Chapter 1- Knowing Students Well

Quick Response to Chapter 1

a) I found it interesting that one of the tips to getting to know your students is by getting to know their neighborhoods. I had never really put any thought into it before, but in retrospect, it makes a lot of sense. It’s hard to get to know someone if you don’t know where they are coming from or how they grew up.

b) This section of the book really got me thinking. Every person comes from different backgrounds–no two people grew up in exactly the same context. It’s important to know where people live, and what kind of pressures they have to face in their neighborhoods everyday. This really has an affect on what kind of person they are, and not only will this information better help you to understand the student, it will help you to adjust your teaching in such way as to better connect with the student, now that you know them a little better. I also fully agree with the book in that you should never make assumptions about a person based on where they live; this will only cause anger and embarrassment on both parties. This is definitely an interesting topic to keep in mind.