We had talked about the issue of gangs in class a while ago now. In my second phase, the issue was a little more prominent with our students. We had some students whose parents were openly involved in gangs and some students who had the potential of getting involved within the next few years.
How would you begin the discussion in your classroom about gangs without sounding naive or causing some students to get mad? Is it likely for the students who are already involved to become more offended and pull away? Or could it have the opposite affect?
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You bring up some really great questions about how the tackle the topic of gangs in the classroom. This is something I have often thought about while trying to prepare for teaching and I’m sure most of the other interns have too. I think I would try to approach this topic through literature. I remember Greg mentioning a book called Stars in the Darkness by Barbara M. Joosse. Though I haven’t read it, the reviews on amazon.com rave about this book. It tells the story of a young boy whose older brother joins a gang. It powerfully recounts how this young boy and his mother continue to love the boy’s older brother, but are concerned about his gang involvement. It ends with the young boy, his mom, and other people from the neighborhood joining together to do peace walks at night in an effort to stop the gang violence. I think approaching the topic of gangs through a book like this would be a great way to naturally bring about a discussion about gangs and the consequences of joining a gang, not only for the one who joins, but their family, friends, and community as well. Basing a discussion off of a book like this one also may help those of us who do not have much background knowledge about gangs facilitate a conversation about them more easily and not push away certain students who are in a gang, have family members who are, or are considering joining one. Hopefully these discussions would help everyone our classes think more critically about gangs. At the end of the book is a list of gang prevention resources which could also be helpful in dealing with this topic with our students.
I feel this is a really hard topic to address in the classroom. In my last phase, we had a couple cops from Streamwood come in and talk to the faculty about gangs. They brought in some pieces of clothing to show us what to look for. The cops also had a couple books and many drawings depicting gang related symbols. Overall, I feel there is no easy way to approach this topic. I love Shannon's idea of using literature! Students of all ages love it when teachers or other adults read them stories. After reading students a book about gangs, I would probably start a discussion. The only problem with having a open discussion is you, as a teacher, have to be careful not to step on anyone's toes. The key to the discussion is to remain unbiased, but still get the point across that gangs are bad and should be avoided. As a teacher, I would want to help students learn the truth about gangs. There may be some students in the class that already belong to gangs, or have family that are in a gang. In my opinion, this is where it becomes a sticky situation. In all honesty, if a open discussion or literature did not work, I would probably bring in a guest speaker to approach the topic.
Wow, Sarah and Shannon both had good opinions and ideas. I also feel this is a really hard topic to address in a classroom. It is complicated because you want to teach the truth about gangs, but you want to do it in a way that is not putting down anyone who may be involved or have family involved, but also do not want to show that gangs are ok. I know my first knowledge of gangs came from DARE. My question is should teachers wait until DARE is taught to students? When would an appropriate age be to bring up the topic of gangs? I know even with my knowledge from DARE and what I have heard and basic knowledge in general, I am still not aware of everything. Over the summer I came across gang symbols on my street, but I was not 100% and I did not also know what to do. I know you are not suppose to get involved with gangs. Even though I was taught about gang awareness, obviously I did not know everything.
I feel this is no easy way to approach this topic. I loved the idea of bringing literature into the classroom to introduce this topic. I have been told that children, even older children still like it when teachers read or even the idea of picture books to use with a lesson. However, in order for this book to work there has to be some kind of discussion after it is read. During this discussion, teachers have to remain unbiased and just be very careful as to what is presented and how it is presented. I think it is very important for students to learn about gang’s for their safety, but like the topic addressed there may be some students who have family members in gangs or personally involved. If this is the case, this is were the teacher has to really plan and watch how gangs are discussed and views. I liked the idea that Sarah said to bring in a guest speaker. I think a guest speaker can be impactful and will teach gangs in the right way, even if books and discussions are used.
I agree with Shannon that using literature would be an excellent way to address the topic of gangs in the classroom. I would love to include the book Stars in the Darkness by Barbara M. Joosse in my future classroom library. I have no person experience with gangs; therefore, literature would be a way to introduce the issue and create a class discussion.
