How Does Social Justice Apply to the Classroom?

Social justice is the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. How does social justice affect the classroom? Well…first things first, there should be a curriculum set in place that is fair to all students and teachers. The curriculum is typically set by the administrators and school committees and the teachers are the bridge between the curriculum and the students. The teachers ultimately are the ones who pass on the knowledge to the students and are held responsible for what the students learn. Teachers can be praised or blamed for the knowledge (or lack of) that students receive. However, it is up to those who set the curriculum who are responsible for social justice in schools.

                The best way to ensure social justice in schools is by encouraging teachers to make their students think critically. Using the critical thinking method of teaching allows students to express their thoughts and opinions on any given subject they are currently learning about in the classroom. Teachers should convey to their students the values of human rights and how “all people are created equal”. In the ever-growing-diverse society that we live in, it is important that students experience a social just school environment.

Maria Montessori

I researched Maria Montessori, who was an Italian educator and the very first women in Italy to become a doctor. (I thought this was a pretty cool feat!) She orginially began to study engineering in Italy but later decide to stop studying it, which made her family happy that she would no longer study such an “un-ladylike” discipline. She would later go on to study medicine. She graduated from the University of Rome’s medical program with a score of 100 out of 105.

Maria went out to work at a Children’s hospital and one day had a revelation I felt that mental deficiency presented chiefly a pedagogical, rather than mainly a medical, problem."(Webster) The children she was working with could not be treated in the hospitals they needed to be trained in schools. She then started to focus on finding a way to perfect education. She developed her educational theory that suggested that teachers see themselves as social engineers. Her methods of teaching were often criticized. Some said they were too meticulous and harsh for the youth.

She was often heard saying: "I studied my children, and they taught me how to teach them."     

I personally found this to be a very interesting quote that is so simple, yet so true. I believe the teaching of children depend on the nature and personality of a child.

Maria Montessori was the first to have child-sized tables and chair made for the classroom. Nowadays, it is hard to picture a kindergarten classroom without such. She thought that the learning environment was just as important as the learning itself. Maria Monetessori was concerned about the children and their feelings. Her focus on treating children in a respectful, comforting manner has changed the way education is today!

http://www.montessori.edu/maria.html
http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/montessori.html#curriculum

Why is Humanism an Effective Educational Philosophy that MUST be taught?

Humanism: a philosophy that, in terms of education, calls for respect and kindness toward students and developmentally appropriate instruction in liberal arts, social conduct, and moral principles.

One may ask: why is Humanism an effective educational philosophy? How is it effective?

Imagine being a teacher in a classroom with 20-25 kids who dislike each other and are constantly rude to one another. I know I get a headache just thinking about it the stress that would cause. Humanism  advocates respect and kindness toward all the people. Students SHOULD learn how to respect everyone. In the “real world” being respectful is a key attribute. Not getting along with others and the inability to work with others is a sincere weakness for an individual and it will be difficult for them to succeed in their future if they cannot respect others.

I understand some personality traits such as honesty, integrity, and respect are often taught at home, but it is important to further drill the aspect of respect and kindness into school children. By having a teacher nurture and show respect for a student, the student is likely to follow suit. If a student receives such respect and kindness from their teachers/elders they are likely to do the same. For all students to be respectful and kind is a teacher’s dream and takes some weight off the teacher’s back. The teacher no longer has to worry about little Johnny being rude and can focus on teaching. Part of humanism is letting the students learn on their own. A teacher should only act as a guide in teaching respect and the children should learn (on their own) the importance of respecting others, in the classroom and in life.

How Should Teachers Include Students with Special Needs?

Picture this:  A teacher is giving out a $100 dollar bill to every student in the class except…YOU! Imagine not being able to receive the same thing as everybody else. That is how some students with special needs may feel if they are not included in the same things as other students. I think it is important for teachers in all grade levels to include students with special needs. “Special needs” is a rather vague term to use. A special need could be a student with autism, a student who is physically disabled or a student who is at a lower reading level than others. Regardless of the special need, I believe a teacher should do their best to accommodate the student and make them feel like they belong.  For example, a student who is in a wheelchair may not be able to take part in dodge ball at recess but would be able to participate if they played a game inside the classroom such as a board game. 

