The culturally competent teacher communicates in ways that demonstrate sensitivity to sociocultural and linguistic differences, using a variety of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques that encourage positive social interaction and support learning in their classroom...

The classroom that I have been working in has allowed me to see and understand different ways of teaching and responding to children within many situations. Even within the small group that I work with weekly I can see how children need various amounts of attention or help on a daily basis. In order to best serve the children in this class as well as all others, the teacher must actively participate in communicating effectively regardless of the child's linguist or sociocultural differences. This means that the teacher should try to include everyone in discussions about home life and language differences. For example, since there are actually four teachers in the class in which I tutor, each teacher works toward understanding why the children act the way they do and how they can effectively help them learn.

This experience has taught me that though I may speak the same language as the girls I tutor, the parents of those children could possibly speak another language. The parents may also instill different values or customs in the minds of their child than I would. Never the less they all deserve an equal education and my full desire to help. It may be helpful to allow the children to talk about vacation plans, holiday gatherings and daily routines they share with their parents. I would also like to show my students that even adults are capable of learning new things such as languages and customs.

There are two theorists that I believe relate to this prompt. First, I believe Carlson makes a good point when saying that a normalizing community is not the only one that should exist. What about people who do not fit into the lifestyle the empowered people live? Does this make them any less of a person? When dealing with children, teachers cannot hold judgments of a certain type of person or world because it will negatively affect the child. As Carlson points out, those who do not fall into the "normal" group should not be viewed as deviant, they should be able to do more than function in society. In fact they should have every right and privilege that the "normal" group has. We are all people living in a democratic society, so why aren't everyone's opinions accepted and respected?

The second theorist that I thought of while reading the prompt is Kliewer. Though his article discusses disabilities and mainly Down syndrome, it also relates to changes the classroom into a place where individuals are looked at carefully and curriculum is decided from the evaluations of the students. Kliewer points out that sometimes changes need to be made in order to allow a child to excel. This is true of children who come from different sociocultural and linguistic backgrounds too. By teaching in a way that is specific to the students, anyone can be understood and included. This will lead to better relationships between students and teachers as well as the progress students make with their education and friends.

After this experience, I have no doubt in my mind that teaching is nothing to take lightly. In the last several weeks I have learned a great deal about myself and the type of teacher I wish AND do not wish to become. I have seen sad cases of overreacting which has caused both student and teacher to suffer. Some teachers seem so frazzled everyday, while others genuinely enjoy the company of their students and look forward to seeing and helping them. It has been made evident numerous times how the students within this class truly enjoy their teacher. The actual teacher of this class is loved by students, colleagues and even former students. When seen in the hall, kids run up to her and she remembers each of their names. I have found someone that I can aspire to be like because of this experience. I am truly grateful for all I have learned and look forward to working with the students further.

The culturally competent teacher involves and works with families and community resources, understanding the differences in families, the important influence of family participation in students’ learning and the benefit of collaborating with the wider school community…



One of the problems that occur in many public schools today is the need for one if not both parents and guardians to work outside of the home in order to provide for their family. With people commonly having more than one job, it is not easy to also manage the household and be an active part of their child’s schooling. In order to be a good teacher, a person must understand that everyone leads different lives and experiences different circumstances. For an elementary school teacher, life may include consistent pay and set hours because of college and further education. For parents, however, the is certainly not always the case. For some, college was a dream at one time. For others, even a college degree could not help them in an economy such as the one being experienced currently in this nation. There is a quote that I learned many years ago that has always stuck with me. “ Be nice to everyone you meet, they’re fighting a battle you know nothing about” How true are these words? How can anyone assume they know all about another person simply by the children the parent sends to school? We cannot allow ourselves to start labeling or categorizing parents and students into the ones that care versus the ones that don’t.

The teachings and reading of Lisa Delpit directly apply to this issue. The culture of power that Delpit discusses can clearly relate to the lifestyle that a teacher may lead compared to the many different situations parents of the students are facing. The parents who are not included in the culture of power are sometimes quickly judged as uncaring parents. Yet, ironically, the parents simply do not know what to pass down to their children. They are not educated in the ways to prepare their child for school or respond when the child is not performing at certain levels. In fact, Delpit points out that parents commonly feel it is the schools job to educate and make sure the child knows what they need to know. Since the school feels the parents need to initiate learning experiences ast home as well, confrontations and assumptions easily arise. Without the teacher at least attempting to help both the student and parents they know, progress cannot be made. Unfortunately, it is the children that would suffer from the failure to communicate.


