Emily Pipkin

November 2013
Inquiry Project
INTRODUCTION
The people I interviewed include Lind!y "mith# !nd $h!rle Pr!tt% Lind!y i
!ppro&im!tely 2' ye!r old !nd i !n (i!n (meric!n ph!rm!cy technici!n% $h!rle Pr!tt i
!ppro&im!tely 2) ye!r old* i !n (+ric!n,(meric!n* !nd work ! ! )
th
-r!de te!cher !t .e!ttie
Element!ry "chool% Thi i $h!rle/ +irt ye!r te!chin-* while Lind!y h! been workin- +or !
couple o+ ye!r% E!ch o+ them h!d ! li-htly di++erent opinion o+ wh!t the prim!ry purpoe o+
choolin- i with Lind!y tickin- to ! imple !nwer !nd $h!rle developin- hi !nwer
omewh!t more* thou-h e!ch h!d plenty to !y !bout their own e&perience in educ!tion ! well
! their hope +or the +uture o+ educ!tion in thi country%
#L!t n!me ch!n-ed +or the priv!cy o+ the interviewee
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
Purpose of Schooling
In term o+ wh!t the prim!ry purpoe o+ choolin- i Lind!y tuck with the very imple !nwer
o+ 0to educ!te youn- mind*1 which* in the bi- picture* i quite true% 2e!nwhile* $h!rle e&pl!ined th!t
he believe the purpoe o+ choolin- i to +ind the tren-th o+ every tudent% 3owever* it i not only to
+ind the tren-th o+ thee tudent* but to !lo m!ke them !w!re o+ their own tren-th !nd upport them
!lon- the w!y ! they dicover !nd develop thee tren-th% I +eel th!t thi !ppro!ch i p!rt o+ 4ern!nde5,
.!lbo! !nd 2!rh!ll/ 61'')7 tr!n+orm!tion +rom monolo-ic!l ped!-o-y to 0! di!lo-i-!l educ!tion!l
e&perience1 in which 0both te!cher !nd tudent c!n e&plore !nd develop democr!tic rel!tionhip1 6p%
287 bec!ue o+ it need +or inter!ction between tudent !nd te!cher% It !lo !li-n quite per+ectly with wh!t
the 9!li L!m! 61'''7 !y !bout -ivin- individu!l ! ene o+ hope !nd 0helpin- them believe in their
own inner potenti!l1 6p% '27% I+ $h!rle h! thee ide! in mind o e!rly in hi c!reer* I believe he i
he!ded in the ri-ht direction in bein- !ble to mold li+e,lon- le!rner* even i+ he only te!che the )
th
-r!de%
Experience in School
( thi i $h!rle/ +irt ye!r o+ te!chin-* he know quite cle!rly wh!t hi e&pect!tion o+ te!chin-
were* which h!ve not quite !li-ned with hi !ctu!l e&perience in the cl!room% ( !n element!ry chool
te!cher* he h! m!ny +un !ctivity ide! to do with hi cl!* but un+ortun!tely* he h! h!d to pend much
more time diciplinin- hi tudent r!ther th!n doin- +un !ctivitie% .ec!ue o+ the !mount o+ time he h!
h!d to pend diciplinin- r!ther th!n te!chin-* he +eel th!t thi h! -otten in the w!y o+ hi te!chin-
method !nd i ! bit di!ppointed% $h!rle re!lly w!nt to h!ve +un while le!rnin- with hi cl!e* but
+ind it very di++icult to do o with the -roup o+ tudent he h! h!d thi ye!r% It i !lo much more
di++icult to tick to hi ide! o+ +indin- the tren-th o+ e!ch tudent when he cont!ntly h! to -et the
tudent to ettle down jut +or ! quick m!th leon%
Lind!y +ound it h!rd to rec!ll !nythin- th!t re!lly worked +or her in the cl!room% "he
remembered te!cher who eemed to be le!rnin- the m!teri!l ri-ht !lon-ide the tudent r!ther th!n
!lre!dy bein- e&pert !nd bein- !ble to te!ch it well to their tudent% "he !lo rec!lled thoe cl!e
where the only -r!de were tet -r!de* which did not work +or m!ny tudent bec!ue there w! no
cuhion +or ! b!d tet -r!de% .ec!ue o+ thi e&perience* he commented on how he ee th!t
t!nd!rdi5ed tet !re not workin- now% Lind!y w! not !ble to comment on !ny p!rticul!r !pect o+ her
choolin- th!t p!rticul!rly worked well +or her* !yin- th!t he quite dilike the public educ!tion ytem
in the :nited "t!te%
How are schools meeting the diverse needs of learners?
