aesthetics in the class - reflection on "what to look for in a classroom" by alfie kohn (02.28.24)

 Blog Post #6

Reflection on “What to Look For In a Classroom” by Alfie Kohn

As an artist who specifically adores working with interior spaces in her compositions, I often find myself asking how the spaces we occupy reflect our identities. Consider the posters on your wall, the organization of your pencil case, the amount of crumbs hidden in the crevices of your laptop, and wonder how these minute details reflect who you are. I am of the personal belief that a space well loved is a cluttered collage of the people, music, art, literature and more that make us. As a society we design every aspect of our lives and the classroom is no exception. Alfie Kohn’s text, entitled “What to Look For In a Classroom” is a perfect example of how something as simple as the seating arrangement or the classwork used to decorate a space can make or break a classroom environment. Before the teacher even says a word, before the students file in, the tone of the classroom is already set by the objects and arrangement found within. It is crucial and integral that we design the space for our students, and invite them into a space that reflects the reality of the classroom. 

Take the arrangement of seating for a great example of this. Kohn warns against the practicality of desks in rows. The impression that twelve desks in symmetrical rows gives is one of impersonalness, cold and calculated and extremely academic. Students who walk into a class where the desks are in rows feel their stomachs drop with dread as they imagine the isolation, the lack of creativity and the hair pulling amount of work that is associated with this time of classroom setup. On the contrary, a student who walks into a class where the seating is arranged in groups will feel invited and warm, understanding the implied collaboration and excitement that comes with peer work. From a single glance, a student’s perception of the class, before it has even begun, is radically different. That is why it is so crucial for us as educators to create a space that is well loved for our students. No matter the age, students can tell when a teacher is fully engaged with their job, as it is so often reflected in the setup of the classroom. All of my favorite classes in highschool were deeply loved spaces, rooms with delicate lighting, an abundance of student’s work and a smiling face at the door each morning. 

With this post I’ve included a hyperlink to a video on aesthetics, which is the artistic principle of why a design looks the way that it does! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF8kz-mTIp4 

To Share in Class: As a society we design every aspect of our lives and the classroom is no exception. Alfie Kohn’s text, entitled “What to Look For In a Classroom” is a perfect example of how something as simple as the seating arrangement or the classwork used to decorate a space can make or break a classroom environment. What does a “well-loved” space look like to you? What did your favorite classes in school look like? Why is it crucial as educators to create a welcoming and warm environment for our students?

diary of a chatterbox - reflection on "troublemakers" by shalaby (02.21.24) (sorry this is late!!!!)

It may not come as a surprise that I’ve always been rather chatty. The need to make pleasant conversation between classes and shout cheerful greetings across the dining center is as integral to my DNA as the color of my eyes and the lilt of my voice. I can hardly restrain myself from making quiet comments in class and my internal dialogue talks my own ears off daily. It may not come as a surprise that my teachers have never been fond of this habit. Always asked to quiet down and avoid unnecessary commentary, a cornerstone of my learning journey has been understanding that talking…a lot admittedly, can be a strength. 

Shalaby’s text “Troublemakers” is a fascinating reflection of what we teach our children. We lecture to deaf ears about the importance of standing out and making a difference yet we enforce the rules and ensure that our children become followers rather than leaders. One of my art professors once taught me that you must first learn the rules to then break them. Shalaby, I believe, is dealing with a similar dilemma in her text. How can we expect our students to make waves if they exist within the school system in fear and misery? Shalaby offers the explanation that our troublemaking students, those who go against the grain, are teachers in their own right. They are trailblazers. They are the future of change.

Shalaby uses the metaphor of the canary in the cage to discuss students who act out. Shalaby states that like the canary, who died detecting CO2 emissions to protect miners, our stereotypically troublesome students are a reflection of our greater faults in the education system. For me personally, this claim resonates deeply. As mentioned, I tend to be a bit talkative. For most of elementary school, I was labeled a problem because of this. My teachers were constantly exacerbated by my inability to focus or keep quiet. I was written off as a “Chatty Kathy” and left to my own devices. I was never offered extra help or pulled aside to see where this constant distraction was coming from. I was finally diagnosed with ADHD in the middle of my fifth-grade year. With this information, an entire world of privilege opened up.  Suddenly, I was bright and talented, with praised of my writing and my ability to speak publicly. Suddenly, my education was just as important as the other, neurotypical students.

