As I make my final blog post as a student in FNED 346 I realize that this class has shaped me more than I thought. I originally walked into this class believing that I knew how diverse our classrooms were and that I could go into any classroom and be able to do the basics no matter what setting I was thrown into, but boy, was I wrong. Over the past weeks I have learned a lot just from our in class discussions and what each person had to say in order to make the conversation complete, but I also learned a great deal from my VIPS placement. I learned that every school setting and classroom is not the same and you can't always necessarily teach the same way in every classroom. My students that I tutored also showed me that each child I will come across in my years to come with be different and all need different forms of help and attention no matter what setting I am in.
So thanks to my peers and my professor for making this a class that helped me begin to shape my career as a teacher and for making it a fun class that I always enjoyed sitting in on and participating in.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Introducing Me Update!
My name is Caroline Crudale and I am in my sophmore year here at Rhode Island College. I am studying Elementry and Special Education. So far my semester is not to crazy, but I am sure it will pick up once it gets deeper into the semester. Outside of the classroom I enjoy hanging with my friends and family, listening to music and watching baseball and football. I am an Indianapolis Colts and Boston Red Sox fan. I also spend a lot of my time working at my job which is currently at Babies R Us. I have recently left Babies R Us and began to work at Kohls in North Kingstown as an associate in the children's and houseware department.
~Caroline
~Caroline
Do I Really Want To Be a Teacher?! (prompt 7)
For the past two months I have spent 2-3 times a week attending a volunteer tutoring session at the Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary school on Camp St. in Providence. I have worked with a group of 7 very diverse first graders. There has never been a time that I have attended a session that the children were calm and wanted to sit down and do their homework. Each time I walked to the group's table there were kids running around, hitting each other and even crying that they had to stay and weren't able to go home. As soon as we all went into the classroom it never failed the children would all look at you and say "I don't have any homework tonight!" The open your backpack and show me trick never seized to fail as every child looked at me with sad eyes and got their homework out. Even though it was a short experience, I learned a lot about myself and the future that I am thinking about having.
Not once throughout this experience did I decide that I do not want to be a teacher, but I did decide that I will not be a first grade or kindergarten teacher. I cannot imagine myself working with the children in this age group. They are still at the point where they are learning the basics of each subject and there is not much in depth activities that you can do in order to "spice" up the classroom. When I walked into the group's area on my first day of tutoring I found myself very overwhelmed at how crazy and all over the place the children were. Even though by the end of the session I had them all playing the quiet game and doing their work I still felt like it wasn't what I wanted. I want to be able to teach children without having to focus mostly on getting them to sit still and not hit each other and this is what I found myself doing a lot while teaching the first graders.
I have also now experienced how diverse my future classroom could possibly get. Each child in the group was different in every way imaginable. I helped kids who could understand and retain what they had learned during their school day to children who couldn't be bothered with anything they learned or had to complete that night for homework. I also had students who liked to bully others rather than being friends with the children around them, but there were a few children who rather be friends and help everybody around them. The biggest eye opener was how culturally diverse the group was. I had mulatto, Spanish, Indian and Caucasian children. Before entering this experience I had never realized or been made aware of how diverse certain schools and schooling areas can be. I feel as if I am more prepared and more educated on what I can expect when I need to enter the teaching world and I am trying to find a job.
I know that I want to be a teacher, but I now know what age groups that I am interested in teaching. On the last day of my tutoring the first graders asked me if I would be coming back to watch them take place for their after school program. This moment made my whole experience with the VIPS well worth my time.
Not once throughout this experience did I decide that I do not want to be a teacher, but I did decide that I will not be a first grade or kindergarten teacher. I cannot imagine myself working with the children in this age group. They are still at the point where they are learning the basics of each subject and there is not much in depth activities that you can do in order to "spice" up the classroom. When I walked into the group's area on my first day of tutoring I found myself very overwhelmed at how crazy and all over the place the children were. Even though by the end of the session I had them all playing the quiet game and doing their work I still felt like it wasn't what I wanted. I want to be able to teach children without having to focus mostly on getting them to sit still and not hit each other and this is what I found myself doing a lot while teaching the first graders.
I have also now experienced how diverse my future classroom could possibly get. Each child in the group was different in every way imaginable. I helped kids who could understand and retain what they had learned during their school day to children who couldn't be bothered with anything they learned or had to complete that night for homework. I also had students who liked to bully others rather than being friends with the children around them, but there were a few children who rather be friends and help everybody around them. The biggest eye opener was how culturally diverse the group was. I had mulatto, Spanish, Indian and Caucasian children. Before entering this experience I had never realized or been made aware of how diverse certain schools and schooling areas can be. I feel as if I am more prepared and more educated on what I can expect when I need to enter the teaching world and I am trying to find a job.
I know that I want to be a teacher, but I now know what age groups that I am interested in teaching. On the last day of my tutoring the first graders asked me if I would be coming back to watch them take place for their after school program. This moment made my whole experience with the VIPS well worth my time.
