Blog #4

My personal history and sociocultural characteristics are the complete opposite of those of my students. Majority of the students I work with are considered poor, and also come from either hispanic background or african american background. There are only about two white children in the classroom. I even do not have a lot in common with them. The dominant culture in this classroom being hispanic, the white children try to blend into that culture. They act more like those children than typical white children. My second grade class was a class o first and second graders. We were multi-age and had the same teacher for two years. This was great because it pushed me harder as a first grader because I was with second grader and in second grade, I excelled because I had more independence. Also I came from an all white culture. I can think of only three non white students I came in contact with during my whole education. So on the first day entering this classroom, I was a little nervous. There are definite culture differences between the children and I but we work through it. I definitely have to watch what I say when it comes to materialistic issues. For example, when asking about the holidays, majority of these kids do not have the same as me. I gather with my whole family and eat this large meal. Some of these kids did not even celebrate the holidays. Some claimed that they did not have a costume so they could not go out for Halloween or that they did not have a big dinner for Thanksgiving. I knew instantly I had to act like i was not surprised by this or felt bad for them. Children can pick that up quickly. So a definite challenge with these kids is hiding my feelings. A language barrier is definitely apparent with the students also. They all speak english but it's very obvious that it is their second language. All of them with strong accents makes the conversations difficult. But being one of my first experiences with other ethnicities and social standings, this has been a beneficial experience.

Blog Post #7

Well this semester has helped me a tremendous amount in figuring out exactly what I want to do. I have realized that I do not want to be a teacher. But this experience with the kids has definitely shaped what kind of teacher I would want to be. When I pictured teaching, I thought it would all be pleasant and happy. That I would love every aspect of my job and just have fun with the kids. After my VIPS tutoring, I know that I now need  back bone. I would have to show that I will not let the kids take control. They can have fun but they need to the appropriate time to. I am observing a student teacher and she has no presence in the classroom. The kids pretty much do whatever until the classroom teacher steps in and reprimands the children. Also this experience has also showed me that you cannot become attached. All the kids open up and love to tell you about their life and hug you and are so excited to get attention. As I heard some of these stories, I wanted to do certain things to help them. But then I realized there are twenty other students in that classroom with problems and it is not my responsibility to fix their lives. It is my responsibility to teach them.
Another large quality I learned I needed, was to go with the flow. As an elementary school teacher, you cannot be uptight and needing things to be perfect. Because it absolutely never will be. The kids will surprise you, forcing you to adjust your plans. Or your day will be completely disrupted by maybe a school functions. Sometimes you just need to go with the flow and work with the kids and just make sure they are getting what they need. It might not be perfect, but it is easier and more rewarding that way.