Why do I tell you this story? Well, in the context of Shalaby and the other texts we’ve explored in class thus far, I think it’s crucial to note that troublemaking students are, more often than not, a reflection of the school’s faults. For me personally, I was a reflection on the poor quality of support for students with learning disabilities. Maybe because I was a young girl rather than a young boy, or maybe because my school did not provide educators with the proper training to detect and support my ADHD, I suffered as a result of my school’s system. Like Shalaby claims in her preface, I was a canary, alerting of poor support systems and a lack of understanding about my learning disability. I was fortunate enough to have an incredible fifth-grade teacher, who understood immediately that I needed extra support. I think what Shalaby is trying to claim in her text, is that as future educators, we should strive to develop our skills in detection and analysis. We should work to understand that students who speak out and “cause problems” are incredibly valuable and offer a perspective that other students may not. We should work to encourage the daydreamers, the chatterboxes, and the fidgeters. We should work to encourage. 

Within this post, I’ve attached a hyperlink to a video essay on undiagnosed ADHD in women! I find the topic absolutely fascinating, and I love a good video essay, so I hope you all can enjoy it as well!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO6mEVu9yFo 

To Share: Shalaby uses the metaphor of the canary in the cage to discuss students who act out. Shalaby states that like the canary, who died detecting CO2 emissions to protect miners, our stereotypically troublesome students are a reflection of our greater faults in the education system. What is a canary in a coal mine? How do we discuss “problematic students?” How can you personally connect to this text? 

why i hate capitalism - reflection on "the academic and social value of ethnic studies” by christine sleeter (02.11.24)

 Blog Post 4 - 02.11.24

Reflection on “The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies” by Christine Sleeter

Capitalism kind of sucks. In Western culture, capitalism dominates every aspect of our existence. Everything is bought and sold, the TV shows you watch are littered with advertisements, the streets are lined with billboards telling you to buy, and the schools you attend prepare you to join the working class. Often, especially in spaces with leftist political views, we hear a lot of dialogue around systems. Systematic oppression, broken systems, the capitalist system - the list goes on. If you’re anything like me and politics are a recent yet fixating new discovery, the first thing you realize about the current political landscape is it all comes down to systems. Also, nothing is user-friendly - the discussions around these systems are polluted with lengthy vocabulary and feigned academia. This frequently leads to repeating the same phrases with no understanding of what these “systems” are and therefore no understanding of how to dismantle them. In this short essay, I attempt to break down the intertwined relationship between our capitalist society and our school systems. 

What is a system, in the political sense? Definition-wise, a system is the way a government is organized and the process that governmental officials must go through to make a decision. Essentially, the system is how lawmakers decide which laws are in favor of their political ideology and therefore which laws get passed. This can change depending on a few variables, including but not limited to who holds the presidential office, which party is in control of the House or Senate, and what the political climate of the country looks like at a given time. Systems are politically designed processes that govern how you and I live our lives. Take the phrase, “the capitalist system” for example. This phrase refers to the social organization of work and education that filters the general public from school to the working class. In ClassDismissedMovie’s video on the history of American schools, he explains how this system was put in place. 

The education system is flawed and designed to be flawed. Horace Mann himself described the education system as the “great equalizer.” It is intended for students to learn that work is long, arbitrary, and boring but required. It is intended to dissuade students from asking questions. It is intended to encourage students to be controlled, to be quiet when not spoken to, and to learn that they are always wrong next to their superiors. It breeds perfect workers for a capitalist society. 

There is a key importance in recognizing that you are part of a system. The only way to break free from oppression and make real change is to understand that you are not a person, you are a cog in a greater machine. Everything around you is created to keep you subordinate. So, what can you do? How do we dismantle and rebuild these systems? I believe the answer is education. 