Helping A Child Who Can't Understand (prompt 6)
As part of the tutoring program I meet with a very diverse group of first graders each week. The teachers that volunteer to lead the first grader's group speak Spanish as their first language and try their best to speak to the children in English. This however does not always work since their English is severely covered by their strong Spanish accent. All children in the group speak English as their first language and many times struggle to understand and work with the leading teachers.
On one particular day a student was working with one of the leading teachers in attempt finish up his math homework. Numerous times he said "I don't understand what you are saying. Can you say it again?" Since i was working with another child at the time i was unable to go over and help the child. I am the only volunteer that works with the first graders that is able to speak English clearly and precise. After completing my duties with my child for the day I went over to the little boy and asked the teacher if she would like me to pick up where she was and assist the little boy so that she could go and attend to the other children. I did not want to point out that I was offering to switch so that the boy could understand the directions better on account of the teacher was trying the best she could to accommodate herself and help the children.
This was just one example on how I was able to be sensitive to not only a child's culture but the culture of the teacher as well.
On one particular day a student was working with one of the leading teachers in attempt finish up his math homework. Numerous times he said "I don't understand what you are saying. Can you say it again?" Since i was working with another child at the time i was unable to go over and help the child. I am the only volunteer that works with the first graders that is able to speak English clearly and precise. After completing my duties with my child for the day I went over to the little boy and asked the teacher if she would like me to pick up where she was and assist the little boy so that she could go and attend to the other children. I did not want to point out that I was offering to switch so that the boy could understand the directions better on account of the teacher was trying the best she could to accommodate herself and help the children.
This was just one example on how I was able to be sensitive to not only a child's culture but the culture of the teacher as well.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Diversity in First Grade (prompt 2)
Every time I enter the cafeteria and walk to the group of first graders that are waiting for me it seems as if I am more aware of the various cultures and ethnic makeup of the students that are spread out across the room. In my group of 8 first graders there are Spanish, African-American, Caucasian and mulatto children all getting along and working in a functional group. Each child brings their own skills, attitudes and even motivation to the group. For example one little girl who is of African-American and Caucasian race decided to have a very informative conversation with me about her family and where she is from. She told me that her mom was white and her dad was black and that they had her at the ages of 22 and 24, but it was OK because they love each other and are still together and now she has a little sister and they are one big happy family. Another girl then turned around and told me that both her parents were black and that her dad was really tall and her mom was really short. Before I knew it i had all 8 students yelling at me with excitement telling me about their family makeup and what life at home was like.
Even though there are diverse cultures amongst the group all of the children speak English clearly and are able to understand English just as well. However, the two teachers that head the first graders group have very heavy Spanish accents and frequently speak in Spanish in front of the children. The children have never responded in Spanish so I am uncertain whether they understand what the teachers say to each other or not. This however is an example of how the teacher has to be aware of the children, but it is shown in a reverse affect. Even though the teacher's first language is Spanish they have to realize and understand that they children they are teaching and working with have English as a stronger and more dominant language.
The children that attend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary are not the most wealthy or privileged kids, but they come to school and receive an education. Since I am with the group of first graders what they do is the only activity that I can observe or see what happens. Each child in the group is from a family that is part of the minority population and a lower social class. Some of the children in the group come in ready to learn and complete their homework while others rather fight, argue and say they are never going to do it. These reactions are part of the cultural capital that the children all bring to the group. Each child that is in attendance at the tutoring session are taking the opportunity to receive and education that will help them receive the knowledge that they can use to go out into the world later on in life and possibly become wealthier and move up on the social latter of our society. These students parents are making sure that they are receiving the tools that they need to move up on the social latter of our society. The parents are also making sure that their children take the time and receive the extra help in order to complete homework and receive extra help in areas that they need it.
The children who attend the after school tutoring program are strengthening the skills that they learn in their everyday classroom. This program is strictly to make sure that the children receive the maximum help that they need in order to make sure that they are doing their homework and understand the concepts that they are practicing while they do their homework. All these tools can help them in the future when they attend a higher education school and need to be disciplined on their own.
Even though there are diverse cultures amongst the group all of the children speak English clearly and are able to understand English just as well. However, the two teachers that head the first graders group have very heavy Spanish accents and frequently speak in Spanish in front of the children. The children have never responded in Spanish so I am uncertain whether they understand what the teachers say to each other or not. This however is an example of how the teacher has to be aware of the children, but it is shown in a reverse affect. Even though the teacher's first language is Spanish they have to realize and understand that they children they are teaching and working with have English as a stronger and more dominant language.
