Proficiency and growth: which is more important?

The past two weeks we've focused a lot on low performing schools and what can be done to help these schools. We also went to an elementary school that has been deemed low-performing and is one year away from having the state come in and redo everything. My class spent the entire day at the school. It was interesting for me to experience that, as I've only been in an elementary school all day only two or three times. But I've never been in a regular content class for that long. As an ESL teacher, you see multiple students a day, in multiple grade levels. At the school we were at, I was in the Kindergarten class all day with the same students. I felt out of place because I know how an ESL classroom works, but not necessarily how a content class works. I was amazed at how much rotation there was to the different groups. I was also amazed at how well the students did when rotating. The teacher has done an awesome job instilling within them order. The teacher was so chill (almost too chill for a Kindergarten teacher). Sometimes I felt like the teacher was a bit unorganized or didn't really know what to do next... But the students listened and did what they were supposed to. There was only a few times that two or three students had to be scolded or asked to sit a part from the group because they were acting up. Overall, my experience at the school was a good one. I was surprised at how fast the time passed, and I'm grateful for the group I was able to observe (even though I'm pretty sure all the kids were sick :( praying to Jesus I don't get sick!) The teacher and teacher assistants were amazing; you could tell they truly cared about these kids and didn't have time to put up with their nonsense. 

In my research, I found a couple of articles discussing proficiency and growth: which one is better? Many articles say that schools and districts and the state should focus on growth and not proficiency. In one of the the articles I read (https://www.the74million.org/article/barnum-the-growth-vs-proficiency-debate-and-why-al-franken-raised-a-boring-but-critical-issue/), it says "about 20 percent or less of the variation in student achievement is explained by differences in schools. That pales in comparison to out-of-school factors, like poverty, that have a significant effect on learning. Schools matter, but they aren’t the sole or even main driver of student outcomes... The school could be doing a great job helping kids improve, but if they start out at a very low level, that might not show up on proficiency measures... Since proficiency scores are highly correlated with poverty, using them to rate schools inevitably means that low-income schools will, by and large, get the worst scores. This may make such schools less desirable places to work, since they face stigma and accountability pressure, potentially driving away good teachers from the schools that need them most.... Proficiency-based measures also may increase the likelihood of school segregation, as affluent families avoid low-income schools, deeming them ineffective based on bad data." The article also mentions that many teachers tend to focus on the students that are in the middle of their achievement, i.e., the students at the top who are doing well and do not need much, if any help, get ignored, as well as the students at the bottom, who are not doing well and will most likely never reach proficiency, get ignored.  I hate to see this, but it was so evident. You could see the tiredness in the kids eyes. You could see the frustration and hurt in the teachers eyes when they told certain students they could not go on the field trip because their parents couldn't pay. Even the school itself appeared to be worn down. I was cold the entire time I was in the classroom. And having to go from building to building in order to eat or go to the gym was slightly annoying to me. However, even though this school has its struggles, you can see how much these teachers and staff love their kids.
Throughout this entire week and especially at the elementary school, I saw multiple, if not all, of the teacher standards addressed. At the meeting we had on the history of the school, Standard 1 was addressed because it showed their goals and strategies addressed in their School Improvement Plan. Standard 2 was also addressed because the school is constantly Seeking solutions to overcome obstacles that prevent family and community involvement. They've done this by incorporating more day time events instead of night time events so that parents have a better chance at showing up. In the classroom I observed and helped out in, Standard 3 was addressed because the teacher made the material being taught relevant to the students and encouraged personal productivity in order to achieve certain goals in life. Standard 4 was also addressed within the classroom. The teacher incorporated technology in just about every thing that was done in class - students had time to get on the computer to complete activities; they were able to get on iPods and complete activities on that; and they watched videos with important information, like fire safety. As a future teacher, I hope and plan to make my classroom as welcoming and safe as possible and provide warmth and rest and snacks if needed. I will listen to them as they discuss their family situation and I will try my best to help them out through any situation. I will encourage them to keep their head up and that I am there for them at any time. These kids need stability, and I plan on giving that to them.
From observing at this school, it became clear to me that it isn't as important to make sure these kids know how to take a test and ace it. It is more important for these kids to feel loved, accepted, and safe. These kids come from various backgrounds, most of them terrible, and their priorities are not going to be if they can be proficient in something. But it is also obvious that these kids can grow; they just have to have their needs met.

