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.