Portfolio 8: Portfolio Summary

Throughout the course of this semester, we have worked hard to challenge our thoughts and stereotypes in order to successfully incorporate multicultural education into our future classrooms.  I have been able to work through my own stereotypes and disruptions and become a more open and understanding teacher.  I have come a long way as I look back through the course of the semester and am so grateful for the growth I have experienced.

From the beginning, when we did our first imagined classroom, I thought I was a pretty open and accepting person regarding race/culture/sexual orientation.  But as the course of the semester continued on and we did more and more reading reflections, I was surprised every week to critically self-evaluate my thoughts and views of those around me.  In my first imagined classroom, I didn't include anything racist or anything like that but I failed to include lesson plans that steered clear of white-middle-class viewpoints.  I failed to incorporate and celebrate many cultures and identities in my classroom.  I have changed that over the course of the semester, as shown in my reimagined classroom.  I now realize that importance it is for me as a teacher to make an extra effort to include multicultural and social justice teaching strategies.  Rather than keep it simple and easier on my part by just following basic teaching strategies, it is so important for me to break out of my shell and teach for social justice and multicultural purposes.

When I think of how I have changed the most throughout this semester, I think of the videos we watched about different slangs that different groups of people have.  I think of my first reaction while watching these videos, and how I was automatically annoyed that they didn't talk in 'proper English'.  They were speaking in their cultural slang, Black English, Appalachian English and more.  I was automatically annoyed that they didn't take the time to learn 'proper English' and assumed that they were less intelligent than those who do speak in 'proper English'.  I have changed in this viewpoint so much over the semester, which I am so proud of.  It is easy to assume one person is more intelligent than another based on how they dress, speak, etc.  But my mind has been forever changed as I critically self-evaluated those thoughts and realized that appearance and slang has nothing to do with the intelligence a person has.  It has taken a while to work through these biases, but I am not comfortable stating that I am less likely now to judge a student based on looks/language used on whether or not they will be a successful student in my class.

Overall, this class has helped me view the world from perspectives other than mine on very important topics regarding to me as a teacher.  I learned the importance of including a rainbow flag in my classroom, not necessarily because it effects me but because it will effect my relationship and the trust students who come from LGBTQ families will have with me.  I learned the importance of teaching for social justice so that we refrain from teaching a generation to continue to be sexist, racist, etc.  I learned of the importance to step back and self-evaluate and be willing to recognize that your viewpoints are wrong and to work through them to correct them.  I learned of the importance of looking at activities, lessons, assignments from multiple perspectives to make sure it isn't offensive or catering to one culture or group of people.  I learned of the importance to think of how students with wheelchairs, language barriers, hearing impairments, cultural differences, gender identity differences or any other diversity would think and what I need to do to support them in my classroom.  I learned of the importance of accepting and supporting all students in my classroom, no matter who they are or how they identify with the world.  My viewpoints and teaching strategies are forever changed by self-critiquing my viewpoints and stereotypes and being awakened to the importance of viewing issues and important teaching strategies through the eyes of other cultures and backgrounds.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be opened up to the process of dealing with discomforts, learning from them and applying what I learned to being the most successful teacher I can be.

Portfolio 7: Reimagined Classroom

I had the opportunity at the beginning of the semester to detail what my ideal future classroom would be like.  What it would look like, how it would function, etc.  Over the course of the semester I have been able to reimagine what my classroom will be like, and my eyes were opened to new inclusions and viewpoints I want to incorporate in my classroom.  I am going to paste my original 'Imagined Classroom' below, and cross out or add to any sections that I have decided to change after all I have learned this semester.  The added details can be found in this color.

1.  Five images (you can take them or they can come from the Internet [provide proper credit]).  These images should reflect, in some way, what you imagine your classroom will look like once you are a teacher.  Please annotate your images by providing a description of the image and how it relates to your future classroom.

                     (image from http://www.thebitsofbrit.com/how-desk-towers-saved-my-sanity/)
            Picture #1: When I picture my future classroom, I picture something like the photo above for the organization of the desks.  In the photo above, the desks are clumped into groups which is great for group projects and discussions as well as asking their neighbor for any help that they need if i'm not available.  I love this particular set-up in the classroom above because of the shelf towers that are in the middle of each desk, and the numbers that are on top of the towers.  The towers would be a great space to keep daily materials such as markers, scissors, glue, etc. as well as specific materials needed for that day.  It would be a lot easier and faster to say, "Grab the science worksheets out of the science drawer and hand them to everyone at your table," rather than have everyone come up to my desk to grab their own sheet.  The idea would be to have a table captain every week, they would be in charge of going to the drawers in their group of desks to get supplies and give them to their table mates.  I will rotate the groups every so often as to avoid any problems that may come up throughout the year.  This way, they will avoid being in any same group for a long period of time.  This can help those who don't get along, and can also help get a wide variety of viewpoints throughout the year.  And I've learned so much about how learning from the viewpoints of others is one of the best ways to learn and grow.

(image from http://dandelionsdragonflies.blogspot.com/search/label/classroom%20set%20up)

                 Picture #2: I want my students to be focused and honest when learning new ideas and concepts.  This idea above could help me accomplish this in my future classroom.  My idea would be to have a weekly learning target in each subject, thinking of third or fourth graders, to write on these papers each week.  At the beginning of the week, I would have my students look at the new learning target of the week, and write on a piece of paper on a scale of 1-5 how confident they feel about the target.  Do they already know how to solve word problems, or do they not feel very confident with them?  Then at the end of the week, I would have them again write from 1-5 how confident they feel about the target and hand it in to me.  That way, I know if certain students still need some help grasping concepts or if the whole class is still confused so I know where to pick up the next week.  This could also help teach them that even if we don't understand something, if we put enough practice into it we can eventually understand new things that seemed too hard to accomplish before.

