Video Blog Post

1. I just don’t understand how a school can hire unlicensed teachers to teach students or have teachers not licensed in their particular subject teach students. Do they have to go through some training once they are hired? Or are they just thrown into the classroom?

2. Lonnie and James aren’t very different. They are in junior high schools in New York City with big dreams about their future. What sets them apart is the very different environments that they live in. Lonnie goes to a school in the Bronx, in a poor area known for violence and a lack of safety. Many kids skip school and there is a major lack of motivation among the students. James goes to a school in a suburban setting, with not many safety fears as Lonnie. However, his school area was not as deep in detail as the other school in the Bronx, as if to say it is much better than Lonnie’s.

3. Lonnie’s school hires unlicensed teachers to teach and they lack a lot of proper teaching and learning materials, like musical instruments and science lab equipment. They have no outdoor area for sports, just a cramped gym. James has a vast amount of materials for a hands-on classroom as well as a big outdoor area to run and play in. Almost all the teachers at James’s school are licensed to teach in their area which provides a better learning experience since the teacher’s have more knowledge on the subject as well as knowledge on how to educate. Lonnie’s teachers don’t really have that, one teacher had experience teaching ballet and was then hired on to be a science teacher. He lacks the proper knowledge on the subject, so how is he supposed to teach students proper information? Lonnie’s teacher hopes he can go 15 minutes in a class session without being interrupted. He has no real expectation for the class. He seems to be more focused on actually getting the information out of his mouth, then having the students actually learn it. These children aren’t going to achieve anything or learn much at all. The classroom is being constantly interrupted, forcing distraction from the seemingly few students that are actually trying to pay attention. The teacher spends more time trying to regain attention from the class then trying to teach. James’s school was barely featured. From what it did show, James looked forward to science class because of the hands-on lab experience. The teacher, who was certified in her area, knew that interactive activities grab attention and promote learning. Using that knowledge, she conducted her class to involve activities like that, like with the microscopes. This gives the students opportunity to learn and achieve more than the other school, where labs were about 2 minutes long and involved very little interaction or anything.

4. Students at Riverdale have the materials and teachers and safety that lead to learning. They are motivated by hands-on activities, teachers that know their field and proper instruments for ideal learning in different subjects. They have a place to go after school, inside their school that promotes community and that schooling is important. The school doesn’t have to worry as much about being in an unsafe environment as Lonnie’s school, so they can put more thought into academics. Lonnie is not doing so well at his school. His grades have been on a steady decline, even though he has been in gifted programs almost his whole life. He is a smart boy but has no motivation or push to learn and do well. His environment provides constant fear which can impede on wanting to sit down and learn. He knows it is because of the lack of education provided at his school and even wants to attend a different one. However, due to his socio-economic status, it might be impossible for his family to have enough funds to go anywhere else. Lonnie can end up dropping out of school or failing grades and end up on the streets, since the motivation to do well is so low.