I came to the United States in 1989 and could not speak one single word of English. I was nearly 10, in third grade, and could not understand, read, or write anything. It was frustrating, to say the least. But, only 2 years later I was reading classics. Classics, you ask? Yes! Let me explain.
When I arrived in the United States in the late 80’s, I was quickly put into an English as a Second Language class for one hour a day, 5 days a week. I would leave my regular, scheduled classroom with my English speaking friends and would go into a room with 3 or 4 other kids who were just like me- on their way to being bilingual. For a long time we worked with Sesame Street books. They were easy to read, fun, and where made just for kids like us to understand. A picture coincided with a word and that was how I learned to read. But, by 5th grade, my teacher, Mrs. Jeanetta, became ambitious. I can’t exactly remember the names of the stories we were reading but they were difficult to read and difficult to understand. What I do know is that they were classics. Mrs. Jeanetta made a point to let us know that we were indeed reading difficult literature. This, she would point out, would not be literature that our friends would be reading. These classics would only be read by them in Junior High. So, one would ask, why were we reading them if our English was not even close to par with the “average” students’?
Mrs. Jeanetta was a bright woman that knew that reading such difficult works of literature would do several things for us. First, it would raise our self-esteem. As silly as that may seem, that was just as important as being able to understand the words in the text. By building our self-esteem, she was giving us the confidence we needed to join in the conversation in our regular classroom. Secondly, the difficult words allowed us to learn to become self-educators. This lesson was: if you do not know the vocabulary, you have the power to look it up. She taught us that we did not need her or anyone else to become independent in our learning. If Mrs. Jeanetta had been giving us remedial words that were already familiar to us, we might have been complacent with our language development.
Mrs. Jeanetta’s methods greatly affect who I am today, as a reader an a writer. I still feel that my vocabulary is remedial. This is not to say that I find that my education has lacked in substance. It has not. But, it has taught me to keep a little book of words I hear and read. Next to the words, I write their definition. This, by no means mean that I will remember them. But, I go back to these words often, reminding myself that language is powerful and I can use these words to express the strength at which I was my voice to be perceived.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Warm up #2, Rose 5-6
1. What kinds of reading and writing did you see students doing in school? Why do you think Rose chose these assignments?
Students at the Veteran’s Program did reading and writing that consisted of summarizing, classifying, comparing, and analyzing various texts such as poems, music lyrics, and other written literature. Rose chose these topics because he said they “were strategies that kept emerging as [he] reflected on the life of the undergraduate” (pp. 138).
2. What “rules and regulations” did students appear to be following as they read and wrote? In light of the students’ overall schooling experiences, did these seem useful or not? Speculate about how they might have influenced students’ literacy development.
The rules and regulations that students appear to be following as they read and wrote at the Veteran Program were very different from student to student. It seemed that experimentation was a very important point that Rose made. No matter what the students were writing about, what was important was that they were experimenting with different styles and different types of writing. Yes, I saw them as useful. As Todd Mitchell said, it is not what you write about. It is the act of writing that makes you a better writing. So, experimentation is the best way to learn to write. These men in the Veteran’s programs were man who were, for the most part, trying to escape their lives in the service and were trying to branch out from that life. By experimenting, they were in a way stepping away from their orderly life in the military. These exercises probably taught them that all is possible in literature and in their lives.
Students at the Veteran’s Program did reading and writing that consisted of summarizing, classifying, comparing, and analyzing various texts such as poems, music lyrics, and other written literature. Rose chose these topics because he said they “were strategies that kept emerging as [he] reflected on the life of the undergraduate” (pp. 138).
2. What “rules and regulations” did students appear to be following as they read and wrote? In light of the students’ overall schooling experiences, did these seem useful or not? Speculate about how they might have influenced students’ literacy development.
The rules and regulations that students appear to be following as they read and wrote at the Veteran Program were very different from student to student. It seemed that experimentation was a very important point that Rose made. No matter what the students were writing about, what was important was that they were experimenting with different styles and different types of writing. Yes, I saw them as useful. As Todd Mitchell said, it is not what you write about. It is the act of writing that makes you a better writing. So, experimentation is the best way to learn to write. These men in the Veteran’s programs were man who were, for the most part, trying to escape their lives in the service and were trying to branch out from that life. By experimenting, they were in a way stepping away from their orderly life in the military. These exercises probably taught them that all is possible in literature and in their lives.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Language Investigation #2
Becoming a mother has taught me many things. First, it has taught me that eating is not an option, it is a mandatory, scheduled event that can or cannot involve my consumption of food. Oh, you thought I was talking about me eating? No, the child must eat, not me. Truth of the matter is that I do not get a 3 or 2 meal day until the weekend! Silly you! Giving birth also taught me that nap time is set in stone. No, no. I am not the one taking the naps; my daughter is. So, when the sun arrives to approximately 1/3 up the sky and the clock says 12pm, it is nap time. The friend is coming over? Cancel it! The dishes need to be done? Too much noise so, forget it! But, what I have now begun to realize that if I say it, she will say it or want it. What does this mean? Spell it. Spelling may not be special words that only my friends and I would know because we are moms. But, spelling does give insider status to all adults or those old enough to write. So, my mommy friends and I have become super spellers and have decided we can just about take on any 3rd grader in the National Spelling Bee.
