Praxis of Pedagogy Day 28

I started off my classes by reading "Animal Farm." I'm probably not going to finish reading this by the time school is over. Maybe I'll get far enough that students will want to read it by themselves...but probably not.

Then in my Asian American studies class I started in on my lesson on the internment camps. Without telling them what was going I had them make a list of all the stuff they owned. Then I had them make a list of all the people that were important to them. Then I had them underline from the first list whatever they would bring with them if they were going away, didn't know for how long, where, or what conditions they were going to encounter. Then I asked if it was easy or difficult to decide what to bring. Next, I asked them how their list would change if they found out that metal or electrical items would be taken away. Finally I asked them how they would feel and what would they do if they were separated from many of the people in list #2. Finally I showed them a copy of "Civilian Exclusion Order No. 5." We read the order and then I asked questions about the order. I noted the use of the term alien and non-alien and asked how that tied into our readings on the perpetual foreigner. It follows in the racist thinking about Wong Kim Ark where he wasn't considered American even though he was born in the US. We also compared this internment camp to other camps within US history, like the camps used to hold native Americans and people in Guantanamo. We talked about the fear of the Japanese when they were moved. The lesson finished faster than I thought it would. Once again this is my major problem. I don't know the timing to things. But after this I had to dance for a while talking about history and its relations to us. So I really focused on Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and the recent San Bruno prison situation. Considering that prisoners are often abused in the US prison system (see link above), it would be naive to think that such behavior didn't happen overseas. The guys on top aren't getting busted, cause it would be there friends doing the busting. They blame things on the common soldier, who is responsible for their actions, but also takes cues from above. How come Kenneth Lay hasn't been arrested? Cause he's buddies with the GWB all those guys. As much as John Kerry and GWB debated and what, when it comes down to it they aren't that different. They're frat brothers.

In my US history class we started in on WWI. This is such an interesting time of nationalism, communism, industrialization, imperialism, and other isms I'm sure I'm leaving out. I think the main things they will ever need to know about WWI are:

1. European fears of the German nationstate and the system of alliances in response to those fears
2. Russia as the Slavic Eastern Orthodox big brother
3. Monarchic fear of nationalist movements
4. Trench warfare, the end of cavalry, and chemical weapons
5. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Gavrilo Princip
6. The German blank check, Austro-Hungarian ultimatum, then wider war by alliance

When I was explaining this war I had one student break it down well. She is one of my favorite students. Runs her mouth like craaaaazy, but a good girl nonetheless. Basically it's like everyone getting into a big gang war cause two people had problems. I also tried to explain the geopolitics of WWI by relating it to gang/turf warfare. This seemed to perk some students up. I have one male student that is interested but doesn't want to seem like he is. He's trying to be the tough guy and it wouldn't be cool if he cared. But he really seems to get history and why I think it's fascinating. Nothing has changed. People are still doing the same thing. Nothing new under the sun.

Then in my multicultural class we read from "Nigger and caricature" from the Jim Crow museum (check out my link on the sidebar). I want them to see the various usages of nigger. There is one young black girl that sits in my class that pays attention to what I'm doing and seems to fume when we read about how blacks have been treated through history. I think she is starting to really think about the word, its history and usage. A great moment in class though was when one of the knuckleheads used nigga in class and I told him to watch his language. Then other students stepped up and one said that I wasn't down with that in my class. Peer group social control through an agreed upon social contract. I will accept and respect their right to use the word nigger/nigga once we have studied the history of it and they still decide to do so, in return they will accept/respect my right to not want to hear it said in my classroom. Many want to conduct themselves in an adult fashion. They just need the opportunities to have someone (i.e. me) truly deal with them as such. I always try to demand better from them and if I always come at them with that attitude they will see that and try for themselves. People want people to believe in them. If someone loves you and believes in you...anything is possible. We'll see how this ends. I'm thinking about doing forced debate.