Portfolio #8- Portfolio Summary

When I signed up for Multicultural Education I had no idea what multicultural even meant. I was just trying to check off a required class in my major. But I never expected to learn as much as I did. This class not only challenged my views of the world but it also challenged me to change my views in order to understand the world outside of my white privileged bubble. Almost my whole life I have been a part of the majority and because of this I have been willfully ignorant to many of the problems in the world. And having my privileged bubble popped has not been the easiest thing for me because it has required me to do a lot of self reflection and a lot of changing. However looking back now I realize that it is so important for my future and for my future students that this bubble has been popped.

In doing the Portfolio assignments I was forced to look at things from a different view. For example in the being the other portfolio I was required to put myself in a situation in which I had little cultural capital, which is something that I can normally avoid as a part of the majority since most things cater to my comfort anyways. But in doing so I was able to realize that for so many others they often feel like they are always the 'other' or the odd man out but most of the time they cannot do anything about it. And in the Community Experience and Investigating Oppression I was able to learn more about the LGBT community and to gain a better understanding about what they go through each day. For most of my life that has been a community that I have avoided because I personally have had some prejudices or misconceptions about them. But through learning more about their experience I have come to understand that they are real people and they matter just like everyone else. I gained a new respect for them and I have changed my ways to be more accepting of the LGBTQ community and also I have began to love them more.

Also through the case studies in readings and some of the videos we watched I began to think of ideas that I had never though of before. Like the video that we watched on homelessness where the students were describing how that had effected them and I was really struck by one kid talking about how he had to do his homework with little or no light. And many of the kids were unsure of if they would have a place to live soon or a food each day. And that is something that I had never thought about before. My future students could face a variety of struggles in their lives and those struggles will affect how they learn which means that as a teacher I need to be aware of them and seek to understand what is going on in their lives before I jump to conclusions on their desires or performance.

Additionally, throughout the semester I had to redo a couple of my portfolios and in doing so I realized just how much my mindset has changed because as I went back in to read them I would find myself saying things like "I can't believe I wrote that" or "That's not okay at all" and then I would go on to word them differently or to completely change them. This happened a lot in my Reimagined classroom as I put a lot more thought into how I could make an inclusive classroom that all my students could feel comfortable in rather then a classroom that I thought was right for me. I understand now that the students are more important then me, that their cultures, their opinions, their ideas are what need to be the foundation of my future classroom.

I also came to understand how important it is to constantly seek to understand my students lives and to learn more about them in any way possible. They are all unique and they will all have unique backgrounds and things that they bring to my classroom. And it is going to be a constant process to establish a classroom for each of them. Teaching for social justice will be a life long, constant process and it will require me to continue to adapt my teaching and my classroom and to keep learning. When we did the book club assignment I got to read Between the World and Me and from reading that book I came to understand a lot of things but one of my biggest take aways from it was that I need to continue to learn about the experiences of others. Reading that book helped me to understand how big the struggles are of blacks and it helped me to understand just a small part of what they go through. And if I had never read that book I never would have known and it has given me a desire to keep learning and to keep finding other people's stories so that I can continue to expand my understanding of issues in the nation, in my community, and in my classroom.

And I feel like this is just the tip of the iceberg of what I have learned but all of it is going to greatly effect my future work as a teacher. I know now that I will be more conscious of the effects of certain teaching in my classroom. And I know that I will work to have a classroom in which each child will be able to identify with something whether it be in story problems, or in reading books or resources in our classroom. I will keep an open mind and be accepting of each child for who they really are. And I will seek to make connections with families so that we can create a community in our classroom. I know that it is going to be a life long process full of success and failures but I now know that in order to help my students really find success in life that creating a multicultural classroom is going to be necessary and important.

Portfolio #7: Reimagined Classroom

1. Five images (you can take them or they can come from the Internet [provide proper credit]). These images should reflect, in some way, what you imagine your classroom will look like once you are a teacher. Please annotate your images by providing a description of the image and how it relates to your future classroom.

