(Re)imagined Classroom

After taking this multicultural education class, I have learned a lot about having an inclusive classroom, so this post takes those things into consideration. The changes I want to make to my original imagined classroom design are in italics.
http://lessonswithlaughter.com/when-you-enter-this-classroom-door-decor/
I love how this door is decorated to remind the students each time they enter of everything they are capable of doing and becoming. I want my classroom to be like this to inspire my students to try and do their best, and to help them feel comfortable in my class. I still really like this poster and I would not change it, but I need to make sure to help my students understand the challenges they will face in reaching their goals. I want to inspire them to be what they want to be, but be realistic at the same time.
   
http://simplysecondgrade.blogspot.com/search/label/water%20cycle   https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Language-School-Poster-Classroom/dp/B00KSIIG5K
I want my classroom to have posters like this so that kids will learn different things wtihout even realizing it, like this water cycle poster. I like how visual it is, so the kids can see exactly how it works. Something I could change in this poster would be having the words in multiple languages, so any bilingual students I have will understand what it says. 
   
http://mrsosterman.blogspot.ca/   https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Language-School-Poster-Classroom/dp/B00LEU07KI
I remember having boards like this in my elementary school classroom, and I want to have one in my future classroom where the kids can learn about the days of the week, months of the year, date, numbers, weather, and more. It makes it fun and interactive, because the students can move things around and learn hands-on. This is another thing that I could change to be inclusive to bilingual students. I should include the numbers, days, and months of the year in other languages, especially Spanish, to help all students feel included and feel like they can participate in the classroom and understand what's going on. Also, I want to make sure that nothing is too high up in case I have students in wheelchairs. They should be able to reach the different things so they can also participate in every aspect of class.
 
http://www.teachercreated.com/decorative/paper-lanterns https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:stick%20kids%20decor
I want to decorate my future classroom with cute things, like this very hungry caterpillar, that are from children's books. I think it would motivate them to read more and to use their imaginations and be creative. Something I would want to make sure to do with this is include diverse characters in my classroom decor. I will not include only characters that are familiar to children like me and my family, but I will seek out children's books with diversity and incorporate those characters in my classroom. I will also read all of those books so that all my students know who they are and do not feel left out or behind because they have never read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." I want all of the decorations in my classroom to be inclusive.
     
http://sharingkindergarten.com/new-year-new-ideas/ http://yorktown.dailyvoice.com/schools/crompond-elementary-school-classroom-offers-flexible-seating/728024/
I like how this classroom is set up with small groups of students at round tables, so they can work together and make friends. I want my classroom to be neat and organized, but also feel comfortable and happy for the students. I would change this setup to have more variety of seating. If students want to sit on the floor or on exercise balls or stand, they should be able to. Also, I want to make sure that there is space in my classroom for wheelchairs and that everything is easily accessible. Students should have some say in their groups, like if I have students who do not speak English very well, I will ask them if they want to sit with other children that speak their language or if they would rather be spread out in order to be exposed to more English. I want my students to feel comfortable where they are sitting, and I want the students to be integrated and sit with students who are different from them so they can learn about other cultures and ideas. 

2. My future classroom is well-organized and clean, and the students sit in small groups of about 5 or 6 at circular tables. The room is colorful, but not too filled with decorations. There are posters on the wall that help kids learn, and there is a board with a calendar, the alphabet, the numbers 0 through 10, and more. There are many books, and the students can read them if they finish their work early or if there is a break. There are also art supplies, which we will use to help the kids learn certain things, such as the water cycle. There are different manipulatives, like blocks, which we will use for learning math. I think these things are good, but I would add that the posters would be diverse, and would depict students with disabilities and students of other races. There could also be black students in wheelchairs; it shouldn't be just the token kid in a wheelchair and the token black kid, it should be a variety and make every student feel like they belong. Also, I want things to be labeled in different languages, depending on where the students are from. My classroom library will include books about all kinds of families and people; families with gay parents, biracial families, families from other countries; I also want some books in other languages. Even if I don't have students whose families look like these, I will still read these books in my classroom so my students are aware of, are respectful of, and can celebrate differences. 