I was at the same staff meeting as Sarah when two Streamwood police officers came into the school and informed the faculty about gang symbols as well as gang colors. This staff meeting was a real eye-opener for me. I am from the northwest suburbs of Chicago and have been completely sheltered. I have never seen or heard of gangs in my city or school district. The police officers showed the staff what to look for in their students’ behaviors as well as their dress. The police officers said that as teachers, we can question students about their apparel or behaviors if we are suspicious. All you have to do is ask them, “What does the number on your shirt mean?” Most elementary students will not be able to tell you. This is because they do not understand gangs; they might just be copying what their older brothers or family members are doing/wearing because they think it is “cool.” As teachers, I believe it is our job to protect our students and stop gang involvement before it starts.
I thing having a classroom discussion with your students about gangs is a tough topic. I agree that being in a middle school definitely has more issues dealing with this. I see that alot of people agree with the use of literature and I do as well. I think using literature would be a great way to open the discussion to your classroom. Thinking specifically to the book "Stars in the darkness" the book could be read, the topic discussed and then students can make connections to their own lives. During an observation I actually got to sit in on a gang discussion. It was a real eye oppening experience. I like to think that I am a very open minded person, however, alot of my beliefs were challenged during this discussion. The discussion was completely student centered, which I think answers the question of how do we, as teachers, discuss this without sounding naive. Since the students are the ones leading they are able to relate to each others feelings. I do, however, thing being "naive" can be a good thing for a teacher. Students may assume you don't know about gangs and having them explain things to you can help clear things up for other students as well. During the discussion I was suprised to hear that many boys (who looked and acted like they were invlolved in gangs already) had relatives involved, some were in jail. I realized many of the students wanted to know what they could do to stop gangs from spreading. Since this was student centered they came up with the ideas, with the teacher facilitating. I think having the discussion gave students more ownership. This way, if they ever came across something discussed they would know the choices avalible for them.
The first day I walked into my Phase 2 school I was very shocked to see a cop fully armed roaming the halls. I thought back to my middle school and I don't remember seeing a cop until high school. There are many students who are involved in gangs in my Phase 2 school and it would be revelant to discuss gangs. Personally, I think teachers should discuss the issue for the first day of school. This is an issue that is very important and should not be waited to be discussed when something gang related happened in the school or community. Right now there is a lot of gang violence in the news and if teachers hadn't talked to their students about gangs then this would be a great opportunity. My mentor told me the students who are in a gang are smart enough not to bring it in school but it the "wannabes" who bring gang stuff in schools. I think it depends on how the teacher approaches the topic and how a student might react. I totally agree with Sarah and when having a discussion you have to remain natural. In my discussion I would not voice my opinion on gangs because I would still want that student to trust me and not think I am judging who they are. In the discussion I would guide students and talk about the negative effects of gangs and the different things they can do to not be involved in a gang. Making sure students understand what other activities they can do rather than being involved in a gang is helpful. Even by having the whole class join an after school club could have a positive effect on that student who is in a gang. Ulimately, a teacher wants his/her students to be safe and having a discussion with students about gangs is an important thing to do. The question is how do you discuss gangs with younger students. For instance in my Phase 1 class I have a student who gets picked up by different gang members everyday. I know that he has seen a lot by being around gang members because of resources the school has. How would I approach this situation? I don't wnat to single the student out but I would like to have a discussion with the whole class. Any suggestions?
I agree that it is vital for schools to provide after school programs for students to be involved. At my phase 2 school there are programs after school at least three days a week. These activities include: homework help, computer, music, soccer, and tennis. After these programs, there is more offered through the parent connection center. Some of the students in my class come early to school for breakfast and stay through all the programs until dinner is offered at 7pm. This is definitely a way to keep our students off the streets and aid their academics at the same time. I do feel bad that these students do not spend much time with their family, but if they were not at school they would be home alone and bored. I think there is a lot we can do about gangs in our schools and not all of it has to be direct, especially at such a young age.
