"For those who live in large urban communities with young immigrants from war-torn countries, Everybody's Children speaks with a powerful voice. Subtitles underscore Saillieu's accented English and Joyce's French –one cannot help but admire the strength of these two young people who try so hard to make their way, independently, in a new and strange, country.”
Monika Delmos opens the documentary with the image of a plane landing at what can be presumed to be an airport. This beginning scenes not only sets the tone of the film, but also gives the viewer an indication of what the film is actually about. The film follows the journey of Saillieu and Joyce, two minors who landed in Toronto in an attempt to seek refuge in Canada from their countries. Both Saillieu and Joyce landed in Canada with limited resources, and found themselves highly dependent upon institutions such as The Salvation Army and Matthew House. In an interview, Joyce explained that she left Congo to seek refuge from prostitution. On the other hand, Sillieu left Sierra Leone with the help of the Red Cross after almost being killed. These two individuals, although from different backgrounds, share a similar story, faith, and most importantly the perseverance to rise above the negative experienced that marked their pasts. Above all, what stood out to me upon watching this documentary is the fact that both Saillieu and Joyce, although from different countries, understand and respect Canadian identity. I believe that most of us take for granted that we are Canadian, and live in a country like Canada. It can easily be argued that both individuals portrayed in the film are grateful for their opportunity to live in a country that values multiculturalism. Although they both deal with issues such as language barriers, and lack of funds to sustain themselves, they view Canada as an outlet for success and opportunities. As mentioned in the film, Sillieu wishes to become a firefighter because he wants to help people. Their individual journeys are remarkable, and inspiring. As a teacher candidate, I believe this film particularly pertains to the urban cohort because, it shows how someone can have a significant impact in the life of a child. As seen in this film, sometimes all you need someone who genuinely cares for you, and looks out for your best interest. In my opinion, the most powerful moment of the documentary comes when Sillieu says: “For me, being here, it’s like heaven.” Reference: CM Magazine: Everybody's Children. (2012, November 12). Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol17/no11/everybodyschildren.html
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As argued in the Ministry Documents, students learn better in an environment where they feel safe and supported. The main points presented in the document titled, Caring and Safe Schools in Ontario, emcompasses the ideas of school climate and prevention. As maintained in the first few lines, “students who experience a positive school culture feel supported and accepted by peers and school staff tend to develop a strong sense of school membership” (4). It can easily be argued that nowadays, as maintained by Brian Kuntz, "students are far less engaged in schools, disinterested in participating in school activities. In most cases, students may be unwilling to take part in school activities because they are bored, or simply lack the self-esteem necessary to participate in said activities" (n.p).. Regardless, it is important for teachers to promote participating and invite students to take part in activities that may appeal to their particular interests because, as per claimed in the article, “feelings of belonging enhance students’ self-esteem and can contribute both directly and indirectly to improvements in academic and behavioural functioning and overall mental health” (4). In this context, by promoting participating, involvement, and inclusions, teachers are creating an atmosphere that encourages students to get along with each other, which is a “key strategy in building a caring and safe school culture” (34). While student participation may contribute to caring and safe school environment, the article also provides prevention strategies that aim at eliminating behavioural problems in school.
