.0 technology and the consequent social media has created opportunities for individuals to be exposed to a wide spectrum of language without leaving their homes, with file-sharing sites such as YouTube and Instagram paralleling social networking sites such as Facebook in their promotion of cross-lingual relationships. Additionally and perhaps more saliently, the interconnectivity of the human community has opened doors to political and social changes by rendering issues and events which would be otherwise unseen in wealthy, Western societies very visible. The following inquiry responds to my viewing experience of a video dedicated to various aspects of the Nigerian schoolgirl abduction, all of which were in the Nigerian language.While I was aware of the abduction of the Nigerian schoolgirls, the precise context of the video was unknown. The description of the video online was ambiguous and I assumed it was primarily interviews with the families of the kidnapped girls. However, the content of the video proved to be markedly diverse, including long portions of video dedicated to the leaders of Boko Haram, military scenes, and classroom scenes of presumably Nigerian schools; all of this was interspersed with significant videos of protests that did not all seem to be located in Nigeria but also other nations.
I tried not to infer any information about the kidnappings while watching the video and am still unsure of the precise media context for the video; it could have been privately directed or a news piece. The video began by showing jungle scenes with a Nigerian voice-over, and the rhythm of the language oscillated between angry and loud to low and melancholy; these scenes were communicatively ambiguous compared to those of the wailing mothers holding signs demanding their children be found. I do not speak Nigerian, but the emotion on the women's faces was pure anguish and genuine rage. During these scenes, and there were many, I made sense of the content by the sounds, expressions, and body language of the women; these were all very intense. Additionally, they were holding pictures of their daughters which clearly highlighted why they were protesting, even in the absence of any knowledge about the kidnappings.
The content focusing on the interviews with Boko Haram leaders, some of which were parts of the actual films released by the leaders was strange, with the language generally monotonous in tone but intermittently becoming jovial and containing laughter. These parts of the video were largely unsettling, because the communication seemed unpredictable. I assumed he was making demands or delineating his reasoning for the kidnappings, but he seemed to be very informal. The communication had little genuine emotion behind it but still seemed unplanned, and I had a difficult time making sense of these sections of the video. Ultimately, the aspects the video which evoked the most emotion for me were those of the crying mothers, while the Boko Haram scenes were primarily confusing. As a language teacher, I would promote understanding of the value within facial expressions and body language as integral supplements to spoken language, urging my students to acknowledge the interconnectivity between various human cultures.
2. Knitting
The acquisition of a new language is similar to the acquisition of a new skill in several ways; it is challenging and requires dedication as well as experience. Over time, the new language becomes more easily accessed through increased exposure, but, in the beginning, learning the new language is significantly arduous. The language learner must be prepared to encounter barriers, add to existing knowledge, and generally be aware that the journey to language acquisition is not an easy one. The following inquiry compares learning a new language to my experience learning how to knit, a skill that my mother always urged me to acquire but I resisted for various reasons.
Prior to learning how to knit, my existing knowledge about the skill was very minimal; I had watched my mother and sister knit entire blankets in a few days, moving very quickly with the needles and barely even looking at their work. However, I had never truly paid attention from the perspective of a prospective learner. I wanted to at least attempt to teach myself on my own, using the internet as a primary source, so I began by searching the basics. I found a few YouTube videos which were very basic, but I was still confused about the materials I needed. The salesperson at the craft store told me that larger and longer needles were easier to work with, so I bought cheap, nylon yarn and a pair of pricey bamboo needles in the largest size I could find.
