My Teacher Identity

How is this experience shaping your teacher identity? Give specific examples/stories.

This experience has been one that I will never forget and I am quite sad that it has to end. I have become quite connected to my students. At this point I can only hope that I have had a positive effect on their lives. However, my teacher identity has most definitely been shaped by my time at Overpass Middle School.

First of all, this experience has heightened my enthusiasm to teach. I cannot wait to have more students and my classroom. However, I do feel as if I would rather teach in a more rural area. I enjoyed teaching the students in a Providence public school, however, I feel as if I would be more comfortable teaching in a rural school district.

I have also learned that being a teacher is en extreme responsibility. As a teacher you are shaping the lives of children. The way you act, what you say, and how you teach have a direct affect on the students. You have to set a good example and be a model for your students.

Toward the end of my time at the school it really touched me to see the impact that I had on my students. They were always excited when I came in and were very attentive to everything that I said. When I told them when the last time I could come in to see them was, their spirits dropped and they almost resorted to tears. This broke my heart, however it also showed me how such a small thing, like teaching flute lessons, can impact this students so much. They are very sensitive and unstable and you have to teach them in a way that takes his into consideration.

This experience has shown me what kind of a teacher I can be and what lasting affect I can have as students. I cannot wait to teach and this experience has only given me more drive and ambition to get there.

Communication, the Key to Success

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.

I have three students that I tutor. Each student is different. They have different learning styles, different backgrounds, and most importantly, very different personalities. As their teacher I have to be able to communicate to them in a way that takes all of these factors into consideration. The way I teach and the information that I teach must be acceptable and sensitive to the student's individual personality factors. Something that may not be offensive to me or my friends may be offensive to my students. Therefore, when I first began teaching these students, I worked hard to understand their learning styles and their personalities. This involved a lot of listening and communication. Every time I come into the classroom I ask the students how they are or what has been going on since last I saw them. I may also ask them some simple "ice-breaker" questions before we begin. I also observe their responses to the way that I am teaching them, either through the body language, their response in their work, or their verbal responses. As I became to know their personalities better I was able to communicate more effectively toward them. Since I only teach three students I am able to hear a lot more out of my students than if I was helping a whole class.

I try to be very encouraging toward my students. Sometimes they can be very shy, especially about asking questions, so I try to really observe their body language. I want them to feel very free to ask questions without embarrassment or the fear of rejection. The students have self-esteem issues and I need to make sure that it does not get hurt anymore. However, I want all of their voices to be heard, so I need to make them trust me and feel comfortable in the environment. Megan Boler explains, "....the obligation of educators is not to guarantee a space that is free from hostility - an impossible and sanitizing task - but rather, to challenge oneself and one's students to critically analyze any statement made in a classroom." I have tried to utilize this thought with my students. I want them to ask questions and understand why they are doing what they are doing. These students have been driven into the bad habit of just accepting what people tell them. I am trying to teach them that they can ask questions and challenge what is being presented to them, whether it be in school or at home.

It's All About the History

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.

Everybody has a personal history. We all walk into situations with biases and mindsets based upon the events that have occurred in our past and they way that we were brought up. Because of this, it is important to remember that everyone has had different life experiences. People have different memories which have had effects on their personality. As a teacher we need to be sensitive to these factors and understanding about each student's background.

I come from a small country town in central Massachusetts. My high school had barely 400 students. The culture diversity level was very low. Almost everybody in the school is white and christian. Therefore, for me to enter into an extremely diverse school is a lot different than what I've seen as I grew up. One of my students is a Jehovah's Witness. Therefore I had to adapt my lesson plans in a way that made the activities appropriate for her. One of my other students has had a hard home life since she was a baby. This is extremely different from the easy, loving home that I grew up in. As a teacher I need to be sympathetic toward my student's histories and cultures. In my experience this semester I found that the students respond well when I try to show them how things like music and their flute playing can be an escape for them. They can focus and put all their energy or frustration into playing their instruments. I provide them with a lot of encouragement, motivation, and care. I developed the assumption that they do not receive a lot of acceptance and encouragement from their homes. Therefore I have been trying to fill that gap and so far, it has worked very well.

Ira Shor explained "To socialize students, education tries to teach them the shape of knowledge and current society, the meaning of past events, the possibilities for the future, and their place in the world they live in. In forming the students' conception of self and world, the teachers can present knowledge in several ways, as a celebration of the existing society, as a falsely neutral avoidance of problems rooted in the system, or as a critical inquiry into power and knowledge as they relate to student experience." As a teacher I have tried to utilize this idea with my students. I try to help my students observe their past in a way that inspires them for a bright future. I try to help give them the tools for self-motivation. I don't want them to look at their past and think that they will not be able to succeed in life. I want them to be inspired to go farther then they have ever been dared to before. I want their past to define their future in a positive way.

All You Need is Parental Support

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.

