Literacy with Attitude - Patrick J. Finn

      Socioeconomic class affects education, as discussed in Patrick J. Finn's Literacy with an Attitude: Educating Working Class Children in Their Own Self-Interest. We for a fact know, richer communities are thought to have the best educational opportunities, while middle class and lower-class neighborhoods do not, according to a common belief. Those in a more privileged community have more access to resources and tutors, along with having the ability to access anything else they need in order to progress. A less privileged community has to go through more educational obstacles and don’t have much availability of resources, along with opportunities. 

As we discussed before, the teacher’s attitude and actions towards their student’s plays a big factor in the classroom. As Finn stated, “Teachers who see themselves as allies of their working-class students can help their students see that literacy and school knowledge could be potent weapons in their struggle for a better deal by connecting school knowledge with the reality of working-class students' lives." This quote emphasizes how creating a respectful and supportive community in your classroom is crucial, and as a teacher having a good attitude. Having a good attitude creates a positive learning environment where students can feel comfortable and encourage student engagement. A good attitude helps managing classroom behavior and helps grow the strength of trust and respect. It also helps motivate the students especially when overcoming certain obstacles. I know first hand how it feels to experience both types of teacher, with my personal experience I can say I excelled academically in a classroom where I felt comfortable enough to communicate with my teacher and work through my struggles with their help compared to certain classes I failed due to my distance with the teacher.  I truly believe the structure of the class begins with the teacher’s attitude and actions. If you want your students to thrive, create a comfortable and supportive environment, build trust and communication with your students and you will see the progress.




Comments

  1. Olivia HarrisOctober 22, 2024 at 2:38 PM

    I really like how you placed emphasis on the attitude of the teacher effecting the students' overall learning experience. It is so crucial that teachers create a positive environment with their attitude so that students will feel motivated to do their best when presented with different obstacles.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JoanmarieOctober 25, 2024 at 6:16 PM

    I like how you highlighted how a teacher presents themselves to students matters and how it not only shapes the culture of the classroom but also affects students academically.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nicole NunesOctober 27, 2024 at 6:16 PM

    Hi Jessnier! I really enjoyed reading your reflection this week! I think you bring up an excellent point with how students perform in a class where they have a good relationship with their teacher versus a bad relationship. Students want to do well for a teacher they enjoy because they don't want them to be disappointed in them. When reading your reflection, something that I was reminded of was a quote that a teacher said in the film "Teach Us All". In this film, a teacher said, "I get paid whether you learn or not". To me, I think this just shows that the teacher doesn't really care about the student, only the paycheck. So, they definitely don't have a great relationship with their students. In a class like this, the students would not push themselves to do well for a teacher that doesn't care, which puts a bad reflection on the student and their abilities.

    ReplyDelete

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