I think that the topic of gangs should be addressed. In the school that I am in, there are a lot of students that live in poverty and alot of their parents work two jobs. This situation is something that they have to deal with to live but some students join gangs. I think it is very important to talk to students about gangs. Not only to talk about the negative effects that it may have on students but to see their opinions about the topic of gangs. I feel that students need to talk about things. By discussing issues like this, we may prevent some students from joining one. It is true that we must be respectful as teahcers to not overstep student boundaries. However, I feel it is our duty to protect kids as much as possible whether we allow them to stay in the LMC after school or ask them to join a club during their free time. Any activity or lessons that wil spark their interest can help students refrain from joining gangs. I also think providing real life stories or a guest speaker would really impact the students.
When my family gathered for Thanksgiving, I was talking to one of my aunt's relatives who lives in Palatine about student teaching, and he asked about gangs in Wheeling. After explaining my experiences to him, it made me realize that gangs are a real concern at the schools where I am student teaching.
At first, I was naive and thought the elementary school kids would not be involved in gangs. A few weeks into school, a student ran up to me as the first bell for school rang to tell me that another student from our class was drawing on the windows outside with a permanent marker. My mentor went outside to have the student show her where these drawings were located, and I was left to start the morning, even though several of the kids were more interested in the drawings than the journal topic they were to write about. When the students left for specials, my mentor told me the student had drawn gang symbols on the window. I knew the student's family was having issues and that he was often either alone or cared for by an older sister, but I never thought he could be involved in a gang.
On my first day in eighth grade, the teachers on my team were discussing an incident at an unsupervised youth event at a local church where several students belonging to gangs were physically attacked, sending at least one to the hospital. The middle school's dean came to talk to all the teachers about what had occurred, and to ask them to listen for more details about what may have happened.
I went to the same middle school and high school as Lauren, and I never thought about gang issues until high school. There were students bussed in from the surrounding area, and there were many diverse groups that did not get along, but I never really thought about them as gangs. I think it is heartbreaking that students that young are involved in gang activity. I realize that many students' parents work several jobs and that the students seek support from gangs. I realize that we as teachers cannot control our students, but I think it is important to give students opportunities to create social networks and encourage them to participate in school-sponsored clubs and activities. These activities are supervised, and would hopefully reduce the time students spend alone in potentially dangerous situations.
I am glad that this topic was brought up, because it has also been a concern of mine.
Like many other interns, I didn't think too much about the issue of gangs while in my 2nd grade classroom. However, coming to the Middle School has been eye opening-- just as I thought it would be.
I was very surprised when I was in the lounge on my first day at the Middle School and I heard about multiple students who were in gangs. It is also a prominent topic at Kid Day every Wednesday.
I also grew up in the suburbs and have realized through this experience just how sheltered my childhood was.
A few weeks ago as I was leaving school one of my students went up to the school police officer and asked him if he has arrested his mom last night.
I realized then that if I had been this child's actual teacher that he may have wanted to talk to me about this situation and I would have had NO CLUE how to deal with it.
I really like the idea of using books in the classroom is a great way to address the topic, but I also know that I am going to have to do a great deal of reading on my own.
Thanks for the suggestions of books and for posting this topic!
I definitely agree with Shannon and others when they state that bringing literature into the classroom to initiate the topic of gangs would be most beneficial. I also believe that teachers (new and experienced) need to educate themselves about gangs by knowing what to look for, speaking to past gang members if possible, and to learn about the best ways to address the issue. This can be done by speaking to individuals within a school district who handle these cases all the time and is part of their job description.
As I stated in class, Coleman Elementary had a presentation about gangs during our staff meeting. Although it created paranoia for some, there was some new and worthwhile information to hear. First of all, I did not know all of the different ways to "represent" gangs or how they actually initiated gang members. Since the presenter HAD spoken to many past gang members, we got to hear true accounts of the gang activity. I learned about many family members of the children in the school who are in gangs, and that most likely, the children's parents or family must be involved to help a child if he/she is being exposed to a gang. Unfortunately, I believe that some of what our guest speaker stated for "a teacher's responsiblity" crosses that fine line that defines a child's homelife apart from school. Luckily, there are programs and specific officers whose job is to handle these situations. I feel that it is very frustrating and will be hard to see our children and know that we can only help them so much when we have them. (unless you want to "loop," meaning follow the child by teaching a different grade level each year) Obviously, this is not a realistic tactic, but I'm sure that many of us will be tempted.
