Chapter_4

= // To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher // =

Chapter 4: Building Bridges

The idea of building upon prior knowledge is certainly not a new idea to classroom teachers. What do you take from this chapter that builds upon your own knowledge and helps to create a deeper meaning to the phrase "building upon student's prior knowledge?"

(O'Donnell): The theme that I felt was emphasized in this chapter was understanding culture. To build on a student’s prior knowledge, you need to know the student. Ayers supports understanding culture when he states, “Culture encompasses everything beyond the biological aspect of being human. Exploring culture is beginning a bridge to something huge and complex and wonderful” (Ayers 2010 p. 89). Culture is everywhere. There more we know, the more we can relate to our students. The more we understand about our students can help us know what and how to teach and build off prior knowledge.

(Pfaff, N.): The statement that stood out to me the most in this chapter was when Ayers (2010) stated "When one person's cultural common sense is another's exotic behavior, the cultural whiplash can be jarring, decentering, humorous, or tragic" (p. 90). This quote is powerful for me. I grew up in a small town that saw very little diversity. Therefore my up bringing and common sense is different than that of a student I teach who hails from the south side of Chicago. I am more humorous in nature and enjoy being goofy, where as I notice some of these kids from Chicago's south side are very serious. I have learned through the years that these kids have grown up in a culture in which humor or even smiling is considered a weakness. So when working with these students in a one on one environment I try to get on their level and be a bit more serious. I feel that is a learning style, These kids need to be taught in a way that is familiar to them, humor and silliness isn't always the best way to teach all kids. A teacher needs to take into consideration the home life/environment a student comes from.

(Langenfeld): One quote made me stop and reread. It really made me think about my relationship with students and how I get to know them and visa versa. Ayers (2010) states "teachers must understand that even as they teach, they will also be taught; even as they help others develop, they will themselves change and grow" (p. 90). As much as I strive to build upon a student's prior knowledge, I think the child also works to build upon my own prior knowledge! It's through this reciprocity, that I try to build ramps and scaffolds that connect the curriculum to their lives, but in reality, I think the kids help me see links and connections to my life and work that I otherwise would miss.

(Weires): This chapter helped me better understand "building upon student's prior knowledge" by pointing out that the prior knowledge is not only that knowledge that was gained in class, but also that knowledge that a student brings from outside of school. The other day a math teacher told me she had planned a great lesson on probability for her 9th graders using decks of cards. Instead of being able to dive right in, she found out that many of her students couldn't answer questions because they didn't know how many cards were in a deck, that there were 4 suits or what the face cards were for. Playing cards was just not part of the culture.

I also really liked the quote "Knowledge of the world presents itself whole. Teachers need to find way to follow along wherever it leads" (p. 96). We need to remember to be flexible in our teaching. Not everything can be scheduled or predicted and we need to grab those learning moments whenever and wherever they pop up.

(Wendler): This was a very interesting chapter for me. I work in a school that has about the least amount of diversity you will find anywhere. There are only 5 children in the entire school that would be considered to come from races other that white. In our case, most children come from families that live in a rural community, nearly 1/3 of our students parents work at John Deere in Dubuque. This makes it easy for teachers to build bridges for student from year to year, due to the fact that we have the same culture of children flowing through our school from grade level to grade level.

For school that are much more diverse, I feel that this chapter is very important. Having students entering the classroom everyday, coming from different backgrounds and cultures creates a challenge for the teachers. In these environments the teachers need to make an effort to learn about their students and apply the curriculum to where their students come from and the knowledge they bring to the classroom. Teachers who can do this, create a learning environment that the children can relate to, which in many cases is the most important step.

(Weires commenting on Wendler): Because you don't have a diverse student population, do you think it is even more important to expose your students to other cultures? I know that when your students leave Sageville, they go to a middle school with much more diversity.

(Sebring): "Outstanding teaching is built on a base of knowledge about students" (p. 86). As I read this I thought about the many facets that encompass this statement. Not only does it encompass the basic psychological/physical/emotional development of the student, but it largely consists of the personal components of a student's knowledge base. I believe what I gained the most from this chapter was to consider the contextual circumstances that help mold a student to who they are. Often times their background may shape their prior knowledge- and this extends also to the student's social situations. I believe if teachers research a student's background and practice a little empathy we can go a long way with the learning process. Bottom line, isn't that what all human beings are looking for... to know that people care about them and can empathize with their situation?

