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Article
This article is adapted from an interview with Carrie Secret, a fifth-grade teacher at Prescott Elementary School in the Oakland Unified School District. Prescott had been the only school in the system where a majority of teachers voluntarily agreed to adopt the Standard English Proficiency program, a statewide initiative which acknowledges the systematic, rule-governed nature of "Black English" while helping children to learn Standard English.
Carrie Secret instills a very hands-on approach to teaching English as a Second Language to her students. Although she promotes a strong push to use standard English in her classroom, she accepts that Ebonics and other languages are the students "home" or native languages. She allows them to interact in the language that they are most comfortable speaking in. Critics of this approach attest that allowing Ebonics to be used in the classroom will prolong the switch to English. Carrie argues that "If you are concerned about children using Ebonics in the classroom, you will spend the whole day saying, "Translate, translate, translate." So you have to pick times when you are particularly attuned to and calling for English translation." I believe that this method of teaching proper English will be most effective. It reminds the students to embrace their cultural roots, but become mindful of the goal of learning English.
Carrie teaches the students through active listening; making the students read and write in proper English and listening to proper English being spoken. She emphasizes hearing proper English at a young age before habits become too much to overcome. She still reads to her 5th grade students to reinforce proper speaking techniques. She also incorporates black literature into her teaching methods to show students that their own people did wonderful things with standard English.
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I liked the point Carrie Secret made about Ebonics when she said "...our language patterns and structure come from a family of languages totally unrelated to the Germanic roots of English". If more people would recognize this, less discrimination would be paid to anyone speaking AAE. I like the fundamental cornerstones of the SEP program her school is following: culture, language, and literacy. It is important to take all these things into account when trying to educate. No one fits into a cookie cutter mold, and steps should be taken to foster an environment where every child can learn.
The first thing that caught my attention about this article is how Secret has had her 5th grade class since first grade. I think that is amazing because it gets those kids comfortable with their teacher and the teacher gets to get comfortable with her kids instead of having those kids change teachers every year. Secret seems like a very respectful teacher who is good at what she does. Secret understands that she can't force these kids to use Standard English all the time because each of her student has a different background and she respects that teaching Standard English is like teaching a new language. I think that the way Secret teaches is an example of how anyone who wants to become a teacher should try to teach and inspire their children. She gives so much as a teacher and from the article it sounds like her kids give back just as much by learning and using what they learn in everyday life.
Reading this article gave me a lot of respect for Mrs. Secret. She has respect for her students as people, not just as "children" or "students". I also liked how she mentioned several methods that she had used in the past, but no longer used. Her teaching methods seem to constantly evolve, and she is willing to talk about that process. Simple, yet golden methods such as reading to her pupils constantly and using a variety of mediums to connect the written, spoken, and heard words in both languages should be used in every classroom and make her system shine. I think that her method WORKS!
Carrie Secret sounds like a wonderful teacher who uses all types of teaching methods. The methods seem to work for her students. She embrases their culture and doesn't try to erase it and includes African American literature to her lesson plans. By doing these things she is showing her students she understands them and this tactic makes them want to learn. She is an involved teacher who her students seem to respect and look up to. By letting them use AAE while commonly speaking her students probably feel more comfortable, but she goes above that by having them hear, write, and listen to proper English.
I am proud of the Prescott Elementary School, especially Carrie Secret and the other teachers for taking the stance of leadership in such a controversial issue. The argument that children shouldn't be allowed to speak in a way most comfortable to them is not only challenged, but has found an area where is can be disproven. It takes guts to go against the grains of society, and I applaud everyone taking part in the evolving of a greater acceptance and accredidation of the culture of African American People.
I like the way that Carrie Secret runs her classroom. I do not think that Standard English should be forced upon the children. However, it is very important for students to know Standard English and to use it in their writing. I do believe that writing in Standard English is the most important part of teaching students who use Ebonics. I do not see a problem with the students speaking to one another in Ebonics as long as they are using this language among peers and not everyday in the classroom. All studens need to adapt to Standard English in their writing. Everyone is different and we all know that. However, we all need to be on the same level when it comes to schooling and work. All students have the right to keep their culture in school and at home. Culture is very important to everyone and teachers should use it when teaching. I enjoy Mrs. Secret's way of teaching.
I like the way Carrie Secret structures her lessons. I think is great that she reads to her students so much throughout the day. It is good that she has the students to translate what they write into Standard English. I don't know if I am totally in agreement with Ebonics being a language, but I do like the way she teaches her students. She makes the different ethnic groups in the classroom feel important and she incorporates her the students cultures into her lessons. I believe it is very important to teach the students Standard English, because when they get into the real world and look for jobs they will need to speak proper English. Overall, I really like Carrie Secret's approach to Ebonics and she seems like an amazing teacher.
The way the lessons were put together really appealed to me. When I was in the classroom last semester, I enjoyed reading to my students. Most students in the classrooms that I have worked in are absolutly terrified to to read out loud in class. So, me reading to them what was assigned for that day allowed them to relax and enjoy the story. I feel that is very important to make all ethnic groups of students feel welcome and as if they were home in my classroom throughout the day. Teaching students how to use and write Standard English is very important to them. It will be benificial not only in their secondary education, but during college and after.
I thought this post was interesting to read. I thought that the strategy the teacher used is the most effective way to teach Standard English. I believe that if students are forced to do something everyday, they will not enjoy the process of learning. If a student does not enjoy what he/she is doing, the retention of the material will lack. Most students who are diverse do not speak in proper english, but what is wrong with that? It is a learning process, emphasis on PROCESS. Standard English will not occur overnight, so I believe there is no need to strictly enforce it all day every day. I like how the teacher embraced the students' cultures and backgrounds and incorporated them into the curriculum. A student should never feel like their customs are wrong, instead they can learn how to better their English. This approach seems most beneficial in the sense that the students do not feel singled out or made to believe their particular ethnicity's language is wrong. Not every child is the same and diversity in the school should be valued rather than objectified.
