Anyon- Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work

1. " The four fifth grade teachers observed in the working-class schools attempted to control classroom time and space by making decisions without consulting the children and without explaining the basis for their decisions."

- As I was reading the article I stopped right when I read this and started to think deeply about this. Is this because they feel the parents of the children aren't in a higher class they can just do what they want in the students schooling. If thats the case it obviously isn't right, and no matter what the case is the children always deserve an explanation. If they were a good teacher they would consult with the children and find out what the children like and how to keep their attention. If the teachers continue to just do things their way and not care about the children then yes they will most likely end up with low paying jobs. Now if the teachers did their jobs and were good teachers they could turn these kids around and help them out, and hopefully help them pursue a good career. Everybody should get equal opportunities with their schooling.

2. " There is little excitement in schoolwork for the children, and the assignments are perceived as having little to do with their interests and feelings."

- Again going back to what I had talked about for my last quote, and how teachers should keep the students attention. They even asked one kid after this quote about the class, and he said basically all you di is store the facts in your head until you need them for a test or your job. So what this is telling me is that basically all the teacher is doing is telling them what they need to know and making them memorize it. When she should actually be teaching them and going over it with them. She should be teaching, hence the job title, not telling.

3. " School experience, in the sample of schools discussed here, differed qualitatively by social class."

- Why in schooling would you differentiate based on social class? or for any reason. Like I have said everyone should have the right to the same academic possibilities, and they are completely taking that away from the students. In the real world class is not going to effect the jobs they get or how they live for the most part. You make a name for yourself and work hard to get there, and in school you should be able to work for yourself and get where you want to be in school also. The teachers who don't allow this are stripping their kids of certain rights. That is not right and something should be done about it, something should be done about the teachers, or even something needs to be done about the whole school district.

I don't really like the article because of everything I have just said, and how kids are getting cheated out of what they should be doing. Everyone in the school system should base their year around the same curriculum. It doesn't have to be exactly the same but everybody in a certain grade in the state or city should have a blueprint on what the kids should know by the end of the year. This doesn't happen and the kids of lower classes are getting cheated out of their education, and basically being set up for failure.

Also, I don't agree with this article because I don't believe this happens that often. At least not around here, because I know many people in certain public schools around RI and MA. I went to a public school where a lot of families of lower class sent their children, and there was no difference between that and even private institutions in the city. It's a tough article to write about because I know it is wrong what the teachers were doing. I just feel this doesn't happen anymore and if so not around here at least.