3 things that will stick with me after this semester

 This semester I read and watched a lot of material which has been very meaningful. 

After this semester ends, I’ll carry Carla Shalaby’s message with me as a reminder to look beyond student behavior and ask what a child might be trying to communicate. Instead of jumping to conclusions or relying on strict discipline, I want to be the kind of teacher who responds with curiosity and care. Her perspective pushed me to think more critically about how schools handle “noncompliance” and helped me realize that creating a truly supportive classroom means understanding each student as a whole person.

After this semester, I’ll take Patrick Finn’s ideas with me as a reminder to always be aware of how schools can either limit or empower students based on how they’re taught. His distinction between domesticating and empowering education made me reflect on how important it is to teach in ways that build students’ confidence, independence, and critical thinking, not just compliance. While I don’t believe all structure is oppressive, I now see how important it is to question how and why we use certain systems in the classroom, and to make sure those systems are helping students reach meaningful futures, not just follow directions.

Last, Thomas Hehir’s Ending Ableism in Education helped me reflect on how schools often create barriers by expecting all students to fit into one mold. His message reminded me that real inclusion means designing flexible, supportive classrooms from the start. It’s not students who need to change, it’s how we teach and structure learning.

Together, these authors have challenged me to rethink what it means to support every student. Whether it's through inclusive lesson design, reimagining discipline, or questioning the purpose of educational structures, they all push for classrooms that honor each child’s individuality. Moving forward, I’ll carry these ideas with me as I work to create a learning environment that is flexible, empowering, and rooted in understanding.

Abigail Tetlow on TedTalk

In class we watched a tedtalk featuring a transgender person and a mother who raised a gender nonconforming child. They talked about their lives and how important it is to let people be who they are. The transgender speaker shared what it was like growing up and figuring out their identity, and the mom explained how she supported her child even when it wasn’t always easy. They explained how they utilized a queer camp to find themselves. The main point was that people should feel safe and accepted no matter how they express their gender. It was about kindness, listening, and letting kids be themselves.

Abigail Tetlow on Woke Read Aloud

Today, I watched the "Woke Kindergarten" read-aloud of They, She, He: Easy as ABC by Christina Gonzalez. I found the video to be quite unsettling. While the intention seems to be a lesson on pronouns, it goes far beyond the commonly understood pronouns in American English, such as she, he, and they. The video introduces terms like tree and ze as pronouns, which are neither standard nor widely recognized.

As a 19-year-old college student, I was confused by sentences like, “Tree has all the sounds.” Grammatically, this sentence doesn’t make sense within the rules of English. Tree is a noun, not a pronoun, and using it in this way disrupts basic sentence structure. If I find this confusing as an adult, I can only imagine how unclear and perplexing it must be for a five-year-old. Think about young students who don't speak english as a first language too!

Incorporating non-standard terms like these into early childhood education raises concerns about clarity, consistency, and age-appropriateness—especially when the foundational rules of grammar are still being learned. While it’s important to teach inclusivity and respect, it should be done in a way that supports language development and comprehension. It is strange to want 5 year olds to explore identifying themselves as "tree" or "ze" because these topics are not suited for their age range. In ARTED301, there is a focus on appropriate content for the age that is being taught, because unsuitable material will cause confusion and damage the child's ability to think critically about the topics at hand. 

Rhode Island Law states, "For the same reasons, school personnel should discuss with the student how the school shall refer to the student, e.g., appropriate pronoun use, in written communication to the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s)." Laws are made to be interpreted and my interpretation is that any type of "tree", "ze" pronoun would be deemed an inappropriate use of pronouns. While schools should show respect and sensitivity to students’ identities, they must also operate within a framework of clear communication and established norms. In official documents and parent communications, it may be reasonable to interpret “appropriate pronoun use” as referring to pronouns that are common and recognized and not those that are subjective in nature or made up.

This agenda is disgusting. 

Abigail Tetlow on Hehir's "Ending Ableism in Education"

 This week I read Thomas Hehir's piece called "Ending Ableism in Education". This reading was much longer than those previously assigned so it was harder to identify the most important topics and ideas. I believe Hehir's overarching goal is to change the thinking of his readers. It seems that to him, the most important and impactful changes that could be made are to reject ableist assumptions, embrace the disabled for who they are, and design lesson plans/directions to be inclusive from the start. 

Rejecting ableist assumptions means understanding that disability isn’t something that needs to be fixed—it’s simply part of the natural diversity of people. As Thomas Hehir points out, the biggest obstacles students with disabilities face often come from society and schools that expect less of them or see them through the lens of stereotypes. From my own experience in public schools, I’ve seen how meaningful it can be when students with disabilities are fully included in the classroom. When teachers are supportive and inclusive, strong and respectful relationships can grow, and all students benefit.

