Prompt Five

It’s hard to believe that my VIPs tutoring/reading buddy journey came to an end today. I can remember walking into Sand Hill Cove Elementary back in September and being very nervous at first. But that has definitely all change. This experience has really been a ride and I wish I could go back tomorrow!

I have learned that I need to have the ability to explain the work in a format that all my students can understand. Each child has their own way of learning. I have experienced with the students that were in my classroom and even with this with my own brother and sisters. Tutoring the children forced me to come up with methods and ideas that would allow them to understand their school work. This experience has also shaped my teacher identity because I learned that you have to develop techniques to explain a child’s homework more effectively and to use different analogies when trying to get a certain point across. As I helped the children in the second grade classroom, I noticed that when they are little, they are more receptive to learning and trying new techniques and ideas than older students in middle school and high school. I enjoyed watching their little faces when they finally “got it”, it was so satisfying. Something that came across to me as I did my tutoring is children learn by what they are accustomed too and what’s easier. The important thing is to find out what method works best for that particular child and to do this successfully you must know each one of your students. Teaching needs to be fun, creative and exciting. I think that the more you get the students involved the more they will learn. The potential for children to learn is great. I as a teacher need to make sure that I reach each child’s potential. I also believe that it doesn’t matter whether you have individual or cultural diversity; teachers need to teach everyone a method that remains the same. I believe that if teachers worked on sharing ideas and techniques, many more teachers would be less stressful, frustrated and more excited about teaching. I believe I could learn so many “tricks of the trade” from teachers who have taught for many years; however I think they could learn some new skills on teaching children from me as well. I would also like my students to interact with each other and by doing this they will be forced to communicate, help each other out, make connections and share ideas. This, to me, is a great way to learn new ideas and techniques. Additionally, it also makes you step out of your comfort zone.

Teaching is a profession that I will consistently need to be creative and constantly keep up with educational standards. Since I have been out of high school it already seems like the curriculum has changed. For example, students are required to keep a portfolio now prior to graduation, something I did not have to do two years ago. Also, students are now required to pass a certain standardized test to graduate, I was also showed a few different types of tests that some of the second grade students have to take every few weeks at Sand Hill Cove. So, because of these two additional requirements and any other types of tests students have to take, I as a teacher will need to constantly learn as well. In keeping up to date on the current learning trends, I will need to be able to change quickly and efficiently. I will need to become more confident in my ability to learn new ideas and techniques in order to pass these along to my students. For years I have had my siblings to count on and the children I have babysat to help them out with their homework, etc. Now I will be working with children in my very own classroom someday and parents will expect a lot from me. Therefore, I need to work on my speech. I have a tendency to talk really fast. I need to slow down so children can understand and hear what I am saying. I also need to listen to others who tell me to slow down and repeat what I have said without getting frustrated. While working at the Sand Hill Cove Elementary I have received comments from students telling me that I have “read really fast”. I realized from that day on this was something that I needed to work on to become an effective teacher. Teachers need to help peruse their students dreams and to succeed in life no matter what culture there part of.


Lisa Delpit argues how she believes in culture power and that everyone should learn the codes to participate in, no matter what background you’re from and this is how the world should be. I absolutely agree with Delpit here because every teacher should help and teach all their students equally. She quotes “I suggest that the results of such interaction may be the most powerful and empowering coalescence yet seen in the education realm-for all teachers and for all the students they teach.” I really support what she is saying here because in order to be a successful teacher in the classroom you have to interact with your students, have a strong relationship with them but also you want them to open their minds up and share their thoughts. This will give every student an opportunity to what they have to share about their culture, what they are learning in class, make connections to the outside world and so on. This will lead for the children to reach their goals and accomplish something.

