How is this experience shaping your teacher identity?
This was my first time ever being the teacher rather than the student and I think it was a great place for me to start. Although I am in school working on my secondary education degree, starting in an elementary school was a good way to get a feel of being a teacher. The experience taught me how to be patient, how to interact with students (especially the unresponsive), and how to adjust accordingly to each student. I worked with 5-7 students every week at my school and they couldn't have been a more unique group of kids. They were all very different from each other. They had different personalities, different learning levels, and responded to me differently. As the semester went on they all became more comfortable with me and I was able to adjust in the ways that I thought would benefit each of them. In the end I really enjoyed it. I have become close to the students that I work with and I have seen how some of the teachers don't take the time to work and adjust to individual students. I think this experience was a great way for me to step into teaching and it has opened my eyes and made me a better person. I have one more class to go to and it will probably be strange when it's over. I've become close to these little kids and I'm probably going to miss them. I just hope they do alright in the future and have teachers that are willing to work with them and take the time to understand them. The experience has been great and I think the VIPS program is a great idea for students going into teaching.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Post #4 (Question #4)
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 teaching.
Growing up with a very diverse group of friends, I have spent a significant amount of time around families from different cultures. Anywhere from African-American, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Polish, Laotian, Italian, Albanian, you name it. We have been close since the elementary school days and have all become family in each other's homes. That being said, throughout my life I have learned about other cultures through friends. Foods, languages, religions, whats respectful/disrespectful, customs, values, and so on. The area that I live in has provided me with the opportunity to meet people from all sorts of backgrounds and I am very fortunate for that. I grew up thinking nothing of it (until I got older). Also, many of my friends lived in poverty with a single parent, but race, ethnicity, and social class never really meant anything. Once I got older, I started to understand the difficulties in some of their houses and with some of their families.
In the classroom, I try to stay open to all the students and I understand that nobody knows what goes on behind the scenes. Every student is different and comes from a different culture and background. It is impossible to fully understand how they feel or what goes on at home. What we can try to understand is that life isn't happy for everyone. Some kids go through more by the age of eight than most people go through in a lifetime. Its almost tough to believe but its true. The teacher in my classroom has filled me in on some of the issues that have faced the students I work with and it is very disheartening. To me it is obvious why a student is shy, or a student doesn't do well around others. When there are serious problems at home, its really hard for a student to do well in school.
What I have found is the best way to connect with any student, but especially a troubled student, is to make them feel comfortable around you. Most young boys are similar no matter what their background is, they like video games, sports, wrestling, cartoons, or monster trucks. Growing up my friends (regardless of social or cultural background) loved all of the above and I haven't met a little kid since who doesn't like at least one of them. Once you can find something that the student is interested in, you can connect by talking about it for a few minutes. At that point, the student is either excited about what he is talking about or excited that you know something about what he is into, or both. Either way, he will feel more comfortable around you which makes it easier for him to work with you.
Growing up with a very diverse group of friends, I have spent a significant amount of time around families from different cultures. Anywhere from African-American, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Polish, Laotian, Italian, Albanian, you name it. We have been close since the elementary school days and have all become family in each other's homes. That being said, throughout my life I have learned about other cultures through friends. Foods, languages, religions, whats respectful/disrespectful, customs, values, and so on. The area that I live in has provided me with the opportunity to meet people from all sorts of backgrounds and I am very fortunate for that. I grew up thinking nothing of it (until I got older). Also, many of my friends lived in poverty with a single parent, but race, ethnicity, and social class never really meant anything. Once I got older, I started to understand the difficulties in some of their houses and with some of their families.
In the classroom, I try to stay open to all the students and I understand that nobody knows what goes on behind the scenes. Every student is different and comes from a different culture and background. It is impossible to fully understand how they feel or what goes on at home. What we can try to understand is that life isn't happy for everyone. Some kids go through more by the age of eight than most people go through in a lifetime. Its almost tough to believe but its true. The teacher in my classroom has filled me in on some of the issues that have faced the students I work with and it is very disheartening. To me it is obvious why a student is shy, or a student doesn't do well around others. When there are serious problems at home, its really hard for a student to do well in school.
