“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will spend it’s whole life believing that it is stupid.”
The harsh, but rather truthful statement above by Albert Einstein has spoken to me for years. As a student who always struggled in math, dreaded taking tests, and felt like an outcast during the lessons, I related to that fish on numerous occasions. I felt belittled and less adequate due to my “lack of skill” in one subject, even though my grades in other subjects were admirable. When you think about it, all students are like fish at one point or another. They travel in schools, working together each day to learn and survive. At first glance, the school of fish may seem like one cluster, the same in every way. However, if one fish were to leave the group, the strength and shape of the school would change. Each fish is important and unique, just like our students. It is up to us as educators to keep them afloat. Whether it be in the classroom or in the real world, we play a huge role in whether on not our students sink or swim.
As a Spanish teacher, it is my goal to help students gain an appreciation for other cultures. Although our obvious focus would be cultures of Hispanic or Latin descent, the idea of global awareness will be strongly expressed throughout the year. I feel that it is very important for my students and people in general to gain a respect for the different cultures that make up the world around them. Moving students out of their comfort zones or “bubbles” as some would say, will allow them to see our diverse world from a different point of view. By having a less clouded or perhaps stereotypical view of Hispanic and Latin cultures, we will continue to break barriers. After all, our family history and ethnicities are part of what make each of us so unique.
By studying another language, student's use of critical thinking will greatly increase. Students will be learning Spanish grammar concepts through various hands on activities. They will apply these concepts and begin translating them and speaking them simultaneously. Bloom’s taxonomy will be evident as the students apply the grammar to actual spoken word. To give my students the most realistic experience of the culture and concepts being taught, the majority of my instruction would be done by speaking the language myself. This does present a challenge to the students, however, using English to teach another language would be like teaching the students to swim without water. If I want my students to stay afloat and take all they can from my classroom, then this challenge is necessary. The more they are exposed to the language and are able to practice it, the better they will remember it and understand it. First hand experiences are one of the best ways for them to learn. They will learn from their mistakes as well as their success. It is fully understood that mastering these skills will come easier to some than others, since all students learn differently and at different paces. According to Vygotsky, we know things based on experience and all students can learn something if given enough time. So just because some students may be struggling at the moment, does not mean that educators should give up on them. We need to help them and encourage them to keep working hard until they can fully own their learning. Which is why my classroom will have a very comforting and supportive atmosphere in effort to lower levels of frustration and intimidation.
In order to make my students feel at home while in my classroom, I need the design to be open and inviting. Desks would be set up in groups to allow for easy communication and collaboration amongst the students. I want them to feel that they can approach me for help at any time. My desk would be to the side or back of the room so that I am able to monitor the class, but also have room to interact with them as I teach. There would be plenty of open space for incorporating skits, presentations, music translations and cultural dances into the lesson plans. Designated work or tutoring stations could be set up as needed for students who need more guided practice or more time on a certain topic. Laptops and iPads could be used in these areas as well. There are so many apps available for language learning that my students could explore. This presents opportunity for them to study and practice in a fun, familiar way, and at home as well.
This day and age, children are constantly connected. Technology and social media have changed the way they learn and interact. Depriving them of what they know and are comfortable with just because they are in school, is no way to go about these changes in our culture. I would much rather allow my students to learn in ways that are most exciting and beneficial to them. They may teach me a thing or two along the way as well. As an educator, being open-minded is vital. Teachers can learn something new from their students everyday, if they have patience and take the time to listen. Technology should not replace our educators, but rather assist them in molding the minds of the future, our children.
Listening to your students and getting to know them is very important, if you want to have a successful learning environment. The safest a child may feel during the day, may only be when they are in your classroom.However, without proper care or concern, many teachers fail to see this. By understanding what my students go through outside of the classroom, I as an educator will be able to look out for them, learn how to better work with them, and make their day that much easier. Meeting with the parents and allowing them to hear about their child’s progress is a great way to keep them involved, but also a great way to hear all sides of any stories. As a teacher, my student’s best interest is my main focus and I need to act in loco parentis. If I were to see a student struggling, whether it is grade wise or on a more personal level, I would want to help them as if they were my own child. Which is why communication and working with the parents would be a priority of mine.
In John Medina’s Brain Rules, there are many studies about the benefits of having a healthy student-teacher relationship. Humans thrive on the comfort and security they find from others, just as students thrive on the comfort and security they find from their teachers. The studies in this book showed that when students felt inspired and encouraged by their teachers, they excelled. However, the moment they felt threatened or belittled, they lacked interest and motivation. All students show emotions differently. They may directly tell you how much they appreciate you, or they may show it just by coming to class and completing assignments. You never know whose life you may be changing simply by the things you say or do. In a perfect world, we could assume that all children live happy lives when they arrive home from school. We could assume their parents greet them as they step off the bus, and spend the evening filling their heads with good moral values and boosting their self-esteem. Sadly, this world is not perfect and some students are not so fortunate. This is why teachers need to be good role models and supportive mentors to their students at all times. Instead of scolding them and focusing on what went wrong, redirect them on new ways to go about a situation correctly. If each teacher could find it in their hearts to be as dedicated to their students as they are to cashing their paychecks, we could be one step closer to that so called “perfect world.”
On the other hand, perhaps a perfect world is the wrong thing to strive for. For if the world were perfect, there would be no diversity, and without diversity, there would be no learning. If my students can take one thing away from my classroom, I hope it would be that they should not measure their self worth based off a grade. Learning should not be a competition. It should be an opportunity. I want my students to take risks and find what works for them, not everyone else. After all, you can standardize a test, but you cannot standardize a student