Having some trouble narrowing down a focus and choosing categories due to the nature of the topic and mixture of data I collected... Here is my thought for how to set this up, so I can get writing without further difficulty :)
Intro:
Defining Bias (everyone has a difference of opinion on this) talking about the journey of our human unconscious state of being bias.
Literacy Review:
Article on Bias in the Classroom: Types, Frequencies, and Responses by Guy A. Boysen a & David L. Vogel. Article focusing on lots of studies conducted in the classroom on students being bias. However, not so much focused on what I was interested in- in terms of where is it possibly stemmed from, how do we face it, does it cloud our everyday judgment, etc. Discuss further.
Methods:
Collaboration of data between teacher and student (interview protocol and questions asked in both interviews) Why were they different? Is it evident that it is a challenge to face human nature of being bias? Discuss further with data to support. Evidence of teacher not realizing his own bias. Students experiences with stories shared of past teachers being bias. Discuss further.
Category of Analysis:
To be determined.
Discussions:
Conversation challenges/ comfort level between both participants.
Connections:
Possible connection to challenge of speaking and admitting bias- similarity in both interviews in terms of realizing that not one thing "stems from it"; human nature/ society.
Conclusion:
Wrapping up research question/ restating info
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Follow up interview with Teacher
me: All ready?
Participant D: Yes.
Sent at 10:15 PM on Wednesday
me: Thank you for
agreeing to a follow up interview. I hope I haven't troubled you too much!
After going back and reading our interview, I realized I missed out on asking
about more personal experiences in the classroom and with students. You have
lots of experience teaching, so I hope I can trouble you to share a bit more.
Sent at 10:21 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I've had
several students over the year take my class three times. One student actually
failed the class the third time but he was close enough to passing that I gave
him the C and sent him on his way. If you wish, I can provide you with all of
his relevant biographical information, including his gender. (haven’t asked a question yet; already disclosed gender
information)
Sent at 10:33 PM on Wednesday
me: Okay, let's start
with that. So you've experienced students retaking your class several times.
Did you notice at what point they dropped the class? Trouble with material or lack of effort on their
end
Sent at 10:35 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: Some drop,
some stop coming, some don't put in the effort and fail.(didn’t specify at what point he noticed they dropped the
class) It's not terribly difficult to do well in my Business Writing
course (what might not seem difficult for some may be
very difficult for others)- it's pretty much paint by numbers. I reward
effort and attention to detail.
Sent at 10:41 PM on Wednesday
me: Do you have an idea of what they
found most troubling with the material?
Sent at 10:46 PM on Wednesday
me: This is a writing
course and you mentioned you have a pretty evenly distributed diverse classroom. Any pattern in the students
that were having trouble with writing and if there was a pattern with a specific item that was of
difficulty Sent at 10:48 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I think
the sudden focus on editing can be disorienting for some students. Those with a
facility with language and an eye for detail hit the ground running in most
cases. (assumption that it’s the focus on editing and
not the class material)
Sent at 10:58 PM on Wednesday
me: Do you find it
difficult to teach editing skills to a diverse classroom with students who have
all different backgrounds/ knowledge of writing? (in
previous interview- he stated that he had a very diverse classroom)
Sent at 11:04 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I
couldn't imagine teaching not being difficult. (unnecessary
sarcastic comment; avoided question)
Sent at 11:07 PM on Wednesday
me: Well, of course it
is. I deal with younger students where as you deal with college students. In
this case, you can shed some light due to your 14 years of experience. You
touched on the kids who seemed to be failing due to lack of effort, not so much
the material. Can you tell me about some of the best students you've had
Sent at 11:12 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: The
students that do exceptionally well all say the same thing in our "exit
interview": "This (3090) was the easiest class I've ever had."
Some were not natural editors either. But they put in the time and read the
directions and it served them well.
Sent at 11:16 PM on Wednesday
me: What are the steps
you as the teacher have taken to help those students that had difficulty and or
failed the class several times?
