Task 1 - Fundamentals of Diverse Learners

lOMoARcPSD|23780900 A.1. Despite growing up in a home where neither of my parents went to college and college was not spoken, I knew I wanted to go to college someday. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a school teacher. I would teach the neighborhood kids, assist my teachers in school, anything to be a helper. However, as I got older, the school environment became hard for me. I struggled with completing assignments because I didn’t understand or remember how to do things, and my parents didn’t know how to help. Late nights studying was the norm, and extra credit was my saving grace to keep my grades at a B. Notwithstanding my many struggles, I graduated high school. I started college but soon stopped to begin my family. I wish someone would have told me to take one class at a time. I would already have my degree. Luckily, I have a great husband, who is an MBA, who has encouraged me to go back and finish my teaching degree. It has been a wonderful experience so far. I have learned that I am smart and intelligent and can accomplish anything I put my mind to. The courses I have learned in college will impact me by always giving my best self to my students. I can relate to their struggles, frustrations, and achievements. This relation empowers me to do more for them to succeed. To do this, I will use every source conceivable to find the best teaching technique and communication style for each student. Additionally, I will provide equity in the classroom and allowing students to bring out their best selves by sharing who they are as individuals. I will use my lessons to preach to my students the value of hard work and the importance of education. A.2. My family was a place of comfort and values. I was taught to treat others with respect, the way I would like to be treated. I was taught to return things better than I received them. These are some things I plan to do in my classroom. I plan to return students to their families better than I received them. They will feel valued and respected. They will learn through my instruction and guidance their importance, that they can accomplish anything they put their mind lOMoARcPSD|23780900 to. Understanding these things will help them build relationships and succeed in life. Standards like these will help me as an upcoming teacher because this will show the schoolroom that everybody warrants a fair shake, to be treated with respect and valued. A.3. For all of my growing up years, I lived in the Seattle area. A place that was diverse in population with many diverse backgrounds. My religion had me in the minority bracket, so building relationships was not always easy. Despite this, I made friends of all sorts. Race and religion were not a focus. The color of one’s skin didn’t matter. I knew we were different, but that did not matter to me. My friends consisted of Native Americans, African Americans, and Asians, and I was ok with them. We were all at the same school, getting a free education and getting along. Taking from my individual involvements, I would demonstrate to my students that diversity is a good thing. We have much to learn from one another and can create an inclusive environment that fits all. Growing up around diverse backgrounds will help me as a teacher because I see the value in all. I understand that family values and communication styles vary. These things will help me communicate with my students and parents and better understand the cultural aspect of their lives. B.1A. After reading Ahmed’s case study, multiple things would affect his learning. He has a Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) and Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) which causes him to struggle with academic English. Phonological awareness is crucial for learning to read any alphabetic writing structure. Even so, Ahmed being able to speak in English, issues with SLD and APD create a challenge for him to comprehend academic linguistic. B.1B. Ahmed’s adopted family speaks both Arabic and English. These can pose a learning challenge for him as English is not the only language spoken in the home. Since Ahmed is not lOMoARcPSD|23780900 learning only English at home, this creates another challenge of learning English and making it a priority in school. B.1C. An important element for Ahmed’s success in the classroom is equity pedagogy. This means I must have teaching plans and a classroom atmosphere that helps him accomplish the knowledge and skills needed in society. Being Ahmed’s teacher, it is critical that I learn about his culture and background, so I can make a connection with him. Doing this will show him I value him as an individual and I am his champion for victory. This will allow us to create goals specific to his needs and learning style, and in turn, bring about success and reaching his goals. In addition, as his teacher, I will provide group work related to his culture, and allow a presentation to be given by the group showing what they have learned. This would allow him to blossom while educating others in the classroom about his culture. It is not only a win for Ahmed but for the whole class. C. No sources used.