Preparing to teach K-12

 

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The Contemporary Challenges category posts discuss challenges that teacher candidates face as they engage in the activities related to preparing for their future career. This category will elaborate on the situations and problems that teacher candidates and practicing teachers confront and offer ways to think about, overcome, and surpass them. 

Contemporary Challenges Post X

Technology and sustainability: application in the classroom

CHALLENGES CONFRONTING TEACHER CANDIDATES

At Ball State University, all Elementary Education Majors must have some form of MacBook. The main purpose of having an Apple Computer is to be able to run the teaching portfolio software. Technology requirements differ between universities, what pre-service teachers use technology for also differs. Pre-service teachers’ competency of technology should be universal among universities. For this reason, the integration of technology in the classroom should be pushed beyond the occasional classroom visit.  

The Oxford English Dictionary defines technology as “The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry”. The opportunity for application in relationship to pre-service teachers is lacking. Pre-service teachers are trained in scientific knowledge but not in application. According to research done at Purdue University, “All teacher education students in the United States are required to take a basic technology course [10] however, pre-service teachers generally do not practice integrating technology within their methods classes”. (Ruggiero and Mona Improving Understanding Of Pre-Service Teacher Experience With Technology Integration.) So why is there such a big push for technology integration if there is not a push for the application process? In teacher education, if there is no opportunity to apply what you have been taught then those teachings become meaningless. Pre-Service teachers grew up in the age of technology but most did not have educators who implemented these resources.  

Post-secondary education should provide pre-service teachers the opportunity to explore technological advances and ways to appropriately use these advances in their future classrooms. Despite the time spent in the classroom learning to teach and the expectation that pre-service teachers will be well informed on the incorporation of technology, “most new teachers graduate from teacher preparation institutions with limited knowledge of the ways technology can be used in their professional practice”. (Cantu, 2000) Some pre-service teachers are trained in classrooms that are lacking these technological systems.  

Society thinks that technology may provide the opportunity for equal education. According to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation “Blending face-to-face instruction with digital tools allows students to learn independently and at their own pace, freeing up time for teachers to give students more individualized attention and to focus on more complex tasks”. (“Innovation”, 2017) This is true but depending on the school corporation many students and teachers do not have these opportunities.  The problem is, that in reality access to technology, both hardware like laptops, netbooks, etc., as well as the Wi-Fi/IT infrastructure for them to be useful in classrooms is much more likely to be limited along socio-economic lines. Students with higher economic status have more access to these tools inside and outside of schools compared to students with lower economic status.  This means that technology may be just another factor that separates educational quality along socio-economic lines. This is no fault of pre-service teachers; however, jobs are most easily found in lower socio-economic areas because many teachers do not want to work in these areas, but a recent college graduate is more inclined to accept a position at any school that is hiring.  

Pre-Service teachers have grown up in an age of technology and should have better qualifications than anyone else when it comes to knowing how to use technology appropriately in the classroom. Despite growing up in an age where technology is ever revolving around us “Growing up in a digital age does not necessarily mean that every child had equal access to the digital technologies”. (Lei, 2009, p.90) Inadequacies exist not only in certain schools but also in pre-service teachers lives and this shapes how technology is used and understood throughout life. If a pre-service teacher went to a lower socioeconomic school and did not have access to the same advances as another pre-service teacher they may feel confused or lost when it comes to using them in their future classroom. Not only do the discrepancies in technology affect young students they also affect pre-service teachers and the training they experience in college and their preparation to properly prepare their students to function well in our society.  

Sustainability is a topic going through as many transformations just as quickly as technology. Preparing to function well in our society means learning about things other than what the typical textbook teaches, such as sustainability and using resources like technology in order to gain this new knowledge. There are many programs that help to provide information on sustainability, one of these is the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). Not only is technology ever changing but the world is as well, it is important to take what we know about the world and create meaningful instruction from this information. The WWF states “Education for Sustainable Development incorporates key environmental challenges like climate change into core subjects like math, science, and art, and involves modifying the teaching-learning process to a more all-encompassing approach”. (Nayar, 2013) These ideas are important to consider with technology because not only can we teach about sustainability, additionally we can incorporate creative technological resources into the everyday lesson plan. Despite these amazing resources being available, pre-service teachers are often not aware of them because technology is not focused on as much when professors are providing important instruction. It is important that professors provide pre-service teachers with tools to teach about worldwide concepts such as sustainability but without a technology focus, this will not be possible.  

Institutions know the importance of constructing technological education but are they accomplishing this? “Researchers have been reporting for at least a decade that schools and colleges of education are woefully behind schedule in areas related to technological uses in today’s K-12 classrooms. Individually, most professors recognize technology training as a growing need in their pre-service teacher education programs” but at most universities, it is not a requirement. As a student at Ball State University in the Elementary Education Department, there are not requirements to take a technology-based course. (Cantu, 2000) Despite the recommendation, most students do not take a technology course and if they do it is a stand-alone course. Most education-focused classes do not focus on the integration of technology, which can hinder a pre-service teacher’s future in the classroom.  

Technology is something that is very pertinent to the success of the pre-service teacher in the classroom however there is a lack of technological training in the preparation of pre-service teachers. There are many useful tools that involve technology but without the education pre-service teachers are doing a disservice to our future students. Technology is going to run the world in the future but students will not be prepared for these times if their pre-service teachers are also not prepared. Universities need to further develop their training of pre-service teachers and their knowledge of technology. There should be one universal technology integration class for every education program at every university.

 

References 

Cantu, A. (2000). Technology Integration in Pre-Service History Teacher Education. Journal of the Association for History and Computing, 3(2). Retrieved January 25, 2017, from https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jahc/3310410.0003.210/–technology-integration-in-pre-service-history-teacher?rgn=main;view=fulltext. 

Lei, J. (2009). Digital Natives As Preservice Teachers: WhatTechnology Preparation Is Needed? Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 25(3). Retrieved January 25, 2017, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ835233.pdf. 

Mong, C. (2013). Improving Understanding of Pre-Service Teacher Experience with Technology Integration. Retrieved January 25, 2017, from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=idcpubs. 

Nayar, A. (2013, September 29). Importance of Education for Sustainable Development. Retrieved January 25, 2017, from http://wwf.panda.org/?210950/Importance-of-Education-for-Sustainable-Development. 

K-12 Education. Retrieved January 25, 2017, from http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/US-Program/K-12-Education. 

Contemporary Challenges Post IX

Teachers support students, but who supports teachers? 

PREPARING TO TEACH IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

As a preservice teacher who is only in my second year of the program, I face the problem of the lack of support from those around me. I am constantly surrounded by people who are questioning my decision of going to school to become a teacher. People often point out income, and lack of respect. I have even received “you can do so much better than that.” For me, personally, my biggest challenge in preparing to teach in a democratic society is the lack of a support system; from my family, my friends, and society as a whole.

My favorite saying is, “teaching is about the outcome, not the income.” It seems like any individual who is not in the education field cannot understand this statement. People often think of the money when thinking of any potential career. Everyone knows that a teacher’s salary is not what it should be. In my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the average mean income for a teacher is $44,120. Fort Wayne is the second biggest city in Indiana, but the teachers still receive such a small income. The overall mean income of Indiana for elementary school teachers is $51,150. Additionally, in the whole United States, the overall mean is $56,320. In Fort Wayne, that salary would average out to $848 a week. For a profession that has so many responsibilities, you could see how the income is unfair. Teaching overall is a lot of work for little money.

