Final Portfolio: Letters

Preface: I want you to know some things about the world that some people don't realize and that I've only come to understand within the past few months. I want to enable you to make good decisions--decisions that will change the lives of yourself and those around you. I want you to love those you teach and those who teach you (that should cover just about everyone). Be willing to learn. Be willing to be silent. Be willing to see past the superficiality that our culture is focused on. Look past it, and learn from it. Flourish in spite of it. Endeavor to change it. 

Letter #1:

        Putting people in boxes was never something I had a problem with. I thought it was convenient, showed my interest in others, helped me to identify who they were based on our differences. I thought it was, in certain cases, a good thing, something that would help me to understand other people if I was able to know certain things about them: their religion, where they were from, sexual orientation, etc. I didn't realize that I did it because I thought I had the right to know. I had been conditioned to think that if they were different from me, then they owed me some kind of justification for those differences. I never had to explain why I was white, or a woman, or why I was dating boys instead of girls. The realization that I did this because I felt like it was owed to me never occurred to me. Comparison is something that we all engage in, something that I have struggled with and something you will struggle with throughout your life, whether that comparison is between you and your peers, those from your own culture, you and those of the opposite gender, from a different race, from a different social class--but that comparison automatically puts up walls, creating an "Us vs. Them" or a "them vs me" mentality. We can talk about tolerance all day long, but is that what we want? Christ never said "As I have tolerated you, tolerate one another. By this shall men know ye are my disciples, if ye have tolerance one to another." I guess what I'm trying to say to you is that categorization divides people. That's what segregation was in the first place, putting people into separate spaces physically. There's not a ton of difference if we are mentally segregated--if we can automatically assume certain things about people based on superficial knowledge. 

       That's why I'm writing this to you. I want you to learn this lesson quicker than I have, and preferably with less guilt and shame than that I've experienced. Our culture has this need to find out where things fit. In regards to literature, to genre, to mathematical equations, that's fine. I don't think it's justified to do that to people, not anymore. That's as hard to do as it is easy to say. But it's a start. Maybe if we say it enough, we'll believe it.

Letter #2:

        There's another thing I've learned. 

        I'm white.

        So, okay, I guess that's not really anything new, some huge revelation that will change the course of human history (or, really, anyone's history except mine and yours, maybe), but it's something that I've come to understand, to really realize the past couple of months. I'm white, and that makes a difference for me (for us). 

        I've never noticed how that made a ton of difference in relation to the majority of society (excluding certain places in the South). I honestly believed everything, or almost everything, these days was based on meritocracy. Honestly. And then I realized that that's not true. I have certain privileges because of something I have no control over--none. We talk about America being a place where one can be treated with equality and start fresh, with new opportunities and the ability to obtain upward mobility, where you can feel valued instead of discriminated against. 

        Bandaids. They're skin-colored, right? How convenient. The "nude"-colored crayon. Well, how nice for our coloring books. The easy ability to find hair products or make-up that's right for us. The fact that my hair, being straight, will be easily manipulated into "looking professional." I'm lucky. I've inherited (and will probably end up passing to you) this privilege of belonging to a race that has never been marginalized in the history of the United States. We look like the people in magazines, We look like the heroes in the movies, often even the ones about the marginalization of other races. We don't have the handicaps that come with being treated like three-fifths of a human being for hundreds of years. 

       I guess you could call white privilege a burden, if you're aware of it. How do you fix it? How do you provide equitable resources for everyone in order to remove the monuments that have served as your vantage points, but are stumbling-blocks for someone else? Human nature seems to fight that. If it's good for you and helps you get ahead, then it's okay, right? You have worked hard to get it. But there's a difference between privilege and merit. I think everything begins with listening. Hearing what the groups that have been marginalized have to say, but you have to listen with an open mind. Acknowledge to them that they're right, and then work with them to fix it. Provide them with the resources they want, not the ones you THINK they want. Admit it. Admit that you have the privilege, but don't do that as a way to assert dominance. Recognize it as something that inhibits another human creature from prospering. I'm just starting off. But you can do this. Take that inherited privilege from me and use it to give other people the capital they need to change their circumstances. 