     (image from http://thethirdgradelearningspot.blogspot.com/2013/09/classroom-set-up-2013.html)

               Picture #3:  This picture is a good example of something I think is very important in a classroom.  Distributing jobs every week to the students will help them know that I trust them to accomplish the job, and they will feel like they are contributing to the success of the class.  Each week, I would rotate names and make sure everyone has had a turn with each job throughout the year.  This would hopefully help teach the kids to respect their classmates who have the jobs for the week, and help teach the students with jobs about responsibility and that I am trusting them to do their best at the job.  I will make sure that the colors used to distinguish between students are in no way gender-suggestive (aka not putting pink for girls and blue for boys), as to not support gender stereotypes.

(image from http://lessonswithlaughter.com/classroom-library-organization/)

                 Picture #4: In my third and fourth grade classroom, we have an amazing library in the back of the room with some floor pillows and tons and tons of fun books.  We could check out books to bring home, read them during recess (especially if we had indoor recess because of rain or negative degree weather in MN), read them during individual reading time and we would also gather back there to listen to our teacher read our group chapter book a few minutes every day.  I remember absolutely loving this area, having floor pillows made us feel comfortable back there and made us want to make time in our schedule to go read.  It helped me not only with my reading skills but also my desire and want to read.  I would have it organized similar to the picture above, separating non-fiction from fiction.  And then from there, separating by genres and popular authors.  In my library I will include books with two moms, bi-racial families, LGBTQ characters and a variety of other scenarios that normalize taboo subjects.  I will mix these books in with the others to encourage the normalization of these topics and situations.  I will also give opportunities to schedule reading times with me, as well as opportunities for students to have personal reading time during class.  This way, if they don't have a situation at home where people can read to them or they can read on their own I can make time to given them that opportunity to hear books read aloud and read on their own.

(image from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Management-Tool-Fill-Up-the-Jar-2350194)

                   Picture #5: Progress is something that can be difficult to measure in classrooms.  A lot of teachers tend to make reading goals for the amount of books the class can read, or make competitions out of who can get the best score on a spelling test.  I want to stay away from any group comparison or competition, because I feel like then the students will be completing assignments and test just to see if they can get first place, and won't care about what they learned in the process.  So, the only progress I really want to keep track of as an entire class is something similar to this marble chart above.  I want the class to encourage each other and work together towards an overall goal, like a pizza party or extra recess time, or like the picture above suggests sitting by a friend for a day or two during class.  To earn the marbles, students would be awarded when they help a classmate understand something that was confusing to them, said something kind to a classmate, helped me with a chore/task, cheered up a classmate, etc.  I would also give a marble to students who ask for help, either from me or from a classmate.  This might help them know that even if they can't understand or solve the problem, it is a great next step to ask for help or clarification.  I want to promote kind, helpful, genuine friendship and encouragement in my classroom.

2. Imagine the surroundings in your classroom.  What does the room look like?  What resources are available for students?  How are the resources used during the lesson?
              I want my classroom to look welcoming, organized and i want it to feel like home.  I am a huge believer in making every apartment that I've lived in feel like a home, otherwise I would never feel comfortable being there!  So I want to do the best I can to put floor pillows, fun pictures and quotes throughout the room to make the students feel comfortable in the classroom.    I want the classroom to feel welcoming to all, so I will avoid putting white middle-class normality in it and avoid pushing my culture onto my students.  I will include posters and decor that is inclusive and respective to all cultures, keeping decorations simple and informative.  I will include posters with students of many races, and will include simple posters with lots of pictures as to help any ELL students in my classroom better understand concepts we are learning. I also want the room to have a few different stations, including the reading station pictured in my response to question 1.  Science, math and history stations (even if they're small so I can fit them in the room) would help me stay organized in knowing where supplies and papers for each subject are.  Ideally I could use the science station, for example, to demonstrate the activity we would be doing that day.  The students could see the station from the desk, and could follow along with the steps I am doing while they get the supplies from their drawer towers (mentioned above) and do the activity the same way I did.  It would make it easier for me to quickly access the supplies I need for each specific subject, and would hopefully help the students focus on the subject we are doing rather then the one we just finished talking about. Each drawer in their drawer tower would be designated for each subject and I will have already filled each drawer with what they will need for the day.  I will also include an LGBTQ flag in my classroom, most likely on my desk.  It doesn't have to be huge, in fact I imagine having a small flag in my pencil cup on my desk.  This way I am not rubbing it in anyone's face that I support those in the LGBTQ community, but those families who are involved in the LGBTQ community will notice it and appreciate my support.  This will hopefully help those families know that I am supportive and welcoming to any and all students and students' families.

3.  Describe the students in your classroom.  What are their backgrounds?  What are their interests?  What are they doing during the lesson?
                 I hope to have a diverse, welcoming classroom in which we can all support and learn from one another.  I am sure I will have people from many different home backgrounds, but I hope to make them all feel equally valued and cared for in my classroom.  I am sure I will have students who love soccer practice and dance class, and others who can't put the 4th Harry Potter down.  I am sure I will have students who are invested in science lessons, and some who think that history class is the best time of the day.  I hope that they are able to find friends with similar interests, but I also hope that they will find joy in learning about their classmates' interests even if they themselves aren't interested in that hobby.  During lessons, I hope that they are focused on my instructions and are comfortable exploring and learning new concepts with their table-mates.  They won't be afraid to make mistakes because they will know that you learn best by making mistakes before you find out the correct way that things work.  I can picture Suzie zoning out and Robby nudging her to make sure she heard the instructions for the next project we're working on.  I can picture their excited face when they finally figure out what ingredients they needed to put together to make their volcano erupt.  I hope my classroom is an exciting, loving place filled with students who are encouraging each other to continually try to do their best.   As I mentioned above I will include posters, books and scenarios that represent all races and cultures.