FINALLY!!! The first post that I actually possess a strong interest in. I respect and admire Prescott school and ESPECIALLY,Carrie Secret.Here's a woman of strenuous character and calibur that defends the ideology of "Ebonics." The First Amendment states, "We (as the people) have a freedom of speech..." No where in the first amendment does it state that, "...We (as a people) have the freedom to PROPER ENGLISH of speech.." All these eyebrows raising at the idea of students utilizinf ebonics or any other language for that matter that isn't "accepted English!" what is that? I feel that Secret's strategies and the SEP Program will be highly successful. She raised a point that the word "allowed" suggests that students don't have an alternative. The school system and it's strict guidelines changed from "the arena of counteless opportnites" to this "didactic specturm." This makes students inferior, more specifically, young, black American students. Keyword: American! Which pinpoints the fact that we are all different and students learn within terms of comfort. This is the 21st century people. Note, this debate isn't to be mistaken as a scholastic battle, but moreso on a global level.
CHANGE!!!!
I think that by incorporating this method of teaching many students will benefit. Teachers shouldn’t try to adapt students to learn a certain way. Teachers should adapt their teachings to fit the students. By letting the students feel comfortable speaking Ebonics in the classroom it allows the students to feel comfortable with the teacher. I also think that Carrie Secret seems like a wonderful teacher who truly wants her students to learn and succeed. I haven’t personally experienced many teachers who care as much as Carrie Secret and I think it’s a shame.
I believe that the use of Ebonics begins at home; the place it should be diminished if SWE is ever going to be the child's dominant communication form. A student can go to school all day, but will slowly revert back to old ways if it is not practiced on a consistent schedule. Although that is my particular view, I also feel that Carrie Secret takes an approach that seems like it would be effective for purely teaching students SWE. As long as her goal isn't for students to take what they know home, and use it to speak to their brothers and sisters, I think she is on the right track.
I really enjoyed this article. I love the methods Ms. Secret uses to teach SWE to her students. Carrie makes the children not feel ashamed of their own way of speaking. She just simply emphasizes that SWE also has to be learned. She doesn't make that students feel as though speaking Ebonics is wrong. I also enjoyed the fact that Carrie incorporates culture into her teaching, so students not only receive a language lesson,they also receive a cultural lesson. Many times, African American students are told that they speak bad English. This in turn discourages the student and he or she becomes less receptive to learning SWE.
I like the Ms. Secret’s approach to English education. I think it is important for students to understand where proper English must be used. It is acceptable to use slang at home with friends but not in an academic environment. Everyone has the right to freedom of speech. This means that no one will be prosecuted for the content of his or her speech. However, communication skills are essential to success in life. It is the job of an educator to give students the tools that they need to be successful in life. I like Ms. Secret’s approach because it encourages students to make a distinction between personal and academic speech. This idea is not limited to African Americans. Students of all races use slang and must understand when it can and cannot be used. Ms. Secret’s teaching style seems to work. During her years of teaching, she has taken note of which methods her students respond best to. She is able to adapt her ways in order to best facilitate learning in her classroom. As a result of this, she has developed an effective system of teaching. I feel that if a style of teaching proves to be effective, educators should use it.
I really admire Carrie Secret. I think it's great that she is allowing her students to remain individuals and keep their heritage, while still helping them with the use of Standard English. In one of my Spanish classes we were not allowed to speak a word of English. I was so uncomfortable. I didn't know the language well enough to feel like I could talk in class so I just sat in the back and hid hoping the teacher wouldn't see me. I think that allowing her students to speak their native language in the classroom will benefit them in becoming more comfortable learning and using Standard English.
I like the idea of Mrs. Secret teaching her Ebonics speaking students Standard English as if they are ESL students. This seems to be a good way to approach the process of teaching them Standard English because even if they speak in AAE they must learn how to use Standard English effectively if they are to succeed in certain realms such as the realm of business or any professional field. Teachers like Mrs. Secret realize that there is a place for both AAE and SWE in student’s lives and, by embracing both, it allows students the opportunity to keep their “native language” and still learn to communicate effectively in Standard English.
I found Carrie Secret's teaching method compelling, and above all things, the least degrading view of Ebonics that I've seen. By teaching Standard English as a second language to her students, she reduces inner angst amongst her students for their own culture. She also probably eases her students into learning other languages, after they've had to go through the process of conjugating and adjusting their own language every day.
Carrie Secret sounds like a fantastic teacher. Her instincts allowed her to teach in ways against popular belief, and in doing so, left herself unshielded to criticism or attack.
She has an incredible understanding of where her students come from. She emphasizes proper English in the classroom, yet acknowledges that most of her students feel comfortable when speaking in Ebonics because they speak that at home.
She allows her students to write in Ebonics in their first drafts, yet they have to translate their words to standard English in the final drafts. This allows them to feel comfortable with material, yet still speak in their own language.
I think Carrie Secret's approach to teaching SEP is excellent and should be used for the program in other schools as well. She brings her class into a discussion instead of just handing out assignments. I also loved the fact that she doesn't use simple words, but readings that would be used in actual stories and conversations. This is a great approach since in real life, people don't speak in such small phrases and that would hinder them in the long run. Carrie Secret has done great things with her students and still manages to incorporate her African American heritage in readings as well.
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