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?"


 * What really helps me create a deeper understanding about how kids learn is from what Ayers discusses on page 88. In short, it talks about the laying of bricks and planks for youngsters to build bridges and who is responsible for doing such tasks. Ayers believes that teachers are responsible for laying the first few items. Also they must monitor and guide the building of the bridge, just like a foreman actually constructing a real bridge. (The funny thought of several elementary students outside wearing hard hats and a teacher with blueprints comes to my mind…Anyway…) I agree with Ayers here because many students, especially older students, wont show up and be motivated to learn, nor have a desire to start laying brick after brick. I believe that lack of motivation is due to a number of different reasons: poverty, emotional problems, background knowledge, etc. But without teachers laying the first planks or brinks, who will? And how will some students now how if they don't have a model? Finally, if anything else, this belief Ayers has reminds me of the scaffolding teaching strategy and further drives my understanding of why it is a valuable resource to help build upon a students prior knowledge.**
 * Furthermore, on page 95 Ayers talks about consistency and always building in project time that promotes individual learning. Consistency is something I struggle with in the resource room setting because no two days are the same. However, I believe if I can establish more consistency in my schedule I might be able to increase my students achievement, gain a deeper understanding of their prior knowledge, and build bridges to higher understandings of new material.**
 * Another point that is interesting on page 88 again is the power of a relationship between a teacher and a student and how it can help both of them. We as teachers need to find out what our students know and establishing an authentic relationship is probably the best way. I feel this can be tricky though with high school students, but getting to know your students is half the fun of teaching. I have had a couple students feel as if I was invading their privacy because I was someone young and new in the building. However, once I built a trust with them their barriers dropped and my lessons seemed to build stronger bricks of knowledge, because I was able to connect readings to something in their lives. So again, with out a doubt Ayers is correct by stating that teachers need to know their students in order to guide them better. What I wonder though is how well do administrators try to develop this relationship with their teachers. I am willing to guess not many, which can lead to poor evaluations. - Josh Saba**


 * Josh:**
 * Wow, posting all the way through Chapter 4 already??? Gotta love snow days; right?**


 * In reference to your somewhat rhetorical question at the end, it's like virtually everything, some are great at it and some don't see the need! I do believe that graduates coming out of pre-service administration programs are now more than ever understanding the importance of building relationships and getting to know their staff. (Dr G)**

Ayers Chapter 4

I am going to post, too, only because reading the Ayers book is more interesting to me than the other books I am reading this semester (no offense Dr. Pace). This chapter in the Ayers book is … bizarre. The first 10 pages of the chapter talk about Zayn and his “Coming of Age Ceremony” which did not click with me until the last 10 pages of the chapter where he ties it together with multicultural education. I was reading it, entranced by it, wondering, at the same time, where in the world is he going with this?

What Ayers is talking about when he says “building upon student’s prior knowledge” is multicultural education in his classroom. He is building a bridge (or several bridges) between himself and his students that come from a culture different than the norm of his community. He is not only learning new things about his students, but most importantly, his students are learning a wealth of knowledge about their peers. He suggests bringing in artifacts, food, celebratory items, clothing, books, religious materials and such into his classroom so the students can learn from them. He also suggests bringing in the parents and people from the community to tell stories about their culture and celebrate their diversity. These are all great ideas and I did this to a lesser extent than what he talks about in this chapter.

In Texas, we had a very diverse population of people from all over the world. When I was told that I would have the ESL (English as a Second Language) integrated class, I thought that was great, after all, I took 6 years of Spanish in high school and college. I was silly to think that my TEXAS school would have students from Mexico… So when I got my class roster, I found out I was going to have 7 Korean students in my class, one of whom was just getting off his flight from Korea 3 days before school started and did not know a “LICK” of English. Well I pulled up my sleeves and took on the challenge.