        You'll figure it out. I have faith.

Letter #3:

       Brazil was an interesting experience for me to evaluate post-mission. I'm sure you've heard the stories--mental hospitals, stalkers, drunken proposals, and astounding miracles. But I don't think you've heard it all.  

       When I first got there, it was hard for me to see this people as equal to me. They were shorter, darker, and spoke a different language. They didn't have very advanced jobs and lived paycheck to paycheck. They lived in houses without air conditioning, without classical novels, and without space to breathe or think. They spoke to each other in a language that I didn't understand very well, and they understood barely better than I did. They had poor dental care, limited access to healthcare, and easy access to drugs and alcohol. I couldn't understand them, and to me, that made them less intelligent. As my understanding of the language grew, my understanding, love, and admiration for them as intelligent, equal humans with insight, knowledge, and experiences that I simply didn't possess. They were kind and loving, openly loving, as opposed to the American culture. 

       I have realized that our mutual deficiencies put us on equal grounds, instead of me being higher than them. I realized that language, while it's a shared culture, the benchmark by which we judge our children, our intelligence, our background and culture, and if someone doesn't meet that benchmark, we assume they're unqualified to take part in any of it. There is a definite feeling in the US that if you come here, you have to learn English. That doesn't ring so true with me anymore. I hope you understand that language is fluid. It changes over time in multiple directions. So take it easy--if someone doesn't speak English to you, there are other languages in which you can communicate. I hope you never use superficial understanding of someone as a benchmark by which to judge them. Love them first. First understand them as human beings, and then understand them as beings with the same depth as you. Only then will you be able to understand what they're saying. 

Letter #4:

       I hope you know that I would do anything for you. Anything to help you, to support you, to encourage and guide you, to show you how I love you. There are people who aren't able to be so present in the lives of those who they love. I hope this won't be our case, but I want you to know that in the same way that I love you, other parents love their children. They might struggle to be able to buy things for them, to be able to attend parent-teacher meetings, to attend soccer games or pay for piano lessons. That doesn't mean their parents don't love them. Life is difficult. It throws curveballs and prevents and enables you. But these curveballs shouldn't define you. 

      Money isn't everything. It's a tool to enable you to accomplish things in life, but there are ways to survive and flourish without it. I hope you know that. I also hope you know that just because someone is poor doesn't mean the don't love their children. I hope you know that sometimes, people are happier without money than they are with it. I saw that a lot in Brazil. But it's not because they're ignorant. My father grew up in a poor family, but he's one of the most intelligent men I've ever met, and he has transformed his and my (and your) life. 

      One of the main messages of the Book of Mormon is that when you start mistreating the poor, neglecting and misjudging, that's when destruction happens, whether spiritual or temporal. I hope you take that to heart. Life isn't about money, it's about people. It's about learning, and there are ways to do that without money--people have learned since before the concept. Listen to them speak. Again. Don't assume because a parent has to work more and leave their kids home means that they love them less--on the contrary. It means they are trying to make a better life for them. Give people the benefit of the doubt. You'll be surprised how often you will find that you were right to do so. 

Letter #5:

      This is another hard thing to talk about, but what it really boils down to is respect. Understand that people need different things. You might need a God who leads you every step of the way--you might need Him so you can learn to trust Him. Or you might need a God who chooses to let you choose 100% of the time, so you can learn to trust yourself. 

      Respect and understanding. Words that are not only overused but underappreciated. It denotes honor and comprehension of sanctity. It entails kindness and acceptance. If someone doesn't want what you're promoting, then let them pursue the course that will lead them to the greatest amount of happiness. That's the most important thing. Want others' happiness, help them to get it, and then you'll be happy. True fact. One of life's most important lessons. Don't judge someone based on their beliefs. Don't enable others to inflict harm if they believe in inflicting harm, obviously, but look for the beauty in all belief. Look for sanctity in faith of any kind. Understand that it's probably as hard and fulfilling for them as it is for you. All faith is. Nourish others in their search for meaning. It's hard to reconcile missionary work and respect, but if you genuinely want someone to be happy, help them to find what they want. I have faith that that path will eventually be truth.

