Jesse$Braxton$

Teaching$and$Learning$in$Urban$Contexts$
August$15,$2015$
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I$did$not$begin$the$Teacher$Education$Program$needing$to$be$convinced$that$a$reliance$
on$lectures,$note$taking,$homework,$and$tests$as$the$primary$methods$of$teaching$and$
evaluating$learning$did$not$create$an$ideal$learning$environment.$$My$own$experience$was$
enough$to$confirm$that.$$My$motivation$to$become$a$chemistry$major$at$Oberlin$College$came$
directly$from$my$experience$in$Mrs.$Davis$10th$and$11th$grade$chemistry$classes.$$She$was$the$
most$engaging$teacher$I$ever$had,$often$beginning$classes$by$demonstrating$chemical$principles$
that$were$just$beyond$the$understanding$of$the$class,$choosing$demonstrations$that$were$both$
attention$grabbing$and$thought$provoking.$$I$will$never$forget$the$exploding$hydrogen$balloon$
that$left$a$residue$of$water$on$the$blackboardevidence$of$the$chemical$reaction$that$had$taken$
place,$as$if$the$thundering$explosion$and$momentary$ball$of$flames$were$not$indication$enough.$$
Our$lessons$proceeded$from$demonstration$to$discussion,$with$Mrs.$Davis$asking$carefully$
tailored$questions$of$the$class$to$guide$our$conversation$towards$an$understanding$of$the$
demonstration$she$performed$to$spark$our$curiosity.$
When$I$began$taking$chemistry$courses$at$Oberlin,$I$was$sorely$disappointed$to$learn$
that$not$all$chemistry$classes$were$predicated$on$fascinating$displays$followed$by$discussion$or$
debate$as$we$attempted$to$make$sense$of$an$experience$that$challenged$and$expanded$upon$
our$previous$understandings.$$Where$Mrs.$Davis$had$a$knack$for$drawing$knowledge$out$of$the$
class,$allowing$us$to$build$upon$what$we$had$already$learned,$most$of$my$college$professors$
relied$exclusively$on$lectures$and$labs.$$My$college$classes$were$boring$by$comparison,$and$I$
remember$far$less$of$what$was$covered$in$college$than$I$do$of$my$high$school$lessons.$

I$was,$therefore,$determined$to$be$an$engaging$teacher$well$before$beginning$the$
summer$at$Penn$GSE.$$Our$readings$and$discussions$since$then$have$expanded$my$
understanding$of$what$that$means.$$Beyond$engaging$students$in$a$dynamic$learning$process,$I$
want$to$be$a$teacher$that$encourages$students$to$critically$understand$our$society,$its$codes$of$
power$(Delpit,$1995),$and$how$to$change$it.$$A$passage$from$Lisa$Delpits$book$Other&Peoples&
Children&caught$my$attention:$
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Let$there$be$no$doubt:$a$skilled$minority$person$who$is$not$also$capable$of$critical$
analysis$becomes$the$trainable,$lowYlevel$functionary$of$the$dominant$society,$simply$
the$grease$that$keeps$the$institutions$which$orchestrate$his$or$her$oppression$running$
smoothly.$$On$the$other$hand,$a$critical$thinker$who$lacks$the$skills$demanded$by$
employers$and$institutions$of$higher$learning$can$aspire$to$financial$and$social$status$
only$within$the$disenfranchised$underworld.$$(Delpit,$1995,$p.19)$
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This$excerpt,$taken$from$Delpits$discussion$about$the$importance$of$teaching$both$basic$

skills$as$well$as$critical$thinking,$also$makes$important$suggestions$about$the$purpose$of$
education.$$No$longer$would$I$be$satisfied$to$simply$teach$an$engaging$class;$I$want$my$class$to$
be$its$own$small$force$for$social$justice.$$The$writings$of$Gloria$LadsonYBillings$helped$me$arrive$
at$a$deeper$understanding$of$how$to$do$this$through$a$culturally$relevant$pedagogy,$which$
she$asserts$must$accomplish$three$goals:$produce$students$who$can$achieve$academically,$
produce$students$who$demonstrate$cultural$competence,$and$develop$students$who$can$both$
understand$and$critique$the$existing$social$order.$(LadsonYBillings,$1995,$p.$474)$I$spent$many$
hours$considering$how$I$could$design$a$weekYlong$unit$in$a$chemistry$class$that$would$not$lead$
my$students$to$be$manipulated$into$perpetuating$their$own$oppression,$seeking$to$incorporate$
those$three$principles$of$culturally$relevant$pedagogy$into$a$discipline$that$has$been$
traditionally$dominated$by$white$men.$$$

