Q: ​To better understand today's students, you also need to understand

yourself. Complete the "Flower Power" activity. Take a picture or scan of

your completed flower. Comment on which petal(s) best define you as a
person, student, and teacher. Which petal(s) least define you as a
person, a student, and teacher?

​A: During this activity, I struggled with identifying the socially dominant
identity. One of these was the "Generation" category. There were multiple
ways to look at this, but I ended up putting Generation-Z because the greatest
population of people are Generation-Z. I also struggled with the "Family"
category. I decided to put traditional as the most socially dominant identity. My
reasoning for this is that children that grow up in a traditional home typically
experience more advantages than children who do not. I believe I am going to
experience all sorts of children who identify themselves in many different
ways. This activity was really good at helping us become aware of what
children may be underprivileged.
I believe that the petals that most define me would be gender, race,
family, geographic location, and language. Gender and family are more
personal identities. Being feminine has always been a part of who I am, and I
am proud to be feminine. My family is traditional and has raised me in a very
loving environment that has helped me learn to appreciate family and to care
for those around me. As a student, I feel my geographic location played a big
role in how I learned. I grew up in a very white-dominated school, so I did not
see a lot of diversity throughout my schooling. It was not until I went to Chico
State that I saw more diversity. I even chose to go to Chico State because it
was near my home, and this decision has really played a vital role in how I
have grown and change over the past few years. As a teacher, I feel my race
and language will be prominent petals to share. I am white and speak English,
which makes me part of the "socially dominant" people for these two
categories. I believe this means I may need to try harder to have students who
do not share the same identity as me be able to relate to me. I need to
remember to make sure all students are represented in the work that we do in
the classroom and that all needs are being met. As for the petals that least
define me I would have to say generation and age. I just feel these are not
particularly relevant to who I am as a person, student, or teacher. I am not
even entirely sure what it means to be "Generation-Z" because I have heard
so many different opinions, so I cannot say if this really defines who I am.