Blog Post #11

3 Things That Stand Out to Me From This Semester!

Shalaby, Troublemakers- This was a very interesting article to read and I found that it relates to my service learning placement. In my second grade class there is a boy that is always getting in trouble. One time he missed out on a whole lesson because he had to sit at his desk with his head down which I disagreed with since the teacher could've simply talked to him about it. This article taught me that a lot of the time a child behaves the way they do for a specific reason. 

Service Learning- Even though I haven't had the best experience with my serving learning placement this semester, it was still an eye opening experience for me. I still enjoyed watching the students progress throughout my time volunteering and getting to help them when they needed it. It gave me real life experience of what it is like to be in a classroom which will definitely be helpful to me in the long run. It has taught me both what to do and what not to do in the classroom.  

Alfie Kohn, What to Look For in a Classroom- Kohn provides some good and bad signs in a classroom which I appreciated and found helpful for the future. It also made me more aware of how a classroom environment can greatly affect a students success. Providing simple things such as fidget toys or wiggle chairs can make a huge difference for a student who has trouble focusing.

 

Queering Our Schools Argument

In the reading titled "Queering Our Schools" the author Olive Earley argues that schools are not safe nor welcoming environments for LGBTQ+ students. Sasha Fleischman's skirt getting set on fire by another student is just one of the stories that proves the authors point. "In a recent survey 6 out of 10 LGBTQ teens said they felt unsafe at school and 82 percent had been verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation" (Earley 23). Schools often avoid bringing up anything that has to do with LGBTQ rights because it can become a very controversial topic. If schools did happen to talk more about LGBTQ+ rights and homophobia, kids would become more accustomed to it and there would be a lesser chance of stereotyping which can create a more positive environment for everyone. An easy way to introduce kids and make them aware of different pronouns is through books. I thought that the book titled "They, She, He Easy as ABC" that Ki shared in the video was a very informational harmless book for kids to learn a little bit about the different pronouns that people can be called in a fun way. Back to the reading, I really liked the quote "Community is built by working through differences, not sweeping them under the rug" (Earley 24). I believe that teaching young children that everyone is their own unique person is a good thing. Everyone's reality should be valued and respected. No one should feel unsafe in school because they are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, we are all human.

A Guide to Pronouns