“What our children need is love and the arts–love to know they are valued and the arts to express that value.” –Haki Madhubuti
I met with Amana Harris yesterday at her office at Attitudinal Healing Connection, the grass-roots community-based arts organization that runs Art Esteem and places many artists in the schools and in after school programs in West and East Oakland. Her organization is responding to very profound need in the community, like all of yours, a need that is making me think a lot about our work. Simply put, our children need to connect with caring adults. So I ask, how is our work both caring and connected? What are we in the service of?
Dr. Mary Stone Hanley, teacher educator and performing artist from George Mason University recently visited Alameda County, sharing her knowledge and wisdom with teachers, principals, superintendents and parents. Her words were inspirational and real, and touched everyone she met. During a presentation to educators on January 17, Dr. Hanley said, “you know, that first grader comes into your classroom with all of his parents, his brothers and sisters, his aunties, uncles, cousins, his pets, his ancestors, and 500 years of oppression. So, that’s what you have in your classroom, how are you going to deal with that?” Her words were forceful and strong. I’ve been thinking about them ever since–how are WE going to deal with overcoming 500 years of oppression?
So, in an effort to think deeply about this issue, I’m interested in your thoughts, ideas, musings, research, and questions on Dr. Hanley’s report: Cultural Responsiveness, Racial Identity and Academic Success: A Review of Literature. Please read the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY and respond with comments about her themes for culturally responsive pedagogy. How do you see your project addressing the need for culturally responsive teaching strategies and developing caring relationships?
Here’s what I need to see by Friday, February 12th:
ONE comment about when and how you’ve introduced Studio Habits of Mind to your students.
ONE comment on Dr. Hanley’s Executive Summary.
ONE post on your own blog re: your project’s progress…How is it going? What have your students done so far?
I look forward to our online discussion!
Tana
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I appreciate it!
For the greater part of this collaboration I have worked with the mural and the solar panel group. Both groups made an exceptional effort to address the need fo culturally responsive teaching. With the mural group, especially in the beginning, when brainstorming the theme of the mural, MHS staff and CCA students had to aknowlege and provide a safe space for MHS studnts to share their visual representation of their community. Mission High is rich in latino culture, being centered in the Mission district of San Francisco. Conversations of race, identity, music, sports, and even explicity colors (blatant use of red or blue are not allowed so as to not represent the two rival gangs that dominate this neighborhood) were promenant in the first few weeks.
With the solar panel group. Aureliano Davila introduced himself and his story (being an immigrant from Mexico, working in toxic power plants in LA and shifting to solar). He blantantly talked about the stigma that latino immigrants have in this country, of being the ones who do the dirty work. Yet his story provided just the opposite idea. A person of color doing clean, positive work in a growing economy.
In both cases, I felt that these conversations were crucial in having the high school students fully engaged in the project. They need to know why the work they are doing is important.
I wish I could correct the typo in my previous posted response to this article, to say the father was Puerto Rican and the mother was Pilipino (rather than having two fathers)!!
I would also add that at this site, we try to present cultures not in static isolation, but in interaction with other cultures. Our projects, artistic and cultural, involve people from two or more cultures in interaction, such as the Community Recipe Book in which African American kids shared recipes and feasts with Mien elders in the community garden patio. The garden had been a space contested between the two groups before the project began.
I find the racial uplift idea the one somewhat troubling concept, although I understand the need to support students in building self-esteem and counteracting negative stereotypes around them. Many of our students see themselves in terms of two or more cultures in interaction, such as a student whose father is Pilipino and whose father is Puerto Rican, or a student who doesn’t consider himself black because he is mixed (rejecting the “one drop” notion of the so-called dominant culture), or has a very typical Oakland ancestry of African American and Vietnamese or Chinese. This is not to mention that many latinos see themselves as much more strongly identified with a nation than a race. Also, many students fall in love with the culture of another race, out of generous and adventurous spirit. Also, given that classes, at least here in Fruitvale, are often so extremely diverse, how would racial uplift work in practical terms?