I learned the basics of straight knitting, applicable to scarves and blankets, very quickly. Casting on was difficult at first, and I admit that I do not do it the precise way the videos recommend; it makes more sense to me to wind the yarn around with my fingers in a way that diverges significantly from what I had seen in the videos. My first few rows of knitting were completely botched; I had dropped several stitches and changed directions without really noticing. After a few days of picking up my knitting whenever I had a few spare moments, however, my common mistakes became less frequent. After a few weeks, I was able to knit scarves and blankets very quickly, was experimenting with decorative yarns and different needle sizes, and was trying to read more challenging patterns. Once I felt I had mastered straight knitting, however, I attempted to apply what I knew to knitting socks and mittens; this was so glaringly different, however, that I became frustrated and temporarily gave up. After knitting at least a little bit every day for a month, I did not knit anything for several weeks before starting again. Presently, I am continuing to struggle with any type of pattern that is not straight knitting, but I am trying not to get frustrated in the process.
The hurdle I encountered when I attempted to add to my existing knowledge is a common one when learning a new skill, and I believe that the most difficult aspect of the process was admitting that while I had mastered a small aspect of the skill, there was still very much to learn. Languages are complex and demand years of practice; some would say there is no true native-level mastery of a second language after a certain age. In teaching language acquisition, I would encourage students to remain motivated but not committed to any sort of mastery, with experience and practice necessarily supplementing formal instruction.
3. Classroom Observation
The ability of educational professionals to work closely with one another and mutually support the learning process is critical to the ability of language learners to achieve their full potential. ELD, SDAIE, and special education teachers must work together to promote the learning process for relevant students. The following inquiry provides an overview of an observation which was contextualized within a general education classroom in grade three of a public school.
The lesson focused on astronomy, specifically on the solar system. There were two English language learners (ELLs) in the classroom, both of whom had an IEP. Prior discussion with the general classroom teacher highlighted that the ELD and SDAIE teachers frequently worked in partnership in the classroom, and that no special education teacher was utilized for these two particular boys, both of whom were eight years old and native Spanish speakers. During the observation, only the SDAIE teacher was present. However, the ELD and SDAIE teacher had met prior to the lesson and discussed their collaboration with respect to relating language learning to the third-grade science standards. The SDAIE teacher sat in close proximity to the two ELLS but not with them, and the instruction was primarily delivered by the classroom teacher. The relationship between the planets and the sun was discussed, with PowerPoint presentations used in addition to a handout. Both of the boys had a copy of the presentation in Spanish, but it was text-only; it seemed that both boys were missing out on the visuals within the presentation by being overly concerned with their handouts. The SDAIE teacher only communicated with the boys once, ensuring that they understood the instructions for homework and going over the worksheet with them.
In reflection, it seemed that the SDAIE could have been more involved with the boys by translating what needed to be translated instead of having them rely heavily on their handouts. Overall, however, it seemed that the boys did clearly understand the content and what was expected of them for homework, but they missed out on the visual learning experience of the presentation. In the absence of actually witnessing the SDAIE and ELD teacher work with one another, I am unsure as to the extent of their collaboration. However, the classroom teacher assured me that the professionals are very collaborative in nature and communicate every few hours with one another. They are frequently in the classroom together, but this was a unique day which demanded the ELD teacher be elsewhere in the building.
4. Interviews
Gender inequality remains a significant problem within elementary schools, with significant research suggesting that female students are treated differently than male students with respect to communication, subjects such as mathematics, and disciplinary processes. The following interviews took place over the course of several days in an urban public school in California, with the three interviews following the same protocol. The participants were one father and two mothers in four separate families, all of whom had daughters who attended the school in grades one through three.
The interview protocol was structured to highlight whether the participants believed that gender discrimination existed within elementary schools and, more saliently, the extent to which they believed this problem to be systemic in nature. Rogoff (2003) suggests that individuals are socialized to become members of cultural communities, with cultural norms and values systems thus inextricably bound to the particular agent of socialization. In this instance, the socialization agent is the elementary school, with the belief that gender discrimination exists in elementary schools thus paramount to the perpetuation or converse weakening of gender-based prejudices. In essence, schools exist, in part, to convey cultural norms to children, with discriminatory practices then particularly problematic in the elementary school environment. The following report documents the participants and their answers, with the five questions as follows:
1. Do you believe that your daughter's education is affected by her gender?
2. How do you feel about male or female teachers for your daughter? Do you have a preference?
3. Have you noticed any differences in communication between your daughter's male teachers versus her female teachers?
4. Do you believe your daughters' performance in mathematics or science is hindered at all by her teacher's instructional or communicative style?
