In chapter 1, the author really introduces and describes the language of influence in teaching. He shows how language can affect behavior, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and a sense of community. In the beginning of the chapter, it is shown just how skilled in the use of language teachers must be in order to successfully implement the language strategies that will be later introduced in the book. We have to really know our students and research their backgrounds in order to completely understand why they say the things they say. In the book, an example was given about a student who's comment implied that women couldn't be doctors, and men couldn't be nurses. This shows how the language that students hear can have an influence on how successful they can become. This girl could never imagine herself to be a doctor, and therefore would never strive to be one, all because of the hidden meanings of language. This is where the teachers, a.k.a magicians and jacks of all trades come in. "We have to ask what discursive histories have made it possible for them to say what they say" and we have to be aware that we "play a critical role in arranging the discursive histories from which these children speak" (Johnston, 2004).
I like the way the author breaks the chapter into sections. This makes it much easier for me to organize the information in my head. The next section in the chapter is Making Meaning: Making People. In this section, it is shown that teacher talk, the things we say to our students, has hidden meanings. In a single sentence we imply what we are doing, who we are, how we relate to one another, and how we relate to what we are studying. This sectioned saddened me so much because it made me realize how often when correcting student's behavior I imply, without intending to, that I have control and they are to do what I say. It's almost like a slave and owner situation. Without carefully wording my sentences, I can easily crush the self-esteem of a student and make them feel as though their work has no deeper meaning than doing it because I said so. Language is so powerful, and we as teachers hold that power. We need to constantly reflect on our language in order to maintain a community in our classroom.
The next section, Explicitness, was a tough one. The author really forced me to consider the cultural backgrounds of my students in this section. In our culture, it is only acceptable to be explicit about things that we are sure the other person does not know, but by assuming that certain students know things that they may not actually know, we miss an opportunity to explicitly teach them content or certain social norms. This means that as teachers, we are usually less explicit than what we need to be and are sometimes confusing to our students. Different cultures have different social norms and expectations, so when building community in our classroom it is important that we are aware and accepting to these cultures and that we explicitly teach those social norms that will be expected in our classroom communities.
The next section, Speech Is Action, was my absolute favorite of the chapter. I know I have emphasized throughout this blog post that language is powerful, but let me share with you a quote that really forced me to consider just how powerful language is. The first sentence in the section reads, "Speaking is as much an action as hitting someone with a stick" (Austin, 1962). By using language to carefully label our students, we can inspire growth and desire in a child. The example from the book says that after reading a students poem, a teacher used language such as "You really are quite a poet". By doing this instead of using a judging phrase like "I like that", or "great job", this teacher caused the student to think of themselves as a poet and begin to do things that poets do like carry a journal and read poetry. Our language with students creates realities and identities for them and also positions students in relation to one another. This is why, again, it is so important to reflect constantly on the types of language we use in the classroom. I can't tell you how many "good jobs" and "I like it" I have given out this year. This has done nothing to my students but imply that they are doing work to please me and not to please themselves, and therefore is meaningless.
I have so enjoyed reading this first chapter and really gaining some perspective on language. I have also spent some time reflecting on the language that I use in the classroom that I was not aware had such negative effects on my students self- esteem and motivation. My intention is to be able to read this book, and Opening Minds over the summer so that I can start next year fresh from the beginning with meaningful language in my CT's classroom. Please stay tuned for the upcoming chapter posts. I can't wait to keep reading!