In reference to the “teaching is about the outcome, not the income” saying, I can honestly say that I am in this education program to make a difference. Helping children in school is such a rewarding experience. Not only are you preparing your students for their future, but you will make or break school for them. If you are a horrible teacher, your student might not enjoy school like they should. In fact, they might not even like it. On the other hand, if you are a great teacher, you could make students love going to school. I was fortunate to have the best teachers all throughout school. I never said I hated school. I always looked forward to going and learning. I felt that way simply because of the teachers that I had. As a teacher, you are making a difference in a child’s life. You become a person they can look up to. The outcome, is what makes teaching worth it.

As a preservice teacher, I can easily say that I am pursuing this career because it is something I am passionate about. I do not care how much money I will make, how many opportunities I have, or how hard it is. Being a teacher means making a difference. As teachers, you are literally preparing the future of our communities, of our nation, of our world. Being told that I can do so much better than teaching blows my mind. I recently asked my mother, who is very supportive of me and my decision, why she thought people discourage preservice teachers. She responded with, “Teachers do not get the credit they deserve. You will be a babysitter, teacher, parent, maid, counselor, mean person, and fun person all in one. You have a lot of responsibility that you might not get the credit for.”

In the recent months, I have seen many people in general discouraging preservice teachers because of the surrounding political views. With the recent appointment of Betsy DeVos as our United States’ Secretary of Education, many have expressed their concerns for education in general. In Segregation Now and Forever: Betsy DeVos and the Looting of Public Education, it is stated that DeVos’ plans as secretary of education is to “gut public education through voucher programs,” which means the state will pay for students to switch from public schools to better performing private ones (Hutchinson, 9). In So Who on Earth is Betsy DeVos?, public schools are noted to be in debt by over $2 million. DeVos is a charter school advocate, supporting schools that are “run by for-profit companies with their headquarters outside the state” (Coryton, 13). By DeVos pushing for charter schools, she is also supporting the previously mentioned voucher programs. “These [voucher programs] are seen as diverting millions of dollars from public school systems into schools run by for-profit companies” (Coryton, 13).

If DeVos goes through with her plans, it means less money for the already money hungry public schools. For someone like me, who spent all twelve years of school in a public school and has been planning on teaching in a public school, the possibility of public schools weakening even more is not necessarily ideal. In fact, this is something that scares me as a future educator. I am not a political person by any means, but this is something that will directly affect me and my future.

While I do believe preservice teachers everywhere face many challenges, the lack of support from others is my personal “bump in the road.” The way I see it, preservice teachers should not be discouraged for what they are wanting to do. They should be encouraged and even praised for it. I understand why those who choose to diminish the choice to become a teach do it. I am aware that a teacher’s salary is not necessarily ideal. I am aware that teachers do not always get the credit they deserve. I am aware of Betsy DeVos and her plans as she becomes the newest Secretary of Education in the United States. However, these negative outlooks on teaching do not surpass the positives of it. Teaching is about making a difference, and that is bigger than anything. It would be nice to have some support; not just from my friends and family, but from society as a whole.

References

Average Teaching Salary in Indiana. (2017). Retrieved January 27, 2017, from http://www.teachingdegree.org/indiana/salary/

Coryton, D. (2016). So who on earth is Betsy DeVos?. Education Journal, (288), 13.

Hutchinson, S. (2017). Segregation now and forever: Betsy DeVos and the looting of public education. Humanist, 77(1), 9-11. 

 

Contemporary Challenges Post VIII

Navigating democratic education. 

CONFRONTING DIFFERENCES: LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND OTHER’S OPINIONS IN OUR DEMOCRACY

 

Regardless of your relationships with others, profession, or personal life, everyone has confronted challenges that result in lessons learned. While preparing to teach in our democracy, teacher candidates face a multitude of challenges related to their future roles in advancing the values of our society. Democracy can be defined as the practice or principles of social equality. In Dana Bennis’ article “What is Democratic Education?” she wrote, “Democratic education infuses the learning process with these fundamental values of our society. Democratic education sees young people not as passive recipients of knowledge, but rather as active co-creators of their own learning.” (Bennis, n.d)

One way that teacher candidates can struggle to live out democracy is in the idea of being comfortable with parents whose values can seem different than their own. Each year, parents send their children to school in hopes that the classroom teacher presents their child with an abundance of opportunities that allow them to grow academically, as well as socially. Ultimately, those parents are depending on the classroom teacher to keep their child safe, provide them with meaningful opportunities, and respect them as individuals. Part of democracy is that you have a freedom of speech. Everyone has a right to his or her own views, morals, values and opinions. It is of upmost importance that all people are treated as equals within a democratic society. Regardless of the conflicts that may arise due to differing values, compromises must take place so that democratic education is present in the classroom.

Teacher candidates can better prepare themselves for this challenge by understanding how democratic education works inside and outside the walls of the school. Freedom of speech is an important aspect of democracy. Without this right, individuals would not be able to voice their opinions, share their views, or express themselves. To make parents more comfortable with the role that their children’s teachers can play in influencing their children’s opinion, the teacher candidates should be prepared to promote freedom of speech. In the classroom, students should have opportunities to express their own opinions, make decisions that are meaningful and work together to solve problems. Teachers must discuss with their students that the classroom is an open environment that respects and values every person’s opinion. This conversation should take place at the beginning of the year so that the tone is set, students know it is a safe place to talk about what they believe and know that not everyone will agree with them, however they will be respected.

When a classroom has an open and respecting climate, this provides opportunities to teach students about each other’s differences and how it is okay to have differing views. A democratic education allows future educators to provide students with opportunities to learn about other cultures and understand that you cannot take away one’s inalienable rights. Bennis wrote, “Yet democratic education is important not only for the benefit to the young people who experience such a learning environment. Democratic education also carries the potential for a broader societal impact, as the self-determined and caring individuals who experience democratic education will be the leaders in building a more democratic, vibrant, and just society.” (Bennis, n.d) Parents, who are individuals of society, experience democratic education. Their views, morals, values and opinions should be respected, just as the students in one’s class. Regardless of differing opinions, they must be set aside and one must be bigger than his or her opinion, to accomplish a goal.

As a teacher candidate, communication skills are an important social aspect of having an open and accepting relationship with the parents of his or her students. “Effective, consistent, and proactive teacher/parent communication is a relatively new phenomenon in our schools.” (Lavoie, 2008) The student’s classroom environment is unlike their home environment. One must understand that a child may have differing actions or behaviors in the other context. When challenges arise, and perspectives differ, it is important to keep in mind that the parents want what is best for their children. “For many parents, a fundamental part of the parenting role is to be their child’s strongest advocate with the teacher and the school” (Katz, 1996). Future teachers must be prepared for parents that may feel anxious discussing issues, criticism, or questions concerning their child. It is not an easy conversation for anyone to have, however, if you are respecting one another’s differences, solutions will arise that are in the best interest of the student.

Differences are inevitable; conflicts will arise between parents and the teacher. Teacher candidates should be prepared to face these challenges democratically. The teacher’s values do not always correlate with every parent’s values. Curriculum, assignments, behavior, teaching strategies, and homework are some areas of conflict. When handling situations such as these, keep in mind the principles of social equality. Their morals, opinions and views are to be respected and considered. Keeping an open line of communication can be helpful, so the teacher can understand what it is the parents disagree with them upon. Remember, simply because teacher’s values differ from the parents, this does not mean the teacher has to change what they believe in. It comes down to being bigger than your opinion and respecting others. Parents and teachers should understand that differing values can be bridged only if respect for the other’s values and a willingness to come to a compromise occurs.

