As Soon As She Opened Her Mouth

When I read this quote on page 13, it made me feel angry with the teacher. Just because the mother had an accent, the teacher made her feel stupid and not worth her time. The teacher didn't even feel remorse for belittling the mother's concerns for the education needs of her son. As teachers we should educate any student who wants to learn. We should help students understand and apply that knowledge; not leave them behind and pass them to another teacher so we don't have to deal with them. It doesn't matter if the student looks poor or has an accent that isn't standard, we should educate that student because we are educators and we took that job to educate each and every student. Personally I love all types of accents. I would encourage students to keep their accent because it is a trait of who they are. Just because they talk weird or different doesn't make them stupid.

Mountaineers

Reflection: The video about West Virginia stereotypes was nothing new that I haven't heard. West Virginia has a lot of pre-determined thoughts and ideas from outsiders who certain that WV is a poor, raw, and evil mountain men who want to eat you. However, I ignore or shrug off these general stereotypes and embrace my state. The video was a nice reminder of why I think WV is a wonderful place to live and a reminder on how to address those stereotypes in a positive way.

#1: I have stereotyped my own state. I have used the phrase "hillbillies" but in a positive situation. I would use the terms "hicks," "hillbillies," and "rednecks" but never in a negative way. I have never avoided parts of WV, I enjoy discovering different parts throughout the state. I have never been ashamed of saying "I am from West Virginia." I have never been ashamed of the rural areas in the state because poverty is a problem throughout America. These areas exist because the people that live in them are from a low economic status. I am unaware what help is being done today in the rural areas of WV. Throughout America,especially in major cities, they provide food banks and other types of welfare assistance.

#2: The TV caricatures of mountain people can sometimes be over exaggerated. Some of these characters such as The Beverly Hillbillies and The Waltons are lovable shows because of how the characters present themselves. For example The Beverly Hillbillies were uneducated and poor living in the rural areas until they struck gold and moved out of their element. The characters had to be over exaggerated to show how out of place they were and how uneducated they were. Because of that, it made them lovable and memorable characters. The viewers would feel a comical sympathy for the characters on those types of shows. Some of the situations can ring true, for example there are people in rural areas that live off the land and hunt their own food or make their own medical remedies. But there are other times were it is absurdity to make the TV show more enjoyable.