Letter #6:

      Capitalism. Tricky topic. I go back and forth. What I've decided recently is that God knows best. The law of Consecration is by far the best plan for government that I've ever heard of. Forget socialism, forget communism, forget totalitarianism. 

       So. Humans. By living in a capitalist society, we tend to judge other humans based on their monetary value. Someone who's rich is appealing, someone who is incredibly intelligent and makes a lot of money or valuable contributions to society is attractive. Those who we do not see as making monetary contributions to society, we often see as worthless, or undeserving, or a money pit, in which we'll invest and invest and not get anything out of it. Why waste resources on someone who won't be able to take them and then sow them elsewhere in the world? This life is the time to prepare, right? So investing in others is never a bad thing. Learning to love someone and invest in them is never a bad thing. Learning to see the value in all human life, regardless of the state, is one of the aims of God--to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man. We can't help the Lord achieve that aim if we don't take it upon ourselves to learn to love those who need our help. This includes leveling the playing field. We need to provide them with the resources so that they can work themselves to obtain the aims that the Lord has set for us, or the aims that they choose to pursue. We can't define people by what they can and cannot do, but we have to recognize that we can't fix it. Unless fixing it is scientifically possible and a goal that they have, we can't assume that this is what defines them. We are defined by our accomplishments, our character, and our effort. Not by our abilities. We can't assume that everyone wants to overcome their disabilities, or that it's always possible. Just because someone as a physical disability doesn't mean that they are intellectually dysfunctional or lower-functioning (hello, Stephen Hawking). Believe that hidden pain exists. Someone's in a wheelchair and yet they can walk (like that substitute teacher I had in high school who everyone accused of being lazy, even I thought it once or twice)--well, you sit down while you are physically able to stand. Other people need accommodations in order to have the same opportunities, like, ahem, transportation. 

       But don't forget that hidden pain isn't necessarily physical. It's often mental, and we have a responsibility to recognize and take steps. Please, pay attention to the people around you. Don't hesitate, and be sure to listen when people speak to you. They might be trying to say something that they don't know how to express. Be kind. Believe in people. They may let you down, but you will never let yourself down.

Letter #7:

         We have a responsibility to nurture the people around us, no matter who they are. I think the main thing that I have been able to overcome in my judgement of others is in regards to the LGBTQ community. Last semester I made a friend. We were on the same jujistu team and in a writing class together. I knew her before she became he, and that was a learning experience for me. Listening to his testimony of the gospel, listening to him talk about his mission experiences, and to his writing, and to his insight in an English class this semester, all of this listening really helped me to not only identify my own prejudices, misconceptions, and discomfort with the LGBTQ community, but I was able to better identify, with the help of a professor, how to respond, how to love, how to nurture, and how to help, if they need it. I learned that I owe the LGBTQ community respect, an open mind, and loving understanding. I am not a judge in Israel. That is an incredible blessing to me. I don't have to judge those around me and make them fix their sins--if they want my help, then I will give all that I have the capacity to give. But I can simply love. Knowing someone identifies in one way or another doesn't mean anything about their sins. There is room in society for them. There is (or should be) room in the church for them. There is room in our homes and in our lives. 

        Seek to support. Seek to encourage. Seek to help them find happiness in the ways they want. Loving someone brings them and yourself closer to Christ. Be a missionary insofar as they want to hear, but be a friend first and after, and don't be afraid to tell them that you love them. 

Re-Imagined Classroom

Original Classroom:

(Credit: Mrs. E from "Teacher, Teacher I Declare" at http://teacherteacherideclare.blogspot.com/2013/01/seating-chart-possibilities.html)
This is an example of an arrangement of desks that I would like to have in my classroom. I like having groups in classrooms because I think group work is essential. Learning from peers often has more impact than learning from teachers. I think it's also important that they get to know one another, and that my students have the chance to feel like they belong to a group, since group-think is so essential in adolescent behaviors and development. I hope to stimulate the kind of atmosphere in which this group-think will be positive and uplifting.

