Everyone, regardless of if they admit it or not, judge people based on how they speak. “I knew she was ignorant just as soon as she opened her mouth!” (Purcell-Gates). This statement was made by a teacher in reference to one of her student’s parents. Teachers are meant to be leaders and mentors. They should never judge anyone based on their dialect or accent. Teachers, especially in the Appalachian region where accents are likely to occur, need to understand the relationship between language, literacy, and power. Educators that understand this relationship are more likely to help their students succeed. After all, Standard English speakers are more likely to hold more prestigious jobs. Teachers need to understand that just because a student and/or their parent, speaks with a certain accent, does not mean they are incapable of learning. No matter what society says, the way a person speaks does not influence their overall intelligence level. In the Purcell-Gates article, the teacher was implying that the parent of this student was dumb because of the way she spoke. This is a very poor attitude for anyone to have, let alone an educator. Teachers need to have positive attitudes so they can positively influence their students. Whether students admit it or not, they look up to their teachers and they should be very conscious of how they respond to different accents and dialects.
Teachers are perfectly capable of overcoming cultural deficit perspective of their students. Once they have done so, I believe a safe, fun, inclusive learning environment will be created. However, for this to be completed successfully, teachers will need to think outside of the box and in terms of what their students can relate to. Because everything has become so curriculum based, this has become a little more difficult for teachers to do, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. “The secret to literacy instruction is for schools to investigate and tap into ‘hidden’ home and community resources for their students” (Moll). If teachers are able to keep an open mind and a vibrant attitude they will be able to overcome any cultural deficit perceptions. In return, they will be able to create a community of learners within their classroom. When a teacher is able to recognize the cultural capital within their students, many things can be accomplished. The hardest part is finding a way to get through to your students. In an article I recently read by Louis Moll, it discussed the success a teacher had when she got the entire community involved in a unit she taught. The teacher realized that all of her students had grown up around construction sites. After recognizing this factor, she decided to base her unit around the idea of construction. She was able to gain the participation of families and other community members. She was able to make vocabulary, mathematics, and economic lessons. The students in the classroom were able to learn “the vocabulary of construction, names of tools, economic concerns, and the importance of knowing mathematics in construction” (Moll). Not only were the students learning, but the community itself benefited from this great project and cultural deficit was overcome.
Teachers and schools are both contributing factors to poor literacy instruction. In many instances, Standard English is being enforced in the wrong way. So much emphasis is being placed on proper grammar that teachers are not allowing their students to remember where they come from. In many areas, especially Appalachia, students are likely to have accents. Children learn to speak through example and they are likely just imitating what they hear at home. However, when the students come into the school system, teachers frown upon how they are speaking. Often times, the students are made to feel unintelligent. When a teacher automatically has low expectations for a student because they seem unsophisticated or appear to have a lack of intelligence, it is known as the cultural deficit theory. This is a very ignorant theory that assumes some students cannot learn simply because of their race, ethnicity, language, or culture. According to the article written by Bolima, cultural deficit theory “justified the belief that certain groups were intelligently inferior to others…” (Bolima). This prejudice theory is unfortunately still seen today and it does not give students of minority classes as much of an opportunity when it comes to public education. I believe that teachers need to find a way to create a balance between a student’s natural dialect and Standard English. A cultural difference needs to come into play rather than a cultural deficit.
Several strategies can be adapted to aide in the improvement of literacy instruction for non-standard English speakers. Students should not be shunned for the way they speak; rather, they should be proud of their heritage. After all, their dialect reflects where they come from and who they are as an individual. However, students need to understand that there is a time and a place when Standard English needs to be used. “Students who grow up speaking the dialect are at a distinct disadvantage when asked ‘to make a counterintuitive choice on tests that identify their dialect features as incorrect,’ Clark says. This is due to the fact that Appalachian English has nonstandard or informal subject/verb agreement and pronoun forms and commonly employs the use of double negatives” (Epstein, Herring-Harris). When teaching a student the about Standard English, it needs to be done in a way that the student is able to identify the similarities and differences of their personal dialect and Standard English. This will help them when they are trying to use a method known as code-switching. They should not be made to feel inferior or unintelligent. Rather, they should understand that this will help them in the long run. Teachers need to use the funds of knowledge in their students when getting them to use Standard English. This is a teaching opportunity and should be thought of as a cultural capital.
The “Where I Am From” project supports culturally responsive teaching by providing a look into the home life of students. It shows a little bit of their cultural background and gives the teacher a better idea of where they are from. This type of project is also good for the students. It allows them to see where their peers come from and creates a bond and closeness between them when they are able to relate to one another. It lets them see that maybe they’re not so different from their peers. In the future, I plan to have an inclusive classroom. I hope to implement this type of environment by making the students feel like they are a part of an open, loving, and non-judgmental community. I want my students to feel free to express their opinions without being judged or critiqued by me or their peers. I also want my students to feel that their opinion matters and counts toward something. It is also my belief that culturally responsive teaching can be taught throughout a variety of subjects in school. Many people believe that it is limited to just reading and language arts. It is my goal as a future educator to integrate culturally responsive teaching into as many subjects as possible.
Bolima, D. (n.d.). Contexts for understanding: Educational learning theories. Retrieved from http://staff.washington.edu/saki/strategies/101/new_page_5.htm
Epstein, P. & Herring-Harris, L. (2011, September 15). Honoring dialect and increasing student performance in standard english. National Writing Project, Retrieved from http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3655
Moll, L. (n.d.). Fund of knowledge: A look at luis moll's research into hidden family resources. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B38BSV_Zo7aHSGVoMWEtOFRGMVE/edit
Purcell-Gates, V. (2002). As soon as she opened her mouth.. In L. Delpit & J. Dowdy (Eds.), The skin that we speak: An anthology of essays on language culture and power. (pp. 123-140).
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