SO MANY ACRONYMS

This week was a very information filled week. We discussed 504s, IEPs, DEPs, BEPs, AIGs, ECs, MTSS, PBIS, RIT, and many, many more. Just looking at all those acronyms is overload for me. However, these are all terms we should be familiar with. Wednesday, we had a guest speaker, and it was awesome! She explained MTSS; how the 3 tiers work; and how to organize all this information into something a little bit more understandable. I took about 3+ pages worth of notes from her lecture.  It was very informational and helpful. Some things that I took from the TEDtalks we watched were some amazing quotes: "Teach to the heart; the mind will follow... Believe in them so that they can believe in themselves... Value stories that students bring to school and help refine them... "
One thing I liked was the Golden circle:

What do you do (teach students) (outside of the circle and what's easily identified and seen).

How do you do it (mission and vision statements) (in between what and why and also easily identified).

Why do you do what you do (purpose, cause, belief, exist, care) (center of circle and harder to identify).

People don’t buy what you do… they buy WHY you do it!

If you’re just delivering content, they won’t take it in. They have to be feel valued.

Harry Wong quote: In an effective classroom, students should not know what they’re doing, but why they’re doing it." One mission of the MTSS is goals/outcomes for students. Students need to know why and how what they are doing will help them for their future, which means we need to know everything we can about our students.

Learning about all of this meets many standards, but the one I want to focus on is standard 2 - Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students: Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. Teachers collaborate with the range of support specialists to help meet the special needs of all students. Through inclusion and other models of effective practice, teachers engage students to ensure that their needs are met.
Teachers should: • Collaborate with specialists; and • Engage students and ensure they meet the needs of their students through inclusion and other models of effective practice.
With all of these acronyms and EC students, there are teams that help determine the accommodations, management, and differentiation needed to meet the needs of each student. It is important for all teachers to work together with these teams and specialists so that we can adapt our instruction to a level that all students can access it.

Some things I found while researching MTSS and the 3 tiers were the following:

https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/rti/at-a-glance-3-tiers-of-rti-support
https://www.pbis.org/school/mtss
I love the photos because they really show what needs to be done for each Tier and how many students will be in each. The websites break down what each Tier is and how they reach the students in each and how MTSS and PBIS help the students and include the help from parents, as well.

I hope to incorporate so many things into my future classroom. One of them being a respectful environment. Yes we're teaching kids, but we need to meet their needs first before they can learn. Whether that be hunger needs, being there for them needs, sleep deprivation needs, lack of money needs, concern for family needs... the list could go on. If they are focused on the fact that they haven't eaten in two days or the fact that they haven't slept in two days or the fact that their mommy just left the house and they don't know why, then they're not going to retain anything being taught to them. They've got to process through all this emotional waves before they can focus on learning. I hope to teach my kids that no matter what's going on in school or in their lives or in other people's lives, that we come together as a class and respect one another And listen to each other's stories and help each other out. We do not laugh. We do not whisper. We do not point fingers. Instead we listen. We help. We encourage.

I have an IDEA

This week we had Monday off, which was nice, but also, at the same time, wasn't really a break. I met up with Taylor, and we kind of figured out what to do, but at the same time, didn't know what to do! We divided up the work and worked on the Weebly. We were so thankful to get the due date postponed, because this week has been super hectic and crazy and busy and I had no idea how I was going to finish everything in time. So I am grateful that it was pushed until Sunday.

On Wednesday, we talked about IDEA - PL94-142.  We also ranked what's important in school for teachers:

1. Kids who are Bleeding
2. Kids who are Broken
3. Counting Money Correctly
4. EC students

Anyway, back to IDEA. I can't imagine what it was like before this law was out. Kids were not being allowed into schools. So much potential was lost because the schools did not want the extra responsibility of these kids with disabilities and impairments. So sad.

