2 edits
Originally posted by zakkwylder26 for King is 7 years out of college. 7 years out of college is something quite different from a high schooler in an ethnic studies class.
26 is still relatively young in the grand scheme of things. My only point is that simply dismissing even the most insignificant of people may not always be the best idea.
DOCTOR King is someone I take more seriously than "not yet graduated from high school kid".
The whole point of that article is just as the mentioned X Files episode states, even a king can miss a revolution if he's not paying attention. If we right off others because they are obscure or seemingly unimportant then who really is the foolish one? It may seem harmless and innocent to you, but that is a very dangerous mindset with much deeper and violent roots. As I said before, if you're not going to listen to a mere student, do so because what he has said is foolish. Judging his statement foolish on the basis of him being young and a student says something about your intelligence level.
Originally posted by PinkFloydZakk thinks that the high schooler who commented on the poster is the next MLK Jr. This time it will be "poster rights" not "civil rights", but still.
How did this go from baseball being the domiinant sport of an area to an election I know nothing about, but seems to have immigration undertones?
1 edit
Originally posted by AThousandYoungHe's just being pompous and obstructive - and I reckon making a bit of a fool of himself at the same time. Pawnhandler raised this question for debate: "Am I the only one who thinks that acknowledging other cultures doesn't mean ignoring the dominant one?" AThousandYoung - tin-pot, bullying and seemingly politically autistic as usual - has been trying to wreck this thread from the get go because he objects to the way this question popped into Pawnhandler's mind. Ignore him and he'll go away. Maybe.
Zakk thinks that the high schooler who commented on the poster is the next MLK Jr. This time it will be "poster rights" not "civil rights", but still.
Originally posted by zakkwylder
This would be an example of Duckspeak that Boss de Nage mentioned.
Originally posted by FMFSo, do you feel you are doing enough - or not enough - to promote the dominant culture?
Would your 'baseball culture' be undermined if there was not a baseball poster on the classroom wall?
Originally posted by pawnhandler
Nope. The point is why object to it? I had a baseball poster up for a while with some rah-rah message on it about doing your best. I rotated it with rah-rah posters of basketball and football.
Originally posted by pawnhandler
If there were rah-rah posters of ballet and women's gymnastics and frisbee throwing and golf and soccer and chess and hair styling, I'd put those up too.
But you don't... because you're saying there aren't any suitable posters available for you to put up on the wall (or you don't have the time to acquire some)? So in your classroom - if measured by the posters on the wall (ok, so we are not talking here about your whole approach as an educator, clearly, we're just being pernickety about posters) - you consciously promote the dominant culture and do not 'validate' any alternatives?
It seems to me that in answer to your own question Am I the only one who thinks that acknowledging other cultures doesn't mean ignoring the dominant one? your actual position seems to be: 'I do not ignore the dominant culture, but nor do I (seen through the prism of sports posters on the wall) acknowledge other cultures'. Have I got this right?
Originally posted by FMFFirst, I should preface by saying I am limited by how much of my money I can realistically spend on my classroom each year and what my priorities for that money are. I spend primarily on books that hopefully will match the interests and reading levels of the incoming class. I tend to only put up posters if there is an overall diversity. Before I became a teacher, I remember a made-for-TV movie and the classroom bulletin board said "Our Heroes" and it was pictures of presidents (all of whom were white) and their wasn't a white teen in the room. The obvious message of the image was that the people on the wall weren't the students' heroes, and there was a huge chasm between their inner lives and the school. I got that. I'm not sure if this makes sense or not, but I don't promote the dominant culture so much -- I just make sure it's included and not negated or minimized. I make sure that if there are faces on my walls, they are in a variety of colors and genders. That is America to me, and that I promote (or did when I taught at schools in which I could actually put up posters, which is another story). But no, I don't spend hours on the internet looking for posters of Ronaldinho to buy with my money because it's my job to validate someone's love of Brazilian soccer players. If someone gave me a free poster and I had other sports posters up, I'd put it up.
So, do you feel you are doing enough - or not enough - to promote the dominant culture?
Originally posted by pawnhandler
[b]If there were rah-rah posters of ballet and women's gymnastics and frisbee throwing and golf and soccer and chess and hair styling, I'd put those up too.
But you don't... because you're saying there aren't any suita ...[text shortened]... m of sports posters on the wall) acknowledge other cultures'. Have I got this right?[/b]
I guess my actual position is: "I don't ignore the multiculturalism of America nor refrain from using available non-American items, but if I'm not teaching world history and geography then I'm not making an extreme effort to use my walls to "validate" other countries. They don't need validating.
Originally posted by pawnhandlerSounds fair. Mind you, too much emphasis on sports can be a very alienating thing for non-sporty teens too. I went to a high pressure sports mad secondary school (run by French speaking Catholic American brothers) and if you were sporty you were Ok - safe, respected - but if you were non-sporty you had to endure living hell - and a certain degree of physical and psychological abuse - for an afternoon of "Games" every week and 2 sessions of "P.E." Personally I was Ok because I was good at judo (which had nothing to do with my school, but its sports ethos meant that it respected all sports) and I also played cricket for my city - which brought glory upon my school. I have since realized that most kids going to neighbouring "English" schools, as opposed to my "American" one, did not experience the same kind of sports>chavenism>tyranny thing that we did. British "public schools" (meaning exclusive, private schools) had (and have) a strong sporting ethos. But it was on a different level wehere I went. I think a domineering "Sports Heroes" culture can sometimes be a suffocating, alienating thing for many people. I've always had this assumption in my mind that this is a problem that America has - but I don't have anything more than anecdotal 'evidence' to back it up.
I'm not sure if this makes sense or not, but I don't promote the dominant culture so much -- I just make sure it's included and not negated or minimized. I make sure that if there are faces on my walls, they are in a variety of colors and genders. That is America to me, and that I promote (or did when I taught at schools in which I could actually put up posters, which is another story).
Originally posted by AThousandYoungYou claim to teach children or youth. Well, I'll tell you what. If you were teaching my kids and this was your attitude to your role as an educator, I would tear you off a strip on parents' night. I'd give you a dressing down in front of all the other parents that you'd never forget.
It's a student in an ethnic studies class. A minor, no less. Why would a minor student in ethnic studies be someone you take seriously about such issues?
Originally posted by AThousandYoungI never directly compaired the two. I just mentioned that he was young once, and a student for that matter. Regardless of what I said, trust me it wouldn't be for you attention. You still have yet to grasp the concept I was sharing with you.
What? Did you or did you not compare this person to MLK Jr in an attempt to get me to pay attention to what he had to say?
7 edits
Originally posted by FMFEnjoy looking for a new school for your hypothetical child. We don't allow our students to dictate to the adults. The kids do not tell the teachers what decorations should be on the walls.
You claim to teach children or youth. Well, I'll tell you what. If you were teaching my kids and this was your attitude to your role as an educator, I would tear you off a strip on parents' night. I'd give you a dressing down in front of all the other parents that you'd never forget.
I'm in more demand than your hypothetical kid. Kids who need a better education are easy to find in inner city Los Angeles. Qualified science teachers are not. If my Principal has a problem with my attitude, she shouldn't be pushing me so hard to adopt it for one thing, and second, I already have another job offer on the table. I'm only in teaching because that's where there is need for me. If I'm not needed I can go work at McDonald's. Either way is cool with me.
Now, if you want, you can talk to the Principal, and she might tell me what to put on my walls. If she does, I will do what I am told. I know who's in charge.
It's not the children certainly.