The Education Department's signature atttribute of social justice is defined as, "...(promoting) awareness that inequities exist and the action to use education as an agent of change toward a more just and civil world."
Think about social justice in terms of your student teaching experience. Do you have students in your classrooms that fall under this concept? Think about students of different cultures/ethnicities, students with low socioeconomic status, students with gay/lesbian parents, homeless students, students with special needs...the list is endless. What types of things have you witnessed being done to support these students? Has your perception of students and families that fall into these categories changed during this experience?
I have two students that would definitely fall into this category due to their low socioeconomic status. One student has very low reading abilities and the other is low in math. My co-op is very passionate about getting these students the help and tools that they need to succeed in their education. She has been working with the parents and the school to set in place specific learning plans for their success in math and reading. This has shown me that there are things that you can do to get the help for any and every student in your classroom. Social justice is something that Elizabethtown has instilled in me and I will carry this out in my years of teaching to follow.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that the college has done many things to prepare us for the world of social justice. We are given so many opportunities to work with students with such diverse needs, and I feel as though it has really prepared me and gives us a leg up in the world of education!
DeleteSame here! Not many colleges even focus on "social justice" as it applies to education. Our preparedness really does give us an edge.
DeleteI agree! I think that sometimes it's just naturally included in the school setting without having it pointed out as being social justice. Some things that may seem to be common sense to us though (ex: a child needs help so you help them any way that is possible in school) might not actually be happening in every setting. it's neat to see our different perspectives because of our awareness of the social justice aspect.
DeleteThe students in my classroom that fall under this category would be my students with special needs. We have 6 students with IEPs in the classroom and 5 out of the 6 students receive TSS services. In addition to these services many of these students are pulled out for additional learning support, occupational therapy, or physical therapy. These are services that the students may only get during the school day. My cooperating teacher also has communication logs with many of these students to send home to their parents. This allows the parents to know what kind of day their child had at school as well as for the teacher to know if anything happened in the morning that they should be aware of. In our classroom we also have students who still receive paper copies of the lunch calendar if they do not have a computer at home. My perception of these students have not changed during this placement, and I think that is in part to do with the fact that this is not the first time I have been exposed to it. Having been exposed to this social justice aspect through placements and through my education at Etown, it will be very beneficial in my future teaching career.
ReplyDeleteAs a building I know that we have students of a low socioeconomic status for whom the holidays can be a particularly difficult time of year. In order to help make the students responsible citizens, we have them pull together to help each other out (although it is anonymous). Our school (and I'm sure we aren't the only building) held a Thanksgiving food drive. We emphasized the fact that everyone's lives are different and sometimes people right next to us have less than we do. It is important to help out our friends when they need it, because that's part of being a good citizen. We tell the students that this "fills their bucket" and we have a competition as a school building. We urge the students to work together and collectively see how many things can be raised as a building. Every time students brought in more food, they would want to show everyone in the class and as teacher, we made sure that we stressed just how many other families they were helping by doing this; it absolutely was not a contest between classrooms because we want all of the students working as a team. So not only are individual students working with counselors and other professionals on a day to day basis for help, but it's nice to show the students that sometimes it can be so easy to help a neighbor since it's the right thing to do. I think that teaching students to help others could be an incredible "pay it forward" effect for social justice in these small towns. It also helps teach them responsibility, but they're more than excited about helping out!
ReplyDeleteWe also did a food drive, and students were so excited to be helping others. It was so great to see the students wanting to help even more, and these types of activities can lead to so many other teachable moments!
DeleteIn my classroom there is a sharp contrast in the social needs of many of my students. I have students of varied cultures, races, and family backgrounds. Many of my students come from homes with mixed or extended families, and a couple of students live with guardians other than their parents. I have students who need intense learning support, behavioral interventions, or both. On the other hand, I have students with gifted needs who also need time and attention to perform at their best. The largest social-justice element we work with is the sharp disparity between the socioeconomic statuses of my students. Several of my students and their families are severely disadvantaged and receive free or reduced lunches and breakfasts, and weekly "power packs" of food to take home. One of my students was recently classified as homeless. There is a school wide holiday drive "for students, from students" that we collect and that are then distributed to families in our school. I feel that the realization that poverty i not just a foreign concept, that there is true need in their own community, is a very important lesson for children to learn at a young age. We also try and keep strong lines of communication open with all families, and keep guardians updated on student progress. We try to have an open environment for students to come and talk to either my co-op or me, as well as in their personal journals, either privately or to be shared. Social justice is a passion of mine, and I try to incorporate it into my teaching. I run our Olweus class meetings to improve our class community and understanding, and often bring social justice discussion into lessons- such as looking at Columbus's exploration from the view point of the indigenous nations, exploring themes of peace and justice in literature time, and in my everyday interactions with students.
