Stand and Deliver

I recently watched the movie Stand and Deliver, and although I feel it fits the cliché of an 80’s movie, it was inspirational to see a teacher’s dedication in working with students labeled as incompetent in a Latino urban setting. I chose this scene because it shows his individual creativity in delivering instructional strategies that would engage his students. As you can see in the clip, he’s vibrantly singing while informing his students that they will now embark upon their next difficult task in the classroom, which was passing an AP Calculus exam to receive college credit. Throughout the movie he uses these creative, comical, and bold approaches (“scaring us into stuff”) to ensure that students gained a sense of accountability for their education. Specifically in this clip, Mr. Escalante distributes “Student Contracts” that had to be signed and returned to have continued being part of the class. I feel that the contracts not only continued to strive for individual student commitment for their learning, but it was also an opportunity to provide awareness to their parents and families. It was very interesting to see the responses that came from their parents. Some were apprehensive and didn’t see the need for such commitments. Mr. Escalante’s dedication to his students was far grander than their families could have anticipated and he used his unique approach to even get their families approval. His actions were clearly a reflection of his lifelong commitment to not only educating his students, but their families, and the community as well. Along with his commitment to students, he allocated time before and after school, extended the class for two periods, and Saturday morning sessions to ensure they had enough time to be successful. Mr. Escalante once again made the individual efforts to provide supports for his students beyond the means of a normal school day. It was obvious that he used a strength based approach to developing his relationships and rapport with his students. The conversations they had were evident of the trust and comfort they had, hence the “whats calcooooolus?” question.

ADDIE-Design Phase

In Progress....Philosophy of Education

An effective educator must possess a deep and dire passion for being a social and academic leader within a classroom setting. In order to accomplish such a goal, a teacher needs to commit their time to learning about each of her students, where they come from, who their parents are, and what their community is like. With such information, a teacher can take a realistic approach to designing an effective classroom environment that is authentic. One of the most imperative qualities for a future educator is to give students the opportunity to embrace and reflect upon their individuality to ideally instill a sense of cultural awareness and educational appreciation. Educators must also become agents for social reforms by providing opportunities for learning through instruction of concrete, appropriate and realistic materials. Students need such opportunities to develop abstract and critical thinking skills to become socially competent. Educators must be highly trained professionals that can meet the different and individual needs of students with flexible and creative means of instruction to ensure student learning. The demand for positive role models in the lives of youth today is also very detrimental. Educators must be willing and able to adopt multiple roles to service their students, parents, and the community. I have taken on the role of an educator to take on the responsibility of positively influencing the minds of young students to set high goals for themselves, and means for attaining such goals. Therefore, as an educator, my initiative is to create a safe classroom environment where students are not afraid to approach the different levels, disciplines, and dynamics of education. Academic content, as well as technological and cultural competency above all would be the main topics driving instruction. In turn, educators must have the ability to develop hands on classroom experiences that will enhance critical thinking skills for students. Instilling a sense of interdependence with the use of collaborative groups and strength based approach to instruction, would be imperative to build upon essential social skills. I would definitely like to encourage an open communication line with students so that they can vocalize their thoughts and opinions. Empowering students for their specific abilities and the ability to make social change would be a driving force behind skills and concepts learned, so that students would realize what can be accomplished in the classroom, as well as in their communities.

Bilingual Education has been my main area of focus in school for the past couple of years. It was through the GYO program that I even realized that I myself was a victim of the negative effects of bilingualism and the negative impact that it had upon my bringing and how I identified myself in society. I would like to take an active role to creating a classroom where students embrace their individualism. As a future educator, my experiences have allowed me to realize the significance of creating and implementing instructional strategies that will be flexible to adhere to the needs of individual students. The basic concepts such as the teaching styles that we take in the classroom, the way we communicate with our students, how economic, social, and, psychological issues affect student behavior, conflict resolution skills, are underlying factors that will influence the kind of educator I want to be not only for my students, but for their parents as well. Although I look forward to creating a classroom that is open to embracing various cultural components, as an educator, it will be my prerogative to create a classroom culture that is responsive and very well managed so to not prohibit further learning opportunities and prevent negative behavior among students. It is essential to create a positive environment that has clear boundaries and expectations for both teachers and students. Anything less, would result in a lack of respect for an authority figure, negative relationships, and an unstable environment.

the birth of cynthia blogging

Yay for my first blog creating experience!