Ayers does a good job of emphasizing the importance of multicultural education and how it builds bridges to understanding all the students in the classroom. I did many of the things he suggested in this chapter. But I found many obstacles in the way. I had the Korean students’ families come in to the classroom and volunteer, but since this was not their practice in the Korean education system, it only happened a few times. The grandmother of one of my Korean students brought in homemade dishes from their culture, but the district rules stated that no homemade food was to be given to the students, all food brought in was to be store bought for safety and health reasons. So I stuck with the prior knowledge of the students to tell us how they did things in their culture. They brought in books, artifacts, toys, games and such to share with our class. It was a great learning experience for all and it really made the Korean students feel welcome in their new school. These practices built the bridges that Ayers talks about in chapter 4.

I worry a little bit about my children growing up in Iowa, because it is not culturally diverse as what we were used to. The only student that I can think of in the school population that my children attend is a blue-eyed blond boy from Holland who speaks with a slight accent. That’s it. I do not observe any students of a different race, religion or culture other than our own. So the opportunities for a multicultural education in Iowa are few and far between because of the lack of diversity. My daughter’s best friend in 2nd grade was a beautiful blue-eyed African American girl. She did not see colors of one’s skin, religious differences, or accents. She grew up seeing people as who they were on the inside. This is how we should all want our children and students to grow up and I am afraid, unfortunately, that Iowa is not providing that for our students. (Jeni Roadcap)


 * Thanks Jeni. You take a unique perspective from this chapter, and one that I'm assuming stems greatly from your previous teaching experiences in a very diverse setting. And while I certainly agree with, and understand, some of your final points, I think this chapter also reminds us all about the importance of teaching multi-cultural education in our classrooms; even when our students may all look alike. I know that my own son and daughter have experienced the same type of non-diverse experiences as you mentioned with regards to your current district. I hope that what they don't get in regards to the day to day experiences of a diverse setting, they learn through discussions, presentations, etc. from their classroom teachers and activities. Maybe a little tougher to "build upon those previous bridges", but still very necessary, and I like to think possible!** (Dr. G)

This chapter of Ayers aligns itself with my philosophy of teaching really closely because he devotes the entire chapter to the idea of “building bridges” with students. I believe that if a teacher takes the time to get to know their students, outside of what they see in the classroom, they will not only be able to build a stronger relationship with those students but they will also be able to create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. I have had the opportunity to teach at both the high school and middle school levels and like Ayers alludes to in the opening parts of chapter four, students have negative images that precede them at different grade levels. When I speak to people outside of the school about what I do, their first response is always something about how my job would be difficult because of the students and their behaviors/attitudes. I find pleasure in responding that I love my job and these images they perceive to be place in the schools are not really there.

Multiculturalism is a word that is becoming closely related to schools today. Schools are become just as diverse as our society, which is a good thing. Growing up my idea of a diverse school was the one African American family who attended my school. Imagine my shock when I went to UNI for college and experienced a level of diversity that I would never have dreamt of during my PK-12 days. I believe that schools with their extreme levels of diversity and emphasis on multiculturalism are preparing our students for their place, whatever it maybe, in our society. Ayers says that “a powerful entry point into unmasking stereotypes is to begin with what students bring to class” (p. 94). The classroom is where the opportunity to dispel the many myths about stereotypes is greatest. My first teaching opportunity was in a school that had a high percentage of Hispanic families and I would not have traded this opportunity for anything. Not only did I grow as a teacher but my students also grew in their understanding of culture because every day was infused with a plethora of different viewpoints on the same topic.

To end, Ayers quotes Lisa Delpit who says “children need to be taught the codes and rules for full participation and that that teaching can only happen if teachers authentically seek out and consult parents and other adults who share the cultures of the children” (p. 97). The classroom is not only a place for teachers to teach their curricular area to students but is also a classroom for life after school. The skills that students possess to make them successful in the classroom will also make them successful in the “real-world.” If schools and the community work collaboratively we can help build the bridges that will make the students successful all aspects of life. (joe d)

