RESPONSE TO PROMPT 4

As a child I grew up in Pawtucket until about age 11, where I then moved to North Kingstown to finish off my school years. Two completely different schooling experiences!! In Pawtucket I lived in an area where I was within walking distance from my elementary school. The classroom was very diverse and a lot of different cultures were brought into play. However, as a white student, I still feel I wasn't respected as much. When I moved to North Kingstown it was the opposite. There were maybe five students in the entire school that were African American, Hispanic and maybe one Asian. Even there, when students asked where I came from and I said Pawtucket, they thought it was a joke. Students actually laughed at the fact that I lived "in the ghetto" and though I was a bully. Throughout middle school and high school the only friends I had were not White. I guess in a way I too was the minority, not because of the color of my skin but because of where I was from and what I was like. I still had the experiences of traveling to California to visit family and gong to museums and New York and such as a child and I believe socialization really can form a child.

In some way I can relate to the children I tutor. I am a reading buddy and a majority of the children in every classroom need one on one assistance. There is a student with a heavy Spanish accent and sometimes if she doesn't understand me clearly I do speak to her in Spanish, but I also try to teach her the corresponding word in English. Much like what Jocelyn said, a lot of the students at the school are either on welfare or have some sort of state or government aid and can't afford the experiences that every parent probably wants their children to have. In my classroom alone, only two students pay for their lunch, the rest of the class have completely free lunch.

I think as future teachers and as students ourselves, we have to keep in mind that every child values different things in life and a part of that comes from their home environment and their social life. The students in my classroom seem to value family much more than, sad to say, my family does. Every time I talk to my students they have stories about their families, not that they necessarily did anything extravagant, but at least they spent time with them. My family rarely sees each other. Maybe that is because for lower income families and students in more urban areas, really are only guaranteed family. Again, children's values vary for each individual child, so for a child to be satisfied with one thing and tell them its silly or it doesn't matter and they can't do it, really takes away their sense of individuality and beliefs. For example, if a child really loves to play in a dramatic play area like kitchen or dressing up, they may value that for taking on that family sense or head of the household. Children learn and should have the right to express themselves and do things they like and are interested. I think it's important to adjust your teaching skills and lesson based on what the children really like and appreciate. I always say that it should be required in schools that something should be focused specifically on culture and home life so children have the chance to share a little bit of themselves outside of school. They should be able to say what they like, don't like, value and don't care too much for, what is important to them and so on.