Review of the Semester

Portfolio 8: What have I learned?

Looking back at all of my portfolio assignments and reading reflections, I realized I knew nothing at the beginning of the semester. I had no idea what this class was about or what I was supposed to learn from it. I was like Michael:

I knew that my future classroom would be diverse racially, but other that was the only definition of the word diverse I knew. I didn't consider various SES, sexual orientation, and culture. 

During this class, I have found out that I have many biases. 

I learned that this is NEVER acceptable:

I think one of the most important things I learned in this class is that there is always more than one story. People are not made up of a single story. As a history teacher, I can show students that there is never just a single story. There are not only multiple perspectives, but historical figures are multidimensional people. 

The "Other" assignment not only helped me to understand that there are places where I feel like an "other." It also helped me to understand what it is like to be an "other" and relate and empathize with people who may not "fit in" especially within the American classroom. On this same day we read the Gladwell articles that made me feel like an awful person. I hated the word pairing activities because I became aware of my biases against men, women, race and others. We also had to watch Stephen Colbert's video about privilege. Throughout the course of this class, I have learned that I may not be able to take away or cut back on my privilege but I can help others that do not have the same privilege as me to have more opportunities. 

The Walton reading taught me that we should let people define themselves. Students are told what they are or what they are supposed to be all of the time from many different sources, I can help them to succeed at what they want to do or want to be. 

This class taught me that just because a parent doesn't show up to something, does not mean that they don't care. They may not have even known that parent-teacher conferences exist, or they may face a language barrier and feel uncomfortable entering the school. They may face huge financial burdens with a very low SES, being a part of the working poor and are working all of the time just to provide the basics. In my ideal classroom, I would like to have snacks in my classrooms for students that are like those in the child poverty in the US video we watched. I hope my classroom is like pretzel day every day for my students. I want my classroom to be an escape from the other worries that they have.

One thing is for sure, I have become hypersensitive to the use of the word "gay". I did not know how much my friends used it until this class. I have started to say things to them and ask them not to use that word. This is something I never would have done before this class. Speaking of language, I learned that a student may be succeeding in basic interpersonal communication skills but lacking in cognitive academic language proficiency. Francisco from "Breaking Through" was a great example of this. 

I learned that I can teach students about different religions in school. As a history teacher, I can incorporate knowledge of world religions into the classroom. I learned how to differentiate between freedom of religion and freedom from religion. I can also learn about my students' beliefs so that I can be like the teacher in the Muslima video. 

Overall, this class taught me about many different aspects of students' lives that I should be aware of. I learned that all humans are different and that they have had many life experiences that have led them to be who they are today. I can help students to know that they are of great worth and have great potential. A successful teacher is someone who wants to be in the classroom because they love their students. They care about the individual. We can adopt Ellen Degeneres' motto to "be kind to one another". 

I know that I still have more to learn and there are many steps for me to take in order to become a true advocate. Once I become a teacher, I will make it my goal to continue to learn and be aware of my students' needs. I hope to be like one of the many supportive teachers that Francisco had, teachers who learned about his goals and helped him to achieve them. 

Reimagined Classroom

Hopefully at your convenience, I've pasted my original thoughts and then addded a paragraph for the changes I would make or the things I would leave the same.

1. Pictures
Original:

(the desks would be lined up similar to this. Photo courtesy of www.classroomselect.com)

(This would be similar to what is on the back wall of the classroom. There would be lots of pictures of different places and people. Photo courtesy of www.puzzlewarehouse.com)

(This is the awesome globe from Target that I bought and it will be sitting on my desk.)

(I will have bins similar to these where students can pick up graded assignments and tests. Photo courtesy of www.havingclassinthird.com)

(This will be my classroom: a portable. Photo courtesy of www.imodularbuildings.com)

Update: 

1. This would be my new classroom layout. I will explain more under classroom description. 

I would keep the other pictures because they add to my desire to have a "one world" atmosphere in the classroom. Also, the bins are to help keep a norm in the classroom for turning things in. 

