Final Reflective Essay
1. Summarize the overall experience
That was a great experience and I felt comfortable in the classroom with the teacher and the children who was happy and enthusiastic to have me working with them. Also, the teacher was very kind to answering all questions that I had about children behaviors.
2. What did you learn about yourself?
What that I have learned about myself is that I feel that I am a patient and kind person. Whenever I am talking to the children with a warm and soft voice and they are more likely to listen and follow direction. I know you can’t reach every student, but I think I have a responsibility to give every child a chance to succeed.
3. What did learn about diversity and students? I have learned that there are different forms of diversity in the today’s classroom such as race, class, gender, and cultural. The world is full of unique and different people. These differences, no matter what they are, should be embraced and accepted by the teacher. I should incorporate learning opportunities into their daily lessons to teach the children how to respect individual differences. To do so, the teachers
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Most importantly, I need to establish a good relationship with families of cultural diverse children. so parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community—that offer a broad range of school, family, and community activities that can engage all parties and help meet student needs. Successful school-parent community partnerships are not stand-alone projects but are well integrated with the school’s overall mission and goals. Research has shown that parent-school-partnerships improve schools, strengthen families, build community support, and increase student achievement and successes (Epstein & Salinas,
These lessons are important in the classroom for several reasons. First off, we as teachers need to find ways to make sure that students from all ethnic backgrounds are included in classroom discussions and that they have the ability to apply themselves to the material taught in the classroom. However, teachers also need to realize that these practices need to be implemented so that stereotypes among the different cultures do not
While differentiating instruction and being able to design lessons geared towards the needs of diverse learners are currently highly prized skills for teachers, this has not always been the case. The history of education in the United States is a history of segregation. Even today, schools and curriculum are designed to meet the needs of a core group of students, which does not include students with disabilities (Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose, & Jackson, 2002). In the past, learners who were different, out of the mainstream, or did not fit into the mold to which teachers taught (were not part of the core) learned how or lost out on learning. This is not to say that teachers of the past did not care about their students, about being effective teachers, or about student learning. However, as schools are mirrors reflecting mainstream societal norms (Chartock, 2010; Delpit, 2006)—and, given that our society has not always valued diversity in people, be it due to disability, class, culture, or race—teachers in the past have largely focused their efforts where they could earn the largest return on their investment: the average student .
Greg Lewis in “An Open Letter to Diversity’s Victims” advocates against the need for many languages in school programs, in American. Greg describes that those who are after what they refer to as “diversity” have been insisting that the American schools should be taught both in English and Spanish. The so called liberals base their arguments on the fact that, teaching a single language would obsolete the cultural identity of the Hispanic people. Greg’s arguments, use of quotations, tone, and mood show the need as to why single language system should be continued.
Involvement in a variety of activities has been a priority my entire life. Before high school, I found myself a part of just about everything, from tumbling and baseball to girl scouts and guitar lessons. Early on, it was determined that I was an adventuresome soul. This quality is one I take most pride in, for it has led me to a vast number of experiences and interests. In this, I have learned to meet and cooperate with others from various backgrounds and personalities. One of the reasons that I can get along with practically everyone I encounter is that I am used to diversity in every aspect, and I have found that there is a plethora of benefits to be gained from every person I converse with. Similarly, I have a fair share of stories and
Growing up a black female in a black neighborhood. I went to school with not much diversity in my elementary, middle school nor high school.
Educators need to ensure that they create a learning environment in the classroom that questions segregation and challenges social injustice, as this will develop the students’ skills to embrace equality. The classroom learning environment also needs to value, celebrate and respond to diversity. Furthermore educators should evaluate the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment they are using in the classroom, as this will provide evidence the interests, skills, knowledge and experiences of the diverse groups of students are central features and are catered for in the learning environment.
Effective partnerships between families and school emerge from a mutual trust, respect and understanding of each other’s values and goals. By maintaining such partnerships, we create a healthy environment for children to develop. All families have something unique to offer and educators need to recognize this and make the most of it by incorporating all families into the school community.
Diversity is the distinguishing characteristics of an individual that could lead to discrimination due to difference. Discrimination is demonstrated in classroom settings along with various social settings, as an educator it is important to understand these characteristics to prevent discrimination. Children can be disadvantaged and targeted due to different ideas and concepts of diversity; being conveyed in the media lately is gender and sexuality. Sexuality and gender intertwine but are two separate concepts; gender is what is determined to be masculine or feminine and what is related to being a boy or a girl. Sexuality is linked to your inner feelings towards the people around you, if you are homosexual or heterosexual. It is highly important
Diversity in the U.S is described in the text book Teaching in America by author George S. Morrison as, “The range of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, cultural heritage, gender, and ability or disability represented in society,”(114, Morrison). Diversity has become more universally surrounding the United States; recurrently students are becoming widely distinct in several different unique diverse situations. Teachers should respond to diversity in ways of which are formed to accommodate to their students special needs and distinctive interests.
Diversity in classrooms can open student’s minds to all the world has to offer. At times diversity and understanding of culture, deviant experiences and perspectives can be difficult to fulfill, but with appropriate strategies and resources, it can lead students gaining a high level of respect for those unlike them, preferably than a judgmental and prejudiced view.
There has been a major change in the past thirty years regarding the amount of immigrants coming to the United States. The impact the immigrants have had on education and diversity is unbelievable. There are many factors which contribute to the element of diversity in education, such as each student 's culture, the different languages each student speaks, promoting gender equality amongst students, and working with students who have exceptionalities. As today 's educators, teachers must understand diversity from an omniscient perspective and the influence it has on students, making the process of getting an education as equal and pleasant as possible for all students.
Working with children has always been a delight to me. I have had the opportunity to work with children in a variety of settings, most recently at a local elementary school. As a volunteer teacher assistant in a 3K classroom, I encourage students to develop a love of learning and discovery. The activities that myself and the teacher participate in with the children help them develop academically, socially, and emotionally. I encourage facilitated learning by working directly with the kids and encouraging others to join in on the group’s fun.
The world is currently undergoing a cultural change, and we live in an increasingly diverse society. This change is not only affect the people in the community but also affect the way education is viewed. Teaching diversity in the classroom and focusing multicultural activities in the programs can help improve positive social behavior in children. There is no question that the education must be prepared to embrace the diversity and to teach an increasingly diverse population of young children.
There are many factors that play a role in the learning process for every human being. Race, religion, language, socioeconomics, gender, family structure, and disabilities can all affect the ways in which we learn. Educators must take special measures in the delivery of classroom instruction to celebrate the learning and cultural differences of each of their students. As communities and schools continue to grow in diversity, teachers are searching for effective educational programs to accommodate the various learning styles of each student while promoting acceptance of cultural differences throughout the classroom. It no longer suffices to plan educational experiences only for middle-or upper class white learners and then expect students of other social classes and cultures to change perspectives on motivation and competition, learning styles, and attitudes and values that their homes and families have instilled in them (Manning & Baruth, 2009).
This experience as a whole provided me with the opportunity to show my professional quality as an educator, a cooperative team member, and a lifelong learner. A few things that I continuously had to reflect on throughout this experience was my self-competence, my performance as well as the children’s, and of course my professional demeanor which directly impacted the effectiveness of my planning, teaching and...