Sent at 11:27 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I offer
all students the option to email me their work before they hand it in so I can
provide more personalized guidance. Some do and some don't. For the students
who clearly need it I make clear that I expect them to do so.
Sent at 11:31 PM on Wednesday
me: In regards to the
student who failed the class three times, did he follow through with emailing
you work prior for comments?
Sent at 11:33 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: There
were more than one and although I can't remember specifics my guess would be
no. (why was there more than 1- what is the pattern?)
*can remember that he failed the class 3
times, but not remember why
Sent at 11:34 PM on Wednesday
me: Lastly, I know we
touched on bias in our last interview. We are all human and are all bias in
some way whether it be our upbringing or general stereotypes we make. You
mentioned you are very good about being cognizant and guarding that. In this
particular case, what kind of bias have you felt and how do catch yourself
Sent at 11:39 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: Well I
never want any of my students to fail, but I have to respect that this is a
defining thing for them (what’s the defining thing-
learning from their own mistakes?) - the opportunity to push back
against difficulty and grow as human beings. Sometimes that growth takes three semesters.
(avoided question again)
Sent at 11:46 PM on Wednesday
me: Thank you very much
for taking the time to have a follow up interview! Have a wonderful holiday
weekend!
Participant D: You too!
Blog 15- Interview with Student
Participant Z: hey i'm here
Sent at 1:29 PM on Wednesday
me: Hi there! Thank you
for taking the time to do this interview and for participating!
Participant Z: np!
me: To start, I would
like to ask you some general information. Can you tell me a little bit about
yourself?
Sent at 1:30 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: I'm 29
years old, studying to be a k-5 bilingual education teacher. I am mexican but
have been living in NJ since I was 6. I worked as a paralegal for 5 years
before deciding to go back to school and be a teacher
Sent at 1:31 PM on Wednesday
me: That's great-
welcome back! What inspired you to come back to school?
Sent at 1:32 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: I wanted
to become teacher. My job as a paralegal was not rewarding although I was confortable
financially
Sent at 1:33 PM on Wednesday
me: Well, I'm glad you
chose the route that would be most comfortable to you, and I'm sure you will be
a great teacher! You said you've lived here since you were 6. How was life in
Mexico and how would your upbringing was?
Sent at 1:35 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: I went to
private schools. Both of my parents were teachers there. (comes from a family of teachers) I had a normal
childhood, nothing different than here
me: Was it difficult for
you to come here at age 6 with the cultural difference? (assumption on my end that it would perhaps be difficult)
Sent at 1:39 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: Ummm not
really. I knew some english and I was placed in a bilingual classroom. The
teacher taught half in spanish and half in english from what I remember. It
wasn't like I couldn't speak with anymore. I think it was a smooth transition.
me: That's wonderful!
How were your teachers throughout Elementary school?
Sent at 1:41 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: I liked
some better than others. I did not like my 2nd grade teacher at all. Looking
back, I did learn a lot from her because she was militant (despite feelings-tried to make a positive comment about her)
but I always had the feeling that she did not like me (what
provoked these feelings?). I later found out that she did not want me in
her classroom (how were assumptions of teacher “not
liking her” confirmed/found out?) and had suggested i'd be put in the 1st level
bilinugal class (assumption on teachers end that student
wasn’t capable before even testing her) but when I took the English
test, I scored higher
so my skills placed me in the 2nd level bilingual.
me: That's interesting.
Why did you sense she did not like you? Was this second grade teacher a general
ed teacher or a bilingual teacher?