4.  Describe your classroom policies.  What are your classroom rules?  What is your discipline plan?  What are your homework policies?
                I want my classroom rules to be simple enough to understand, but vague enough to apply to a variety of issues that could come up throughout the school year.  My classroom rules will look something like this: 1. Be Kind  2. Try My Best  3. Respect Myself and Others  4. Never Give Up.  These rules are simple enough that everyone can understand them from the beginning of the year.  However, they are vague enough that I could break down different conflicts in the class and remind them of a rule that it coincides with.  For example, if Seth said something rude to me I would remind him that one of the rules is to respect others and I would remind him that in order to respect me he has to use kind language and express his concerns in a respectful way.  If Abbie had a little problem of peaking at her neighbor's test during spelling tests I would remind her that one of our rules is to try my best, not try our neighbor's best.  My discipline plan would look something like a stoplight, which is a strategy my parents used when my siblings and I were little.  At the beginning of the week, everyone would start at the green light.  If someone has one strike (or one obvious bad behavior), they move up to yellow light.  From there, they can either calm down and exhibit good behavior the rest of the day and move back to green or they could throw another tantrum/behavioral problem and move to red.  Their position stays overnight but they are able to move down throughout the week if they have an entire segment of a day where they exhibit good behavior.  Those ending in green on Friday can pick out a piece of candy on their way out, those ending in yellow or red will remember to try hard the following week to make it back to green.  For discipline, I will focus less on behavior and more on the lesson.  If a student is misbehaving or on task, I will quickly guide attention back to the lesson and avoid reprimanding that student in a way that is distracting from the lesson.  I will have a plan for what to do to grab everyone's attention again when students get rowdy or distracted--whether that is a song or a clapping call to attention or anything else that works well for individual classes.   For homework, I hope to have enough time during the day to at least give some time to work on homework and for them to ask for any help that they need from me.  I will try my best to allow time to complete the homework while they are in class, as to avoid any child from going home and not knowing how to complete the homework and who doesn't have a parent who is willing/able to help them either.  I hope to have them turn in complete, to-the-best-of-my-ability work and then will hand back the homework and have them fix any mistakes they may have made and really take the time to understand their mistakes.

5.  Describe a typical lesson you will teach in your classroom.  What will you teach?  What is the topic?  Why did you choose this topic?  How will you teach it?  What is the main thing you want students to learn during this lesson?
              One lesson I could teach in my classroom would be to start at the math station, and demonstrate pretend-cutting a pizza made out of paper.  I would hold up one piece of the pizza and ask the class what fraction of the pizza I had in my hand.  We could then count the pieces and determine that I had 1/4 of the pizza.  I would then have them take out supplies from their drawer towers, and create and cut a pizza with their neighbors.  I would have them make one pizza that has 4 slices, one that has 6 slices, and one that has 8 slices.  We could then practice the amounts of pizza each person has in fractions, switching up how many slices each person has.  I chose this topic because fractions is something that can be so tricky to grasp, I remember struggling with it.  But when you bring something into the lesson that if fun and exciting, like pizza, it suddenly intrigues them and makes their ears perk up a little more.  Instead of comparing 1/8 to 1/4 on the whiteboard I want them to see 1/8 of a pizza compared to 1/4 of a pizza and to make observations from there.  I want them to learn the difference between sizes of different fractions, as well as how to count in fractions.  Once they were able to grasp the concept and feel comfortable with fractions, it would be fun to have a real-life pizza party once the unit was over and to find out what fraction of the pizza each person ate.  Instead of pizza for this lesson, which I realized is extremely white-middle class, I will incorporate different culture's foods in this lesson.  For example, I will have pictures of rice bowls, paella, naan, etc.  We will work with these foods and cut them into equal slices, and will compare fractions with them.  At the end of the unit, I could incorporate these foods in real-life and we could learn about different cultural foods as we talk about the fraction of the dish that each person has.  In math, I will also incorporate word problems that are inclusive of all family types such as "Paul and his mom and his step dad made paella...".  This brings normality to different family types.

6.  Imagine your work as a teacher during this lesson.  What are you doing during the lesson?
               During this lesson, I would initially stand in front of the class to introduce the idea and give instructions on how to make and cut the pizzas foods.  I would then spend the majority of the time walking around to the tables and asking them questions to prompt them to think about fractions in ways they might not have been thinking.  I could answer any questions they have and make sure they stay on task while I am walking around.  I would interject every few minutes and ask how far along each group is, and make sure they are all going about the same pace.  At the end, I would stand up in front of the class again and ask them what they discovered and learned while participating in this hands on activity.  If I had a parent or paraprofessional, I would ask them to take the more advanced students rather than the struggling students.  I will have more experience teaching than these helpers most likely, so I would want to focus my time on giving extra help to those who need it.  The helpers in my classroom would work with the advanced students and make sure they are doing things correctly still, while I can give extra help to those who need it.

7. Imagine your students again, what are they doing during the lesson?
              During the lesson, my students would initially be listening to my instructions and explanation about how pizza naan, paella, rice bowl, etc. is related to fractions.  They might ask questions about fractions, trying to figure out the difference between about 1/4 and 1/6.  Then they would be working together to create pizzas naan, paella, rice bowl, etc., and figure out how to cut them into fractions (while I helped them break the pizza naan, paella, rice bowl, etc. into fourths, sixths, and eights).  They would hopefully have fun comparing fractions, and would take turns with different pizzas naan, paella, rice bowl, etc..  One student would have the pizza cut into fourth, and would practice saying "I have 2/4 of the pizza naan, paella, rice bowl, etc., now I have 1/4 of the pizza naan, paella, rice bowl, etc.", etc. They would then hopefully feel more comfortable asking questions after spending a bit of time playing around with fractions, and would have a better idea on how to start to solve problems relating to fractions.

8.  Imagine how you will assess your students' learning and achievement.  How will you know they have learned?
                This is something that is so hard to me, and I'm sure to many teachers as well.  Tests are not my ideal way of testing knowledge, because students learn and grow so differently that tests are not the best way of testing every individual's achievement.  However, I do think that they are the most overall effective way to assess the students' learning capabilities.  I hope to be flexible with this though, and know that if a student tests better when problems are read aloud to him/her then I will make time to have my teaching assistant or myself read the test out loud to the student and record his responses.  I hope to also have class discussions to let them think aloud, and would use the system I mentioned in question 1 picture 2 to assess on a scale of 1-5 how confident they feel in each subject every week.  Hopefully that will help me be aware of every individual's needs and the weaknesses they feel in our learning targets.