2. Classroom Description
Original: In my head I imagine my classroom being a portable because that is where all of the social studies classes were in my high school in California, however in Utah portable classrooms don't exist but I imagine I will end up in California so I will be in a portable. There will probably be 5 rows of 8-10 desks each all facing the whiteboard which will have a smartboard attached to it. The walls at the back of the classroom will be filled with pictures of people of differing cultures and different types of maps (physical, geographical, political, etc). Also at the back of the class will be tables with bins on top where students will turn in homework. There will be bins with file folders with each students' name on them according to the period where they will pick up graded work. There will also be a late bin and one bin for the work that gets turned in for the day. My desk will be at the front to left side and I will have my super awesome globe that I bought from Target as well as knick-knacks that I have collected from my travels. On the right side will be a table with the assignments for the day, any papers that students will need or assignments that will be started. The smartboard will be used often for the powerpoints that I will be using, but not to be used for whiteboard purposes. This is what I envision my classroom to look like.

Update: I still imagine myself ending up in California so my idea of being in a portable does not change. My classroom set up will be different. It will be larger rectangular tables so that students are in groups of about 4 surrounding the table. Students will not sit with their back against the projector so that all students can easily see the board. This set up also allows me to meander around the classroom easier which hopefully will help students to understand that it is not my classroom, it is our classroom. I will also switch up the seating chart after every unit so that students learn how to work with different people. The seating chart will take into account ESL students and there will be a student who speaks whatever language near them in order to get the help that they need, especially at the beginning of the school year. By the end, ESL students should understand classroom norms and will be more integrated with other students that they may not have been exposed to yet. I hope this will create a safe space for students to express their opinions and know that our classroom does not have the typical culture of power with teacher as a controlling dictator. Students will have a voice. The walls of the classroom will still be filled with pictures of people of differing cultures and maps. The bins will be at the side of the class for students to turn in their homework. There will still be a late bin and a no name bin. There will not be a turn in day bin, there will be a bin for each class period where they turn things in. This procedure will be explained the first day of class and will be explained again and again each day for the first two weeks or so of class so that all students understand this classroom norm. My desk will still be at the front of the class but I hope to not use if very often. Next to the bins, there will be piles of paper with the assignment for each day. I will pass these out at the beginning of class but if students come in late, they know to pick up their assignment by the bins.

3. Describe Students
Original: In my imagined classroom, I see diversity. My students will have different backgrounds, rich, poor, middle class. There will be immigrants (probably some of them illegal), maybe a refugee or two, white kids, black kids, latinos, asians, a little bit of everything. There will be jocks, nerds, theater people, kids struggling with their identity, and some normal kids. These kids will have various religious beliefs as well as political beliefs. All of these differences will add to class discussion as we discuss geography and why people are different or the same in different regions of the world. They will all have varying interests. Most of them will be eager to learn, some will like to be on their phones all the time (this will be frowned upon), some will be boy/girl crazy, and some will just sit and pretend like they hate the world.

Update: I still see a diverse classroom. However, I do not see illegal immigrants, I see undocumented immigrants. Instead of using deficit thinking, I see potential. I see emerging bilinguals. I see children with unique experiences that will help other students open their eyes to the world outside of such-and-such city where they go to school. I now know I will not know everything about my students but I hope to use whatever knowledge I do have to help them reach their potential. In the syllabus, which they will have to sign, I will ask them to tell me three things I need to know about them which will provide them the opportunity to let me get to know them and cater my teaching to them. My students will have various levels of social and cultural capital. I will assume that my students are at school because they want to learn. I will not assume that students who miss class regularly are slackers. I will think of Francisco from Breaking Through that had to work to help his family. Some of my students will face problems like Francisco or they will miss school because they do not feel safe, like many of the LGBTQ students that we learned about in class. In the end, the diversity of my classroom will add to class discussions and experiences. I hope that my students feel safe in our classroom.