What I have found is the best way to connect with any student, but especially a troubled student, is to make them feel comfortable around you. Most young boys are similar no matter what their background is, they like video games, sports, wrestling, cartoons, or monster trucks. Growing up my friends (regardless of social or cultural background) loved all of the above and I haven't met a little kid since who doesn't like at least one of them. Once you can find something that the student is interested in, you can connect by talking about it for a few minutes. At that point, the student is either excited about what he is talking about or excited that you know something about what he is into, or both. Either way, he will feel more comfortable around you which makes it easier for him to work with you.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Post #3 (Question #3)
The culturally competent teacher should be able to use a variety of assessment techniques appropriate to diverse learners and accommodate sociocultural differences that affect learning.
Although the students in my second grade class are assessed at different reading levels, I have been using the same criteria to assess the five or six students that I work with for almost the entire time that I have been there. This I don't agree with. Of the group that I work with, I have a student that is very shy, a student that doesn't respond to anyone, a student that has trouble focusing and will go off topic in the middle of a sentence, a student that is very animated and makes mistakes because he tries to work too fast, and a couple of students who do very well with the assignments that are presented to them. Every week I follow the same criteria when working with these kids and it gets aggrivating because some of them struggle with it almost every week. Some days they will do better than others, but that is beside the point. I know that it is difficult to give different assignments to every student, however, I am working with these individual students for a reason. Since they are already being worked with in isolation, the assessment techniques should be adjusted accordingly to accomodate their sociocultural differences. At such a young age, certain students might have trouble adjusting to specific learning techniques. It is important for teachers to find techniques that best fit the students that struggle and to help them improve so by the time the move up a grade they are a little more comfortable. It might be difficult, but it just requires a little extra effort.
Although the students in my second grade class are assessed at different reading levels, I have been using the same criteria to assess the five or six students that I work with for almost the entire time that I have been there. This I don't agree with. Of the group that I work with, I have a student that is very shy, a student that doesn't respond to anyone, a student that has trouble focusing and will go off topic in the middle of a sentence, a student that is very animated and makes mistakes because he tries to work too fast, and a couple of students who do very well with the assignments that are presented to them. Every week I follow the same criteria when working with these kids and it gets aggrivating because some of them struggle with it almost every week. Some days they will do better than others, but that is beside the point. I know that it is difficult to give different assignments to every student, however, I am working with these individual students for a reason. Since they are already being worked with in isolation, the assessment techniques should be adjusted accordingly to accomodate their sociocultural differences. At such a young age, certain students might have trouble adjusting to specific learning techniques. It is important for teachers to find techniques that best fit the students that struggle and to help them improve so by the time the move up a grade they are a little more comfortable. It might be difficult, but it just requires a little extra effort.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Post #2 (Question #2)
The culturally competent teacher should be able to account for, demonstrate awareness of, and respond to the sociocultural distinctiveness of his or her students, families, and communities when planning for and delivering instruction.
I have been to my second grade classroom five times now. Every time that I'm there, I work with the same five or six students. Therefore, I've gotten to know them and understand their limits and learning levels pretty well. Most of them have done great since I've started working with them. They are eager to learn, focused (for the most part), and have improved their reading and writing on a weekly basis. However, there is one student that has not been so easy to work with.
The first day that I met my teacher, she told me about this student and the problems that he had been going through. He, along with the other students I have been working with, lives in a poor neighborhood. Since the majority of the friends that I grew up with have been living in similar conditions their entire lives, I understand the problems that come with living in these areas. However, this particular student has been going through things that no seven year old child should ever have to deal with. I don't want to get into detail about his personal life, but when it involves losing family members, you know it is very serious.
My teacher told me that he very rarely participates in class. He will sit at his desk and color sometimes but usually does things at his own pace. The teacher told me that because of the seriousness of what is going on in his life, they don't push him too hard. They give him his space because they want him to come to school everyday. But after awhile, they need him to complete his work in order to pass him. I could tell it was very stressful on the teacher. So for the most part he just sits by himself and doesn't say much. However, some days he is very hyper and will walk around the room acting things and out and making noises. Either way he keeps to himself and doesn't participate with the rest of the class.
