Personal Views on Diversity & Cultural Awareness
As an English teacher in Baltimore City, my goal is to provide my students with opportunities to discover their passions, cultivate their academic strengths, and develop their character in and outside of the classroom. I believe that classrooms should be brave spaces where students feel comfortable to take risks and make mistakes. This means that all students are welcome to share their perspectives, engage in academic discourse, and make meaningful connections in class. Learning is a two-way street, where I work cooperatively with
students to cultivate healthy relationships and guide them towards self-discovery and academic growth. Seeing my students excel as individuals inspires me to work harder each day.
As a Chinese American educator working with a majority Black and Latinx youth population, I am constantly learning new ways to actively engage in conversations about race, identity, and diversity with my students. While these conversations are absolutely necessary to have with students, I do find them challenging at times. Given the long history of institutional racism in Baltimore and throughout America, schools and classrooms have often been sites of trauma for students of color. Thus, it would be irresponsible to overlook the implications of this context. Inclusivity is important, and I try to do my best to elevate and amplify as many identities and current issues as possible. The students I serve come from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Their attitudes and perspectives of the world are shaped by lived experiences that add depth to our conversations in class. My students come to class with ideas, passions, mindsets, and understandings about their own humanity. I hope to foster a learning environment where all types of knowledge are welcome and conversations are student-led with the support of the teacher.
Some of my strengths as an educator include having a calm and engaging presence with my students. I am eager to build positive relationships with my students by getting to know them as individuals with passions, likes and dislikes, and curiosities that extend far beyond the classroom. During small group and whole-group discussions, I ask questions that provide many opportunities for students to contribute to the conversation. Whenever a student gives a vague response, I ask them to explain his/her thinking or phone a friend for assistance. More often than not, the student will take a moment to think and then answer with greater insight. It is important to challenge students to think critically and creatively about ideas that can develop into a deeper understanding of themselves and the content they are engaging with. I often encourage students to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections in class. One time we were analyzing Eliza Doolittle's character in Pygmalion and a student had an "ah-ha" moment where he realized that Eliza's character is just like the squeegee boys in Baltimore!
As I prepare to begin teaching at Vanguard Collegiate Middle School this fall, I will be facing different challenges than I have had before. For one the demographics at Vanguard include a higher population of English Language Learners than I have encountered at previous sites. I am looking forward to meeting my students and connecting with their families so that I know how to best support each child's academic and personal growth. As I enter the virtual learning landscape, I aim to establish positive relationships with new colleagues and the administrative staff at Vanguard. I will strive to maintain consistency with classroom management and expectations. I intend to incorporate socio-emotional learning activities, interactive resources, and other multimedia into my online classroom. In this new context, I will do my best to build upon past successes and overcome challenges to connect with my students and make my classroom a brave space that welcomes risk-taking and diverse learning styles.