This is an idea for a blackboard that will out help students to see what we will be learning this week. That we each day we can connect what we learned to what our themes are. It will help me as a teach to make lessons plans and will help us to stay organized and with a purpose in our learning. I like the idea of using the bulletin boards in the classroom as a way of displaying the things that we are learning. This bulletin board is just a springboard into what I want to do with the bulletin boards in my classroom. My students will be actively involved in helping make things to be displayed on the bulletin boards so that the bulletin boards can reflect the important things that they have learning in class rather then what I think is important.
(Picture credit https://www.pinterest.com/pin/488359153334702635/)

Reading is going to be a big part of my future classroom. So we will have a big bookshelf like this. This one is organized by letter but I will organize mine by topic so that students can easily find something to read that will interest them and they can learn to enjoy reading. And the topics of books in my classroom will be diverse. We will have all kinds of books so that each student will be able to identify with either the topic or the characters in the book. We will have a classroom library that allows kids to be introduced to many different things like people being of a different race or a different family background or where gender doesn't matter. All books in the classroom will seek to be ones that teach social justice because I want my students to be able to be introduced to many different topics in a nonthreatening way so that they can begin to accept things in a different way then adults. (Picture credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/488359153334702133/ )

Each student in my classroom will have an assigned rug spot so that when we are doing lessons up front they can sit in a set spot. It will allow for ease in doing group activities and allow me to control a where they are sitting and who they are sitting by so they can pay attention. I like the idea of having a set place to group students together to do things a class and the dots seen in this picture can help kids have their own space in a situation like this. However instead of me placing the dots on the carpet I will let the kids design their own spot so that they can express their own identity and likes. And then they will be able to choose where to put it on the carpet.
However their spot could move around if they are misbehaving or also for them to switch spots every once in awhile to get to know others in the class.(Picture credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/488359153334702127/)

This is a simple desk arrangement idea that allows for plenty of walking space to observe students and also allows all students to be able to see the front board. The fact that some students can be placed up front facing only forward is an added plus because some students are going to have a hard time paying attention. I like the back part of this desk arrangement because it allows for student to be placed in groups where they can get to know other students and also they can all see the board. Also by using only the back desk groups no one is singled out in the front row. It is important that all the students can feel comfortable in my classroom and especially in their desk. Also each desk will have the students name on it but names will not be put on desks until after the school year begins so if kids have a nickname they go by it can be placed on their desk and also so the kids can design their own name tag at the beginning of the school year. (Photo credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/183099541079031388/)

This door goes along with the idea of having a classroom theme each year. Based off what is on the door when the students come in then they will find a theme in the classroom which will allow us to incorporate this theme in the classroom all year. I would do this especially with books as the basis of the theme so we could use the book as a read aloud book. This will allow the theme to come alive in their imaginations as we read and learn together. At the beginning of each school year as a class we will come up with a classroom theme together. That way kids can identify with the theme that is in the classroom and they can be involved in making the classroom their own.(Photo Credit:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AZiwuli-94T-N1jNsvMZAjPZJit4KbIIDxf8kL9oejVeSWcag5EZXIE/)


2. Imagine the surrounding in your classroom. What does the room look like? What resources are available for students? How are the resources used during the lesson? My classroom is well organized. All the desks are in a groups. Bulletin boards are decorated with fun colors and words and ideas from the students about our current study topics. Around the classroom are various shelves. One is a bookshelf full of books to encourage reading with each student keeping a book of their own choice there to read during free moments or reading time. Another is full of classroom supplies like markers, scissors, glue, tape, etc. for students to use to make crafts and do other assignments. This is used periodically throughout the day as we work on projects and assignments. Desks all have student made personalized name tags on them and are always organized in groups allowing for students to do group activities throughout the day.

3. Describe the students in your classroom. What are their backgrounds? What are their interests? What are they doing during the lesson?
The students are extremely diverse coming from many different cultures and life situations. Students are of many different ethnicities, some are poor and some are more privileged. Some have a mom and dad, some only one parent, and some have 2 moms or 2 dads. They are Each student is unique but are able to make friends within the class which makes their personalities very diverse as well as their interests. Some are shy while others are extremely loud. Two students always seem to be talking no matter what is happening in class and constantly need to be reminded to be quiet during lessons. They have wide varieties of interests. Many Some love to read, a couple some love math and science. They all love recess time and being able to play outside on the playground or play soccer. During reading time they all pay close attention as the stories make their imaginations run wild. During the math lessons some are attent and quick to answer, others eyes seem to wonder the whole lesson and when it comes time to practice the lesson they soon become confused and discouraged. And as always two students continue to talk and goof off during the lessons with only a slight idea of what is really going on. During lessons students are doing various things. Depending on the topic some are more interested and engaged then others. Some students like to participate by raising their hands while others blurt out answers. Other students remain quiet or find distractions in talking with other students or playing with things in their desks. Some days are better then other days with certain students that struggle with anxiety or depression or ADHD.

