Starting my Library

Becoming a teacher is not that far away.  In fact, it is right around the corner.  I have so many beliefs about incorporating multicultural literature into my lessons and having the books in my classroom library for my students to read.  I think that I have all the time in the world to collect multicultural literature but I don't.  However, I have a start to my classroom library and books to use for my lessons because of my children's literature classes. 

I am thankful for my children's literature classes because they have taught me so much about how to be an advocate for incorporating multicultural literature into my classroom and showing me how important multicultural literature is to children.  Since the beginning of the semester, I have learned so much about the importance and meaning of multicultural literature.  I have expanded my horizons on my beliefs about literature in a classroom and this class has given me the courage to address multicultural literature to my students.  

In the beginning of the semester, I would have told you that multicultural literature only included racial groups.  I am now educated enough to say that multicultural literature includes diversity among all people; including, special needs, religion, and sexual orientation of people.  Before I took this class, I would have never thought to include these other areas of multicultural literature.  This class has educated me in many ways and allowed me to question myself and others when talking about multicultural literature.  For example, the labels we use when addressing a multicultural group/topic.

For anyone reading this blog, I encourage you to take TE 448: Issues of Diversity in Children's and Adolescent Literature at Michigan State University.

Gender Roles

After talking about gender roles in class today, it made me think of a story that one of my teachers had told me, which really made me think about how parents influence gender roles.

My teacher's friend has two children; one boy and one girl.  Her friend realized one day that every time she was giving her children positive reinforcement she caught herself saying to her daughter that she was being such a "good little girl."  She questioned herself, and said, what about her behavior right now makes her such a good little "girl?"  She now tries to give her children positive reinforcement by saying that they are being good people!!!!

I thought this was very interesting to think about; thinking about how parents reinforce gender roles for their children growing up.

Connection

Deb, I think you are right when you say that my ENG 379 class has a lot of connections to our class.

When we were watching Margaret Cho's stand up comedy on YouTube the other day, it made me think of a short story that I read in my ENG 379 class called "Who's Irish" by Gish Jen.  Margaret Cho pokes fun at stereotypes that American people hold about Asian-Americans but in "Who's Irish" the narrator and her daughter are Chinese and her daughter, Natalie marries a man who is Irish.  The story is in the mother's point of view and she address many of the stereotypes that she as a Chinese woman holds towards people who are not Chinese, particularly people who are Irish.  She is not pleased that her daughter married an Irish man and together had a mixed child, named Sophie.  The narrator does not agree with her grand-daughter's wild behavior and says it is because her parents do not spank her.  When the narrator watches her grand-daughter she decides to spank her because she spanked her daughter who is well behaved because spanking was accepted in the Chinese culture and it is not in the "American" culture.  

I think this was an interesting story from the perspective of an Asian-American about stereotypes and cultural beliefs that she holds towards people who are not from the Asian decent.  Margaret Cho's stand up comedy reminded me of this story so I thought I would share this with you if anyone is interested in reading the very short story.