Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Class Matters (I cannot get the italics to work here) has implications for my students at junior high and for me as a teacher at that particular school. First of all, I immediately thought of a boy in class who told me that he was being raised by his grandparents because both his mother and father are in jail. This was my very first day in the classroom and I was working with the students to make Life Maps. It was remarkable to me that he shared this news with no hint of embarrassment and in a loud enough voice for anyone near to hear. My prior experience in suburban schools would have suggested that this bit of information about a student's family life would be whispered in shame. It was refreshing to see that this young man was full of confidence in his bearing and it was simply a matter of fact on his list of life experience. I have continued to observe that his academic work and social interactions are neither inhibited nor shaped by this fact. He is a leader in the classroom, smart as a whip and, despite a playfully mischievous streak, he has become my "protector" when the class gets rowdy. He is quick to shout out, "Be respectful to Mrs. S!". My point in sharing this story is that the student is an example of how important it is for teachers and community leaders to remain vigilant in keeping this bright, engaging child on track with his limitless potential. It would be easy for him to fall on his parent's path when he enters the high school years and has more freedom for temptations on the street. How many stories, such as Angela Whitiker's could have been prevented with guiding hands and hearts?

Secondly, the chapter has implications for me as a pre-teacher learning the skills of directing lesson plans. The limited resources of the urban school I am in, means I work without the technology that my suburban counterparts have readily available. Should I get a job in the suburbs, I fear that my teaching skills will not be practiced sufficiently in areas of putting technology to use in the classroom. Something to consider!