(Credit: pinpicture.com)
This "Quotation Station" is something that I would like to incorporate into my future classroom. It would be fun to pick a quotation every week from something that we read that the students especially liked; whether interesting, profound, or funny, it would be good to get to know what interests the students and what they get out of our readings and the texts that I may assign.

(Credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5keVtNLwvELmxJ9aE3DZ2-7bBDPsCeGEAwgoQKVXjVyDB9slh37Cbw63QWIJuW8G7xE5ohU352nxdebCRrqO1GjrVJcvf3D-YuGhpTNGtpKUTyTaTYW83jHEc_PJ7M23zfLbC6jQS-iI/s1600/Our+Favorite+Books.jpg)
This is an example of a bulletin board that I would like to incorporate into my classroom. Not only does it allow us as a class to focus on the things we like about literature, but it allows us to learn more about each other as people, about our interests, and I think it would be fun to add to it as the year progresses in order to get some feedback from the students for myself and for them to see how their tastes have changed.

(Credit: @lessonswithlaughter instagram.com)
This bookshelf is something that I envision in my classroom, but with perhaps more advanced books for my students. I love that it's fun and colorful and it will not only give my students freedom to read and to learn, but it will give them responsibility as well--to return the book, to treat others' things with respect and care, and to be instructed and delighted on their own time.

(Credit: writing.com)
This is something that I would hang in my classroom as a poster. I like this because it's not only appealing in its humor to my (future) students, as they will (most likely) be high school age, but it's educational and definitely applicable for their age and (some of the students') levels of writing, of which my brother's 12th grade essays are proof.

           I imagine that my classroom will be a clean and inviting place. I don't want it to be so full of posters and bulletin boards that my students pay more attention to reading/examining the things on the walls that they forget to pay attention to what is happening at the front of the classroom or what their peers are saying, but I want them to feel comfortable and ready to engage. I like the idea of grammar and literature humor for the walls, and a bookshelf with a wide assortment of books ranging from the classics to "escape" fiction for their enjoyment and for projects where they might get to choose the book rather than it being assigned to them. I intend to have "emergency supplies" or something like that where maybe someone forgot to bring their pencil or some paper and they can have a weekly pass for that station. I also think the idea of a phone-charging station would be interesting because not only does it get their phones out of their hands, but it helps them to know that I understand how important connection is to them. 

     I imagine that my students will come from many different backgrounds, and that means that they will have many and varying needs.   I imagine some will come from wealthy backgrounds and others will come from poorer homes. Some will have functional, healthy familial relationships, and others will not. Most of them will feel the need for affirmation. Because of where they are, in a young-adult/adolescent stage, they will be experiencing changes and won't exactly be knowing where they fit in, who their friends are/should be, how they should act in school and out of school, etc. They will be uncomfortable in their bodies or at least very self-aware, and they will be in a constant struggle to feel accepted and to achieve an elevated social status. Some (many, I hope) will be interested in literature, but they'll all be interested in the themes of identity and "finding" oneself, since that is so applicable in their stage of life. They'll be interested in their cell phones and in dating and having fun. They'll be interested in going out on the weekends, learning how to drive, and probably sports or going to the high school sports games. In class, I anticipate some of them being on their cell phones, even if that isn't the ideal. I also imagine that some will be paying attention, learning, thinking, and expanding their own ideals and opinions. Some will be distracted by passing notes, or flirting with the cute classmate sitting across from them, but most will be eager to get good grades, so they can get into college. 

Cell phones: I intend to engage the students via their devices, whether they have laptops, tablets, or cell phones. BUT. At the beginning of class, unless I say otherwise, they go to the charging station, where I will have a couple of power cords so they can plug their phones in, and when I say, they can go and get them from the charging station for classroom use. If I see someone using it during instruction time, they get one warning. If I see it again, then it goes in phone prison, which will probably just be a little basket, and they have to come and get it from me at the end of class. 

Tardiness and Absences: I imagine there will be a school-wide policy, but I intend to be fairly lenient about absences so that my students don't feel overwhelmed by all of their classes' workloads. Absent work will be due by the next week. If they're tardy, it might be fun to ask them to write me a two-to-three paragraph story--fictional or truthful--about why they were tardy. If it's creative, colorful, or satirical, with good grammar and spelling, then I won't mark them tardy.

