"But the children love the books..."

Terry Meier said it best in, "Why can't she remember that?" by stating that children need to be more engaged in reading stories rather than just memorizing what they see on a page day after day. Children pick up easily on things that they see every day so it is not a surprising thing when children can read a book word for word after seeing it for a while. It is important in todays society that children are engaged in the books and actually understand what they are reading out loud. Schools are constantly testing their students on reading comprehension and it has even become apart of the state requirements in many states and schools. It shows in schools just like it does in the reading that children that are constantly read to at home of course can read at a higher level than children that may not exactly be able to afford books do not get that one on one time at home.

We as people do not understand the way children learn things so easily and can relate them to their own personal situations. Children read books that appeal to them linguistically and emotionally. We as educators need to introduce books into children's lives that we know they will be able to connect with on levels we cannot understand. I know when I was young, reading books about family really got to me because I was very close with mine. It is important to make books pop out of the page and come alive to students reading it. No one wants to read something that is boring and is not introduced as exciting. When I was in the first grade, my teacher used to bring in costumes for us and have us dress up as the characters and read lines from the books in front of the class. It was so exciting for me and for the class to get up and share something that we spent so much time practicing. Not only did it help my classmates and I read much better, but helped us understand what exactly we were reading.

https://www.earlymoments.com/Promoting-Literacy-and-a-Love-of-Reading/Why-Reading-to-Children-is-Important/

Cultural Conflict in the Classroom

When reading "The Silenced Dialogue" by Lisa Delpit many things crossed my mind. Did different teaching styles really impact children of different races and cultural backgrounds? These are things you never really think about while you are sitting in a classroom listening to the teacher, but they are things you need to think about when you are standing at the front of a classroom teaching other students. The term the "silenced dialogue" refers to how white people in the education field do not always listen to those of the African American culture. It states the fact that we silence the people that realize something is different for certain children and they need to do something to fix the issue at hand. Every day there are classrooms full of students of mixed races and some children may not be getting the attention and respect that they deserve from teachers.

In the first day of my internship at a Providence Elementary School, I have seen teachers that give their all to children 6 hours a day 5 days a week and it was so good and heart warming to see. Teachers more so now a days are placing their children in groups based on knowledge of certain materials and have a teacher or teaching aid with them going over material that they need to know in order to move on in their education. The classrooms that I will be in and very mixed and it is something I have not been used to and accustomed to. I grew up in a neighborhood where every house looked the same, all the families were white, and we all did the same things each and every day.

The few things that really stood out to me were when the author said, " It is not they, the children, who must change, but the schools. To push children to do anything else is repressive and reactionary." I think it is very easy to put the blame on people when we are not in the situation. It is easy to silence people when they say things that we as people do not want to hear. We put a stop to them and block them out so we can go on living life they way we want, in denial. Teachers are the ones that are in charge of changing the racism and teaching tactics in the classroom.

White Privilege

McIntosh's "White Privilege" was a reading that spoke about how white individuals do not even realize that they are stuck in an oppressive mindset because it is like second nature to them. In school all I ever learned about was the hardships other races and cultures were faced with and I always thought to myself, Why them? Why not me? But I was taught to look at everyone as equal and that no one truly had it better than anyone else. As I am growing up, I have realized that this may not always be true. Every day, I do not have to face the same things that people of another race do. Because I am white, and I have the "privilege" of being that way. This is 2015, shouldn't everyone be equal? Haven't times changed enough for people to realize that privilege may not always be a gift.

The list written in the article really hit me hard because it lists a lot of things I had NEVER even thought to think about. Bandaids? Who thinks about bandaids. "26. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin." I do now. I can not remember a time that I have been on an aisle and seen a bandaid in a different skin tone. Always light, or even see-through. I know bandaids isn't on the list of things to change for 2015, but shouldn't it start at the little things. This just really jumped out at me. 

I read something that said, "If you don't believe in white privilege then congratulations you're the one enjoying the benefits from it." After reading this article I was blindly living my life thinking we are all the same and things like this do not exist anymore. It is true, I can do things that others cannot. I can go to a mall on my own and not be in fear. Things can never change unless you are open to changing them yourself. I am not saying I am privileged and it's so great for me, I believe that people aren't doing this to be hurtful. I think that this has been going on for so long and it is what we have all been brought up wit, that it is as if we are doing it subconsciously. After reading something like this you can't help but think about all of those who do not have the advantages that you as a person may have had. This really opened my eyes and showed me that things like this have not gone away in our world.

About Me

My name is Rachel Ferrara, I am 19 years old and a sophomore here at Rhode Island College. I am a Youth Development Major and love working with children. So far this semester is going great; I finally get to take classes that will be useful to me later in life and later on in my career. I am excited to be apart of a new major, since I have recently changed mine from Elementary Education. I have been a dancer since the age of 7 and I do not know where I would be today if it wasn't for my studio. I have been able to travel and share my love of dance in and outside of the country. Outside of the classroom I am a dance teacher and have been for about 4 years now. I love working with children in different and exciting ways and look forward to seeing them every day I can. I have had the same group of friends since about sixth grade and I am so thankful for them being in my life. I have a boyfriend that I have been dating for almost 2 years and luckily he is my best friend. I am looking forward to this semester and cannot wait to see what this year brings me.