Participant Z: I
remember one time she accused
me of cheating (was this accusation immediately
direct and or in front of other studnets?) And made a snarky remark
about how my parents were both teachers. (1st
example of her not liking the fact that her parents were teachers) My
3rd and 4th were great. It was ...
she was a bilingual teacher
3rd and 4th were also within the
bilingual prog but they actually did not speak english
me: Accused you of
cheating? So it was clear at that point that your theory of her not liking you was probably true
Participant Z: yeah, and
if I had cheated and had gotten caught, yeah it would have sucked and all but
at the age, to be accused of it and you didn't do it...it sticks with you. If
funny how i remeber that but not other things (recalled
info from such a long time ago; negative experience stuck with her)
Sent at 1:46 PM on Wednesday
me: Well, it definitely
impacted you. What was the end result with this teacher? Did she figure out
that her accusation was false and did she apologize? How did your relationship
with her impact the remainder of the year?
Sent at 1:48 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: She
didn't believe me. So we had these spelling test on a weekly basis I think, so
I was practicing one word that i kept getting wrong, and I wrote it on a paper
like 5 times to practice and then i crumbled it and put it in my desk. Those
desk that you can put stuff under them. And mine was a mess. I mean full of
books, papers, pencils etc...they were all a mess. Anyways I did that one day
and forgot about it. The day of the test we were done or almost done and she
walks by and says whats the paper? and I was like idk...I didn't remember it
had been days before. So she took it opened it and was like oh so you cheated?
and I was no, that was old. (didn’t want to make it a
point to hear student out; let her own feeling cloud her judgment) And I
think she called my mom, but thank god she believed me. And when I told my mom
what she said about them being teachers I remeber she didn't like it. It was
something along he line of "oh look you're cheating and your parents are teachers (2nd example of teacher not liking that student had
teachers for parents. Perhaps she felt like she was getting “special
treatment?) I didn't feel comfortable from there on. I don't remember
anything else as dramatic as that but I was glad when the year was over
Sent at 1:53 PM on Wednesday
me: Well, I'm sorry that
happened to you. I'm sure as an adult now and the fact that you're going to
become a teacher, you could look back and say "well I would of handled
that differently"
Do you remember this teachers
ethnicity background?
Participant Z: she was
hispanic. Either puerto rican or cuban. (teacher was of
Hispanic race as well- what was the issue?)
Sent at 1:56 PM on Wednesday
me: Interesting... . Do
you remember any other negative experiences you've had with a teacher that
stuck with you as this one?
Sent at 1:59 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: Ummmm let
me think....I know that my 5th grade teacher made comments to the class that I
still remember bc somehow
I felt like he was talking about me.(another
experience of feeling like the teacher was talking about her and or didn’t like
her- what was provoking it?) This was the year that I moved from Perth
Amboy to Highland Park (move from towns was more
difficult than move from countries) At HP there wasn't a bilingual
program so i was put into a general
ed classroom. So he would say things like, some of you don't belong in
this class.(teacher not welcoming of different students
being placed in his general ed class) There were 4 5th grade classes, I
guess they were group a certain way, idk, i'm not sure, but he said that from
time to time. Then he would say stuff like next year, I will make sure that
those of you that don't belong in this group (assuming
they are not good enough to be there) get moved and surprise suprise, I
wasn't with that class the following year. (how did
teacher manage to “push out all the students he didn’t want? What was his
reasoning/evidence in supporting his claims?)
Sent at 2:04 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: Looking
back there were some smart people in the classroom, but obviously i placed in
there too. I just again, felt like he didn't like me.(has
these feeling a lot) And that was a tough year from me, i had just moved towns, my parents had separated the
year before and I know that it
would have helped to have a more encouraging teacher. He did me a favor in a
sense bc my main teacher in 6th grade rocked
she was the opposite of him. WIth
him i felt like I couldn't or wasn't even capable of doing a good job but with
her, she was so encouraging that i went above and beyond (teachers encouragement allowed student to go above and beyond
on her own)
Sent at 2:07 PM on Wednesday
me: So your making your
negative experience into a positive, that's always good. Why do you feel like
these teachers didn't like you or were making comments about you? Were you self
conscious about anything?