Portfolio 6: Book Club

 I had the opportunity to read The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens.  Looking back, I love the phrase in the title "Big Dreams and Brave Journeys".  What amazing, difficult, complex backgrounds and experiences these students have.  I was blown away by the endurance and suffering these students have gone through.  While reading this book, there were many things that disrupted me and made me question the educational system described in this book.  Before being introduced to this book, I did not even know that there were entire schools dedicated to immigrant students.  Where I grew up in Minnesota, there are separate classes called Newcomers class where immigrants would go for part of the day to learn English in a more one-on-one way as to ease them into American schools.  I'm no expert in which way is better or anything like that, it was just really interesting for me to learn about this schooling system and read from the students' perspectives.  My views as a teacher were completely renewed as I read this book, and I am now more aware of the needs and differences of immigrant students that need to be addressed in classrooms.

Disruptions:

         One of the disruptions I experienced while reading this book was the excruciating process families had to go through to get enrolled into the Immigrant school.  The Department of Education made it so difficult for them to enroll, and I can't quite get my head around why.  I understand that the majority viewpoint in our country is negative towards immigrants, but why must we make it so difficult for them to get an education in a high school designed specifically for immigrants? The book said, "For many families, that process seems like an endless odyssey through an enormous bureaucracy that is unable to address all of their needs" (Hauser, p. 70).  I don't know a whole lot about the legalities of immigration, but I do know that this part of the book broke my heart in two.  I can only imagine the stresses and emotions that immigrants go through to try and get somewhere that can offer their families better opportunities, only to arrive there and realize it's extremely difficult to get into the system.  And to also realize that the system you dreamed of being a part of, the schooling you wanted your children to be apart of was unable to meet your needs and cultural norms.  The educational system is not accommodating to immigrant families, which is a huge issue.  Especially in schools designed specifically for immigrants.  It makes me sad and angry knowing that these students and their families are already going through so much, the schools should be more supportive of these families by making it easier to get enrolled in the school system.

        Another disruption for me was how the American Dream is thought to be everyone and anyone's ideal life to many people.  But that just isn't the case.  These students in this book didn't necessarily come here to be American and live how the common American does, they can to pursue a dream.  That dream could be an education, that dream could also be to get as far away from war and famine as possible.  It frustrates me that we often assume everyone is chasing after the American Dream, when in reality that's not the right path for everyone and not the right thing to push on students.  These immigrants are going through more than most American students ever have to, and have every right to pursue whatever dreams they want.  Students who are immigrants should be supported in pursuing whatever their dream is, whether that is getting or education or whether it isn't.  It was a powerful reminder of how different cultures are when reading about Yasmeen.  She was debating whether to get married or continue her education.  This was a cultural norm for Yasmeen, and she was choosing whether she wanted to follow her culture or get an education.  In my opinion, schools should be accommodating to different cultures and should work out ways in which students like Yasmeen can pursue their education while respecting their cultural identity as well.  Along with this, we need to make sure that the buildings and signage are useful for every student.  They talked about in the book how one girl didn't eat lunch for a month because she couldn't find the cafeteria.  That is absolutely unacceptable and such a fixable issue.  It needs to be a priority to make the school buildings easily understood by all, and if they aren't then teachers need to go out of their way to make sure each student knows where they are going.

        And another disruption that I experienced while reading this was that there wasn't enough room in the schools for all of the students that wanted to attend.  That makes me so sad, that there are people being denied an education simply because of an issue of space.  I understand that there's no possible way you could fit every single student into a school without overcrowding, but it seems like there would be options for other schools that the leadership could help them find.  It just made me so sad thinking about everything these immigrants had already gone through to get to America, and how devastating they must have been when they were turned away after all of their sacrifice.

Connections:

        One of the main connections this book helped me make to all that we have been learning about in class is how much extra attention ELLs need.  Not because they are less smart, or less motivated in any way.  Just because they need extra help understanding what they are to do and what is being taught.  In the book there were many examples of students who were the only students who spoke their language in the entire school, like Chit Su from Thailand.  These students need extra support and attention when learning a new language and adjusting to the classroom setting in a whole other language than what they are used to.  I think it's also important that these students continue learning their first language, so I think it is necessary that teachers should find resources in the student's first language to aid their education.  Finding books in Thai, Spanish or whatever language necessary will help the students learn the material being taught while they are working on learning English.  This way, they are able to keep up on their education without falling behind due to a language barrier.

        Another connection this book helped me make to what we have been learning about in class is the deficit theory.  It is so common for teachers and other members of society to apply the deficit theory to immigrants, and assume that they are dumb and useless just because they don't speak perfect English.  What I loved about this book was that the principal never showed any support of the deficit theory.  She didn't see the students as burdens or as difficulties.  She saw them as capable, intelligent people who can find success in life with the right tools.  She planned the school to best fit the students, but to also push them to succeed.  You can tell that she wants these students to find success, not just endure their time in the school system.  She was also able to identify with these students and understand them because she herself was an immigrant.  This was a great resource to have for the students, as they saw how they could be successful just like Alexandra was.  This was an important reminder to me that even if I don't have the same exact background of a student, I still need to make an effort to get to know them and to try and connect with them so that they feel more supported.

        Another connection I was able to make to what we learned in class was regarding to push and pull factors.  Push factors and pull factors were shown in many ways in this book.  Each student came to this immigration high school for different reasons.  Some students were pushed from their home countries because of war, or even some risked death if they would have stayed in their country.  These factors pushed them to move to America and become an immigrant.  Some pull factors that these students had were the good education provided here, learning another language, having more freedoms, or pursuing a dream of living in America (which isn't always as great as they dream it to be).  As I thought in an elementary school perspective, many students that young did not have any choice in coming to America.  Most of the time it was because of their parent's decision and it was out of their control.  Thinking of what these particular student must go through was overwhelming to me.  They are put in such a new environment and are expected to figure out how to navigate this new system.   Being supportive and trying our best to calm their nerves and accommodate for them is necessary for the success and comfort of these students.

        Everything about this book made me think about what I will do as a teacher to remember what I learned from reading it.  I would say that it had enough impact on me to completely rethink the way I think about immigrant students and ELLs.  I want every single one of my students to feel welcome in my classroom.  I don't want students to be lost in the hallways, or not know how to use the eating utensils int he cafeteria like several students in the book.  I need to be an advocate for the students of my classroom and fight for them to get the resources they need.

