"The average child no longer exists" was the phrase that stuck with me from today's class. Today reality of 2015 definitely set in and opened my eyes a lot. To be honest, when I think of diversity I usually just think of race and culture. Today we dug in deep and listed about twenty different things that represented diversity. In today's age there are a lot more factors that you have to think about and that will effect the way a child learns.
After watching the video of a cop taking down a student in high school and hearing stories from Dr. Parker about what he has had to do to restrain his students, made me a little bit nervous. However I am glad I am hearing about this ahead of time before I actually become a teacher. I will not be teaching middle or high school, but with technology, elementary aged kids are starting to grow up and become more mature earlier on so I do need to be prepared for anything.
The discussion we had in class really made me think about what I need to do in my future classes. I am going to make sure I fully understand my students, their learning styles, social status, home life, learning or emotional disabilities and everything else I need to know to make sure they have a positive, uplifting and stable learning environment to work in and do not feel like they are not wanted or that they are not able to learn in my classroom. I understand that I will not be able to treat all my students the same way or give them all the same assignments because of the very reason of diversity.
Although this seems like it will be a lot of work to have to make different lesson plans and teach differently to each student, this is what teaching looks like in todays day and age. I am nervous but definitely excited to become a teacher and have my own classroom!
In my opinion, not to take away from what was said in class, the "Average Child" NEVER existed! The world is all around changing and social standards are a revolving door. In his day, Beethoven was considered a novel composer and something most people disliked because it was too contemporary. Students (including myself) today learn very differently than they did even in 2005 and are expecting new teachers to be on the same level. I'm excited to see that someone is thinking on the same level. I feel that you have the understanding and outlook to be a fantastic educator!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement about the average child! Good point.
DeleteAgain, I appreciate the way you interacted throughout today's class! We appreciate it! Diversity is a huge concept - and I am glad to see you are already thinking about it. Have you started to visualize yourself as the teacher of a truly diverse class? What changes do you need to make? How does this relate to the NCTCS?
ReplyDeleteI think that all of us are a bit nervous for the future and that is ok. We have a big job on our plats and it isn't easy but hopefully we will find it rewarding.
ReplyDeleteLindsey,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate how you observed that even though diversity is more serious in middle and high school, it still has the power to make a huge impact on your elementary school classroom. Younger children are getting exposed to a lot more of the "real world" earlier than ever before. Teaching them how to be understanding and respectful of one another's differences early on can help eliminate a lot of the prejudices they would otherwise develop over time. How will you establish this respect in a way that it stands the test of time?
Lindsey, I agree with the point you made that we must be connected to our students. If we are not connected and tuned into their lives then how can we expect them to be connected in our classrooms. Students are people too and need that personal connection. This task will not be the easiest but it will most definitely be worth it when the student benefits!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line "The average child no longer exist." That is so true. Being a teacher calls for a lot of different things. Not every child is the same and you noticing that will allow you to be a great teacher. Glad you understand that phrase. Stay connected to the students.
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