Security!!!

"Three of the five African Amercan men working with children in the school are responsible for discipline. Each has impressive physiques, as if body size is a part of the job description. The figure whose job it is to strike fear in the hearts of children in school is epitomized by the intimidating physical presence of the African American male." Hold the phone. Before we accept this as gospel, let's pick this statement apart. First of all, What kind of schools are we talking about here. If they are urban schools, then is it any wonder that most of the security guards are black. This is just a reflection of the community in which these schools operate, and furthermore, I would say that having these men in schools is more of an asset than a liability. Some of the coolest people in my school were security guards, and in some cases they knew the students better than the teachers did. Is it so bad that we're using African Amercans to discipline African Americans? We can sit here and talk about diversity till we're blue in the face, but the fact of the matter is that many people just feel more comfortable around people who look like them. We already have an abundance of white people in society serving as diciplinarians, they're called cops, and many people will tell you that minorities don't always hold the plice in the highest regard. By the way, body size IS a part of the job description. Have you seen the size of these kids lately; I don't know what they're putting in milk, but restassured I'd be more comfortable putiing discipline in the hands of someone who is 6ft and not 5ft. The African American male is not an intimidating figure simply because society makes him out to be this way, but because many lack the sufficient information to form their own opinion.

Group Projects

I guess I don't understand the point of blogging on something that we're going to be presenting tp the class anyways, so i 'd like to take the opportunity to discuss group presentations in general. Does anyone else find the process of putting together a group presentaiton somewhat akward? In my experience its usually only a superficial collaborative effort. You get together and discuss what everyone's roles will be, and then you seperate and do your own thing. Its alawys difficult to asses the outcome of such an effort. It usually turns into a group of seperate presentaions, loosely held together by the subject matter. How do you create a true group project? It sometimes feels as though the presentation needs to be constructed from start to finish, with all group members present. I would like to add that this isn't a dig at the members of my group, and that I'm just looking for suggestions. Perhaps I'm oversimplifying or overthinking it.

Teen Terrorism

So let me get this straight. Dangerous Minds was a fictional movie and not a documentry? Seriously though, was anyone that surprised to find out that teen violence is a biproduct of abuse and poverty. I don't mean to sound so sarcastic, but none of this is news to me. The streotypes we create about teens is based on the same principals as racial streotypes, misinformation and ignorance. As a prospective teacher, the only way to combat this is to find some way to involve oneself with teens before we enter the classroom. I'm only ten years removed from highschool, and I'll admit that teens seem almost alien or foreign to me at times. What is that kid wearing? What's with this music? And yet I'm not so sure that many prospective teachers are taking this step to familiarize themselves with future students. Not to mention that teachers who grew up in rural areas or suburbs are facing a double whammy. I think that sometimes people underestimate the culture shock and subsequent peroid of adjustment that come with being a new teacher in an urban school. I was fortunate enough to graduate from MPS, and I believe that this experienc will be a valuable asset; but I can't help that I'm getting older, I need to find ways to reconnect with my younger self.

Blog Entry #2

Anyone up for a discussion about the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadotropin-gonadal system? I understand that this subject can make people a little uncomfortable; so to make things a little easier, I found this pamphlet: "The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadotropin-Gonadal System and You(Hair in Funny Places)". This was pretty much the same treatment that I received from my parents in regards to puberty. I'm 27, and I still don't even know half of the words that were in this chapter. Why can't parents be more honest with their kids? It's easy, "Son I'd like to talk to you about spermarche". As fascinating as this subject is, I kinda wish I could take back the hour out of my life that it took to read this chapter. Assuming no one in this classroom is above the age of 85, I think we all know what we need to know about puberty. It wasn't that long ago the we lived through it. We've all had the embarassing pimple, and certainly some of us have spent five or six days fasting in the comfortable confines of a menstration hut. Let's be serious, yes puberty can be an "akward" and "troublesome" time in a kids life, but there are a variety of factors that account for this, and they certainly extend far beyond the limits of the pubertal process. Bottomline, parents need to talk to their kids, regardless of how uncomfortable it may be for both parties.