Week 1
When first signing up for the location that I chose, I assumed that the fifth grade students I had from my prior internship would be similar to the fifth grades in this new area. However, the boys and girls club arranges the kids in a different manor. They have fourth and fifth graders together, presenting a much more broad range of personalities, ages, and maturity levels. From my first two days of being at the boys and girls club, I can already tell that it’s going to be lively. Each one of the kids have such a unique and vivacious spirit, and the coach they have during power hour captures the students spirits in a way that gains their attention and respect.
The two articles (The Red Shoe and Why is This Child so Rude) both had to do with perspective. The Red Shoe presented a story about a child who tied a shoe the way her mother ties her shoes; however, because her mother doesn’t have arms, the little girl tied the shoe laces with her mouth. Since her teacher didn’t understand her background, she called her out by saying she was nasty. That lasting affect appeared to stay with the child for a long time, and I think that is really the take away from that article. Without getting to know a child and where they come from, certain things they do might seem strange, inappropriate, and abnormal, however, after digging deeper lots of things can be revealed that may suggest an explanation to that behavior. The same goes with the article Why is This Child so Rude. It gave a couple of different short stories that can explain a child’s behavior in class. For example, one student that may be called “lazy” because he sleeps in class can be explained by the work hours of his father. The child stays up late at night in order to spend time with his father, thus causing him to be sleepy in class.
Both of these articles opened my perspectives of understanding a child’s fund of knowledge in a way that I hadn’t thought about before. After being at the boys and girls club, I can already see that some of the kids my have similar stories as the ones in the articles. It made me think twice about going along with labels that people have given a child, it made me want to take that effort to really get to know a kid before incorporating a seed activity or making assumptions. There are a couple of kids that consistently call me over during power hour. Yes, they could be just wanting to be able to talk and take advantage of my help, but at this point I’m still getting to know the children and where they are developmentally and academically. These kids could just not receive enough attention at home and not receiving enough positive attention at school, thus creating a need for positive help. I have a soft spot in my heart for children who have a rough home life, and I think these articles provided me with not only a reminder but also new thoughts about what a “bad label” can actually be linked to. Especially being in an after school program like the boys and girls club, there are so many different kids from different backgrounds, school, areas, etc. that could be affecting the various funds of knowledge within each group.
Miss Edmunds Teaches 
May 27, 2016 at 7:06 pm
Hello Gianna,
Thank you for your thoughts on your blog. Our readings this week discussed the importance of getting to know our students instead of rushing to make judgements and assumptions about our students. When thinking about the references that you made in your blog (e.g. may not get enough attention at home, not enough positive attention at school ect.), what led you to those references? Additionally, when thinking about the readings, how do the different backgrounds of students impact how you interact with them?
I look forward to reading more about your experiences at the Boys and Girls Club and the connections that you make to course concepts that we cover each week. 🙂
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May 27, 2016 at 7:17 pm
The things written in my notes weren’t meant as assumptions, more as brainstorming points to get me thinking in a less deficient way. I thought that the student not receiving enough attention at home or school could explain why he continually seeks my attention when I am in the room.
The backgrounds of students are linked to the students funds of knowledge therefore, when responding back to a student it is important to understand cultural differences and even class differences. I shouldn’t take for granted the assumption that every student understands what I’m talking about or understand my gestures when communicating with them. Their backgrounds could also be drawn from their home lives, there are some students that may have emotional misbalances due to that which should be thought about while interacting with them.
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May 27, 2016 at 7:07 pm
Hello Gianna,
Thank you for your thoughts on your blog. Our readings this week discussed the importance of getting to know our students instead of rushing to make judgements and assumptions about our students. When thinking about the references that you made in your blog (e.g. may not get enough attention at home, not enough positive attention at school ect.), what led you to those references? Additionally, when thinking about the readings, how do the different backgrounds of students impact how you interact with them?
I look forward to reading more about your experiences at the Boys and Girls Club and the connections that you make to course concepts that we cover each week.:-)
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