Prompt 7

My experiences and observations as a tutor are shaping my teaching identity by helping me see how to handle certain situations, how to act, what to expect, and many other things. Though I am a secondary ed major, and I am only tutoring fourth graders, I still get the experience of working in a culturally mixed school. This is a good experience for me, because I came from a private high school, so I wasn't aware of the diverse backgrounds of the students. I have been observing my teacher handle situations such as making up for missed days (due to the snowstorm), students missing school (mostly due to the flood, or to sickness), gathering and supplying students with materials, teaching students under time constraints (due to assembly or early dismissal days). I have also examined her teaching methods and have been trying to separate what would be effective for older students versus what is effective for younger students. Unfortunately, my scheduled time does not match up with the English learning block that the teacher has provided for the students, but the curriculum will differ greatly from that of secondary education schools. Mostly I have learned that public schools can be very diverse, and you may have to deal with students in a different manner, but I will always keep in mind that we are all human, and we are not very different from each other no matter what our culture or race is.

Prompt 6

As I have mentioned before, my class has a student that is hard of hearing. Many times the teacher has demonstrated sensitivity and responsiveness to this student by providing help in the form of teaching assistants and tutors to read to her or help take notes. She also tries her best to speak clearly, facing the class, so the student can read her lips. When the student is progressing at a slower pace, she tries to help the student along if it is a communication problem.

Also, I have heard the teacher and the teaching assistant speak in a different language to the students (mostly Portuguese). They do not speak it often, but occasionally, when communicating one on one with a student, they will say a few sentences in a language that the student speaks. This could be to convey a message more clearly, telling the student something in their language they use to communicate with their family. It could also be to show that the teacher and the student have something in common, that they can communicate in both classroom and "home" language. It can sometimes give a student a sense of reassurance that the teacher is there to help them.

Prompt 4

As a secondary ed teacher, my sociocultural characteristics and personal history will intersect with those of my students.

I do not have a problem with students of a different gender, race, sexuality, or religion than mine. There is a possibility that since I am a white middle class male, students could have a problem with me. I can't change any of this, however, so I will have to prove their perception of "my type" wrong by treating them with respect and assisting them when needed.

I went to a private high school, where faculty held higher expectations for their students and offered more advanced classes. As a past private school student, if I go on to teach at a public school, I may factor the expectations I had previously striven to achieve into the expectations of my own students. Also, the demographics of private schools often differ from that of public schools, where private schools are mainly Caucasian students, and public schools are prominently African American and Hispanic students. Though my high school lacked in diversity, I feel that my experiences in a public elementary school, middle school, and college have allowed me to interact with a multitude people and learn to respect others regardless of their differences.