In Lind!y/ e&perience* chool do not meet the need o+ !ll le!rner% "he did not el!bor!te on
the topic* but her tone u--eted th!t m!ny need were not met in chool he !ttended% $h!rle* on the
other h!nd* believe th!t i+ !nd how divere need !re bein- met v!ry !cro the bo!rd% Perh!p in ome
chool there i not !n e++ort to include the need o+ !ll le!rner* but !t .e!ttie* he believe there i ! te!m
e++ort o+ !ll the t!++ to meet e!ch tudent/ need to help them ucceed% Every week* the t!++ -et
to-ether to dicu thee need ! well ! communic!tin- with p!rent to +ind out wh!t work !nd wh!t
doen/t +or e!ch tudent in order to provide ! he!lthy !nd equ!l le!rnin- environment +or !ll% $h!rle
believe th!t thee e++ort h!ve -one ! lon- w!y in providin- tudent !t .e!ttie with the tool to ucceed%
.e!ttie eem to h!ve be t!kin- !dv!nt!-e o+ the ide! th!t 3uert! 6200'7 mention in th!t 0educ!tion c!n
!cce ! wide body o+ ree!rch !nd m!ny ped!-o-ic!l tr!te-ie th!t c!ter to the need o+ tudent1 6p%
28;7%
OBSERVATIONS
The cl!room I oberved w! cert!inly unique% .ec!ue o+ the cl!room dyn!mic* there tended
to be more time pent m!n!-in- the cl!* r!ther th!n !ctu!lly te!chin- or buildin- rel!tionhip between
the tudent% The +ollowin- -r!ph how jut how much more time w! pent m!n!-in- r!ther th!n
intructin- while I w! in thi cl!room in the mornin-% The peci!l !ctivity column re+er to !n
!embly one mornin- ! well ! ! peci!l 04uel +or 4un1 !ctivity one !+ternoon%
The time I oberved were ! bit di++erent th!n norm!l in th!t there w! !n !embly one mornin-*
which cre!ted ! li-htly di++erent chedule ! well ! ! peci!l -uet cookin- -roup one !+ternoon which
!lo cre!ted ! di++erent environment% The cookin- -roup w! !ctu!lly quite +un to oberve* ! I +elt th!t
they utili5ed m!n!-ement* intruction !nd built rel!tionhip% In thi !ctivity* the tudent le!rned ! little
bit !bout ! country !nd then divided into -roup to help prep!re p!rt o+ ! me!l +rom th!t country% They
were t!u-ht how to !+ely cut up ve-et!ble 6with butter knive7 !nd ued m!th to me!ure out +ood% They
!lo were buildin- rel!tionhip with e!ch other !nd the intructor by bein- !ble to t!lk with e!ch other
!bout wh!t they were doin- !nd perh!p !bout their own e&perience in the kitchen% (nd o+ coure* they
were le!rnin- by cookin- !nd writin- !bout the country o+ ori-in o+ the dih they were prep!rin-% They
!lo h!d to help cle!n up !+terw!rd* which w! m!n!-ed by the t!++% I +elt th!t it w! ! well,rounded
!ctivity +or the tudent* even i+ it w! ! bit ch!otic !t time due to the n!ture o+ thi -roup o+ tudent to
be ! bit uncontroll!ble%
"ince I oberved prim!rily in the mornin-* there w! not much !ctu!l intruction time% Typic!lly
in the mornin-* the tudent !re c!tchin- up on !ny homework th!t m!y be due or ilently re!din-* o I
did not -et to oberve much intruction time in !ction% 3owever* the little bit th!t I did oberve w! p!ired
with ! lot o+ m!n!-ement bec!ue thi p!rticul!r -roup o+ kid eem to h!ve ! h!rd time ittin- till*
litenin- !nd bein- repect+ul while ! te!cher i tryin- to intruct% .ec!ue o+ thi* there w! !lo !
tru--le to h!ve time to pend rel!tionhip,buildin- 6other th!n ! dicipline b!ed rel!tionhip7% I believe
$h!rle doe hi bet to incorpor!te everythin-* but bec!ue o+ the n!ture o+ thi -roup o+ tudent* !
