Issues of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Identity

Blog 3: As teachers, how should we be prepared to deal with issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and identity in our classrooms and in our one-on-one interactions with students? How can we create teaching units that help students explore these issues?

This discussion again emphasized for me that our diverse student population is even broader than I first thought. As composition teachers we have to take into account that we have native speakers of English, generation 1.5 and international students as well as students of different races, ethnicities, genders and dialects. It is a tall order to be prepared and deal with all of these issues, but for me the key factor was communication. It is important for teachers not to label students and establishing report with our students may avoid this. I like how group 1 suggested teachers have as much one-on-one contact with their students as possible. This will enable teachers to realize and understand the issues such as racism, sexism and ageism that many students face.

I think it is important for composition teachers to allow their students to express their identities and the dialects they use in classroom activities. This is another opportunity for instructors to show students that academic English is a different dialect that can be learned like any other and that their own dialects are just as important. I also like the ideas of introducing students to all the different dialects that are in the class. This could be done through readings, discussions and dispelling myths.   

Understanding and Dealing with the Complex Issue of "Standard English."

Blog 2: As composition teachers, how should we understand and deal with the complex issue of “Standard English”? How should we understand and deal with the complex issue of bilingualism? How should we understand deal with the complex issue of “Non-native speakers”?

I definitely saw overlap between what our group read from Ogbu and the article “Dissin’ the Standard: Ebonics as Guerilla Warfare at Capital High” presented by group 2 in regards to resistance of learning Standard English due to the thought of it being a threat to collective identity.  This topic really got my attention because I was perplexed with how I would deal with a student who refused to do their final book report. I think group 2 gave some very beneficial advice for ways we can possibly handle situations where students feel they are being oppressed by Standard English. I like the idea of allowing students to write both formal and informal essays in class. I believe that students should be encouraged to express themselves in their own dialect because composition is about being able to communicate through different means and an individual’s dialect is a unique way for them to express themselves. I think as instructors we should foster our students in maintaining their home dialects and help them also acquire Standard English so they have a chance to be successful in school.  

I like how group 2 said Standard English cannot be defined. As composition teachers we must be mindful of this fact and not hold our students to mastering a dialect that is not clearly defined. One of the key takeaways for me on this topic was to not make assumptions. Do not assume that students are lazy or stupid because they speak another dialect other than Standard English and do not assume that one needs to speak Standard English to be successful. Another important point that brought up was the difference between spoken Standard English and written Standard English. I know that when I was a beginning writer I struggled with writing the way I spoke. I had to learn that academic English was different and that I could not just write essays they way I talked to people. I think it is important for composition teachers to explain to students that academic English is like learning a new language and all students have to learn it to be successful in composition classes.

I believe that as composition instructors we should be educated and prepared to assist the diverse student populations in our classrooms. That means we should first acknowledge that everyone learns language at a different rate and we should not make assumptions that non-native speakers should be just be able to learn a second language within a certain timetable. I also think the best way we can serve the diverse student populations in our classrooms is to understand their different backgrounds and what issues and difficulties they may face.        

 

 

 

 

Making Sense

Blog 1: As composition teachers, how should we make sense of the successes and failures of our dialect speakers, our new immigrants, and our immigrant heritage students? What factors (home, school, community, etc) might promote success and failure? And how as teachers can we foster success?

I think as composition instructors we need to acknowledge the different types of students we have in our classrooms. As Ogbu points out, we may have voluntary as well as involuntary students in class. Voluntary minorities are immigrant minorities that have moved to the United States of their own free will looking for better opportunities. Voluntary minorities may have trouble adjusting to American schools, but do not experience these difficulties long term. On the other hand involuntary minorities are minorities that have been conquered, colonized or enslaved. They are not necessarily in America of their own free will. These minorities feel as though they are forced to assimilate into the United States. Some involuntary minorities are usually less economically successful as voluntary minorities and could experience more cultural and language difficulties. Composition teachers need to understand that involuntary minorities may not perform as well in school due to these factors. Communication between teachers and involuntary minority students and their parents about these incompatible beliefs may give the students a better chance of acquire Standard English.  

Composition instructors also need to be aware that speakers of different dialects other than Standard English may be receiving mixed messages and tension from both their families and communities regarding use of Standard English. Some people within other dialect communities such as African American Vernacular English view school as an assimilating force that tries to civilize speakers of ‘Slang English’ and strip their identity. Composition teachers must also take into consideration that the parents of dialect speakers may not be willing or able to teach their children standard English at home due to the communities view of the dialect.

Despite how intrinsically motivated our new immigrants may be they can become frustrated when the system does not assist them in their transition into English language schools. As educators we need to strive to make sure we are serving all of our students as best we can by making sure ESL students have opportunities to communicate in the target language and are not segregated from contact with mainstream students.  A way of helping our lower level new immigrant students who are still acquiring English is to make sure we have opportunities for group work and meaningful learning in our classes. Again, teachers must consider the fact that parents may need additional help in communicating with faculty and administrators about the academic needs and abilities of their children. As teachers we can set the bar higher for all of our students regardless of their backgrounds so they have the opportunity to learn rather than just being put in remedial classes. And most of all composition teachers have to be careful that our ESL students do not get stuck in what Veldez calls, “The ESL getto” where they do not have the opportunity for success at both transitioning into our schools and improving their English.