BME Discussion 7 + 8

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BME Discussion 7 + 8 A.4: Read the Nadia Bara case study. Choose TWO (out of 3) questions in “reflect on this case study” section. Develop them fully. 2. Since September 11, 2001, have you noticed any changes in your students’ perceptions or actions concerning Muslim students? Since I am currently a student and have never been in a teaching position, my response will be slightly different. I also did not attend school at any time before 2001, so I only can infer how things used to be and use examples of after 2001 to make a case. Students today tend to look at Muslim students as either lower or bad. I don’t think they necessarily have a good reason either. More or less, students are aware that the organization responsible for the 9/11 tragedy was Muslim, and therefore, they group all Muslims in the same way—terrorists. It is also common for students to make jokes about these people. An example from Nadia Bara’s case study talks about a boy who is having a conversation with a Muslim classmate and exclaims, “well at least, I don’t believe in blowing planes into buildings” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 323). This boy probably did not consider the severity of his statement before making it. Jokes like this are very common in classrooms and school communities and are typically overlooked. Bara makes an interesting comment regarding the poor joke her classmate made. She says “most of the time I just tell myself, especially with that boy, he doesn’t know any better” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 323). This statement shows that ill-behavior toward Muslims is often dismissed and students deem it as careless speech. No one is recognizing that it could potentially be hurting these Muslim students. Personally, I would not enjoy being called a terrorist or being blamed for such tragedy, and I cannot imagine that the Muslim children enjoy it either. When students look down on their Muslim peers or make insensitive jokes like the above, it only makes worse this racist issue. Teachers should make a concious effort to stop comments like this and educate their students about how not all Muslim people are associated with terrorism. Students should not be allowed to absent-mindedly make hurtful comments. Before 9/11, this was not a classroom issue. It was only after the major terrorist act that students found it okay to look down on their Muslim classmates. It is not uncommon for adolescent minds to group people as a whole without understanding individual people. Without proper teaching, kids will continue to think this way. They will also continue to make ill-favored comments and jokes when not reprimanded for it. Teachers should make it their goal to ensure that students are resepcting other students. They should also provide the kids with a good education about different groups of people so that the students are not jokingly or apparently discriminating certain races. 3. If you were one of Nadia’s teachers and had seen the newspaper article in which she was featured, would you have said or done anything about it? Why or why not? If so, what would you have done? If I was a teacher and saw the newspaper article featuring Nadia Bara, I would say something about it. I would take action because it is important for educators to make a positive difference in students’ lives. My comments would firstly be to Bara, and then I would address her peers. She speaks so strongly in the interview and makes comments being insecure in her identity and being extremely frustrated when she hears about Arabic violence (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 325). She also is upset over racist actions of a classmate. After hearing a joke he made that essentially called another Muslim student a terrorist, Bara says “Don’t get mad, don’t let it get to you. Just tell him that that’s not right and try to educate him that that’s completely wrong” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 323). Young students should not face this kind of pressure regarding race and should not be so insecure because of the actions of others. My goal would be to calmly talk to Nadia and ask about her feelings on the matter and see if there was any way for me to ease tensions in the classroom. Obviously I cannot make worldwide change in relation

to the Muslim community, but I can make an effort to educate my class. The next thing I would do is reaffirm Nadia and explain to her that she is wonderfully made and is perfectly fit to be Muslim. She does not need to feel shame and should instead be encouraged. After talking to Nadia I would address her classmates. When doing this I would make sure not to specifically call out Miss Bara, and instead would find a way to educate the class on Muslims and ensure that they were not discriminating or making racist comments. If the students were participating in these foul things, I would find a way to change their thought process and encourage positivity. Students such as Nadia, should not live in fear and shame. Everyone needs to work together to encourage love and support of any and all races. A.5 Read the Savoun Nouch case study. Choose TWO (out of 4) questions in “reflect on this case study” section. Develop them fully. 3. Almost every school has students who may feel that they are “the only one” of a cultural, religious, ethnic, language, sexual orientation, class, or ability group. How can you and your colleagues affirm the students’ identities in meaningful ways that make them feel more “visible” and understood while also challenging them academically? This question perfectly embodies the entire purpose of Nieto and Bode’s Affirming Diversity. Teachers and school administrators must affirm their students regardless of their views, beliefs, or practices. It is part of true multicultural education. A few ways to meaningfully affirm in the classroom is by “build[ing] relationships with your students,” “approach[ing] students with curiosity,” “foster[ing] a growth mindset in your classroom,” and “help[ing] students build confidence” (Baylor, 2020). These methods will affirm students while still assuring they are challenged in the classroom. It is important to cultivate success and inclusion simultaneously. The very first goal a teacher should have is to build a relationship with students. This is the starting ground for everything to follow in the classroom. It is difficult for students to care about school unless teachers first show their care for the children. Another thing teachers should do is “strive to have conversations with students outside of the classroom and curriculum” (Baylor, 2020). Once this student-teacher relationship is established, the students can then feel comfortable opening up to the teacher so that they can be better understood. That leads to the next method of affirming students. Teachers should approach their students with curiosity and truly get to know them. This concerns understanding their backgrounds, values, and even personal identity. If a teacher is aware of this, they will better know how to help students and assure they are handling situations accordingly. An example of this would be a group of students of a certain religion that are fasting. If the teacher notices their tiredness in class, he/she might initially be frustrated and possibly discipline the student for not paying attention. However, without knowing what is going on in the students’ lives, the teacher will not have any means for punishment. Once educators understand their kids, they can better affirm and challenge them A third method in affirming diversity in a positive manner is to foster a growth mindset in the classroom. This will “[help] kids understand that the abilities they have can be improved with dedication and hard work” (Baylor, 2020). Some students might see themselves as less than another classmate for various reasons. That classmate might receive straight A’s, have new shoes and the latest clothing, or even have two present parents. There are multiple reasons that students compare themselves to each other. By fostering a positive and growth mindset in class, it can encourage students to perform better even if they previously doubted their abilities. Just because a student comes from a so-called broken family or is of the minority race at the school, does not mean they are not capable of success. Teachers are the foundation for encouragement in this case and must always treat students with the same respect. If students see their educators being kind and encouraging no matter what and always challenging them, it will likely cause their performance to improve. It was also make students feel more comfortable and included. This last method goes hand-in-hand with the third one. It is crucial that teachers help their students build confidence. That plays into relationship building as well. When an