While preparing to teach in our democracy, teacher candidates confront a variety of challenges that will prepare them to effectively educate students which results in, watching them grow academically, socially and emotionally. “Teachers and parents share responsibility for the education and socialization of children. Preventing and resolving the differences that may arise between parents, teachers, and children with constructive communication, respect, grace, and good humor can help make school a pleasant place.” (Katz, 1996) Confronting differences, such as conflict in differing values between parents and teachers may be a difficult task. It is important that teacher candidates understand that not everyone has the same values, morals, views and opinions. Everyone is free to disagree, but it must be done democratically and respectfully. As future teachers we must learn to be open-minded individuals who respect other’s opinions, even when disagreements occur.

References

A. (n.d.). Democratic Education. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/democratic-education.aspx

Bennis, D. (n.d.). What is Democratic Education? Retrieved January 22, 2017, from  http://democraticeducation.org/index.php/features/what-is-democratic-education/

Graves, I. (2011, March 9). What Is Democratic Education? Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/what-is-democratic-education

Katz, L. G. (1996, November). Preventing and Resolving Parent-Teacher Differences.

ERIC Digest. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-2/preventing.htm

Lavoie, R. (2008). The Teacher’s Role in Home/School Communication: Everybody Wins. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/28021/

Phillips, M. (2012, November 27). Parents and Teachers: Turning Conflicts Into

Partnerships. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-teacher-conflicts-into-partnerships-mark-phillips

Contemporary Challenges Post VII

What is it, why is it important, and if it’s so important, why haven’t I heard more about it in my teacher preparation courses?

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING

During my freshman year of college, I decided that I wanted to be a teacher in an urban school setting; a setting where diversity is central. Having grown up in a small town where diversity simply did not exist, I was enthralled by the diversity that surrounded me in college—there is so much to learn from people who are different than you! I knew immediately that I wanted to teach in a school full of people from all backgrounds and walks of life because I want to learn from my students as much as they learn from me. What I did not realize when I made this decision is that my race and cultural background could impede on my effectiveness as a teacher. I thought that being an expert on the content I would teach, knowing good classroom management techniques, and genuinely caring about students would make me an effective educator. I knew nothing about ‘culturally responsive teaching’, which was the missing ingredient in my equation for effectiveness.

Culturally responsive teaching is defined by The Education Alliance at Brown University as “a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students’ cultural references in all aspects of learning”. Research has proven that culture is central to learning, affecting thinking processes and the ways in which we communicate and receive information (Brown University). Acknowledging, accounting for, and embracing these cultural differences in the classroom is a step towards providing equitable education to all students. The challenge we face in this pursuit is that the teachers and the students more often than not come from vastly different cultural backgrounds. The majority of teachers today are white, middle-class women. Contrastingly, the majority of their students are black or Hispanic. Data from Marion County, Indiana schools support this claim—37% of their students are black, 19% Hispanic, and 5% are of another racial minority, while 86% of the county’s teachers are white (Cavazos, 2016). The good news, according to Barry Goldenberg of Columbia University’s Teachers College, is that, “White teachers are fully capable of teaching students of color—successful teaching happens every day”. What is important, he says, is that, “White teachers must recognize students’ nondominant culture and learn how to engage with it pedagogically” (Goldenberg, 2013). What he is referring to here, is of course, culturally responsive teaching.

As a senior in my teacher preparation program, I was able to participate in an Urban Immersion Internship program, which placed me in an urban school classroom four full days a week—this amount of practicum experience is almost unheard of in teacher preparation programs.  Despite the fact that I was in the classroom on a regular basis and had developed a good personal relationship with my students, I still struggled to relate with many of them. Why? One class. One class on diversity was all that my teacher preparation program had required. This class was wonderful, eye opening, and insightful, but, as my experience has revealed, it isn’t enough. One class is not enough to prepare the predominantly white, female population of teacher candidates to be culturally sensitive and informed. Stephen Sawchuk, associate editor for Education Week and author of the blog Curriculum Matters, brings to light an important point that, “through their interactions with students—whether explicit or subtle, well-meaning or ignorant—teachers can compound the biases that many [minority students] experience”. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that teacher candidates receive adequate training and information about culturally responsive pedagogy. Certainly, one class does not accomplish this. On this topic, Sawchuk asserts that, “aspiring teachers need more than just book learning on the topic coupled with passive observations in the back of classrooms: they need explicit opportunities to practice it” (Sawchuk, 2017).

So now the question at hand is how can I, and teacher candidates who find themselves underprepared to teach a diverse population, make up for this deficit on their own? This is the challenge we face. What I have found to be most helpful towards becoming more culturally responsive during my Urban Immersion Internship—that other teacher candidates can implement during their practicum experiences—are the following three things:

1. Explore and interact
2. Engage in dialogue
3. Read

The first step is to explore and interact. You cannot understand or relate to something you don’t know. The only way you will come to know and understand something is to experience it first hand. In her acclaimed book, The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, Ladson-Billings studied the teaching lives of eight excellent teachers in an urban district. One factor she determined was essential to their effectiveness is that the teachers saw themselves as part of the community in which they taught, learning from and contributing towards it (Cann, 2013). I made the decision to move to the community in which I was teaching for practical reasons, like shortening my commute. However, the insights I gained into my students lives by shopping at the same places my students’ families shop, attending the same churches, going to the same library, and going to local events have been helpful. This is but a small window into their lives, but a window nonetheless.

The second step is to engage in dialogue. In her book Creating Welcoming Schools: A Practical Guide to Home-School Partnerships With Diverse Families, JoBeth Allen contends that dialogue is different than conversation. The purpose of genuine dialogue is for the parties involved to come to understand one another’s perspective, and perhaps even change their own. This is difficult because it is our tendency to debate or talk past one another (Allen, 2007). I suggest to teacher candidates that they use their practicum experience and student teaching experience to dialogue with students and their families. Make a conscious effort in every interaction to learn something new or develop a deeper understanding about the students and their cultures. Incorporate what you learn into your teaching practice.

The third thing teacher candidates can do to help themselves to become more culturally responsive is to read. Read about your students’ cultures. Read about culturally responsive teaching strategies. There are an abundance of resources available if you search for them. Books that I would recommend include:

• Strategies and Lessons for Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Primer,  written by Roselle Kline Chartock. This book offers teachers 40 strategies and approaches for becoming culturally responsive. These are grounded in theory and developed by multicultural education researchers and teachers.
• For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood … and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education, written by Christopher Emdin. In his book, he connects narrative stories to theory, research, and practice to offer teaching advice. It’s very blunt and will be thought provoking for any and all teacher candidates.
•  The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, by Gloria Ladson-Billings. In this book, she examines what excellent teachers of diverse students do. She also points out misconceptions white teachers hold. As a teacher of diverse students herself, she is able to share much of her own wisdom—she has mentored numerous student teachers and shares her experiences with that as well.

There are many other books available that are geared specifically towards white teachers of minority students. Read them! While you read them, you will encounter parts that make you feel defensive and uncomfortable and unfairly labeled or judged—think about WHY you feel this way and what that may reveal about your teaching.

I hope that this essay has shed some light on an inadequacy in teacher preparation programs in the United States. We are a diverse population, and our education system must account for that. I hope also that my suggestions will benefit teacher candidates facing the same predicament as me.

