Curr 509 - Waiting for Superman

        Waiting for Superman was the appropriate title for this documentary.The documentary was about how the United States school system is falling apart, and producing students that are behind other emerging countries.The documentary basically says that charter schools have a proven track record, and advocate that this is the answer to the failing school system, but if we replace every school we have with the charter school system what makes us think that the charter school system is not also going to start to turn.
        The failing system is blamed on teacher having tenure, and the bureaucracy that is involved in school politics. Shouldn't the answer be to lessen the bureaucracy, and hold people accountable. Yes, there were some disturbing features about teachers with tenure such as teachers just reading the newspaper and one went way over the line to put the students head in a toilet. Tenure is a good way to reward teachers, and make them feel more at ease in that they can actually teach without having to worry about their job safety. Some people do their best work when they feel safe. But, should there be exceptions to tenure, yes, a teacher who does not do their job and teach or one that goes as far as doing what was recorded by the student should be let go. I remember having a teacher like the one described when i was in middle school, someone who instead of teaching math would read the newspaper all day, and that should not be acceptable. I believe this might happen because as teachers most go into this profession enthusiastic to make a change, a difference. But, as time goes on and you cannot do it because of such factors as bureaucracy it demoralizes the teacher. There are however exceptions to that, some just do not believe. It was eye opening that in the beginning of the movie the man driving the car past the schools explained how he was a school teacher. And when he was a teacher he believed in the system and everything was fine, but when it came to having his child attend the public school system which he worked in at some point then he did not believe in it and it was not good enough. If any educator, or person who works for the school system does not believe in the system or in that it is worth it, or that they can succeed, then how they actually do it. How can one succeed at change or imparting knowledge on someone else when deep down you do not believe in it yourself, and that is the first change that needs to occur. Because in this case, charter schools are the superman of the documentary but superman can only do so much.
        

The article Relevant: Beyond the Basics

          The article Relevant: Beyond the Basics, was an article that I enjoyed reading and can identify with. This articles ties into Curr 509 because until now we have been focusing on the students socioeconomic levels, and how a teacher must sympathize and adapt based on the hardship this might be causing the student’s educational level. But, culture is another factor that can greatly impact a student, and how they view and absorb the content that is being presented to them. Culture, in a way, makes you who you are because it impacts how you think and react to different factors. That is why I agree with the author of the article, culturally responsive teaching is important, it is a way to connect with the students on a personal and educational level. It also has the power to motivate the students because they can relate the content to everyday factors, and see how it is relevant to them. Personally, I know this because I spent most of my mathematics days saying, why do I have to learn this and when am I going to use it. I did not realize until it was shown to me in a different manner applied to something I use every day, such as stairs, that we can use these equations in an everyday setting or in a relevant setting. Knowing how it related to me because I needed to walk up and down those stairs everyday made the content more interesting and my willingness to learn it increased. 

             Culture has the same effect, culture is something that surrounds us and we live it with it every day. Teaching with culture in mind will motivate students, allow them to learn more and faster, create a connection with the teacher, encourage students to voice their opinions through class discussions more, and build respect. Being culturally responsive does not mean watering down the content, or that the teacher does not have the appropriate skills. It take more skill, time, and effort to teach this way because the teacher must try to learn more about the different cultures in the classroom that she/he might be not be familiar with. No matter what color a person is everyone has a culture, therefore cultural responsive teaching can be integrated with any student.