How do we talk about issues that matter?

I think that when discussing issues that matter it's important to keep an open mind. Just because someone might see something one way and you may see it another doesn't mean you can't listen, they could still add something new to your perspective or vice versa. It should never be seen as a contest of who knows more than who, but as a way for you and everyone involved to reach a greater understanding. One thing you can do when engaging in discussion on issues that matter is to keep a moderate tone. No one wants to feel less than, or that you're trying to prove somehow that they are wrong. By keeping a moderate tone you will be easier to follow along with and you will also make the audience feel more comfortable. As someone that is diagnosed with social anxiety, I know how hard it can be to talk to people in general, let alone on issues that matter that are more than likely controversial. Learning how to control your emotions in these situations could be a good place to start if you share the same fear of talking to people as I do. Try just sitting back and really listening and thinking about the topic at hand and what the speaker is saying about it. Thinking clearly about something before you speak will allow you to give your thoughts on the issue in a more confident and put-together way, which in the end will benefit both you and your audience.  

How is Teaching Portrayed to the Public?

 In movies, tv shows, and even books, teachers can be portrayed as miracle workers who can somehow change every single one of their students' lives in the time they're in their classroom. We see this usually with a white person being the teacher and the students being people of color. The movie "Freedom Writers" is an example of this. In the movie, we see Erin Gruwell, an eager first-year teacher, who is assigned to teach a class of teenagers from culturally marginalized backgrounds. Gruwell's first few attempts to connect with her new students do not go as well as she hopes. As the year continues, however, they establish a very strong connection to where Gruwell will do almost anything to see her students learning and succeeding. She goes as far as picking up two extra jobs in order to pay to get her student's new books and to take them on field trips. With how much time she was dedicating to ensure her students were succeeding, she left very little time to spend with her husband. This left her husband feeling not worthy of her time and ultimately ended in them getting a divorce. I think "Freedom Writers" is a good movie with an overall amazing message being sent, however, I think it paints teachers in a very unrealistic light. Many teachers would not be able to sacrifice as much as Gruwell did and they should not be expected to. Many people see movies like this one and assume that is what teachers should be like and that's just not the case at all. 

What is worth learning?

     The question "what is worth learning?" is one future educators should have on their minds. The answer will vary from teacher to teacher and will have to adhere to the rules of whichever educational philosophy the district of your choosing follows. In my opinion, there is nothing not worth learning, especially in today's society. Explicit curriculum is taught in every classroom, it is the intended plans, objectives, and content the school expects you to teach. Its' focus is mainly aimed towards reading and writing skills. The null curriculum is the pieces of history that are relevant but didn't make the cut to get taught directly in the lesson plan. The hidden curriculum is the information that lies under the surface of what is being taught. It's full of ideological meaning and can be inferred based on your own experiences. 

    Teachers will always teach the explicit curriculum, but they get to choose whether or not they bring the null curriculum or the hidden curriculum to their student's attention. I think it's a good idea to share pieces of information from both the null and hidden curriculum to a certain extent, based on the student's maturity level. Sharing information from both will allow the students to draw their own conclusions on many situations in history instead of just being told what's right and what's wrong. I personally didn't learn about many important parts of history until college and it has changed my perspectives on many subjects in a positive way and I think it should be taught sooner in the educational system. 

How can schools be more equitable?

There are many ways a school can be more equitable, but in my opinion, equity starts with the educator and should not be confused with equality. In making your school more equitable you're attempting to show the students that not everyone is the same, or grew up the same, or have had the same opportunities and resources available to them, therefore we should not all be treated or helped in the same ways. Establishing your classroom as an inclusive environment early on in the school year will promote mutual respect, effective relationships, and clear communication among students and open their minds to multiple different perspectives and worldviews, highlighting our differences and similarities. Involving students more in the classroom environment and curriculum will not only enhance student engagement by creating more meaningful learning content while also promoting working as a team to come to a mutual agreement, but it will also help you as a teacher recognize how individual students learn the best and the ways in which you can accommodate your teaching style to better fit your student's needs. Reflecting on your own beliefs is also an effective way to become more equitable for your students. Being able to listen, talk about, and reflect on others' perspectives as well as your own, will increase your worldview and not just make you a better teacher, but a better person in general. Schools that prioritize equity over equality are also promoting their students to reach their full potentials. Every student deserves a truly equal opportunity in the educational system to succeed regardless of their circumstance. 

What Rights Should Be Protected for Students and Teachers?

