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