References

Brown University. Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/teaching-diverse-learners/strategies-0/culturally-responsive-teaching-0

Cavazos, S. (2016, April 12). A Shortage Everyone Can Agree On: Indianapolis Schools Don’t Have Enough Black Teachers. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/in/2015/12/07/indianapolis-schools-dont-have-many-black-teachers-a-shortage-everyone-can-agree-on/

Goldenberg, B. M. (2013). White Teachers in Urban Classrooms. White Teachers in Urban Classrooms, 49(1). doi:10.1177/0042085912472510

Cann, C. N. (2013). What School Movies and TFA Teach Us About Who Should Teach Urban Youth. Urban Education, 50(3). doi:10.1177/0042085913507458

Sawchuk, S. (2017, March 10). For Preservice Teachers, Lessons on Cultural Sensitivity. Retrieved October 01, 2017, from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/02/17/for-preservice-teachers-lessons-on-cultural-sensitivity.html

Allen, J. (2007). Creating Welcoming Schools: A Practical Guide to Home-School Partnerships With Diverse Families. New York: Teachers College Press.

Emdin, C. (2017). For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood … and the Rest of Yall Too Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education. Beacon Pr.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2009). The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Chartock, R. (2009). Strategies and Lessons for Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Primer. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Contemporary Challenges Post VI

Are preservice teachers devalued? If so, does this translate to the lack of respect inservice teachers experience today?

IS THIS THE GOOD DEAL?

The art of teaching and the freedom that students and teachers once had is slowly diminishing. For elementary school-aged children, standardized tests are becoming more common than before, recess and gym time is dwindling, and the time and funding for arts are being taken away (Kohn, 2000). The effects are clearly negative. Is college curriculum much different for pre-service teachers, though? Pre-service teachers are given a minuscule amount of freedom in the courses that they must take to obtain a degree in the field of education. In most of the required courses, tests are valued higher than teaching ability, and lesson plans are standardized to the point where they interrupt creativity and innovation. A severe problem for pre-service teachers is that they are required to take information given by instructors, professors, and textbooks as truth in order to get the best possible grade in any given course, and opinions of students lack significant value in most education courses.

First, pre-service teachers are educated adults, yet they are told that their opinions are not a source until they have a postsecondary education degree, usually a Master’s degree or Doctorate. They have the right to vote for the President of the United States of America and government officials who overlook education, and they have gone through over 15 years of schooling, but they are not educated enough to be a source for their own lesson plans after three years of postsecondary education in the field of education. How can parents be expected to respect teachers as a valid source of information for their child when instructors do not? Early Childhood Education, and teaching in general, has rapidly changed within the past ten years (Roopnarine & Johnson, 2013), yet pre-service teachers who have taught in childcare centers and after-school programs for the past few years are treated as if they have never taught before. Meanwhile, some of the instructors have not taught in elementary schools for longer than ten years and have never taught in a child care center. Research journals from the last century with outdated information are valid sources, but websites with information from teachers who have been teaching for decades are often not allowed. In that situation, the ability of a college student to decipher which information is valid and valuable is undervalued. Is this the good deal?

In addition, information that is not completely true is often taught as fact. An example of a false truth that is forced upon pre-service teachers is that all parents know their children the best. Most of the time, parents know their children better than the teacher. However, the statement not only takes away the integrity of teachers, but also degrades the profession and states a message that teachers are not as competent as parents, which simply is not true in terms of knowing how children learn and develop. There is a significant percentage of students’ parents who do not know what is best for them. For example, there are over 400,000 children in foster care right now in the United States (Children’s Bureau, 2015). It is safe to assume that even if only half of children are in foster care because of parents’ lack of responsibility, hundreds of thousands of parents did not know what was best for their child, and there are potentially more that knew what was best for the child and chose the path that was not the best. As another example, “Every year, more than 3.6 million referrals are made to child protection agencies involving more than 6.6 million children (a referral can include multiple children)” (Child Help), and “about four out of five abusers are the victims’ parents” (National Children’s Alliance, 2015). These numbers do not include the millions of unreported cases of child abuse and neglect each year, parents who are uninvolved with school due to working long hours, children who run away from home due to failed parenting, parents who spank their children despite the countless amount of research that shows that it is has negative outcomes such as increased aggression (Gershoff, 2013), and more. All of the aforementioned factors are examples of millions of parents either not knowing or not showing what is best for their children. It is safe to say that 3.6 million children who were reported through referrals, plus several more million unreported cases, could easily add up to ten percent of our nation’s children lacking parents who know what is best for them. There are plenty more unstated examples of well-educated parents who take good care of their children not knowing what is best for their children’s learning. For instance, most parents who went through the public education system in the United States likely did not learn the difference between phonics and phonemic awareness because it was not required to be taught. If that is the case, how can they know the best way to teach reading to their children? Most parents do not have the pedagogical and content knowledge that educated teachers have.

Teachers must teach parents and work with them to provide the best education for children, but teachers also must demand the respect of parents that past teachers once had if they want to regain the respect and freedom that is required to be the best teachers that they can be. If teachers continue to teach solely to parents’ interests rather than in the interest of children (such as learning letters in preschool before learning the sounds of the language), the trend of low pay and disrespect will continue, and teachers in the United States will continue to get run over by individuals who will do anything to further degrade the profession. Teachers are professionals who have research-based knowledge and must be treated as such. Teachers no longer have the freedom to teach what is best for every child because parents and legislators have over-powered them. Many are afraid to speak their minds because they are afraid of losing their jobs. What happened to the days of parents making children apologize to teachers rather than calling them on the phone and blaming them for their children’s mistakes? Is this the good deal?

If pre-service teachers want to become respected teachers, they must be trained as respected teachers who have valuable information, not as adults whose opinions are less valued than the opinions of older adults. Allowing the less educated majority to overrule the more educated minority will continue to cause tyranny and uproar until the education system crashes down in misery. The United States is not a democracy and never was. The system of education in the United States is still based on the same model that was used to brainwash children in Nazi Germany. Teaching is an innovative profession that is constantly changing, and there is not one specific way that teachers must teach to be effective. Change must occur for all children to have the opportunity for success. Some form of standardization is necessary for a quality education, but colleges have taken the standardization of pre-service teachers too far, and colleges are developing teachers who are afraid to speak out of line. Is this the good deal?

Works Cited

ChildHelp. N.d. Child Abuse Statistics & Facts. Retrieved from https://www.childhelp.org/child- abuse-statistics

Children’s Bureau. (2015). The AFCARS Report #23. Retrieved from

Click to access afcarsreport23.pdf

Gershoff, E.T. (2013). Spanking and Child Development: We Know Enough Now to Stop

Hitting Our Children. Child Development Perspectives, 7(3), 133-137. DOI:10.1111/cdep.12038

Kohn, A. (2000). The case against standardized testing: Raising the scores, ruining the schools.

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Retrieved from http://teacherrenewal.wiki.westga.edu/file/view/Testing,+Testing,+Testing.pdf/227207662/Testing,%20Testing,%20Testing.pdf

National Children’s Alliance. (2015). National Statistics on Child Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/media-room/media-kit/national-statistics-child-abuse

Roopnarine, J., & Johnson, J. E. (2013). Approaches to early childhood education. Retrieved from https://works.bepress.com/jaipaul_roopnarine/2/

Contemporary Challenges Post V

A look at parallel roles: Is collaboration between teacher candidates and in-service teachers possible during practicum?

TEACHER CANDIDATES AND THE CHALLENGE OF COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

John Dewey argued, “Although first-hand experience in the school is critical for the preparation of new teachers, the experience might as well become miseducative if it halted the growth of further learning” (Schulz, 2005). This attests to the challenge that teacher candidates face when they enter the practicum setting and have to adapt to contrasting beliefs and notions of the classroom teacher and institution. Throughout their college experiences, teacher candidates are often secluded in an idealistic bubble of like-minded peers and professors. The views and ideals proposed in class are rarely challenged. Whereas in a democratic society, it is not only their personal views that will be affecting the way they teach their students; parents, school boards, school administration, and government officials will also largely dictate how they will teach.