Thanks Joe. I had to chuckle to myself when you were talking about experiencing the diversity of the UNI campus. I felt the same way as an undergrad here, and yet UNI is considered very "non-diverse"! Guess it's all relative. Now that we've seen Ms. "Smith" the Art teacher on dvd, I would assume some of you have a positive feeling about her ability and efforts to build bridges with her students. Amid possible issues that you had with her teaching and delivery, were the times that she showed a caring and experience-based relationship with her students a refreshing note?! Just a rhetorical question, but certainly something I thought about in light of this chapter's question, and Joe's reflection. (Dr. G)

I completely agree with Jeni about the first 10 pages of the chapter. I was trying to figure out what was going on! ( I also agree that is a far more enjoyable read.) I think we all know that if we can connect with student's prior knowledge they become far more engaged. One of most exciting 1st grade music classes last year was when one of my students had her Grandparents - who live in Ireland - come to music class. The kids were so excited to perform any song they could think of as Irish for our guests. It was also great to have them in our room to share a bit about the cultural differences and how they relate to music. They are welcome back anytime! Personally, the quote that really stuck out to me came from page 90 "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." That is right on the money! I have learned A LOT from my students and about so much more than music. I've gotten a lot of 'life lessons' as a teacher from my students - and I wouldn't trade them! (Kerri)

Kerri I have to say that you identified, to me, one of the best quotes from this chapter. We (principals) need to remind our staff that WE should be learning from our students, just as they are learning from us. I cite this because I think it is a key for some staff that need to be reminded that teachers are not simply the "dispensers of knowledge", but also the "creators of learning." Creating that learning doesn't happen by simply telling students what they need to know! (Dr G).

Ayer’s speaks of building the bridge or I like to think of it as bridging the gap. Ayer’s tells us that there is a gap between student and teacher, also student and student. We can’t begin to fully understand each other if we don’t know where each other came from. What are each others morals, values, beliefs, and culture? Ayer’s says, a teacher is like an explorer, in that we are experiencing the world through the children. I believe that is a great way of putting it, but what makes a good explorer? I would say that a good explorer is someone that has been a lot of places and “knows” a lot of people.

Waterloo Schools tends to be diverse in terms of culture. One of our growing cultures in the Waterloo District is Bosnian, I am consistently learning about the culture, I love learning about the foods and why they value them so much. I could pretend to learn about the culture, but the students are also going to pretend to learn, because they know if you really care or not. I am always asking questions about students’ culture, you would be surprised how many different views I get from one simple question, because each family does it different, for example, making bread in Bosnia.

“Delpit explains that to put our beliefs on hold is to cease to exist as ourselves for a moment.” My question to everyone is why are so many teachers not allowing speaking of the students’ native language in school? Their language is part of them, part of their culture. Why do we put them on hold?

Building relationships with students, colleagues, and parents is the key to your success as an educator. If the connection you create with each of these different entities is weak do not expect a quality relationship. Educators’ have the key to unlock each student, how can we unlock them? (Josh J)

Josh- I would hope that we don't "put them on hold"; but rather, encourage a climate where students learn in an atmosphere of unbiased education that prepares them for what lies ahead. (Dr G)

//Over my past 17 years of working with students, it has been my pleasure to get to know many students in a variety of contexts. Ayers' chapter on 'building bridges' emphasizes this all-important concept when working with students. Being cognizant of the activities in which students are involved, the worlds in which they work, the events in which they invest much of their lives, serves to make real-world applications in Government, Economics, History or Psychology. When teachers attend games, concerts and other performances they don't have to attend, then follow that up with comments and encouragement the next day in class, it serves to communicate "...the values implicit in a hopeful approach to teaching: the importance of love, commitment, and ethical action; the centrality of making the student visible as a whole person;..." (Ayers, p. 86). The daily Q&A before or after class can also help identify key events in students' lives. By asking some basic questions I have learned about various styles of piercings, Hindu beliefs, tattoos, Eagle scout criteria, hunting, car stereos, NASCAR, and more. Being a constant student of our students helps bridge the gap from our world to theirs, and just as importantly make the necessary connections between their world and the content we present each day. (Rick)//

