BLOG 3 

When people talk about fixing education, the conversation almost always focuses on what happens inside the classroom. We hear about better curriculum, higher standards, more testing, or teacher training. After reading this chapter though, it really made me think about how much of education actually depends on things happening outside of school.

One of the biggest points the author makes is that education policy should not just mean rules about teaching and testing. It should also include policies that affect people’s everyday lives, like wages, housing, jobs, and transportation. When families are living in poverty or struggling to make ends meet, that stress does not stay at home. It shows up in the classroom too. Students may come to school tired, worried, or without the resources they need to fully focus on learning. Schools alone cannot fix those problems.

Something that stood out to me was the idea that even when schools try new reforms, those changes often do not last if the surrounding community is still dealing with poverty and limited opportunities. Improving schools is important, but if families still cannot access stable jobs, affordable housing, or basic resources, students are still facing major barriers before they even walk into the classroom.

As future educators, this really shifts how we think about supporting students. Teaching is not just about delivering lessons or helping students pass tests. It is also about understanding the bigger picture of their lives. Many students come from different cultural backgrounds, economic situations, and ability levels, and those experiences shape how they learn and participate in school.

In today’s classrooms especially, teachers work with students who may be dealing with poverty, language barriers, disabilities, or unstable home situations. Recognizing those realities helps teachers respond with empathy instead of frustration. It also reminds us why equity and social justice matter so much in education.

Reading this chapter made me realize that improving education is not just about changing schools. It is also about improving the opportunities available to families and communities. When students have stability, support, and access to resources, schools are finally in a position to help them succeed. 

Comments

  1. Dr. Joyce StevosMarch 18, 2026 at 7:48 AM

    Mentioning the name of the author would be helpful if you review the blogs as you prepare your final paper in this course. That is where you connect the concepts with the author and practices you have observed.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

blog 11

When people talk about a “safe classroom,” I feel like most of us picture the basics. A nice setup, maybe some flexible seating, a teacher who’s kind, and a space that looks organized and welcoming. The classroom in the video definitely gives that vibe. It feels calm, structured, and like the teacher has everything under control in a good way. Students seem comfortable, and you can tell there’s a system in place that works. But after reading the Rhode Island guidance on supporting transgender and gender nonconforming students, it made me realize that a classroom can look safe without actually being safe for everyone. That’s the part that stuck with me. The guidance makes it really clear that safety isn’t just about the environment, it’s about how students are treated and whether they feel like they belong. A classroom should be a place where students don’t have to worry about being judged, excluded, or disrespected just for being who they are. And for a lot of students, especially tra...
Read more

Troublemakers

  “Troublemakers”… or just kids like me? When I read the preface of Troublemakers by Carla Shalaby , it didn’t feel like one of those readings you just skim and forget. It actually made me stop and think about my own experience in school. Shalaby talks about kids who get labeled as “troublemakers,” but instead of treating them like they’re the problem, she tries to understand them. She follows a few elementary school students and shows how they’re constantly getting singled out, disciplined more, and pushed away from everyone else. It’s not just about behavior as much as how everyone reacts to them. And she even connects it to bigger issues, like how early those patterns can start shaping a kid’s future. Reading that, I kept thinking… yeah, I’ve seen that. I’ve felt that. Growing up, school was always hard for me. I have ADHD and other learning difficulties, and even though I had an IEP and was in resource classes, it still felt like I was behind no matter what I did. Like eve...
Read more

Privilege, Power and Difference

Image
  In Privilege, Power, and Difference, Alan Johnson challenges the way we usually think about inequality. Instead of focusing on individual attitudes or personal morality, he asks us to look at the larger systems that shape people’s lives. His main argument is that privilege is not about being intentionally harmful or unfair. It is about how social systems are set up to benefit certain groups while putting others at a disadvantage, often without anyone having to actively choose it. What resonated with me most is Johnson’s idea that privilege exists whether or not we recognize it. A person does not have to ask for privilege, believe in it, or even be aware of it in order to benefit from it. That idea can feel uncomfortable, but it makes a lot of sense. It pushes back against the belief that success is only about hard work. Effort matters, but effort alone does not explain why some people have access to more opportunities than others from the very beginning. Johnson also talks about ...
Read more