chellewacksketchbook

[chellewacksketchbook]

Why Pronunciation Matters

We listened to this insightful podcast for class the other day by Jennifer Gonzalez. It talked about how we pronounce students’ names right and why it matters. As a person, our name defines us. It is our identity. For teachers, it is important to try to pronounce students’ names right because it shows that we care, and we respect them. 

The podcast goes into detail about the effort made into pronunciation and the three kinds of ‘Name Sayers’: fumble-bumblers, arrogant manglers, and calibrators. The fumble-bumblers weren’t so bad. They’d mispronounce the name, slow down and struggle with regaining their voice because they didn’t trust themselves. They would attempt to try again over a few times and never really get it. The author didn’t mind them as much because they were apologetic and took the blame for their wrong pronunciation, not the student or their name. The arrogant manglers were a different story. They assumed their pronunciation was right and just didn’t care and moved right on to the next thing. A lot of the time, they persist with their own pronunciation even after being corrected and never bother to check in again. This group had a couple of sub-categories: nicknamers and assholes. The nicknamers didn’t care and just made up a short, easy to remember nickname to call the student. The assholes were the worst kind. They would basically start with the first syllable and then wave the rest of the name away like a fly buzzing around your face. They would say things like “whatever your name is” and just completely ignore the fact that they didn’t try or don’t care. The last group, the calibrators, were people who acknowledged a certain name required a little more effort. These people recognized they needed to work on the name with students and found it of significance to get right. They deeply cared about all of their students and made it a goal to pronounce correctly. 

The big takeaway from this podcast was that it matters to pronounce names right because it shows you respect your students and value them each as individuals. Beyond that issue, whatever it is your student prefers to be called, it’s worth the effort to get it right. It’s an opportunity to grow for yourself and be better than before. So, I think to my future self as a teacher, next time I’m struggling with a difficult name, I will just simply ask the student and pull them aside. “I’m sorry If I’ve been saying your name wrong and I do care to get it right. Can you teach me?” A sincere effort goes a long way and can mean so much to a person.

[chellewacksketchbook]

Aani and the Tree Huggers

This story is about a young Indian girl, Aani, who saves her special forest with the help of her village from developers that want to tear down all of the trees. Aani and the villagers had grown up with their beloved forest that provided food and fuel, home to animals, and erosion. When Aani and the village women try explaining this to the woodcutters, they ignore them and continue to get closer to the trees. That's when something special happens. Aani and the villagers wrapped their arms around the trees in order to save them. The significance of the story presents a heartfelt message of bravery and environmental action. This story is based on a true event called the Chipko Andolan or Hug the Tree Movement. The movement helped preserve the forests of India and today council members must ask villagers how many trees can be cut down without endangering the land or its people. 

In my future classroom, I would use this book to incorporate important educational content that addresses many subjects including social studies, science, language arts, music, art etc. For social studies, I could have students read more up on the Chipko Andolan movement or construct a map to pin the location of the Himalayan mountains. For science, I could ask students about the types of animals they saw in the story or have them complete the tree-hugging activity (we did in lecture) that addresses the questions of “Why should we care about trees?” and “Why are trees important to earth?”. For a language arts lesson, I could have students reflect on the story and write an essay about their personal connection. As an advocate for the environment and a future teacher, I find this book very valuable and informative. It sends a strong message to any reader about bravery and conservation.

[chellewacksketchbook]

They…brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells. They willingly traded everything they owned….They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features….They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane….They would make fine servants…. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.

Excerpt from Columbus’ Diary describing the Arawak people who greeted him and his men

[chellewacksketchbook]

Columbus and the Indians

After reading Chapter 1 of A Young People’s History of the United States, I was very intrigued. Like every other American schoolchild, I grew up learning about the story of how the “amazing Christopher Columbus” discovered America. I always knew my history classes were sugar-coated and biased, but I never actually researched the details and events of what really happened. This small chapter of Howard Zinn’s book was incredibly eye-opening. I enjoyed it so much that I sent it to some of my family members and they all had similar thoughts. It’s difficult to think about the honest foundation of America and the atrocities that truly happened. There were a lot of aspects of the chapter that stuck out to me. Obviously, the genocide and enslavement were shocking to read about, but so were the opinions of other historians. Zinn mentions the Spaniard priest Las Casas and his recounts of the Indians in Spanish society. He argues that the native peoples of the New World were polite and peaceful and that Columbus had destroyed their way of life forever through his conquest. His quote “My eyes have seen these acts so foreign to human nature, and now I tremble as I write...” was chilling for me to read. Perhaps the most shocking aspect for me to recall was the fact that pretty much everyone accepted genocide almost as a “norm” or necessity of conquests to be progressive. I know most world histories were built on slavery and conquest, but it is still terrible to think about. Zinn talks about one of the most famous historians Samuel Eliot Morison who published a popular book called Christopher Columbus, Mariner. It was a truthful account of what happened, but Morison quickly moved on to the “more important” aspects of Columbus’ conquest. Morison summed up his idea of Columbus as a great seaman in which Zinn clearly did not agree with. I think Zinn’s chapter truly shows you the importance of considering all sides of history-not only the rich and wealthy, but the poor as well. We can’t change the past of history, but we can acknowledge the cruel reality of what really happened. I agree with Zinn in that we should be exposed to the hidden parts of the past. Because I found this chapter so fascinating, I researched more about Zinn’s book and the true history of Christopher Columbus. From the beginning, I never really questioned the credibility of the source and my beliefs about Columbus before were of minimal knowledge. In my future classroom, I would definitely consider using a book like this for my lessons. Although I haven’t read Zinn’s entire book, I think it is important that students are aware of what really happened in our U.S. History. If I did show this book or something similar, I would, of course, make sure it was educationally appropriate.

[chellewacksketchbook]

Backwards Lesson Design

Backwards Lesson Design is used to formulate instruction and assessment. It approaches lesson planning in the exact opposite of traditional lesson planning. I think of it like running a marathon race; always start with the end in mind. In order to plan my goals, I need to know my route and finish destination. Backwards Lesson Design involves three main steps: Determining lesson objectives, deciding how to assess students on the lesson, and planning instruction the students should do. In the first step of deciding on the lesson objectives, it is important to create essential understandings and questions that motivate critical thinking in students. These are “big ideas” or goals a teacher wants students to understand by the end of the unit. Essential questions encourage deep thought and discussion, require students to use evidence, and connects learning to other content. When determining acceptable evidence, it is important to measure student achievement through both formative and summative assessment. This design ensures the lesson objective, assessment, and instruction are all aligned with each other which in turn creates valuable and effective learning.

[chellewacksketchbook]

A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people

Mahatma Gandhi

[chellewacksketchbook]

Culture

When discussing culture one day, we listened to this inspiring story about Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s amazing march toward freedom. The story was powerfully written and thought-provoking. The horrors of the civil rights movement and the Holocaust were the parts of history we don’t like to remember. And when I thought about these public figures, I did not connect the two at first. Both of their names came to stand for the quest for justice and equality. I think this book would serve as a great student engagement resource when teaching a social studies lesson about culture. It could also be used after a lesson on both the civil rights movement and holocaust. The reading can help students gain a better understanding and make connections between the two historical events. Students can also identify themes of friendship, teamwork, love, and unity etc. presented in the story. This book truly shows the reader what compassion for unity and equality looks like when the Jewish and Christians marched together as one. I think similar stories with historical facts/information along with personal aspects leave a lasting effect on students’ memories.