blogPost4: Quote

“[Teachers] should recognize that the linguistic form a student brings to school is intimately connected with loved one’s community, and personal identity. To suggest that this form is “wrong” or, even worse, ignorant, is to suggest that something is wrong with the student and his or her family. (p.33)”

  The above quote is something that not just gets a person (more than likely an educator) thinking, but it is important in the highest regard. What teachers cannot forget, is that their students spend more time in their homes than anywhere else. When students are not at home, they are more than likely spending time with friends. If an educator has a problem with a student’s linguistic form, they cannot blame the student completely. Not just students, but human beings are a product of their environment. How can an educator blame a student for thinking and speaking in the only way they know how? However, there is a fine line between linguistic form created by a student’s upbringing and having respect towards educators and their goals for students. For example, let’s say a teacher has a debate on a political topic. One student may voice his or her opinion which may not agree with the educators. Then one student may no regard for the material and the teacher’s goal for the debate. The first student used his mind and experiences which were formed through his surroundings. The second student used linguistics which were not helpful in the learning process. An educator cannot say that a student’s respectful opinion or linguistic form is ‘wrong’. What is the point of a learning environment if an educator does not allow for their students to freely voice their opinions?