Prompt #7

The VIPS reading buddies program was my first hands on tutoring experience with children. When I first started tutoring I was nervous and excited at the same time. I wanted to get to know all of the students and I wanted them to get to know me. I wanted to make sure that I did the best that I could to try to help these children succeed. One of the games I played with the children to help them with their reading skills was the dolch dice game. This was their favorite thing to do out of all the activities. For this game each student had to roll the dice and whichever number it landed on they had to write the word above it. They also had to come up with a sentence using the word they got. This was their favorite part because they were allowed to use their imagination and come up with their own sentence. At first when the students would get their word they would have trouble reading it and coming up with a sentence. By my fifth session I would take out the list of words and as I was writing them the students would be reading all of the words aloud. There was still a few they didn’t know but at that point I was happy to see that these strategies were working for these children to help them learn to read. By working with the students I have learned so much and I know that they have learned a lot from me. This experience has been so rewarding and I am I glad to know that I could help. It has helped shape my teacher identity because I am learning new strategies for becoming a better teacher. I am also getting a great experience working with a group of such diverse students. This will help me one day when I am a teacher because I will be prepared for any challenging situations. When I become a teacher I am going to enforce that everyone should be treated equally in the classroom. One thing I would like to do in my classroom to make students feel more welcome is by learning all of their different cultures. Students will enjoy talking about their culture and listening to each other. After completing this service learning experience I now have a better understanding of all the hard work it takes to be a teacher. I am ready to take on new challenges and help children become skillful learners!

Prompt # 6

In the first grade ESL classroom that I help in I am a reading buddy for four students. For these students English is not their native language and they struggle when trying to read. Some ways the teacher has demonstrated sensitivity to their sociocultural and linguistic differences is by dividing the room into different stations and labeling them in English. This is good way for students to learn because every time that they see the station they see the sign that goes along with it and become more familiar with the different vocabulary. A lot of times I notice that when I ask for the first sound in a word the students sometimes will give the first sound of the word in Spanish. I have only noticed this a couple times because I don’t know too much Spanish. When I realize what the student has done I let them know that it is correct in Spanish and then I will help them with the correct sound in English. In Claude Goldenberg’s article “Teaching English Language Learners” he states that when students speak in their native language it helps them in learning English. Goldenberg has done a lot of research in proving that using their native language will help students to learn English. Goldenberg also states that when learning academic English it is more abstract, complex, and challenging. The students I tutor don’t seem to have that much of a problem speaking to me or to their friends but when they have to speak academic English it is a little more challenging for them. I have noticed that after many weeks of tutoring these children they have progressed a significant amount. The students are now more confident in reading and I notice they really do want to learn.

Prompt #5

As a teacher in an urban school I might encounter some challenges in collaborating with the parents of my students. One of the challenges that I could come across is when the parents do not speak English. If I need to have a conference with the parents and they cannot understand me they might feel upset because they are trying to help their child but they don’t know how. In my first grade ESL class that I help in most of the children’s parents do not speak English at all. It is hard for my students to learn English when they have no help at home. One way I could address this challenge is by arranging a parent teacher conference where I have another teacher who speaks Spanish translate what I am saying to the parents. This way I can communicate with the parents and they have a better chance in helping their child. Also, I can talk about giving their child extra help during recess or after school if they are unable to. In Lisa Delpit’s article “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” she discusses her theory of “the culture of power” and how there are codes or rules for participating in power. Delpit states “The codes or rules I’m speaking of relate to linguistic forms, communicative strategies, and presentation of self; that is, ways of talking, ways of writing, ways of dressing, and ways of interacting.” This would be a good way to address the problem. For example, presentation of self, if I come across as friendly and show the parents I truly want to help then they might try to help too. Another challenge I could come across is if the parents think I am trying to enforce the white culture on their children. Delpit also talks about this and says that we should welcome the dominant culture but still practice their own. We are trying to welcome their native language but learn another. One way I could demonstrate respect for the concerns of parents is by doing all that we can to adhere to every students personal needs. I could also send home weekly progress reports in the parent’s native language so they can see how their child is progressing overtime and if their child needs extra help. By going to any length to help the students it will prove to the parents that I really do care and it is one step closer to helping the parents become more involved in their child’s academic goals.