One thing that shocked me was the fact that we can still test students even without parental consent. I mean, I understand some parents not wanting their child labeled, but I cannot imagine not getting the consent from the parent first. I understand why we still do it; the child needs services. But still... I would hate to think about the discord that might be created if that were to happen.

I also learned that there are several categories for EC students. I never realized there were so many, but at the same time, looking over the list, it makes sense. And then I began to think about all of the responsibility we as teachers have. We have got to think about so much! 

I am also an ASL major, and one of my internships is at the SC deaf and blind school this semester. I get to interact with some students who are required to have services, according to IDEA. The difference between some of the students is staggering. You have some there because they just lost their hearing through sickness or through hereditary means. Then you have some who are intellectually disabled as well as deaf and/or blind. Working with those kids is tough, because there body is much older than their mind is. I met one girl who was 25 and still in high school (which, fun fact I did not know, if you are an EC student, you can go to school until you are 25. Otherwise, it's 21 for everyone else.) I see kids who are doing amazing despite their disability, and then I see others that need every type of assistance available. It truly is eye opening.

We learned about the 4-5 settings for least restrictive environments (LRE) in NC.

Inclusion - most teachers teach this; EC students are functioning below grade level but has the cognitive abilities to be in a traditional classroom with support. If you are an LA or Math teacher, you’ll usually have another person in the classroom with you to help.

Resource - the students are in classroom; you still have to modify lesson. But there’s no other person there to help, and the child is pulled out during certain times of the day for separate instruction.

Self-contained - students come to traditional school but are in their own classroom for part or most of the day; not more than 10 students in classroom and there is a teacher assistant as well

Separate setting - NORTH SHELBY; NORTH LIBERTY; places where they cannot be in a normal traditional school; they have to go to a separate place for education

** Maybe Monitoring - students have an IEP; EC comes to check and see if they are progressing and if they need help. They may need slight accommodations, but not much.

      These were good to know about. I knew these different settings existed; however, I did not fully understand how they were divided up, or categorized.

I also learned some new things like the following acronyms: 

OSS - out of school suspension

ISS - in school suspension (didn't even know that was a thing! But if you're EC, you can't miss too many days of school because you have to receive services).

I researched the statistics of children with disabilities and I found the following link:

https://www2.ed.gov/fund/data/report/idea/partbspap/2013/nc-acc-stateprofile-11-12.pdf

The article states that only 57% of EC students graduate, as compared to the 78% of other "normal" students. That is a huge significance! There are some other things in the article that discusses assessment rates and where each impairment ranks in that. It also gives the outcomes of the students depending on when they started getting services and how much they will succeed and meet the goals they need to in life. It also discusses the percentages of each impairment and how many students in each race has a disability. I know it's a lot of numbers and a bit hard to process at first, but it is very eye opening for me.

The two standards I want to link this weeks learning to is Standard 5 and 2. 

0. Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment.
   Understanding that change is constant, teachers actively investigate and consider new ideas that improve teaching and learning. They adapt their practice based on research and data to best meet the needs of their students.
   

   • Actively investigate and consider new ideas that improve teaching and learning; and
   • Adapt practice based on data.
     
   Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs.
   Teachers collaborate with the range of support specialists to help meet the special needs of all students. Through inclusion and other models of effective practice, teachers engage students to ensure that their needs are met.
   Teachers should:
• Collaborate with specialists; and
• Engage students and ensure they meet the needs of their students through inclusion and other models of effective practice.

It is important for us as teachers who are dealing with kids with disabilities to constantly research new ways to reach these students and help them learn. We also need to collaborate with their parents and any other specialists about the best way to instruct these students. Research of various strategies to include these students in every aspect of learning is extremely important.

This week was a bit overwhelming, but can you imagine how these students feel everyday, knowing that they're different and need help? Empathy and a different lense are so very important! These kids deserve the best to reach their fullest potential! Let's give that, y'all!

