Assumptions I had/have

When I think of urban schools the first image that comes to my mind is a run-down building with chipped paint, a metal detector near the main entrance or a heavy metal door that is monitored by those that work in the office, and perhaps a fence that covers the windows. There would be a diverse population of students that are known to be minorities consisted of mostly Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians that are not Japanese or Korean. Many of the students are bilingual and a handful cannot speak English because they are immigrants. Parking is not easy to find because the roads are narrow with few places to park. Cars that are of older models are parked and other buildings are visible but the buildings have graffiti on them as well as broken windows. Business is not good because a lot of the stores are closed. This is what I imagine when I think of an urban school and urban community. Why do I think this way?

Movies that I have watched, talking to others, and my personal experiences have caused me to think of urban schools in this way. In movies, many times urban schools are seen to have graffiti on the walls of the building, security guards, metal detectors, and the windows being fenced in. I also saw this to be true when driving through various cities as well as volunteering in them. Sometimes I wonder if the students are able to focus on their studies when they are in buildings that seem to be like a jail because of the way they are set up. I am sure that the metal detectors and fenced up windows are there for the safety of the students but I also wonder if fenced up windows are a fire hazard. Although I have seen school buildings with graffiti on them in movies, I have not seen actually seen them myself.

When I attended Villanova University I used to volunteer in various schools in Philadelphia because of the organization that I was in. The organization had sign-ups and I chose to go to a nursery school as well as a regular elementary school to help out in their after-school programs. The nursery school was a worn down building and it was in the basement of the building. There were many children from ages of 4 months to 5 years of age. I was surprised to see such young infants. There was usually one teacher per class and there were students in the pre-k and kindergarten grades. The teachers there were all strict and did not seem to really enjoy their jobs.

I usually went into the classroom with the infants and because there was only one teacher in the classroom she had a hard time attending to each and every child. Many of them cried to be changed or because they wanted to be held but their needs were not met. I felt bad for the children since it did not seem as though they were receiving the love that they needed from their teachers. The elementary schools were slightly different because the students were more independent and did not need constant attention from the teachers.

The elementary schools that I went to in Philadelphia had heavy metal doors that were open from the office and an intercom where the employers were able to see those trying to get into the school. Some of the windows were fenced in but there were not any metal detectors in place. The students seemed to be behind in their academics compared to the students that attended schools in suburban areas. The schools that I went to also made their students wear uniforms, which I thought was a great idea because then the students would not have to feel as though they had to compete with others for the way that they dressed. Students that I have seen did seem eager to learn or at least willing to.

Before volunteering in urban schools I thought that the students that lived in the city were intimidating and caused a lot of trouble but I soon realized that they were as bad as I had imagined. Movies show that students living in urban communities are gangster, are not interested in learning, enjoy fighting, and like to party a lot with their friends. I found that this was not true. There may be some that do enjoy drinking and doing drugs but this is also true in suburban areas. I was glad to meet a good bunch of students to work with and to get to know. They were just like any other that enjoyed listening to music, talk about who they had a crush on, and watching TV. It was amazing to find that these students were able to study even though they faced many conflicts and obstacles. I felt as though they were stronger than they were known to be. But I also felt as though they had to grow up more quickly than other students because they had the responsibility of taking care of not only themselves but some their parents as well as their younger siblings. I think that these students need understanding and passionate teachers.

Many teachers in movies are seen to be passionate in the beginning but then they start to lose the fire and fervor in teaching the students because it is a challenge to teach them. Some other characteristics that are shown are teachers that are very strict, cowardly, and those that constantly trying their best. The strict educators are disliked by the students and they teach not because they want to but because it is their job and they have too. The cowardly teachers are those that are afraid to teach the students because of the community they are in and hope to just make it a day at a time. The trait of the teacher that I like the best are the teachers that do not give up and constantly try to think of ways to engage the students as well as inspire them to reach for dreams that they may not have had before.

I want to be an educator that is consistent with what she does, is open-minded and fair to the students, and I want my students to be successful and have big dreams. I want to constantly learn and grow from the experiences that I have with my students and be able to pass down what I have learned to others. I do not want to be influenced by stereotypes nor do I want to judge my students from their outer appearance. To do all of these things I first need to know my biases and where I stand with my ideals as well as beliefs on urban communities and education. I know that being a teacher in an urban district does not mean that I will be making a lot of money but I also do not want to waste my time with students that may not appreciate what I am doing. I feel that students from urban districts show more gratitude and respect to teachers because they are the ones that are more in need. I would like my classroom to be a home to my students.

My ideal classroom would have a very homey environment and comfortableness so that my students would feel as though it was a haven- a safe place where they do not have to worry about anything. The walls will be covered with the achievements, handiwork, and pieces of my students. I would have different learning centers where they can engage themselves and grow more as not only students but as people. I would also have computers so my students are able to be up-to-date with the technology today. With the permission of the principal I would like to have classroom pets, which would teach my students responsibility. Another essential would be to have a cupboard with snacks so that my students would be able to fill their stomachs when they are extremely hungry and cannot focus in class.

I learned a lot from this class and the myths that I have thought were true were proven wrong. I learned that I need to be more open-minded as well as not fall into the trap of believing everything that I see or hear. I have different images of what urban schools are really like and what the students are actually capable of doing.