(Van Heukelom): "But he initiated his ceremony, he authored the script, and it had his signature on it, his fingerprints all over it - he owned it" (p. 85). Zayd's story reminded me how each student has different beliefs, culture, etc. and when they truly own something, they LEARN! It is our job as teachers to provide those opportunities for students to engrave their beliefs into their learning.

(Marty): On page 89 Ayers states, "We experience our own culture from the deepest levels toward the surface, and so our own culture can be largely invisible to us." I think it is an important quote because it can be difficult to empathize with people whose culture is vastly different from our own, but in a UEN district, most of our students come from cultures far from ours. It is a basic need for us to make an effort to learn more about our student's cultures than their favorite foods. On page 90, Ayers goes on to state, "The cultural bridge is begun by responding sensitively to the deepest realities of children's lives." I came from a poor family, but not the depth of poverty that many of the kids in my class experience. However, I can empathize with one student who doesn't want others to know that she is part of the home food program. She finds it embarrassing to have to take home food packs on Fridays, so I have her in her own locker, and I put the food pack in while students are at specialist. This way, she gets what she needs without embarrassment.

(Pfaff): " Teachers are explorers. As they explore the world and the lives of their students, they cast lines to different ways of thinking. Teaching is often bridge-building, beginning on one shore with the knowledge, experience, know-how, and interests of the students, the teacher moves toward broader horizons and deeper ways of knowing." (page 77) The most important thing I took away from this quote from the Ayers book is how each of your students is so different from one another. You as a teacher are constantly trying to build relationships with all of your students everyday both consciously and unconsciously to find out more about them. I believe all teachers want to find what will help each and every student of there's succeed in their learning.

Pfaff commenting on Sebring: Yes, I believe when teachers show even the smallest amount of empathy to students then the "wall" that some students put up against others will crumble. With the crumbling of things then the teachers will be able to get more information out of there students in the future.

(Bischoff) When I was an inexperience teacher, I didn’t have time to worry too much about the students’ prior knowledge. I was more worried about what I had to teach them and make sure I got it taught even if the students didn’t understand it. As I became a more experienced teacher I learned the students were just learning what they needed for the test. Ayers states “Schools are often structured around the notion that the child should lay the first, the second, and virtually every plank after that.” (p. 88). I now realize I was laying all of the planks for the students when I was a young teacher. I didn’t allow the student the opportunity to be creative and lay their own planks.

(Hawkins) In this chapter it talks about students being drawn or committed to a project because it was concentrated on something they cared deeply about, their self (p.85). With Dubuque's new structure of the ALC (alternative learning center) they just completed a j-term. One of the classes offered was a art class that met 3 hours a day. At the end of the j term they had an art show to show off all their work. One of the projects was for them to create their torso out of paper mache. With their designs they had to write a paper on what was inside their torso. WOW, as we read through their summaries, it was sad and amazing what these kids think about who and what they are. It really made you realize where these students are coming from and what needs they have from us as teachers to help them become successful. What a great and creative way to express themselves. That would be a great project for students to complete at the beginning of the year, it might help teachers understand "who" they are really teaching.

(Jones) - I have to admit that going into my first year of teaching I was not really all that concerned about building upon the prior knowledge of my students and/or cultural competency-I was more concerned about the “wisdom” that I was going to depart upon my students as an “expert” of history. However, I learned a very important lesson about the importance of prior knowledge and knowing your students on the first day of school.