Sent at 2:10 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: in 2nd
grade, idk, i mean i was new to this country. I'm guessing that because my
parents pushed so hard to put me into her classroom, she didn't like that. I
mean, most of the other student's parents were not, idk how to say this without
it sounding bad bc i don't mean it like that but they were educated. My parents
were so they spoke up and I know for a fact she was the one who liked to give
the orders. (teacher probably didn’t experience any
parents speaking up before and took it out on student from the beginning)
I think that carried over into me. As for my 5th grade teacher....
Sent at 2:12 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: ....i
don't know if that was a race thing. I mean he was white, and it was a mainly white town. I was probably
the only hispanic
in that classroom (reason student felt like he didn’t
like her and or a target in terms of speaking about her with comments)
although there were indian, Chinese and blacks. I actually just remember
something, he had mentioned that his wife was a teacher in perth amboy (large Hispanic population) and how "different" and
"bad" the
kids (making assumptions that bc they are Hispanic and
from that town, it made them ALL bad kids) were. For that one I really
do think the race factor played into it to some degree. And its not like I
could be making it up as projecting bc I had teacher before and after him that
never made me think about
my race compared to them or others
Sent at 2:15 PM on Wednesday
me: That's interesting!
It's amazing how you remember those little things that just don't sit well with
you. Let's get talking about some happy stuff, shall we? Do you recall any
stories about any teachers throughout your whole schooling career that have
made an impact on your life and for what reasons?
Sent at 2:18 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: its funny
how the bad things are the ones that stick with you more than the good
ummm
Sent at 2:23 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: well my
6th grade teacher, I loved, she was so caring and encouraging like I said. It was a sharp difference. In
highschool I also remember my english teacher who was the person that really
made me fall in love with english. (how did this
teacher make such a big impact?) I actually read the books for her class
lol, and her comments focused on the good that was on the paper as oppose to the mistakes or what was missing. She
was warm, positive and inviting. Then there was my chemistry teacher. She was a
tough teacher and not because she wasn't nice but bc she had high standards of
us and we had to meet them. She didn't lower the bar for anymore. (treated all students fairly) For example, you knew
that if you didn't do your hw that was it. You got a zero. There was not chance
of having an excuse and it was fair. You got upset but only with yourself.
Sent at 2:26 PM on Wednesday
me: Well, she seemed
tough and fair!
Tell me a little about college life-
have you ever felt as though a teacher was unfair to you?
Sent at 2:34 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: ummm...i
honestly cant think of any unfair experiences in college. I've studied at Rutgers,
at MCC and at Kean but no, i think i've always gotten what I put in. There have
been times where I have gone and talked to a professor about a grade or a paper
that I felt that I did better than they thought, but I guess because I am older
and I have learned to speak up for myself, I can articulate my thoughts and
feelings.
me: Did those
conversations or conferences go well with those teachers?
Participant Z: When I
was young, I didn't know how....I just got hurt and upset but wasn't able to
speak up and say something like I want to talk about this, or that bothered me,
or I dont like it when you say this, or what do you mean by saying that etc/..
(is it appropriate for students in elementary school to
express their feeling of being hurt or are they supposed to just “get taught”)
Sent at 2:40 PM on Wednesday
me: What have you
noticed about teacher/student interactions?
Participant Z: yeah
because its a respectful conversation. I mean they can tell me that my work
sucks as long as they tell me why. (college prof. able
to support claims with evidence- how do teachers in elementary school do so? )
teacher/student interaction in what
sense? now or before?
Sent at 2:43 PM on Wednesday
me: Both- how would you
describe the diversity amongst the classrooms you've been in and how
would you describe the way the teachers/professors interact with students
Sent at 2:45 PM on Wednesday
Participant Z: well that depends on the
teacher. Like I said, I've had teachers that said things or did things that
made the interaction uncomfortable for me, and Ive had teacher and professors
that have treated me with respect and when younger with kindness. The thing is
teachers and still humans, and as humans, I think we judge others. Now I think
good teachers know how to put all the bs aside and look at their role and
impact on that child's life. If you think about the effects of your words and
actions on all your students, than teachers would most likely not cause bad
memories on their students. You have to look at all students as equals with the same capabilities to learn.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
BLOG 14
INTERVIEW WITH TEACHER
Participant D: I am here
Sent at 9:30 PM on Wednesday
me: Perfect! Thank you
for participating.