Preservice teachers are thrown into the culture of a school and community that may not share their views on how or even what to teach. Teacher candidates need to be able to learn how to articulate their expertise while remaining respectful to their colleagues, mentors, families, and school boards because they are entering their world and their community. Teacher candidates need to face and overcome the challenge of collaborating with community and school without sacrificing their own views of teaching.

In order to understand the challenge of conflicting beliefs, we must first look at what teacher candidates today believe. Currently, teacher candidates are encouraged to promote inquiry-based, student-centered education, and multiculturalism and social justice in the classroom (Volante & Earl, 2002). Pre-service teachers are now being instructed that these concepts should be at the core of their educational philosophy and incorporated into their teaching. These concepts are generally agreed upon in higher education of teaching. However, research has shown that when teacher candidates enter the practicum setting they meet a great deal of resistance from their classroom teachers and occasionally are even advised against incorporating these concepts (Volante & Earl, 2002, Schulz, 2005). Pre-service teachers are exposed to modern theories, teaching strategies, and ideals, yet are being mentored by classroom teachers who frequently are in opposition to this new philosophy. In the article, “The Practicum: More than practice,” One student recounts that her classroom teacher told her, “Forget the theory stuff you learned that’s not the real world- that’s not real teaching” (Schulz, 2005). These classroom teachers have been teaching for years without using these methods or theories, is that to say that the way they teach is ineffective or wrong? They may not even be aware of the evidence supporting the effectiveness or importance of these strategies because they have no prior experience with them. It is easy for students to argue the importance of these topics when surrounded by peers and professors who share the same viewpoint, but another matter entirely when a preservice teacher has to prove it to a resistant supervisor.

So why is there a such a difference between teacher candidates and in-service teachers, practicum schools, and the community? One major reason for this divide is the use of ineffective professional development opportunities. It may have been decades since a teacher has received formal education on how or what to teach. A study by Allison Gulamhussein reports most professional development opportunities for teachers are restricted to workshops which statistically are unlikely to change teacher practices (2013). Therefore, teachers are left using the same methods that they learned in college or how they were taught themselves as students. Gulamhussein also states that the lack of implementation is because teachers are not given the support necessary to consistently implement an unfamiliar strategy in the classroom (2013). In addition, school boards and parents often are not educated or possibly even aware of new trends in educational theory and strategies, so teacher candidates face further resistance with these influential groups in our democratic system of education. For example, parents may be confused by new methods for teaching mathematics and consider math to be a static field. They do not know how to help their children with new strategies for finding mathematical answers nor do they understand the purpose behind it. This can cause them to resist these methods and encourage the perpetuation of repetitive memorization in mathematics. Additionally, the culture of the university may be drastically different than the culture in the practicum school (Dallmer, 2004). While multiculturalism is extremely important in the university, the practicum school may not have a very diverse population. Therefore, the school may not see the relevance of a multicultural education. With these vast differences, teacher candidates must serve two masters, the university, and the practicum school/community.

The challenge at hand is for teacher candidates to be able to effectively collaborate with in-service teachers, administration, school boards, and community members. Teacher candidates may not actively contribute their expertise in the practicum school democracy in order to further education. This may be because they do not feel confident in what they have learned or do not know how to explain its importance to someone in a mentor position. Teacher candidates and classroom teachers need to be prepared to collaborate and be open to differing views and respect the expertise that each holds in the field. While in-service teachers have more practical experience, teacher candidates can be used as a resource for professional development and demonstrate new trends in education. An article by Dennis Dallmer states, “[A]ll collaborators must see themselves as having more of a fluid role because as teachers we fill more than a one- dimensional role. Working parallel with others within the context of our roles will be more productive than focusing on equalizing roles” (2004). In-service and pre-service teachers need to be prepared to change roles in the collaborative process not only to gain personal skills but to advance change in the educational field. Currently the differences between practicum settings and university ideals cause a challenge for teacher candidates, however, if collaboration using fluid roles is established, the practicum experience could greatly benefit teacher candidates, in-service teachers, students, and the educational system as a whole. Teacher candidates and classroom teachers could use new researched-based strategies together and promote them within their community.

What could this collaboration look like? If both the university and the practicum school set a precedent to utilize the recent trends in education, practicum students can not only teach their students but also offer professional development support for their classroom teacher. They could share the theoretical knowledge and research on effective practices and collaborate with the more experienced teacher to best decide how to implement the new methodology into the classroom. Additionally, the university and school staff could demonstrate the benefits to the school board, families, and community. Instead of debating old versus new, teacher candidates and in-service teachers could use their own expertise and collaborate to improve education in their classroom, their school, and in the educational system as a whole.

Works Cited

Dallmer, D. (2004). Collaborative Relationships in Teacher Education: A Personal Narrative of Conflicting Roles. Curriculum Inquiry, 29-45.

Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the Teachers: Effective Profesional Development in an Era of High Stakes Accountability. Center for Public Education.

Schulz, R. (2005). The Practicum: More than Practice. Canadian Journal of Education, 147-167.

Volante, L., & Earl, l. (2002). Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions of Conceptual Orientations in Their Preservice Program. Canadian Journal of Education, 419-438.

Contemporary Challenges Post IV

Once a child sees a teacher caring about them not only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. but also outside of school,  it will really make the biggest difference. . .

THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS

The number one indicator of student’s academic success is when parents are involved with the school and involved in their child’s schoolwork. According to A New Wave of Evidence, a report from Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, on the National Education Association website regardless of family income or background, students with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades, pass classes, attend school regularly, have better social skills and graduate.  Teachers need to be involved in the community of the school they teach in. That could range from going to see a child in a play at their church or be apart of the town charity events. Once a child sees a teacher caring about them not only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. it will really make the biggest difference. It is for this reason that parent and community involvement is pertinent for teachers to achieve. Having the chance to acquire this experience for pre-service teachers is an enduring challenge.

Teachers need to be involved in the community of the school in which they teach. This involvement could range from going to see a child in a play at their church or be a part of the town’s charity events. Once a child sees a teacher caring about them not only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. but also outside of school,  it will really make the biggest difference. It is for this reason that parent and community involvement are pertinent for teachers to achieve. Having the chance to acquire this experience for pre-service teachers is an enduring challenge.

Some may think that being engaged in the community is harder then it looks. The first challenge related to fostering parent and community engagement through building relationships, is that, while teaching in a democracy, it can be difficult being on the same page as the parents of my students. I need the parents to trust me as a person so that they will trust that I will be a great teacher for their children. If a child is doing poorly in my classroom it is my job to find out why and what I can do to help him or her. It can be challenging for pre-service teachers to build that trust with a parent because being a new teacher some parents have a pre-conceived notion that we do not have enough experience. As stated by Derrick Meador in his article Tips for Highly Successful Parent Teacher Communication, A great way to build trust is to first understand that it will be a gradual process. I believe that as a teacher we need to make sure parents are aware we have their child’s best interest at heart and possibly go that extra mile just so parents can see that we are on the same page.

The second challenge is about making the effort to create a culturally responsive classroom. A culturally responsive classroom is when a teacher recognizes the importance of including students’ cultural references in all aspects of learning, enriching classroom experiences, and keeping students engaged even if it is something small like a book with the main character that is someone who is just like them. As a teacher, you need to pay attention to families and the community around you. In NEA Today magazine it states that one should “explore resources that can help you reach all of your students. Ask community leaders to make presentations, go on local field trips, or invite guest speakers to visit” (Thompson, 2015). Depending on where you come from and if you were exposed to a lot of diversity it makes a difference on how you would set up your classroom. It can be a challenge to change if you are someone who comes from a rural area where people are predominately the same race as you are. I like the idea that Julia Thompson says to go look at the variety of resources around your town and get to know people so they can come into your classroom and inform students about different cultures. Today being a culturally responsive teacher is going to make you a memorable one.

