Chp. 5 Toni Billingsley - Meredith Adelman

I found this reflection on Toni Billingsley very familiar. It, in some ways, was like my own classroom. When I began reading and in the first paragraph it talked about her teaching style - "part introduction to the language, part aerobics workout, part improvisation workshop, and part standup comedy routine" - I knew I would be able to relate to teacher.

Toni, an African American woman, is a teacher Spanish on Chicago's west side. She does not think the kids can't learn and even though demanding, she makes it fun to learn. She states, "I think the learning experience has to be fun for both the teacher and the student,...if I'm bored, I 'll get frustrated, and I won't be teaching my best"(pg. 120). Toni does many fun and active things to help students learn; her classroom is a good example of using the multiple intelligences.
Toni, like many in the book, did not have an easy childhood. It was when she went to stay with her grandfather that she found a foundation and come to understand the importance of education. She also talked about how he lived his life was her most important lesson. The idea of modeling what we want from our students is so important and Toni learned that lesson early.

I really liked the how Michie described how Toni tried to help her students. "Trying to help her students see their own worlds with new eyes-were big parts of what Toni considered good teaching. She implicitly embraced the metaphor of curriculum as window and mirror put forward by Peggy McIntosh adn Emily Style (1999)" (pg. 124). For some reason idea of the window and mirror was an interesting image to me.

Michie goes on to observe that although Toni used a lot of action and humor in her class, they weren't grandstanding things, they were to help her students learn. He goes on to observe that she 'had other tools in her kit' (pg. 125). 

Toni had first taught at a large school, Harrison, and did not find much fullfillment in her days. The school had a 'crisis of relationships' as written about by Deborah Meier. (and as discussed in our own class - relationships are so important to a successful learning environment). Her current school, TCA, was smaller and made for more meaningful teacher-student interactions (pg. 126). She also points out that in her previous school, she had to make an appointment to see the principal, but at her current school she is able to walk in to the office at any time. She had scheduled observations at her former school, but has much more informal observations at her current school. She had been asked to rate her own performance for her previous school's evaluation. She said she was average, not wanting to brag. But then that was what her evaluation said!

The second part of the reflection looks more toward the issue of race. Many minorities in urban areas have their only experience with white people when in school. Many white teachers come in with idealized attitudes, but didn't have an understanding of the cultures from which the kids they were trying to teach came from. Toni observes that many white teachers come in with certain ideas about how to empower the students, but what they don't understand is that they must expected the teacher to earn the authority - it wasn't theirs just by virtue of being the teacher, the supposed authority figure. She says the teachers who succeed are the ones who hang in there and truly care about their students. It shows the kids that they won't be abandonded, that here is someone who stick with them. It is easier for an African American teacher to teach African American students due to empathy; it easier on the first step, but the teacher still has to prove herself to be a good teacher with each step there after.
One comment I found interesting was Toni's statement that, "Black kids need a teacher who cares, and if that teacher happens to be black, fine. But you can learn from whoever teaches you" (pg. 130). The question I had when I read this was, "do white kids need diverse teachers too?"
Toni also discusses the conflict resolution program at her school. It seems ineffective to her, but she still feels it is worth the effort. But she understands, although frustrated by it, that the job comes with no guarantees and much uncertainty.

Toni discusses her mentor teacher who was a no nonsense African American Spanish teacher. She insisted on not selling your self short and expected excellence. One of the four characteristics discussed in class - the one most often missed.

Michie goes on to observe and discuss how a meeting at Toni's school is run. It is almost a perfect model from our readings. The staff contributes, there is a reason to have the meeting, and people talk about and discuss solutions.

This reflection shows a teacher truly committed to her students and her job of teaching her students. Many of the positive aspects of instructional leadership we have been discussing are part of Toni's day to day activities: from the four characteristics of famous leaders to effective meetings to the ability to structure lessons to meet the unique needs of the students to establishing teams among peers and nurturing relationships with students and other staff.