Diversity

This week was somewhat of a chill week. We played a game that helped explain some of the many diversities that are in this world, and we took a quiz on key terminology to know for this class and that are related to diversity.

The game we played was stressful and annoying. Some memorable quotes coming from that day of class were "Adulting is hard..." and "Life is stressful..." All things we know to be true, but when you really think about it, you realize, "Oh, man... this REALLY IS difficult..." And how true is it of our students! They are coming from such a wide range of families and scenarios and dealing with so many things. We will never be able to imagine what they're going through, since we, as teachers, will not have experienced everything that our students have gone through. However, we can help no matter what.

I liked the document "Primary and Secondary Dimensions of Diversity" which discusses the obvious things we see that are different about our students and are easy to recognize and incorporate into our lessons/classroom. But then there are also things we cannot see on the surface - like income status, parental status, religious status, etc. These things are important, too, and good things to know about our students. Knowing these secondary dimensions will help us understand how students learn and how to motivate them and why they might be upset or unwilling to do an assignment.

We discussed having a multicultural classroom and what that looks like. We read an article, "Heightening the Standard of Quality Education," and some things that really jumped out to me were the following quotes: "Multicultural education is education that concerns and benefits everyone. It takes into account all the complex components of an individual -- gender, class, religion, and economic background, not simply race. It deems these positive qualities and incorporates them into the curriculum and educational policies... We need to create conditions so the students feel that they are worthy, capable, and belong... Therefore, multicultural education is valid and addresses the performance gap by identifying the talents, qualities, and frames of reference of children and creates a learning environment that students can see themselves mirrored in, which attributes to increased motivation and interest in learning material." I know that's a super long quote, but I feel like it's all important and shows how having a multicultural education is vital to the prosperity of our students.

The standard that this week connected most with is Standard 2 - Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students. "Teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in the world. Teachers: • Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures; • Select materials and develop lessons that counteract stereotypes and incorporate contributions; • Recognize the influences on a child’s development, personality, and performance; and • Consider and incorporate different points of view." This is vitally important for the success of a classroom! If we don't know how our students learn and what might be influencing their learning abilities, then are we really doing the job we're supposed to be doing?

I want to leave with a quote from an article I read about multicultural education.

http://www.theedadvocate.org/6-ways-to-implement-a-real-multicultural-education-in-the-classroom/

"Value your real-life experience of diversity over the textbook version... multicultural education cannot be taught in a textbook. It must be developed by each educator based on a particular student group." Relationships are key!

Poverty... it's worse than we thought!

Poverty... that is what we talked about this week... it was a difficult topic to get through, but one that was needed for us students/future teachers to talk about. 

Many of the children we will instruct will come from the lower income class. They won't have all of their materials because they will be too focused on what to eat for the day or if their clothes are too dirty or wishing they had gotten more sleep during the night. They won't be focused; they will act out. They will be frustrated and give up easily. Reading and learning about all of the statistics of children in poverty can be overwhelming. It makes you think "Well, what can I do!? These kids aren't going to make it!" So what next?

Ruby Payne is amazing! I read a few articles, some by her and some by other authors using her research and strategies, and let me tell ya! They are awesome! They give teachers simple strategies to use within the classroom that makes the whole problem of addressing these kids needs easier! 

https://www.ahaprocess.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Understanding-Poverty-Ruby-Payne-Poverty-Series-I-IV.pdf

The above article is actually several articles, but they offer so many strategies to use within a classroom with students from low-income situations. My favorite article was"Building Learning Structures Inside the Head." It set up an analogy of a house with 4 Learning Structures: 1) Structure 2) Cognitive Strategies (processes) 3) Conceptual frameworks 4) Sorting mechanisms— important from unimportant. I won't go into detail as this blog is already long, but it makes so much sense! You have your main structure - what the main topic is in a subject, and from there you branch out to make sense of the topic. You research the topic; you analyze it; you get all this information about the topic, and then you organize it into models/frames/pictures from the overall concept to more specific details. From there you sort it all out using a model so that the final product makes sense in your head. I know that my explanation of it might not make that much sense, which is why you should go read the article yourself! 