4. Classroom Policies
Original: One of my coaches in high school called himself a "benevolent dictator" and I think that is kind of how I will run my classroom. I won't be unreasonable like most dictators, but when it comes down to it, my decisions are the ones that count. My discipline plan will consist of verbal warnings, separating students who are disruptive (I'll probably have some sort of time out desk where I will send students), and calling parents for extreme cases. I feel it is impossible to keep students from completely using their cell phones in class so instead of trying to take them away, I will ask students to google things when we are unsure about an answer so that they will be using their technology in a more productive way than snapchatting my awesome lesson. In my head, this is a great idea but it may be awful and so with time this rule could be modified. I will allow late work but students will only be allowed to earn up to 85% the second time around. I will also allow for test corrections but students will have to explain why they chose the answer they chose and look up the correct answer on their own. Students will walk into class, turn in any assignments that are due and pick up the assignments for the day on the various tables. I know there are a million other things that need policies but this is all I can come up with for now.

Update:I will not be a benevolent dictator. That is for sure. I don't want anyone, in particular refugees who fled from a dictatorship country, to feel that I am the one with all of the power. I won't change the fact that in the end, my say is what will rule but I will provide students the opportunity to bring up ideas for policy changes. My discipline plan is still the same. There are bound to be inappropriate comments made that are racist, disciminatory, or plain rude. When these comments are made, I will take the student aside and talk to them about their comment and why it is not appropriate. If this becomes a class wide problem, we will take time as a class to address the problem. My cell phone policy is the same. My late policy is the same and test corrections but these rules are flexible, students will need to talk to me one-on-one so that I can understand their specific circumstance better. Also students will be allowed to use tranlsation devices if needed.

5. Typical Lesson
Original: I would be teaching geography. My typical lesson will be powerpoints. I would start with some sort of video and then we would have key terms and talk about whatever chapter of the textbook that we are on. I would then have some discussion questions that I will facilitate with the entire class or have them break into groups and discuss them together. Typically it will be asking who, what, where, when, why? This will be a theme throughout the whole year. I want students to understand that we are one world. I would hope that my students leave my classroom with a greater appreciation for differences in culture, religion, race, work etc.

Update: My lesson will be pretty much the same. However, I would use subtitles on videos for students that may not be skilled at listening or have a language barrier. I would highlight achievements of other countries to show that the US is not the only country that does anything. I would incorporate famous women, LGBTQ, minorities etc so that students can relate like Francisco did to Hernan Cortes. There would still be lots of group work so that students can build social and cultural capital by being exposed to people of different SES, race, gender, sexual orientation etc. I would include opportunities students have in the community to build their capital. These could be extra credit.

6. What am I doing as a teacher?
Original: I will be doing some direct instruction through the powerpoint as I describe key terms that students need to know in order to participate in the class discussions. There will be some inquiry based teaching with the 5 w questions. If we are having a class discussion I will have the students do the majority of the talking. When students are broken up into pairs and participating in cooperative learning, I will be walking around and checking for understanding. Oh, and jokes will be made here and there.

Update: I would add that there would be intential repetition for students that may need it. I would help build students' geographical discourse as well as their historical discourse. I would know my students names by the end of the first week of school so that there is a relationship established early. I would walk around the classroom often in order to keep students on task, and be informed. I would want to get involved with Latinos in Action club to help be an advocate for latino students.

7. Students again, what are they doing during the lesson?
Original: Students will be writing down on flashcards that they have the key terms and definitions given to them. Students will be expected to participate in class discussion, if they are not, they will be called on. As mentioned before, students will walk into class and pick up or drop off the various assignments for the day.

Update: Students will be attentive but if they have been distracted for the past few days, I will confront them and ask them what is happening because it often is not something that happened in class but some factor that happens outside of class. I would try to help them to know that they are in a safe space.

8. How do I assess student learning?
Original: I imagine that I will have department-wide tests that will be given. However, for the day to day things classroom discussion will help me to gage where students are in their understanding of the material. I foresee map quizzes where students have to fill in country names into a blank map. I will know that they have learned when they start making connections on their own.

Update: Not much will change here. If students are not succeeding, I will attribute it to myself rather than them.

9. Reflection
There is so much to think about and take into account as a teacher. There are so many contextual factors. Each student is different and has different needs. Each class is different and has its own personality. Multicultural Ed has helped me to recognize some of my own biases. I have not overcome them but I have seen how I can change and move along the Biddle scale to one day become an advocate. This assignment has not only helped me to envision my future career as a teacher but I have been able to start building my future classroom.