        One thing that really struck me while I was reading was that I need to be aware of how the students got here and where they wanted to go.  Supporting their past while helping them create their future is essential.  It may be challenging to reach out to these students because their past may be painful and hard to speak of.  But I at least want them to know I care for them and that they deserve to have an ally and friend at school.  I found myself cheering for these kids as I read their stories.  I will cheer for my students in my classroom.  These students also need support at home, and I cannot assume that they will have the same resources that the middle white class has.  They need access to books and other materials that they need to enhance their learning.  Being aware of what they need is really important.  Accepting the culture they come from is even more important.  If this high school felt like a tower of Babel to the faculty, then an American school has got to feel like an entirely new planet to an ELL, immigrant or refugee.  I want to be a friend to these students and make sure that they know how to get everywhere and have access to the resources that the American kids do.

         Overall, I cannot express how much this book has opened my eyes to a topic I haven't often thought about.  My heart reaches out to these students and I want to care for them and make their transition into this scary, intimidating situation easier.  Everything comes at them so intensely and quickly, and all they are trying to do is fit in and find success.  I hope they know that I will be their friend and advocate and will help them figure out this culture while still maintaining their cultural norms and values.

Portfolio V: Community Experience

           I had the amazing opportunity of visiting and helping at a mental care facility that my brother-in-law works at in Omaha, NE.  I was visiting them for the weekend for my niece's baby blessing, and decided to ask my brother-in-law if I could somehow observe in the mental facility without intruding or making the patients feel uncomfortable.  We decided that I would sign the paperwork to allow me to help during art therapy time at this facility.  I have to keep patient confidentiality and I can't discuss full details of what mental conditions the patients were in.  But I can talk about how much this experience impacted me.
         While visiting with these patients, I was able to participate in art therapy with them.  They told me that they have classes throughout the day that help in self-esteem, coping methods, therapy strategies and much more.  Some of them were there by choice, some of them were there after suicide attempts or mental health episodes.  All of them were there for a minimum of one week, working with the nurses and therapists to strategize how to handle the 'outside world' again after leaving the care facility.  They didn't have phones, internet access or anything like that.  There was a phone by the front desk where patients could talk to their immediate family if they wanted.  Many of them didn't wish to speak to their family as their families were part of the reason they were struggling.  All of the patients were teenagers, some as young as 12.
          There's quite a big stereotype that goes along with these mental facilities.  Many people think these facilities are filled with crazy people who are constantly twitching and talking to themselves.  But in reality, these patients are real people.  They are normal, high school and middle school students who are struggling and needed a new form of help.  They needed to step away from the world and the stresses in their life to take a deep breath and reevaluate how to cope with any issues they were struggling with.  They didn't feel like the majority culture, these kids.  They felt outcasted because they were struggling with mental illnesses that their classmates and friends didn't understand.  They couldn't "just choose to be happy", they couldn't flip a switch and get rid of their anxiety.  Their mental illnesses were debilitating, and they were sick of not being as normal as their friends and family.  They needed a place to go where they could feel normal, where they could work through their illnesses and issues with a group of peers who understood and supported them.  I have never witnessed a group of strangers show so much support to each other than I did while watching and interacting with these patients.  They cared about each other, and they wanted to see each other succeed.  They understood and sympathized with what the other patients were feeling and going through.  It was a community of perfect strangers, who were struggling themselves but were determined after participating in such a supportive environment.
            The thing that makes this facility special, in my opinion, is how they meet the needs of each individual who comes.  They don't give everyone the exact same treatments and coping strategies.  They are equitable, and give every patient the means they need personally.  They made sure each patient got the care and help that they needed as an individual, for their individual circumstance.  They made the patients feel important, and let them know that they were needed.  They prepared each individual so that they would be able to cope with the world once they left the facility.  Each patient left knowing exactly what they needed to do when they began struggling again, all because the nurses made such a big effort to care for them as individuals rather than as a group.
             This experience was life changing, as I listened to the stories of the patients.  And as I realized what an amazing tool this facility is for those who struggle with mental health.  Having facilities like this one in communities around the world is such an important thing.  People with mental illnesses need treatment and help, just the same as anyone with a broken arm.  It's so important to have specialists like the nurses at this facility who specialize in helping those with mental illnesses.  It's even more important to have specialists who know how to help teens with mental illnesses, and the nurses at this facility were just that.  They were amazing and knew exactly how to help.  This comforts me knowing that there are facilities that are made to help anyone, of any age who are struggling.

Portfolio IV: Investigating Oppression

         1920, 1963, 1997, 1782, 1917, and 2016.  What do these years have in common?  These are just a few of the significant years in the continuous fight for the equality of women.  Women were given the right to vote in 1920 (Pinsker).  The very first woman to go into space was Valentina Tereshkova in 1963 (Sharp).  The first WNBA game was played on June 21, 1997 ("History").  The first woman to serve in the army was Deborah Gannett in 1782 (Purpose).  But, she was only allowed to be in the army because she enlisted under the name of her deceased brother .  Women weren't officially allowed to serve in the army until 1917 (Purpose).  And last, but certainly not least on our list is the year 2016.  The year Hilary Clinton was the first woman who was a major party's candidate for president (Green).
          What makes these dates important is the length of time it took to reach those landmarks.  Men were given the right to vote in 1868, fifty-two years before women ("Timeline of Voting Rights...").  Men were launched into space in 1961, 2 years before women ("First man in space").  The first NBA game was in 1946, 51 years before the first WNBA game (Goldaper).  The U.S. Army was established in 1775, and it wasn't until 142 years after it was established that women were allowed to enlist ("The Army's Birthday).  And the first election in the United States was held in 1788, it wasn't until 228 years later that a woman was a major party's candidate for presidency ("First U.S. Presidential Election"). The macro-factor of these situations is that they are all women, and because of that they were immediately put at disadvantage.  They have no control over what gender they are, yet they are discriminated for it.
          These years are striking to me, as I realize how far we've come for women's rights across the globe.  But the farther we come, the more we realize how much work we still need to do.  Women continue to be oppressed and be treated unequally in work environments and various other social engagements.  Women continually have strong culture identity, and take pride in being a woman.  It is becoming more and more common for women to come together as a culture to support each other as they continue to be treated unfairly by others.  Take a look at the video below of Quarterback for the Panthers, Cam Newton who made an extremely sexist comment a few weeks ago to a female reporter after a game.

