Thirteen

In this entry, I wanted to quickly discuss the issues presented in the movie Thirteen. In summary, the movie was about a13 year old girl names Tracy, and her transition from innocent and fun loving, to a sexually promiscuous drug and alcohol abuser. I had seen this movie multiple times. Prior to seeing it in class I had watched it more for entertainment. But through the lens of a teacher, the movie is disconcerting. Tracy was so easily influenced by her peers, especially those in the spotlight. In one scene the popular girls are shoplifting. Tracy backs off at first, but then turns around and pickpockets out of a ladies purse. Her shift in behavior happens so quickly. As a teacher I have been trying to think of ways to prevent this in my classroom and school. I think it is the responsibility of adults to be the enforcers. It is on our shoulders to be role models and teach kids responsibility for their own actions. In the movie, Tracy’s mom seemed to act like more of a friend than an authority “mom” figure. Also, in all the scenes filmed at the school, there are no teachers, aids, or hall monitors present anywhere. The kids seemed free to roam and do whatever they like. Without any kind of accountability at home or at school, Tracy was easily pulled into a destructive lifestyle. Teachers must take responsibility for the important job of molding students not only academically, but also into dependable and conscientious people. It is our job to be there guiding students in the right direction. In this movie, I really think that Tracy’s dysfunctional home life as well as her lack of teacher authority made her feel as if she could do anything she wanted. She had no responsibilities and no one to hold her accountable. Teachers must take the time to get to know their students so that when we see someone beginning to struggle, we can take the problem head on and deal with these issues as they come. Ignoring the issue and not taking any of the blame as teachers and parents would be irresponsible. Having an open door where students can feel free to talk about their feelings and hardships is one of the most valuable tools any teacher can provide for his or her students.

Influence of Media on Children

This clip that I found on youtube.com was very shocking to me. It depicts the different subliminal messages and themes that are widespread in almost every Disney movie. What I thought was especially interesting was the take on feminism portrayed in these kids’ movies. I had never really analyzed these specific films before because to me they are just commonplace movies. Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast; these are movies that I grew up watching and would usually not give it a second thought to watch a Disney movie when babysitting or around my little sister. The plot is not unique in any of these movies. The basic underlying theme is a beautiful helpless princess needs a prince to fall in love with. At some point she will get into danger, and then it is the male’s duty to rescue her. Seduction is another rampant theme illustrated in nearly every Disney film. Another point that one of the psychologists mentioned is how in many of these movies, specifically Beauty and the Beast, there can be some connection to child abuse and a dysfunctional home life. Little girls are seeing this monstrous beast who abuses Bell’s dad, locks her up in her room, and has severe anger issues. Then, it is portrayed that it is Bell’s job to “kiss the beast and let that inner-prince out”. This can be a potentially dangerous message. I was also very surprised by the subliminal messages shown. I had always heard that in many of the movies there were inappropriate gestures, lines, or images, but I had never really noticed them before. I was shocked to see these extremely inappropriate messages mixed in with a “so-called” kids film. In conclusion, I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with these movies. In essence, these movies are filled with romance, action, and always a good ending. These are the kinds of feel-good movies that many people enjoy watching. However there are important and sometimes not age appropriate messages being sent to our children. The most important thing as teachers and parents is to have open lines of communication where kids can feel comfortable expressing their feelings and opinions of these movies. These messages are everywhere in the world, and even though I don’t think they are appropriate, kids are going to be exposed to them whether teachers and parents like it or not. The best thing we can do as adults is be aware of what our kids are watching and provide opportunities for discussion.

Why Teach in Diverse Setting?

Imagine a school district with two schools of equal academic standards. They are an equal distance from your house and both have fine facilities and teachers. There is only one core difference, one is extremely diverse and the other has a distinct majority of white attendees. Where would you choose to send your child? Parents tend to be afraid to put their child into an environment where they might feel like they’re not connected or that they might possibly be alone. In this clip, it discusses the diverse elementary school in Columbine, Colorado. It serves a very large percentage of Latinos, as well as a great percentage that are English language learners, and a great percentage of students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch. You can learn about diverse culture in all schools, but to live it and to really become a viable part of that type of community is what Columbine Elementary School is all about. I enjoyed how parents were talking about diversity in a positive light. I think this is something that can tend to be looked at as a negative thing. It was refreshing to see the teacher and parent interviews and hear how energized and supportive they were on this issue. Community is compromised when people separate themselves. It is important to be exposed and interact with people who are different. This movie was very inspiring to me. It put into words something that I hope to accomplish in the future. As a teacher, I hope that all kids feel comfortable walking into my classroom and expressing themselves and their ethnicity without a second thought. A goal of mine is that all of my kids will feel a part of a family in their school and in the classroom that I teach. No one should feel alienated. It’s about encouraging awareness of other cultures, and maximizing the experience for all students to learn to interact with each other. Acceptance of all students no matter their learning ability, their race, their gender, their culture, their economic statues, or their social status, is important. Providing a setting where acceptance is widespread and maximum learning is possible for all students is difficult, but it is something that all teachers must strive for.