Be Respectful: Students can't laugh at other people's opinions. Literature is focused on learning truths about humanity. Humans can be cruel, but in my classroom we will not.

Homework: It's due when I say it's due. Late work will be marked down 20 points each day it's late unless you have a reason you discuss with me personally. I might give them 3 late passes and 1 no homework pass per semester. 

Romeo and Juliet: I imagine Shakespeare will make up a large part of what I teach. If I were to teach Romeo and Juliet, I'd like to involve the class. I think it would be fun to have an inner-class competition between study groups. Each would get a scene to perform, maybe the same scene, maybe different ones. They would have to be creative, use what they have to make costumes, be innovative, whether that means changing their method of speaking or the time period of what they're acting, and the class would vote for whichever team was the most well-presented, the most accurate, or the funniest. While they are preparing with their groups and rehearsing, I would walk around, give encouragement or ideas, help with the language, especially since Shakespeare can be very hard to understand, and give them feedback. I might be helping them come up with what they can use as the backdrop on the projector, or some background music. I would try to interact with the kids as much as possible while allowing them to think and be innovative themselves, and mostly have fun while they were learning the themes of each scene.

        I might ask them if they liked Romeo and Juliet, what themes they noticed about love and family and things like that. I'd ask them what they didn't like, what they would change if they could, why those changes would matter and how they would affect the themes of the story. I chose this topic because I think not only is Shakespeare the Father of the English Language, but his stories are about flawed, selfish people. While there's always an element of the fantastic, his themes are about real people trying to get what they want, and their actions always affect those around them. That's an important lesson to learn. 

        At the end of their presentations, they have to come up with at least 3 themes prevalent in their scene (the number is likely to change; 3 is preemptive) and how they apply to their own lives. They can write this down or they can say it to the class as a part of their presentation, but I expect them to be able to interpret and understand the themes that are most relevant to them such as love, family, revenge, death, etc. I will know they've learned something when they can apply Romeo and Juliet meaningfully to their own lives. 

Re-Imagined Classroom:

(Credit: Mrs. E from "Teacher, Teacher I Declare" at http://teacherteacherideclare.blogspot.com/2013/01/seating-chart-possibilities.html)
This is an example of an arrangement of desks that I would like to have in my classroom. I like having groups in classrooms because I think group work is essential. Learning from peers often has more impact than learning from teachers. I think it's also important that they get to know one another, and that my students have the chance to feel like they belong to a group, since group-think is so essential in adolescent behaviors and development. I hope to stimulate the kind of atmosphere in which this group-think will be positive and uplifting. I plan on making these seating arrangements completely random, hopefully to allow student to get to know other students who they might not know very well due to social class, race, culture, or religion. I hope to do a lot of group work in order to allow them to really get to know each other, especially discussing the themes of social justice in novels and critical works that we read in class. I also plan to make enough space in the seating in order to allow students with physical disabilities to access the group seating so that they don't feel different or like they have additional difficulty in participating in group work.  

(Credit: pinpicture.com)
This "Quotation Station" is something that I would like to incorporate into my future classroom. It would be fun to pick a quotation every week from something that we read that the students especially liked; whether interesting, profound, or funny, it would be good to get to know what interests the students and what they get out of our readings and the texts that I may assign. It would be cool to have quotes pertaining to issues such as Black History Month and Women's History Month, or quotes that we find significant or change our way of thinking. I want them to be able to choose quotes that have an impact on their perspectives. 

(Credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5keVtNLwvELmxJ9aE3DZ2-7bBDPsCeGEAwgoQKVXjVyDB9slh37Cbw63QWIJuW8G7xE5ohU352nxdebCRrqO1GjrVJcvf3D-YuGhpTNGtpKUTyTaTYW83jHEc_PJ7M23zfLbC6jQS-iI/s1600/Our+Favorite+Books.jpg)
This is an example of a bulletin board that I would like to incorporate into my classroom. Not only does it allow us as a class to focus on the things we like about literature, but it allows us to learn more about each other as people, about our interests, and I think it would be fun to add to it as the year progresses in order to get some feedback from the students for myself and for them to see how their tastes have changed. I think toward the end of the semester I could put up a new poster that could say instead "Books that have Changed our Perspectives." We could have discussions about why these books have made a difference, what has helped us to change our minds about issues relevant to society and how we can continue to change our perspectives through literature. We could even have a poster of our favorite characters exhibiting the similarities and differences between them and ourselves. 

