Code-Switching
One of the concrete changes to my teaching that I would like to implement is in regard to dialect and code switching practices in my classroom and school. In the past, the teachers at my school have tried different strategies when working with students regarding formal and informal language. At first we introduced the students using the acronym “SAVE” Standard American Vernacular English, we then decided that we did not like the power implications of the acronym and collectively came up with the new acronym “TAP.” This stood for time and place, which we decided was a way to discuss code switching with students. Although I think that the intention behind these ideas was good, we got too lost in the other work of the school year to prioritize making this this work thoughtful. The residual effect of not taking the study of dialects on fully was that we reverted from the “code switching” principle to more of a corrective mentality. One quote from the article by Rebecca Wheeler and Rachel Swords (2004) that particularly resonated with me was their caution against correction. They wrote, “As the teacher seeks to eradicate vernacular language and culture, not only does she remove a link that could bring relevance to the classroom, but she assails the child’s family and home community, thus contributing between a barrier between the values of home and school” (p. 471). I believe that it is critical to make sure that conversations and instructional practices around dialect are integrative and not alienating of students' home cultures. When I return to my school I want to take on this work with both students and teachers. Here are some of my new considerations that I will bring to this work:
· Discussion of labels of the types of language with students/teachers (i.e. whether we refer to it as formal/informal
· Conduct “contrastive analysis” with the students about the rules and usage of the different types of language (Wheeler & Swords, 2004)
· Include read aloud and classroom texts that reflect a variety of dialects
· Explicitly build in even-handedness between which direction we are switching from and to, to value both varieties
Overall, I feel recharged to take on code switching and language variety both as a staff and with students. I am looking forward to co-constructing our approach this topic through conversations and honest dialogue.
Examination of Teacher Involvement in Book Clubs
One of the greatest takeaways from the presentation on the Lewis book was what I learned through the reflection on my own teaching. I analyzed the video below from a book club discussion group.
* Click on the transcripts above enlarge in a new window
At the beginning of this video I had established that I was not going to talk. In fact, at the beginning I stepped in by holding up the sign that says, "can you say more about that?" just so that my voice was not inserted into their conversation. By then end of the conversation I was not able to stop myself from getting involved in the conversation. I can remember feeling like the students were drowning and that I had to step in to help them focus on the important idea that Juan hinted at. After looking more closely at what they were saying I see that the students were hitting on very important parts before I became involved. For example, Angel says, "Maybe the thought of Daniel's grandma...why are they helping us" He is picking up on the thoughts about race and envisioning what Phil might be picturing in his mind. Similarly, as I am interrupting, Juan asks if Phil would have grabbed Daniel like that if he were white. After I respond to Juan's comment, the students begin to respond one by one to me, in a format that is, "teacher, student, teacher, student" in the transcript. I can see that when a teacher steps into a conversation especially in a way that positions the students as responders, it changes the dynamics of the conversation. In this particular instance I definitely feel that the way that I got involved wasn't supportive of independence. I think that I was trying to support the comprehension determining importance work that we had begun with my comments. In retrospect, I would have let the conversation play out (maybe using my "can you say more about that sign" if I got desperate) and then analyzed the transcript later to see what teaching points I could draw from it.
I see my reflections on my involvement in peer led discussion as part of my growth in critical literacy because it helped me consider how my role can affect the power and agency that the students feel they possess. In my future planning, I want to be more intentional about what time is peer-led and what time is teacher-led and make sure that I have a rationale and purpose for when those times occur. I found the chart of different ways at looking at this along a continuum in Daniels (2002) text. I think that one specific take-away could be labeling my lesson plans with student directed (SD) or teacher directed (TD) as a starting point, and continue to reflect from there. If independence is the goal, I need to be very intentional about carving that time out in my day or period with the students, otherwise I can see that my tendency is to intervene. The level of teacher involvement and intervention in student learning is deeply intertwined with the process of fostering student independence. I want to continue to critically evaluate the unspoken premises of my words and actions as I try to become increasingly mindful and skilled literacy teacher.
Strategies for Integrating Critical Literacy into Planning
At my school all teachers are asked to use a unit planning template that we are able to modify based on the principles of backwards planning in Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. One of the tools that I found the most helpful this semester was the list of questions from the handout “Reading Critically: Is Henry and Mudge just an innocent children’s book? …and other critical questions to ponder.” One idea that I have to incorporate these questions into instruction is to include some of these questions on the unit planning template, so that all teachers consider what they are teaching through a more critical lens as they are setting out to teach it. I realize that this is limited, and that critical literacy cannot be limited to a box of questions on a unit plan, but it is a start. I think that having this box will help teachers keep these questions in mind which will support this type of work more genuinely emerging in response to students.
I also think that it will be helpful to have a one page brightly colored sheet that teachers can use as a reference when planning read-alouds. I have modified the Henry and Mudge handout and just included the questions for readers in the document for teachers below. I often find that something needs to be accessible and simple for it to actually make its way into my bag on the way to the coffee shop to lesson plan for the week. My aim was to create a user-friendly document that teachers could easily access when planning turn and talks and think alouds for read aloud and shared reading.
Final Conclusions
All of the suggestions above will be transformational if they are given the proper space and time to be integrated into my thinking and curriculum. Anything that is just “fit in” normally feels like it is an appendix. I have found that the greatest learning has always stemmed from self-reflection and conversation. My most solid plan for integrating critical literacy into my teaching and coaching is to ensure that I prioritize reflection and conversation.
No comments:
Post a Comment