educate “recognizes small victories [it] can help students build confidence in themselves and their skills” (Baylor, 2020). No matter a child’s ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, class, or ability group, they should be encouraged to succeed and never thought of as less than. When teachers acknowledge victories in and out of the classroom it can help a student perform better. For instance, if a student is working to memorize a reading for a religious ceremony and shares that with their teacher it should be as great of an achievement as if they were to get an A on a test. The educators in the classroom should always encourage their students in their tasks no matter what so that students never feel left out, less than, or unimportant. Affirming diversity can go a long way and change a child’s life. When teachers take the extra step to implement methods like these, they are only helping to set up a student for growth and success no matter their background or identity. 4. Gang activity affects the school lives of countless students and families in the U.S. schools. What can we learn from Savoun’s case study about the teacher’s role in helping students resist gang activity? While some might not realize it, gang activity affects students and schools more than people know. Savoun Nouch discusses this in his case study and truly brings out the extremities of gang violence in his high school. He tells the interviewer that “it’s more about who is the boss of the school…” and “...who is gonna kick whose ass” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 330). Nouch goes on to say that about 90% of his friends dropped out of school due to gangs and only a few of them even think about life anymore. Some got shot, ended up in the hospital, or went to jail. This is not the ideal life of high school students. It should not even be something on the table to think about or participate in. Gang violence is never acceptable, but even moreso should not be acceptable in high schools. This is where teachers and administrators come into the picture. If there are gangs present in schools or any type of violence for that matter, the adults in charge—teachers and faculty—need to take a stand. Sometimes it can be hard to know what to say or do, but that does not change the importance of taking action. Savoun mentions that “[the school] didn’t really have any interventions to help students” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 330). If students found themselves in a trouble situation it was their responsibility to go and talk to the guidance counselor to get switched or make some kind of change. This should not be the case. It causes students to drop out of school and never continue an education because they were not given the help or support they needed. When Savoun moved from this school to a new one in Rhode Island, his whole perspective changed. He says that “the teachers are so involved with you either at school or at home—always there for you, ready to talk to you and everything—about your education” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 331). When teachers like that are present in a school it is not just because they care for students education. If they care enough about learning, they will care for the students as people too and want the best for them. I’m sure at this school if any kind of gang violence was present that a teacher would intervene and discipline the students involved. They would then work to get that student on track and assure it never happens again. For that matter, I do not think gang violence of any kind would even happen in the first place. When students can see that teachers care and want the best for them, they have no reason to act out. Teachers positively impact their students and can lessen bad behavior and violence in schools just by being present and showing that they care. Taking extra action in a child’s life can make all the difference. A.6 Read the Cristina Kamau case study. Choose TWO (out of 3) questions in “reflect on this case study” section. Develop them fully. 1. Cristina described some examples of teachers’ and students’ demonstrating solidarity with and empathy for her. How might a school encourage these gestures by staff members and students, especially toward students who are culturally, racially, and linguistically different from the majority? When Cristina moved to the U.S. from Africa, things were very different as one would assume. There were various teachers however that made this move easier for her and

