6/20 Rodriguez, “Aria,” / Collier, “Teaching Multilingual Children," / Teaching Bilinguals Even If You Are Not One!

 What does each text have to offer in thinking about emergent bilingual students?

 

After reading Aria by Richard Rodriguez, I felt really sad for him and his family. As a kid, Richard was caught between two worlds—speaking English at school and Spanish at home. It seemed like he didn’t feel completely comfortable in either place. What hit me the most was how much he loved his home language, Spanish. It was special to him—it made him feel close to his family.

However, after his teachers visited his house and advised his parents to speak more English, everything began to change. His siblings spoke more English, and he began to hear less and less Spanish at home. Even though he was improving his English, he was losing the language that made him feel connected and safe. I really felt for Richard. He was learning and growing, but also losing something that mattered deeply to him.   "My mother! My father! After English became my primary language, I no longer knew what words to use in addressing my parents."  It's like he lost a piece of his old self.  It’s a reminder that learning a new language can sometimes come with a cost, especially when it means leaving behind a part of who you are.

After skimming "Teaching Multilingual Children " by Collier and commenting on Melissa's blog post, I found that the research on teaching multilingual children emphasizes that effective educational strategies can significantly enhance academic achievement, improve performance, foster pride in identity, and elevate self-esteem.

Watching the first five episodes of "Teaching Bilinguals Even If You Are Not One!" really shows that you don’t have to speak another language to support bilingual students. Teachers in New York are making it work in amazing ways!

Episode 1 talks about how bilingualism is a gift—it’s something to be proud of, not something to hide. Episode 2 introduces the idea of emergent bilinguals, where the focus is on using language as a tool and seeing it as something to grow, not just something you either have or don’t. The message is clear: students' home languages should be encouraged and celebrated.

In episodes 3 to 5, students create graphic novels using their home languages, which provides a unique way for them to express themselves. Teachers also learn to connect with students by picking up on things beyond just language, like body language, emotions, and cultural background. Additionally, by fostering relationships with students and their families, particularly immigrant parents, everyone feels more at ease and supported within the school community.

This series is an excellent reminder that you don’t have to be bilingual to make a big difference for bilingual students. It’s all about being open, creative, and supportive.

6/25 Teach Out Canva Slide Show, The Conversation

 

A Chat with

FRIENDS
  

6/16 Teach Out Summaries

Lisa Delpit, “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children.”

 Lisa Delpit's "The Silenced Dialogue" discusses the implicit dialogue that occurs between white middle-class school teachers and white students. Children from marginalized and underrepresented communities who do not live in the culture of power will not have those unspoken codes automatically transmitted to them. They will be at a disadvantage and will have to work twice as hard at everything to achieve success. Delpit also discussed how communication styles differ by class, direct and indirect approaches when issuing directives. Middle-class mothers ask more questions, whereas working-class mothers are more direct . Clear communication creates a more equitable learning environment.

Armstrong and Wildman, "Colorblindness is the New Racism."

Armstrong and Wildman's "Colorblindness" discusses the privilege of white individuals not noticing that they have privilege; they benefit from a world built to make them comfortable. Color insight is a step towards white individuals recognizing and being aware of the privileges that people of color do not have. "The white person had an everyday option not to think of herself in racial terms at all."(Flagg,1993, p. 969)This is a luxury that people of color do not share. Armstrong and Wild discussed the notion of a "post-racial" society, which, since we had a president who was a person of color, was supposed to mean that racism was over, which is not the case. It unearthed old racial issues and brought them to the surface again.

6/16 RI Laws & Policies/ Trevor Project Resources

Guidance for RI Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students, ride.ri.gov

Guide for Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth Guide, trevorprogect.org

The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students is a guide to the commitment of Rhode Island state and Federal lawmakers to Rhode Island youth, ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for all Rhode Island youth. "Protecting Student Rights, promoting student safety, supporting Mental Health, creating inclusive school cultures, and improving educational outcomes", are the focus of the guide. The guidance helps schools comply with laws, ensuring transgender and gender nonconforming students are not mistreated due to their identity. It also enables teachers and school staff to understand how to support students with diverse identities, resulting in more inclusive learning environments. When students feel safe and accepted, they are more likely to attend school and participate in class. The law guidance, along with the Trevor Project article, also covered terminology that we need to learn and store in our files to address students in the way they prefer to be addressed. Using the correct pronouns to address a youth is a step toward becoming an ally to transgender and gender nonconforming youth.

Argument: As a starting point, if people addressed students with the correct pronouns, it would make for a more inclusive environment.

 

6/12 Preface + Introduction- from Shalaby,TroubleMakers,

 

Preface + Introduction- from Shalaby,TroubleMakers, 

TALKING POINTS:

"When a child is singing loudly--and sometimes more and more loudly, despite our requests for silence--we might hear that song as a signal that someone is refusing to hear her voice."

Children who are labeled "troublemakers" are simply children with needs that haven't been met. Disruptive behavior in the classroom can take many forms. It could be an unconscious bias that the teacher has and doesn't realize they are projecting onto the child. It could be an undiagnosed child trying to be seen and heard, or it could be a troublemaker in the class, and both can be true. I don't believe in labeling children as "bad kids " or "troublemakers." Children need a chance in life without all the labels and negativity that they receive.