Depending on the special need of the student, the teacher should adapt the classroom to make it more welcoming. Take for instance, a student who has difficulty reading. The student may read a couple of reading levels below the other students and it may be inappropriate to have students read out loud. Another instance to help a student with special needs feel included is to partner them with another student in class. There is hundreds and thousands of ways to accommodate a special needs student in the classroom. The key to doing so is decided on a case-by-case basis. It all depends on the situation and what the teacher feels is the necessary path to making the student with special needs feel like they are the same as others.

Why is Multicultural and Social Reconstructionist Education useful?

The United States is becoming more and more diverse. Schools are filled with students from various different backgrounds. Students come from different family and cultures which follow different norms. The teaching of multiple cultures is just as important in schools as teaching algebra or chemistry. The society of American is becoming more densely diverse and students need to adapt to such. Teachers who want to make students experience and respect different cultures may use the life-experiences of students as opportunities to discuss social inequalities. Unfortunately, inequalities do exist in the United States but teaching students about the many cultures that surround them will open them to a newer perspective. Teachers should “encourage students to think critically about the classism, sexism, racism, and social inequities that may be present in textbooks, newspapers, and other media sources”

                When a student compares the material they are learning in the classroom to a real-life example, they are likely to better understand the material. Take for instance an English speaking student who is taking a basic Spanish course in school. Now say the English speaking student is having a difficult time learning Spanish. The student may think to him or herself “Jeez this is not easy, I can only imagine the hard time the Spanish student in my English class is having” and become more open-minded and respectful to someone who is different. The importance of teaching multicultural education is useful in order to encourage respect of diversity, not only in the classroom but in the real-world setting.

(Please see page 54 of McNergney for a further understanding)

Should Nutrition Be Taught and Regulated in School Systems?

Obesity can lead to various different health issues and complications such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (link is at bottom of this blog) more than One-third of Americans are considered obese. There is a growing desire to teach proper nutrition to Americans particularly at

 a young age. I believe that the nutrition of young students is key to their success in the classroom. It should be regulated by the school district that schools do not serve “unhealthy” foods in their cafeterias. A well-balanced diet can reflect on the student’s ability in the classroom. Take for instance a student who has a poor diet, and eats greasy food during lunch. After lunch, the student may be inclined to very sluggish or tired from the greasy food and become less focused in the classroom. Or take another example of a student who may eat a large amount of sugar. If a student has a bunch of candy, cookies, Coca-Cola, etc. at lunch time, their blood sugar may rise and their activeness may rise and their attention may dwindle.

The focus in the classroom is just one simple reason to teach and regulate nutrition in the classroom. The more obvious reason to teach and regulate nutrition is for health concerns. With a third of American deemed obese, there will be a higher number of trips to the doctors and hospitals. Due to this, the costs of health care and the number for doctors and nurses needed will continue to rise.

Schools due not need to completely eliminate all unhealthy foods and sugar products. They may take an initative that current New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is pushing for. Bloomberg is pushing to reduce the size of soda bottles sold in the city to a specific measurement. This will unlikely prevent obesity, but it sends a message to the public that the nutrition of many Americans is not well and needs to be curbed. It is important for the students and the American public as a whole, that nutrition be taught and regulated within school system.

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

Why do people wants to teach others?

After surfing the web researching why individuals choose to teach, I came across an awesome blog/forum website that gives different opinions of why people choose to teach. The website is right here if you are interested: http://www.thinqon.com/topic/why_do_people_like_to.

There were many obvious reasons as to why people want to teach. One evident reason is simply “to help others.” Some teachers truly want to help others understand things they do. Some want to share their experiences with others and possible teach their students mistakes they made in order to prevent them in the future.

Another reason why some choose to teach is to exercise their knowledge over others. Some people feel admired by others when they are telling them the material which they do not know. The idea that a classroom full of individuals is listening to every word you say and taking it all in makes a person feel superior. Many individuals on the forum believe that teachers enjoy the superior feeling of knowing knowledge that others don’t.

From a personal standpoint, I too enjoy knowing information that others do not. I think it is almost a form of human nature. I believe human beings are satisfied when they share information to others, whether it be a teacher in the classroom or teenager girls gossiping in the bathroom.