The significance of culturally responsive learning reminds me of the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” Being a teacher to me means doing anything in order to help your students succeed, part of doing that is becoming apart of the community where you teach and where you are striving to make a difference when needed. When you can get the community to stand behind you, you can make a difference.he

The final challenge that I want to address is that parents and teachers think that community engagement will happen on its own. Schools are finding that just by posting a few fliers and sending papers home to families does not mean that they will respond immediately. Schools need to re think their approaches. Schools that are  successful at reaching out into the community are doing a multitude of things. SEDL article states Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of knowing whom to turn to for help. Educators might enlist the help of “cultural expert”—a local minister or social services counselor, for example, who knows the community or communities in the neighborhood. As a future educator, I need to use all of the resources to build relationships with other leaders in my community.

As a pre-service teacher I am finding the in the area of Muncie people come from different backgrounds and these challenges affect me personally. I know that Muncie has high poverty and a culturally diverse community.  I need to learn about a variety of ways to get out in the community so that I can be the best teacher that I strive to be. Being apart of the community and being more than just an 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. teacher will let my students know and see that I want to be involved as much as I can in order to make them successful students.

Resources:

Archived–Teachers Leading the Way: Forms of Leadership. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25,     2017, from https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/TeachersLead/forms.html

Litvinov, A. (2016, Winter). Unite for Students and Schools!  Unite for Students and Schools! Nea Today , 58-60.

Research Spotlight on Parental Involvement in Education. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2017, from http://www.nea.org/tools/17360.htm

SEDL – Family and Community Involvement: Reaching Out to Diverse Populations. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2017, from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/family29/1.htm

Thompson, J. G. (2015, Fall). How to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom . Nea  Today , 18-199.

Contemporary Challenges Post III

TECHNOLOGY USAGE IN MATHEMATICS

There needs to be a change in how teaching technology is approached in the education of preservice teachers. We need more exposure to a variety of technologies in order toprepare us for this essential part of teaching.

Teacher candidates face many challenges when learning to effectively teach in a modern society. This paper will focus on one of these challenges, which not only exists for teacher candidates, but for practicing teachers as well. This challenge is the use of technology in the classroom, specifically the mathematics classroom, and how to effectively utilize it to promote student learning. As a teacher candidate, emphasis is placed on learning the best methods toeffectively teach students the content of a lesson. Using technology is often referencedas one of these methods. So, why would technology usage be an issue for teachercandidates? Technology is ever-changing. In our modern world, new technologies are constantly being created. As future teachers, we need to stay abreast of these new technologies and how they could be effectively used to teach students.

Before we move any further into this paper, we need to discuss what it means to use technology in a mathematics classroom. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2011) or NCTM, technology used in the mathematics classroom can be either content-specific or content-neutral. Those technologies that are content-specific include “computer algebra systems; dynamic geometry environments; interactive applets; handheld computation, data collection, and analysis devices; andcomputer-based applications.” Those technologies that are content-neutral include “communication and collaboration tools and Web-based digital media” (NCTM, 2011). These content-neutral technologies are often used to enhance the learning of the students by providing them with ideas, information, and means of communication (NCTM, 2011). Slide and digital projectors and more recently, SMART boards, would also fit into this category.

With so many technologies available to teachers and teacher candidates in the teaching of mathematical ideas, it is difficult to know which is the most appropriate and effective technological tool to use. The NCTM (2011) discusses the need to be selective and strategic in choosing the right technology for the task at hand, as “findings from a number of studies have shown that the strategic use of technological tools can support both the learning of mathematical procedures and skills as well as the development of advanced mathematical proficiencies, such as problem solving, reasoning, and justifying.” Technology can only be used strategically if we know what is appropriate for the content being taught; and knowing what is appropriate is part of the challenge.

In her work “The Use of Technology in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms,” Cononiah Latrece Watson (2015) discusses what the effective use of technology lookslike within the mathematics classroom. On page 52, she states that using technology appropriately means using it to help students gain a deeper understanding of the content being discussed. In order to get to this deeper understanding, technology must be used actively by the students and in such a way as to “allow students to practice higher level thinking skills” (Watson, 2015, p. 52).

There are many factors at play when looking at the effectiveness of technology use. John Schacter (1999) discusses these factors when writing about the use of technology within the context of the classroom in his article “The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement.” “The specific student population, the software design, the educator’s role, and the level of student access to technology” can all influence the effectiveness of technology use (Schacter, 1999, p. 5). Schacter (1999) states that effectiveness is also impacted when objectives are not clear and the focus of the technology has not been narrowed (p. 10).

Another reason that technology use in the classroom poses a challenge is that professional development workshops or seminars on how to use various technologies are either sparse or inadequate. Watson (2015) points out that, in order for students to know about appropriate educational technologies, teachers must first be made aware of what is out there. This is typically accomplished through participation in professional development (Watson, 2015, p. 9). Even when teachers are aware of what is available to them, they are not always comfortable learning to use these technologies on their own (Watson, 2015, p. 52).

In her article “Assessing Effects of Technology Usage on Mathematics Learning,” Julianne Lynch (2006) discusses the assumption that incorporating technology into the classroom will automatically lead to student improvement (p. 31). She gives the example of schools in Australia that “spend more money on software, hardware and connectivity than on the professional development of teachers” (Lynch, 2006, p. 31). Teachers do not come with preexisting knowledge about how to use new technologies within their classrooms. Just like their students, they have to learn how to use them. When professional development is made available, it is not always adequate. Watson (2015) wrote the following on the matter:

According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Evaluation of the Enhancing Education Through Technology Program, 86% of teachers said they took part in some form of a professional development seminar focusing on implementing technology in the classroom…Though these professional development opportunities are available to teachers, 52% of teachers said they need more training on integrating technology in their instruction. (p. 16) If teachers are uncomfortable using certain technologies, they are going to be less likely to incorporate them into lessons.

Let’s turn now to why technology usage in the mathematics classroom matters. Research has found many benefits for students. Schacter (1999) highlights many of these in his article, ranging from more enjoyment in learning and more positive attitudes to a more individualized experience for students based on their style of learning, prior knowledge, and needs (p. 4). Watson (2015) also wrote that incorporating technology into the mathematics classroom has led to increases in student achievement, engagement, motivation, and performance (p. 1). Schacter (1999) found this to be truenot only in mathematics, but in “all major subject areas” (p. 5). He also stated thattechnology rich environments benefitted students of all needs from preschool to higher education (Schacter, 1999, p. 5). As a teacher candidate, it is important to be aware of the many ways in which technology use in the classroom can help students grow and learn.

It is not just individual teachers or school systems that call for the use of technology in the mathematics classroom. Both the Indiana State Standards and the Common Core State Standards make reference to the need for students to utilize technological tools appropriately in their learning. One of the Indiana process standards, PS.5: use appropriate tools strategically, is worded nearly identically to the Common Core standard (IDOE, 2014, p. 8; Watson, 2015). These standards are not grade specific and apply to students of all ages. The Indiana process standard, last updated May of 2014, states:

Mathematically proficient students consider the available tools when solving a mathematical problem…Mathematically proficient students are sufficiently familiar with tools appropriate for their grade or course to make sound decisions about when each of these tools might be helpful, recognizing both the insight to be gained and their limitations. Mathematically proficient students identify relevant external mathematical resources, such as digital content, and use them to pose or solve problems. They use technological tools to explore and deepen their understanding of concepts and to support the development of learning mathematics. They use technology to contribute to concept development, simulation, representation, reasoning, communication, and problem solving. (p.8)

Both the Common Core and the Indiana Standards call for students to choose the most appropriate tool for the job. They can only do this if they have been made aware of all the technologies and tools that are available to them.Policy in the United States also outlines the need for technology in the mathematics classroom. Lynch (2006) wrote that the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics “explicitly state that ‘technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that is taught and enhances students’ learning’” (p. 31). As was mentioned earlier, student learning can only be enhanced if the user of the technology is knowledgeable in how to effectively and appropriately use what is available.