The first strategy is a Problem-Solving Approach. By and large, this approach is “aimed at preventing the behaviour from occurring again by helping the student learn a positive behaviour by empowering the student to take responsibility for for solving his or her problem, and by empowering the student with his or her dignity intact and positive sense of accomplishment” (37). When using the problem-solving approach, the student acknowledges that his or her actions were wrong, and takes responsibility for said action, but is not further punished or made to feel ashamed about themselves. Often, more punitive measures such as suspension are unsuccessful, and result in more acts of violence or intimidation, therefore, it is important for students to understand that what they did was wrong and provide the students with the tools necessary in order to prevent any further negative behaviour. The second strategy is a Restorative Practice. Based on an Aboriginal concept, restorative practices is a “method of dealing with criminal justice issues that focuses on repairing the harm done to people and relationships rather than on punishing offenders” (36). While in the beginning I was a little skeptical of this prevention strategy, it seems as though it might be quite beneficial for students. By mending seemingly difficult students relationships through restorative circles, students are able to share their emotions in a safe and caring place, as per the title of this article. As opposed to the problem-solving approach, restorative practices help students understand the importance of cooperation and working together to achieve a common goal. This results in a more inclusive environment that promotes positivity and inclusion. The second article entitled: Shaping a culture of Respect in our Schools: Promoting Safe and Healthy Relationships reminded me of Accepting School Act, 2012, which in its mandate attempts to make Ontario school more inclusive. Many parent organizations were originally dissatisfied with the current amended Bill because they believed it singled out the LGBT community. The parent organizations argued that by taking out LGBT, the act would no longer single out a group, and thus make the act more inclusive. I would argue, however, that by specifying the LGBT community, the act was not attempting to single out a certain rather, it was allocating a section to a group of people who are subjected to the most violence and intimidation. In my opinion, the schoolyard can be a very a hostile place because homophobic slurs are thrown around so freely without consequence. As maintained in the article: "research shows that boys more often than girls both receive and make homophobic comments (e.g., “gay”, “fag”, “dyke”, “queer”, “lezzie”, or similar terms): in the CAMH survey 34% of Grade 9 boys and 30% of Grade 11 boys reported being victims of such insults, while 38% of Grade 9 boys and 33% of Grade 11 boys reported being perpetrators. In Grade 9, 22% of girls reported being victims and 26% perpetrators; while in Grade 11, 12% of girls reported being victims and 16% perpetrators" (6). This directly pertains to the following page which explains how the media influences behaviour. Bandura explained this concept through his Social Learning Theory, which briefly, explains that children learn behavior through observational learning. As expressed in the article, “young children who see media violence have a greater chance of exhibiting violent and aggressive behaviour”(7). In this case, it is important for parents as well as teachers to teach students the importance of understanding the media, and digital literacy. Finally, the third and fourth article shared the same subject as the they both discussed the idea of supporting English Language Learners. It is also important to note that all articles mentioned in this post can be directly linked to chapter 3 of Ayers’ book. The whole premise of these article seems to explore the importance of creating a classroom that challenges, but also nurtures students. As claimed in Supporting English Language Learners with Limited Prior Schooling, “by building positive relationships the teacher gets to know students by interacting with them as individuals and listening to what they have to say” (7). Although I have limited experience working in schools, in the short time that I have been at Pinecrest, I have notice how children seem happy when you genuinely listen and subsequently respond to what they have to say. Although a story may be as simple as a child telling you about how they were able to cross the monkey bars at recess, if you show a genuine interest in the children, they will react in a more positive way. The film Entre Les Murs, directed Laurent Cantet presents a highly flawed teacher and student relationship. As per the title of this blog post, the docu-drama opens with a teacher pointing to a list of student’s name, saying: “nice, not nice, and not nice at all.” Entre Les Murs follows the journey of Francois Marin, a French teacher at a Parisian school, who seemingly struggles for the duration of the school year to manage his overly dramatic classroom. As a matter of fact, it would seem that M. Marin feeds into the drama of his students, rather than remain professional. The first problem emerges when M. Marin confronts his student, Khoumba. After refusing to read an excerpt from The Journal of Anne Frank, M. Marin get upset as his student. After voicing to her teacher that she feels singled out, and attacked, M. Marin makes her write an essay about respectful conduct towards a teacher. As the school year progresses, so does M. Marin’s inability to keep his classroom in order. This idea is quite apparent if we consider the altercation that arise between Souleyman and Carl. While the class is very lively and noisy, only a couple voices stand out, and M. Marin seems to pay a particular attention to these students. The most powerful moment of the docu-drama comes at the end, when M. Marin is asking everyone what they learned throughout the year. Each and turn, the students tell the class something they retained from the a specific course. In her dialogue, Esmeralda explained that she read Plato’s The Republic, Khoumba explained the slave trade, and even Carl told the class of a chemistry experiment. At the end, as all the students are joyfully leave the classroom for summer vacation, a student, one who was never heard from or seen for the duration of the film, approaches M. Marin’s desk and says: “ I didn’t learn anything.” In disbelief, M. Marin tries to explain to the girl that she must of learned something, and she goes on to say that unlike the other students, she has not learned anything. In my opinion, this goes to show that M. Marin did not get to know his students because he was overly preoccupied with the classroom drama, as aforementioned. As I noted early, only a few loud voices stood out, while others just faded away in the background.