Breaking Through

I really enjoyed this book. I was pleasantly surprised to find it in the “Teen Non-fiction” section of Barnes & Nobles. “Breaking Through” helped me to understand many of the concepts we have talked about in class much better through real application. Rather than have an essay-like portfolio, I am just going to have certain vocabulary words as titles and then a paragraph or so about how “Breaking Through” helped me to better understand these terms.

Racism

I was shocked when Roberto comes home saying that his now ex-girlfriend Susan’s father promised her that he would buy her a car if she stopped seeing Roberto. A car?!?! Panchito goes through something similar with Peggy. Once he goes over to her house, her parents do not let her talk to him again and so she just ignores him at school. I’m not sure if there is much I can do as a teacher in order to stop parents from being racists but I can cultivate a classroom of respect for all people.

Passive Racism

When we are introduced to Mr. Kinkade, I felt like there was some passive racism. I don’t think he intended to offend or assume but he did. He is talking to Fransisco about his future and automatically talks about how they have programs for mechanics, electronics, wood shop and farmers. However, he quickly corrects himself once Panchito says he wants to go to college. I was super bugged at Mr. Kinkade but then I really came to like him because he became a great support to Francisco.

Prejudice

Prejudice is similar to racism but this book helped me to differentiate the two. Racism is prejudice that is based upon race and this prejudice leads to different treatment of different races. Panchito and his family experience prejudice and Panchito does not understand how prejudice exists. On page 125, he talks with his parents about his confusion by asking them why people don’t like Mexicans or Catholics. I thought it was so interesting that Panchito didn’t realize prejudice against a race or religion existed until he had to read the newspaper and read about JFK . This helped me to realize that as a teacher, I will be exposing students to things that they have never even considered before and will need to be prepared to answer questions similar to the ones that Francisco had.

Undocumented Immigrant

This whole book opened my eyes to what it means to be an undocumented immigrant. Francisco said that he spent ten years of his life living in constant fear of being deported. I cannot imagine how many kids there are in public schools that do not have documentation. That has to be so distracting. Students like Francisco, who are separated from their family for a time in order to get correct documentation, often bury themselves in schoolwork “to escape the loneliness” (page 29). I thought that this was so sad but at the same time so great. But as I read, I realized that not all people are like Francisco and turn to other, not so beneficial habits to escape loneliness. These poor students have so much going on outside of school that no one even knows about. Even once his parents came back to the US, Francisco had to work even more to help out the family and so he fell behind in his schoolwork. Teachers should notice these changes and I think teachers have the right to ask students what has been happening. I think the saddest thing I learned about undocumented immigrants is that oftentimes the parents do not feel like they can be included in their children’s’ achievements. Francisco’s father does not feel comfortable attending the graduation ceremony because he does not know English and does not have anything to wear. Also the parents don’t show up to the open house but Francisco doesn’t even know what an open house is. These things do not just apply to undocumented immigrants. There are plenty of people who don’t feel comfortable attending school functions and it is not because they do not care, it is because something impedes them from feeling safe. As a teacher, it will be necessary to understand this and not automatically assume that parents who do not show up to things do not love and support their children.

Cultural Capital

This book helped me understand and see the differences between social and cultural capital. In the book, Francisco and Roberto come to America with little cultural capital. Once they are on their own, they really begin to build their American cultural capital. Mary O’Neill invites them to dinner and they mimic everything that she does. They mention that she begins to do everything slow enough that they can do the same. Teachers can do this in the classroom. Even today when I was teaching, I noticed that I was talking too fast when I was explaining directions to play monopoly. I tried to correct myself but I went over the instructions a second time and then throughout the game explained various parts of the instructions so that students could understand. This book also helped me to realize how important pop culture is in our American world. Francisco learned that if he knew about Elvis and his songs, he could fit in.

Social Capital

Francisco was able to build social capital through going to the Vets dances. (This also helped build his cultural capital). He also was able to network though his early morning cleaning job. He was given a typewriter that had just been lying on a desk that he never would have seen if he did not work. He built social capital through being class president and being a part of the Rotary Club. His relationship with his counselor also built his social capital because through these networks of people, he was able to apply to colleges as well as scholarships even though he was very close to the deadlines. Not to mention Mr. Ito played a crucial role in getting the Jimenez family back to the United States.

