Gangstas, Wankstas, and Ridas

After you read the IMPORTANT, and yes a bit long article "Gangstas, Wankstas, and Ridas" please respond to the following prompt, or contribute a free response or discussion prompt of your own.

1. "They said that they teach because they believe their students, specifically low-income children of color, are the group most likely to change the world. They explained this belief by saying that the children most disenfranchised from society are the ones with the least to lose, and thus are the most likely to be willing to take risks necessary to change a society. This belief that they are teaching young people destined to change the world is vital to the level of seriousness with which they approach their jobs."

Do you believe this to be an accurate concept with powerful implications? Why or why not? What do you think the opposite of this approach would look like in a classroom, and what would the relationship between teachers and students look like?

Please feel free to respond to any other part of the article as you see fit. Please provide a prompt or question to the group!

Click HERE to download the article!

Ayer's Artcile on Education

Do you agree with the quote below as something to strive for as a young teacher working to develop your own teaching practice?
Can you think of a time in your own educational experiences when a teacher has pushed you or other students in a way that really reflected the values of a "democratic classroom?"
What are the benefits of this approach?
How does this relate to teaching students their abc's and 1,2, 3's?

"Democracies require students to think for themselves, to make judgments based on evidence and argument, to develop minds of their own. Democratic classrooms are places where teachers encourage students to ask those fundamental questions—Who in the world am I? How did I get here, and where am I going? What are my choices? How shall I proceed?—and to pursue the answers wherever they might take them. We must refuse obedience in favor of teaching initiative, courage, imagination, creativity, and more. These are the qualities to be modeled and nourished, encouraged and defended."

Click HERE to download the article!