 The Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that students do not lose their rights to freedom of speech or expression while at school. However, in many of the cases we learned about in module 6, the school system still finds ways to try to limit and breach those basic rights. Dress codes are, in my own personal opinion, one of the biggest breaches in freedom of expression. Not only in the sense of what you get to wear, but in who gets to wear what. Many schools have different expectations in appearance among males and females in the school setting. For example, the high school I attended permitted girls to wear earrings, but would not allow the boys to wear them. Boys could not have hair longer than the collar of their shirts, designs cut into their hair, or hair accessories, while girls' length didn't matter and both boys and girls could only have natural colored hair. Many times, what you wear, the color of your hair, whether you identify as male or female, is a form of expression. Not only do these examples from my prior school limit students' freedom of expression, but they also exhibit gender discrimination. Enforcing such limiting rules can cause harm to the student's well-being by repressing them from being their true self. I understand some restrictions are necessary and need to be in place to keep student's expressions appropriate for the setting, but as long as it's not exposing provocative language//pictures, and not exposing an inappropriate amount of skin, I feel like students should be free to fully express themselves with personal style no matter the gender.

I believe teachers should be protected to have full academic freedom in the classroom and not be expected to follow the model curricula the school may have incorporated. Having teachers follow a curriculum can be repressing the true potential they have to teach their class. I think a curriculum model could be a good outline of what the school expects the teacher to teach, but should not dictate how they teach. Full academic freedom will give the teacher a chance to form relationships with her students and determine what they already know and bridge the gap to where they need to be in a way she best sees fit and most effective. 

How Can Instruction be Differentiated for Diverse Learners?

 All students are different and therefore all learn in different ways. We, as humans, have different strengths in different areas. An example of this could be a child being a phenomenal reader, but having trouble adding fractions together. I wouldn't assume just because the child is strong in one area their going to be just as strong in another. Choosing the way in which you teach lessons has an impact on the way the child perceives that information. That is why it is, in my opinion, very critical to make a personal connection with each of your students in order to get a better sense of their understandings of things and track and monitor their signs of progress or standstills. 

There are many ways instruction can be differentiated for diverse learners. Using multiple means of representation when presenting information is one way. Examples of this include graphs and diagrams, tables and grids, formulas, and symbols. Another way instruction can be differentiated is through multiple means of expression for students to show what they have learned. Examples of this include the option to express themselves orally or in written text, storytelling, role-play demonstrations and drawing. Using multiple means of engagement is also a way to differentiate instruction for students to make meaningful connections. Some ways to do this are optimizing individual choices, minimizing distractions, and promoting expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation. Only using one learning style in the classroom can prohibit a child's success and put a limit on what they think they can and can't do. Working with the way individual students learn will increase the chances of the student grasping the concept.

Why Teach?

    Teaching hasn't always been what I wanted to go to school for, and if I'm being honest, I've always been confused as to what I wanted to do with my life. Growing up, college wasn't really talked about in my household. My mom and dad being from an older generation didn't go to college and didn't really know how it worked, so I had little to go off of. The tiny high school I attended provided little assistance and direction as well in that department. What I got from both my parents and the school was that I needed to go to junior college, so that's what I did. My mom was a stay-at-home mom and my dad had a good job as a plant operator so of course, FASFA was off the table. Coming from a family of 5 kids, and with 2 younger brothers still in school my parents helped as much as they could, but ultimately it was an individual effort. I started taking basic classes in 2014 at the junior college with the money I won from scholarships, but soon it ran out and I was paying out of pocket with money from my part-time job. After many hardships, that I won't get into right now, I finally graduated from junior college in 2018 with an associate's degree in applied science to be a Nuclear Technician, something I chose based solely on income and the fact they offered it at the junior college.

     After graduation, I moved out of my parent's house and started applying for jobs. By 2019 I had acquired zero interviews and felt defeated not only from that but from a realization that I didn't even really want to do that with my life. It was then that my boyfriend that I had just started dating suggested I go back to school and I laughed because I couldn't afford that, to which he suggested I apply for FASFA. He explained that since I had been claiming myself on my taxes for the last 2 years this was now an option for me. I sat on it for a while, just remembering how hard it was the first time, thinking if I had known all the information I knew now about college, which still wasn't much, it would have made it a lot easier. At first, it caused feelings of resentment. I was mad no one laid anything out for me, offered me advice, told me the things I needed to do to prepare for school, or the things that were accessible to me while at school. I had wasted so much time and money on something I didn't even want because I had no sense of direction. I came to realize though, it was partly my fault. I never asked. 

    It was during this time I thought to be a teacher and a fire started in my heart. I was going to be the one to lay things out for the kids like me and for all the kids that came through my classroom. I was going to help them prepare for college or any road they decided to take and get them to start thinking about what they wanted to do and why it was important to start thinking about it. I also want to be a teacher that students aren't scared to open up to if they have a problem and create to create a safe space for them. I started my first semester at Texas State in the Spring of 2020 and the fire has only gotten bigger and brighter. 

    I'm currently majoring in Elementary Education K-6, but want to go back to school later to teach high school. I want to teach at a lower level before making my way up to become a high school teacher because let's face it, high schoolers are scary. I want to get comfortable in the classroom setting before taking on that challenge. Eventually, I hope to be teaching a college preparedness class and use my story to help students that might not know what they want to do or where to even start.