Prompt #4

“No one enters a classroom without a personal history; thus no one enters a classroom completely free of bias.”
When I first started my VIPS tutoring I didn’t know what to expect. I walked into the classroom wondering what the children were like and if they were going to like me. At Stonewell Elementary* the students are all very friendly and welcoming. I did notice that the school is very diverse. I wondered if I was going to be able to relate to the students and be able to help them succeed. I went to a high school that was also very diverse so I knew some things about how to react in an educational setting. When entering the classroom I remembered reading Alan Johnson’s article “Our House is on Fire” and his theory about white privilege. “The problem of race, for example, is commonly believed to result from what happens when some people encounter those who don’t look like them. Supposedly, the strange and unfamiliar bring out some innate human tendency toward fear of the unknown and intolerance of difference. The solution, then, is to champion diversity, promote tolerance, and celebrate difference.” I wondered if the students would fear me. When I got to know some of the children I realized that they didn’t think of me any differently as anyone else. In my kindergarten class I am a reading buddy for six different students. I notice that a lot of times the children will make comments about each other’s race. One Hispanic girl said to an African American boy “you’re black.” I wondered why she had said that and if it was supposed to be taken as an insult. Another time I overheard two African American boys saying “you’re dark chocolate and I’m milk chocolate.” I had no idea what I should have said to them because it must have been something they heard at home. I feel like this might be some of the challenges I will face as a teacher in this classroom. Another challenge I feel that I will face might be teaching students to accept social difference. I feel that in this classroom setting we must follow Johnson’s solutions by promoting diversity and tolerance and to celebrate difference. I think that this experience will help me become a better teacher because I am able to learn how to teach in such a diverse classroom and I will be able to help encourage students to promote diversity.

*Names have been changed.

Prompt #1

I am a reading buddy in a kindergarten class and a first grade ESL class at Stonewell Elementary*. Stonewell is a fairly new elementary school located in lower South Providence. On my first day I used my GPS to get there and when it said I had reached my destination I was so confused because there were so many buildings. I had to drive around it twice to find the school. I finally parked and decided to walk around and look for it, although I was a little nervous walking around an unfamiliar area. I noticed that the school was surrounded by a little campus with two high schools, a middle school, and a recreation center. When I finally found the school I walked in and saw that the environment looked very welcoming. In the office there was a bunch of children all coming into school late. They all looked very happy and friendly. When I came in I was welcomed by Ms. Ledger* and given a tour of the school. I started to feel a little more comfortable after seeing some of the classrooms and meeting some of the teachers. I noticed that the school was really big, not like my elementary school. I was brought to my first classroom and was introduced to the teacher and the children. I noticed there was a lot of tension in the class because the teacher was constantly yelling at the students and telling them to be quiet and sit in their seats. The classroom was divided in six groups and the teacher’s desk was hidden in the corner. There was also a big rug in the front of the class where the students can sit. This reminded me of when I was in elementary school when I used to sit on the rug and listen to the teacher read us books. The second classroom I help in is a first grade ESL class. This class was set up a little different then the kindergarten class. There were smaller groups and the teacher’s desk was right in front of the class. There was also a rug where the students could go and sit. I noticed that this class was set up into different stations to help the students learn. After my first day I felt that this school really wants to help their students learn and I am ready to do all that I can to help!

* Names have been changed.

First Post

Hello, my name is Lisa Couto and I am from Bristol, Rhode Island. I am 19 years old and I currently work at Stop and Shop in Bristol at the customer service desk. I really like my job because I get to work with my friends all of the time. I also attend Rhode Island College. I am majoring in elementary education. I like all my classes so far and I’m really excited to do my service learning project and get to interact with children during school. I hope I have a successful year at RIC and get into the Feinstein School of Education.