In my opinion, it can be argued that while this film present a negative image of M. Marin, it acts as a cautionary tale, and the potential shortcomings of a school that operates according to a top-down approach. The short document titled: Ontario College of Teachers Foundations of Professional Practice, presents to teachers, and teacher candidate the general code of conduct. The document present four broad categories that encompass the notion of ethical standards. This includes care, respect, trust, and integrity. According to the Ethical Standards of the Teaching Professional, in care, “members express their commitment to students’ well-being and learning through positive influence, professional judgement and empathy in practice” (9). In practice, teachers’ play an important part in a student’s academic life. It can easily be argued that besides the parents, or other primary caregivers, teachers’ play an essential role in a child’s development, therefore, it is important to remain mindful, and provide students with a compassionate and accepting classroom. Furthermore, in trust, we see that teachers must form “professional relationships with students, colleagues, parents, guardians and the public” (9). In order to strive in a school environment, students must be subjected to fairness, and honesty. In order words, if students are subjected to hostile learning environment, their creative abilities will not be nurtured. In terms of respect, “members honor human dignity, emotional wellness and cognitive development” (9). This easily related to what I mentioned earlier in regards to teachers playing an essential role in a child’s life. If the child comes from a troubled family, and experiences the same type of abuse or neglect at school, they will not be able to learn or enjoy learning. Rather, they will become hostile towards the schools, as an institution. Finally, integrity, which holds that teachers “ must exercise integrity in their professional commitments and responsibilities” (9). In my opinion, care, trust, and respect all fall into the broader category of integrity because it encompasses the notion of morality. As further maintained in the article, which is of great importance is the idea that teachers must remain committed to students and learning. In this context, teacher must value the importance of learning, but also a student’s ability to grasp new ideas and concepts. At the beginning of an academic year or term, a student may not be able to fully grasp the concepts or material presented, but if they are able show constant improvement, this should be acknowledge by the teacher. In grade 4, I struggled immensely in school, I can’t remember one subject that I specifically enjoyed, however, we were assigned a science experiment that we would present to the class. I was quite nervous to stand in front of the class and present, but I did and turns out I did really good. The teacher sent home a note to my mom expression how delighted she was at my presentation. This was a real confidence booster for me, and I feel that teaches should pay a particularly close attention to students ability to grow and improve. I’ve mentioned this example in a previous post, but I felt as though it also pertained to the subject of this article.
In the same vein, the article titled: The Professional Learning Framework for the Teaching Professional, in the preamble, explains that “members of the College refine the knowledge, skills, and values through ongoing professional learning” (21). This article provides teachers and future teachers will the knowledge in regard to professional learning. In order to grow as an educator, the Ontario College of Teachers expresses the importance of accreditation and also encourages teachers to “identify and pursue their personal interests” (23). Briefly, although quite short, it is quite difficult to provide an adequate response of this article for this blog post. While this article is well articulate, and easy to understand, I think it is an article that is best suited to read personally, without providing any further feedback, unless required. In this context, a teacher can read the article, grasp the content, and apply it to their teaching strategies. It was difficult to personally identify or personally connect with the material presented because it so straight -forward. It is, however, important to note that the article does provide some important and useful information that should be understood by all professionals in this field. My ten statements:
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January 2016
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