What to Expect When Teaching

What to Expect When Teaching: A Response

Brandon Nguyen 6993676

PED 3102 [JS] Schooling and Society

September 14, 2017

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Introduction

In this paper, I shall be talking about three readings: towards a re-definition of

Indian education, The three L’s: the traditional education of the indigenous peoples, and

critical legal issues for teachers: legislation regulations and cases.

Hampton and Miller

Between the two readings, I am absolutely in love. During my undergrad, I took a

course on the music of the First Nations people. It went extensively into the history and

background of people, with a focus primarily on the teachings of music. For me, they

both bring up one of the core ideas of First Nations teachings: learning through the

passing of knowledge. In our western society, most of our learning comes from a very

formal European style of education: paper and desks; however, the First Nations focus on

“looking, listening, and learning” (Miller, 1997, p. 16). There learning was more

experiential and lessons based, as opposed to a memorize and regurgitate method

common in western society. Hampton (1995) talks a bit about this when talking about

traditional Indian education that “can be characterized as oral histories, teaching stories,

ceremonies, apprenticeships, learning games, formal instruction, tutoring, and tag-along

teaching” (Buffalohead 1976). This proved difficult as time went on though because of

the assimilation of their cultures and tradition during the colonization era. With the

establishment of residential schools and reserves, the goal was to completely wash the

roots away and have a Christian European Canada. These residential schools promoted

“negative attitudes toward Native cultures, and prohibition or non-use of Native

Languages” (Oleska and Dauenhauer 1982).

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Being a music teacher, teaching music is so much different than teaching math. A

lot of people draw similarities between the two and often say that the two have a beautiful

connection; however, when talking about something as concrete and physical like math

then comparing it to music: something abstract and can’t be quantified in numbers and

formulas. The teaching of music is so like that of how the First Nations teach their history

and culture. With Miller, they talk about the three L’s of looking, listening, and learning:

three ideas that the music world revolves around. We watch performances of pieces, we

listen to the intricacies of the notes, and we learn from the experience we just had. Music

is this beautiful and experience when learning how because it engages your mind. At

some point their life, everybody played an instrument or learned about music, but I’ve

always wondered did they ever think about how they were learning how to play? For

example, when I first started playing flute, I could barely make any sounds for the first

months, but here I am now eleven years later with an undergrad for classical flute.

Mandell

Mandell brings up two cases involving teachers and the interactions of multiple

rights and laws. These two cases are brought up to juxtapose each other: one about racism

and one about sexual intent; however, they both argue about how a teacher is to be held at

“higher standards of personal and professional ethics and conduct that most other

Canadian citizens” (Mandell, 1998, p. 136). This is true in the fact that we are examples

for our students. What we say and what we do all affect them in some way. With the Ross

case, there were cases of anti-Semitism performed by the students, though it was never

directly linked towards Ross’ off-duty contact, their actions did in some way influence

the conduct (Mandell, 1998, p. 131). It shows how much of an effect one person can
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make to the many. Imagine if Ross had instead publicized material about marriage

equality or trans rights instead of anti-Semitism: what kind of an effect would that take?

Taking in today’s political debates down south, they have their glorious President

Trump and there has been a trend of increased accounts of documented racism.

Understanding that correlation is not causation, the election of Trump only fanned a spark

into a flame: this level of racism has always been there and it only grew to where it is

now because of someone so influential and powerful spewing things like walls and

making America great again. It is eerily like that of the Ross case where someone of

power and influence published ideas of hate that nurtured an environment for the hate to

grow.

My greatest question for the class is not really a question, but more of a debate:

how would you rule in the Ross and Audet cases?

For your reference list, it should appear on a separate page, in serration with the

rest of your paper, at the end. The entries should be in alphabetical order by author’s last

name and then by date of publication. Check the Publication manual of the American

Psychological association (2010) or Owl Purdue University website

(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/) for more information.

References

Buffalohead, R. 1976. Higher education of Indian students: 200 years of Indian

Education. Tempe: Arizona State University Center for Indian Education

Oleska, M., and R. Dauenhauer. 1982. Education in Russian America, In G. Stein, ed.,

Education in Alaska’s past. Anchorage: Alaska Historical Society