One of the classes that I was assigned to teach was a sheltered American History course for ELL students-keep in my mind that I had no experience working with this population of students. I prepared the first day’s lesson with really no consideration given to the students that would make up the class. I thought it was a great lesson that would grab the students’ attention and get them excited about American History. We were going to read excerpts from Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle (if you are not familiar with the book it is about the meatpacking industry in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century-kids usually love it because it is an absolutely disgusting account of the unsanitary practices involved in butchering hogs). About five minutes into class I am getting no response from the students (which I am surprised by) when a young man raises his hand and asks, “What is hog?” Being from Iowa, and teaching in a classroom in Iowa, I assumed every student would know what a hog was. It never occurred to me that some of these students had never seen a hog before. Needless to say all of the students in the class were lost from the moment they walked in the door because of my poor planning. This chapter reinforces the lesson that I learned my first day of teaching: knowing your students and their culture is an essential first step to teaching them anything. To paraphrase Ayers a teacher must know the child in order to know where to put the first plank when building the bridge. Wow, that was long winded and hopefully I haven't already bored you with this story in one of our other classes.

(ODonnell commenting of Jones) I was not bored with your story! I am always surprised at how much you can learn from your students. I grew up in Cedar Falls. This is not a huge town, but large with little diversity. My first teaching job in Lone Tree opened my eyes to small town Iowa. All the cultural rules that I learned in undergrad- like represent all religions around the winter holidays etc. were not followed. My classroom had a Christmas tree in the closet. Another surprise was how all 7th grade students were taken out of school for hunters safety. The more I learned about my students, the more I realized I need to consider their needs in my teaching.

(Lowery) This chapter reaffirms a workshop that I attended today. The chapter brought back the idea of guiding students and not giving them all the secrets upfront. What makes education such a joy to teach is when students discover the information behind their learning and begins to tear down the notion that something is hard. The easiest way to accomplishing this is by connecting it to their prior knowledge. I have seen the worst student in my classroom turn into a solid student within weeks because I was able to tap in to their interest and that thing that matter to them the most. At the same time, I got out of their way once I tap the source of their excitement and began to steer it within my class. Ayers mention that, "Bridge-building requires someone to lay down the first plank" (p. 88) and that the teacher has to be willing to lay it down first. Therefore, as an leader, I must be able to demonstrate that to everyone through my own class. I think this is how we gain credibility with our staff. Just a guess.

(Pfaff, N.): Commenting on Lowery. I like your thoughts on guiding students, Ocie. I agree with you. The joy in education is watching students discover information on their own, withy your guidance. It's liberating, watching kids becoming problem solvers in their own right. I think your "guess" is right on the money too. Creating credibility through demonstrating (or as I call it 'leading by example') is the best way to earn the respect of your colleagues.

(Wendler commenting on Jones): Jeremy, great point about knowing the kids. I agree, we have to know students, where they come from and what motivates them or we will not be able to bring out the best in them and create an environment where they are confident they can learn what we need to teach them.

Hawkins on Pfaff) Heather you are so right. All of our students come from such different holmes that it is so important for teachers to get to know those situations and use their students experiences as learning in their classroom. It is amazing what kids learn from each other. Relationships are such a large part of the day for our students.

(Hach commenting on Jones): What a great example of the need to know our students as we plan out our instruction. I know I was in the same boat as you my first year teaching - I was overly concerned with issues that ultimately had very little impact on my students learning. I quickly realized I needed to truly get to know my students to find out meaningful ways to connect the concepts to their lives.

(Merritt): I am going to agree with Jamie on this one and go with the quote, "Outstanding teaching is built on a base of knowledge about students" (p., 86). To me, this quote basically sums up what I think Ayers is saying and what I believe about prior knowledge. First, from a curriculum stance, it's important to know what our students have learned throughout the course of their education. In this case, at least knowing what material has been presented to them prior to getting to us. That is why I think the need for vertical alignment is so important in our schools. Having the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. grade teachers or the freshmen, sophomore, etc. math, science, etc. teachers get together to work to determine what has been taught and what is going to be taught. Knowing what has been presented at least gives us the idea of what building blocks are in place to build in the future.

Outside of curriculum, it is extremely important to get to know our students right away. As mentioned earlier, each student has had different experiences in their lives or come from different cultures with different beliefs that could influence their position on what is being taught. If we can find out little details about our students right away, we can do a better job of molding our teaching to fit the students. There is no way to know everything, but it's not too much to ask to know a little bit to help make connections at level that may be a little more personal that may stick.

