Peters 1

EmilyPeters
EDL318
DianneSuiter
September10,2015
BeginningofTermPaper

ParkerPalmerwroteitbest,Themostpracticalthingwecanachieveinanykind
ofworkisinsightintowhatishappeninginsideusaswedoit.Themorefamiliarweare
withourinnerterrain,themoresurefootedourteachingandlivingbecomes(P.75).In
relationtome,IthinkPalmerissayingthatinordertogivemystudentstheeducation
theydeserveImustfirstknowmyself,myvaluesandwhymyhistoryhasmademethis
way.InthispaperIwillstarttodiscusshowmypersonalexperiencesasastudentwithin
thepubliceducationsystem,asabystanderandobservertoothersexperiencesandasa
currentpreserviceteacherhaveallhelpedtoshapeandmoldmyviewsontheeducation
systemandwhatIvalueinaneducationalenvironment.
BackgroundandPersonalExperiences
Firstandforemost,Ibelievethatastrongcommunityandsupportsystemwithin
thedistrictisvitalincreatingathrivingandpositiveworkenvironmentforteachersand
learningenvironmentforstudents.Iwasfortunateenoughtoliveinatownwhere
educationandfundingforeducationwereconsideredtoppriority.Alloftheschoolshad
thefullsupportofthecommunityandthereforehadalloftheresourcestheyneededfor
optimallearningrightattheirfingertips.Alsotheadministrationintheindividualschools

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workedhardtokeepacommunityatmosphereamongtheteachersandstaffsothatthey
allworkedtogetherasateamandkeptmoralhigh.Myexperiencesasapreservice
teacherduringmyfieldplacementhaveshowedmewhatcanhappentoaschoolwhen
thesupportsystemandcommunitybackingisnotthere.Teachermoralissoimportant,
andoneofthemostdetrimentalthingstoschoolingcanbewhenteachersfeelasthough
theyaresetuptofailanddontfeelliketheirdistrictandcommunityvaluesthem.For
example,theschoolIaminnowhasoneofthebiggestturnoverratesforteachers,and
justbybeingintheclassroomandspeakingwiththeteachersduringplanningtimesIcan
seeandheartheunrestandfrustration.Theirmotivationandjoyofteachingismasked
underfrustrationanddefeatforafailingschoolsystemwithnobackboneorsupport.
AnotherhugecomponentofearlychildhoodeducationthatIpersonallyfeelhas
beenshapedbymybackgroundistheimportanceofkeepingscience,socialstudiesand
theartsinthecurriculum.AsIlookbackonmyschooling,whatstandsouttomemostis
notallofthestandardizedtestsandpracticeworksheetsbuttheprojectsandlifeskillsI
learnedduringsocialstudiesunits,theexperimentsthatboggledmymindduringscience
andIespeciallyremembermyartandmusicteachershelpingmeexploremycreative
side.Ipersonallyfeelthatthelifeskillsandsocialemotionalaspecttoelementary
teachingcanalmostbemorevaluabletoachildthanthecorecurriculum.Growingup,I
feelthatIgotarealliberalartseducationthatallowedmetoexploreandmademethe
wellroundedstudentIamtoday.Butsadly,Ifeelthatschoolsareforgettingabout
teachingthewholestudent,andinsteadaremovingfurtherandfurtherawayfromthe
educationourchildrendeserve.Teachingtothetesthasbecomealmostanobsession

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acrossthenation,andnowIamworkinginschoolswherescienceandsocialstudiesare
taughtoneveryotherFridayforthirtyminutesandnotintegratedintothemath,reading
orwritingcurriculum.Tomethisisunacceptable,anditsdoingthestudentsahuge
disservice.
Overallmyexperiencesintheeducationsystemhaveshowedmetheimportance
andvalueofawellrounded,positiveandequitableeducationforallstudents.Asa
teacher,IhopethatIcangivethistoeverychildwhowalksintomyclassroom.Growing
upIlivedinatownthatwasmajorityAngloSaxonandIcancountononehandthe
amountofAfricanAmericanstudentsinmygradeofalmost500.SogrowingupIdont
thinkmyteachersfacedthesamechallengeofmakingsuretohaveamulticultural
classroom,whichdoesntmeantheyshouldnthavetried,butIthinkitwasmoreofan
addoninsteadofintegratedintothecorecurriculum.Sadly,Ihaventreallyseena
changeinmulticulturaleducationasIvestartedmyfieldplacements.Oneinstance
standsouttomeinvolvinganEnglishlanguagelearnerinathirdgradeclassroomIwas
placedin.MichaelcamefromtheCongoandspokealmostnoEnglish,buthewasgiven
nointerventiontimewithanELLspecialistandtheteachermadenoefforttointegrate
himorhiscultureintotheclassroom.Michaelsatathisdeskandrippedpaperduringthe
entireschoolday,hewasgivennochancetobeapartoftheclassnorwerehisfellow
classmatesgiventhechancetolearnabouthimandhisculture.Ihavewatchedtimeand
againacurriculumbeingtaughtthatdoesnotreflectthediverseculture,ethnicandracial
societywelivein.Oneofmyjobsasateacheristoteachstudentshowtoeventually
becomeeducated,activeparticipantsofourdemocraticsocietyandtheycantbecome