LadsonYBillings$elaborates$on$the$pedagogy$of,$in$her$view,$excellent$teachers,$and$I$
have$done$my$best$to$incorporate$some$of$the$approaches$she$discusses,$however$I$am$not$
satisfied$with$my$attempt$at$this$time.$$I$believe$I$have$designed$a$weeks$worth$of$engaging$
lessons$that$hold$together$as$a$curricular$unit,$and$perhaps$have$addressed$LadsonYBillings$first$
principle,$that$of$academic$achievement.$$Chemistry,$though,$is$a$challenging$topic$to$teach$in$a$
culturally$relevant$way.$$While$I$had$a$model$of$an$engaging$teacher,$and$teaching$in$an$
engaging$way$does$encourage$critical$thinking,$I$never$took$a$chemistry$class$that$incorporated$
cultural$competence$or$a$critique$of$the$existing$social$order.$$These$last$two$elements$I$hope$to$
pursue$further$as$I$continue$my$education$as$a$teacher.$
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The$Framework$
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Chemistry$is$a$subject$that$I$fear$students$will$too$easily$dismiss$as$irrelevant$to$their$

lives.$$My$field$placement$this$summer$did$little$to$dispel$this$concern.$$Students$would$file$into$
class,$take$a$quiz$on$the$previous$days$learnings,$and$then$sit$quietly$at$their$desks,$carefully$
taking$notes$as$the$teacher$gave$his$lecture$accompanied$by$a$PowerPoint$presentation.$$
Knowing$that$chemistry$can$be$taught$in$an$engaging$and$curiosity$inspiring$way,$I$was$
somewhat$dismayed$to$see$exactly$the$teaching$style$that$Martin$Haberman$so$forcefully$
critiques,$dubbing$it$The$Pedagogy$of$Poverty.$(Haberman,$1991)$The$teacher$later$informed$
me$that$this$summer$program$required$a$lecture/PowerPoint$format$with$students$taking$
Cornell$notes$as$part$of$its$college$preparatory$mission,$and$after$that$conversation$and$Delpits$
emphasis$on$teaching$basic$skills$I$have$tempered$my$criticism$of$the$class.$$Yet$I$still$felt$the$

class$failed$to$inspire$interest$in$the$topic,$and$felt$somewhat$helpless$as$students$performed$
rote$procedures$in$both$the$classroom$and$the$lab.$
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I$therefore$chose$a$topic$that$is$both$a$logical$point$of$entry$into$the$field$of$chemistry$

and$poses$an$interesting$question$for$students$to$consider:$What$is$the$world$around$us$made$
of?$$The$unit$is$an$exploration$of$what$is$matter$and$how$does$it$change.$$The$classes$and$
assignments$provides$students$many$opportunities$to$do$their$own$investigations$into$the$
nature$of$matter$and$explore$this$question$through$a$number$of$learning$environments$and$
different$group$sizes.$
I$begin$the$first$class$with$this$discussion,$prompting$students$to$share$and$discuss$their$
thoughts$about$the$question,$guiding$them$towards$a$discussion$of$atoms,$molecules,$and$how$
we$can$classify$matter.$$After$a$short$presentation$about$how$our$understanding$of$matter$has$
evolved$from$the$ancient$Greeks$until$today$the$class$begins$an$activity$in$small$groups$where$
students$work$together$to$decide$in$which$category$of$matter$each$of$various$objects$belongs.$$
The$activity$uses$familiar$objects$such$as$a$wooden$spoon,$water,$salt,$cookies,$soda,$dirt,$and$
pennies.$$The$class$ends$with$a$lowYstakes$form$of$preYassessment:$3Y2Y1$cards$(Tomlinson$&$
McTighe,$2006).$$Students$will$write$their$name$on$an$index$card$and$list$three$things$they$
learned,$two$questions$they$still$have,$and$one$idea$they$would$like$to$know$more$about.$$It$
seemed$to$me$this$would$be$a$simple$way$to$communicate$to$students$that$I$am$interested$in$
their$learning$process,$encourage$them$to$take$charge$of$their$own$learning,$and$give$me$a$
sense$of$what$levels$of$knowledge$students$already$have.$$The$homework$assignment$is$
designed$to$reinforce$that$chemistry$is$all$around$us$by$asking$them$to$find$substances$at$home$

