Week 4- Response to Lisa Delpit's Quote

[Teachers] should recognize that the linguistic form a student brings to school is intimately connected with loved one’s community, and personal identity. To suggest that this form is “wrong” or, even worse, ignorant, is to suggest that something is wrong with the student and his or her family. (p.33)


After doing the reading and discussing this quote in class, my mind was opened up to the differences of language in not only students, but people around the world. I think that Lisa is very right when she says that the linguistic form a student brings is connected with their community and personal identity. Just because someone speaks differently then you does not mean that they are any less intelligent than you. I also believe, that if someone speaks linguistically different, that that is a part of them. They grew up speaking in a certain way, therefore it is their identity and no one should try to change another person's identity. Lisa was also correct when saying that by telling a student that the way they speak is wrong is suggesting that there is something wrong with themselves, their family, their neighbors, friends, and etc. That can take away so much of who a student is by making them think that they are stupid and so are the people that are most important to them. I think that in a classroom, it is important to be knowledgeable about this issue. Knowing this, as a teacher, you can risk the respect that a student or even parent feels for you. If a student is speaking differently then other students, but is still learning and comprehending the material, is it really necessary to try and change the way that they speak?

Week 3: More Exploration of Mental Filters and Their Influences on Perception

For this assignment, I went to the cafeteria with Rachel and Natalie to make observations and interpretations. As we were discussing what we saw, we realized that we all noticed the same people around us and their physical appearances. But, when we talked about what we thought the people were like or what they were doing, some of our thoughts were different and others were similar. In the beginning of lunch there were a lot of people in the cafeteria. The first thought that came to mind when I saw all of those people was that it was lunch time and everyone was hungry. On the other hand, my group member thought that people were in there because they were on a break from class. I think that I thought this because every time I go to eat, I am hungry. We also noticed a girl that was on crutches. But this time we all had the same interpretation that her foot or ankle was hurt in some way. During this exercise, I learned that I do not always understand other peoples perceptions of things. It is different from what I think so I do not always like the other persons way of thinking. I think that this exercise has taught me that I need to be more open to other peoples thoughts, and to accept them easier. I think that I have learned that my perceptions are not wrong, but that I need to understand others to fully perceive the surroundings. I actually enjoyed this assignment and I think that it makes me more aware of what other people are doing.

Blog Post 2- Significance of Quote

Week Two of class and there is a lot of information from the variety of readings to think about. Especially this quote, "“We do not really see with our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs.” Lisa Delpit said this quote, but what is its significance? When I first read this quote, it reminded me to stay true to what you believe. No matter what you are seeing or hearing, your beliefs are all that matter. But, the more I thought about the quote, I feel that it means that we perceive, or see or hear things through our beliefs rather than what we are seeing or hearing. So basically, everything we are seeing is seen in a way that relates to our beliefs. But, this quote goes deeper than this. It means that when we see or hear things, we have to put ourselves in the place of others, and not let our beliefs get in the way of the situation. I still think that it means that we must stay true to ourselves, but to also have the ability to open our eyes to other viewpoints.

Education 100- Week 1 Class Survey

1. Erin

2. I am from North Olmsted, Ohio.

3. I would like to teach Early Childhood Education, preferably third graders. I enjoy a variety of subjects but, if I had to choose, I would enjoy teaching English or History.

4. I enjoy meeting new people and hanging out with friends. I like to run.This semester, I am hoping to become involved with a sorority. I also hope to get involved in Campus Ministry.

5. To me, family matters most. The following article discusses the importance of family, http://www.publishyourarticles.net/knowledge-hub/essay/essay-on-the-importance-of-family/5831/. This article related to my thoughts on family. It expressed how your family builds the person that you become. It also discusses the support system of a family. It put my feelings of family into words.

6. To take intellectual and creative risks in a college class, I feel that I need to be comfortable with my professor and the environment. But, I think that even if I am uncomfortable I can break through that and attempt to take risks.

7. A formative memory in my academic career would be my Genesis Project. At the end of senior year, I had to complete this project. For my project, I shadowed a sixth grade teacher. It was such a fun and learning experience. It took me back to sixth grade where I was able to remember why I enjoyed school. I only wish I could have had this experience earlier on.

8. One concern of mine in the field of education is that there are teachers that are not truly passionate about educating children and bettering their futures. I also think that all of the mandatory tests that students have to complete are not helping them learn.

9. Why did you decide to become an educator? What are your hopes on the future of education?