Each student comes from a different background. They have been raised with different rules, standards, and values, among many other things. They way a student is raised directly affects the person that they grow up to be. As a teacher, you have to develop the ability to deal with the variety of personalities and ways of thinking that are given off by both the student and the parent. Already I have had to deal with this during my time at Overpass Middle School. One of my flute students was not allowed to take her flute home to practice. As a future music teacher I already know that the most crucial aspect to learning an instrument is a regular practice schedule. If she was not allowed to practice her instrument she would not be able to accomplish much on the instrument, which was confirmed throughout most of the semester. Her guardians were very stubborn on their decision, however. They did not want the liability of a school instrument. This, in turn, was causing the student's motivation for learning an instrument to rapidly decrease. As a teacher, I learned that you must find ways to comfort the mind's of the parents/guardians, and develop a plan that will work for everyone involved. Through the classroom teacher and many persistent attempts, we were able to allow the student to transport the instrument home for a trial run. We hope that this will help eases the guardians' minds and that in the future the student will be able to bring the instrument home to practice on a regular basis.

It is extremely important to respect the decisions of the parents/guardians. They may be raising their children a certain way. As a teacher it is critical to find ways to cater to both the routine of the students and the effect that you want to implement on them.

While dealing with the parents/guardians of a student you want to make sure that that their opinions and explanations are heard. In doing so they will know that you care about their side and the value of family rule. After careful consideration of the parents'/guardians' views it is important to explain to them your explanations and opinions. Make sure to tell them all of the specifics. While doing so you want to present the information in a way that will ease their minds. Sometimes there is just a miscommunication between student, parent and teacher. As a teacher you must continue to be understanding and open-minded.

Family support is one of the greatest motivational drives a student can have. If a family shows love and support a student will develop a more optimistic approach in their lives. If a student's family is encouraging them, they will be more likely to want to succeed because it gives them a larger feeling of accomplishment. They will feel as though they are making a difference. Therefore, as a teacher it is important to try and involve parents a much as possible. It will keep them more involved in their children's lives and it will give the student more motivation and a want to succeed.

By involving family it is also important to incorporate different family backgrounds into the class. As Delpit explained, "...schools must provide these children the content that other families from different cultural orientation provide at home. This did not mean separating children according to family background, but instead, ensuring that each classroom incorporate strategies appropriate for all the children in it's confines." This statement by Delpit explains that everyone comes from different family backgrounds. As a teacher, you must incorporate all of these backgrounds into your teaching. To do this you must first understand the personalities of each child and their relationship with their family. It would also be a good idea to schedule parent teacher conferences, or some other way to connect to the parents and understand their background. By incorporating the student's family background into the classroom, they will feel more accepted and will also be able to learn more efficiently.

Prompt #1

As I entered Overpass Middle School I was very optimistic about my job as a VIPS tutor. I estimate that the school was built around the 1960's. It is fairly small and fits quite snug in between a couple of busy streets. Although the neighborhood is not the worst environment, there are still reasons to caution yourself. There are always a couple police officers who either sit outside or float around the inside of the school. As I entered the school it almost felt like I was walking into an underground building. There are not a lot of windows, especially on the first floor. It is extremely dark and feels somewhat imprisoning. The school, however, is in decent condition. There is not a lot of vandalism and it is kept pretty clean. As I entered the school for the first time it alarmed me when I discovered that visitors do not need to sign in or even check-in with the main office. This seems somewhat dangerous to not have guests be identified or at least acknowledged by the people in the main office.

Although I immediately found myself lost trying to find my classroom I could not wait to meet the students that I would be helping. As a music student I was lucky enough to be placed into a music classroom. The classroom is very well put together. It has a lot of posters, inspirational quotes and friendly rule reminders placed around the room. The music program was recently fortunate enough to receive several used instruments for the students to play on. Because most of the students cannot afford to buy or rent an instrument, this is an extremely helpful action. In this particular classroom the teacher seemed to have fairly good control over the students. They were being respectful and when things started to get out of hand the teacher was able to bring the kids back into a more focused level.

I only work with three students who I will continue to work with during my time at the school. I am going to be teaching them how to play the flute. As a very ecstatic flute player myself, I was really excited to be able to teach something that I believe in so much. I hope to give them something that they can really work towards and hopefully succeed. A musical instrument could be a perfect escape for them.

It is very apparent in that classroom that respect and opportunity are valued between the students and teacher. The teacher puts a lot of emphasis on their potential and abilities. Unfortunately, because of a lot of the students' lives at home, it is already established within themselves the mentality of "can't" or "I'm not good enough." The teacher tries to delete this thought from their minds. He wants to show them that they have opportunities as well as talents and abilities. Although the kids are not always on their best behavior, there is still a very positive attitude, which I believe gives the students something to look forward to.

Me!

Hello everyone! My name is Kaitlyn Braman and I am a sophomore majoring in music education. I hope to graduate and work at the high school level as band, choral and general music teacher. I am really excited to start going out to schools to help tutor this semester. I love working with kids so this opportunity is one that I am really looking forward to it. So far my semester has been pretty hectic, but still enjoyable. I have 13 different classes so I am never bored. In the few moments that I'm not in class I am usually practicing my flute or hanging out with my friends. I am really excited to start blogging about my experiences and sharing our thoughts throughout this course!