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thatwithoutamulticulturaleducation.Myexperienceshaveshowedmethata
multiculturaleducationisnecessaryifstudentsaregoingtoreceiveanequitableandtruly
democraticeducation.
IssuesofPovertyandRacethatConfrontEducators
Mypersonalvaluesoneducationalsohaveastrongcorrelationtotheissues
challengingpovertyandraceintheclassroomtoday.Povertyandtheastonishingly
growinggapbetweenthelowerclassandthewealthydirectlyaffecttheeducationsystem
andthevalueoflearningachildreceives.Thedifferencesbetweentheeducationan
impoverishedruraltowngetsascomparedtoachildgrowingupinamiddleclasssuburb
ortoachildintheinnercityislikenightandday.Povertyaffectsthefundingand
resourcesavailabletoaschooldistrictaswellastheschoolbuildingsthemselves.Many
timesschoolsinimpoverishedareasarentgiventheresourcestheyneedtoproperly
educatetheirstudentstoadegreeevenclosetothatoftheeducationreceivedinmore
monetarilysecureareas.Thisisntalwaysthecase,butmanytimesitsthesadreality.
Anotherhugehurtlepovertyaddsisthechildshomelife.Accordingtoacensus
takenin2014,theUnitedStateshasover15millionchildrenwholiveinfoodinsecure
households(FeedingAmerica,p.1).Thismeansthatchildrenarecomingtoschoolunfed
andhungry.Aswewatchedinthe30Daysvideo,afamilylivingoffofminimumwage
canbarelymakeendsmeat.Schoolshavestudentscominginwhomightnothavea
permanenthome,foodonthetable,orcleanclothingtowear.Ifachildsbasicneeds
arentbeingmet,howcanweexpectthemtomeetourstandardsoflearning?Asa
teacherthisisgoingtobeoneofmybiggestchallengestofacewithstudentswholivein

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poverty.Onamacrolevel,thisisanissueournationneedstoaddress,astheeconomic
gapcontinuestogrowsodoestheeducationalgapandourchildrenaregettingstuckina
brokensystemthatcreatesaselfdeprecatingcyclethatisalmostimpossibletogetoutof.
Raceandtheclassroomhasbeenanongoingissueintheeducationsystemforas
longasIcanrememberandalthoughtheissueshavechangedorevolvedovertimethey
arestillverymuchthereandneedtobeaddressed.Studentsneedtoabletosee
themselvesintheclassroomandfeelliketheybelonginordertobeanactivelearner.The
realityversustherepresentationintheclassroomofracialidentitiesandhistoryisvery
different.Gaydiscussestheissueofglossingoverandromanticizingsocialproblemsand
racialrelationsinordertopromoteharmonyandavoidcontroversy(Gay,p.4).Reality
isdistortedinearlychildhoodeducationandthehistoryandcurrentissuesofurban
living,povertyandsocialinjusticestakeabackseattoaschoolcurriculumthatdoesnt
wanttotouchthecontroversialactuality.IntheJensenarticle,TheHeartofWhiteness,he
talkedaboutanuneasyfeelinghefeltwhensittingnexttoablackmananddiscussingthe
issueofrace.Jensendescribedhavinganirrationalfearofbeingexposedasafraudor
somekindofclosetracist(Jensen,p.2).Thatlinestruckme,andasIwasreadingthisI
realizedthatIthink,asawhiteteacher,Itoomighthavethisirrationalfearofnot
wantingtodiscusscontroversialraceissuesbecauseImafraidIdonthavetheright
becauseIamnotblack.Ithinkourelementarycurriculum,whichistaughtbyamajority
ofAngloSaxonteachers,doesntwanttoopenupthiscontroversialdoorbecauseweare
afraidofsomehowbeingracistevenifweknowwearent.Jensengoesontosaythat
onceherecognizedthisfear,hewasabletostarttoletgoofit,andIthinkthisiswhatthe