As for what to cover in class about gangs, I think it depends on the grade level and community. By 5th grade, some students may already be involved and a lot of the discussion may be "meaningless." I agree with others when they say to start before the involvement has taken place, although we must remember that most likely children will be exposed to the activity nonetheless. Our goal as educators should be to focus on peer pressure and good decision-making skills, therefore the children cna make healthy choices. We have to be realistic here; we will not stop the exsistance of gangs. It's almost as if schools should have a program that is like D.A.R.E. but focuses on gangs!
I agree with what a lot of people said about how tough it can be to talk about gangs with students. I like the idea of using literature. This brings up the topic in an innocent way that can lead to some powerful class discussions. I just checked out the Stars in the Darkness online to see what it is all about. From the looks of it, I would be interested in using it in my future classroom library as a good resource for my students. Since being in a middle school placement, I have seen more gang related things that in the elementary school. I agree with Lauren when she talked about seeing an armed police man roaming the halls the first day she was there. The police officer at the middle school I am at is always around as he walks up and down the halls throughout the day. Another instance where gang related topics have come up is a conversation with another teacher from the seventh grade team. She had said that a students had requested that she check out his myspace. SHe felt curious and decided to look at it. She had mentioned that the site had a lot of gang related material, including the background, posts, and pictures on the page. I am curious as to why this student would want a teacher to see his myspace page when he clearly knows what he has put on it. It came up it comversation that it may be possible this student is falunting this as a way of getting attention, and is possibly falsely stating he is in a gang as he very clearly has ganag related material on his page. It is ver insightful as a student intern, and it reminded me that we cannot be naive when it comes to student behavior. We have to be proactive and do what is best for our students.
Today was my first day in junior high. I am in an eighth grade English classroom at Ellis, and they are known for having a poor reputation. Every teacher I talked to supported this reputation and said that it is the worst class they have had in over ten years. Today at the team meeting, teachers were talking about switching a student to a different classroom because they were worried about his gang ties and him being in a classroom with other students. At the end of the day, I had one student in my class who was part of this group that they wanted to split up. My teacher told me that this student usually does not come to class more than two or three times a week, and when he does come, she usually puts him in the back of the class and makes him face the wall. She even used the term "lost cause" and said there is nothing to do to help him. This made me think of everything we have talked about in class. In a teacher's world, there should be no such thing as a "lost cause." There is always something that can be done or someone who can influence a student. The lack of support and education that the student is getting will guarantee that he will not receive the help that could assist him in avoiding a life of gangs and crime.
I feel that gangs is an ongoing issue in society. I definitely think that gangs should be addressed in the classroom. However, I feel that the teacher should remain as neutral as possible in presenting this issue. I feel that kids have been talked to about gangs and how negative they are leaving no room for them to come up with their reasoning as to why gangs are bad or why gangs are good.
Gangs exist all over the place no matter where we live. There is a misconception that gangs don't exist in the suburbs, but that is not the case. I feel as though as teachers we should educate ourselves about gangs and about what is going on in the neighborhoodd in which our students live in.
Lauren, your mentor brings up a good point. Those that are smart don't show that they are in gangs. It is the "wanna-be's" who normally fit the "characteristics" of a gang member. I was reading through my students' files and about one third of my middle school boys were classified as being potential gang members just by the clothes that they wear. I feel that looks can be very deceiving and often kids are wrongfully accused by the clothes that they wear. I was wearing black and blue the other day and one of my students said to me, "We are not allowed to wear those colors together because they think we're in gangs." I was not surprised to hear that. I remember in high school a lot of people were not allowed to wear certain colors because it resembled gangs. I feel that is completely wrong. Other students got away with wearing shirts that had sexual innuendos printed on them, yet they didn't get in trouble.
