Discourse in school: Teaching to both sides of the Gap.

I have read in this class several essays exploring the issue of attaining literacy. I have discussed in great depth what literacy means to me. I am training to become an educator.  I am signing up to hold, if even for a small time, children’s futures in my hand. I believe being literate in a range of areas is the foundation for success in life.  I mean this not only in the work place and of course in school, but I am also suggesting it is crucial in any interpersonal relationship. 

Academically, being literate is reading and writing the dominant language at a proficient level. Social literacy is far more complex. Gee tackles this complexity in his essays Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction and What Is Literacy? And Gee says that Discourse in his terms cannot be taught in a classroom.

In my own fascination with relationships and relationship psychology, I read The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman, and discovered that relating to and understanding one individual is a type of literacy. This social literacy is far different from learning how to read and construct sentences. 

Lisa Delpit argues that literacy can be taught. She refutes Gee’s claims in her essay, The Politics of Teaching Literate Discourse. Delpit does not dance around the issue, she states that it does take both dedicated students and exceptional teachers to make this learning possible. “...these teachers put in overtime to ensure that the students were able to live up to their expectations” (Delpit, 549).

As a future teacher, Delpit’s essay is inspirational. The following passage specifically refutes the implacable claims of Gee.

[Both (two successful African-American men) attributed their ability to transcend the circumstances into which they were born directly to their teachers. ¹ First, their teachers successfully taught what Gee calls the “superficial features” of middle-class discourse—grammar, style, mechanics—features that Gee claims are particularly resistant to classroom instructions. ² And the students successfully learned them. ³

These teachers also successfully taught the more subtle aspects of dominant discourse. ⁴ According to both Trent and Cunningham, their teachers insisted that students be able to speak and write eloquently, maintain neatness, think carefully, exude character, and conduct themselves with decorum. ⁵ They even found ways to mediate class differences by attending to the hygiene of students who needed such attention—washing faces, cutting fingernails, and handing out deodorant. ⁶

Perhaps more significant than what they taught is what they believed. ⁷ As Trent says, “They held visions of us that we could not imagine for ourselves. ⁸ And they held those visions even when they themselves were denied entry into the larger white world. ⁹ They were determined that, despite all odds, we would achieve.¹⁰” (Delpit 549).]

 As I read it, it was if I could hear a voice whispering, “Yes! It is possible! You can do it!” That the teachers held their students to a high standard and believed in them is a probable reason for the students’ success. The phenomenon of self-fulfilling prophecy works either for or against teachers.  If a teacher pre-judges their student and believes they can’t learn or perform, the teacher will give up on, or give less effort to that student. The student (even subconsciously) will pick up on the cues from the teacher, and will in turn perform poorly. Conversely, if a teacher believes in their student (regardless of any disadvantages supplied by the students home life or past performance), and continues to hold that student to high expectations, the student will again, pick up on the cues from the teacher and perform well.

It is based on this phenomenon that I believe that teachers have a huge influence on the outcome of their students.  Teachers show up every day and supply the tools students need to learn.  The dedication and attitude of the teacher makes all of the difference.

With literacy at the foundation of education, and the gap in achievement widening, if teachers really can make a difference, as Delpit has proposed, why is this not occurring? The achievement gap speaks to the difference in performance of minority students and those of low socioeconomic status versus their white, middle-class counterparts.

The students are not performing well due to several factors.  Some of these factors have to do expressly with their home lives.  Additionally, their Primary Discourses are often not Standard English.  This gives the students many disadvantages upon entering the school building each day. 

It is a given that teachers cannot make up for all deficits at home.  Schools today are understaffed and underfunded.  Teachers are under paid, overworked, and overwhelmed. Class sizes are too large.  Teaches cannot devote large amounts of time to specific students.  They can however, do the best they can.  Teachers can and should notice issues specific students are having and attempt to address them.

In the quoted text, teachers did individualize their teaching.  They taught students the basics of grammar they should have already known.  They even spent time working on hygiene issues like trimming fingernails.  This goes above and beyond a teachers written job description.  However, it doesn’t go above and beyond the conceptual job description.  A teacher’s job is to teach: to assist learning. 

These students who are struggling are doing so often times because their basic needs are not being met.  It is an assumption, but I’m sure it is awfully difficult to focus on grammar, spelling, reading, writing, etc. if one hasn’t eaten in 2 days, or one doesn’t know where their mother is, or one doesn’t have a winter coat and they had to walk to school.

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, there are five levels of needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Education and learning fit in somewhere in the esteem category.  Children cannot focus on learning if they are starving, if they feel they are in danger, or if their parents are fighting all of the time and no one pays attention to them.

School can help if a student wants to come each day and put forth effort.  Schools can be stable. They can provide food, a safe area, and a teacher can provide caring attention.  With the right atmosphere, these struggling students can learn.  The biggest variable is the effort of the teacher. 

What I am aiming to explore is once the teacher is on board and is ready willing and able to put forth the needed effort, how do they do it? What strategies can teachers implore to motivate their students and teach a difficult topic? If a teacher isn’t teaching both sides of the gap, how is that issue addressed or corrected? Are we teaching our teachers correctly?

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 Discussion post 9:

[Can educators effectively teach literacy in the classroom?  I would like to explore in greater depth what Gee says cannot occur.  I would also like to take a look at diverse classrooms and how the linguistic diversity can be embraced.  Students will come into the classroom speaking and using their own Primary Discourse regardless if it is standard English or not.  Those differences both challenge and enrich the classroom as long as the instructor is prepared.  What strategies and techniques can successful teachers use to teach discourses (literacy) in the classroom?]