                        

             For some reason Cam Newton found it hilarious that a woman could talk about routes during a football game.  Cam Newton had the idea that sports were only for men to talk about, and that women weren't quite fit to talk about sports in that much detail.  This is just one small example of the sexism that faces women to this day.
            One issue that has been discussed greatly in the past few years is equal pay for men and women in the workplace.  Pay is not equal between men and women, even if they're accomplishing the same job.  Society often refers to this as the wage gap.  There is no reason for a woman to be paid less than a man with her same job title, yet it is happening throughout the nation.  Equality means everybody gets the same exact thing.  Why is it that women can't have equality and get the exact same pay as men who are doing the exact same job that they are and are getting paid more?  This is one of the biggest issues regarding gender in today's society.
            Traditionally, women have been treated like objectified goddesses.  Movies, shows, plays and music all glorify women and in particular, their bodies.  This results in many women feeling ashamed of their bodies as they get cat-called and groped, or it can make them feel ashamed if they don't look identical to the glorified woman on their screen with the tiny, photoshopped bodies.  There are stereotypes that go along with being a woman.  Many stereotypes that include being dumb, being required to do whatever our male superiors want, being good in the kitchen, being girly, being bad at sports and I could go on and on.  These issues regarding the objectification and stereotypes of women are real, and they are dangerous to the mental health and sexual development of teenage girls world wide.  By objectifying women through social media, society is sending messages to young girls that they need to look perfect in order to be good enough for a man.  And then, movies and shows suggest that once you look perfect, you are then expected to give you bodies freely to the men around you.  Although this may be a slight dramatization, this is a concerning issue in society that is often not talked about.  Women are viewed as objects by many, which is why it is so difficult for women like the reporter talking to Cam Newton to try and be anything but an object.  Women are objectified on magazine covers, fashion shows and much more.

           As this discussion of equal rights for women and the oppression women face, women across the globe are standing up for each other and supporting one another.  Women are coming together as one force to make their voices be heard, and to bring realization to the many issues women face because of societal standards.  A few years ago, the USA Women's soccer team came together to spread awareness of the fact that they got paid less than the USA Men's soccer team.  Why?  Because they were women.  This started a very important conversation, and made the nation aware of the realness and severity of the oppression of women.  They were not given equal rights or equal pay, and stood up for themselves to get equality for women globally.  By coming together as a community and culture of women, we are able to support each other and make our voices and opinions even louder.  Together, women can accomplish amazing things and can change the world.  We can make it a world of true equality and equity, where women are given the same opportunities and pay as men and where society freely accepts and welcomes women into any position of power she may desire.
        As a teacher, I think it is so important to promote equality in the classroom.  Children are often quick to recognize and judge based on gender.  However, I think it is necessary for teachers to show the students that both genders can contribute to the classroom in whatever subject it may be.  It is all too common for our culture here in the United States, and globally, to place a deficit theory on women and girls throughout their lives.  Many treat girls differently, as if they were less capable of success than their male peers.  It is so important that we do not treat girls as if they are able to accomplish less just because they are female.  It's important to teach that girls can be just as interested in an athletic activity as boys, and boys can be just as interested in a cooking activity as girls.  Sexism should find no place in a classroom, and teachers should work hard to not stereotype students based on gender.

Works Cited

“The Army's Birthday.” June 14th: The Birthday of the U.S. Army - U.S. Army Center of Military History -, history.army.mil/html/faq/birth.html.

“First Man in Space.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-man-in-space.

“First U.S. Presidential Election.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-u-s-presidential-election.

Goldaper, Sam. “The First Game.” NBA.com: The First Game, www.nba.com/history/firstgame_feature.html.

Green, Emma. “'We Are Preparing to Shatter the Highest Glass Ceiling in Our Country'.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 26 July 2016, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/hillary-clinton-first-female-presidential-nominee/493163/.

“History.” WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA, www.wnba.com/history/.

Pinsker, Matthew. “19th Amendment.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010, www.history.com/topics/womens-history/19th-amendment.

Purpose, Task &. “TIMELINE: A History Of Women In The US Military.” Task & Purpose, 8 Mar. 2017, taskandpurpose.com/timeline-history-women-us-military/.

Sharp, Tim. “Valentina Tereshkova: First Woman in Space.” Space.com, www.space.com/21571-valentina-tereshkova.html.

Sharp, Tim. “Valentina Tereshkova: First Woman in Space.” Space.com, www.space.com/21571-valentina-tereshkova.html.

“Timeline of Voting Rights in the United States.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_voting_rights_in_the_United_States.

Being the "Other"

I was having a hard time deciding what to do for this portfolio assignment.  I was talking with my roommate about all of the ideas I had and then she asked me, well have you been to another religious gathering before?  At first I thought to myself, "of course I have, most of my friends growing up were different religions than I am".  But I suddenly realized I have never once been to another religious service.  I had been to lutheran churches for my piano recitals, and have gone to youth group fun activities with friends but I had never actually attended another religious service before.  So, I searched for a meeting that worked with my schedule, and found myself preparing to attend a Catholic Mass in Orem.

I was actually really excited at first, I was interested to see how different groups worship in their own churches.  I was excited to participate and get to know another religion and a new type of gathering.  The nerves didn't hit me until I pulled into the parking lot.  I was suddenly very aware that I was alone, I didn't have anyone to walk in with and look lost alongside of.  I had to look awkwardly confused and lost all by myself, which is something I don't often have to do.  I sat in my car for a minute, watching people walk into the building.  I wanted to know which door to walk in through to avoid going through the wrong entrance.  I glanced up the walking path towards what looked like the main doors, pictured below, and took a deep breath as my heart started to beat faster and faster.

