Blog #4

The next case study in the book was a case study focused on black male and female teachers  in diverse urban schools.  It talked about two teachers, Mr. Jackson and Ms. Shaw.  Mr. Jackson, a math and science teacher, talked about how initially students relate well to him because of his ethnicity, but his effectiveness ultimately comes from his style, how he teaches, and how he manages.  He claims that any teacher can do that with proper training (Milner, 2010, p. 111).  He also talked about how students need to see school as "cool" in order to be successful in learning (Milner, 2010, p. 113).  He described how he uses students in positions of power, whether they be popular or leaders in the eyes of their peers, as role models.  By engaging them in classroom activities and getting them to see participating in school as being "cool," he uses them as role models to encourage other students to do the same (Milner, 2010, p. 116).  Finally, Mr. Jackson was immersed in pop culture because it was the world of his students.  By being up to date on music, games, celebrities, and other areas of pop culture, he was engaged in the world of his students, and able to relate to them on a level different than most other teachers (Milner, 2010, p. 120).

The second case study in this chapter was about Ms. Shaw.  The theme of Ms. Shaw's case study was that teachers assume roles far beyond the classroom (Milner, 2010, p. 108).  She was also passionate about sharing grand life lessons with her students, pushing them to think beyond the facts and to see a greater purpose for learning and applying their knowledge.  She wanted her students to be able to contribute something beyond themselves to society (Milner, 2010, p. 132).  She was committed to helping her students realize that life was about more than materialism and that it was not about personal success only, but "purpose for the masses" (Milner, 2010, p. 137).  She talked about how when students see teachers take on a role that fits one of their needs, they are more willing to trust that teacher and learn from that teacher (Milner, 2010, p. 139).  Her perspective on teaching was deep, profound, and rooted in genuine care for and interest about her students.

One thing I found noteworthy about Mr. Jackson's section of the case study, was a section where he talked about how it's the teacher's responsibility to learn about what is happening with students in order to teach them effectively (Milner, 2010, p. 108).  In my middle grades class at Trinity this semester, we have talked a lot about developmentally appropriate practices for middle schoolers by first learning about the characteristics of middle schoolers (including physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, etc.) and then applying them to classroom activities.  Mr. Jackson's comment reminded me of that discussion and how important it is to be knowledgeable about all areas of students' lives in order to truly teach them effectively.