Inclusive Pedagogy

Mr. Kinkade was so good to Panchito. He included him in the typing class instead of putting him in wood shop. He also invited Francisco to visit a college campus which exposed Panchito to college life. Mr. Kinkade also communicated with other colleagues because Mr. Penney knew all about Francisco and signed him up for the SAT so that Francisco could go to college. Miss Bell talked to Panchito after class about the story he wrote and found out that it was a true story. She suggested that he read “The Grapes of Wrath” and would even give him extra credit because it was a long book. Francisco’s middle school teacher included him when he sang the Elvis song. All of these examples of inclusion helped me to see what inclusive pedagogy is. It is individual. It is making sure that students feel like they belong to the school community.

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

I learned a lot about this term. Francisco’s teachers seemed to be culturally aware. When Francisco and Roberto returned to school after being deported, none of the teachers asked them about where they had been. They didn’t call any attention to their absence. I loved that Mr. Penney sent Mr. Osterveen to the Jimenez household to speak to the parents about college. Mr. Penney must have been aware that Francisco’s parents want the best for him and so he sent someone who could relate to them to convince them to allow Francisco to go to college. This eased their fears. I thought that was so cool. All of these examples taught me that I must be culturally aware and if I am ignorant on a subject, ask for help from someone who is familiar with a certain discourse.

Working Poor

This book helped me to understand the struggles that the working poor face on a daily basis. They would miss school for a month and work to help their family. I was so impressed by Francisco’s diligence to write his vocabulary and spelling words on a notepad and he would memorize them while he worked. It was saddening to hear Panchito’s father say, “don’t be stupid. Only rich people become teachers” (page 72). It was also eye opening to read that Roberto and Panchito looked forward to the showers at gym because they were hot. I almost cried when their family received some of the food that was donated due to Francisco’s idea to have a food drive. The working poor is not lazy. They are hard workers. They are determined people.

This book was awesome. I loved the author’s notes that talked about others like him. “How they manage to break through depends as much on their courage, hope, and God-given (let’s not get to talking about meritocracy) talents as it does on the loving, compassionate, and generous people who commit themselves to making a difference in the lives of children and young adults” (page 59, italics added). Francisco had a difficult life but it was made easier with loving and caring teachers. I hope to be a supportive teacher like many of the ones Francisco had.

Portfolio 5: Community Experience

I attended the Healing after abuse: victim recovery lecture that was given on campus. It was so interesting. There were two people that spoke, Chelsea and Stewart.
Chelsea focused on how to recover as an abuse victim. By looking at her, I never would have known that she was an abuse victim. This was hard for me to grasp because I realized how ignorant I am. I don't know what I had in mind about what abuse victims would be like, but Chelsea did not fit my picture. She's white, a college graduate, probably from some middle class family and she looks happy. It would never be my first guess that she had been abused. I was reminded that everyone has their own story and it is complex. There is no one story to a person. There are multiple perspectives and aspects of a person's life that are not covered by just one story like we talked about in class. Victims of abuse are not defined by their abuse. It was so impressive to hear Chelsea open up just a little about her past and how she has been able to move forward.
Stewart focused on what parents and loving supporters can do to help victims. This experience opened my eyes to what happens in the world. I have some friends that have been victims of abuse and it is hard to understand their healing process. Chelsea explained that you cannot let others tell you when you should be done grieving. Stewart talked about this too. He explained that supporters cannot become the interrogators. People typically do not like to talk about their suffering and if they are asked the same questions over and over, they won't want to explain things when it matters (like to law enforcement). I think this is good to remember as a teacher. If a student approaches you saying that they are being abused, you have no need to ask questions but just report it and let the authorities take over. We talked about in the class that teachers just need to believe. There is no need to question, just believe your students. Have faith in them. Your job is to remember that this event does not define this person and to thank them for sharing with you what they have shared.
I am grateful I attended this lecture. I learned a lot about any type of relationship. I learned how important it is to retain a solid understanding of your divine nature. It is also essential to help others remember their divine nature and that abuse does not happen because that person did something wrong or because they deserved it. Every person has infinite worth and potential and teachers can remind students of this every single day in a safe classroom environment. I also learned that there is no stereotype for abuse, it happens between all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, genders. It would be wrong to dismiss someone's suffering because they don't fall under a specific category of "people who get abused" which is typically believed to be those in the low socioeconomic category or racial minorities with machista husbands. To believe that their is only one type of people that get abused is like passive racism. We can unintentionally assume things about people and be completely wrong. Abuse can happen to anyone. This lecture ties into multicultural education because abuse happens in all places, to all races, genders, SES etc. We, as teachers need to be aware of what's going on but we have no right to be interrogators. The classroom is a safe space where some students are probably escaping their real world problems, abuse being one of them. This was a great experience to have. 

