Holler If You Hear Me

      In my teacher story, Holler If You Hear Me by Gregory Michie, there are many segments of the book that are told from students' points of view.  For me, it is these segments that make up the true "heart" of the book; they are the most insightful and most important passages and they successfully convey the overall theme.
      One particularly meaningful segment from a student's perspective is Paloma's story found in chapter 6.  Paloma describes what kind of teachers, in her opinion, are most needed by students.  She stresses that our society needs teachers who have a true passion and desire to make a difference in the lives of students.  She explains that students need to have teachers whom they trust and by whom they feel respected.  Basically, she says that teachers should listen to and believe in their students, and they should truly hear their students' voices.
      As I was reading Paloma's words, I thought about the teachers that I have had in the past - some that fit her description and some that definitely do not.  If I do decide to be a teacher, Paloma's version of a good teacher is exactly the kind of teacher I hope to be.  I have a true desire to help kids and to try my best to make a difference in their lives, whether it be great or small.  I want to be an important part in children's lives and I want to provide support and encouragement for them that some of them might not be getting from anyone else.  I would want my students to trust me and to come to me when no one else listens to them, and I want them to know that I respect them as people.
      Paloma is definitely on to something here.  She's right -these are the kinds of teachers we so desperately need.  These are the kinds of teachers all of us should strive to be.  It is what kids need most, and it is our job to make sure they get it.  Teachers are an important authoritative figure in children's lives, whether or not the kids actually feel that this is true.  The fact is that as kids, we spend a significant amount of time with our teachers, and they have an effect on us even when we don't realize it.  That is why quality teachers are so crucial in society.  People who want to be teachers need to realize the responsibility that they are taking on, and they need to have the kids' best interest in mind.  It is nearly impossible for children to learn from someone who clearly does not respect them and from someone whom they feel has no interest in listening to them.  They will automatically and subconsciously shut them out if this the vibe they get.  Teachers need to let their students know that they are on their side and are there for them, and this is what I will strive to be as a teacher.

Negative Viewpoints about Alternative Types of Schooling

      Today in class when we were talking about alternative types of schooling, such as choice schools, charter schools, and home schools, I started to realize how negatively our typical society today views these alternative methods, and it is truly a shame.
      By trying to keep choice schools as almost a "secret" in many districts, we are basically concluding that they are a bad thing and are something of which the district should be ashamed or embarrassed... but why? Just because it's something different doesn't mean it's less effective.  Shouldn't we be proud of our district's ability to graduate even more students from high school because of these alternative options?  After all, without these programs, many of the students who benefit from them would instead simply drop out of high school.  We should be proud of alternative methods if they are effective, and an increased graduation rate definitely qualifies as being effective in my opinion.
      We have to face the facts... not all kids are able to learn in the every day school environment.  This does not mean, however, that they are simply unable to learn all together.  Different types of learners require different types of teaching, and this is exactly what choice schools and other alternatives can often provide.  Two of my closest childhood friends went through an alternative way of schooling, and it amazes me how negatively people view their method of education.
      One of my friends who has had a lot of psychological problems went in and out of 3 different high schools by the middle of sophomore year.  She was near failing out of her third school when her parents decided to send her to Cradwell, a unique school for students who have trouble going to school and learning in the typical school environment.  There is no doubt about it, Cradwell is definitely viewed as inferior schooling in my community.  People thought that because she only went to school for half of the day and had one-on-one teaching, she wasn't really learning anything like people at "normal" schools were.  This always really angered me because the fact that people look down on alternative education probably causes more and more students to try to stay away from it, when a different school could probably help them tremendously.  The choice program worked great for my friend.  Cradwell was able to cater to her learning style, and without it, she probably would not have graduated on track like she did...and maybe not even graduated at all.
      My point is that different is not equivalent to inferior, and our society needs to stop creating and encouraging this belief.  Alternative schooling is a wonderfully effective thing, and it is something for a district to be proud of rather than ashamed.

Response to the "Equity & Diversity Awareness Quiz"

            The Equity and Diversity Awareness Quiz that we did in class definitely made an impact on me.  The answers for many of the questions shocked me greatly, and many angered me as well.  One particular fact that made me angry was the fact that African American women in the U.S. are four times as likely to die in childbirth because they lack adequate prenatal care.  I guess I was being overly optimistic, but I would like to think that in this day and age, such a large gap –or any gap at all for that matter–would not exist in America. 

            Another shock to me was that immigrant men between ages 18-39 in the U.S. are five times less likely to be in prison than their American-born peers.  I have to admit that I would have thought they would be more likely to be in prison, and that seems to be what society repeatedly tells us.  This just shows how easily a misconception that large groups of people have can be fully accepted as being factual and can be obliviously believed by a majority of people because they have heard it so many times before. 

            The fact that the three richest people in the world have as much wealth as the 48 poorest nations combined is sadly what I actually would have expected.  It truly disgusts me to think that only three people could have so much wealth while millions of people in these poor nations are struggling to provide even a meal for their families.  It just astounds me that it is even possible to obtain that much money…what on earth do you do with it all?!

            Lastly, it also sickened me that the average full-time worker in the U.S. earns as much in a year as the average CEO earns in only one day.  I would have obviously guessed that CEOs earn a significant amount more than typical workers, but I never would have believed that it was to this extreme.  The saddest part is that it is not only comparing these wealthy CEOs to extremely impoverished people making a bare minimum wage; it compares them to the average worker, and the average worker likely earns a good amount more than minimum wage.  Overall, this quiz made me really disappointed in the way our society is today.  We can be so easily manipulated by skewed statistics and false judgments that we begin to accept completely false things as being true simply because we've heard them time and time again.        

Discussion Questions on Chapter 6 of Warriors Don't Cry

1. Why do you think the fear that Melba sees in her mother’s eyes during the first day of integration is significant?  In other words, what effect did seeing this have on Melba?

2. What do you think would have happened if Melba and the others had decided not to go back after that first horrible day? How would things be different? Do you agree with her and her grandmother that it would have caused the white people to think they had “won”?