5. As a parent, what do you believe your role is in empowering your daughter within her academic experience?
Participant A: John Juarez, High School Graduate, Construction Foreman, Daughter: Nita Juarez, Grade 2, [School and Location], Middle Class, Interview 5/14, 12:30pm at the School
Participant B: Sandy Middleton, BA in Journalism, Administrative Assistant, Daughter: Janine Middleton, Grade 3, [School and Location], Upper-Middle Class, Interview 5/14, 12:50 at School
Participant C: Joy Wright, High School Graduate, Stay-at-Home Mother, Daughter: Rowan Wright, Grade 1, [School and Location], Middle Class, Interview 5/15, 12pm at School
Interview Summaries and Analysis
Participant A's Interview:
Question 1: "My daughter's education is not negatively affected by her gender, if that's what you mean. In fact, I believe she is treated better, as a girl, than most of the male students in her class."
Question 2: "I have no preference, as long as they're good at what they do."
Question 3: "No, but I wouldn't know. I rarely get to see them communicate with one another since I work all day while she is in school."
Question 4: "Again, I wouldn't know."
Question 5: "I encourage her in school the way I encourage her in everything; she can do whatever it is she wants in this world. No one will stop her."
Participant A's interview focused largely on the interviewee offering short-duration answers; it was the briefest interview of the three. The interviewee was defensive regarding the issues raised in the interview and seemed unwilling to speak about most of the questions. In summation, Participant A's answers highlight that he does not believe gender issues to significantly impact his daughter's schooling.
Participant B's Interview:
Question 1: "Absolutely. My daughter is affected by her gender in the classroom the way she will be affected by her gender in all areas of her life; it is unfortunate, but it is reality."
- "Socialized to be compassionate and nurturing"
- "Taught what good little girls should do"
- "The same with male and female teachers"
Question 2: "Not really. Male and female teachers are equally guilty of subjugating female students. It's our culture."
Question 3: "My instinct is to say that I prefer female teachers, but I don't believe that's really true. It is my hope that schools will eventually be vehicles for gender equality, but that is not the case now. And definitely not in this school."
Question 4: "Yes. Absolutely. Girls are taught they can't do well in math and science, and the teaching system is biased to support this; it's a subtle but pervasive problem."
Question 5: "I believe that it is my role to encourage my daughter to think critically about everything, and to be aware of how schools are cultural institutions which can act to reinforce inequities.
In contrast to Participant A, Participant B adamantly believed that gender issues affected her daughter's schooling. She believed these issues, more saliently, to be systemic in nature rather than indicative of individual biases. In summation, this interviewee was the most vocal regarding gender discrimination in elementary schools.
Participant C's Interview:
Question 1: "Yes, unfortunately, but it seems to depend on the teacher. She's had wonderful teachers which motivate her, both men and women, and she's had terrible teachers of both genders as well."
Question 2: "Her best teacher was a man; he encouraged her in everything that she did, and he was wonderful. He told her that she could become an astronaut if she wanted, and she still talks about that."
Question 3: "Not personally, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
Question 4: "Again, I'm not really sure. It's possible, but I haven't seen it happen. I think that might be something that becomes a problem later in life but not so much now."
Question 5: "I think I need to be endlessly supportive; that's my role. If a teacher treats her differently because she's a girl, then I will call them out on it. I don't think there's a need to highlight a problem that may not exist, though."