3. The students in my classroom come from all different backgrounds, and each table has diverse students, so they will not be prejudiced or stereotype others. There are black, Hispanic, Asian, and white students all learning together. They love to learn, do art, sing, play, and read, all of which will be incorporated in our lessons. This keeps them interested and willing to listen and participate. I did not consider before the economic status of the students, but there will likely be some students who are well-off and some who live in poverty. There may be students in my classroom who are learning English as a second language. There may be students who identify as LGBT or who have family members that do. I will do my best to get to know each student and their situation so I can help them and give them the attention they need. I will also pay attention to their learning styles and whether or not they feel comfortable doing things like reading aloud in front of the class, and I will accommodate those needs.

4. My class rules are to listen when the teacher is talking, to be respectful of others, to raise your hand when you want to say something, and to follow instructions. I will have a board with a green light, a yellow light, and a red light, and all the students' names will be on it with magnets. If they don't follow the rules, their name will get moved down to the yellow (warning zone), and if they disobey again, it will go to the red and I will contact their parents. Homework needs to be turned in on time, but if they turn it in late I will accept it for 10% less each day it is late. Thinking about it, some parents may have a lot more things to worry about than if their child's name is "in the red zone," so I think that I will just have the discipline in the classroom or if misbehavior becomes a big problem in the principal's office. Also, I have thought a lot about students' home situations; students might turn work in late because they are forgetful or irresponsible, but it may be because they were taking care of their siblings all night while their parents were at work or because the electricity in their house got shut off. I want to be aware of these things and be more lenient with homework assignments if necessary. 

5. Something I will be teaching is math. I will teach lessons about addition, because it is very important and they will use it all their lives. First, I will give them manipulatives, like blocks, and word problems for them to try to figure out. Then, they can talk to their groups and see if they got the same answer as the other kids, and if not, try to work it out. Then, I will have the students volunteer to share how they solved the problem. I want students to learn that they are intelligent and can figure things out on their own, and also the importance of sharing with others and listening to their ideas.

6. During the lesson, I will be walking around, observing the students. Then, when they're done and they think they have figured it out, I will call them up to the board and tell them if they got the correct answer or not; even if they didn't I will congratulate them and remind them that it's good to make mistakes sometimes because it helps us learn. Then, I will discuss different strategies for solving the problems. I think this is an inclusive lesson for lots of different students, so I wouldn't change it.

7. My students are focused and intent during the lesson. They try different strategies, like counting on their fingers, drawing pictures, and using objects to represent numbers. They listen to each other and respect one another's ideas. They participate and share their ideas without embarrassment or shame, because they know that they're trying, which is what's most important. I think it was a bit naive of me to expect all students to be focused and intent for the whole lesson; I need to be aware of children who have a hard time paying attention or who need to be moving around and allow them to do what they need to in order to be engaged in the lesson. 

8. I will give completion grades on most assignments, because I have been learning about how making mistakes makes our brains spark and grow more than getting everything right the first time. I will have few tests, and I will have a lot of participation in class, which will help me see how the students are growing and learning. I think it will be very important for me to observe my students and use many different methods to judge how much they have learned and what they are confused about; written tests are not the best way for each child to show what they are learning. I will ask many questions and make sure my students know that if they do not understand something they can speak up without being embarrassed. 

After taking this class, I feel like I understand how to have a multicultural, diverse, inclusive classroom much better than I did before. I don't think my ideas from the original imagined classroom assignment were bad or that I needed to eliminate anything I had said before, but there are so many extra things I can do to make sure my classroom is a safe and comfortable place for students from all backgrounds. Before, I was just thinking about what I liked from my classrooms when I was in elementary school, but now I am thinking about how I can make positive changes and be more progressive. I never realized just how much schools were designed to help me, a middle-class white student, succeed, and I don't want my classroom to be the same way. I want to help all my students feel important and appreciated and give them the best opportunities to be successful. That is the reason I made most of the changes I did; I wanted to include books and posters and seating arrangements that would accommodate students whose needs I hadn't really considered before. 

Book Club

For this assignment, I read the book New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens by Brooke Hauser. It was an incredible book that taught me so much about how to be a good teacher and really broadened my perspective of the world.