that$fit$into$each$of$the$categories$of$matter.$$The$assignment$also$asks$them$to$consider$why$
classifying$matter$is$useful$to$chemists.$$
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The$following$class$revolves$around$the$question$how$does$matter$change?$$I$begin$

this$class$with$two$fun$demonstrations$to$highlight$physical$and$chemical$changes.$$The$first$
involves$heating$water$in$a$soda$can$until$the$water$boils,$then$plunging$the$can$into$an$ice$
bath,$which$will$cause$the$aluminum$can$to$suddenly$collapse.$$This$highlights$a$phase$change$
as$water$becomes$steam$and$thermal$expansion$of$gas,$a$physical$property,$in$dramatic$
fashion.$$The$second$demonstration,$vinegar$and$baking$soda,$shows$a$chemical$change.$$
Students$then$break$into$small$groups$and$rotate$through$different$stations$in$the$room$where$
physical$and$chemical$changes$are$on$display,$and$each$student$records$their$observations$and$
the$changes$of$both$types$that$they$see.$$For$homework,$students$write$down$physical$and$
chemical$reactions$they$observe$in$their$environment.$$They$are$also$told$to$submerge$a$nail$in$
a$glass$of$either$vinegar$or$sprite$and$begin$recording$their$observations$about$what$happens.$$
Once$again,$these$assignments$are$designed$to$encourage$students$to$see$chemistry$as$
something$that$is$both$interesting$and$relevant$in$their$lives.$
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The$third$class$revolves$around$a$presentation$and$discussion$about$phase$changes$and$

the$importance$of$waters$ability$to$exist$in$all$three$phases$on$Earth.$$The$discussion$of$phases$
leads$to$the$Kinetic$Molecular$Theory,$which$explains$what$is$happening$on$a$molecular$level$
that$determines$whether$a$substance$is$a$solid,$liquid,$or$gas.$$We$can$indirectly$observe$the$
impact$of$the$intermolecular$forces$that$play$a$key$role$in$this$theory$with$an$investigation$of$
heating$curves,$which$will$be$the$focus$of$homework$and$a$lab$on$the$following$day.$

The$fourth$and$fifth$classes$in$the$unit$are$dedicated$to$hands$on$learning,$with$students$

performing$a$lab$(described$in$detail$in$the$lesson$plan),$working$in$small$groups$to$interpret$
the$results,$and$displaying$them$visually$using$flipchart$graph$paper$and$markers.$$While$all$of$
the$classes$I$designed$attempt$to$incorporate$Multiple$Intelligences,$these$classes$do$so$more$
completely$than$the$others,$allowing$students$to$learn$by$hands$on$methods,$logically$
interpreting$results,$interacting$with$peers,$and$creating$a$visual$representation$of$their$data$
(MI$Oasis,$2015).$
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Nearly$all$of$the$lessons$involve$a$variety$of$teaching$methods:$Large$group$discussion,$

hands$on$projects$in$small$groups,$and$short$presentations/lectures.$$I$designed$the$lessons$this$
way$for$several$reasons.$$The$primary$one$is$differentiation.$$I$believe$that$large$group$activities$
are$useful$and$interesting,$but$also$pose$a$challenge$of$getting$everyone$involved.$$The$smaller$
groupings$allow$more$student$participation$and$create$opportunities$for$the$teacher$to$interact$
with$students$more$individually,$providing$scaffolding$or$additional$challenges$as$needed$
(Tomlinson$&$McTighe,$2006).$$Beyond$differentiation,$LadsonYBillings$and$Oakes$and$Liptons$
writings$both$emphasized$the$importance$of$creating$collaborative$learning$communities$
(LadsonYBillings,$1995;$Oakes,$Lipton,$Anderson,$&$Stillman,$2013).$$While$I$struggled$to$find$
ways$of$implementing$what$I$would$consider$to$be$a$true$sociocultural$approach$to$teaching$
chemistry,$I$did$incorporate$the$elements$they$discussed$whenever$possible.$
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Assessment$
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I$have$incorporated$a$number$of$assessment$strategies$into$the$unit$design,$beginning$
with$the$3Y2Y1$cards$I$mentioned$following$the$first$class.$$Homework$assignments,$class$
discussions,$worksheets$from$small$group$exercises,$a$quiz$on$day$5,$and$a$lab$report$
accompany$the$execution$of$the$lab$and$creation$of$a$heating$curve.$$While$this$is$a$slightly$
wider$array$of$assessment$strategies$than$were$typically$used$in$the$science$classes$I$took$as$a$
student,$I$see$this$as$another$area$where$I$can$improve$my$creativity$as$a$teacher$to$the$benefit$
of$my$students.$$$
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Thoughts$about$Implementation$
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While$I$am$pleased$with$this$unit$design$and$believe$it$would$be$an$effective$and$