My friend Brenda and I both have children all under 3. We also just happen to be feisty people. Because we have kids, consequently, this does happen to make us feisty moms. So, on Mondays, we get together to recap. “Man, I had a C-R-A-P weekend. You-know-who got home after watching the game with the guys and was a little D-R-U-N-K. I am not exactly sure because I was sleeping. But, he was banging into the doors a little so I think he was plastered. (Big or confusing words also are a tool we use). I was so P-I-S-S-E-D!” To which she replies, “My weekend sorta S-U-C-K-E-D. My M-O-T-H-E-R-in-law was over and she was such a P-A-I-N in the B-U-T-T. All she does is B-I-T-C…if you know what I mean.” Spelling allows us to keep our feisty individualities alive even if our body is hardly functioning due to lack of food or sleep.
The other tool I briefly mentioned is the use of big words or phrases that the kids just would not understand. The same example from above, where the mother-in-law was in town, would sound a little like this, “My weekend was sorta unsatisfactory. My husband’s doting life giver was over and she was quite irksome. She expostulated all weekend!” The only problem with this method arises when one of us does not know what the big word may mean. Therefore, spelling is our method of choice.
My daughter depends on me for many things. What she depends on me most for is to be consistent with her schedule and not teach her anything she should not know until she is about 30. That is why Brenda and I would rather D-I-E than to go to the L-I-B-R-A-R-Y today and have to go through another S-T-O-R-Y time with those C-R-A-Z-Y, overprotective moms during N-A-P time. Bring it on 3rd grader!
My friend Brenda and I both have children all under 3. We also just happen to be feisty people. Because we have kids, consequently, this does happen to make us feisty moms. So, on Mondays, we get together to recap. “Man, I had a C-R-A-P weekend. You-know-who got home after watching the game with the guys and was a little D-R-U-N-K. I am not exactly sure because I was sleeping. But, he was banging into the doors a little so I think he was plastered. (Big or confusing words also are a tool we use). I was so P-I-S-S-E-D!” To which she replies, “My weekend sorta S-U-C-K-E-D. My M-O-T-H-E-R-in-law was over and she was such a P-A-I-N in the B-U-T-T. All she does is B-I-T-C…if you know what I mean.” Spelling allows us to keep our feisty individualities alive even if our body is hardly functioning due to lack of food or sleep.
The other tool I briefly mentioned is the use of big words or phrases that the kids just would not understand. The same example from above, where the mother-in-law was in town, would sound a little like this, “My weekend was sorta unsatisfactory. My husband’s doting life giver was over and she was quite irksome. She expostulated all weekend!” The only problem with this method arises when one of us does not know what the big word may mean. Therefore, spelling is our method of choice.
My daughter depends on me for many things. What she depends on me most for is to be consistent with her schedule and not teach her anything she should not know until she is about 30. That is why Brenda and I would rather D-I-E than to go to the L-I-B-R-A-R-Y today and have to go through another S-T-O-R-Y time with those C-R-A-Z-Y, overprotective moms during N-A-P time. Bring it on 3rd grader!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
9-3-08 Warmup
· What patterns did you see among the Language Investigations you wrote and read?
I found that emotions were greatly connected to the development of a unique language within a family. A lot of times, the significance of the language could only be found unique if the person was there for the development of the language. Emotional connections could only be created if one was present to understand the underlying meaning of the words or phrases.
· What do these patterns reveal about language and its conventions in family contexts?
These patterns show that language can greatly differ from family to family and that the development of one's personal style and contributions to their own written work may be misinterpreted or underestimated by those who do not understand the language.
· Thinking about these Language Investigations in conjunction with what you’ve read so far in Lives on the Boundary, what does it mean to be an “insider” in terms of language? What questions and issues do your conclusions raise for you as a future teacher?
To be an insider in terms of language means to be able to understand and draw from your own experiences a connection with the writing. If one cannot draw from the experiences, one must be able to associate with the feelings/language.
I found that emotions were greatly connected to the development of a unique language within a family. A lot of times, the significance of the language could only be found unique if the person was there for the development of the language. Emotional connections could only be created if one was present to understand the underlying meaning of the words or phrases.
· What do these patterns reveal about language and its conventions in family contexts?
These patterns show that language can greatly differ from family to family and that the development of one's personal style and contributions to their own written work may be misinterpreted or underestimated by those who do not understand the language.