(Credit: @lessonswithlaughter instagram.com)
This bookshelf is something that I envision in my classroom, but with perhaps more advanced books for my students. I love that it's fun and colorful and it will not only give my students freedom to read and to learn, but it will give them responsibility as well--to return the book, to treat others' things with respect and care, and to be instructed and delighted on their own time. I also plan to include books with diverse topics and main characters. I plan to include LGBTQ literature including novels and literature by LGBTQ authors. I also plan to include literature about and by African American authors, Latino authors, and disabled authors. I also plan to include novels or historical fiction and non-fiction in regards to poverty, social class, prejudice, and oppression in addition to fun, easy-to-read books. 

(Credit: writing.com)

This is something that I would hang in my classroom as a poster. I like this because it's not only appealing in its humor to my (future) students, as they will (most likely) be high school age, but it's educational and definitely applicable for their age and (some of the students') levels of writing, of which my brother's 12th grade essays are proof. I plan to make sure that my students understand the differences between Academic English, Spanglish, Black English, and other various dialects, but also understand that those separate dialects are okay to use and help form their identity. I plan to help them to understand the way society works--when society deems it appropriate for them to use Academic English or their own dialect, and encourage them in their creative writing to include dialect as that forms their own personal voice and will help these dialects gain traction in society. 

           I imagine that my classroom will be a clean and inviting place. I don't want it to be so full of posters and bulletin boards that my students pay more attention to reading/examining the things on the walls that they forget to pay attention to what is happening at the front of the classroom or what their peers are saying, but I want them to feel comfortable and ready to engage. I plan also to include posters of different writers and minority activists like Khaled Hosseini, Gloria Anzaldua, and Toni Morrison.   I like the idea of grammar and literature humor for the walls, and a bookshelf with a wide assortment of books ranging from the classics, to social justice novels and non-fiction, to "escape" fiction for their enjoyment and for projects where they might get to choose the book rather than it being assigned to them. I intend to have "emergency supplies" or something like that where maybe someone forgot to bring their pencil or some paper and they can have a weekly pass for that station. I also plan to have a little "bookstore" in addition to the emergency supplies where students can come, take what they need, and do little tasks around the classroom in order to "earn" or "buy" supplies that perhaps they or their parents cannot afford or do not have access to.  I also think the idea of a phone-charging station would be interesting because not only does it get their phones out of their hands, but it helps them to know that I understand how important connection is to them. However, there may be students who cannot afford cell phones and feel isolated and singled out because of this, so perhaps instead of doing this, I will simply enforce rules about cell phone use and take them away if I have to warn my students more than once about using them. 

     I imagine that my students will come from many different backgrounds, and that means that they will have many and varying needs.   I imagine some will come from wealthy backgrounds and others will come from poorer homes. Some will have functional, healthy familial relationships, and others will not. All of them will feel the need for affirmation. Because of where they are, in a young-adult/adolescent stage, they will be experiencing changes and won't exactly be knowing where they fit in, who their friends are/should be, how they should act in school and out of school, etc. They will be uncomfortable in their bodies or at least very self-aware, and they will be in a constant struggle to feel accepted and to achieve an elevated social status. Many will be unsure about how to reconcile their own culture, the dominant culture in the school, and the culture of society. They will be trying to integrate themselves into a culture they identify with. My aim is going to be to enable all of the students regardless of background to achieve academic success in the manner they want. Some (many, I hope) will be interested in literature, but they'll all be interested in the themes of identity and "finding" oneself, since that is so applicable in their stage of life. They'll be interested in their cell phones and in dating and having fun. They'll be interested in going out on the weekends, learning how to drive, and probably sports or going to the high school sports games. In class, I anticipate some of them being on their cell phones, even if that isn't the ideal. I also imagine that some will be paying attention, learning, thinking, and expanding their own ideals and opinions. Some will be distracted by passing notes, or flirting with the cute classmate sitting across from them, but while many will be eager to get good grades so they can get into college, other students might not be very motivated. Many might be involved in gangs or drugs, or may struggle with schoolwork because they have to work after school in order to help support their families, or they might not think they are capable of performing well in my class. I will also have students whose first language is not English, but I intend to evaluate every student individually based on ability, maybe having an assignment at the beginning of the year in order to judge skill level and ability. 

