Effective Classroom

Each year as as a teacher, new students from various backgrounds enter your classroom.  They are different ethnically, culturally, religiously, mentally, and physically.  No two students are alike.  Knowing this information, it is crucial and beneficial for teachers to prepare themselves and their class to cater to these differences and embrace them whole heartedly through their teaching pedagogy.  The term, "those who cannot do teach," is a completely ignorant saying and according to Ladson-Billings, "is not so much a dig at teachers as it is emblematic of the low regard we as a society have for teaching.  We believe that almost anyone can do it, and we allow almost anyone to do it."  Being culturally responsive with your students is one major factor in being a successful teacher.  Taking time and finding out information about students who enter your class will help more than hinder.  After all, the teacher student relationship is important because assumably, a classroom teacher acts as an influential role model and guide in a student's path to learning.
"Pedagogy must provide a way for students to maintain their cultural integrity while succeeding academically." Waxman, Padron, and Garcia state that, "Culturally responsive teaching emphasizes the everyday concerns of students, such as critical family and community issues, and tries to incorporate these concerns into the curriculum."  How can students learn from their teachers if they feel like they cannot relate to them?  How can students learn if the lessons they are taught do not present some personal connection to their lives outside of school?  How can students learn if the teacher only has one form of communication to distribute?
Being a teacher requires a lot more work than some people may think.  I heard once that teachers work just as much as lawyers do, but obviously get paid much less.  In order for teachers to have constructive pedagogy and cater to diverse classrooms, they must take on additional roles such as a caregiver, a counselor, a researcher, an entertainer, a motivator, and a leader.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of teachers who do the minimum at their jobs and it reflects poorly on themselves, their classrooms, students, and the profession, but there are also amazing teachers who take the time and effort to implement solid pedagogical practices in their classrooms.  My hope is that our society can improve on how education is perceived and that teachers will be recognized for their hard work.  Students deserve to gain as much as they can from school and dream big.
"A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions"
-Anonymous

Noel, J. (2012).  Classic Edition Sources, Multicultural Education (3^rd ed.).  New York,

NY:  McGraw Hill.

Gender

The video we watched, "The Codes of Gender," made some remarkable points about how the underlying messages in advertisements effect the way in which men and women are perceived in society today. Irving Goffman and Sut Jhally work well to unveil the stereotypes and high expectations, which are placed into men and women's subconscious minds.  Advertisement is all around us constantly.  It is in television, magazines, the internet, and movies.  It is a part of our culture and environment, which shapes they way we all think, act, and speak.  Naturally, if the same images depicting men or women are placed everywhere and in everything society will imitate those roles or desires.
The video shows various examples of sexuality of genders in ads today.  Generally the women look submissive, vulnerable, childlike, unaware, needy, or weak.  The women have their neck, belly, back, breasts, or legs exposed and some appear to be touching themselves.  The men are generally depicted as strong, alpha, prepared, heroic, dominant, and forceful.  They also have skin exposed, but the men maintain their power in the ads without being vulnerable or delicate looking like the women.  The video did mention the Abercrombie and Fitch ads where the men are more naked, placed on their backs, are touching themselves, or are posing in rather feminine poses.  Still, the men are all muscular, have a glare in their eyes, and appear strong.  What are these ads trying to say about men vs. women and each role?  I feel that there are a lot of pressures on men and women today especially when it come to superficial appearances.  A woman may need to be thin, pretty, and look vulnerable to get further in her career.  A man may need to be strong, tall, and powerful to further his career.  That is the role people play constantly for others, but it does not mean that is who you are inside.
Adolescence is a rocky time for most students and they are sucked into the media, television, ads, movies, and the internet more than anyone else.  Teenagers will spend more time in front of a television than hours they spend at schools.  Students spend about nine months per year in school watching and learning from their peers and teachers.  As a future teacher, I feel it is my duty to address stereotypes in gender issues through lesson plans.  It does not have to be a direct topic, but one that can be taught through thought provoking discussions and comparisons of audios, visuals or projects.  My classroom should be a tool used to help construct awareness.  Unfortunately, tackling the gender issues in one classroom will not dissipate everything that the media puts out there, but I hope to be a positive role model that enhances my student's learning.
“Wherever you find a great man, you will find a great mother or a great wife standing behind him -- or so they used to say. It would be interesting to know how many great women have had great fathers and husbands behind them.” 
-Dorothy L. Sayers