"Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work"

Stephanie Bruno

Engl 1100_3c

Professor Young

My Feelings on Jean Anyon's Opinion

     Jean Anyon wrote the article Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work in the 1980's. We are now in 2015 and within that time so much has changed and so much has remained; in regards to teaching methods social class. Jean has conducted research and discovered that teachers provide different instructions based on the social class of the students. I feel as though some of the points she made were correct, but a little bit outdated. There are definitely similarities but I'm happy to conclude that the school districts have gotten better since the 80's.

     Jean made a claim that creatively wasn't encouraged in middle class schools. I am a graduate from the famous James Caldwell High School. It's a pretty well known middle class school. All of my teachers always pushed for creatively. It does depend on the teacher for who would encourage more but overall we were allowed to express our creativity.  I would agree with her that "getting the right answer" is important in my high school. Creatively was in the classroom and with projects, but on tests it all about putting down the correct answer. Also, Jean pointed out that critical thinking was only established in Executive Elite Schools in the 80's. I disagree. Today most standardized testing, for instance the SATs, require critical thinking skills so my English teachers went above and beyond to prepare us for them with critical thinking skills and techniques. The majority of my teachers also encouraged us to ask questions and participate in class. Jean also makes a point that only Affluent Profession School and Executive Elite Schools got hands on experience and that's not true because I believe I did too even in my middle class school district. I was able to do real animal dissections in science and even able to take home projects if I needed too. In ceramics and woodshed we were able to create real projects that I now use every day in my life. 

     Thus, I overall don't support her research. I think time has changed and schools have improved because the standards of people have increased. All students should have the same opportunity to quality education regardless of their social class. No one should be more privileged based on class. Sadly it's the way the world works :(

These are all examples of my hands on work in school. 

Video is super funny lol

     

Fav Quotes- Socal Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work

Stephanie Bruno

Engl 1100_3c

Professor Young

1.  "The teacher's control thus often seemed capricious. Teachers, for instance, very often ignored the bells to switch classes-deciding among themselves to keep the children after the period was officially over" (Anyon 4).
This quote is a relatable one because in high school all my teachers ignored the bells and went on as long as they wanted to and pretended as if we had no where to go next. I always hated my high school teachers for that I wish they respected us enough to let us go when class was meant to be over.

2. Serious attention is rarely given in school work on how the children develop or express their own feelings and ideas, either linguistically of in graphic form. On the occasions when creativity or self-expression is requested, it is peripheral to the main activity or its "enriched" or "for fun" (Anyon 5).
I don't understand how creativity isn't looked for more in school.  It's important to be creative and develop your own thoughts and act on them. School should allows for more activities like that.

3. "School work helps one to achieve, to excel, to prepare for life" (Anyon 8).
I liked this quote because I feel like it's definitely some 'real talk'. School work helps keep you focused on your goals and main priorities.

Language in Academic Settings

Stephanie Bruno

Engl 1100_3c

Professor Young

Language in Academic Settings

I believe students have to right to there own language in an academic setting. Style and being true to your identity is so important to follow in school. If you're not being yourself then you'll never feel fully comfortable and people go to school to in a hopes to feel comfortable in their own environment. The most important part of school is learning and what you get out of it; a degree. Being able to express yourself in a way that helps you get your point across is the goal. Students should be allowed to do so and be graded with an open mind from the teacher. If people are used to talking a certain way in their everyday lives, it could effect the way they learn and understand the material. If they are learning and speaking a way that they are not used to and have trouble understanding then how can they really learn properly? They can't. It's just not going to happen. English is my language and I'm proud to speak it. I would never want to give it up. 

 It isn't that hard to have a few teachers who can speak more then one language so that they can work with all different types of kids. The students are not the problem. Its the School systems for not complying with the students abilities. If the system want to see the best results in students work then they need give student the right to their own language in school. The world accepts all languages and style why can't the school systems? 

Identity to Me

Stephanie Bruno

Engl 1100_3e

Professor Young 

Identity

My class came up to a consensus that identity is a unique representation  of characteristics such as language, culture, race, gender, religion and socio-economic class, and how they are seen by yourself and others...

As for my identity, I identify myself as an 18 year old caucasian American woman. My first and only language is English. I love the language I speak. Due to how I've grown up in America that is why I speak this language, but my roots are not from here. They are from Italy and Poland. My mother is polish and my father is Italian. I consider consider my culture where my roots are from. But I never forget all of the american traditions that I celebrete as well. To identify my self with a religion it would be roman catholic. My religion gives me hope and guidance. I still continue to go to church every Sunday. Socio-economiclly I would be considered lower class because the only income that I have coming in is from my part time job at the Hallmark Gold Crown store. Which is also a big part of how I identify myself. I love my job and all of my coworkers greatly. The store itself is my second home and the workers are my second on family. I am also supported by my parents. They would consider themselves to be middle-class. 

All of this makes up what my identity is to me. Identity is an observation of the way you are  seen. But truly, I feel it's more then that. From the story How to Tame a Will Tongue by Gloria Anzaldua, she quotes Kaufman saying, "Identity is the essential core of who we are as individuals, the conscious experience of the self inside." I believe that some of who you are on the inside is- what matters to you, what your intended career is, what you do in your spare time, what you're passionate about, and the people you surround yourself with. Its all part of how you see and identify yourself. The way someone else may identify me could very well be completely different then how I do. And that's okay.