I view technology usage in the mathematics classroom as an issue not only for practicing teachers, but for teacher candidates as well. As preservice teachers, we do not have as much access to professional development as practicing teachers do; nor do we have the adequate amount of time outside of attending classes, gaining experience in real classrooms via practicums, working, and our own personal lives to learn all about the new educational technologies that are available. In my own experience, I have only had one distinct class for learning about how to use various technologies. This class only focused on specific Apple programs. Even if this class had branched out, there is not enough time in only one semester to learn about even a fraction of our options. There needs to be a change in how teaching technology is approached in the education of preservice teachers. We need more exposure to a variety of technologies in order to prepare us for this essential part of teaching.

References                                                                                                                                          Lynch, J. (2006). Assessing effects of technology usage on mathematics learning. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 18(3), 29-43. Retrieved January 20, 2017

Mathematics. (2014, May 1). Retrieved January 20, 2017, from http://www.doe.in.gov/standards/mathematics

Schacter, J. (1999). The impact of education technology on student achievement:What   the most current research has to say (Rep.). Retrieved January 20, 2017, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED430537 (ERIC Document Reproduction    Service No. ED430537) Strategic use of technology in teaching and learning mathematics. (2011, October).

Retrieved January 20, 2017, from http://www.nctm.org/Standards-and-

Positions/Position-Statements/Strategic-Use-of-Technology-in-  Teaching-and-Learning-Mathematics/

Watson, C. L. (2015). The use of technology in secondary mathematics classrooms:the case of one school district (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Southern Mississippi. Retrieved January 20, 2017.

Contemporary Challenges Post II

BEING BIGGER THAN YOUR OPINION:

THE CHALLENGE OF  LEARNING THE MEANING OF COMPROMISE IN A DEMOCRACY

There are times in life when you must be bigger than your opinion. As a people, we all have different values, views, and opinions, but the hardest part of life is learning to live with the fact that we will not all agree on everything. Living in a democracy gives us the chance to practice our different freedoms, like freedom of speech, but we must learn to cooperate by giving differences a chance. One definition of democracy is “the practice or principles of social equality,” (Democracy) so we must learn to treat everyone as equals. We must accept that there are times in life where we will not agree and conflicts will arise, but it is times like those when you must be bigger than your opinion and learn to compromise. In schools today, students and teachers are participating in a democratic education and learning just how to accept that others views may differ from their own.

Over 60 years ago, 48 countries signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This act allowed the United Nations to take a stand and declare that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” and “all peoples and all nations… shall strive by teaching an education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms” (ASCD, Democratic Education). Educators wanted to keep the democratic spirit alive by making sure students become actively involved in their education, as well as, caring, well-involved students. In order to fulfill this wish though, schools realized they must commit to the essentials of democratic education, which ultimately relates back to democracy and the fact that we should all be treated as equals. By committing to democratic education, schools were ensuring that students had that freedom of discussion, which comes hand in hand with the respect for others different opinions, and teaches students that they must be bigger than their opinion and willing to compromise.

Democracy requires free and thoughtful exchange; “a democratic education provides a forum for all its stakeholders- students, parents, faculty, staff, and administrators- to think critically, listen actively, and express personal convictions” (ASCD, Essentials of Democratic Education). Being part of a democracy gives us that freedom of speech and discussion, but with that comes the responsibility of listening to others opinions, and understanding that they will not always be like your own. We must understand that a long with the freedom of speech, we must also engage in active listening and learn to treat others with the respect that we would wish to be given if it was us speaking up and stating our opinion.  Schools that commit to a democratic education are committing to these four essential elements: freedom, discussion, involvement, and equality, and are implementing them on a day-to-day basis. While the freedom and discussion allows students to freely speak their minds, the involvement and equality aspects are allowing students to engage in civic participation skills such as, critical thinking, constructive debate, problem solving, collaboration, and working in groups, all while giving students opportunities to explore and understand other cultures (ASCD, Essentials of Democratic Education).

Democratic education is teaching our students how to have meaningful discussions, which include disagreeing and conflict. Ultimately, democratic education is teaching them that they need to be bigger than their opinion and that they need to accept that people are not always going to agree with them. It is teaching them the art of compromising and treating everyone as equals, and ultimately, when you break it down, that is just what democracy is about.

We are all part of a democracy, so naturally we all run in to times in our lives when conflict arises and we do not agree with other people’s views. There are a lot of professions that understand this fact, but no one more so than a teacher. As a pre-service teacher, we are taught to deal with conflict in the classroom and we are always bluntly told, “you will run into problems with parents, you will not always see eye to eye.”  And we are taught to deal with these differences in views and opinions, with respect and grace. Is that not what democracy is about?

Not all of us will succeed in being bigger than our opinion, some of us will struggle with the fact that others views are different than ours our whole life. One big reason I believe beginning teachers struggle with this in the classroom is because they are used to being around people their age, not children. When you are surrounded by students your age in your college classroom, it is easy to see mature adults understand that we are not all going to see eye to eye, but put a teacher in a classroom and they struggle. Why? Because this time they are dealing with children, who are not mature yet, and do not understand democracy or the fact that they must accept that everyone will not see things like them. To children that is stressful and often causes a temper tantrum and conflict, which in turn stresses the teacher out. The teacher then spends the rest of the time getting their students to stop fighting, instead of resolving conflict in a calm way and teaching them about democracy and how we need to respect others views and opinions. Our teacher educators have already begun to help us solve this problem by teaching pre-service teachers how to correctly handle conflicts in the classroom, and how to deal with upset parents, which then allows us an opening to teach about democracy and how everyone will not always agree with one another.

No teacher will have a perfect classroom, conflicts will arise, and the sooner every pre-service teacher accepts that the sooner they can begin learning how to deal with different conflicts in the classroom setting. Elementary students, and sometimes even secondary, are not always going to remember that it is acceptable to disagree, and fights may arise when someone does not agree with their point of view. But the important thing as a teacher is knowing how to handle those conflicts, and teaching your students the ways of a democracy and how to treat everyone as equals. Our teacher educators have taught us all the following techniques for handling conflicts, in fact one of the best ways to solve a conflict, that people often overlook, is to just give students a cool off period. Let them go to a quiet space, collect their thoughts, and compose themselves. Children are often quick to speak their mind, especially when they are angry, so by just giving them a cooling off period this allows them to think about the disagreement that is occurring. It also prevents yelling and screaming, which tends to happen right when students get heated in the middle of a conflict. Another great way to handle conflict in your classroom is to teach your students how to listen carefully and allow them to paraphrase other students’ words (Coaching Children in Handling Everyday Conflicts). This way, if a student is confused about what another means, they can put it in their own words and ask them to clarify if that is what they meant. This is a great problem solving skill, that not only prevents a heated argument, but facilitates a healthy discussion. As future teachers, we must realize that we must teach our students to be bigger than their opinions and be accepting of others views. Using these strategies to deal with conflict in the classroom will help immensely, because as John Dewey said, “conflicts are bound to arise” (Dewey, 3).