Along with inclusion, the way we plan lessons matters just as much. Hehir stresses the importance of designing instruction that supports different ways of learning right from the start, rather than waiting until a student struggles to step in. When teachers plan with flexibility in mind, all students—disabled or not—have a better chance at success. I really believe that this kind of approach helps build a more inclusive, supportive classroom community and, in the bigger picture, pushes us toward a more equitable society.

Finally, embracing students with disabilities means appreciating their strengths and differences, not trying to mold them into something they’re not. Hehir warns that when the focus is only on “fixing” a disability, it can get in the way of giving students access to a real, meaningful education. Trying to make a child fit into a narrow idea of what’s “normal” can do more harm than good. Instead, as Hehir suggests, we should be shifting our attention to the environment—adapting the way we teach and support students so they have the best chance to thrive.

https://tash.org/  is a site that promotes advocacy for disabled people and students

Abigail Tetlow on Rodriguez

 This week I read "Aria", a memoir by Richard Rodriguez. Rodriguez was an American educational author. "Aria" explores his experiences throughout school as a bilingual student. He argues against the idea that bilingual education is essential for preserving cultural identity, instead emphasizing how learning English helped him integrate into the public world.

Rodriguez sees the importance of speaking the language of the American people, while still recognizing the importance of his culture and continuing to speak Spanish in his private life. He believes that a bilingual education will not be sufficient for students and it can delay children's development and learning. Rather than feeling oppressed for having to speak English, Rodriguez feels empowered by this and with his confidence he was able to access more knowledge and opportunities. He used English as a tool. Rodriguez believes that those who promote bilingual education overlook the importance of learning English for full participation in society. 

I believe that students joining the public school system in kindergarten who do not speak English at home should not be placed in regular classes. I think it would be much more beneficial for young students to become fluent English very early in their academic careers to get the most they can out of the time they have at school. In my classroom placement I have witnessed a few kids who don't fully understand the English speaking teacher, and having an aide speak in Spanish to explain is just a band-aid solution. To really fix a problem like this, bigger steps need to be taken.

Visit the National Association of Bilingual Education 

Abigail Tetlow on Finn

 This weekend I read the preface and chapters 1-2 from Literacy with an Attitude by Patrick Finn. Finn is an author with a few other books on education. He also has a fascination with Indian quilts. 

Literacy with an Attitude mainly describes ideas about two types of education that can be observed. These are "empowering education" and "domesticating education". He describes how empowering education is for wealthy students to become critical thinkers and leaders, whereas, domesticating education trains working class students to become obedient. Domesticating education is similar to something we talked about in class where children learn a time schedule at school and submit to teachers to become more suited for work in a factory. But, looking at existing education through this lens just isn't productive,  that this isn't why students follow a schedule and follow rules placed by teachers and administration. Students must adhere to things like the schedule because, how else will they be able to learn? Even the students who are supposedly getting the empowering education must arrive at school on time and follow the rules. 

Rather than assuming structure and rules are inherently oppressive, teachers can use the tools at hand to give every student the best chance at the future they want. Every high school and I have observed clearly displays how they encourage students graduate and to go to college. Additionally, every high school provides career pathways beyond college, such as trade schools, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurial opportunities, while also ensuring that students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will serve them in any field. 

Additionally, with the elimination of the Department of Education, states and cities will be able to make decisions on their own. This will make education much more personalized for every individual school. The federal government has no role in the k-12 education system. 

Abigail Tetlow on Kohn, Classroom

 This week we discussed what a classroom should look like. We looked at a chart by Alfie Kohn, an author and advocate for progressive education. His chart described good signs and "Possible reasons to worry", which I think is an interesting header for the category. His chart highlights the characteristics of an engaging, student-focused classroom and contrasts them with warning signs of a more rigid, teacher-centered environment. It can be a guide for evaluating or creating learning spaces. His reasons to worry are mainly what I would describe as "old style teaching", like what my parents or grandparents experienced. This would be called Authoritarian style and it is rarely seen in America today. 

Something interesting I read on his chart is having a list of rules on the wall is "a possible reason to worry". Thinking back on my experiences on elementary school and beyond, I definitely recall many teachers having an anchor chart displayed with class rules. Even in my senior year of high school I had a teacher who enforced a list of rules and often referred to the visual when a rule was broken. Typical the rule broken was "no phones allowed". But this makes me want to know more about the psychology/reason behind posting class rules where they are visible at all times and what it means when the teacher chooses to do it. Why is it a reason to "worry"? 

Check out this website to read about why teachers use class rules