There were many parts of this book that made me feel uncomfortable, sad, and angry. I actually cried a few times while I was reading it; the kids have gone through so much in their relatively short lives, and they have so much yet to face. I was disrupted by the story of Ngawang, a boy who traveled from Tibet to Nepal zipped inside a suitcase when he was 11 years old. I was disrupted by the story of Yasmeen, a girl whose parents both died after moving to the United States, leaving her to apply for guardianship of her two younger siblings when she was only 19. Then, her aunt arranged a marriage between Yasmeen, who was still in high school, and her cousin. I guess these stories disrupted me because these teenagers have so many responsibilities and have faced so many trials that mine seem ridiculously insignificant. Children should not have to go through these things; it motivates me to do everything I can to help and support my future students. Another disruption I experienced was when reading this quote "International students must work much harder to be considered equal to their American-born peers. They have to prepare longer, talk louder, and dress sharper." This is so unfair, but I have to admit that it is true in our society. White, American kids just have things easier, even though these immigrant students are the ones who are already at a disadvantage. There was a story about a boy from Sierra Leone who came to the U.S. to visit but ran away from his host family and stayed instead of returning to his country. He was only 14, and his mom was asking him to send money to their family, assuming that because he was in America, he had resources and opportunities. Sadly, this was not the case. This was disrupting to me because I always have heard about America being a place where dreams come true, but I am realizing just how hard it is for immigrants to be successful here. My last disruption was when the students were applying for college, and some wondered why they even went to school because they believed they were bound to end up working in restaurants and salons like their parents. These kids should not have to work in jobs they don't want; they should be able to accomplish anything if they work hard enough.

There were many things we have discussed in class that were incorporated in this book; obviously, there was a ton of diversity. There were students from a plethora of countries at this school. The teachers allowed them to wear whatever they felt comfortable in and encouraged them to talk about their countries, which is an example of celebratory multicultural education. The teachers and students all learned a lot about each other's cultures, and they were all celebrated. The book also had a lot to do with equity vs. equality; for example, the teachers did not offer to become legal guardians of all their students, but one teacher became the guardian of one certain student who was in a bad situation, living with four adults he was not related to and barely knew who were making him work without being paid. The teachers paid special attention so they would know who needed certain benefits or scholarships, instead of treating everyone exactly the same. Reading this book also made me think a lot about privilege; these kids do not have it. I am so privileged, and I had been pretty ignorant of all the challenges other kids my age face on a daily basis. I have social and cultural capital, which helps me in so many aspects of my life, especially getting into college or getting a job, while some of these students have barely arrived in the U.S. from the Middle East or Africa or Asia and do not speak the language or know how to dress or know a single person in this country. At one point in the book one of the teachers was preparing some students for job interviews, and she had to tell them that it was acceptable and necessary for them to look into the interviewer's eyes, which was shocking to the students whose cultures did not allow that.

I was inspired by the examples of the teachers and school administrators in this book and I know there are many things I want to incorporate in my classroom after reading it. The teachers were like friends to their students; they made them work and taught them, but they supported them, listened to them, gave them advice, and in some cases even became their guardians. I want to get to know each of my students personally so I can understand their home situation and know how to help them. I want to motivate them to try hard and work for what they want, but be realistic and help them understand what they can accomplish. I want to help them outside of the classroom as well; if they need legal help, I want to know how to point them in the right direction. If they need a doctor, I should know who to send them to. I want my students to trust me, and I want each of them to feel loved and protected.

Many of the things I want to incorporate in my classroom are the things I want my classmates to know. I want to share with them the huge impact teachers can have on students' lives. Without the International School and the teachers there, these students would have no hope of a better life. The teachers helped the students dream, and many of them were able to go to college, get jobs, internships, and scholarships, and reach their goals. Another important aspect of this book is the students' desire to learn. The students worked hard to get into this school so that they could be educated and contribute to society, so we have to make sure to nurture that desire. Something else I learned from this book is the importance of honesty. It is important to tell your students the truth and help them set realistic goals. I want to share with my classmates the importance of loving what you do and doing things for the right reasons. These teachers honestly loved and cared for their students. They knew what was going on in their lives and they worked overtime to help them. They did so much more than the bare minimum, and they probably impacted generations. We can do the same.