Holler if you Hear Me by Gregory Michie

Holler if you Hear Me by Gregory Michie

Introduction: Overview and Themes

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned

What Michie Did

“I had to get to know them not only as individuals, but as people in a particular context.”

"Hector shrank before my eyes. I suddenly remembered that this person person sitting next to me was a child. A frightened, 12-year-old child. I had become so caught up in the fuck-you, I-don't-give-a-shit, I-ain't-scared-of-nothin' front he maintained that I had forgotten there was a real person under there. I wanted to comfort him, to let him know he wasn't alone, but the familiar words of caution came creeping in: Never touch a student. Never touch a student. I chased the words from my mind and put an arm around Hector's shoulder. 'I understand how you feel,' I said."

The following school year Mr. Michie team-taught language arts classes with a focus on students' conceptions of identity. Both teachers researched Mexican culture and history and Michie spent time in Mexico taking Spanish courses. Due to the overload of information and lack of planning time, this class began as traditional fact-based history class. Yet as the year progressed, the class discussed themes of identity, racism, biases, gender roles. The students wrote about their identities and learned about Mexican culture, people, and history. The course work included also focused oral presentations, role-plays, videos, and group projects.

Michie immediately reported the accusations to his principal. She advised him to proceed as planned with the field trip. The principal promised to follow up with the student.

Although incredibly jarred by the situation, Michie also questioned, reflected on and interrogated his treatment of this student. He concluded that he needed to do a better job of recognizing each individual student.

This is an account of a teacher and his students in Chicago public schools during the 1990s. The author paints an intimate and compassionate portrait of what it was like to teach ethnically and culturally diverse students in an urban setting as a white male.

We will focus on some of the major themes of the book including:

• Classroom Engagement: How much freedom should students have within the context of a school assignment?

• Personal Boundaries: How can teachers negotiate personal bonds with students while maintaining professional distance?

• Identity Issues: How can teachers help students navigate identity issues that arise within school context?

Teaching Dilemma 3

Teaching Dilemma 2

Prior to an overnight camping field trip that Michie was asked to chaperone, a parent discloses to Michie that one of his students, Diana, is spreading inappropriate rumors about him amongst the students. The parent presenting this information does not believe Diana, but wants Michie to know what has been said.

What would your course of action be upon hearing this accusation? How would it affect your future relationship with students?

Teaching Dilemma 1

Michie overheard Mexican American students referring to Mexican students as brazers. Brazers was used to refer to students deemed “too Mexican,” students who had just moved from Mexico, did not speak English fluently and were not Americanized. Students were using brazer as a derogatory term. There was a sharp division between students of the same cultural background.

Question: How would you confront the class about using racially charged insults within a culture, especially as a teacher from outside of that culture?

After overhearing students singing a popular song, Michie asked his students about the meaning of the song. Upon realizing that many had not critically thought about lyrics in popular music, he assigned each student to analyze and present on ANY song of their choosing.

On the day of the presentations, another teacher complained to Michie about one of his students, Frankie, asking her to make copies of incredibly vulgar song lyrics for this assignment. Frankie had clarified with Michie prior to the assignment that ANY song was acceptable.

Would you allow this student to present their selection? If not, how would you handle the situation?

What Michie Did

Michie did not let Frankie present citing the fact that he offended another teacher as well as Michie. He said the presentation would likely offend other students.

Michie told the student they would individually conference and discuss his selection then. However, Michie never followed through with this arrangement.

Lessons Learned

"I still think about Frankie on occasion. I ride through Back of the Yards sometimes thinking, maybe I'll jump out of the car and we'll hold class right there, breaking down the song lyrics on the concrete sidewalk...It's a teachable moment that got away, just one of many that I've knowingly let slip through my fingers."