After reading reports from other teachers who have worked with him, I noticed that he refused to work with almost every single one of them. He refused to work with me the first time too. The second time, it was a hassle, but I got him to at least whisper the words of the book for me. He is a very smart kid. Finally on one of the days that I was working with him, I was able to make him feel a little more comfortable with me. He was the first student that I worked with that day and at first he wasn't cooperating. He told me he was tired, but I had seen him walking around the classroom acting out some kind of movie or video game right before I called him over. So I asked him why he was so tired. Then I asked him if it was because he was up playing video games all night. His eyes lit up and he said yes. I asked him what game it was and he told me that it was some alien game. So I asked him a couple more questions about the game. He was so excited to tell me about the game. It changed his whole mindset and made him feel completely comfortable with me. At that point it was very easy for me to get him to read and complete the assignment.
I think that the biggest problem in most schools is that teachers don't take the time to know and understand their students. Even though the teacher knew the problems that this student was going through, she didn't take the time to listen or try to connect with him. He was labeled as a student that the teachers "felt bad for" so they didn't really bother with him. I think that he just wanted somebody to talk to. Kids who are that young need to feel comfortable with the adults around them, especially when they are dealing with hard times. Once you understand the student and listen to him, it is much easier and more comfortable for him to respond to you.
I have been to my second grade classroom five times now. Every time that I'm there, I work with the same five or six students. Therefore, I've gotten to know them and understand their limits and learning levels pretty well. Most of them have done great since I've started working with them. They are eager to learn, focused (for the most part), and have improved their reading and writing on a weekly basis. However, there is one student that has not been so easy to work with.
The first day that I met my teacher, she told me about this student and the problems that he had been going through. He, along with the other students I have been working with, lives in a poor neighborhood. Since the majority of the friends that I grew up with have been living in similar conditions their entire lives, I understand the problems that come with living in these areas. However, this particular student has been going through things that no seven year old child should ever have to deal with. I don't want to get into detail about his personal life, but when it involves losing family members, you know it is very serious.
My teacher told me that he very rarely participates in class. He will sit at his desk and color sometimes but usually does things at his own pace. The teacher told me that because of the seriousness of what is going on in his life, they don't push him too hard. They give him his space because they want him to come to school everyday. But after awhile, they need him to complete his work in order to pass him. I could tell it was very stressful on the teacher. So for the most part he just sits by himself and doesn't say much. However, some days he is very hyper and will walk around the room acting things and out and making noises. Either way he keeps to himself and doesn't participate with the rest of the class.
After reading reports from other teachers who have worked with him, I noticed that he refused to work with almost every single one of them. He refused to work with me the first time too. The second time, it was a hassle, but I got him to at least whisper the words of the book for me. He is a very smart kid. Finally on one of the days that I was working with him, I was able to make him feel a little more comfortable with me. He was the first student that I worked with that day and at first he wasn't cooperating. He told me he was tired, but I had seen him walking around the classroom acting out some kind of movie or video game right before I called him over. So I asked him why he was so tired. Then I asked him if it was because he was up playing video games all night. His eyes lit up and he said yes. I asked him what game it was and he told me that it was some alien game. So I asked him a couple more questions about the game. He was so excited to tell me about the game. It changed his whole mindset and made him feel completely comfortable with me. At that point it was very easy for me to get him to read and complete the assignment.
I think that the biggest problem in most schools is that teachers don't take the time to know and understand their students. Even though the teacher knew the problems that this student was going through, she didn't take the time to listen or try to connect with him. He was labeled as a student that the teachers "felt bad for" so they didn't really bother with him. I think that he just wanted somebody to talk to. Kids who are that young need to feel comfortable with the adults around them, especially when they are dealing with hard times. Once you understand the student and listen to him, it is much easier and more comfortable for him to respond to you.
