Blog Post #11

 Final Reflection

Looking back at everything we’ve done this semester, a few pieces stand out that I know will stay with me long after this class is over.

1) Lisa Delpit - The Silenced Dialogue

Delpit’s message about the “culture of power” really stuck with me. I’ve learned that being direct and clear with students isn’t being harsh, it makes the rules of school and success understandable. Delpit helped me realize that clarity builds trust and gives students real tools to succeed.

2) Carla Shalaby - Troublemakers

Shalaby’s work changed the way I think about “difficult” students. Instead of seeing so-called troublemakers as problems, I now see them as signals that something in the classroom or school environment isn’t working. The metaphor of them being like canaries in coal mines really helped me understand that these students are often the most aware of injustice or misalignment in the system.

3) Precious Knowledge Documentary

This documentary showed me how powerful it is for students to see their own identities and cultures reflected in what they learn. The ethnic studies program didn’t just improve test scores, it gave students a sense of pride, belonging, and purpose. It reminded me that education isn’t neutral, and culturally responsive teaching can make a life-changing difference.

Blog Post #10

 REFLECTION:

The text I chose off the Trevor Project website "Understanding Gender Identities & Pronouns", that alongside "Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students" made me reflect on how important it is for schools to create safe and respectful environments for all students, especially those whose gender identities don’t fit into traditional expectations. These documents don’t just give definitions or policy, they speak to the real need for affirmation, visibility, and safety for transgender and gender nonconforming students. That really matters to me, not just because I’m going into education, but because I use both he/him and they/them pronouns myself.

It wasn’t always easy for me to explain or feel confident in using both sets of pronouns. Even now, I sometimes wonder how people will respond or if they’ll take me seriously. Seeing that schools in Rhode Island are being encouraged, actually guided, to respect students’ pronouns, names, and identities is hopeful. It shows progress. And when I read the Trevor Project’s breakdown of gender identity and pronouns, I felt really seen. It’s a reminder that identities like mine aren’t too complicated, confusing, or something to be brushed aside. They’re valid, and they deserve respect.

What stood out to me in the RIDE guidance was how clear it is that respecting a student’s identity isn’t optional, it’s a responsibility. From using correct pronouns to protecting students' privacy and ensuring access to facilities that align with their gender identity, the guidance emphasizes how much these things affect a student’s ability to feel safe and thrive in school. As a future educator, that’s a huge takeaway for me. I want my classroom to be a space where students feel understood and supported, no matter how they identify.

These texts made me think about how easy it can be to make someone feel respected, by just using the right name or pronoun, and how damaging it can be when we don’t. I’ve felt both. So going forward, I want to be the kind of teacher who never assumes, who models inclusive language, and who makes it clear that every student has the right to be exactly who they are.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/understanding-gender-identities-and-pronouns/

Blog Post #8

REFLECTION

Reading Aria made me really think about the personal cost that sometimes comes with learning English in America. Rodriguez’s story about growing up in a Spanish-speaking household and then being pushed to embrace English at school was really powerful. His description of feeling like he was losing part of his identity and connection with his family really hit me, it was something I couldn't even conceptualize. It’s not just a language shift, it's an emotional and cultural transformation, and not always a comfortable one.

This made me reflect on my volunteer experience in Southside Elementary where most of the students are bilingual. I’ve seen firsthand how these young students switch between languages, Spanish with their friends, and English with me and their teachers and in the classroom. It made me wonder if any of them are already feeling some of what Rodriguez describes, the pressure to sound “American,” the confusion about where they belong. I hope that this isn't the case as the students who speak Spanish also get tested in Spanish, they still use their language often.

One part of Rodriguez’s story that really stuck with me was when he described how his home went quiet after he started speaking English more. That silence wasn’t just about sound, it was about distance, about something being lost. I think about how the students I work with might be going through something similar, and how important it is to make sure their cultural and linguistic identities are honored in the classroom instead of pushed aside.

This reading challenged me to think about how schools often frame English as the “right” or “normal” way to speak, without always realizing how that can make students feel like they have to choose between success and staying close to their families or heritage. Rodriguez’s story reminded me that language is about more than just communication, it’s about belonging, memory, and family. Aria was a powerful reminder to create classroom spaces that affirm students’ full identities, not just their ability to speak English well.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_IiVUh8-zacE9Nh_I4Q9Jmaj8_v9ATtR/view

Blog Post #7

In the preface and first two chapters of Literacy with an Attitude, Patrick J. Finn introduces the idea that not all literacy is created equal. He argues that the kind of education students receive depends heavily on their social class, and this inequality is not just about funding or resources, it’s about power. Finn distinguishes between "domesticating" education, which teaches compliance, and "empowering" education, which teaches students to think critically. The book is eye-opening and, honestly, a bit uncomfortable, especially going into teaching. It made me ask: am I only able to reinforce the system, or can my classroom be a place where we change that?

One quote that really stood out is:

“We don’t worry about a literate working class because the kind of literacy they get doesn’t make them dangerous.”

This is such a powerful and disturbingly true statement. Finn is saying that even when working-class students learn to read and write, the type of literacy they are given is meant to keep them in their place. They’re taught to follow rules, not question them. This quote points to how schools can actually be used to maintain inequality rather than challenge it. It also explains why some students might “fail” in school, not because they’re not smart, but because the system isn’t built for them to succeed in a meaningful, transformative way.

Another quote I found important was:

“When rich children get empowering education, nothing changes. But when working-class children get empowering education, you get literacy with an attitude.”

Here, Finn shows that critical, empowering education has the power to shake things up, but only if it reaches the people who have traditionally been denied that kind of learning. Wealthy kids learning to think critically doesn’t change the status quo, because they’re already benefiting from it. But when working-class kids are taught to analyze, critique, and speak out, it threatens the existing structure. That’s when education becomes a dangerous and powerful tool.

Throughout these chapters, Finn uses real-life classroom observations to show how different schools teach different kinds of literacy. It’s not just about teaching reading and writing—it’s about teaching students how to see themselves in the world. Are they being prepared to lead and question? Or to obey and conform? As a future educator, this reading really challenged me. It made me reflect on what kind of classroom I want to create. I don’t want to  teach kids how to follow the status quo, I want to teach them how to use their voices, to ask hard questions, and to believe that their opinions matter. That’s what Finn called literacy with an attitude and we need more of it.

Do you think schools today still follow the same patterns Finn described?

Can we as educators change what "type" of literacy we give our students or is it curriculum based?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18oYkhqKhuR4kUchebkg92zQ3_MtsDbBr/view