The topic of culturally responsive pedagogy is a very thought-provoking one… as Viriginia pointed out, there are many challenges to incorporating this kind of teaching (ie in a multicultural classroom) and dangers of grouping a culture under one descriptive generalization, while at the same time cultural competency can also be a great asset. I also agree with Virginia on the point that there may be more points in common between various cultures and peoples depending on many factors, life experience, recent/earlier immigration and the circumstances of that, etc..
I come from a multicultural background, (Chinese and German) and while I feel that I carry a perception of deep cultural differences and world views, I also think that my experience was greatly shaped by individual circumstances.
I would be very interested in resources which would provide me with a greater understanding of the cultural background of the kids I work with, in the Athena Project, predominantly Latino… at the same time, I think just spending time sharing stories, listening and responding lovingly, and time creates a relationship of trust and care.
Hanley article comments:
Although I admire the amount of work the authors did to create this “research of the research “ article, lumping together so many cultures and languages is too broad a sweep for me. The Native American and African American students have more in common in that they come from groups whose cultures have been systematically oppressed within the USA. The Latino and Asian students are more often the children of recent immigrants who have come to the USA escaping political or economic oppression elsewhere (here I,too, am speaking broadly).
However, I agree that Teacher Education programs should educate future teachers more rigorously about the cultural aspect of teaching in their pedagogy curriculum.
As a language instructor for over 30 years, I see the attitude some teachers might have of ALANA youth as having “cultural deficiency” as largely a consequence of language differences. The average American equates correct Standard English with intelligence. That is a misconception.
Often parents of all ALANA groups are working so hard to support their families that they simply do not have the energy to participate in their kids’ schools. So, the real question in my mind is: How can families become empowered to help create the curriculum? From my experience raising three kids in the Berkeley Public school system, I believe most parents generally only act if there is something objectionable in the curriculum. If administrators and teachers really want community involvement from all of these constituents to co-create culturally meaningful curriculum, then they need to pay them to help out.
I am glad that Hanley recognizes that “Culture is constantly changing and varied” because that is part of the problem, too. How can an Oakland, California public school teacher address all the cultures in her classroom if said cultures are all constantly changing? I’d say the average Bay Area classroom has children whose parents are from 6-10 different backgrounds. In the 10 months of the year a teacher has that culturally diverse group of kids – which cultural group are you going to choose? Or are you going to slip and slide over the surface of them all? These are practical considerations that were not addressed in the article.
In certain schools like the Waldorf school, children have the same teacher for 4-6 years and so a true community of families has the time to evolve and develop deep relationships across cultures. Watching friends engage in religious or cultural practices meaningfully over time, instills a respect and knowledge based on experiential learning. In our public school system, in which children get a new teacher every year with a different combination of kids, is it any wonder that teachers, students, and parents have difficulty creating meaningful relationships?
Teaching Studio Habits of Mind:
A few weeks ago I handed out blank SHOM worksheets with minimal instruction. I believe strongly in giving students opportunities for discovery and I wanted to see what they would do with it. All we did as a group was to read the headings. I then asked the 6 working groups to fill one SHOM sheet out per group once they had agreed on their lesson plan and to give me a copy.
The next week I asked my students to read an article that was given to us in our Engage binder, “Studio Thinking: How Visual Arts Teaching Can Promote Disciplined Habits of Mind.” During class we discussed the article’s findings.
The first half of the article sounds as if it is actually heading towards a negative conclusion about the value of arts in the curriculum as it gives an overview of the disappointing results of the many studies that were surveyed. I then made sure that the class understood that the researchers decided to observe art teachers to figure out what WAS the value of studying art. After that, we reread the description of each Habit out loud to clarify to terms and allow for Q & A. After the discussion, students got into their teaching groups and I asked one person to be the secretary give me a copy of the filled out SHOM sheet after their brainstorming session.
