Katy Graves LRC 411 December 13th, 2013 Final Reflection

This semester !as as"e# to con#$ct a series of home visits !ith a family !hose #a$%hter atten#s the school that am #oin% my st$#ent teachin% in& 'hat starte# o$t for me as a nervo$s sit$ation t$rne# into one of the most val$able e()eriences have ha# so far in my $n#er%ra#$ate career& !as able to listen to their stories, learn abo$t their c$lt$res an# bac"%ro$n#s, an# b$il# a meanin%f$l relationshi) !ith this family& 'ith each visit %re! to "no! more abo$t !hat this family !as all abo$t, learne# more than *$st their histories, b$t learne# abo$t their val$es, !hat matters most to them& Doin% the visits !as so hel)f$l in my e#$cation as a f$t$re teacher beca$se it ta$%ht me ho! to connect !ith st$#ents an# families& +avin% that stron% relationshi) !ith a teacher is somethin% that al!ays val$e# %ro!in% $), an# ho)e that in the f$t$re can #o this !ith all of my st$#ents, an# con#$ctin% home visits is a )erfect !ay to #o that& learne# so many thin%s abo$t my family, #on,t even "no! !here to be%in& 'hen !ent on my first visit, !as very nervo$s& ha# no i#ea ho! the interaction !as %oin% to %o an# !as !orrie# that !o$l# be relyin% to heavily on my list of -$estions an# !o$l# ma"e the interaction feel not a$thentic& .$t !hat en#e# $) ha))enin% !as a !on#erf$l e()erience& The family %racio$sly !elcome# me into their home& t !as !arm an# clean an# there !as art every!here& /n# as the conversation move# on, it be%an to flo! more freely an# it #i#n,t feel as m$ch li"e an intervie! li"e !as !orrie# it !o$l#& There !as a fe! thin%s learne# that really

st$c" o$t to me abo$t the families #ynamics an# their !ay of life& Their )assion for art an# creativity, the father,s family history from Chile, the relationshi) bet!een my st$#ent an# her brother an# *$st the overall )ositive s)irit of the ho$sehol#& first as"e# abo$t hobbies& learne# that the mother is ori%inally from the mi#!est an# move# o$t here to st$#y art at the 0niversity of /ri1ona& 2he sai# that art !as an activity she love# #oin% to%ether !ith the "i#s, an# it is im)ortant for her to have them fin# their o!n creative e()ression& 2he tol# me ho! they each have their o!n set of art s$))lies an# that #ra!in% to%ether !as somethin% they #i# every#ay& .oth )arents have careers !or"in% !ith chil#ren an# believe that allo!in% them to have creative e()ression is a "ey )art in their e#$cation& For the #a#, he loves to rea# !ith the "i#s& They rea# at least one boo" to%ether as a family every#ay, if not more& .eca$se he is a teacher he loves to hel) the "i#s !ith their rea#in%, !ritin%, an# other home!or"& 3ven tho$%h the #a$%hter #oesn,t %et home!or" yet, havin% some to #o alon% si#e her ol#er brother is somethin% she !ill constantly as" for, so her #a# !ill %ive her little 4home!or"5 assi%nments as !ell& tho$%ht this !as )retty s)ecial an# s)o"e to the

relationshi) bet!een my st$#ent an# her brother& as"e# if the t!o !ere very close& The )arents e()laine# to me ho! their boy ha# some sensory stim$lation iss$es, an# that for a lon% time %oin% o$t to )$blic )laces !as !ay too overstim$latin% for him& They sai# that their #a$%hter seeme# to be the only one !ho really $n#erstoo# him an# !hy he !o$l# act the !ay he #i#& 2he has an ability to calm him #o!n !hen no one else can& Their mom sai# the t!o rarely fi%ht an# %enerally )lay to%ether !ell& /s !e !atche# them )lay in the livin% room to%ether on the floor in front of $s !as thin"in% ho! tr$e this m$st& "ne! my st$#ent !as a *oy to have in class, that #i#n,t have )roblems !ith other st$#ents at all& tho$%ht this m$st be beca$se of the )atience she #evelo)e# %ro!in% $) !ith her

brother, !ho !as a little #ifferent, b$t !hom she love# re%ar#less& /nother thin% that is im)ortant to this family is %oin% to ch$rch& .oth )arents say they #i# not %ro! $) in a reli%io$s ho$sehol#, b$t fo$n# reli%ion later in their life& They thin" that it is im)ortant for their "i#s to be %oin% to ch$rch no!, b$t it is also im)ortant to them to teach their "i#s that reli%ion is a choice, an# they can believe anythin% they !ant to believe& /s )arents of co$rse they !ant to %ear their chil#ren in the #irection that %oes !ith their o!n beliefs, b$t they say they !ant their "i#s to have the choice *$st li"e they #i#& They !ant them to have the o))ort$nity to e()lore reli%ion an# fin# it on their o!n, beca$se it !o$l# be more meanin%f$l to them that !ay& .$t ch$rch is also im)ortant to them beca$se it )rovi#es a lot of their social net!or"& They #escribe# their frien#s from ch$rch as their 4ch$rch family5& 2o for them it is more than *$st %oin% to a service, b$t it is bein% a )art of a %ro$) that loves an# s$))orts each other& /fter fin#in% o$t abo$t their ch$rch family !ante# to "no! more abo$t the )arents families an# !hat their bac"%ro$n#s !ere& Li"e ha# mentione# before the mother is from the mi#!est an# came here for colle%e, b$t !hat she then tol# me is that she ha# been a#o)te# !hen she !as a baby, an# no! ha# recently reconnecte# !ith her biolo%ical family& 2he tol# me that she ha# t!o siblin%s that she ha# never even "ne! abo$t an# ha# *$st met them this year& tho$%ht this !as an incre#ible story an# as"e# if the "i#s ha# met her other family& 2he tol# me they ha# b$t the !hole i#ea is still a bit conf$sin% to them& They are so $se# to the i#ea of mom, #a#, brother, an# sister that intro#$cin% this !hole other section of a family !as very stran%e& The mother sai# they #re! a family ma) to hel) them $n#erstan#& The #a#,s family has a very )o!erf$l story& +e !as born in Chile !here his mother !as a !ell6"no!n activist& 2he or%ani1e# many )rotests an# rallies a%ainst the %overnment at the time& They !ere fi%htin% for the h$man