"Still, the problem is the poison--not the living thing struggling to survive despite breathing it."

Coal miners listened to the canary in the coal mine when it dropped from the toxins in the air. Educators need to listen to the cries of children disguised as behaviors, like the child who suffered from a mood disorder. A diagnosed illness or disease can sometimes cause the child to be viewed as the problem, rather than the diagnosis or disease itself. I know many youth who struggle with ADHD and other diagnoses. I can agree that it is hard to see the good in the child through the destructive behaviors that they may display, but we have to keep trying. We can't blame a child for something that they can't control, but in America, that's what we seem to do.

 

"Zero tolerance" policies reign supreme, imposing immediate

and automatic punishments for lapses in student conduct, while

the use of suspension and expulsion is reaching epidemic propor-

tions despite their well-documented ineffectiveness in curbing in-

cidences of misconduct.

It is counterproductive to suspend students for not attending school. Why punish the student for not attending school by taking them out of school? Additionally, if suspension and expulsion aren't effective, it may be time to consider alternative approaches to addressing the behaviors in line with the "zero tolerance" policy.

Argument: I agree with Aaron's interpretation of Shalaby's argument, that "Carla Shalaby argues that children labeled as “troublemakers” aren’t broken or bad; they are resisting systems that were never designed with their full humanity in mind. Instead of seeing misbehavior as something to control, she asks us to consider it a form of communication, even protest. These students are giving us clues about what’s not working in school." We must fix what's broken in our school systems to help our children thrive.

6/12- FINAL PROJECT PROPOSAL DRAFT

TEACH OUT PROJECT PROPOSAL

CHOOSE A TEXT: Review your whole blog to remind yourself about what we have read so far in class. What texts have stayed with you so far? What articles inspire you?  What topic matters most to you in terms of your own work? Are there any of these texts that you would like to share with others in your life?  ----I am interested in using the Lisa Delpit reading, “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children,” and Armstrong and Wildman, “Colorblindness is the New Racism.” I want more people to be aware of the content in them.

WHO DO YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH? Are there people in your life with whom you would really like to talk about these texts? Colleagues? Students? Family members? Friends? Children? ----I would like to speak with a few of my colleagues and family members. I would like my colleagues to be aware of their responsibilities and privileges when working with our BIPOC youth. I want to ensure that everyone is treated equally. My family members haven't read any of our readings, but they are very invested in conversations when I come home from class, as I decompress from the day.

WHAT FORMAT MIGHT WORK FOR YOU? Individual interview? Small group discussion? Art activity? Professional development workshop? Poster for your office? Pamphlet to share? Lesson plan? Etc? ----I would really like to do something interesting and fun, like a children's book or a pamphlet, but I'm not sure if I have the time to do those formats. I may need to limit myself to a small group discussion or an individual interview due to time constraints.

6/10 Rethinking Schools

Article 38 No.2
If I Could Rewind That Morning

By: Xavier Pierce

Illustrator: Sophia Foster-Dimino

“If I Could Rewind That Morning” by Xavier Pierce tells the emotional story of a young man of color named Xavier who takes a job as a teaching assistant at the same school he once attended as a child. This was his first professional role where he didn’t come home smelling like food, a symbolic shift representing both progress and pride. He was filled with purpose and hope, saying, “I felt the importance of this position in my core.” Returning to his former school, he felt a deep connection to the space and a sense of responsibility to make a difference.

In his new role, Xavier encounters Aaliyah, a bright, tall, athletic fifth-grade girl. Aaliyah is intelligent and eager. Still, her identity as a young Black girl complicates how others see her. Despite being admired for her athletic skills, her success is met with suspicion and discomfort. If she won, the game was “unfair.” If she celebrated a high grade, she was “boasting.” Aaliyah couldn't win. Her difference, rather than being embraced, was weaponized against her. Aaliyah got accused of bullying "the class" and was sent out of the classroom to meet with the dean. After she met with her teacher and the dean, Xavier witnessed

Aaliyah holding back tears; she was so confused and hurt. She didn't understand what she did wrong. As a good student and a kind person, the conversation felt unjust. Xavier walked with Aaliyah, expressing, “This world isn’t kind to us, is it?", a shared experience that spans many generations.

This article deeply resonated with me because I, too, have experienced the weight of being misjudged and misunderstood simply for existing in a world that isn’t always built for me. When you’re young, it’s hard to speak up, and even harder to be believed. You begin to see patterns in how people like you are treated, and you realize that it’s not always about what you did, but who you are.

Armstrong & Wildman’s “whiteness” explains this well. They describe how white identity often operates as the default, and if you stray from that norm, you are seen as a problem to be fixed. Aaliyah wasn’t disruptive; she didn’t fit the mold. Similarly, Johnson’s work on privilege emphasizes how those in dominant groups often navigate the world with invisible advantages. Aaliyah’s experiences and Xavier’s empathy for her highlight how systemic bias operates subtly but powerfully in everyday school environments. And I hope that one day, being great while being different won’t be seen as a threat, but as a gift.