2/25/13

It has been a long while since I've taught in an urban setting, but today's readings brought back a lot of the joys, successes, and failures I've had in that environment.  I set out as a naive 24 year old with no teaching experience, and over the course of a year was able to become extremely successful in classroom management.  The article put it perfectly when referring to it as "tough love."  Students need direct commands and clear expectations, but they also need to know that they are cared for.  When my long-term substitute teaching assignment was over, I took my class out for dinner.  They had selected a buffet.  I don't know if I was supposed to do that or not, but I was no longer affiliated with the school and I had all of their parent's permission.  We laughed and had a great time.  I would like to be influential like this again.  I am pursuing a teaching position with NYC schools and would love to implement what I've learned and what I've become good at, while learning much more.

2/18/13

I sort of hit a road block while completing Module 6.  While reading the section on the relevance of diversity, I found myself really questioning if I even find the relevance in it.  To a certain extent, of course I do!  I believe that when working in an Urban environment, it is essential to include diversity in the curriculum, especially if textbooks are focused on White achievements and ways of life.  However, when placed in a school setting where most of the students are White, and the diverse students are happy being segregated into their own cliques, then how would I break down barriers between these students to see past their differences in race and culture and to see similarities in struggles, in what they enjoy, and in their life experiences?  Most of the students that I have worked with have moaned and groaned about being placed in groups with students that they would not normally associate with.  Even if I do make progress in the classroom, does this extend outside of the classroom?  I once opened up the classroom to comments and thoughts about President Obama's re-election.  It turned into a Black vs. White battle and students were making discriminatory comments like "I'm not prejudice but, ..."  I guess furthering my experiences will help me to find the answers to my questions. 

02/04/13

Over the last three years, I've taken many courses in my teacher training program.  One thing I've noticed is that I've learned many strategies for working with ESL, gifted, urban, low SES, culturally diverse students, and so on.  However, these strategies have been very general and somewhat superficial.  For example, I've been given suggestions such as "create respect, let the students see you as a real person, and create empathy among students."  I agree that these all seem to be effective and beneficial, but I would like to learn specific ways that teachers have been able to accomplish these goals.  I am also curious as to how teachers effectively recognize a student's culture in lessons.  During my student teaching internship (World History), I did not find an opportunity to incorporate any of these strategies.  I'm open to suggestions!