The children that attend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary are not the most wealthy or privileged kids, but they come to school and receive an education. Since I am with the group of first graders what they do is the only activity that I can observe or see what happens. Each child in the group is from a family that is part of the minority population and a lower social class. Some of the children in the group come in ready to learn and complete their homework while others rather fight, argue and say they are never going to do it. These reactions are part of the cultural capital that the children all bring to the group. Each child that is in attendance at the tutoring session are taking the opportunity to receive and education that will help them receive the knowledge that they can use to go out into the world later on in life and possibly become wealthier and move up on the social latter of our society. These students parents are making sure that they are receiving the tools that they need to move up on the social latter of our society. The parents are also making sure that their children take the time and receive the extra help in order to complete homework and receive extra help in areas that they need it.
The children who attend the after school tutoring program are strengthening the skills that they learn in their everyday classroom. This program is strictly to make sure that the children receive the maximum help that they need in order to make sure that they are doing their homework and understand the concepts that they are practicing while they do their homework. All these tools can help them in the future when they attend a higher education school and need to be disciplined on their own.
Friday, October 8, 2010
My First Day (prompt 1)
On Tuesday, October 5 I took part in my first day in the after school tutoring program held at the Dr. Martin Luther King elementary school in Providence. It is located in a quiet area located right down the street from Brown University. The school is quite big and has two floors, my session is held in the cafeteria so I entered through the front doors and headed to the right where the cafeteria is located at the end of the main hallway. Once i arrieved in the building i met my supervisor "John". As we walked to the room it felt like the school was a warm and welcoming atmosphere to the children that attend it.
I was interested at what is valued in this school and looked into it on infoworks. The school's population is made up of 48% African-American,27% Hispanic, 22% white, and 1% of both Asian and Native American. None of the students at this school recieve ESL. 83% of students are non-recipeints of special education, but 13% is general education with support and 4% is self contained. 74% of students that attend this school recieve free or reduced lunches. According to past test scores this school is improving and it seems like they strive to achieve only the best with their students, but it also seems like there are a lot of behavior issues in the school. They do have a lot of recorded out of school suspenions and it is only an elementry. You can see the wide dynamic of cultures and characteristics just from taken in the after school program.
Since I am tutoring in an afternoon school program I only get to experience the way the cafeteria is set up in order to hold this tutoring program. The cafeteria is split in half, one side is for tutoring and the other half is for the program that the local YMCA holds for children who need to stay after school because their parents are not home. On "my" side of the cafeteria there are 6 tables set up, one for each grade. All grades K-6 are eligable to participate in this program. I was lucky and landed the spot of tutoring 7 high strung and troublesome first graders. I met the teacher that runs the first grade table here name is "Wanda" and the first thing she told me was "these kids are hard to handle." As I looked at the table that the children were seated at I saw one girl hitting another girl with a pencil, three students trying to do homework and two girls eating their afternoon snack. Immediatly I knew this would be a challenge. Once I introduced myself to the children they all got out their homework and wanted only myself to help them on it. We completed their homework and they earned free time. I was impressed when I was able to get 5 out of 7 to play the quiet game and actually keep them quiet for a full 15 minutes. After our free time which consisted of the quiet game and reading some books it was time to go home.
I was interested at what is valued in this school and looked into it on infoworks. The school's population is made up of 48% African-American,27% Hispanic, 22% white, and 1% of both Asian and Native American. None of the students at this school recieve ESL. 83% of students are non-recipeints of special education, but 13% is general education with support and 4% is self contained. 74% of students that attend this school recieve free or reduced lunches. According to past test scores this school is improving and it seems like they strive to achieve only the best with their students, but it also seems like there are a lot of behavior issues in the school. They do have a lot of recorded out of school suspenions and it is only an elementry. You can see the wide dynamic of cultures and characteristics just from taken in the after school program.
Since I am tutoring in an afternoon school program I only get to experience the way the cafeteria is set up in order to hold this tutoring program. The cafeteria is split in half, one side is for tutoring and the other half is for the program that the local YMCA holds for children who need to stay after school because their parents are not home. On "my" side of the cafeteria there are 6 tables set up, one for each grade. All grades K-6 are eligable to participate in this program. I was lucky and landed the spot of tutoring 7 high strung and troublesome first graders. I met the teacher that runs the first grade table here name is "Wanda" and the first thing she told me was "these kids are hard to handle." As I looked at the table that the children were seated at I saw one girl hitting another girl with a pencil, three students trying to do homework and two girls eating their afternoon snack. Immediatly I knew this would be a challenge. Once I introduced myself to the children they all got out their homework and wanted only myself to help them on it. We completed their homework and they earned free time. I was impressed when I was able to get 5 out of 7 to play the quiet game and actually keep them quiet for a full 15 minutes. After our free time which consisted of the quiet game and reading some books it was time to go home.
Monday, September 27, 2010
An Indian Father's Plea
In the letter An Indian Father's Plea Wind-Wolf is a 5 year old kindergartner who has the potential to succeed even though he is culturally different from the other children. His father is aware of the cultural difference but does not want to look at it as a factor that may hold his child back. He knows that his son can succeed and he wants the teachers that his son has to not only connect to the majority culture but make some little connections to his son's culture as well. This goes along with what we have been discussing in class about how culture can affect the way a child works or succeeds in education.
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