Cell phones: I intend to engage the students via their devices, whether they are laptops, tablets, or cell phones. BUT. At the beginning of class, unless I say otherwise, they go to the charging station, where I will have a couple of power cords so they can plug their phones in, and when I say, they can go and get them from the charging station for classroom use. I intend to encourage the use of devices, but if they do not possess any, hopefully the school will and we will be able to use those. If I see someone using it during instruction time, they get one warning. If I see it again, then it goes in phone prison, which will probably just be a little basket, and they have to come and get it from me at the end of class.

Tardiness and Absences: I imagine there will be a school-wide policy, but I intend to be fairly lenient about absences so that my students don't feel overwhelmed by all of their classes' workloads. Absent work will be due by the next week as long as the student's absence is excused. If they're tardy, it might be fun to ask them to write me a two-to-three paragraph story--fictional or truthful--about why they were tardy. If it's creative, colorful, or satirical, with good grammar and spelling, then I won't mark them tardy.

Be Respectful: Students can't laugh at other people's opinions. Literature is focused on learning truths about humanity. Humans can be cruel, but in my classroom we will not. There will be no hurtful comments or racial slurs. Everyone is valued, and our classroom is a safe space for people to express their opinions, interpretations, and ideas. 

Homework: It's due when I say it's due. Late work will be marked down 20 points each day it's late unless you have a reason you discuss with me personally. I might give them 3 late passes and 1 no homework pass per semester. 

Romeo and Juliet: I imagine Shakespeare will make up a large part of what I teach. If I were to teach Romeo and Juliet, I'd like to involve the class. I think it would be fun to have an inner-class competition between study groups. Each would get a scene to perform, maybe the same scene, maybe different ones. They would have to be creative, use what they have to make costumes, be innovative, whether that means changing their method of speaking, dialect, or the time period of what they're acting, and the class would vote for whichever team was the most well-presented, the most accurate, the most creative interpretation, or the funniest. I would encourage them using their own voices and their own backgrounds as a basis for their interpretation so that they could apply the situation to their own lives. This would help them better analyze the play and the situation and would validate that their lives and backgrounds are notable. While they are preparing with their groups and rehearsing, I would walk around, give encouragement or ideas, help with the language, especially since Shakespeare can be very hard to understand, and give them feedback. I might be helping them come up with what they can use as the backdrop on the projector, or some background music. I would try to interact with the kids as much as possible while allowing them to think and be innovative themselves, and mostly have fun while they were learning the themes of each scene.

        I might ask them if they liked Romeo and Juliet, what themes they noticed about love, family, prejudice, preconceived notions, and the damage that those things can cause. We can also broach the subject of suicide, and I would want to make sure that my students realize that it is not an easy or light-hearted topic. I'd also want them to know that there are resources available to students who are dealing withsuicidal thoughts. I'd ask them what they didn't like, what they would change if they could, why those changes would matter and how they would affect the themes of the story. I chose this topic because I think not only is Shakespeare the Father of the English Language (and this is an English class), but his stories are about flawed, selfish people. While there's always an element of the fantastic, his themes are about real people trying to get what they want, and their actions always affect those around them. That's an important lesson to learn. I'd also let him know that while Shakespeare shaped the English language, our language is constantly being shaped by the different cultures introduced into the English language. 

        At the end of their presentations, they have to come up with at least 3 themes prevalent in their scene (the number is likely to change; 3 is preemptive) and how they apply to their own lives. They can write this down or they can say it to the class as a part of their presentation, but I expect them to be able to interpret and understand the themes that are most relevant to them such as love, family, revenge, death, prejudice, etc. I will know they've learned something when they can apply Romeo and Juliet meaningfully to their own lives. 