As we have come to know, being part of a democracy comes hand in hand with accepting that one will not always agree with everyone else. A real-life example of this is present when we think about teacher views versus parent views. Parents are not always going to see eye to eye with the teacher, they are going to disagree and chances are, they are going to call the teacher out on it. However, you must remain professional, and handle the conflict with grace (Cerra). A big part of democratic education is listening actively; this is a time where you must practice what you teach. Accept that as a future teacher, you are going to upset some people, but it is how you handle the conflict that matters. At the end of the day, we are all equals and we all deserve to be treated as such.

If we take anything out of our daily lives, it is that we will not always agree with our co-worker, teacher, boss, friend, or family member. We all have different morals, views, and opinions, and the hardest part of life is learning to accept that and treat others equally, even when you disagree on important matters. But living in a democracy gives us certain freedoms that allow us to speak our minds and participate in meaningful discussions, therefore we must learn to listen actively and treat others equally. Ultimately, we must learn to be bigger than our opinion, and learn to compromise in this democratic world we live in.

Citations:

Ascd. “Democratic Education.” Democratic Education – Videos, Books, Resources. ASCD, 2017. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Ascd. “Democratic Education.” Essentials of Democratic Education – ASCD Books, Articles and More. ASCD, 2017. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Bennis, Dana. “What is Democratic Education?” IDEA: Institute for Democratic Education in America. IDEA: Institute for Democratic Education in America, n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Cerra, Cheli , and Ruth Jacoby. “How to Solve Six Tough Parent Problems.” Scholastic. Scholastic Inc. , 2015. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

“Coaching Children in Handling Everyday Conflicts.” Responsive Classroom. Responsive Classroom, 01 June 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

“Democracy”. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 20 Jan. 2017.

Dewey, John. “Creative Democracy- The Task Before Us.” Beloit College . N.p., 2017. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Contemporary Challenges Post I

CONFRONTING DIFFERENCES:

LEARNING TO APPRECIATE THE VIEWS OF OTHERS IN  OUR DEMOCRACY

Regardless of your relationships with others, profession, or personal life, everyone has confronted challenges that result in lessons learned . . .

While preparing to teach in our democracy, teacher candidates face a multitude of challenges related to their future roles in advancing the values of our society. Democracy can bedefined as the practice or principles of social equality. In Dana Bennis’ article “Whatis Democratic Education?” she wrote, “Democratic education infuses the learning process with these fundamental values of our society. Democratic education sees young people not as passive recipients of knowledge, but rather as active co-creators of their own learning.” (Bennis, n.d). One way that teacher candidates can struggle to live out democracy is in the idea of being comfortable with parents whose values can seem different than their own. Each year, parents send their children to school in hopes that the classroom teacher presents their child with an abundance of opportunities that allow them to grow academically as well as socially. Ultimately, those parents are depending on the classroom teacher to keep their child safe, provide them with meaningful opportunities, and respect them as individuals. Part of democracy is that you have a freedom of speech. Everyone has a right to his or her own views, morals, values and opinions. It is of upmost importance that all people are treated as equals within a democratic society. Regardless of the conflicts that may arise due to differing values, compromises must take place so that democratic education is present in the classroom. Teacher candidates can better prepare themselves for this challenge, by understanding how democratic education works inside and outside the walls of the school. Freedom of speech is an important aspect of democracy. Without this right, individuals would not be able to voice their opinions, share their views, or express themselves. To make parents more comfortable with the role that their children's teachers can play in influencing their children's opinion, the teacher candidates should be prepared to promote freedom of speech. In the classroom, students should have opportunities to express their own opinions, make decisions that are meaningful and work together to solve problems. Teachers must discuss with their students that the classroom is an open environment that respects and values every person’s opinion. This conversation should take place at the beginning of the year so that the tone is set, students know it is a safe place to talk about what they believe and know that not everyone will agree with them, however they will be respected. When a classroom has an open and respecting classroom climate, this provides opportunities to teach students about one another’s differences and how it is okay to have differing views. A democratic education allows for us, as future educators, to provide our students with opportunities to learn about other cultures and understand that you cannot take away ones inalienable rights. Bennis wrote, “Yet democratic education is important not only for the benefit to the young people who experience such a learning environment. Democratic education also carries the potential for a broader societal impact, as the self-determined and caring individuals who experience democratic education will be the leaders in building a more democratic, vibrant, and just society.” (Bennis, n.d) Parents, who are individuals of society, experience democratic education. Their views, morals, values and opinions should be respected, just as the students in your class. Regardless of differing opinions, they must be set aside and one must be bigger than their opinion, to accomplish a goal. As a teacher candidate, communication skills are an important social aspectof having an open and accepting relationship with the parents of your students.“Effective, consistent and proactive teacher/parent communication is a relatively new phenomenon in our schools.” (Lavoie, 2008) The student’s classroom environment is unlike their home environment. One must understand that a child may have differing actions or behaviors in the other context. When challenges arise, and perspectives differ, it is important to keep in mind that the parents want what is best for their children. “For many parents, a fundamental part of the parenting role is to be their child's strongest advocate with the teacher and the school.” (Katz, 1996) Future teachers must be prepared for parents that may feel anxious discussing issues, criticism, or questions concerning their child. It is not an easy conversation for anyone to have, however, if you are respecting one another’s differences, solutions will arise that are in the best interest of the student. Differences are inevitable. Conflicts will arise between parents and the teacher. Teacher candidates should be prepared to face these challenges democratically. The teacher’s values do not always correlate with every parent’s values. Curriculum, assignments, behavior, teaching strategies, and homework are some areas of conflict. When handling situations such as these, keep in mind the principles of social equality. Their morals, opinions and views are to be respected and considered. Keeping an open line of communication can be helpful, so the teacher can understand what it is the parents disagree with them upon. Remember, simply because teacher’s values differ from the parents, this does not mean the teacher has to change what they believe in. It comes down to being bigger than your opinion and respecting others. Parents and teachers should understand that differing values can be bridged only if respect for the other’s values and a willingness to come to a compromise occurs. While preparing to teach in our democracy, teacher candidates confront a variety of challenges that will prepare them to effectively educate students which results in, watching them grow academically, socially and emotionally. “Teachers and parents share responsibility for the education and socialization of children. Preventing and resolving the differences that may arise between parents, teachers, and children with constructive communication, respect, grace, and good humor can help make school a pleasant place.” (Katz, 1996) Confronting differences, such as conflict in differing values between parents and teachers may be a difficult task. It is important that teacher candidates understand that not everyone has the same values, morals, views and opinions. Everyone is free to disagree; it must be done democratically and respectfully. As future teachers we must learn to be open- minded individuals who respect other’s opinions, even when disagreements occur.

References?A. (n.d.). Democratic Education. Retrieved January 22, 2017, fromhttp://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/democratic-education.aspx

Bennis, D. (n.d.). What is Democratic Education? Retrieved January 22, 2017, fromhttp://democraticeducation.org/index.php/features/what-is-democratic-education/

Graves, I. (2011, March 9). What Is Democratic Education? Retrieved January 22,2017, from http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/what-is-democratic-education

Katz, L. G. (1996, November). Preventing and Resolving Parent-Teacher Differences.

ERIC Digest. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-         2/preventing.htm

Lavoie, R. (2008). The Teacher’s Role in Home/School Communication: Everybody

Wins. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/28021/

Phillips, M. (2012, November 27). Parents and Teachers: Turning Conflicts Into

Partnerships. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-        teacher-conflicts-into-partnerships-mark-phillips