Rick: Love your comment - "being a constant student of our students"! Wonderful addition to some great thoughts. It is so very true that students do appreciate their teachers attending specific events they are involved in. I know we can't mandate that our staff do that, but c'mon, is it that difficult? It is such a powerful, and fairly easy, thing to do! (Dr G)

For me, the most memorable quote of Chapter 4 comes on P. 86, where Ayers says, "Outstanding teaching is built on a base of knowledge about students." I believe that teachers who invest the time to get to know their students and attempt to build trustful relationships ("build bridges") will see great returns in student participation and achievement. Much of what I took from Chapter 4 is very similar to Rick's statements in terms of using the students' interests and experiences to guide classroom examples, activities, and real world applications. One way in which I do this is to provide a great deal of freedom when working on group projects and presentations. I provide essential parameters, but beyond that, let students take things wherever they want to (within reason). I am often impressed at what students can come up with when they take ownership for the creation of something as opposed to completing an objective with rigid instructions. I find that they are more likely to let their interests and skills guide the creation of the project, which is loosely related to the ideas of the "curriculum of ME" that Ayers discusses throughout Chapter 4. I also agree that, especially for a high school teacher, one of the best ways to build these bridges is to show an interest in what is going on outside of the classroom. I believe that the nature of teenage kids and the structure and scheduling of high school makes this interest a necessity if you are to truly build solid relationships with students. My wife, a 4th grade teacher, spends all day, every day with the same kids. It baffles me how much she knows about them personally, about their lives, and what those kids are willing to confide in her without a second's thought. In order to create similar relationships with high-school kids, we need to really be willing to go out of our way to, as Ayers says, "...be the architect and contractor who begins to build the bridge" and to "know where to put the first plank" (p.88). (Travis)

Thanks Travis. Nice quotes infused, and especially enjoyed your reflection on the differences between high school and elementary teachers. Being married to an elementary teacher myself, I definitely agree with your thoughts on how well the structure of elementary classrooms lend themselves to teachers knowing their students so very well. (Dr G)

﻿//While I whole heartedly agree with the comment that was made about attending outside, extra curricular activities this is one area I don't do a very good job with. This is one area that I find difficult to do with so many other things going on, and because I don't live in the same community I teach. However, I like to think that I make up for it with the things that I do in the classroom and during the shcool day. When I can, I try to make every effort to do the extras, knowing that sometimes it just isn't possible.//

//Like many of you stated earlier as I began reading this chapter I became interested in his story about his son and "building bridges" however, I have to be honest I didn't see the multicultural thing coming until he spelled it out for me. I really thought this chapter was going to focus more on using background knowledge to "build bridges" and didn't see the connection between the two at first. It didn't take long to see that connection and Ayers made some very valid points. This chapter did build on some previous knowledge I had about multicultural education from previous courses, although I can honestly say I have experienced very little of this in my own classroom. Because of that I tended to focus more on what Ayers had to say about getting to know your students on a personal level. On page 86, Ayers states, "Outstanding teaching is built on a base of knowledge about students. One obvious way to collect that knowledge is by building some part of the routine around a curriculum of "ME". Although I have seen various takes on this idea implemented I really haven't ever tried it. Which makes me ask myself why? It makes sense, it seems extremely manageable, the students would love it, and we could all learn something from it. Now I must go so I can figure out where to put the first plank and figure out how to be the architect and contractor. Any ideas, suggestions, things you have done or tried would be much appreciated.// //(Erin Burmeister)//

﻿It's St. Patrick's Day today, so I'm typing in a green font. I finished chapter 4 and my initial rection is "huh?"

