I've decided to return to school and get a graduate degree. Pursuing a Master's has been on my mind for several years, however, I was unsure if I should continue my education career or totally change careers. I have decided to not only stay in the education realm, but possibly earn higher degrees to then teach other teachers how to teach in the university setting.
So this afternoon, I mentioned to Michael how I needed to write the essay portion of my application. It has to be a statement of purpose "describing my field of interest" of the graduate program and my professional career. One of my favorite parts of talking with Michael is that we bounce ideas off each other, accepting each other's opinions and thoughts without judgement. Thus creating fantastic, engaging, and thought-provoking conversations.
I am a passionate world traveler, and more importantly, a world citizen. I lived and taught English in Spain for a year, and I have traveled to numerous cities and countries around the world. My favorite part of traveling is experiencing new cultures by meeting people and hearing their stories. That being said, one "objective" of the graduate program I am interested in is about a school's social climate and students' well-being. The program incorporates techniques that ensure school-wide respect of linguistic and cultural diversity of students and their families. This particular objective sparked my interest!
Especially with the social climate around the world today, I feel that accepting and embracing other cultures is a necessary part of education, especially in America. Michael pointed out that the research for the need of multicultural education in the classroom has already been completed to answer the big question of "Why?" However, through experience of sitting through hours of professional development and undergrad classes that explain WHY it's needed, most teachers walk away asking each other, "Now HOW do we do it?" As a teacher, don't waste all of my time explaining why! Just tell me what are some research based techniques of how to incorporate the information.
We volleyed ideas of bringing in the community, the need for teachers and students to feel that they are a part of the same culture to be open and accepting of the lessons being taught, and how the fear of "unknown cultures and thoughts" causes students and teachers to be unaccepting. One thing all teachers learn quickly is that we cannot help what happens outside of our classroom walls. Everything we have control of is in our classrooms. The environment, the quality of lessons, the expectations are all set by the teacher.
This led to more speculations and thoughts. Michael remembered how he felt disconnected to the African American students during his student teaching in Alabama. Is it because of different cultures and his lack of exposure to their culture? Is it because he was white and the students did not feel a connection with him? How do you get students to respond to teachers who are from a different culture? From asian, european, african, south american, or american cultures. Human nature inclines you to connect with your own "kind." So how does a teacher tackle this?
I feel that because everything starts with the teacher, the teacher as a person must be introspective. Is s/he accepting of all cultures? What language and word choice does one use in lessons and throughout his/her day? What are the natural reactions and instincts that happen when a certain topic is brought up? What are the biases that we walk in the door with already? Helping the teacher dispel biases and expose them to many cultures needs to be a priority for districts through professional development. Ultimately, everything a teacher says has an effect on students in a good or bad way. Are we as teachers doing the best we can to foster acceptance and multiculturalism?
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