engaging$week$of$classes,$I$do$still$have$questions$and$recognize$ways$that$I$might$be$able$to$
improve$it$as$I$gain$more$knowledge$as$a$teacher.$$I$have$already$noted$my$dissatisfaction$with$
my$ability$to$make$the$class$culturally$relevant$and$my$desire$to$improve$my$diversity$of$
assessment$strategies,$but$my$fieldwork$and$the$Steel$reading$on$stereotype$threat$bring$
another$question$to$mind:$How$to$awaken$students$natural$curiosity$about$the$universe$and$
how$it$works.$$My$goal$as$a$chemistry$teacher$is$to$do$just$that,$but$by$the$time$students$have$
reached$10th$grade$much$of$that$curiosity$has$been$stifled$by$bad$school$experiences$
(Haberman,$1991).$$In$my$experience,$this$is$true$even$in$the$most$wellYresourced$schools.$
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It$was$quite$challenging$in$my$field$placement$to$inspire$curiosity$among$the$students$
for$the$subjects$they$were$learning.$$They$appeared$to$be$going$through$the$motions$in$order$to$

get$through$school,$but$were$not$very$often$engaged$in$learning$for$learnings$sake.$$Chemistry,$
being$a$subject$that$students$often$view$as$not$applicable$in$their$lives$outside$of$the$
classroom,$might$be$particularly$susceptible$to$this$problem.$$It$is$not$clear$to$me$whether$
students$were$uninterested$because$of$the$rote$teaching$methods$being$employed,$or$if$it$was$
a$result$of$their$previous$experiences.$$Steel$discusses$the$pressure$on$students$who$belong$to$a$
group$that$is$negatively$stigmatized$academically$to$disidentify$with$school$(Steel,$1997).$$
Haberman$also$discusses$the$challenge$teachers$face$when$attempting$to$implement$
progressive$teaching$methods:$

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Any$teacher$who$believes$that$he$or$she$can$take$on$an$urban$teaching$assignment$and$
ignore$the$pedagogy$of$poverty$will$be$quickly$crushed$by$the$students$themselves.$$
Examples$abound$of$inexperienced$teachers$who$seek$to$involve$students$in$genuine$
learning$activities$and$are$met$with$apathy$or$bedlam,$while$older$hands$announce,$
Take$out$your$dictionaries$and$start$to$copy$words$that$begin$with$h$are$rewarded$
with$compliance$or$silence.$(Haberman,$1991,$p.$4)$
These$examples$from$both$reading$and$experience$highlight$the$challenge$of$

implementing$the$best$laid$plans.$$I$will$be$teaching$at$a$magnet$school$with$a$project$based$
learning$model$in$the$fall,$so$I$dont$necessarily$expect$student$resistance$to$be$a$formidable$
problem$there,$but$I$would$like$to$become$a$skillful$enough$teacher$to$break$through$The$
Pedagogy$of$Poverty$in$any$setting.$$
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References$
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Delpit,$L..$(1995).$Other&Peoples&Children:&Cultural&Conflict&in&the&Classroom.$$New$York,$NY:$The$$
New$Press.$
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Haberman,$M.$(1991).$The$Pedagogy$of$Poverty$Versus$Good$Teaching.$$Phi&Delta&Kappan,&73,&&
290Y294.$
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LadsonYBillings,$G.$(1995).$Toward$a$Theory$of$Culturally$Relevant$Pedagogy.$$American&&
Educational&Research&Journal,&32(3),$465Y491.$
$
MI$Oasis.$(n.d.).$The&Components&of&MI.$Retrieved$from$$
http://multipleintelligencesoasis.org/about/theYcomponentsYofYmi/$
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Oakes,$J.,$Lipton,$M.,$Anderson,$L.,$&$Stillman,$J.$$(2013).$$Teaching&to&Change&the&World,&Fourth&&
Edition.$Boulder,$CO:$Paradigm$Publishers.$
$
Steel,$C.$(1997).$A$Threat$in$the$Air.$$American&Psychologist,&52(6),$613Y629$
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Tomlinson,$C.$A.$&$McTighe,$J.$(2006)Integrating&Differentiated&Instruction&and&Understanding&&
by&Design:&Connecting&Content&and&Kids.$$Alexandria,$VA:$Association$for$Supervision$and$
Curriculum$Development.$