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Jeni R. and many others mentioned the multicultural aspect of this chapter. Where does this fit in with teacher evaluation? Should we be looking for ways to coach our teachers into doing a better job of this in their classroom? I also questioned the idea of schools playing a key role in the "coming out" celebrations. Ayers is walking a thin line - is this the role of the school or the role of the parents? I remember student teaching in a middle school classroom and the hygiene and social skills that went along with teaching 7th graders math. Do we really want schools to take on even more responsibility? In my opinion, Travis laid out a more reasonable approach - investing in students' lives outside of class through interest in their extra-curricular activities. Where is the "school cannot be everything to everyone" outcry?! =====

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I was reminded that teenagers do not have to be "werewolves" as Ayers describes them. This might be why I decided to teach high school students instead of middle school. I realize there is a time and a place to learn about the specific needs of certain aged students, however my experience with literature related to middle school students tended to be overly dramatic. Yes, they are different when compared to elementary and high school students. Yes, they need to have social interaction time. Yes, peer support/pressure is a big deal. BUT...let's not overly dramatize these points at the expense of creating an environment that encourages these behaviors, too. For as much criticism as I laid down in the first paragraph, I agree with Ayers on p. 88 "Bridge-building requires someone to lay the first plank. Schools are often structured around the notion that the child should lay the first, second, and virtually every plank after that." The first thing that came to mind was the "art" of teaching. All the instructional strategies in the world are implemented in vain without a positive classroom culture. I had a colleague or two that was a great teacher from a "science of teaching" perspective, but lacked positive relationships with students. Heck, I'll admit that this was my down fall for the first year-and-a-half as a teacher. I was too focused on content and not focused enough on the students. Still lots to learn in this area! (Matt T.) =====

Matt:

Certainly tons of criticism around the role of parents vs the role of the school. The reality is, however, that more and more expectations are placed upon the school to deal with all that is laid on our plates. And often, that which is laid on our plates should have been taken care of in the home environment; yet it was not. We can debate whether or not it's the school's responsibility, but in the end, we have to educate the child. Often that "education" begins with basic needs being met that plenty of teachers never see taking place behind the scenes. Principals and counselors are well aware of it though! (Dr G) This chapter made me think about two units I do with my students every year. One unit is ‘All about me’ and the other is on families. The for the ‘All about me’ unit I have students make a book about themselves. It includes a self portrait, writing their name, picking and drawing a favorite color, food and animal, writing the number of how old they are, their handprints, and drawing a picture of their family It is interesting to do this with four and five year olds because most of them have not really thought about what their favorite color, food or animal would be. At the end of the week when we are done making our books each students stands in front of the class and shares their book about themselves. It is fun to watch the students present their books and how students realize they have some of the same favorites. The other unit I do is on families. I read several books about different types of families of all cultural backgrounds. We talk about how some people only live with their mom and some people live with their parents and grandparents, etc. Most of the children can relate to this idea because they are living it. The people in the books we read about families are of all different cultural backgrounds which brings up a whole new discussion because there is almost no diversity in our school. It is hard to explain to four and five year olds that there are people in the world that look much different than they do without actually having them see these people in real life. I try to bring as much culture into my classroom as I can, but find it hard to explain to my young students. (Amy)

Sounds like building some great bridges Amy! (Dr G)

Chp. 4 Katie Owens

One of my favorite parts of the school year is the beginning of the year and getting to know the students. “Me” curriculum (p. 87) is an outstanding way of getting to know your students. The information you gather from this time of getting to know your students can be used the entire school year. Their interests, dislikes, knowledge and what they want to know can be gathered. Sections of your room can have various of these things to keep the students interest levels up. Also, you can learn about their families and what they are proud of.

I was into this book until reading chapter 4. What is Ayers talking about? Buckskin shields, buckskin vests, and coup sticks, it sounds like Ayers wants to encourage students to take a century leap backwards in developing their sense of self. Is this any different than dressing in all black and fashioning a shiv to display proudly in the boy’s locker room? Reading this chapter did nothing for me in terms of creating a deeper meaning of the phrase, “building upon student's prior knowledge”.