ReplyDeleteMany of my students fall under this category. In my first placement in the School District of Lancaster, I had 30 students in which about 75% received power packs like Sarah mentioned, and also received free breakfast and lunch. Their school uniforms were also provided by the district. My placement the second half of the semester, which is in Manheim Township, there is a very mixed population. The district is in the middle of a very poor part of town, and a very wealthy one. There are students in my class who live with both of both their parents, and many students who come from single parent families or live with their grandparents. The majority of my students are white, but several are hispanic and black. A parent a conferences who happens to be the mother of a student who is half black and half white asked about the diversity in the classroom. She was explaining that he is starting to have concerns that people will look at him differently for being black and white and was asking for things to do to help at home. Differences between students is what makes a classroom go round and it is so important to teach students how to treat others with respect no matter where they come from or what they look like. We talk about differences and strengths we have a class frequently and it is a topic that often raises a lot of great questions! Social justice is such an important topic to be aware of and it is our job as teachers to make sure every one of our students gets the education they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the change from the Lancaster School District to Manheim was a major change for you because all though you still have students under the social justice category, it appears to be less. It is sad that a student so young is always concerned about how students will look at him due to the color of his skin. Even with the culture that we live in now a days, there are still underlying culture issues even in first grade. Just goes to show you why we rely on social justice.
DeleteIn the fourth grade, we have five students who come from the full-time special education room for morning meetings, specials, lunch/recess, science, and celebrations. Beginning my placement, I wasn't sure how my other students would react to these children in and out of our room throughout the day. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw my students helping their new classmates - guiding them down hallways, talking to them at lunch, and even patiently helping with morning work.
ReplyDeleteWhen we had a speaker come in to present a lesson on students with disabilities, she mentioned that we shouldn't say "the autistic boy in my class" or "the boy in the wheelchair who I sit next to." Instead, she encouraged children to say "the boy in my class who is autistic," or "the boy who I sit next to who is in a wheelchair." Students were astonished that people actually labeled others as the disabled person or the blind girl.
While these students that join our class are receiving the many accomodations that they need, I believe the greater example of social justice is the way in which students interact and care for each other. When students understand that kindness and understanding of others are essential qualities, their knowledge will start a chain reaction.
No matter what classroom you step into, there will always be at least one child that falls under this category. For example, I have a few students that come from divorced families and must deal with the dynamic of having two homes.
ReplyDeleteI believe that when working with students that come from diverse backgrounds, it is important to encourage students that is is okay to be a little different than the others and transversely, educate students of the different family dynamics, religions, or socioeconomic status of others and inform them of the importance of treating others with respect despite differences.
Everyone is different and has their quirks, so I believe it is very important to embrace the differences among students and teachers and shine a positive light on them because our differences is what makes each and every one of us special.
I agree with Kelly when she says that no matter what classroom we are a part of, there will always be a student that will fall into this category. I could not agree more with embracing our differences and really explaining to our students how everyone is different, and how everyone has their own special traits and abilities.
DeleteThere are several students in my class that would fall under this category. I think it is even more noticeable since Hempfield is known to be a wealthier school district. The school offers different counseling activities and groups, lunch programs, and even services that will give students gifts during the Christmas season. My perception of these students and families has changed and not changed at the same time. This year I have really noticed how much these students are aware of their socioeconomic status. I also have realized especially in one student at how much of a disadvantage it is, and how his mother really is not heavily involved or focused on his education. I really feel for the child because he does struggle in a lot of areas and we try to send things home to make his mother aware and she either does not look at them or the student loses his entire folder. I have realized that sometimes it is not just the student to blame, but in many cases it is the parent(s) as well that can be put to blame for some of the struggles.
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