“It is also critical that the presenter and participants focus on describing what is there and not what seems to be missing. […] The Prospect Center processes are also useful and are more widely associated with the powerful and respectful way they allow teachers to assess children, not as students with ‘deficits’ of understanding but as full human beings making sense of the world.” Continue reading “A Fearsome Thing to Behold”
Category Archives: Observing to Learn and Learning to Observe
Teaching as a mindfulness practice
“‘Describing makes room for something to be fully present… I have to stay with the subject of my attention. I have to give it time to speak, to show itself… To describe teaches me that the subject of my attention always exceeds what I can see. I learn that when others join in, the description is always fuller than what I saw alone.’’’ (Carnini 2001, 163)
Keep your eyes, mind, and heart open
“…the limitations of the Prospect Center’s descriptive review processes are minor compared with the enormous benefits. A descriptive review grants space to educators to talk about particular children, or other important topics, Continue reading Keep your eyes, mind, and heart open
Teachers: Robots or Humans?
“Although we may have to teach on Monday, taking the time to reflect and listen, with humility, can and must be part of our ongoing growth as educators and perhaps as human beings”. (Knoester, 2008, p. 155)
This passage stuck out to me the most because I find reflection is often left out of the day to day practices of teachers. From Powerschool, to grades, to advisory, to curriculum mapping, to PD, teachers have a lot of daily responsibilities. Reflection often gets left in the dust, especially as teachers progress in the field. Continue reading Teachers: Robots or Humans?
On “Acting White”
My elementary school is currently 55% Hispanic, 21% Black, 14% Asian and 8% White.
My middle school is currently 38% Hispanic, 54% Black, 1% Asian and 6% White.
My high school is currently 38% Hispanic, 53% Black, and 9% White.
As a Hispanic male, I never grew up in an environment that made me feel like a minority. So being “white” referred to some “other” that rarely existed in my school environment.
Being “white” was listening to country music. Being “white” was wearing New Balances in a sea of Jordans.
But the stigma usually stopped there. My schools were definitely not the best ranking, but we had Advance Placement, honors classes, pride for our sports team and a consistent flow of concert, jazz and orchestral musicians.
It was fine to be articulate, to be good at math and science, to excel on the court and to play the Oboe for 7 years (that last bit may be a stretch. No one likes the Oboe). We had a history of diverse representatives who showed us that we were not limited by the color of our skin.
“One way educators can work to change both school cultures and students’ self-perceptions is to expand access to high-level curriculum such as gifted and talented programs in the early grades” (pg 40).
Representation is everything and is likely why I felt so comfortable at school.
Sadowski, M. (2008). Adolescents at school: Perspectives on youth, identity, and education. Harvard Education Press. 8 Story Street First Floor, Cambridge, MA 02138