Prompt #4, Question 6

In order for me to be a good teacher I have to figure out ways how to communicate and interact to with my students by using a variety of verbal and non-verbal techniques. Teachers want the best for their students and want them to feel like they “fit in” and not left out. No matter what classroom it is your going to have students speak different languages, have different values and different dreams, just like we as teachers. No one person is the same, everyone is different in their own special ways. Teachers come from different backgrounds just like the students and have their own different skills, have their own goals and perspectives and perform and teach differently in the classroom. In my classroom I have students that are Hispanic, African-American and Asians. To be a successful teacher in my classroom I have to teach from a “multicultural viewpoint” What I mean by this is I have to introduce to my students to what culture and language is and that everyone has their own type of customs, and language depending on what their background is like. I also would verbally communicate to my students about what my background is like; I want my students to become culturally and linguistic knowledgeable. I can communicate to my students by supplying books, words, maps, posters, videos and other marital that reflect the different cultures and then have the students’ complete worksheets with questions, and so forth. This could be non-verbal task that helps students to understand the different cultures and that each culture has their own language, values, behaviors, etc. I could also have the students look for the similarities between cultures and languages. This will help the students and including I understand cultural identity. In a classroom it’s a place where everyone feels safe, comfortable and wants to learn in order to set goals and achieve in life.

Allen Johnson article is called Who, Me? What it means to be Involved in Privilege Oppression. He argues that “individuals and system are connected to each other through a dynamic relationship.” This is in fact I think true because even though everyone is different in their own ways there are some ways that we are connected as a system through a lively and dynamic relationship. For example, just because someone is part of a different culture, or a different skin color does not mean they are not part of the system. He brings up the word “monopoly” a lot in his article as well talks about the game too. He argues that a monopoly is a system and how systems work together and participate in them. Just because a student is part of a different culture does not mean they can not work or participate with their peers. There are many individuals part of the system because they are working with others around them that come from a different culture and he or she is part of a different culture but this does not me we can’s work together. Johnson argues that everyone should take the right path just as teachers want their students to take the right path and peruse their dreams. Teachers communicate with their students in order for them to understand and to demonstrate sociocultural and linguistic difference. Johnson argues as well about the issue of privilege and oppression. Teachers must always be aware and on top of things to make sure that their students do not fall behind. A teacher who teaches in a classroom where her/his students are white, Hispanic, African-American, Asian, etc. will realize the for the students who's primary language is English, will succeed with their reading and writing and have higher learning skills than the non-speaking English students. ELL students (English Language Learners) have to not only learn their own language but English as well to understand and learn in the English-speaking classroom. Johnson here proves that alot of people are successful in the system but than there are others who are not.

Prompt #3-Question 3

I believe it is important for all children to learn; therefore you need to come up with different methods that will allow all of them to succeed. Children learn by what they are accustomed too and what’s easier. It could be visual, echo reading, hands-on or any other way. The important thing is to find out what method works best for that particular child and to do this successfully you must know each one of your students. Teaching needs to be fun, creative and exciting. I think that the more you get the students involved the more they will learn, be creative and participate more. The potential for children to learn is great. I as a teacher need to make sure that I reach each child’s potential. I also believe that it doesn’t matter whether you have individual or cultural diversity, the need to teach everyone in a method that they understand remains the same.

At Sandhill Cove Elementary School, the students are made up of African-American English, Hispanic, Asian, and African-American Hispanic. I have found that to know each of the students and to teach them by a method that will make them successful you need to know a little bit about their home life. Teachers and we have to understand that an individual learner’s culture, family background, and socioeconomic level affect the students learning. The background in which someone grows and develops has an important impact on learning. I think knowing a little bit about someone’s home life will direct me to teach all students successfully and without having that child feel humiliated, embarrassed or stressed. Cultural diversity should not be an issue in any classroom if you are a great teacher. I think there are many great teachers out there and I believe they can learn from one another.

I can agree with Ira Shor on this post because he argues it is totally true that a teacher should allow more time for the students to get involved because the more they will learn, and communicate with their peers around them. This will also make the students be more creative and participate more. Shor argues and describes that education is a socializing activity and social experience. He believes that students should participate and it is an important value because its most important place for a student to begin and the student is getting involved. This engages students to gain knowledge and to develop their intelligence. He points out and explains that in order for a teacher to put together an “empowering classroom and program” there must be participatory and affective values that are foundations for teacher-student collaboration. This is very factual and this why I agree with Shor.