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Lexi Orlando EDL 318 October 9th 2013 Reflective Writing Assignment #2

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What prejudices or stereotypes do you bring to teaching regarding students and their communities? What do you think you can do to challenge your own positions? Last year one of my education classes paid special attention to how personal experiences affect your decisions and thought processes. Considering no two people in this world have had the same exact lives means that no two people have the same viewpoint. When you think about it, its very complex but also extremely fascinating. I think that growing up in the surroundings that you creates a prejudice even if it is unintentional. Id like to consider myself someone who is culturally aware and accepting. Ive seen diversity in ethnicities, financials and personalities growing up with both sides of my family not being from the United States. My dads parents are from Italy and my moms side of the family is from Egypt. Hearing their languages and their perspectives while Ive grown up in the Midwest has given me a unique stance. In class when talking about diversity I brought up something that I strongly stand for, which is that being blind to differences is nearly as bad as ignoring them. It is a pet peeve of mine when certain people say that they are blind to skin color, race, or differences. By saying that you are blind to individuals exceptional traits (whether on the surface or internal) you are admitting that they arent important. Knowing where someone comes from on many types of levels will allow you to be a more adequate

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teacher. In many classes Ive been told that knowing your students and being relatable to them gives all parties a better outcome. It would be ignorant to think that I dont fall into temptation of stereotypes. We all do. The most important thing to do is realize when you are assuming things and figure out how to look at your students and put yourself in their shoes. For example, I think it is easier to succumb to stereotypes when you are looking for a fast solution. In class you have spoke to us about the art of teaching and how it takes time and it takes patience. When you slow down and try to understand the wants and needs of the student at hand I think that it makes things more beneficial for the student. Another important aspect that Abby brought up about stereotypes that is so accurate is that a lot of the times they are not true. One of the main stereotypes that she talked about was the fact that some people view low-income schools and their students as hopeless. This truly bothers me because as a special educator Ive studied a great deal about learned helplessness and if the students see that their teachers have given up, the chances are they will feel like theyve already failed. Giving every student hope for a future is an extremely important thing for an educator to do. Although this might be challenging, I will keep this in mind as well. I remember in class we spoke about how sometimes it felt as if you werent getting to your students so its tempting to give up but just as that one student admitted, they are listening. I grew up in an exceptionally large high school and graduated with over 800 people in my class. Whenever I tell my college friends about this, they all think that it is way too big and question how my school even had a sense of community or unity. I will defend my high school until I am old and gray. I believe that coming from a school with

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so many different individuals I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge, respect and advocacy for all types of people. I will take the open mindedness and curiosity with me when I have my own classroom. Learning about other cultures and aspects is something I value. I realize that the community I grew up in was in an affluent portion of the state and I know that although Id like to believe Ive seen multiple scenarios and types of people, that might not be the case once I enter the work force. Ive never lived in the city but Im sure that in a situation like that (private school or inner city) would challenge my viewpoint. This weekend I went to Chicago for the first time and the culture shock even from being there a weekend was captivating. I started thinking about what it would be like to even be a college student living in the city. When it comes to this reflection question I go back and forth but I think a huge part is about adaptation. Knowing how and when to adapt is so crucial in teacher. Whether its adapting your lesson to be more appealing to your students, or adapting to living in a new area where you might be uncomfortable with your surroundings. Adaptation and growing as a person is an essential part of being a teacher leader. In order to challenge my own positions I will make sure that I get to know my students on personal levels. I want to be submersed as much as possible to see where they are coming from. Being a teacher means reaching out and giving your all to every student that you have in your classroom despite where they come from. There are going to be some kids with parents who are CEOs, they may need attention from their teacher because their parents arent always home. There might be students from low socioeconomic households who need a cheerleader rooting for them. There are going to

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be students from other countries who will need my assistance in learning social norms and making friends. The point Im getting at is, it is nearly impossible to paint a perfect set path on how I will deal with these diverse situations but I will do my best to be as accommodating and positive as possible.