Lesbian and Gay Adolescents

Anderson's article really openned my eyes to the struggles of homosexual adolescents. Adolescence is a time of development and searching for an identity for everyone. For many it is a time of struggle and emotional turmoil. This article shows how much more complex this times of development is for homosexual adolescents. Because I am not homosexual and did not grow up with anyone close to me going through the process discussed in the article, this is all very new to me. I see that this is the purpose of this course; we will be working with a diverse classroom and may have students going through this discovery process. I find it hard to believe that I could be a good teacher without understanding what these students are going through.

In the article, Anderson indicated the importance of teachers during this difficult time for some students. If teachers ignore the signs and even more important the comments from other students, they can end up doing even more damage. Teachers need to be open and welcoming to all students equally and don't let homosexual students feel left out. In the article Anderson pointed out that some teachers that are homosexual hide it from their students. I think it is important for these teachers to be positive role models and show students that it is acceptable to be homosexual. Teachers that are not homosexual should still feel comfotable supporting groups or organizations within the school that are for homosexual students. Heterosexual teachers need to be role models as well, they can show the heterosexual students that it is important to be supportive to everyone.

The article also mentioned support groups within the community. I think it is very important for students to feel that they have somewhere to go for support out of school as well. Unfortunately the article noted that there are not many options for homosexual adolescents because adult groups do not welcome them and adolescent groups dont really exist. Because the article was written in 2005 I hope that this has changed. I have heard about some groups as well as the Trevor hotline for homosexual adolescents to call for advice. Also many school have created LGBT groups where peers can get together and form friendships and supports. These groups are very important and can help ease the coming out process for many students. I think the overall most important thing to take away from this is that support can make all the difference.

Being "hardcore", a "hardcore wannabe", or "hardcore enough"

This article made me think of my middle school years and the time it was cool or be hard or as we called it, "ghetto". I could definitely relate to the different labels that she described and could think of a person that fit each ideal back then. Now looking back I see how silly it was for people in my school to act that way when we did not live in a tough urban area. I guess that means that everyone was a hardcore wannabe but in reality some students were involved in criminal activity. The criminal activity and wannabe status of some of these students pushed them out of school later on. The author also noted the importance of pushing the students out rather than saying they dropped out. I think the most important aspect of her research is the impact that these labels have on students.

As she noted, the hardcore students are those that are involved in crime and live in rough urban areas. The hardcore wannabes act and dress the same as the hardcore students but they do not live in tough areas. Also, hardcore wannabes act this way to gain popularity while hardcore students act that way to protect themselves on the streets. Lastly, the hardcore enough students live in tough neighborhoods and know how to be hardcore but choose not to act that way in front of other classmates. Hardcore enough students have the ability to protect themselves if need on the streets but only use that when necessary rather than to impress their peers. All of these students have different reasons for acting the way they do but in reality most people treat them all the same. This is where problems arise for these kids, especially in the classroom.

What the author is trying to show with this research is that these ideal-types have an effect on how these students do in school and in the real world. The sad truth is that most teachers and people in society do not know the difference between these types of kids. Most people look at what is on outside, baggy clothes, rough language, and overall gangsta appearance and judge them based on what the media shows about gangstas. They generalize that these students must be involved in criminal behavior. This is definitely an issue in the classroom if the teachers believe the stereotypes they see on tv. These students tend to be left behind and don't get the attention they need in the classroom. One students she interviewed even said this and that was why he was pushed out of school. Articles like this are important for teachers to read so they can understand that if they have faith in the student they may be able to change the students life. What I will take away from reading this is not to discriminate against my students based on their appearance or upbringing. Everyone has a chance to do great in life and with a little motivation these harcore students do as well.

Understanding Student Learning and School Achievement

As I read this chapter it brought me back to everything that was discussed in my Educational Psychology course. My teacher constantly emphasized the importance of building relationships and caring for students. She also ephasized what makes an effective teacher and that included each of Garza's 5 themes discussed in this chapter. I was surprised to see that these aspects came from a study about students responses on their teachers behaviors. As a student I can see how all of these factors would greatly influence students perceptions of their teachers. I think that #4 showed a personal interest in the students well-being inside and outside of the classroom, is something that some teachers struggle with and others feel is not important. I understand that there is a fine line between being friendly with a student and it crossing the line but teachers can care for students without it being out of line. Just showing interest in things the student likes and listening when they need itcan make all the difference. Some teachers are just too busy and don't see the importance in this but it truly does make a difference to the students.

The other part of this chapter that really caught my attention is the idea of zero tolerance. The one statement that really caught me was, "Several studies have pointed out how school disciplinary polies such as zero tolerance have contributed to the astonishing rate at which young people are funneled from classrooms into incarceration" (p.267). I really do agree with this statement because when there is a zero tolerance policy these students are usually kicked out of school but continue to engage in bad behavior. Most do not learn from being kicked out and end up in trouble with the criminal justice system rather than the school at this point. How is this helping the student? Yes it helps the school because it eliminates the problem but it only hurts the student. I understand that whatever the student does that results in them getting kicked out must be very serious but this just shows that this student is either crying for attention or they need serious help they do not need to be pushed aside. Something needs to be implemented to help these students instead.