(Hach): As a teacher I know the importance of building upon my student’s prior knowledge and I do try to take my students interests in mind when I am planning units, lessons, and curriculum topics. However, this chapter opened my eyes to a whole new level of creating and building some part of the routine and curriculum around the students. I really liked the idea of the creation of “ME” curriculum in the classroom. I would like to try and incorporate more “ME” of my students in my classroom because by doing this I will know my students more personally which can help me “build-the-bridge” that Ayers discusses on page 88. I like the idea of teachers laying the “planks” to build a student’s bridge, rather than expecting the students to lay the planks for their own bridge of learning.

(Baldry) On page 90, Ayers writes, "The cultural bridge is begun by responding sensitively to the deepest realities of children's lives. Children are simply allowed to love, respect, cherish, and retain what they bring to school--their language, for example, and their perceptions, their values." But do we always allow them to retain these things? I work in the only ESL school at the intermediate level for my district. We have students who come from VietNam, Mexico, the Republic of the Congo, Nepal, Liberia, and China. Most ESL students come from Mexico and VietNam. I get extremely frustrated with teachers who push the English-only rule 100% of the time. They never allow students to use their native language...not in conversations in the hallways, not for clarification in class, not to call home to ask a parent if they can stay after school. When I've asked why, these teachers tell me they know the students are talking about them...and who knows what they might be saying. I think it's so important for these students to retain their native language as they learn English. I do admit there have been times I have felt uneasy when my Vietnamese students start giggling and laughing as they speak in their language which I cannot understand, but I gently remind them that I hope their conversation is appropriate and not something that may hurt the feelings of others. I really don't think students are using their native languages appropriately most of the time...and do they really care enough about teachers to spend time talking about them? Don't junior high & high school students care more about themselves and their friends?

(Hughes) “The cultural bridge is begun by responding sensitively to the deepest realities of children’s lives” (p. 90). This was evident to me as an educator this fall more than ever. I had a student who cried, pleaded with his three older brothers (4th and 5th graders) daily before entering the classroom. This five-year-old had never spent a day away from his family prior to entering kindergarten. He even became physical with teachers and had to basically be peeled away from his family daily. This lasted the first three weeks of school. We were very intentional to structure a predictable routine. The key to this boy trusting teachers was building a relationship with him and his family. I touched base with his siblings daily to reassure them he settled down since they were also crying in response to their little brother’s anxiety when entering school. I spent time getting to know the boys since I knew having a relationship with them was key to my student’s success. This student was not learning until he felt a connection between his family and school as Ayers describes. Although this family has brought a new cultural aspect into the school setting, it has been eye opening for all educators involved. His family has not had positive experiences in the school system in past years. Then he is expected to go to this big place and instantly trust the teachers. It took me a few days to realize this case was different from the typical situation of transition to kindergarten. I wish I would have realized the cultural aspect of the situation earlier, but I finally got it about three days into the situation.

(Wylder)––"Culture is an important window into a child, an essential part of any bridge's blueprint, and effective teachers must learn to be lifelong students of culture" (p. 88). As a teacher I cannot forsake the wonderful pearls of wisdom a student may have. Students can come from families that struggle to make ends meet and know the value of a dollar. This may give the student insight into counting money skills. The student may also be more familiar with what is the difference between a need and a want. Ayers reinforces the idea that culture is a valuable aspect in a students toolkit that should be used by the teacher to enhance student learning.

(Wylder commenting on Hach)––I agree with you Megan, it is important to get to know the students. I find it challenging to incorporate more of the "ME" curriculum into my classroom as district requirements for teaching students become more and more focused on test results and covering curriculum.

(Griswold) Connecting new learning to prior knowledge is something that I was taught a lot when I was taught reading strategies for my middle school struggling readers. This is one area that they struggle with because their range of background isn’t as wide as we would like. It is up to us to bridge the gap between the background that they have and those that they want us to know. KWL activities are good for this. But just building relationships are just as good. Talking to our students helps us know how to bridge those gaps. I also loved the cultural ceremonies in this chapter. I also teach World History and projects that show “coming of age” in other cultures are great to show what it takes to become an adult in that culture. It could also show the differences between gender differences in the culture, depending on the country of study. I have been doing a lot of brainstorming a lot on this subject ever since I read this chapter. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any students that have needed this class since, so I haven’t had a need for this project. For now, it’s just on my “things to do” list.