I also feel that DARE is introduced too late in a child's life. Students are exposed to gang violence or drug/alcohol use at younger ages and they go through elementary school with many misconceptions about these topics. Going on with using literature to teach students about drugs and gangs, there is a book called This is the House that Crack Built by Clark Taylor. By the title you can imagine what it is about. It is a very powerful book.
It was really interesting to read what everyone wrote about this topic. I have been thinking about this issue recently, as it has become a topic of discussion during team meetings. I have been thinking a lot about how I would address this issue as a teacher, and I think a lot of the ideas I read on here, are really well put and would hopefully contribute to a more positive influence in student's lives. As many of you said, there are various reasons for student's joining gangs, and we may not be sure of why, but I think we can try to help these students become more involved in more postive activities. Many students feel that this is the only thing they can turn to, and I think as teachers, we can try to develop a support system for all students. Trying to get to know your students and develop a positive relationship with each one, will at least be a start in students feeling that a positive role model in their lives does genuinely care about them. My mentor really does a great job of getting to know her students, asking questions about them, and sincerely caring about them. I think that developing these positive relationships can at least begin the process of helping the students work out their feelings and make more positive choices. Also, as teachers, helping each child feel successful in school and feel suceessful at something will help all students learn they they can be good at many things, and hopefully this will help in them realizing that people care about them, they can succeed, and possibly helping get them involved in an after school activity they enjoy. These children need to have this geniune positive influence in their lives, which if they are not getting at home, we can provide. Also, the idea of using literature, like many of you talked about, is a great way to segue into the discussion on gangs. I think you definitely need to be careful and really plan out a way to talk about this, as it is a difficult issue to discuss in your classroom. Having students connect with the characters in books helps many times for them to reevaluate their own decisions and think about their priorities, goals and dreams. It was a definite change to come into the middle school with these gang issues, after being in a kindergarten classroom. I am also in the same school as Lauren and have seen and heard about police officers coming into the school. I also did not grow up with this in my schools. I would like to learn as much as I can about what current teachers do and how they address these issues in the classroom, so I can be better prepared. I think that giving these students the positive support they need, as well as helping them develop a positive attitude about school and other activities, would be a step in the right direction. Every student need this postive guidance and support, and hopefully this will also prevent some students from joining gangs in the future.
My response that I'm about to post is somewhat related to this blog. However, I felt this was the best place to post it.
Students in gangs is a very tough reality that our students and teachers now face. The social world is turned upside down and more than not attitudes, motivation and behavior issues are brought into the classrooms. Unlike Samantha and Lauren I was placed in a middle school where I did not see or hear much about gang related problems. However, what did surprise me was that I learned the boundaries of the school were recently changed and this resulted in more racial diversity at the school. Now the school had a strong Hispanic influence with about 50% Hispanic and 50% Caucasian. My mentor later told me that parents called and complained that their students now had to go to school with those other kids, and today another teacher elaborated upon how bad the parent situation really was... parents threatening not to send their child to go to school and forming their own strike. Now what really bothers me is that these parents were doing exactly what we teach our children not to- STEREOTYPING!!!! They were making judgments about these Hispanic students they did not now. Now, the school is racially integrated and I have not once heard or seen anything about gangs. (I am on a 6th grade team and they may still be too young but this is a good sign at least). What I think is really important for us as teachers, is to remember what type of life students have once they leave school. Everything may seem perfect within the four walls of our room but it is really important that we understand the realities that many of our students live through. This reminder came for me last week when one of my students came into class and I was pretty sure he was wearing a girls winter coat. After looking at it more when they were at lunch I was pretty confident that it was a girls coat (it had fur lined on the hood and although it was a large size it seemed slighted fitted). It reminded me that there are kids in my class who can't afford coats and maybe some of those used coats the Middle School was doing a drive for, ended up on some of my students in this classroom. Once I noticed it I began looking at other students coats and was shocked to see how view actually had a winter coat with them that day. Whether it is gangs or other social issues, I think it is important that we keep an open mind like Sarah said and try to be a position influence on our students.
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