BLOG POST #3:
What are the visible and invisible rules/ codes of conduct that govern Marcus’s school and classroom?
Some visible rules that govern Marcus classroom are to take a bathroom pass when using the bathrooms, to sit outside of the group circle or in a chair if you can't sit still, come to school on time (especially in Marcus's case because this was a time for him to be seen and acknowledged) and to raise your hand when trying to speak in group settings.
Marcus had some more invisible rules in the sense that rules would be a little bent for him in order to get his attention and give him acknowledgment in the classroom. For instance, when he would blurt things out during discussions the teacher would do his best to still acknowledge him. On the other hand, when he would half answer a question she would try to assist his thought and praise him for what he did accomplish rather than scold him for not completing it fully.
How are they similar/ different to youth spaces that you know?
Specifically, in smaller youth spaces like the one I'm working in now, we do not use bathroom passes for youth. Youth can use the bathroom at their own convenience subsequently when I worked at an After School Program at a Providence School we always used passes to make sure the hallways were monitored. Within my cheer programs I try my best to have all youth be included within our warm-up and stretching circle where we all have an icebreaker, take attendance, and stretch together as a team following the captain. Growing up I never had the option to sit outside of the circle at my own will, it would only be if the teacher called me out, I wonder if that influences my perception and how I facilitate groups now. Lastly, I would like to point out that it's so important to notice and congratulate youth on their efforts and what they have accomplished whether its at your level of group expectations/ norms or not. I try to look at youth on an individual level alongside within a group environment.
How might these rules connect to Ferri’s discussion of norms, normalcy, and disability?
Right away the article "Disability" points out that by environments creating this general idea of normalcy within a group, these spaces cultivate a level of "inadequacy." I use this word because some youth may not be able to fully engulf themselves in these environments due to them not being conducive to their skills and abilities. They thus receive the label or idea of being not enough or disabled when in reality they are fully able but not flourishing where they are due to certain constraints and limitations put on them within the group level. Similarly, how this article mentions the tracks that youth are put on in regards to their ability level can be degrading and demeaning although give adults the sense of security of where a child's skillset is. I believe that all youth have a large capacity to grow but by categorizing them and not focusing on their individual needs and strengths by focusing on their lack the normal becomes debilitating, not encouraging.
yes I totally agree we should focus on children needs and strength rather than focusing on what they need to improve. sometimes putting too much pressure can cause more harm than good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post Dana--I notice the way that you use disability together with inadequacy and being "not enough" in the last paragraph of your post. Yes--this is largely how disability is read in our society. Some of our language like "special" or "difference" is meant to suggest a different meaning, but this label often really cuts to the core of a child's worth.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in elementary school, they always had bathroom passes for the students and there would only be 2 per bathroom so that way students weren't going to the bathroom just to mess around. Even in junior high, there was a special page in the back of our agendas that we had to have signed by the teacher with the date and where we were going to be able to leave the classroom. But when I was at the boys and girls club, we could leave the space whenever we wanted. I feel like this is to just further ingrain the power hierarchy of teacher and student within public schools into the students lives.
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