Monday, February 28, 2011
My First Class
The school that I was assigned to is located in a typical urban area. It didn't seem to be an extremely poor area, but I'm not good at judging those kind of things. The area around the school looked very similar to many elementary schools in my hometown. It is located on a skinny road off of a very busy road which makes for a lot of traffic when everybody is trying to drop their kids off at once. The school is very nice inside and out and is pretty big. I didn't realize until I talked to one of the secretaries that this elementary school was combined with a middle school. The classrooms inside are also very large. Looking online at the infoworks website before I went to the school, I saw that the students are very poor and many of them are not proficient in their NECAP testing (especially in math and science). However, their attendance rate is very high and they have very few incidents behaviorwise.
My first time volunteering for my service learning project was pretty interesting. I was placed in a second grade classroom and I didn't really know what to expect. When I walked in, the teacher was very nice and so were the students. The only problem is that they were running around everywhere and seemed to be a little out of control. After a few minutes of that, the teacher was able to get the students to sit on the carpet where they read the class rules and said the pledge of allegiance. She showed me around the classroom and explained what they do throughout the day. Then she told me a bit about the students and what I would be doing with them this semester. However, I wasn't able to start working with the students right away because they had an assembly almost immediately after I arrived.
While the class went to the assembly, I corrected papers (mostly math) for about an hour and a half. Many students struggled on their math homework, while others did exceptionally well. The problem is that its tough to tell who actually did what, since the teacher told me that parents tend to do the student's homework sometimes. That seemed odd to me but I wish my parents did my homework back in the day. When the students got back from the assembly, the teacher gave me a group of six to work with. She asked me to do an exercise that would help improve their reading skills. It was my first time actually teaching students. It felt good to see most of the kids begin to understand what I was talking about as we continued to work on it. One of the students struggled much more than the others, but only on a couple specific concepts. I tried to give her different examples of the same concept. It was obvious that she needed more work, but time was up and my first day was over.
Overall, I really enjoyed my first day volunteering. It was the first time that I was in the teacher's position and it felt good to help out these second graders. The teacher could have a little more control over her class, but she was a very nice lady and the students seemed to like her. It was a very interesting experience for me and I look forward to next time.
My first time volunteering for my service learning project was pretty interesting. I was placed in a second grade classroom and I didn't really know what to expect. When I walked in, the teacher was very nice and so were the students. The only problem is that they were running around everywhere and seemed to be a little out of control. After a few minutes of that, the teacher was able to get the students to sit on the carpet where they read the class rules and said the pledge of allegiance. She showed me around the classroom and explained what they do throughout the day. Then she told me a bit about the students and what I would be doing with them this semester. However, I wasn't able to start working with the students right away because they had an assembly almost immediately after I arrived.
While the class went to the assembly, I corrected papers (mostly math) for about an hour and a half. Many students struggled on their math homework, while others did exceptionally well. The problem is that its tough to tell who actually did what, since the teacher told me that parents tend to do the student's homework sometimes. That seemed odd to me but I wish my parents did my homework back in the day. When the students got back from the assembly, the teacher gave me a group of six to work with. She asked me to do an exercise that would help improve their reading skills. It was my first time actually teaching students. It felt good to see most of the kids begin to understand what I was talking about as we continued to work on it. One of the students struggled much more than the others, but only on a couple specific concepts. I tried to give her different examples of the same concept. It was obvious that she needed more work, but time was up and my first day was over.
Overall, I really enjoyed my first day volunteering. It was the first time that I was in the teacher's position and it felt good to help out these second graders. The teacher could have a little more control over her class, but she was a very nice lady and the students seemed to like her. It was a very interesting experience for me and I look forward to next time.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Short Bio
Hello my name is Brett Coderre and I am a Secondary Education Major in History. I am 20 years old and have lived in Woonsocket, Rhode Island my entire life. Originally, I was a Communications Major (Mass Media) at Western New England College. After my freshman year, I decided to change my major and transfer to Rhode Island College, where I have been for the past two years. Besides going to school, I work a couple days a week at a liquor store and three days a week construction. I am a very hard worker and always stay busy. This spring I will be coaching Little League baseball in Woonsocket as well. I am a sports fanatic, especially when it comes to football. I played baseball, basketball, and football my entire life, right through high school. Following high school, I was fortunate enough to continue my football career at WNEC for a year before I transferred to RIC. I also love movies and music. I look forward to becoming a teacher and being able to help young students.
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