4. Describe your classroom policies. What are your classroom rules? What is your discipline plan? What are your homework policies?
Our classroom policies include respect for each other,and an inclusion policy. We will recognize and accept the differences between individual students and seek to have a classroom environment in which all students feel comfortable. When students must be disciplined it will be done in such a way that they are not singled out. If necessary students will be pulled to the side quietly to be talked to one on one about behaviors that need to change. students must line up in a straight line and be still and quiet before we can leave the classroom to go anywhere else. Students must be on task in class or they will be spoken to individually in order to understand why it is important for them to do their work. We will be open to the ideas of others and be understanding of their points of views. Discipline will include students being moved if they are being disruptive. It that does not work then students will be placed by themselves for a time to complete the assignments and work. If students do not complete their homework they will be required to stay in for recess in order to finish it. Homework will be minimal as most assignments will have time to be done in class but if not finished it will be required to do them outside of class and bring them the next day. If students will be asked to do their best on homework but it if they cannot figure out to do a few things but have done their best effort they will not be penalized and will be given time to ask questions and receive help in class the next day. On some assignments such as reading assignments a parent or legal guardian may be required to sign off that homework has been completed. However home situations will be taken into consideration and if a student has a valid reason for not being able to complete homework outside of class because of a situation at home they will not be punished.

5. Describe a typical lesson you will teach in your classroom. What will you teach? What is the topic? Why did you choose this topic? How will you teach it? What is the main thing you want students to learn during this lesson?
In my classroom we will focus on math. I have chosen this subject because I want to help my students understand math in an easy way. They need to start off with a good basis in order to excel later on in other classes. Today we will be focusing on addition. We will be using black beans for them to be able to count out the number and then add them together so that they can learn visually. While they do this they will have to fill out a work sheet with their answers to addition problems. Hopefully by doing so they will be able to get a hands on approach understanding of what it means to do addition and they will fill confident in their abilities to take a test on addition tomorrow. For homework they will be given a bag of black beans to take home along with a worksheet of story problems. These story problems will be simple such as Tommy and his 2 fathers have 2 apples and bought 4 more. How many apples do they have now? That way students can be introduced to different family situations while practicing and mastering addition.

6. Imagine your work as a teacher during this lesson. What are you doing during the lesson?
As the lesson begins I will be in the front of the classroom explaining what it is we will be do. Then after my example I will walk around and make sure that all the students are on task and are actually working on the assignment. I will give help when asked questions or when I see a kid that is struggling so that they are all able to get the assignment done. Also I will encourage students to work together and help each other if a nearby classmate is struggling. I will constantly be making sure that our classroom rules of respect and inclusion are being enforced and that all kids feel comfortable regardless of their ability of mastering the math lesson as some will probably struggle more then others.

7. Imagine your students again, what are they doing during the lesson?
During the lesson most of the students are working on the assignment but a few are just playing with the black beans while talking completely having forgotten of the math assignment they are supposed to be working on. But in general all of the students are happy to be learning something in a new way and to be able to do a fun activity. During the lesson my students are doing various things. Some kids are focused on listening to the instructions while others are playing with the black beans on their desks. And when given the assignment some of the students are finishing quickly while others are getting frustrated because they do not understand what is going on. Some of the students that understand are helping those that are struggling. We have a few students that are having a hard time focusing on the lesson because they keep playing with the black beans but when reminded of what they need to be doing they are able to start working on the assignment once again.

8. Imagine how you will assess your students' learning and achievement. How will you know they have learned?
In this lesson I will assess learning based on how well they have done on the assignment but also they will have a worksheet for homework to assess how if they really understood the lesson and will be given a small quiz in class the next day. I will know what they have learned and what they are still struggling with based off of how well they do on the assignment and quiz which will allow me to see if I need to reteach things or if we need more practice until all the students have mastered the basic ideas. We will assess learning in many different ways since each student will learn and achieve differently. Sometimes we will have in-class discussions of the topics that we went over the day before so students can review the things that we talked about the day before. Sometimes we will have tests or quizzes so students can see their progress in certain topics. Sometimes we will have writing assignments where students can write about the things they learned. And this will constantly be changing based on how the students do in these different activities. I want to keep an open mind as a teacher and realize that not all students learn and relay information the same way. So I will use this activities to see how well they have grasped a topic. If students can show me that they have learned something new or they have mastered a skill like spelling or addition then I will know that they are learning and making achievements.

