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.
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