Reflection:       

The changes I made to my Imagined Classroom reflect the desire I have to make everyone feel welcome and to validate my students cultures and make their difficult transition through puberty easier. I intend to help my students better understand culture and how to play a part in it and change the conversation in literature to better reflect the United States' changing cultures. As a teacher my purpose is to enable students to be confident in their knowledge and understanding of academia and culture. I intend to teach them about the way that our society is through literature, and I want to be an example of a teacher who can inspire, uplift, and build my students' confidence in who they are, their abilities, and their aspirations. I hope that the things I changed in my portfolio better reflect my desires to help my students. 

Book Review: "Bad Boys" by Ann Ferguson

             So, there were several places that caused some disruptions for me, especially at the beginning. The first chapter was full of things that really disturbed me; for example, on the very first page, the words of the vice principal in regards to a student having a "jail cell with his name painted on it." First of all, way to already determine the future of a student you're trying to help find success in life. With the kind of attitude that is already established by the teachers, there is a small chance for this child to succeed. Again on the second page, there is another problem with labeling that encourages negative thought and behavior in students: the name of the in-school detention room, the "Jailhouse." Well, if you send a kid there often enough, that's the word they'll be accustomed to hearing. It's incredible to me how that kind of labeling could be harmful to a child and condition them to think that that's where their life will lead. Another issue that I saw was with teachers labeling students as " unsalvageable," or, later on in the book, a student talks about a teacher who explicitly insults the students when he gets frustrated with them, calling them names like "retard." It baffles me that a teacher, someone responsible not only for teaching youth how to be confident, compassionate citizens, not people who label others, much less using derogatory terms for people with physical or mental disabilities. Another curiosity I had when reading was at the mention that most of the teachers in the school were white and female, causing me to wonder if that was in part what precipitated the race-and-gender-based discrimination, because not only are the teachers a part of the cultural hegemony, but especially because of the speech patterns of the students, where Black English is valued and is what links communities and ties together social interactions. Another issue I had was with the labels used by Ann herself--I guess she needs to differentiate between the at-risk students and the students who seem to be secure in their schooling, etc. but labeling them as "Troublemakers" and "Schoolboys" seemed wrong to me. Another issue I had was with the teachers' interpretations regarding body language in their students:  "Cultural modes of emotional display by kids become significant factors in decisions by adults about their academic potential and influence decisions teachers make about the kinds of academic programs in which they will be placed. These are the kind of emotional displays for example, that can also be the basis for placement in Special Day Classes or for denying access to enrichment classes" (p.68). This seems wrong to me. I don't understand how something so simple as body language determines whether a child will make it into a gifted class or a remedial classes. 

        

           One story that reminded me about our class discussion was the story of Ricky, a middle-class black student who transferred in to the public school from a private school. He struggled to find a reconciliation between the cultural and social capital he obtained from his private school and the black culture he possessed that contributed to maintaining a connection to his home, culture and language, styles of interaction, and the connections in which identities are grounded. The conflict between ideas of traditional black masculinity explored in this book, reliant on themes such as a lack of sensitivity, a certain mode of dress typified by the baseball caps, baggy pants, and large sweatshirts, and other differentiating traits. Many black, male students choose to maintain these connections rather than developing social and cultural capital relevant to the white privilege. 

           One thing that struck me the whole time while reading this book was my capability as a future English teacher to validate Black English and other dialects as languages for my students. Not only would this help validate my students' cultures, but it would help them to know that I see them as valid, that I don't label them or their culture as deficient or less than. I am determined to not label students. The deficit thinking apparent in this book is overwhelming. The teachers all automatically assume that black boys are troublemakers--that they are not easily "handled" by the teachers and struggle to treat them the same as they treat white students. Several examples were given of the differential treatment given by teachers to white and black students. I am determined to not engage in this kind of thinking. I am determined not to label my students. I am determined to treat them as if they all have a future--that there is not one of them who is "unsalvageable," that they all have potential and the ability to overcome.