Education is the root. From the moment you are old enough to communicate with others, you are thrown into the school system and become part of this system. As future educators, however, we have the opportunity to dismantle these systems from the inside out. As we enter our careers, I urge you to ask questions, to break the rules, and to educate others on the system they are a part of. The more we learn, the harder we are to control. 

Within this post, I’ve included a link to an incredible video essay on capitalism and Christian culture, which is a great watch if you are looking to learn more about how these “systems” are upheld. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbZo4x0NbbI&t=2760s

To Share: What is a capitalist system? How can we dismantle systems? What is the importance of education when discussing capitalism and the intersectionality of oppression and education? How does the current school system teach obedience?

racism, incels and bone structure - reflection on "the four i's of oppression" by luna malbroux (02.04.24)

 Blog Post 3 - 02.04.2024

Reflection on The Four I’s of Oppression by Luna Malbroux

Let’s chat about bone structure. If you have unfortunately stumbled upon the weirdest parts of Reddit on a cold, dark night, you may be aware that there is a social phenomenon in which we as humans use skeletal structure to defend our varying beliefs. We assign meaning to the space between our brow and hairline, to the placement of our cheekbones, and the protrusion of our lips. Communities all across the world use bone structure as a valid and explanatory reason for the differences between certain groups of people. This is especially common in online spaces, specifically ones where prominent bigotry and bias can be found. In Luna Malbroux’s discussion of the Four I’s of Oppression, this type of prejudice can be loosely defined as biologism. Biologism is the interpretation and understanding of human life from a strict “biological” viewpoint. It ignores the prevalence of social construction and argues that everything in life, who ends up in the one percent of society and who struggles on food stamps, is predetermined by your biology. It is an increasingly dangerous type of thinking in the modern age. 

Popular leftist Youtuber Contrapoints, also known as Natalie Wynn, proposed a theory on this topic in her video essay on the Incel community in 2019. Wynn states that “Once bigotry and self-loathing permeate a given community, it is only a matter of time before deep, metaphysical significance is assigned to the shape of human skulls.” (Wynn, Incels, 6:07, 2019.) Essentially, the moment prejudice enters a group of people, the members of the community will rely on biologism to defend their viewpoints. In Wynn’s video, she discusses the relationship between bone structure and the Incel community. Within online spaces such as Reddit and FourChan, bigotry is a deep-seated foundation that can mutilate with the rallying of envious and raw groups of non content people. Men who have never had a close relationship with a woman, men who are deemed unattractive by Western ideals and therefore allow their loneliness to rot within themselves and contort into deep hatred for the opposite gender. Men who feel so angry, alone, and hopeless that they turn towards violence against themselves or others. 

Why do these men feel there is truly no other option? Why do bigots and racists defend their beliefs as “scientific” or the “way God intended?” Why do groups of transgendered men and women tear each other down in online forums under the guise of “helping?” It all comes down to bones.

Admittedly, all is a bit of an exaggeration. There are a multitude of societal, cultural, and environmental reasons why bigotry can grow within communities of lonely, angry people. However, it is genuinely shocking and concerning to me the amount of bigotry that can stem from the human skull. Incels for example blame their inability to interact with or entertain women on the space between their eyebrows and their hairline. They claim that they are biologically doomed from the beginning with no escape and that those few inches of bone can be assigned all responsibility for their celibacy. On the contrary, it is popular in spaces with heavy racism that bigoted people will claim that the African American skull is biologically inferior to that of Caucasians. Scientists and politicians used the bone structure of skulls of various races to defend and determine which racial groups belonged where in society. 

Though we know that race is a complete societal construct, it is almost impossible to argue with those who believe in biologism. There are a few good debates to be had with someone who wholeheartedly believes that social hierarchies are the result of predetermined bone structure. 

With this post, I’ve included a hyperlink to the video essay mentioned, as well as an example of one post founded on biologism. Please check out these items, they help to deepen the understanding of what I’m grappling with in this post, and also the video essay is incredibly interesting and a great watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD2briZ6fB0&t=284s

To Share: What do you know about bone structure and biology in bigoted communities? How does biologism appear within the classroom? How can we consider the intersectionality of oppressed groups to self-loathing, prejudice, and biologism? What are the dangers of online spaces in relation to bias?