Class in a ‘death struggle’
One day last week, as my ESL class was in progress, Fang Liang,
a photographer for The Pinnacle, asked if he could come in to take
some pictures. My students and I agreed. The picture you published
with your article about new standards at Gavilan College,
”
Gavilan ups ante for AA degree
”
(Nov. 3, 2006) shows a teacher pointing to a notebook in an
attitude that seems to suggest
”
Learn this or die!
”
I am the teacher in the picture, but my students and I were not
in a death struggle. We were actually laughing about the fact that
the photographer was taking pictures of my old notebook. In the
context of the article about raising the standards for English and
math at Gavilan College, this is an unflattering picture of my ESL
students and of teaching and learning at Gavilan. Yes, the higher
standards will pose another challenge for Gavilan students, but one
that we will overcome together. As for my ESL students and ESL
students anywhere, they overcome challenges every day. ESL students
are already proud speakers of at least one language now working on
the English language. Fang Liang could have taken many better
pictures of Gavilan students in their learning environment to go
with the article. My ESL students and I will not agree to have Fang
Liang visit our class again.
Bea C. Lawn
ESL Instructor, Gavilan College
Class in a ‘death struggle’
One day last week, as my ESL class was in progress, Fang Liang, a photographer for The Pinnacle, asked if he could come in to take some pictures. My students and I agreed. The picture you published with your article about new standards at Gavilan College, “Gavilan ups ante for AA degree” (Nov. 3, 2006) shows a teacher pointing to a notebook in an attitude that seems to suggest “Learn this or die!” I am the teacher in the picture, but my students and I were not in a death struggle. We were actually laughing about the fact that the photographer was taking pictures of my old notebook. In the context of the article about raising the standards for English and math at Gavilan College, this is an unflattering picture of my ESL students and of teaching and learning at Gavilan. Yes, the higher standards will pose another challenge for Gavilan students, but one that we will overcome together. As for my ESL students and ESL students anywhere, they overcome challenges every day. ESL students are already proud speakers of at least one language now working on the English language. Fang Liang could have taken many better pictures of Gavilan students in their learning environment to go with the article. My ESL students and I will not agree to have Fang Liang visit our class again.
Bea C. Lawn
ESL Instructor, Gavilan College
