In chapter ten of Fecho's book, I especially enjoyed his discussion regarding how questions can often frighten students. Fecho points out how a follow-up question, in particular, is read by many students as an indication that what they said was wrong, incomplete, or incomprehensible, and that as a result, he has learned to follow-up questions with phrases like that's an interesting point or I've never heard of it that way. This point specifically stood out to me because I often find that my Criminal Procedure students similarly view such questions as a rap on the knuckles or a means to expose their ignorance, rather than an invitation to explain and explore their ideas. Because the legal issues sprinkled throughout a typical law school exam cannot be analyzed with merely one or two sentences, I find it important that I continue to push the students with follow up questions in class so that they learn to do this on their own once exam day arrives.
In chapter eleven, I thought Fecho's discussion of the individual's cultural identity was not only significant to me in my capacity as an educator, but also to my role as a friend, significant other, daughter, etc. In short, Fecho states that who we are becoming depends on where we are, how we have constructed ourselves to date, and to what extent we remain in dialogue with our contexts and diverse identities. This resonated as a key point for me because I feel as though this description of cultural identity applies to me in both my professional and personal life. I am trying more and more to be conscious about where I am as both a woman and an educator, how I have constructed myself in these roles in the past, and how often I take time for a little self-reflection both in and out of the classroom.
Finally, in chapter twelve, Fecho describes how pacing schedules, scripted lessons, commercial literacy programs, and incessant testing imposed from outside the classroom leave teachers little room to contemplate how best to teach. Furthermore, Fecho opines that the focus in too many schools is on raising test scores rather than on nurturing the ability of students to become critical readers, writers, thinkers, inquirers, and problem solvers. This stood out as a key point for me because throughout this semester, I have learned a great deal about the public school system in Florida, and specifically Miami-Dade, from the perspective of my classmates. While I am the odd-ball-out law student, the other teachers in my small class group are all high school teachers in the Miami-Dade area. Almost every class session my classmates would point out some way in which state standards would consistently cramp their style as educators. Having attended a private high school myself, I had no idea how many extra "stresses" public school teachers must address on a daily basis. I have such profound respect for these men and women!
In chapter eleven, I thought Fecho's discussion of the individual's cultural identity was not only significant to me in my capacity as an educator, but also to my role as a friend, significant other, daughter, etc. In short, Fecho states that who we are becoming depends on where we are, how we have constructed ourselves to date, and to what extent we remain in dialogue with our contexts and diverse identities. This resonated as a key point for me because I feel as though this description of cultural identity applies to me in both my professional and personal life. I am trying more and more to be conscious about where I am as both a woman and an educator, how I have constructed myself in these roles in the past, and how often I take time for a little self-reflection both in and out of the classroom.
Finally, in chapter twelve, Fecho describes how pacing schedules, scripted lessons, commercial literacy programs, and incessant testing imposed from outside the classroom leave teachers little room to contemplate how best to teach. Furthermore, Fecho opines that the focus in too many schools is on raising test scores rather than on nurturing the ability of students to become critical readers, writers, thinkers, inquirers, and problem solvers. This stood out as a key point for me because throughout this semester, I have learned a great deal about the public school system in Florida, and specifically Miami-Dade, from the perspective of my classmates. While I am the odd-ball-out law student, the other teachers in my small class group are all high school teachers in the Miami-Dade area. Almost every class session my classmates would point out some way in which state standards would consistently cramp their style as educators. Having attended a private high school myself, I had no idea how many extra "stresses" public school teachers must address on a daily basis. I have such profound respect for these men and women!
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