Considering that our class is tutoring in different parts of the Providence, I think a challenge for us collectively and me personally would be understanding who the children are and what they go home to. Considering that as a teacher I would have a steady income and plan to live life a certain way, I fear I would have trouble relating to those who do not have time to check their child’s homework or help with school. Hopefully by the time I am teaching I will be able to accept more ways of life willingly and without judgment. For some reason, the class I am tutoring in does not mention home life at all. Sometimes I will here a student relate a lesson to something they did outside of school. Other times I can get the three students I personally work with to open up a little but. Mainly, however, I only see interactions between teachers and students that include school time activities. I would assume that the teacher does have communication with parents and knows her students well enough to know which languages they speak at home or what their situations entail. That may be the only way for me to learn, trough experience as a teacher. Trial and error as well as watching what others teachers do will probably how we all learn.


In my classroom I would hope to effectively reach out to the parents of my students. By making myself available for their questions and concerns as well as offering routine updates to be sent home, the parents will know I appreciate any help they offer. I would also like to involve parents in classroom activities, discussions, and lessons. Once I know the parents, I will be able to use what they can offer to help both their child as well as other students. Challenges may include work schedules, language differences, and cultural differences between myself and parents. All I can do is try to understand their viewpoint and work with them to reach common ground. I firmly believe that by being understanding and open minded, I can work with parents to give their child the best education possible.

The culturally competent teacher is aware of the diverse cultural groups represented in his/her classroom, investigates the sociocultural factors that influence student learning, and is able to integrate this knowledge into his/her learning...

My background will offer both sympathy and challenges to my career as a teacher. Since I grew up with money being a constant topic of discussion and stress, I think I will be able to relate to children who do not come from the richest of families. I was also a part of a less than common home life situation for most of my elementary days. Those experiences and struggles have been something I have had to overcome and accept as well as learn from. I imagine what I have experienced this far will allow me to have more of an open mind when it comes to the way families are formed and function.


The downside to my background playing a role in the classroom is my passionate attitude toward right and wrong. I have always been the " good girl" who follows rues, directions and manages to stay busy while maintaining stellar grades. Regardless of our financial status, my family has always behaved in ways that reflect a higher class. In recent years I have found this is not as common as I thought and have responded in less than perfect ways. I have always held high expectations for myself and those I know. I fear that this may be difficult to contain within a classroom of children coming from many different backgrounds and styles of discipline. Hopefully I will successfully balance the good and bad that both I and others present in order to see the good in people and accept what cannot be changed because of my own beliefs.


My service learning experience has already begun to test the way I think and respond to certain situations. I recently was able to see the way the teacher disciplined to children who had been using bad words and failing to keep their hands to themselves. I loved the way she called the first child up to calmly address the issue and then requested the second once his name was brought up by the story of the first. The teacher explained that the language and behavior demonstrated by the boys was unacceptable in both her classroom and the school and was not to take place again. They then were told to apologize to one another and the people they offended and then go back to their seats. After this discussion, it was just...over. She remained calm, and yet direct and continued on with the next lesson without showing frustration toward the class or boys involved. This made me think about how I will one day be handling such circumstances and how I would have responded. More importantly than my possible response is the fact that I was able to watch this experienced teacher handle this type of situation beautifully. I felt like things were suddenly clear and less overwhelming.


I would hope that if I were the teacher of this classroom I would be able to conduct it in many of the same ways as this teacher repeatedly does. I have noticed how chaotic the schedule is within the classroom and among a total of four teachers working with this one class. Yet the teacher is liked by her students and fellow teachers who she is teaching as well. Everyone is allowed attention and time to teach and learn. If I were the teacher, I feel I would need to be more organized than I am currently. I also feel I need to work on taking more deep breaths and worrying less about the little things. I am quickly learning that the point of teaching isn't only to drill into the minds of young children what they need to know, but also to be there for them and those who wish to teach one day too.


From working one on one with three children weekly, I have learned that skin color does not affect how far someone has come or how advanced they are in school. There is a common misconception that black parents care less about their child's education when in fact I am noticing this is very untrue. Things like privileges for other nationalities are reasons for parents to work harder to help their children focus and do well. Every parent wishes the best for the child and often hopes they will do better than themselves in order to have more opportunities and a better life. As Johnson tells us, our house is on fire and yes, we are all involved and participating in the continual burning of our society. How can we expect to teach all children the same when they are not they same? Also, how can we really help anyone if we have assumptions before even meeting a child or anyone for that matter? We simply won't be able to do our job correctly or meet the needs of the children collectively and individually as necessary. Personally, growing up in a household and family who believes everyone deserves to be treated fairly yet is known for making comments that can sometimes suggest otherwise, I may have trouble breaking certain habits. Language and stereotypes that seem to be accepted in many places or with many people are not anymore because I know I want to do the best I can for every child who walks into my classroom. It will be an active readjusting of my thoughts that will ultimately benefit myself and my students.

