tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post3944157335755415769..comments2024-01-06T06:09:29.140-05:00Comments on An Urban Teacher's Education: It Was the Field Trip from Helljames boutinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-11167599987235925082011-04-14T04:47:44.913-04:002011-04-14T04:47:44.913-04:00This post was a poignant reminder of what we and t...This post was a poignant reminder of what we and the students have to struggle with on a daily basis in order to teach, in order to do the simplest of things that at other high achieving schools would be taken for granted and that people on the outside looking in don't even think about. Thus a simple visit to a college, which could/should have been a positive experience for these students becomes anything but. It's like Nancee Regan's "Just say no to drugs" program", if it were only that easy....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-76738839137698705682011-04-13T18:26:03.057-04:002011-04-13T18:26:03.057-04:00Anon at 605: The trip wasn't the teachers to m...Anon at 605: The trip wasn't the teachers to manage. It was handled by a CBO that works in the school. The principal "sub-contracted" the work out to them so that teachers would not be overburdened planning a ton of field trips while at the same time attempting to teach. <br /><br />I could offer a number of reasons why this trip ended up the way it did, most of which find their root causes in our underfunding and youth as a small school that is still figuring out the best systems for students. However, that was not really the goal of this post.<br /><br />Thanks for commenting.james boutinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-13200944209177779622011-04-13T18:05:04.231-04:002011-04-13T18:05:04.231-04:00So, I don't get this. You recognized that some...So, I don't get this. You recognized that someone had not been clear with the students about the expectations for the field trip. This set the tone for the whole trip. You are taking them on a trip that they are not either interested in or even prepared to attend. The grant money goes away if you don't go, so go you must. While it is clear that the student behavior isn't appropriate for the setting, I have to question how well thought out all of this is. Because the edge between good and poor behavior is so close in this case, it is imperative that each facet be considered in the planning. Don't the students deserve that careful attention? Does this become just another example of how difficult this kind of trip is to arrange, finance, manage, reflect on? You knew this going in - so why let it roll on to that conclusion? Where is the deflection from the norm that makes this a successful example rather than what it became - a mess?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-28394985193101352822011-04-13T14:13:34.927-04:002011-04-13T14:13:34.927-04:00Excellent post. To me, it goes to show that we nee...Excellent post. To me, it goes to show that we need a completely different paradigm for teaching children with so many unmet basic needs. To place them all together and expect great things to happen is just plain unrealistic. In the example of the field trip, a huge amount of time, money, and effort were spent, but for what?<br /><br />Of course I don't know the solution either, but one idea that keeps popping into my head would be to have small groups of students with two or three teachers housed in many public buildings (or large private homes) throughout the city. For example, Reflective Educator and two other teachers might be responsible for thirty students that would meet each day in a room at the museum or public library. Or maybe "Miss Jones and Miss Smith" could educate 20 students each day in Miss Smith's large home. Yes, these ideas are probably impractical for legal and safety reasons, but placing hundreds of low-achieving and poorly behaved kids in one building doesn't make sense either.Linda/RetiredTeacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613269510654597179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-52905558971338480172011-04-13T12:06:23.646-04:002011-04-13T12:06:23.646-04:00Forgive me if every comment I write from here on o...Forgive me if every comment I write from here on out is simply: Thank you. Thank you for giving your time and energy to these students and for caring about them. You have opened my very white middle class eyes and I thank you.thebluemuse, phdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17224771519544821010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-26863280729888435732011-04-12T22:43:18.422-04:002011-04-12T22:43:18.422-04:00I agree with Christy. I was getting anxious while ...I agree with Christy. I was getting anxious while I was reading. I'm glad that you made it out alive and it seems like you and your colleagues tried to make the best of the situation :) I fear the idea of taking my kids anywhere.<br /><br />I hope you have a better end to the week!Fear the Fellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06185173219705685245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-30317248662291207792011-04-12T21:39:52.878-04:002011-04-12T21:39:52.878-04:00this made my blood pressure rise just to read it.this made my blood pressure rise just to read it.Christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05468422056345875269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-36876933111075671072011-04-12T19:02:26.256-04:002011-04-12T19:02:26.256-04:00Truly amazing. Thanks for continuing to keep the ...Truly amazing. Thanks for continuing to keep the blogger world updated about how things REALLY are in inner-city education. This isn't about teachers 'caring' about thekids, or the specific curriculum used in the schools -- it's the much bigger problem of how to deal with social, cultural and language barriers to education that are often present in our nation's low-income, minority student populations.Attorney DCnoreply@blogger.com