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr08/vol65/num07/Nine-Powerful-Practices.aspx

This article above talks about 9 powerful practices to use within the classroom, and this article was mentioned in class. The most important thing that we teachers can do is to form relationships with the families and the students, show we care. We can help parents and students understand what all they need to accomplish or do in order to be successful within the classroom and outside of the classroom. Relationships are key!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/28/five-stereotypes-about-poor-families-and-education/?utm_term=.a5466ba343e8

This article talks about 5 stereotypes people have about poor families. Now, after watching Tammy's story, I would agree with this article; however, I know that's not the case for all poor families. If students get the proper encouragement from family and teachers, they can advance as far as they want to. Many students from poor families simply do not know how to organize/get work done, or talk/act in certain situations, or know how to think about bigger and better things when all they see around them is depravity. It is important for us as instructors to encourage them to do their best, to inform them of hidden rules and how to act and how to organize, and also to set their eyes on future goals. I know it's hard to manage a class full of 30 kids, over half of whom are not focused. You're trying your best to get through your lesson and just get through the day, but it's important for us to take a step back and see how we can make these students see that education is important and will get you far in life. 

We also looked at report cards, and I looked up the county I am from and where I plan on returning when I graduate... Our schools aren't doing too well, which isn't a shock, because the area I live in isn't the best, but still... seeing that grade makes me sad because so many of these kids aren't ready for real life or real college and I want to see them successful. My brother wrote an article talking about how he chose to become a doctor because 1: he saw the suffering my dad went through and how we had to drive approximately an hour to get the care that he needs and 2: he wants to provide care to those that are like us - in rural areas - that need a doctor nearby to attend to their needs instead of  having to drive a ridiculous amount to get to a "good" doctor and a "good" hospital. My brother saw the depravity way before I did, and it makes me want to go back and try to help these students that are dropping out or are not college ready. 

The standard that I want to focus on is standard one: teachers demonstrate leadership. Below this standard it says: "Teachers should: • Take responsibility for all students’ learning; • Communicate vision to students; • Use data to organize, plan, and set goals; • Use a variety of assessment data throughout the year to evaluate progress; • Establish a safe and orderly environment; and • Empower students... Teachers should: • Work collaboratively with all school personnel to create a professional learning community; • Analyze data; • Develop goals and strategies through the School Improvement Plan; • Assist in determining school budget and professional development; • Participate in hiring process; and • Collaborate with colleagues to mentor and support teachers to improve effectiveness... Teachers should: • Advocate for positive change in policies and practices affecting student learning; and • Participate in the implementation of initiatives to improve education... Teachers should: • Strive to improve the profession; • Contribute to the establishment of positive working conditions; • Participate in decision-making structures; and • Promote professional growth." All of these things are important if we are looking at poverty and trying to figure out what to do about it. Having plans for the school as a whole, in addition to the class, and in addition to individual students will help bring focus and organization and help students and teachers strive to meet this goal. Having incentives to motivate students will help as well. Even though as teachers, we look at the bigger picture (we're trying to get these kids ready for higher education), these kids won't always see that. So, sometimes, we'll have to think of other ways to get these kids motivated to learn, whether through activities, or prizes, or whatever! We have to do what's best for our kids and get them motivated to learn!

This was a sad week, but a needed week. I hope we all leave ready to create ways to improve the lives and education of our students. Remember, relationships are key!

prejudice; whiteness; culture; race

First off, I didn't realize there were at least 5 levels of prejudice. I knew that each level was a thing; I just did not know that they were actually defined.

Level 1  Antilocution

Level  2 Avoidance 

Level 3 Discrimination 

Level  4 Physical Attack 

Level  5 Genocide or Extermination

I have seen many of these in action, and it breaks my heart seeing that such hatred is still alive and well in this country where so many things are possible. I watched the video "Race Baiting 101" and I loved the quote they used, "The power is in uniting against hate." The fact that our country was once, and still is, in a three tier class really opened my eyes. You really can see how that applies, even today. Minorities are often at the bottom, with poor white people next, and then the elite on top. The ones on top really do control everything, and yet they do not know what the lower classes go through. I have often thought how we could make equality happen, and to be quite honest, I do not think it ever will happen. The type of society that we live in will not allow it to happen. And with everything going on recently in politics, it is obvious that we are not as far advanced with equality and oneness and everyone thought we were. 