The culturally competent teacher should be able to use a variety of assessment techniques appropriate to diverse learners and accomodate sociocultural differences that affect learning...


As Ira Shor discusses in empowering education, there are certain things students deserve when being educated. For one, they deserve to believe and be encouraged to exlpore and question the world they live in. They should never feel as though they are simply going through the motions of school and are unable to have any say in their education or path in life. Shor suggests that teachers allow their students to look at things in multiple ways and work to change what they feel is unfair or wrong. Shor also explains that it is very important to make sure students are participating in the classroom activities and discussions. This is essential because it can help prevent the cycle of boredom that some children feel in school as well as to share and learn about one another within the class. Since everyone is has experienced different backgrounds and will continue to do or want different things in life, similarities can always be found. Sharing stories and connection can help chilren to understand why someone is the way they are or offer the teacher explanations as to why they learn the way they do.


To achieve these methods of learning, teachers must worked hard to understand children based on their culture and experiences rather than their own. Shor says that in order for a teacher to really reach his or her students they must first appeal to the language and culture of the students. One way a teacher can do this is by taking a simple standardized lesson plan and asking themself if their students will understand and be interested in the topic and findings. If the lesson simply does not relate to the group of students being taught, they will not only be easily distracted, but also fail to remember what they were taught.


A main contributor to the way children learn is where they come from or how they speak. We have learned in class that everyone learns differently and should not be expected to understand something as much as another student. In order to reach the entire class, the lesson must be both culturally relevant and based off of how the students learn. Maybe some will need to be reminded repeatedly how to carry out processes. Others may work well with flash cards or reading with another person. In ways such as these, no one is left out of the discussion and learning process. It is the responsibility of student and teacher to work together to understand and learn from one another.


At the school I am visiting weekly, there are definitely a variety of ways in which the children learn. Being a reading buddy allows me to see all the children focusing on the same subject but learning in different ways. For example, the three children I work with immediatey appeared to be at different reading levels. In fact one of the children benefits mostly from starting with kindergarten readings and lessons and then slowly progessing into the fourth grade level which she should be at. It is interesting to see how some children need one on one instruction in order to be their best while others prefer to silently work alone or be apart of a group. The class in which I am tutuoring actually rotates among four teachers. To make things even more confusing, the children switch classrooms and grades are mixed together for certain periods. The children seem to understand and work well with the system, however and seem to benefit from working with different teachers.


The most common way that I have witnessed the children being allowed to learn in their own way is by the reading groups that are formed based around the needs of the child. For example, the teacher works with a group of children who seem to be slightly more advanced and can understand challenging instructions and assignments. The student teachers are work with either a group who needs extra help or those who wor well on their own. Then there are the ones who I meet with weekly. These children are known for needing extra help with the reading coach and teachers and benefit from one on one tutoring with me as well as group work with others who need guidance.


Although all students learn differently, the teachers as well as myself must work to help each child individually as well as teach them how to do well in group settings when one on one is not an option. The levels at which children read at are constantly changing and developing. The important thing is that the teacher recognizes the students needs and mends her lessons or the requirements of the state to reach the students and add to the knowledge they already have. By doing these things and keeping a close eye on students individually and as a whole, teachers will be able to understand who their students are and how to teach them in the most effective ways possible.

The culturally competent teacher should be able to account for, demonstrate awareness of, and respond to sociocultural distinctiveness of her or his students, families, and communities when planning for and delivering instruction...


After Info works for information about the school I am working with, I found that parents are happy with the school when it comes to communication and staying up to date with how their child is doing in school. Teachers, also report having positive experiences with the parents of their students as well as the community in general. Considering that the classroom in which I tutor is diverse, there must be ways that the teacher attempts to effectively communicate and address both students and parents from different cultures.


As mentioned previously, there are a variety of different ethnicity's represented in the classroom where I tutor. Among the three children I personally work with, there are also differences and similarities in culture and background. Considering that the children are still young and have much to learn, they show signs of needing help with grammar and pronunciation. They seem to be comfortable, however with the their teachers and peers. All children are encouraged to answer questions or tell a story to relate to the lesson being given in order to find connections and better understand students individually. It is also easy to tell which children are friends or small problems that arise between those that sit next to one another or at closer to the teacher. For example, there is one child who has his desk seated right next to the teacher's and needs constant reminding to pay attention, sit up straight and be quiet. The student teacher frequently goes to stand next to the boy and asks him questions while a lesson is being taught of which she is not a part. By doing this, she incorporates his opinions and attention into the lesson and class as a whole.