Participant D: My
pleasure
me: We'll start with
some general information.. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself- How
long you've been teaching?
Sent at 9:33 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I started
teaching in September 1999 - business writing at first, then added world
literature a few years later. My educational background is in literature.
Sent at 9:35 PM on Wednesday
me: Wonderful. So you
have lots of experience! Can you tell me a little bit about the students you
have had in your classes throughout the years?
How would you describe the diversity
of students in your class?
Participant D: I teach
Saturday mornings and at least one night during the week, so I get a mix of
young people and older adults already in the work force. Racially the Kean
community is extremely diverse, and my class tends to reflect that.
Sent at 9:38 PM on Wednesday
me: Great! Can you tell
me a little bit about how the students interact with each other? Do you feel as
though they engage with classmates of their culture, sit next to them, and so
on?
Sent at 9:39 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I'd say
students tend to interact quite a bit - sharing personal and professional
experiences that cross racial boundaries. If possible, I like to get older
students talking about the day-to-day realities of being in the workforce,
which can help to illustrate my points to the larger class.
Sent at 9:43 PM on Wednesday
me: Sounds wonderful.
How do you feel you interact with students of all different backgrounds?
Sent at 9:44 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I like
having a diverse class. I'm the teacher, but that doesn't mean I can't learn
from my students as well - and I often do.
Sent at 9:48 PM on Wednesday
me: Have you ever
noticed any bias going on amongst the students in your class?
Participant D: Bias
against me or other students? Can you give an example?
me: Bias against each
other
Do you think any students have been
bias against you?
Sent at 9:51 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I'm not
sure to be honest. I'm still somewhat young so (I hope) the generation gap
doesn't come into play. There must be endless reasons why students ignore the
class material, but I'm pretty certain it's not due to race.
Sent at 9:54 PM on Wednesday
me: I would certainly
hope not! You mentioned earlier that you have a pretty diverse classroom. Is
there a large group of any particular race?
Sent at 9:55 PM on Wednesday
me: More male or female
students? And who do you feel you interact better with?
Participant D: Not
really - it's pretty evenly distributed between white/black/hispanic/indian
Sent at 9:56 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: More
females for sure. The dynamic with women is of course slightly different.
Sent at 9:58 PM on Wednesday
me: Can you recall any
particular stories or experiences you've had with any students over the years?
Participant D: I sure
can. Any particular type of story you're looking for?
me: Nope! More than one
story is welcome if your okay with sharing.
Sent at 10:01 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: One
female student was so taken with me that she offered to drop the class
immediately so I could go on a date with her. That was interesting. Another
student (a male) had a fake leg and attacked me with it in the parking lot
because he failed the class. So love and hate, I guess.
Sent at 10:05 PM on Wednesday
me: Sounds interesting..
I'm sorry about that attack!
Sent at 10:06 PM on Wednesday
me: Do you feel in the
years you've been teaching that you either noticed or caught yourself being
unconsciously bias against anyone?
Sent at 10:08 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: Well, I'm
only human, so yes - bias (positive and negative) can creep in, and a teacher
must constantly guard against that. And I do.
Sent at 10:10 PM on Wednesday
me: When you say guard
against that- do you believe it to be a huge problem in terms of ever clouding
your judgement when it comes to teaching, grading, etc.
Sent at 10:13 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: Not a
huge problem - just something to be cognizant of when dealing with the myriad
personalities in the class.
Sent at 10:15 PM on Wednesday
me: Great- You've been
extremely helpful. Thank you again for participating and sharing information
with me. Enjoy the rest of your evening!
Participant D: My
pleasure.
Sent at 10:18 PM on Wednesday
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