The video we watched about the brown eyed, blue eyed experiment was amazing and also shocking. You could see the kid's souls get crushed because the "more important people" thought they were "dumb." What others thought of them really affected their performance. They started to believe it! That is why words are so so so so so important! Kids will believe just about anything, and if you constantly tell a group of people something over and over and over and over again, they eventually start believing it and acting it out. 

Two articles I had to read for my sociology class really go along well with what we've learned this week.

http://everydayfeminism.com/2016/08/told-white-friend-black-opinion/#.WaM4j_3Nutu.facebook

http://occupywallstreet.net/story/explaining-white-privilege-broke-white-person

I encourage whoever reads my post to read those articles. It really shows you how true "Race Baiting 101" and the three tier system really are, and also how important for those of us that are white, even if we aren't rich, we can still be a voice for those that aren't as privileged as us.

Many of the things that we have discussed so far this semester has shown that we must be leaders in our classroom; we must set the ground rules for how we will respond to race, diversity, minority groups, etc. We have to show the kids that racism and prejudice and hatred will not be tolerated. We have to lead by example and show the kids that everyone should be accepted and loved. We have to fight for the chance for everyone in our class to succeed. This also incorporates standard 2. Everything we learn in this class will incorporate standard 2. And as much as we strive to incorporate diversity, if society is still struggling today, like it has been for the past 300 years, something is not being done right. It is obvious that the "masters" still control the lower classes, and until something drastically, emphatically, enormously happens... we will still be struggling for years to come. 

Values/Goals/Norms/Mission/Diversity... Oh My!

     Wow! What a week! We have done so much in this class already, and I cannot wait to learn more! On Monday, We set a mission for our class: "In EDUC 350 we will become better educators through immersing ourselves in diverse populations to better meet the needs of our students by creating a sense of community inside and outside the classroom."

I think this is a great mission if we follow through with it! As a future ESL teacher, I am always immersed in diverse populations! However, as we also discussed in class on Wednesday, diversity varies based on the following:

·         Gender

·         Race/Ethnicity

·         Socio-economic status

·         Religion

·         Community

·         Disability

·         Beliefs

·         Political Status

·         Citizenship Status

·         Learning Styles

·         Level of education

·         Occupation

·         Home life/Family Makeup

·         Language

·         Age

·         Sexual Orientation

·         Culture/Customs

·         Physicality

     I mean, WOW! And that certainly is not all of diversity, but it certainly is a lot to cover. I never would have thought physicality as a diverse trait, but it is true. Not everyone is tall or short or skinny or plump. We all vary - and that is something else that might need addressing within the classroom - especially if it is a point of interest that makes fun of the student instead of building them up. It is important for me, as an ESL teacher, to work with content teachers, EC teachers, AIG teachers, and Title One teachers, and any other specialty teacher to help our students to the best of our abilities. Instead of trying to fight for time with a particular student, we need to work together to accomplish the student's goals - especially the ones on his/her IEP plan. And parent involvement, family history, cultural norms - they all influence the child's learning abilities, which is why it is important for us as teachers to be involved within the community and getting to know what our students face in their everyday life.