Chinese Oppression

Immigration to the United States from China began in the early 19th century. Immigrants came during the California gold rush and were often workers on the transcontinental railroad. Soon after Chinese immigrants settled in the US, oppression began. Chinese immigrants suffered racial discrimination on all levels. It got to be so bad that the US passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. This law prohibited immigration from China. This is the only law that has prevented immigration and naturalization based on race. Chinese immigrants were know as the "yellow peril". During this same time, many states had anti-miscegenation laws, which are laws that prevented Chinese men from marrying White women. However, the oppression decreased during WWII because China became an ally with the US. It wasn't until 1943 that Chinese immigration was allowed by law once again. In 1965, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was passed which lifted national origin quotas on immigration causing an increase in immigration from China. Today Chinese-Americans make up the largest group of Asian Americans (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Chinese_Americans). Oppression towards Chinese Americans may not be as extreme as it once was but there are still traces of oppression today.
According to PEW social trends, Chinese Americans make up 1% of the total American population with over 3.3 million people. 44% of US-born Chinese can speak their native language, 59% of Chinese Americans are married, the median annual household income is $65,050, and 35% of Chinese Americans have a Bachelor's degree (http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/asianamericans-graphics/chinese/).
Today it is common for people to not distinguish different Asian ethnicities.
Many combine all Asians into the Asian category rather than distinguishing people as Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Filipino etc. This is a mild type of oppression. It is not uncommon for Chinese Americans to be asked where they are from, referring to what country their ancestors came from. Some are called communists and 25% of Americans believe that Chinese Americans would side with China instead of the US in a China-US dispute with 7% unsure of what would happen. There is the belief that "China is going to take over the world"and that Chinese workers are robbing Americans of jobs. There also remains the stereotype that Chinese Americans own stores and restaurants.
Here are some more stereotypes that are given of all Asians, not just Chinese. Pardon some of the content.

 So Chinese people are said to be smart, short, all look the same, be bad drivers, and not be good at sports among many other things. Like these videos say at the end, we have the power to uphold stereotypes, pass them on, or stop them. It appears to me that Chinese Americans have done a very good job at being resilient. This is the only minority group that has been literally excluded out of our country but they came back once that law was appealed and have proved to many that they are not aliens but very hard workers and are some of the most accomplished people in our country today.
However, with this desire to be the best, many Chinese parents have very high expectations for their children. This may not necessarily be a negative consequence but US-born Chinese Americans often struggle to live up to their parents' high expectations. As this meme indicates, eliminating stereotypes is not the number one priority but rather to study hard and get good grades.

As you can see, the media often clumps all Asians together rather than distinguishing between different asian ethnicities. Older Chinese people do not think that Panda Express is awful but the younger generation, who most likely never lived in China, think Panda Express is definitely not comparable to real Chinese food. 

Doing this research, I realized that Chinese Americans are an oppressed group. They may not be as much as other groups but I often clump all Asians together and so I need to stop doing that. I also think it would be important to recognize the history of this group of people. They were treated very harshly and I think there are a lot of Americans that don't even know about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. As a history teacher, I think this will be an important lesson for students to learn. This is one way I can help support anti-oppression efforts towards this group. I can also continue to be informed and keep up to date on Chinese oppression through current events. 

Here are some more portrayals of Chinese Americans in the media:

Just look at the girl in the background, she's disgusted.

"Hats of to you for not seeing race"

Once again, Asians are all combined.