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encouraged her in many ways. They also made it a point to learn about African culture and such to make her feel more comfortable and included. In regard to her teachers, she said “they are all interested” and her speech teacher even said “Let’s learn about Africa” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 337). Things like this made Kamau feel better about school in the United States. Schools can encourage actions like this by first and foremost being kind and accepting to all students, but also by promoting diverse and inclusive curriculum, encouraging conversation, and training teachers on cultural competence. The main goal for teachers is to educate students and show care and acceptance to all of them. When students are culturally, racially, and linguistically different, it can be difficult for them to adapt to a school environment even when teachers are doing this. To better support diversity, teachers should implement curriculum that is more inclusive and diverse. This begins with getting to know your students, communicating with them, and being sensitive to their culture and identity. Once this is achieved, they can find lessons that incorporate various cultures and teach them to the class, because at this point, they know what is appropriate and what will be received well (Drexel, n.d.). The next goal is for teachers to encourage conversation between students in the classroom. They should also make an effort themselves to talk to the students, because “When students feel as if their teacher cares about them, it can make a big difference” (Nishioka, 2018). Students talking to each other though can be beneficial because they can learn from each other and learn about different cultures, viewpoints, and beliefs. That will encourage acceptance and inclusion in the classroom. Lastly, training teachers on cultural competence is crucial. Having this in a school “ enhances the teaching and learning process and helps ensure equitable opportunities and supports for each and every student” (Connecticut, n.d.). This lets students know that there teachers are there to support and stand by them. When teachers make a conscious effort for their students, it makes a big difference. Performance rates will rise and even classroom behavior will improve. Teachers and students alike should stand with the minority and make them feel as accepted and included as possible. 3. The practical aspects of daily school life can be a struggle for any new student. What makes some of these challenges particularly difficult for international students? How could Cristina’s first experiences with the media center, cafeteria, locker combinations, and the like, be made more welcoming? If such welcoming strategies are not in place in your school, what might you and your colleagues do to call attention to the need for them and what suggestions for effective change might you make? Starting at a new school—especially in a new country—can be very intimidating. In Cristina Kamau’s case, she moved from Africa to the United States and was very lost on her first day. She had never used a computer or a calculator before and was not familiar with cafeteria practices. It was necessary in this case for her school to have better communication and welcoming methods in place so that her and other students alike would not feel so confused. Currently, my school implements various strategies for students to feel welcome and more at home, but if I was at a school that did not, these are some things I would suggest. Schools should have either an office or program of some sort that is strictly for diverse students. This would be a place for students to go to talk to someone if they are feeling left out or just have a place to see a familiar face. Another idea would be having specific students or teachers in charge of teaching new students about the school and any school practices they might not otherwise be aware of. Kamau did not know how to use a computer or how to type when she got to school, and for this, she suffered. Her teachers were not very helpful at first and she had to find her own way. Luckily enough a student came alongside her and helped her. He was also not from America and knew how she felt (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 336). If schools made it a point to have students like this, it would allow new students to learn faster and not be as scared to do new things at school. Lastly, schools must pay attention to their school climate. This is “the collective mood and experiences of students, educators, and families in schools” (Ross 2023). By doing this, schools can determine when things are not flowing well and make a

change for the better. Since these changes are being made with the students and school community in mind, it will in turn create a more positive and welcoming school environment. All of these strategies will help students feel more welcome and encourage them to succeed in a new place. Teachers and students are both part of the plan for help in the case and must work to achieve inclusion. By simply implementing the three above methods, schools will make so much more of a difference in the welcoming aspect. Their diverse students will likely feel more at home and make friends more quickly. This will also transfer to their academics and they will perform better. Schools must make it a goal to welcome their new students and assure that they understand everything going on so that they can be active participants in the school community. B.2 Read the Bill Blatner story. What aspects of his methods do you enjoy most? Why? In Bill Blatner’s story, he has four main methods: “(1) dedication to students, academic identities, (2) access to robust curriculum resources, (3) respect for colleagues, and (4) a supportive administration” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 371). Of these, two stood out the most to me. Method number one and two were quite enjoyable to learn about and really gave me something to think about. While methods two and three are also very important, they seem slightly more obvious and implied. All four methods should truly be implemented simultaneously, but methods one and two are really important in changing students’ lives. Many teachers start their careers wanting to do their best, make an impact on their kids, and teach to the best of their abilities. Sadly, as time goes on in their career, this standard might be lowered. This is why I think the method of dedication to students and academic identities is so important. When teachers go out of their way to help in the classroom and create lessons that will provide students with an excellent education, it is very obvious. Typically their class will perform better and be more enthusiastic about school. It shows the students that the teachers really care and want them to succeed. By acknowledging academic identities, educators are ensuring that their kids are on the path to success and can grow in their studies at a pace best fit for where they are. In Blatner’s story he uses the example of two different tracks for mathematics at the high school where he teaches. One is a more traditional approach to math while the other is considered heterogeneous. A way to define heterogeneous learning is “the practice of assigning mixed groups of students to shared classrooms from the education precept that positive interdependence develops when students of varying achievment work together and help each other reach educational goals” (Lewis, 2019). By using this method in schools, it allows students to collaborate to achieve success. If a child struggles in English but sees his friend doing very well, he is likely to be influenced by this. Having diverse students working together and encouraging each other, it will cause students to perform better and want to succeed. Teachers must always show dedication to their students and their academic identities. With this in practice, schools will become more high-functioning and achieve better outcomes. The next method I enjoyed was “access to robust curriculum resources” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 371). This can easily be meshed in with the method described in the above paragraph. Not all students learn the same or are at the same academic level. For this reason, it is important that teachers provide resources for success that are suitable for all students. This does not mean that teachers will make their lessons super easy for one student that struggles. Instead, schools should provide different classes and types of classes for students who are achieving different things. This could include having regular, honors, or blended class sections. A regular class would be the curriculum intended for a particular grade level taught as is. Honors would imply a challenge and slightly harder assignments in regard to the material. A blended class would be practicing the heterogeneous approach where students of all abilities come together to learn one thing and can encourage each other to do better and learn from classmates with different strengths. When students have various choices in the learning, they can create a plan that will best suit their needs and goals. This encourages education and