     On Monday, we also discussed some goals and norms we wanted within our EDUC 350 class. They are as follows:

Values/Goals:

·         1. To get a good grade

·         2. To build/create a class culture

·         3. To be more confident and learn how to embrace all cultures

·         4. To learn how to deal with the hard situations

·         5. To learn how to get to know our students individually

·         6. To learn how to differentiate lessons based on circumstances

·         7. To be aware of biases and keep them from affecting instruction

Norms

·         1. Everyone contributes to the class

·         2. Respect everyone's opinions

·         3. Be aware of yourself

·         4. Be open minded

·         5. Be prepared

     Now, I know getting a good grade in class is a great goal to have; however, I am not really sure if it is a "class" goal. That is more on the individual to achieve that goal. Yes, the class as a whole can help each other out and encourage one another, but it is up to the individual to meet that goal. I loved that one of our goals was to get to know our students better and on a more individual basis. As an ESL teacher, I often work with smaller classrooms. Now, there are ESL classrooms that are big, like a normal elementary classroom; but in the rural areas, the ESL classrooms tend to be small. Because of that, ESL teachers get to know their ELs (English Learners) really well. This is extremely important within a classroom because you become familiar with how the student learns, what they specifically need help with, and how to adjust your lesson to better fit their needs. If we do not get to know our students, then we fail as a teacher and we fail our students. 

     I also liked the fact that keeping an open mind, reminding your students to keep an open mind, and teaching the correct facts were all addressed this week. Too often we become so close-minded that we do not realize how it is influencing our everyday lives. I believe with all the recent events happening within our country, many people are realizing how wrong history has been. They have realized that maybe what they thought to be true, really, actually wasn't. But, unfortunately, there are many who refuse to see the truth because of how close minded they are.

      That is why it is so extremely important for us as teachers to encourage diversity and accept diversity and encourage questioning, but discourage stigma. This will be a difficult task to accomplish, as our students are influenced by their families and the media, but like was stated in class today, WE set the culture in our classroom. WE set the ground rules; WE set the norms/goals/values of our classroom. Something I read brought about a good point: “Teach students to match their behaviors to the setting. We all behave differently in different settings. Teaching students the differences between their home, school, and community settings can help them switch to appropriate behavior for each context…While some students adjust their behavior automatically, others must be taught and provided ample opportunities to practice. Involving families and the community can help students learn to adjust their behavior in each of the settings in which they interact.” (teachervision.com). This incorporates so many things we have discussed and read about so far in class, and just proves the point that we need to be aware of our own biases and behaviors and teach are students to be aware of theirs, as well.

     To be honest, everything we have talked about this week has hit on every single NCTCS.

We demonstrate leadership (1) by establishing our classroom culture.

We establish respect (2) when encouraging students to discuss, research, and listen to various cultures/viewpoints/opinions.

We know the content we teach (3) when we teach it accurately and effectively.

We facilitate learning and academic growth (4&6) by holding our students to higher standards and encouraging them to learn and grow more.

We reflect on our practice (5) to make sure it is free of bias by communicating with other teachers and keeping that community communication open.

     This has been an awesome week as our eyes have been opened to certain aspects of culture and diversity that we may not have considered before! Tune in next week for more mind blowing educational facts!

Culture. . . What's that?

The following lines are a few sites and how they define culture:

Culture is the social behavior and norms found in human societies. (Wikipedia)

The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. (Google).

a :  the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generationsb :  the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also :  the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time.c :  the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.d :  the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic.(Mariam Webster)

--the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.--that which is excellent in the arts, manners, etc.--a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period: (Dictionary.com)

All of these hit on our class definition of culture - the growth/development of human characteristics and social norms through the integration of beliefs, values, and traditions based on place and time, shared by a group of people.

Like we said in class, culture is complex. There is culture for every area of life - within families, religion, race, friends, community, language, gender, social class, etc. Defining it is extremely difficult. However, it is something we must teach within our classroom.

As a teacher, we are always growing to improve our instruction. One way to do that is by learning about different cultures. As a future ESL teacher, I will have students of different ethnicities, who are greatly influenced by their cultures. It is important for me as a teacher to understand their cultures and where they come from so that we can effectively instruct them. I need to display these cultures within my classroom and make all of my students feel safe. Having lessons on their culture, having them present on their culture, and supporting events dealing with their cultures all helps show them that their culture and other cultures are important and valuable.

This class will improve my knowledge of diverse populations and how to better instruct each individual. I look forward to continue to learn about various cultures and how to incorporate learning for all. The incorporation of various technology tools will help me understand them better and potentially use them within my own classroom, which is always a plus!