I walked into the building and was in an immediate panic.  There was at least three different ways I could've turned.  I didn't want to seem lost or that I didn't belong, that way I would draw as little attention to myself as I could.  Because, I was there alone and I didn't know what I was doing and wanted as little attention on me as possible.  I turned right, following a small crowd and saw what looked to be the chapel.  So i walked through the doors, pictured below, and immediately started scouting out a seat. It was a new culture I had never experienced, a new group of people with whom I hadn't had much experience interacting with.  And because I was going to experience a new culture, I was nervous about what I was going to experience!

My first instinct was to go to the very back of the church, which is what I initially did.  I wanted to be there and experience it, but again I didn't want attention on me.  So i snapped a few pictures, below, before the service began.  I wasn't sure if i was allowed to take pictures while the service was happening so I took these before we started.  Right as I finished getting a few pictures, a man around the age of 25 came up to me.  "Are you visiting today?", he asked.  How did he know??  I immediately felt self conscious and was questioning how he knew I was a visitor, what had I done out of the ordinary that pointed me out of the crowd?  He was super friendly, handed me the pamphlets pictured below and walked me through what the service would be like.  This could be viewed as a form of comprehensible input since he used the pamphlet to help make the content understandable to me as a new learner.  After he left, I was super impressed by his kindness and helpful attitude.  So I thought for a second, and stood up to find a new spot where I could participate more than just sitting in the back and people watching.

I sat next to a couple, Erica and Jim who were so kind!  We briefly exchanged greetings and I explained how I was visiting.  I could tell that the congregation was split into two groups, white conservatives and latino families.  I couldn't help but think that this was some sort of institutional racism within the church, or at least a separation of cultures.  While sitting there reverently with them waiting for the service to begin, more people began to walk in and make a few stops before they sat down.  In the picture above, you can sort of make out a white symbolic baptism font in the middle of the picture.  Everybody touched this on the way in, and some holy water by the door and did the sign of the cross before proceeding to their seat.  I then realized how the man knew I was visiting, I had walked straight past the holy water and the font and did not perform the sign of the cross.  

As the meeting began, I shyly followed along the pamphlet the man had given me and watched those around me sneakily to figure out what I needed to be doing.  There was a lot of standing, then sitting, then standing again and singing a song or reciting a phrase after the priest did a reading.  It was super confusing to me, even when following the pamphlet and trying to do whatever people around me did.  I felt so uncomfortable.  I didn't want to do anything wrong and offend anyone, but I also didn't know what signs and phrases I wanted to repeat and mimic.  Was doing the sign of the cross wrong for me to do as a Mormon?  I had no idea, and decided that I should participate in everything they did as to complete this assignment to the best of my ability.  I've never felt so self conscious in a church before!  Anytime I messed up-singing the wrong part of the song, saying phrases faster than everyone else, didn't stand or kneel at the right time- I felt so embarrassed.  I was trying my best to keep up with everything, but it was all so unfamiliar to me that I did not follow the schedule perfectly.  

When it came time for communion, I read in the pamphlet that if i was not a member I was invited to join with the congregation in going to the priest.  However, I was not allowed to partake of their sacrament.  I was supposed to hold my arms in an 'X' across my chest as to symbolize that I was not a baptized member of the church.  According to the pamphlet, this would tell the priest that I wasn't a member and he would bestow a blessing upon me rather than give me a piece of the sacrament.  So I walked up in line with the rest of the congregation, assuming that someone else would be just like me and wasn't a member but still wanted a blessing from the priest.  But, nope!  I was the only one that wasn't a member that had gone up and wanted a blessing from the priest.  It was so nerve racking, because I had no one to mimic.  No one had done it before me, so I hurried up and crossed my arms over my chest.  The priest smiled at me, touched my head and said "blessings be upon you".  And I nervously said "thank you", and hurried to my seat.  I probably said the wrong thing or didn't do it exactly right, but the priest was kind and knew I was new so I felt okay with everything!  I realize that this could be viewed as an experience they made equitable for me.  I didn't get the exact same treatment as everyone else did, but I got a personalized blessing that fit my needs and my situation.  This is important in church groups, so that each person feels supported and welcomed as an individual in the church that has different needs than those around them.

As the meeting concluded, I realized that had I stayed in the back of the room I would've had a more difficult time following the schedule if I hadn't sat by the nice couple.  I probably wouldn't have had the courage to get a blessing from the priest, so I am glad I changed spots before the service started!  This also would've been a very different experience had the man not come up to me with pamphlets, and had the people not been so kind.  It was confusing to me to follow new rituals and schedules but it was refreshing once it was over and I looked back on my experience.  Had the people not been so kind, I probably would've felt way more uncomfortable and self-aware of my every move.

After reflecting back on my experience, I recognize that as a teacher I need to put my students in sometimes uncomfortable positions to teach them important lessons.  I definitely feel more courageous after experiencing this, and actually have a strong desire to go out and experience even more religious gatherings.  I think it's important for people to be put in uncomfortable, new situations every once and a while.  It really makes you figure out what you're like when you challenge yourself, and puts you into positions you wouldn't have experienced otherwise.  I hope to implement this in my future classroom by making my students try new things, and sometimes put the spotlight on them even if they don't like it.  This will help them grow as individuals and as students working to better themselves and further their education.  Calling on children who are shy and feel uncomfortable talking in front of others could potentially help them feel more and more comfortable talking in class.  Experiences like that are ones I hope to bring to my future classroom in order to build students to be courageous, outgoing and willing to be put into vulnerable positions

Personal Cultural Artifacts

        When I began thinking of my culture, and all that contributes to the culture I've grown up in my mind went wild thinking of everything about the American culture i've experienced.  I thought about the many different aspects of my life, why I participate in them and how my culture impacted my experiences with them.  The pictures and captions below are a snapshot of my culture, and how each item relates to the culture I was raised in.

This ukulele represents the important presence of music in the American culture.  From grocery stores playing background music, to music blasting in football stadiums, to orchestras performing in cities nation-wide, music is an extremely important part of American culture.  Every time I drive, i listen to music.  Anytime I get together with friends we share our new favorite songs with one another.  Participating in this part of our culture, like playing instruments or singing along to songs on the radio, is a big part of what I feel is the American culture.  Movies, tv shows, operas, broadway plays and so much of our typical entertainment revolves around music.  We would not be the culture we identify with today without music playing such a key role.

