All thoughts are my own and all references have been cited.
A teacher must be prepared to play many roles in the school. At times they are an educator in its purest form; working with curriculum and engaging students in the learning process. Other times they play the role of mediator, counselor, advocate and ally. I believe that the first role of a teacher should be to create a safe and productive learning community for children to participate in. In order for children to feel comfortable exploring and sharing their personal beliefs and values, they need to feel like they are in a safe and caring space with their teacher and classmate. Children need to learn the process of listening to other ideas and either agreeing or respectfully disagreeing. Concepts such as empathy, communication and peer relationships need to be emphasized and taught to young children before they can expect to actively engage in them (Ramsey, 2004). The role of the teacher is to facilitate meaningful experiences where students can explore these concepts and ideas before being expected to use them during a discussion of values or cultural differences. By placing value on these things the teacher is laying the ground work for students to see the value in considering other people’s opinions with respect while not feeling obligated to defend themselves or adopt the new idea.
By creating a safe and caring learning community, the teacher facilitates an environment for children to bond and get to know each other by forming meaningful relationships. The teacher should also take the time to form meaningful and personal relationships with each student in the class. I have come to understand that you can never know a student completely, the beauty of children is that they have the potential to surprise you everyday. By keeping detailed information on each student, the teacher acknowledges how multifaceted they are and can consider who they are as people and as learners when designing lessons. Creating tangible artifacts that describe who a child is will help a teacher see the individual value in each student as well as give them materials to use during collaboration with other teachers, parents and administrators that is personalized and contextual (Himley & Carini, 2000). Throughout my experience as a student teacher I have been able to keep a notebook on how I see students growing as learners. This helps me plan lessons and differentiate them for the class. In order to get to know an individual child on a deeper level, I was able to spend a lot of time studying one particular child to create a portrait of him as a learner. I transcribed conferences, observed his actions and listened to his social interactions. Doing so let me know him better as a person and as a learner and create a meaningful relationship with him.
Students will succeed as learners when they feel like they play a role in what happens in the classroom. I believe that students will be the most engaged with a curriculum when they see their interests, culture, family structure and what makes them unique integrated into the classroom. It should not only be the teacher that views students as rich funds of knowledge and information, but the students themselves. Children should never feel like they have a weakness because of who they are. For instance, a child whose family speaks little English should be encouraged to teach their child their native language and the teacher should try to make resources in that language available in the classroom. During my work with English Language Learners, I have asked them to bring in books from their native language to share with the class. Doing so makes them feel proud of who they are and confident in sharing their language. Promoting bilingualism as a valuable skill rather than a hindrance will help students build self esteem and self worth (Nieto, 2009).
All learners in the classroom should be shown a confidence that is free of bias based on race, social class, ethnicity, nationality or gender that does not try to limit or define ability. Curriculum should be designed with the needs of the classroom in mind and differentiated accordingly. No student should be placed in a category of ability or constrained to a certain level of potential. When each child is seen as having limitless ability, learners will feel confident to make inquiries and participate actively in school. A teacher should never deliver a standard curriculum for all students without considering how it can be modified to best fit the learners in the classroom (Sleeter, 2005).
To role of the school in a community is vital. Families trust the teachers, administrators and staff to spend more time with their children than they do. Every family has a unique relationship to the school they send their kids to. The relationship a family forms with the school can be informed by the social class or racial group the parents or guardians belong to. Some families, typically from the middle or upper social class and from a Caucasian background, may feel embraced with the teachers, administration and other parents and are therefore unafraid to speak their mind and check in on the progress or their child. Families coming from a minority or lower class background may not feel as welcome inside of the school. While they may have never directly experienced racism or classism there may be a fear of the potential for these things to happen stemming from earlier experiences or from the stories of people they know (Lareau, 2003). I believe that as a teacher it is my responsibility to make sure that every family feels welcome and comfortable in their children’s classroom. This starts by acknowledging the differences that exist in how families view schools. There should be an open conversation with families about their child’s progress as well as an open invitation for them to come into the classroom. Families should know that their stories, culture and history are seen as a wealth of knowledge that can enrich the experience of all students. I believe that on a day to day basis, teachers are responsible for creating a personalized learning environment where children feel that they are getting the support they need as well as being challenged in the areas where they already feel confident. A successful teacher will guide her students through a curriculum while encouraging meaningful inquiry and engagement. Lessons should be designed to accommodate the range of learners present in the classroom so that each student feels included and represented in the learning process. More than anything I believe that a successful teacher humbly recognizes that they will never stop learning and that sometimes the students will be the greatest funds of knowledge in the room.
References
Himley, M. & Carini, P.F. (2000). From another angle. Teachers College Press. New York, NY.
Lareau, A. (2003). Unequal childhoods: class, race, and family life. University of California Press. Berkeley, CA.
Nieto, S. (2009). The light in their eyes. Teachers College Press. New York, NY.
Ramsey, P.G. (2004). Teaching and learning in a diverse world. Teachers College Press. New York, NY.
Sleeter, C. (2005). Un-standardizing curriculum: multicultural teaching in the standards-based classroom. Teachers College Press. New York, NY.
No comments:
Post a Comment