ri%hts that their o!n %overnment !as #enyin% them& 'hen the military overthre! the %overnment, his father !as ta"en as a )risoner of !ar& L$c"ily, she ha# some frien#s in the military !ho !ere able to %et her h$sban# o$t& t !as then that they #eci#e# to )ac" their thin%s an# esca)e to the 0nite# 2tates& The father of my st$#ent !as t!o years ol# at the time an# has live# in T$cson ever since& 'hen hear# these stories abo$t the families !as really im)resse#& ha# never e()ecte# to %et s$ch a rich history from my family& as"e# abo$t ho! m$ch of the Chilean c$lt$re that he still carries !ith him& +e sai# that since he !as so yo$n% !hen he left Chile, there is not m$ch he remembers, that he has more of a T$cson c$lt$re no!& +e sai# that there mi%ht be certain mannerisms an# s$btleties that he )ic"e# $) from his )arents that are more Chilean, b$t he !o$l#n,t be able to )ic" those o$t& +e sai# that !hen he !as yo$n% that he s)o"e 2)anish, b$t event$ally lost the lan%$a%e havin% been in 3n%lish6s)ea"in% school& +e relearne# the lan%$a%e later in life to better connect !ith his roots& as"e# if he !o$l# li"e his "i#s to learn 2)anish as !ell& +e sai# that he !ill $se it !ith them sometimes, an# !o$l# li"e them to learn it, b$t it isn,t their main )riority ri%ht no!& The )erson !ho $ses it the most is his mother, the "i#,s 4ab$elita5& 2he !ill $se it more !ith the "i#s, so !hat they #o "no! stems from her& The )arents tol# me that since it is the father,s family that lives in T$cson, that is the one they are closest too& The %ran#)arents !ill babysit, they %o over to each others for holi#ays, an# they li"e to %o to comm$nity events to%ether& +is brother is a mariachi teacher an# a #ancer& +e teaches in the comm$nity an# often #oes local )erformances& 7o! that the "i#s are %ettin% ol#er, they are able to %o o$t into the comm$nity an# #o more thin%s li"e that to%ether& They li"e to visit local )ar"s, %o hi"in%, an# even try to %o to events #o!nto!n& They sai# that they #o feel it is im)ortant for their "i#s to feel li"e a )art of the comm$nity, an# no! that they are able to

han#le )$blic )laces even better, they are ta"in% the o))ort$nity for them to #o so& 8n my last visit !as able to brin% some thin%s to share !ith the family that tho$%ht they !o$l# li"e& bro$%ht some boo"s to share !ith them9 Ish by :eter Reynol#s, Chalk by .ill Thom)son, an# My Big Brother by ;ivian Fisher& %ot to share each of these boo"s an# listen to all the !on#erf$l stories that !ent alon% !ith them& %ot to !atch the family en%a%e !ith an# share literat$re to%ether& t !as s$ch a *oy to see this ha))en ri%ht in front of me& 3ach of the boo"s chose ha# the messa%e of embracin% yo$r in#ivi#$ality an# lovin% yo$rself for yo$r $ni-$eness, val$es that my family hol# #ear& They !ere very a))reciative of the stories share# !ith them an# the e()erience !as tr$ly !on#erf$l& Loo"in% bac" at my visits see a family !ho has an immense "no!le#%e of art an# creativity& They stan# $) for !hat they believe an# have the %oals to be active members in the comm$nity& They are smart, "in#, an# free6s)irite# )eo)le& ,m really loo"in% for!ar# to $sin% !hat learne# abo$t this family in the classroom !ith my st$#ent& !ant to contin$e to e()lore art !ith her an# "ee) %ivin% her o))ort$nities to be creative& !ant to contin$e to e()lore the T$cson comm$nity !ith her an# to hel) reinforce all the thin%s her )arents !ant& can $se 2)anish !ith her, tal" to her abo$t family to hel) %et all the lessons !e are !or"in% on across& 7o! that "no! all these thin%s abo$t my st$#ent feel that have a s)ecial relationshi) !ith her in the classroom& 7o! that have seen her home an# hear# her story an# her families stories feel that can be more than *$st a teacher, b$t a frien#, an# )artner in the e#$cation of this chil#& thin" that #oin% the home visits have not only im)acte# me as an e#$cator, b$t as a )erson as !ell& They have ins)ire# me to learn this m$ch abo$t all my st$#ents, so can $se !hat "no! to hel) them as m$ch as can in the classroom& Learnin% abo$t other families has really

o)ene# $) my eyes into ho! other )eo)le live an# !hat they val$e& can see more than ever ho! $ni-$e each chil# really is an# ho! each one has their o!n story that %oes bac" into history& Kno!in% my st$#ents on this #ee) level is so im)ortant to me& ho)e that !ith these e()eriences can contin$e to %ro! an# learn abo$t more families& thin" that all aro$n# it !ill ma"e me a better teacher an# *$st a better )erson& .y becomin% more a )art of these chil#ren,s lives !ill become tr$ste# by the families an# by the comm$nity& t !ill stren%then my role as an a#vocate for the chil#ren, families, an# comm$nity as a !hole&