Even though I feel I did not develop a deeper meaning as a result of reading chapter 4, I think reflecting on a philosophical idea Ayers provided did stir some thought. He wrote that, “given the intense relationships and connections that exist everywhere, that you can learn everything from anything”. I would have to agree with this idea as I think about the movie Cast Away. Tom Hanks certainly discovered himself on a deeper level as he engaged in many social interactions with a volleyball. (Joe Bormann)

Joe: Ayers' will do that to you. One moment is an "aha" moment; the other you want to throw him under the bus for his obscure and often radical thoughts!! But I guess if it makes you think, either way, it can be helpful! (Dr G)

One of the lines that caught my eye (besides many that have already been mentioned above) was on page 89 "virtually every culture is itself the result of different people interacting, clashing, merging, relating, giving, and taking." Although this line is the basis for my 7th grade geography class, I want to relate it to education as a whole. I think we all realize that no matter how much we can compare our own districts to other schools our size or bigger or smaller, we all have our own cultures. Not only that but as teachers we create our own cultures within our buildings. We might have very strict classrooms of raising hands and limited motion or we might have more open classrooms of challenging questions and discussion with group work and activities. Then within our classrooms we have students who come in from their own backgrounds and cultures. Together we all have to mix our own background knowledge and come to common ground. I believe, like Ayers, that the teacher must form the underlying surface to which we build our classroom. We must express expectations, as sometimes those aren't the background from which are students understand. From there we build our relationships and together grow in building our own culture that we can work within. (Aaron B)

So very true Aaron. And then throw in the beliefs that the administrator has, and another culture is born. From an administrator's perspective, and specifically related to evaluation, the key is accepting the different "cultures" that every teacher has not being biased when their style or approach to teaching is different from your own experiences or background. (Dr G).

//Building upon students prior knowledge and helping them “build bridges” is key in teaching and learning because it allows students to understand a concept better and stay engaged and interested in what you’re teaching. I feel field trips are a great way to help students make these connections and build on their prior knowledge, especially when dealing with students from a low SES background, as they do not always have the opportunity to experience a lot outside of their schools and communities. Unfortunately, do to increasingly smaller budgets; field trips are often out of reach for many teachers and students. One thing we’ve incorporated into our SCR class this year is providing our students the opportunity to experience several guest speakers; we’ve brought the learning experience to them. This has been very easy to incorporate in our classrooms, as many community members have been enthusiastic about speaking with our students. It has been a great addition to our Read Aloud/Think Aloud (weekly story topic) and has greatly increased student engagement. (Whitney Bowen)//

// This is a great example Whitney, and you might have answered my question I just posted for you in the Chapter 3 link!!! (Dr G) //

Although my classroom is not culturally diverse at all we are often involved in "building bridges" within the community and the world through the various service projects we are involved in. Throughout the school each classroom, and the school as a whole, participate in such activities as Operation Christmas Child and Read to Feed. These activities are multicultural and expose our students to the hardships facing so many children around the world today. The students are typically enthusiastic about participating. Unfortunately I don't think we do as good of a job as we could making the necessary connections to reinforce the knowledge of the multiple cultures we are introduced to. Reading this chapter really got me thinking about ways to do this so that the students get more out of the experiences. (Katie Fahey)

Katie I was going to ask you if you might reconsider the cultural aspect of your student experiences. Guess you already answered that! (Dr G)

This question was one that I feel very strongly about and totally agree with Ayers. On page 88 Ayers says, “Culture is an important t window into a child, an essential part of any bridge’s blueprint, and effective teachers must learn to be lifelong students of culture.” Since I teach 5th grade my students never leave my class throughout the day. That means I have a lot more time than any other teachers with my students. One thing I pride myself on is getting to know my students and building relationships with them. Ayers is right in that this isn’t just knowing their holidays and artifacts. Culture is clothing, traditions, food, values, etc. I have 24 students in my class and 24 different cultures. I do not just consider culture their ethnic background, but their individual lives. It isn’t the student’s job to just tell me about their culture. I am the one who needs to, as Ayers says, “Be a lifelong student of culture.” As with any student, if I show they care they will be more apt to open up to me and share about their lives. There is nothing better than having a student tell me about their weekend or something they do not feel comfortable telling someone else. I become not only a teacher, but one they confide in because I show I care about their lives and culture. (Derek Philips)