After taking this class my whole perspective of being a teacher has changed. I have come away with a completely different perspective of my role as a teacher and I was able to change a lot about my classroom so that it could be a space in which my students can feel comfortable regardless of their race, class, sexual orientation, religion, etc. I want ALL my students to feel like they have a place in making our classroom and that they can identify with our classroom in some way with it be in a classroom theme, the bulletin boards, books in the classroom or any other thing. I realize that I have to be a teacher for my students not for myself and in doing so I have to focus more on what is right for them and what will make them feel comfortable. What will help them learn, how can I help them to include all people and not have prejudice, is my curriculum inclusive of all students? These are going to be questions that are constantly on my mind. So in all the sections of this assignment I added something that allowed for me to expand my horizons as a teacher while at the same time taking out ideas that I have come to realize show my white privilege and desire to control everything.I have realized that I have a lot to work on personally and it is going to be a long process of working to be accepting off all people but I have come to realize how important and necessary this is in order to give my students the chance to succeed. And I want to make sure that a student is never singled out for being different or for something going on in the classroom so that they can learn. I hope that by creating a safe and inclusive classroom environment that all my students can learn and grow. And that together as a class we can succeed.

Portfolio #6: Book Club- Between the World and Me

For my Book Club I had the opportunity to read Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and it was a huge eye opening experience for me. Since the book is a letter from a father to a son it talks very openly about some of the issues or challenges facing people of African descent in our country. I was deeply disrupted by the way the author talked about always fearing for his body and that his body was so easily breakable. This disrupted me because I had never considered this. I have always thought that we are all on equal ground in relation to having control of and protecting our bodies. However while reading this book I have begun to reconsider this idea especially because of how the author talks about the smallest of interactions, especially with police offices, can mean the end of a black man's life. And that makes me uncomfortable because of my privileged position as a white which means that I do not have to worry about those things and I realize that because I have never had to worry about them that I have naturally assumed that they are issues that others do not have to worry about. But this book has helped me to realize how deep racism runs in our country.The author talked a lot about how America was built on the bodies of blacks which is so disturbing to think about but it is true. And yet too often we choose to forget that because accepting that fact would mean that we, as the privileged majority, have done something wrong and that we need to change. And that is something that we do not want to accept nor to be honest do we know how to do. And because of being unable to accept this racism has become so deeply run in our society that we have created many forms of racism like stealth racism and institutional racism and passive racism. We do not give minorities a chance to succeed. One of the things mentioned in the book that really struck me was that by not learning how to survive on the streets meant that you gave up your body now but also by failing to comprehend what was taught in schools meant that they gave up your body later. This was upsetting to me because it seemed like a lose lose situation with a connotation of fail now or fail later. And that would mean that often we just give minorities false hopes of escaping from a system that we have built to keep pushing them down.

We focus so often on the idea of the American Dream in this country and how by hard work anyone can make it but that was a main focuses of Coates. That those who are "Dreamers" are just fooling themselves because that dream is what has been the justification for so much cruelty that has happened in our past. And honestly if you would have asked me in September if I thought the American Dream was real I would have said yes but after participating in this Multicultural Education class and reading this book I would have to say no. That it is a trick that we use to justify why we privileged whites always come out on top. We have been born with all the cultural capital necessary to survive in America because we know what is necessary to fit in. We claim that all Americans have been given equality because we all have the same rights and privileges according to the law but we are far from achieving equity because those that have always had privilege have kept it while everyone else has stayed on the outside. And by reading Between the World and Me I really came to understand this because I was finally reading something from the eyes of someone in the middle of the problem rather then through my blind privileged eyes.

It is something that has become a life lesson for me as I have come to realize more and more about the issues that my future students will be facing in their lives. In my desire to become a teacher it has mostly been focused on me being able to help them and my desire to work with kids. But I have come to understand that being a teacher is something so much more complex. We have to power to do so much good in the world by helping to make change possible. But one of my biggest take-aways not only from this book but also from this class is that we must have our eyes open to the issues and problems and discrimination that our future students will face. We cannot ignore problems because ignoring them does not make them go away. And we may have students that like Coates honestly fear for their bodies or their lives because of things that are happening around them outside of school. And that is going to affect how they act in a classroom and how they learn and if we as teachers are not aware of that then we are going to miss out on a opportunity to make a difference or help them in some small way. Also it is so important that as teachers we do not have prejudices and that is something that I have a lot to work on but my eyes have been opened to so many issues and I know that now I cannot close them again. And so I am going to let that shape me into a teacher that works to not have prejudices and seeks to have true Christ like love.