As an instructor, I wanted to make sure the CCA students understood that the Habits are skills/abilities/characteristics which will become established over time THROUGH REPETITION until they become automatic. The blank SHOM worksheet is a self-check system for the instructor to make sure one is providing well-rounded lessons in the classroom. However, the goal of providing SHOM lessons ultimately is to lay the ground work for students to become well-rounded, independent learners.
The SHOM worksheet breaks down the lesson plan and helps the teacher improve and expand the plan, but it isn’t the plan. I give my students a lesson plan template and after they are done with their draft they refer to the SHOM sheet to look at what they chose to teach with a different lens.
Thanks for this clear and detailed description of how you’re introducing SHOM with an explanation of your purposes. You’ve made my rainy Friday afternoon! Will be interested to hear more about the students use SHOM
to inform their lesson planning. Valentine cheer!
Virginia,
I really like your process of introducing the Studio Habits with concrete actions and performances: reading, discussion prompts, and assignments that are relevant to your students’ growth and understanding of the topic. I appreciate your comment that the “Habits are skills/abilities/characteristics which will become established over time through repetition until they become automatic.” It is important to remind students that successful people got to where they are through repetition and perseverance. I completely agree that we are laying the groundwork for students to become independent learners by providing them another tool to think metacognitively. I look forward to seeing what your students produce!
Great idea, Ann, I think Jen Stuart’s workshop would be an excellent way for people to gain more knowledge and practice with the 8 Studio Habits of Mind.
Great opportunity for those who want to learn more about how to use the Studio Thinking Framework:
Art Education Curriculum Development Workshop:
“What are the Studio Habits of Mind and how can they help me develop art curriculum?”
with arts education expert Jennifer Stuart
Saturday, February 27, 11 am – 1:30 pm
Graduate Center Room 4,
CCA San Francisco campus
The Center is offering a free workshop for CCA students who are working in any arts education context and interested in learning more about art education and curriculum development. Jennifer Stuart, arts-in-learning professional development specialist and teacher, will lead a workshop on the Studio Habits of Mind followed by a Q&A covering any arts education/teaching topic of your choice.
Through a series of hands-on exercises, participants will learn about eight habits of mind that outstanding arts teachers seek to develop in their students.
We will:
Experience a lesson that focuses on developing Habits of Mind
Look at and analyze lessons constructed using the Habits of Mind
Workshop your own lesson using the Habits of Mind
Please bring any curriculum (written out formally OR on a paper napkin OR in your head) that you’d like to work on.
RSVP by Friday, February 12, to rwolfe@cca.edu. Space is limited!
About Jennifer Stuart
Jennifer Stuart is a Bay Area arts educator and artist. She has taught art and art education for more than 20 years to a variety of grade levels and in many different settings. From arts in the classroom to professional development, Jennifer has worked to understand the role of the arts in learning. Ten years ago she helped found Out of Site, a center for arts education, with fellow art educator Beth Rubenstein. She helped develop CCA’s SMART program (and taught courses as part of it), and she helped create the Arts Integration Specialist Program now housed at the Alameda County Office of Education.
Jennifer has worked with the Teaching Artist Institute, the Bay Area Teachers Collaborative, and Harvard’s Project Zero. Presently she teaches art to middle school students at the San Francisco Friends School. The book Artful Teaching: Integrating the Arts for Understanding Across the Curriculum K-8, edited by Jennifer and Dave Donahue, is due out this spring from Teachers College Press.
I had the pleasure of several conversations with Mary Stone Hanley and Lois Hetland (studio habits mother) when they were both hear for a week or so. We talked about the intersections of the arts and culturally responsive teaching–developing agency by affirming the core being and culture of all students.
I’m writing to help generate some reflective activity across work sites and classes. For inspiration on posting to your blogs check out the reflections and pictures posted by Virginia– Athena Project and Lauren–Home Grown: Art & the Environment. If you are having technical difficulties in posting or commenting, remember to contact Trena Noval for technical support–tnoval@speakeasy.net
Amana, it would be great if you could share the principles of Attitudinal Healing developed by AHC that you use with your class…possibly post to your blog or provide a link for further
information.