I must make a point to note that as I have mentioned this classroom appears diverse and comfortable. The teacher has a good hold on what the students need as a whole and individually. The issues brought up by a theorist such as Kozol may indeed be present in the school or community, but not in this particular classroom. Also, I cannot personally say that Johnson is wrong or right when dealing with the classroom. This is because though the children are not segregated, and no one sees how white children are viewed as superior, it is possible that wrongs do happen. In the time to which I have begun tutoring, I have not seen one instance in which a white child has a better chance or advantage with the teacher or another classmate. Maybe secret prejudices are in the minds of the adults or children present, there is no way to know. Based off of what I see, some kids appear to need more help with certain subjects or disciplines but the color of their skin or home that they come from is not an issue. Everyone is expected to be there to want to learn and the teacher there to teach fairly. Considering the amount of work that goes into preparing for her class and staying on schedule with mandatory lessons the teacher probably does not have much time to think of these issues as our class does, and I have not seen any reason to think otherwise.


These children are offering our society hope for the future. They are too small to understand the problems and setbacks they will face for a variety of reasons in the future. They do, however, believe that they can achieve anything and they deserve this dream to be repeated by teachers and parents over and over. When a child knows they have support from an authority figure they will work harder and accomplish more. It is important for the school to work with the parents and community to enrich the children with opportunities that show them the good in this world and help them understand what they want to do or be in life. To these adorable little ones, seeing a friendly face come to tutor them weekly is something they look forward to and feel special about. I am happy to be able to offer this to the teacher, class, and especially the children I work with individually. I will be there for them to remind them every week that they are doing a good job and I am so very proud of all the hard work and fun they show me.

Hello again,

Now that I have visited my service learning school three times, I am happy to report what I have experienced thus far. First of all, I must say my few nerves leading up to my first day were severely intensified once I walked around the building and was confronted with endless locked gray doors, all of which offered no handles to the outside world. After refocusing my attention to positive thoughts, I realized this was for the safety of all the little darlings I was about to meet. Also, murals that line the brick walls allowed my imagination to drift off into times where the children in these drawings were playing or laughing and enjoying their community.


As I rounded a corner and found the appropriate door, I pushed the button and recited the recommended line which almost immediately led to a welcoming buzzing noise I was desperately waiting to hear. Immediately, it was easy to see a child friendly atmosphere that was busy with daily activities. I was then welcomed by office staff and shown the binder where I would record my visits from now on. With the first instructions I was given, I headed to an assembly and then was able to help the teacher with fluency exams.Though my actual time with the fourth graders was limited, I knew there would be plenty to come.


This third visit has finally allowed a permanent arrangement to both a classroom and three fourth graders. I am now a participating member of room 209-grade four!! As I entered the room, I thought the classroom appeared large, yet very cluttered. Directly ahead of the door is the student teachers desk which faces the bulletin board and children. To the left of the door, sits the teachers desk centered at the front of the room. Smaller desks face the front in three rows and face each other on either side of the middle rows making a square with desks inside. Multiple closets holding the children's many belongings line the full length of the side wall. In the back of the classroom, a table with eight chairs serves as a reading and comprehension center that the student teacher mainly uses. Another table and chairs allow another group to form if needed. The setup of this classroom makes the teacher and the blackboard main focus points while all other objects mentioned are off to the sides. The children can all see the board because of the creative placement of their seats and can have contact with other students as well as separation from those who aren't as friendly with one another.


My service learning placement seems to be a very chaotic environment considering there are many children in an overall small setting. It is also lively and exciting. Children are always running through the halls or laughing with one another. The days seem packed and the teachers mean business, but are continually very caring and attentive. The school as a whole clearly values diversity and acceptance which is proven in the mission statement and teacher's approach to the class.


A point which I find hard to ignore is the level of hormones and rebellion present in this classroom and throughout the school. Though they are all young and eager to test boundaries, I have noticed quite a bit of yelling and repeating of directions. There are also different groups or categories which the children fall into that can be easily observed. I look forward to getting to know the class as a whole as well as the three children I have just begun working with. The teachers and students seem welcoming and enthusiastic about my presence which will hopefully continue to develop.

Introduction

Well isn't this a new experience!! As I mentioned in class, my name is Brianna and I am currently a nursing major. Unfortunately, I have had some conflicting thoughts about going through with nursing and decided now is the time to allow myself to explore new options, such as teaching. This inquiry has caused overwhelming but exciting findings such as this course which will hopefully help me decide what is best for me.


I grew up in RI and graduated from Classical High School. I chose to go away for my first year of college and loved Southern CT State University, but eventually realized I belong at home. Most of my family lives in CT now but I still enjoy RI. So far RIC has been good to me. I look forward to this semester with more reading and writing instead of so much science! I live on campus and spend my spare time reading, shopping, and hanging out with my boyfriend, friends and family. =)