Generations Article Reflection

I found this article interesting and, in some ways, surprising.  First of all, I completely agree that generational differences can present conflicts and misunderstandings in the workplace because each generation communicates differently and has differing sets of values and beliefs; I can see this within my own family.  However, I did not realize that this is the first time in history that we have four generations “working side by side” (Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y).  Now that this fact has been brought to my attention, however, I realize that it is extremely important that each generation learns to understand and foster respect for the others.  The article makes an interesting point along these lines: it claims that in order to understand others, one first must understand him or herself.  So, I took it upon myself to figure out if I fit in with the charts’ sets of criteria for my generation (Generation Y).  For the most part, I did, and I can see how many of my peers reflect the values and beliefs that the charts recognize.  It was also helpful to see how the typical values/beliefs of my generation stacked up against those of the other generations in a side-by-side comparison.  Reading this article also made me aware of the fact that as a future teacher, I am going to be working with colleagues from all different generations, not just Millennials like myself.  I also realize that the transition from college, in which I am for the most part surrounded by individuals who are close to my age and share many of the same values/beliefs as me, into the professional world could pose a challenge.  For example, there will be teachers in my school who have been teaching for many years and consequentially could have entirely different philosophies than my own.

Teaching Hope: Anticipation

The biggest thing I gained in reading this first section of Teaching Hope, titled “Anticipation,” was the realization that all teachers get nervous.  As a “clipboard” learner with concrete-sequential learning preferences, I like to have everything planned out well ahead of time so that I have a general idea of what to expect when it comes time to actually tackle an assignment or, in my future case, teach a classroom full of unique individuals.  The fact of the matter is, however, that students are unpredictable and more often than not, things don’t always go as planned.  This first section of the book certainly acted as a reminder of the constant need to think quickly and to improvise as a teacher, and most importantly, not to panic when things don’t go as planned.  Even the most mortifying instances can turn into the most effective “teachable moments.”

A couple stories that stood out to me in particular were #18 and #20, both of which involved students stealing and the teachers having to deal with the tricky situations at hand.  While the teachers were at first struck with panic and irritation, they were able to find composure and approach the students in a calm, effective manner and actually help them to learn something from their poor decisions.  For example, rather than immediately reprimanding the student who stole the Freedom Writer books, the teacher simply asked him (in private) why he stole them.  The teacher’s attempt to understand the student before anything else clearly demonstrates her concern for the student versus the stolen objects.  If she can’t help the student first, how is she going to make sure that such things don’t continue to happen?  Then, rather than explain to him herself why stealing is bad, she let his peers do the work, which probably had a greater effect on him than hearing it from a teacher.  In story #20, a teacher loses $300 dollars in cash to her students when the rampage her purse during a lesson.  She too turns this instance into a teachable moment by holding a class discussion on victims of robberies and assaults.  This lesson successfully teachers her students about empathy, something many of them are unfamiliar with.  Thus, these stories reminded me not to “react” when things go wrong (which is something I tend to do as a “feeler”) but to first think about the ways in which you can most effectively help your students learn from their mistakes.

Diversity Article Reflection

This article brought to light an issue that I hadn’t previously considered in-depth: that as teachers, we acknowledge diversity but uniformity “still continues to dominate school practices” (Guild).  Prior to reading Guild’s article, I had always assumed that the recognition of the fact that we will be teaching a classroom full of diverse learners with different cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, religious beliefs, multiple intelligences, disabilities, etc., meant that as teachers we would naturally cater to such diversity.  However, Guild provides plenty of examples as to how this (unfortunately) is not often the case.  Especially under the stress of standards-based education and performance-based assessment, teachers can easily fall victim to uniformity as a means to reach efficiency.  However, in doing this, we are shortchanging our students, possibly without even realizing it.  I realized that I am guilty of seeking superficial “solutions” when it comes to catering to the needs of diverse learners.  As an example of such a fallacy, Guild notes that oftentimes teachers feel they are providing a “visual” learner with an effective teaching strategy by simply putting words on an overhead projector rather than giving instructions orally.  While this might be an honest attempt at varying instruction for the visual learner, it technically doesn’t get at the heart of what works best for them.  Guild reminds us that an “image, symbol, or visual representation” of the information would be far more effective.  It may take a little extra thought and work, but it will be much more effective for our visual students.  Thus, in order to be a teacher that is aware of and compliant to diversity in our students and their learning styles, it is crucial to look a little deeper and think outside of the box.  Guild reminds us that consistency and depth are keys to ensuring that we are providing the best possible teaching and learning sequences for our students.  Lastly, not only will this article make me more aware of the differences among my students, but it will also help me to make sure that I do not stereotype them based on the insight I gain to their unique situations and will rather make it my goal to learn as much as can about them as individuals as opposed to members of cultural groups.  I will simply use my understanding of their culture and background to aid me in understanding them as individuals.