Nina Leen The LIFE Picture

Collection
 Bill Ray Time & Life Pictures

Literacy to me is the ability to read and

comprehend what is included in the
material that is presented to someone.
This can also include the ability to write
in a manner that is comprehensive for
others to understand what is being
presented.

- January 12, 2016

Upon revisiting my original definition of literacy from the
beginning of the semester, I can tell you that even
though I created a very broad definition, I was only
considering materials that came in a written format.
Within our own subject matters, we all focus on the skills
that are very specific to them, and can even forget that
others may not possess these skills to interact with these
specific texts. The exposure in this class to peers that
expect to teach other subjects, as well as how our
discussions were focused, helped to expand my
understanding of what literacy is and who is literate.

Nina Leen The LIFE Picture

Collection

Image credits: Nina Leen The LIFE
Picture Collection/Getty Images.
I first began to challenge the idea of
literacy as I thought about it in terms of
different subjects and how they relate
to literacy as a whole. My future
students may be eloquent writers,
budding scientists, and aspiring
musicians, but they may struggle to
comprehend the dense topics and
language that are heavily used in
historical documents. There may also
be students present that struggle in
the majority of their academic studies,
but possess the skills to be literate
through creative outlets, such as hip
hop, photography, or even computer
coding. As Hubbard (2013) explained,
Educators must develop radical
pedagogical structures that provide
students with the opportunity to use
 Social justice and the
social sciences go
hand-in-hand.
Teaching the events
of the past should not
only be mandatory
because of
curriculum, but it
should be a personal
interest of all those
who care about
people; where theyve
been and where
theyre going. My
time at Waverly
Middle School was
Ed Clark The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images much more diverse
compared to my own
schooling experience,
so I could easily see
the need to keep the
Diversity Toolkit on
hand to better reach
my future students.
Many teachers serve
as positive role
models for students
and respecting their
identities is not only
central to the student-
student and student-
teacher relationships,
but it helps to
cultivate a classroom
Ralph Crane The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty
Images

- Focus on diversity awareness of the diversity

in communities is critical to fostering social
justice.
- Address real consequences of oppression it is
important to acknowledge real social and
economic disadvantages that oppressed people
face in society, not simply the psychic harm.
- Understand the mechanisms that perpetuate
oppression those attitudes and behaviors from
a position of privilege.
- Resist hierarchies of oppression form
strategies to foster justice with an inclusive
mindset.
- Seek to address social justice on three levels
personal, institutional, and societal.
Leonard McCombe The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
 Through my experiences in the classroom and with my focal
students, I began to realize my presence as something
greater than just teacher. I began to notice more
confidence in the work that my students were doing, as well
as during class discussions. They even became confident
enough in their skills to ask to be placed in the honors
history course next year. Teachers lounge talk
unfortunately had a large presence at my placement, and I
did my best not to let it get to me, to look at my students
with clear eyes. Because of this, I was able to reach these
students in a way that they normally may not have been
used to due to their teachers pre-existing attitudes. A
moment that I realized this was my job was through a small
impact I made on a couple of students during a unit test.
The entire classroom had relocated to the library due to
unforeseen circumstances, and all but two had finished and
were ready to go back to the classroom. My mentor
teacher left me in the library with these students as he
returned to the classroom with the other students, and you
could easily see theyre anxiousness about the fact that
they were taking longer than everyone else. I kindly let
them know that there was no reason to rush, to take their
time, and to consider all of their options carefully. Their
shoulders relaxed and they finished their tests a few
moments later, with both of them receiving an A. I felt like
this impression that I made on these two students may not
have been a reaction that they were used to, especially due
to the high importance on testing that Waverly uses. The
role of the patient and caring teacher is something that Ive
always admired in my past teachers and have envisioned
becoming myself. I look forward to the expanding upon the
opportunities that I had at Waverly Middle School as I
continue my path to my own classroom.

Leonard McCombe The LIFE Images Collection/Getty

Images
Alfred Eisenstaedt The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty
Images

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