Jack Gabrilowitz: Blog Post #7: Finn

     In his book, Literacy With an Attitude, Finn discusses different levels of class. For instance, he mentions an executive elite, the affluent professional, the middle class, as well as the working class. All of these classes sort of meld together and form the society that we know. However, the way these people got to be where they are is largely in part through school. Starting off with the working class, Finn discusses his findings within these sort of schools. He discovers that within the working class schools there is a dominant theme emerging. That theme is resistance. Students that go to these schools are given easy work that doesn't allow for any creative thought. This work is completed in a procedure and is required to be followed step by step. Since the teachers do not expect much from these students at the working class schools, they are met with resistance when harder work is given. As a result, the students here are not enriched as they would be if they were at another school.  The next school that Finn talks about is the affluent professional school. Members of this school are made up of mostly middle class students. Here, knowledge is more conceptual however not as connected to the students themselves. They are able to work on creative projects, however most of the time these projects are not counted as a grade and more of a mode of self expression. Finn noted that the dominant theme emerging here was possibility. The affluent professional schools are next on Finns list. Here, teachers give students work that is creative and independent. Students are taught that discovery and experience are both important. Students are also given more freedom to move, more time on assignments, and less classroom structure (unless otherwise needed). Finn described more than one theme emerging from these schools. The dominant theme being one of individualism, while the minority theme being one of humanitarianism. This theme of humanitarianism is noted by Finn when he discusses the students want to help each other. Additionally, it is seen when the principal of the school gets on the loudspeaker and says nice things about the school and its students. Finally, the last school that Finn discusses in his book is the Executive Elite School. Here students will learn how to be the very best of the best. Their goal is simple. Finn says that these students are taught to achieve, excel, and prepare. These students are going to be the ones at the top. After the types of schools were discussed, Finn touches briefly on what can be called "Progressive Teaching Principles." These are fulfilled when staff meets the needs of the "whole child." This is accomplished when they go out of their way to interact with their students, and when value is given to a students creative efforts. 

Here is a link to an article about the amount of resources that are available to students that come from working class families within the classroom. 

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/nov/21/english-class-system-shaped-in-schools