Quote:
Originally posted by Eclipse
The other thing that I think you seriously need to evaluate is your attitude toward your students. I know you are frustrated, and being the daughter of 2 educators, I know it is one of the most thankless jobs out there, but when you say things like
"it's one thing to not know correct grammar, but it's another thing to be ignorant. I wonder if you have already made up your mind about their capacity to learn and achieve.
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ummm...i don't have an attitude problem, thanks.
i don't think that was a very nice thing for you to say.
hermione understood the way i meant that to sound. it's not just my black kids who are saying this, it's the student body as a whole! it makes me nuts and then the state wants to know why our kids aren't passing the test!
it's not a matter of these kids wanting to emulate the rappers and whatever, they HONESTLY think that is the correct way to say things and will argue with me about how to say it. and that's why my subject says i "partly blame" rap. it's not entirely rap's fault, it is our society.
i haven't made up my mind about anything. you don't know anything about the way i teach. this is ONE thing i am frustrated with (there are lots more though!).
i am doing everything in my power to TEACH these kids and i am good at what i do! i have recently brought up 2 kids to be tested who have obviously been learning disabled since they entered school. but no one did anything about it and they are now in my 4th grade class and barely able to read! but they try so hard, it kills me to see them struggle.
this isn't a race thing, it's a cultural thing. these kids are being brought up in a climate where they don't understand basic english anymore. like hermione said, i know several young adults who say LOL! people don't understand the proper way to speak anymore.
posted by eclipse:
"To compound the problem, SOME people in the Black community have glorified speaking nonstandard English as some badge of Blackness to wear proudly. "
i think that is an EXCELLENT statement. i do see a handful of parents in my school who DO fit that description, but certainly not all or a majority. they are teaching their children to "rebel" in the wrong ways and unfortunately it is going to negatively affect them in the future.
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please don't turn this into an ebonics/linguistic thing. that's not the intention of the post. i have my opinions about that subject, but what i would really like to discuss is HOW to get these kids on the right track when they think "getting their hair did" is proper english.
any ideas????
