Culturally Responsive Teaching

This is a subject that is extremely important to me because it affects my students - English language learners. It has been my experience that a fair number of mainstream teachers are un- or under-prepared to teach immigrant students. As Villegas (who is one of the best professors I have ever had!!!!!!! She's here at MSU!!!!!!!) and Lucas point out in their article, immigrant and minority students are in our classrooms and their numbers are continuing to grow. Because of the dramatic increase in the numbers of these students, teachers need to be better prepared for how to meet their academic needs. It isn't only the ESL teacher who is responsible for educating them. We all need to seek to understand the backgrounds of these students and not think of them from a deficit perspective. Teachers need to model acceptance of different cultures and diversity within the school and they need to acquire some knowledge about second language acquisition so that they can appropriately adapt or modify their instruction.

Caring, Community, and the Teaching Profession

I liked that these three articles were grouped together with the case study about Michael because they really all deal with tightly interwoven threads of education. Without a doubt caring is central. Teachers must care about their students and must teach students to care about life. Administrators have to care about both students and teachers. A community with its own distinct culture is built within each classroom and school and throughout the years a teacher's professionalism is at the heart. When teachers are in what Lynn terms their preservice, induction, competency building, and enthusiasm and growth stages, teachers seem to REALLY care about their work. However, it's unrealistic to expect that there will be no dips in enthusiasm as teachers get burnt out or deal with personal problems. If a genuinely caring community were formed, maybe these teachers in their frustration, stability, or wind-down cycles could be nurtured enough to help them return to a more positive mood about their work. I think its unrealistic to expect an older teacher to have the same stamina and energy as a 23 year old, but I think they might add a different texture or layer of fabric to the mosaic of the school community. The thought of every teacher being in a nearly manic state is freaky. The reality and beauty of life is that everyone is unique - and a calmer - but still caring - demeanor isn't by definition negative. Michael's vice principle should take a little of the advice from the articles we read this week and look at the bigger picture.