Another thing that immediately popped into my head relating to American culture is sports.  When you think of America, some may think of eating hot dogs at a football game or drinking soda at a baseball game.  A vast majority of our culture heavily relies on sports as entertainment and as physical exercise.  The competition, the loyalty and the excitement that comes from sporting events is something that many Americans thrive on.  The unexpected turnovers and the intense rivalries keep people on their toes, and give them someone to cheer for for years and years down the road.  Sports bring people together in a desire to have fun and to be competitive with one another, and it one of my favorite things to watch.

This photo represents a culture that I wouldn't necessarily define as solely American, but would definitely consider is a recent cultural attribute.  Photography is something that has quickly progressed and improved throughout the past few hundred years, and has slowly adapted into what is now a short process of simply taking your phone out of your pocket to take a picture.  Social media has made photography even more accessible and shareable.  I think that photography is a huge part of the culture I was raised in, and the culture I am exploring now.  Photography is getting more and more accessible and meaningful as more and more ways to participate in photography become available.  This emphasizes the remarkable improvements in technology that have happened culturally, and represent the amazing technological advances that are continually happening.  

Similarly to the camera, pictures of food have been a big part of my culture.  Especially the social media culture that has progressed throughout my lifetime.  So, this photo of a beautiful pancake represents the cultural norm and expectancy to take and post pictures of food that you encounter and partake of.  This represents the culture of constantly posting about your life for other people to see, even down to the berries you ate on your pancake for breakfast.  It has become a huge part of my life adjusting to the norm of sharing every detail of your life on social media, and having that same expectation of celebrities and societal role models.  It has created a culture in which we want to see everything right when it happens, we want to know what is going on in every body's lives every single day.  It has become completely normal to be able to keep up with one anothers' lives through social media which has been a big part of my culture growing up in the developing social media age.

I want to mention something that has significance to the culture that raised me, my Book of Mormon.  This specific book is not a part of every American's culture, but religion is an important part of American culture.  The freedom to believe in what you believe in, the freedom to worship whom you choose to worship, study with whomever you want to study, attend whatever church you want to attend is something so special to Americans.  I was able to attend church and choose my own moral standards because of the free culture I live in, which I recognize as a great priviledge and blessing in my life.  Most Americans find the freedom of religion a vital importance to a successful country, as people are choose whether they want to or do not want to practice any religion they wish.  This freedom allows difference in opinion, but a mutual desire to have religion be a part of our culture in order to better society.

Getting more personal,  my family represents a big part of my culture.  Family units in general are a big part of the culture I grew up in, and this is a picture of the family I adore.  Family units are a big part of the culture I was raised in, and a big part of who I am.  My family and I are extremely close, and talk to each other daily.  I can't imagine identifying myself without mentioning my giant, amazingly crazy family.

My friends are another part of my culture, and a huge part of human culture across the globe.  Friend groups, finding people you get along well with and planning things to do with each other is a huge part of social culture throughout the world.  I love my friends, and love planning things to do with them.  Just like my family, I couldn't identify myself without mentioning my friend group and my connection with them.

My job is a big part of my daily life, which is why I would definitely associate it with my culture.  Kids are a big part of my life, I am an aunt, a future teacher and I am a nanny to these cute girls up above.  I try my best to be the best caregiver I can to them, and am constantly looking up fun things to do with them.  It's a big part of who I am, my roommates constantly listen to me talk their ears off about how much I love this job!

Part of my culture is exercise and wellness.  I grew up learning about the importance of exercise, as my dad is a cardiologist and encouraged us to exercise growing up.  I love exercising, and find that it is my go-to stress relief.  I follow fitness instructors on social media, and make it a big part of my life.  It brings me joy to associate myself with the fitness world and I love finding new wants to exercise and stay healthy.

Along with exercise, nutrition is a big part of my life.  I strongly identify myself as part of the healthy eating community, and am constantly reading new articles about nutrition and what to fuel my body with.  I surround myself with resources and people who also eat healthily, and love feeling like I am properly fueling my body with the nutrients it needs.

Along with nutrition, I am a firm believer that everything in moderation is good for the soul :)  I love baking, especially when I have people to share it with.  I identify myself as part of a baker culture, and love to create new treats and desserts.  It is something I spend a lot of my free time doing, and it's a good balance to my usually nutritious diet.

BYU is a huge part of my culture, as I find myself on it's campus every day of the week.  It is my place of study, where I attend church and where I made a lot of my friends.  It is a huge part of my life, and my family's life as all of my siblings and both of my parents attended BYU.  I can't imagine my life right now without thinking about what a huge role BYU and it's community has on my life right now.  It has given me so many opportunities to study what I love, and expand my education.

Soccer is a big part of my life, especially a big part of my childhood.  I remember spending every weekend at tournaments and practices, it was my everything.  I played throughout high school, so it was a big part of my culture.  My teammates, my coaches and everyone who helped shape me as a soccer player left huge impacts on my life.  Soccer will forever be a big part of my life, it sparked my love for sports and fitness.

A big part of my life now is the Elementary Education major as a culture that I experience every day here on campus, especially in my classes.  It is such a unique and distinct culture, mainly LDS girls who all love children.  I am so happy to be a part of this culture, and to use those around me to help further my knowledge in how I can be the best teacher I can be.

Doing this portfolio assignment has helped open up my eyes to the different cultures I am a part of, some that I didn't even realize greatly impacted my life.  My culture is something I love, because it had made me who I am and is part of my every day life.  However, I believe that my culture can be a hinderance in school settings in ways that are unintentional but potentially harmful.  Just because I had a supportive family doesn't mean I can assume my students will have families like that.  Just because I have the means to cook and eat foods that I choose, I can't assume that my students will come to school well fed and ready to go.  There are a lot of things I need to be careful about when bringing culture in my classroom, and make sure I don't assume everyone knows a certain character or book or saying.  This assignment has opened up my eyes in ways that my cultures may be drastically different than some of my students, which will create different tendencies and learning skills.