Participant C seemed to fall mid-way on the spectrum between believing gender issues are a significant problem in elementary schools, the position taken by Participant B, or rejecting the notion that gender problems existed in elementary school, the position taken by Participant A. In summation, Participant C acknowledged that gender discrimination existed but did not suggest it was a widespread, systemic problem.
Clearly, the father held a divergent perspective on gender equality in the classroom from the two mothers. While the father rejected the notion that gender inequality existed in his daughter's academic experience, both of the mothers highlighted that the problem did indeed affect their daughters at various times in their lives. Interestingly, while Participant C's interview was very brief, with the mother at first acknowledging inequities and then becoming resistant to talking about them, Participant B's interview was twice as long in duration and the mother was very open to talking about all of the issues raised.
All three parents believe they are positioned to empower their daughters as needed, and both women acknowledged that male and female teachers are both guilty of gender oppression. Outside of the interview protocol, Participant B offered hope that gender equality would actually begin in schools and then enter into other areas of the social, political, and economic spheres, but she offered only limited hope that this will occur in the near future. The interviews generally aligned with the literature, highlighted that gender issues are apparent even in elementary school, with gender roles socialized in lower grade classrooms.
Notably, all three interviews seemed resistant to recounting any specific stories about their daughter's education, with even Participant B failing to delineate any specific narrative of an experience that would back-up her key points; despite her full disclosure and streamlined viewpoints, she did not seem to have any specific information about why she felt the ways she did about gender inequality in elementary school. She did specify that her degree was in Women's Studies, and that she tended to get "political" when discussing gender issues. Participant C did seem to have a specific experience in mind about her daughter's interaction with teachers who did not treat her fairly but she was not willing to elaborate. Participant A seemed to be uncomfortable with the line of questioning at all, heralding most of his daughter's teachers for their treatment of her and fellow students.
The interviews were limited in several ways, with the participants all very divergent in terms of social status and culture; all of their daughters attended the same school, having many of the same teachers over time, but the participants' perspectives were all very different. Participants A and C were particularly resistant to the questioning, presumably thinking that they were being asked to target specific teachers despite assurances of confidentiality and anonymity. Participant B seemed to have an agenda of her own which additionally may have skewed the results. Overall, however, none of the participants seemed to be dishonest regarding their answers, with a broader participant pool potentially countering similar limitations in future research.
The interviews do, however, reflect a common problem within the literature relative to feminist theory; if all institutions are orchestrated in order to serve the predominant patriarchal paradigm, then even elementary schools are serving to protect male power and maintain the inferior position of women, beginning in childhood. Regardless of whether or not a feminist framework is applied, however, schools remain social institutions wielding considerable power over the values systems, and by extension the futures, of children. If gender inequality thereby exists within elementary schools, however inadvertent it may be, then it will inevitably be sustained more completely than if schools sought out ways in which to be gender-equal. Rogoff's articulation of the sociocultural environment as particularly pertinent to human development has particular implications for this analysis, as young children are susceptible to the cultural norms conveyed to them as children. If a young girl believes she is unequal due to consistent unequal treatment which manifests in a number of ways, then this belief will continue to impact her throughout her lifetime.
Spring asserts that schools have negatively impacted vulnerable populations in general, with the dominant power of the heteronormative, Anglo-Saxon culture proving detrimental to minority cultures. The same author suggests that the school system is an unfortunate force, as it is structured presently, in the maintenance of the Euro-American culture as the most powerful. Women remain a vulnerable population, in essence, with the position of schools to counter such inequities a solid one that should be wielded to open up opportunities for greater social mobility for women in the United States, narrowly, and global community, more broadly.
In reflection, this interview project aided me in framing the urban schooling environment as affected significantly by parental perceptions. Parents, as important stakeholders in the school system, undoubtedly vary in terms of their acknowledgment of in-school discrimination, with the three interviewees highlighting how divergent these perceptions can be. As a future educator within the urban school system, I will seek to empower parents and students alike to promote schools as a more significantly equalizing force in American society.