success. Bill Blatner brings really great methods and points to the table that all educators and school administrators should consider and implement. B.3 Read the Eugene Crocket story. What aspects of his story do you enjoy most? Why? Eugene Crocket’s story is different from the other case studies or student perspective stories in this textbook thus far. Him and his three brothers come from parents who were addicted to drugs. They were then put into foster care and adopted by two dads, rather than what is considered the traditional mom and dad family. In this story, Crocket discusses a few things and makes some comments that are quite admirable and enjoyable. He looks on the brighter side of things and learns respect from very early on. One thing I enjoyed the most about this snapshot was when Crocket said that “being in this family, I have learned to, if I see someone who is different, to not think of them as odd or weird, but to accept people for who they are” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 375). This shows a great deal of maturity. Since he grew up in a family with two dads, he was sometimes embarrassed of what his classmates or friends would say. I think it is very admirable that he takes a stand to make everyone feel included and accepted so he can help fight a negative stereotype regarding people who are different. Another point he talked about was the impact his sixth-grade teacher had. Crocket says “she really helped me a lot” and “she made me more comfortable” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 375). Teachers impact students more than they sometimes realize. In this case, Ms. Kamp made it a point to privately address sensitive topics regarding gay/lesbian stuff with Eugene. If teachers don’t do this in private and instead say it in front of the whole class, it causes students major embarrassment and might even lead them to stop trying in class. The fact that she did this clearly had a major effect on Eugene and he really liked Ms. Kamp and how kind she was. The last thing that stood out to me was the fact that Eugene said he “[didn’t] see being in [his] family as too much different because it’s [his] family and [he’s] known them [his] whole life” (Nieto and Bode, 2012, pp. 374). I found this really impactful because even though Crocket didn’t grow up in what is considered a traditional family, he found it normal and loved his family just the same. Sometimes when kids see other kids around them in a different situation it can be hard not to compare and make judgments. Eugene made the best of what he had and saw his family just the same as any other kid who had both a mom and a dad. The views children have in their own lives impact how they see other people, and it was quite nice to see how positive and accepting Eugene was, because he can now act with kindness to other people in his life and model what is means to be inclusive.

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References Baylor University. (2020, December 10). Multicultural Education Strategies. Baylor University Online Graduate Programs. https://onlinegrad.baylor.edu/resources/multicultural-education-strategies/ Connecticut State Department of Education. (n.d.). Cultural Competence in School Communities. Connecticut’s Official State Website. https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Evaluation-and-Support/Professional-Learning---Cultural-Comp etence#:~:text=Cultural%20competence%20in%20school%20communities,for%20each %20and%20every%20student. Drexel University. (n.d.) The Importance of Diversity and Multicultural Awareness in Education. Drexel University School of Education. https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/importance-of-cultural-diversity -in-classroom/ Lewis, B. (2019, July 7). The Benefits of Heterogenous Groups in Educational Settings. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/heterogeneous-groups-in-educational-settings-2081645 Nishioka, V. (2018, May 11) . Building Connections with Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds Through Perspective-taking. Regional Educational Laboratory Program. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northwest/blog/building-connections.asp Ross, E. (2023, February 2). Making Schools a Welcoming Place for Immigrant Students. Harvard Graduate School of Education. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/23/02/making-schools-welcoming- place-immigrant-students#:~:text=Build%20up%20trust%20by%20working%20with%20c ommunity%20liaisons%20and%20leaders.&text=Include%20all%20your%20students%2 0in,of%20cultural%20backgrounds%20in%20mind.