well ! it bein- hi +irt ye!r ! ! te!cher* there i ! tru--le to rel!te to hi tudent in ! w!y which will
reult in h!rmony within the cl!room%
The +ollowin- i ! rou-h repreent!tion o+ how o+ten m!le veru +em!le were !cknowled-ed or
quetioned throu-hout my oberv!tion%
I believe th!t thi -ender !cknowled-ement i not quite ! +!ir repreent!tion o+ how boy
!nd -irl m!y h!ve been inter!cted with in thi cl!room due to the m!jority in the room
belon-in- to the m!le% (lo* the m!le typic!lly needed to be !ddreed more to -et b!ck on
t!k while the -irl typic!lly were ittin- quietly !nd doin- their work% <hile my oberv!tion
were in line with (m!nd!/ 6200=7 oberv!tion th!t 0+em!le receive le !ttention +rom
te!cher*1 I did not !-ree with the t!tement th!t 0the !ttention th!t +em!le tudent do receive i
o+ten more ne-!tive th!n !ttention received by boy1 6p% 17 ! the -irl in the cl!room I
oberved were !cknowled-ed in !n !ppreci!tive m!nner +or bein- on t!k !nd were not i-nored
or put down in !ny w!y +or !kin- or !nwerin- quetion%
CONCLUSION
( educ!tion continue to ch!n-e in thi country 6hope+ully !ll +or the better7* I hope th!t we
be-in to ee more equ!lity !cro the bo!rd* ! $h!rle hope to ee% I !lo !-ree with Lind!y/ hope +or
hirin- te!cher who h!ve ! p!ion +or te!chin- !nd enurin- th!t e!ch !nd every tudent who le!ve their
cl!room i +ully prep!red to move on to the ne&t -r!de level !nd i e&cited !bout le!rnin-% >eler
620007 tell u th!t te!cher c!n +ind ! 0renew!l o+%%% p!ion +or te!chin- !nd ! lon- term recipe +or
!voidin- burnout ?by@ brin-in- to the cl!room !n open mind* ! he!rt +ull o+ love* !nd ! will to protect
!nd -uide their +lock1 6p% 107 which I believe i wh!t Lind!y i thinkin- o+% <e not only need to +ind
+reh +!ce in the te!chin- world* but we need to !void burnout !mon- thoe who h!ve been te!chin- +or
m!ny ye!r% $h!rle/ +in!l point !bout hi hope +or the +uture o+ educ!tion i th!t we continue to trive to
dicover every tudent/ potenti!l !nd brin- out the very bet in e!ch o+ them* which I 6!nd the 9!li
L!m!7 couldn/t !-ree with more%
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(m!nd!* $% 6200=7% Aender .i! in Educ!tion% N%(%* 1%
4ern!nde5,.!lbo!* B%2% C 2!rh!ll B% 61'')7% 9i!lo-ic!l Ped!-o-y in Te!cher Educ!tionD Tow!rd !n
Educ!tion +or 9emocr!cy% Journal of Teacher Education, 45, 28%
3uert!* A% 6200'7% Educational oundations! "iverse Histories, "iverse Perspectives# New Eork* NED
3ou-hton 2i++lin $omp!ny%
>eler* F% 620007% The GTe!chin- Preence%/ $irginia Journal of Education, =,10%
L!m!* 9% 61'''7% The Heart of %earning! Spiritualit& in Education# New Eork* NED Pen-uin Putn!m Inc%
Time # of minutes Description of Activity M, R, I
(Day 1)
8:30 2 Plede of Allieence M
!"#2 $ Announcements M
!"#% ! &or' catc()up time M* I
!"$# 2 +ine up to (ead to assem,ly M
!"%- 2! Assem,ly R
."2- # /ead ,ac' to classroom M
."2% 0 &or' catc()up time M* I
."## 2 +ine up for music M
."#% 1- Music class) pass out music, si(t read M* I
."$% 1 Music) r(yt(m, countin ,eats, sinin, memori2in I
."%2 21 Music) dance 3it( music and sinin M* I
1-"1% % +ine up to (ead ,ac' to (omeroom M
1-"2- # 43itc( into mat( class M
1-"2# 1 Mat() minute mat( 3or's(eets M* I
(Day 2)
!"## 2 Announcements M
!"#% $ Reminder of respect 3(en a su, is teac(in M* R
!"#. 21 4ilent readin time M* R
."-0 2 Passin out 5ournals M
."-! 1. 6ournal 3ritin M* I
."21 # +ine up for P787 M
."#2 1% &ritin activity) reflection on ,e(avior 3it( su,stitute M* I
."$1 1 9ame time) runnin* tossin I* R
."%% % 4tart of ne3 ame I* R
1#"#- 0- :;uel for ;un: M* I* R
Total 258
(4.3 hours)