Redirecting Language

The concept of schooling, and how it differs from education, takes center stage in Angela Valenzuela’s Subtractive Schooling. The book is the culmination of a three-year study of Seguin High School in Houston, TX. Using data analysis as well as extensive observations and interviews, Valenzuela puts a face to the numbers. A significant portion of the book focusses on the role of language in terms of its application to culture. The book also shows a road map to creating relationships with our disenfranchised youth that will lead to authentic learning and positive changes in school culture. Valenzuela’s Subtractive schooling offers a sordid and shocking tale of “what could have been.”

In “Lost in America” by Douglas McGray, he writes about the need to improve the foreign language policies in schools across America and for students to gain knowledge about counties outside of America in the magazine, Foreign Policy. The author’s intentions are not to attack Americas educational system but to persuade the readers about the problems of the educational system used in America today. He wants the readers to realize that there is a change that needs to take place in the classrooms across America. He does this effectively by using the rhetorical choices antidotes, formal diction, and tone. His audience is geared towards American readers interested on political and cultural issues. I don’t think it’s geared towards students because,

Within college classes, the teachers and students have the ability to talk more about controversial topics that are not allowed within the high school classes. Parents understand that when their children go to college, they will be exposed to more topics that they have yet to hear about. Parents do not expect the same from a high school classroom. Lake Braddock English departments officials sent a letter to Murphy stating that “society must address troubles the world faces” (The Washington Post - Shapiro). The letter also mentioned that, “ reading and studying books that expose us, imaginatively and safely, to that trouble steels our souls to pull us through our own hard times and leads us to a greater empathy for the plight of our fellow human beings” (The Washington Post - Shapiro).

Lancaster’s class communicate in a variety of ways ranging from talking using body language and mouthing words to all out yelling across the room, this behavior is evident in all of her classes. Standard English is not always used in this class between students, but between Lancaster and her students she prefers to use Standard English to communicate, but if she is in the middle of conducting and cannot talk she will use hand gestures to communicate. Also, conducting is her form of talking to tell her students to get louder, quieter, hold out notes, or stop playing or singing all together. In her class, no ESL students are enrolled, while there may be bilingual students, all of her students speak fluent English. Evans as a school offers foreign language classes that all students must attend for at least two years, but no “bilingual” courses are

Schools systematically subjugate minority and black students when a school’s enrollment contains a huge racial majority. If students have no exposure to persons of different ethnicities, cultures, races, and religions, then these students will experience culture shock when they confront “other” people. Even in our class, we talk about black and minority students as another group, one that differs from “us.” We think about the inequalities in school systems as problems we need to fix, not as problems that have influenced our thinking and affect us as prospective teachers. For example, a white graduate student with

This model is centred around principles of rights, rules, respect responsibilities, and relationships. Rogers emphasises the need for teachers to establish a set of student led classroom rights, rules and responsibilities during the establishment period of the year (Killian, Ogden, Shipston, & Facas, 2017). These rights, responsibilities and rules entail the behaviours that are expected in the classroom and protect the student’s rights to; feel safe, be treated with respect and to learn. The rules are to be developed reasonably and provide freedom in the sense students are free to move around the boundaries. As the rules are decided and agreed upon by the students, this develops a sense of understanding and accountability for their own behaviour and learning (Edwards, & Watts, 2008). In order to ensure students are respectful to the rights of students, the teacher must also treat students with respect. The teacher must consider the dignity of the students and their rights in the classroom ensuring they avoid any behaviours they

After a new integration plan gets put in motion, the administration at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California hires a young, first-year teacher, Erin Gruwell, to teach freshman English. On her first day, Gruwell quickly discovers that her class is filled with students that have been defined as “at risk” and “unteachable” and that the different racial groups in the class cannot tolerate each

“Students change their speech, dress or behaviour to reflect a more Europeanised or ‘neutral’ background for the purposes of occupational or educational advancement. The moral implications of encouraging students to act outside themselves are complex, as are the cultural connotations of

In fact Ms. Takara works directly with Mrs. Takemoto and in instances like “No Pidgin English Allowed”, she could have actually made a difference in the lives of her students by ensuring fair treatment, more test time, or extra tutoring. Instead she turned a blind eye and instructed them on proper vowel usage (50).

“Hi, Nick! This is Shepard with the University of Oklahoma and I was just giving you a call—I wanted to first congratulate you. We’re going to be sending you a contract offer of admissions.” (Shepard). It was this voicemail that started my journey here at the University of Oklahoma. When I arrived at the University of Oklahoma, I was unsure what to expect in an academic setting. However, after experiencing several discussion sections of varying classes, I developed a better understanding of how language played a role in academics. Although I knew that my social language would be different in an academic setting as compared to a social setting, it was not until I took English composition that I was fully able to understand the significance of that language plays in education. Because of my experiences at the University of Oklahoma, I now comprehend that, in an academic setting, patience, professionalism, and interaction are all necessary forms of language that must be used in order to fully grasp elements of education that are not written inside of textbooks.

This tactic is effective because not only are the students getting used to the language, but, they are not being forced to speak English regularly. They can speak whatever language they like around their friends or family, but when it comes down to business, they better know how to use the English language.

Silence fosters discrimination and violence. “The Danger of Silence” is a robust piece of writing that highlights the maliciousness of silence while evoking honesty and self-discovery within me. Clint Smith explores the core principles that he uses in the classroom with his students. He says “speak your truth.” The simplicity, but complexity of this notion resonates deep within me.

A typical Government classroom in Virginia incorporates a multitude of different personalities and learning styles. This classroom is not much different. There are the typical four walls, windows for daydreaming, a white board, and a projection screen. Inside this classroom is where magic begins to happen and children begin to blossom and prepare for life as an adult. Children become aware of their surroundings both in school and as a citizen of not only the United States, but the World. Relationships are created and nurtured to attempt to propel students to the next level of learning, yet a fact remains. Some students are still failing to succeed at making the connections between concepts and reality that is required to be an integral

Properly learning and grasping a new language requires support and the proper learning environment from the teacher. However, it did not take long for David to learn that his teacher was verbally abusive, among other negative things. Unfortunately, this realization also came on the first day of class. She spoke to the class in a condescending tone, and insulted each student’s ability to speak the language. One day, as she was humiliating David in front of the entire class, she said

path of writing and not direct them but at the same time not overlooking the grammatical portion.