· Thinking about these Language Investigations in conjunction with what you’ve read so far in Lives on the Boundary, what does it mean to be an “insider” in terms of language? What questions and issues do your conclusions raise for you as a future teacher?
To be an insider in terms of language means to be able to understand and draw from your own experiences a connection with the writing. If one cannot draw from the experiences, one must be able to associate with the feelings/language.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Language Investigation One
When you grow up with corn husks that transform into dolls, septic tanks that you use to taunt your little cousins, and your back yard is as close as you ever think you will get to the magical Disney World, you have an imagination that is as fireworks, constantly exploding into various multicolored formations and begging to be shared with your friends and family. Growing up in Brazil, I found that speech was one of the most valuable and transformable tools I would ever have. Due to our financial instability, I never owned a book for enjoyment, never traveled anywhere special, and most definitely never played with any of the few toys that I did have; they stayed in my room, on a shelf, hardly ever touched and but completely adored. Language became a necessity. Communication became one of the few outlets to alleviate the monotony of our everyday, milk and rice existence.
Now that I have a daughter, I have taken upon myself the task of teaching her what was once taught to me. I teach her that she can only be torn down by negative connotations of words if she allows them to. While growing up, I knew my uncle as “Gordo.” His real name was DeoClesio but we called him “Fat”. This name progressed into a more adult form from “Gordinho”, or “Little Fatty”, because he was chunky as a tiny tike. As he grew into a slender and athletic young man, he lost his baby fat but never lost the name. Nonetheless, the epithet was his. “Gordinho” had once identified him as a well-fed child and now, as a man, it allowed him to think positively about his body and appreciate the relationship he had with his family. In our family, over time, the word Gordinho has almost completely lost its association with the state of one’s body. Gordinho, or Gordinha for females, is used to describe someone you respect, love, and completely adore, regardless of their physique. Another word whose etymology has changed over time in our family is the word “linda”, beautiful. It progressed from “lindinha,” little beauty. To this day, my cousin and I approach each other by saying, “Oi minha linda”, or “Hello my beautiful.” Again, the word has less to do with how attractive we think the other one is. Instead, it allows us to share our feelings of adoration, love, and appreciation towards one another.
Without a strong financial base during my childhood, I was forced to use language as a tool to work up the soil of my very bland garden of life. Because everyone knew of their own struggling situation, the communication between family members was of an uninhibited and unapologetic kind. Sometimes the truth, spoken in words and let out into space for all to hear, was all that we had control of in our lives. Now, I associate speaking Portuguese with a knowledge beyond that which one may find in books. It is a knowledge about oneself. It is the strength to know how you feel, know the truth about your situation, and not being ashamed to share it with others. It is the strength to admit that your emotions and your experiences are as true and as powerful as gravity, and they can keep you just as grounded. I cannot imagine anything more valuable to give to my daughter than the strength to use language to discover and express herself without allowing words to destroy her. This knowledge will forever be more precious than any valuable I may ever pass down to her.
Now that I have a daughter, I have taken upon myself the task of teaching her what was once taught to me. I teach her that she can only be torn down by negative connotations of words if she allows them to. While growing up, I knew my uncle as “Gordo.” His real name was DeoClesio but we called him “Fat”. This name progressed into a more adult form from “Gordinho”, or “Little Fatty”, because he was chunky as a tiny tike. As he grew into a slender and athletic young man, he lost his baby fat but never lost the name. Nonetheless, the epithet was his. “Gordinho” had once identified him as a well-fed child and now, as a man, it allowed him to think positively about his body and appreciate the relationship he had with his family. In our family, over time, the word Gordinho has almost completely lost its association with the state of one’s body. Gordinho, or Gordinha for females, is used to describe someone you respect, love, and completely adore, regardless of their physique. Another word whose etymology has changed over time in our family is the word “linda”, beautiful. It progressed from “lindinha,” little beauty. To this day, my cousin and I approach each other by saying, “Oi minha linda”, or “Hello my beautiful.” Again, the word has less to do with how attractive we think the other one is. Instead, it allows us to share our feelings of adoration, love, and appreciation towards one another.
Without a strong financial base during my childhood, I was forced to use language as a tool to work up the soil of my very bland garden of life. Because everyone knew of their own struggling situation, the communication between family members was of an uninhibited and unapologetic kind. Sometimes the truth, spoken in words and let out into space for all to hear, was all that we had control of in our lives. Now, I associate speaking Portuguese with a knowledge beyond that which one may find in books. It is a knowledge about oneself. It is the strength to know how you feel, know the truth about your situation, and not being ashamed to share it with others. It is the strength to admit that your emotions and your experiences are as true and as powerful as gravity, and they can keep you just as grounded. I cannot imagine anything more valuable to give to my daughter than the strength to use language to discover and express herself without allowing words to destroy her. This knowledge will forever be more precious than any valuable I may ever pass down to her.
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