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Americanschoolsystemneedstostartdoing.Thereisntanequitablerepresentationof
racialdiversityinmostcurriculumsandIthinkmakingmyclassroominclusiveand
raciallyawareforallstudentswillbeanissueIfaceandneedtoaddressasateacherin
todayssociety.
OverRidingQuestion
Therearecountlesstensions,challengesandissuesthatgosofarbeyondteaching
thecorecurriculumIwillfaceasanelementaryteacherthatitseemsdauntingandalmost
impossibletocreateaclassroomthatisanequitablelearningenvironmentforall
students.SomyoverridingquestionthatIhopetofocusonishowdoIovercomethe
challengesassociatedwithcultural,ethnic,linguistic,racial,andreligiouspluralityand
insteadcelebratetheminmyclassroom,sothatallofmystudentsreceivethebest
educationpossible?HowdoIcreateatrulymulticultural,relatableandinclusive
classroomwhenIamawhitewomanwithaverysecularbackground?Isitpossibleto
reachallmystudents?Thesequestionshavebeenpoppingupmoreandmoreinmyhead
asIgetclosertograduation,theyareonesthatworrymeasapreserviceteacherbecause
IcareaboutmyfuturestudentssomuchandIwanttobeabletogivealloftheman
educationtheydeserveandwhatifIcant.
MethodofInvestigation
InordertoaddressthisquestionandworkonfindinganswersIthinkthebest
placetostartisinmyfieldplacement.Icanobservemyhostteacher,aswellasother
teachersinmyschooltoseehowtheycelebratepluralityintheirclassrooms,andifthey
dontthenrespectfullyprobeastowhy.Icanlookatthemanipulatives,books,and

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postersdisplayedintheclassroomsandseewhatteachersusetocreateanequitable
classroom.Icanalsolookatmyplacementschoolasawholetoseehowtheytreat
diversitybyaskingaboutfieldtrips,assembliesandafterschoolactivitiestheschoolmay
offerthatembracedifferences.Icanalsolookforaddedsupportstheschoolofferson
theirwebsite.Myownobservationsandexperienceswitheducationisagreatjumpingoff
pointtodelvedeeperintofindinganswerstomyoverridingquestionbutthereareso
manyresourcesbeyondthatthatIcanutilizeandexplore.
Inordertofinddifferingviewsandmoreideasonhowtocreateaculturally,
ethnically,linguistically,raciallyandreligiouslycohesiveclassroomenvironmentIcan
looktoonlinedocuments,blogs,videos,schoolwebsitesandteacherresources.The
Internetcanbeateachersgreatestresourceandcanleadmetootherteachersand
communitiesthataredealingwiththesamequestionsIhave.Ihopetolearnfromothers
experiences,andgainknowledgeandtoolsthatcanhelpmeconnecttoandcelebrateall
studentsinmyfutureclassroom,evenifIdontdirectlyrelatetotheirdiffering
background.
Inconclusion,Ihopethatmypersonalbiographyandvalueshelptoshapemy
classroominapositivewayandthatbyknowingtheshortcomingsofmyautobiographyI
canworkonthemandlearnfrommystudents,myfutureexperiences,andresearchin
ordertocreatethemostinclusiveclassroomenvironmentthatcelebratespluralityand
looksatdiversityinareallight.

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WorkCited

"30Days"MinimumWage.Dir.MorganSpurlock.FX,2005.Film.
Gay,Geneva."TheImportanceofMulticulturalEducation."EducationalLeadership1
Dec.2003,Volume61ed.:15.Print.
"HungerandPovertyFactSheet."FeedingAmerica.2015.Web.15Sept.2015.
Jensen,Robert.TheHeartofWhiteness.CityLightBooks,2006.Excerpt.
Palmer,ParkerJ."TheHeartofaTeacher."TheCouragetoTeach.ChangeMagazine,
1993.6676.Print.