Education Analysis Paper

The popular nonion of what its like to teach in urban America is dominated by 2 extremes (Michie, 1999, p. xxi). Gregory Michie succeeds admirably in rendering his article of belief nonpluss in the complicated ingenuousness between two extremes in his book Holler If You experience Me The Education of a instructor and His Students. Many people mind closely the horror stories, portrayed by the media mainly, that schools in urban America ar nonhing short of topsy-turvydom uneducated and uninterested kids. Then there are other stories that are rarely heard of, near the unitary teacher who makes the difference in such a school.Michies account in his book skilfully avoids the simplification either extreme would demand. Holler if You Hear Me touches on a variety of the fundamental challenges of teaching classroom discipline, teacher frustration, racial and social differences, bookman apathy, relationships with students and with other teachers, and the list goes on. Throughou t the book, Michie balances his tales of struggle with hours of joyous victor. non surprisingly, the successes are often related to the development of deeper connectednesss between teacher and student.This picture is so detrimental to the educational system. As teachers we affect to make that connection with our students. To non do so would be taking away from their cognize as a student as well as ours as teachers. Isnt this why we teach to begin with? This goal may come out high considering you have to add on top of curriculum, standards, rowdy students, the private connection of teacher and student. It may let outm this way, still if its not set, then everything else does not ensurem worth the trouble at all.Esme Codell states my beliefs on this topic beautifully The goal is not necessarily to succeed alone to keep trying, to be the kind of person who has ideas and sees them through (Codell, 1999, p. 5). I may not succeed in reaching every student I teach, plainl y if the effort is made on my part, if I set this goal and try to see it through, then at least I endure I did not give up. There are so galore(postnominal) situations that Michie was in where I felt he should just let it go, have ont try because its not going to work out, especially so in the story where Reggie was attacked by a local patrol officer, precisely he didnt (Michie, 1999, p. 46). As I was thinking about this, I wouldnt have gone through the trouble of see this man brought to justice, although in the end he wasnt. Michie wasnt take down there, but he knew if something wasnt done, this would affect the way Reggie grew up and viewed life. It is this kind of dedication that inspires me to keep going to classes and writing papers. I want to help students to see our world in a different light. Joel Spring stated in his book, American Education, the school depart continue to be used in efforts to solve social, political, and economic problems (Spring, 2004).The purpos e of humankind schooling is to prepare instantlys children for tomorrows problems. It is important not only to teachers and students, but also to the community as a whole. If the communities where these children are being raise see the teachers that teach their kids really do care, the implications are endless. Things could change, especially so for urban American communities. I know these are high hopes, but again, if I dont set them, how will I even begin to see them through. Being a teacher means I must strive to connect with my students.I have to see beyond my basic responsibilities as a teacher and bring the students to the fore-front of my life. It is the little moments of success that will bring such a connection to our relationships with our students. Its a teach up to(p) moment that got away, just one of many that Ive knowingly let slip through my fingers (Michie, 1999, p. 102). Michie presents his victories with a genuine modesty that comes from the experience of othe r, less effective teaching moments, but these moments are not ever so successful. Michies reported mistakes and difficulties are some of the most instructive move of the book.As a prospective teacher, I have to understand the reality of life that not all teachable moments are going to be seen through. Sometimes they are lost and Michie has opened my eyes to such an existence. The only difference is that I hope I do not knowingly allow this to happen. At times, though, I wanted to hear even more(prenominal) introspection from the author about the reasoning behind his actions or why he thinks a particular moment worked well or did not work at all. It was frustrating when there was no follow up on something as important as a teachable moment being lost (Michie, 1999, p, 102).It is apathy such as this that makes going into the teaching field frustrating. The Corridor of dishonour is a prime example of a inhuman detachment of interest. Nobody really cares for the students who live o ut there on the highway, but who is suffering? The students are. Do people even know whats going on in our state? I didnt until I watched this film. What kind of message is this sending to our nation? Whats behind the motives of loss schools such as these left out to die? Politics? unknown agendas? Who knows? What is important is that we ask these questions and put forth an effort to find the answers.We need to find out why teachers, administrators, parents, etc. allow schools to be lost. essentially these schools are if you think about it. A school that is neglected is an whole lifetime of teachable moments being lost. Holler If You Hear Me contains powerful stories of Michies first years as a teacher in public elementary and middle schools on Chicagos South Side. severally chapter begins with a story told by Michie, followed by the reflections of one of his former students who were at the fore-front of each story.Michies purpose in this alternating format is to switch light on the education of a teacher and to allow situation for my students to speak their minds, tell their stories, raise their voices (Michie, 1999, p. xxi). I really enjoyed these first-person reflections because it made Michies students come alive for me regardless of how insightful and caring the authors descriptions might be. It was different and refreshing. As I was reading this book, I was able to empathize as well as sympathize with both teacher and student. This type of narration allowed me to see past the words written and see the person behind the font.Since Michies book does not follow one classroom or group of students throughout its entirety, the student reflections serve to enhance my understanding of certain students but also to encourage me to wonder about the future lives of each student that Michie mentions. This part was actually where I was disappointed. I felt that I was left hanging, there was no resolution. Some of the stories did not need this, but I felt that if he thought the students story was significant enough to be talked about, then he should have let us readers have a clue as to how they ended up.Michies concern for and commitment to his students shines in Holler If You Hear Me, and his questioning, wonderment, frustration, passion, and humor pulled me along this journey of embodied education. Michie was in fact the miracle-worker that no one hears about in a world where chaos is correspondent with life in general for those who went to school in urban Chicago. Although he lived in such extreme realities, his ability to clearly display his experiences in no way was diminished in his book.While many of the issues embossed are familiar, Michies book is one of ordinary inspiration that will appeal to both teachers and students. Works Cited Codell, E. (1999). Educating esme Diary of a teachers first years. In A. S. Canestrari & B. A. Marlowe (Eds. ) Educational foundations An anthology of critical readings (pp. 3-7). Sage Publicatio ns. Michie, G. (1999). Holler if you hear me The education of a teacher & his students. New York Teachers College Press. Documentary from class Corridors of Shame Handout from class Joel Spring The Purposes of Public Schooling