Standard 5b: Reflection

My fieldwork at the community-based schools was done for classes ESC 766,
ESC 727, and ESC 761. I didnt know what a community-based school was before my
first experience at CS211. I was impressed by the enrichment program Developing
English Language Literacy Through The Arts. The students responded enthusiastically
to it. Every Saturday, the visiting artist would show the middle schoolers a new artistic
technique such as collage. I would present exercises to aid the writing portion of the
class. The students were also able create art based on the lesson of the day. Because art
is visual, creative, and active the ELLs at every level of proficiency were engaged. Each
piece created involved a form of inquiry, where the students asked something of the
materials and something about themselves. The philosopher Alva Noe says something to
the effect that art is a way for humans to discover something about themselves. I could
see that illustrated with the students.
My effort to understand the Mind in The Making workshop the parents at CS211
were offered by the Childrens Aid Society corresponds to the part of the standard that
states, They know and understand public issues that affect ELLs education and support
ELLs and their families socially
My work with the diverse students at Morris Academy addresses they promote
school environments that value diverse student populations and provide equitable access
to resources for ELLs. By honoring each students heritage and home language, my
lessons valued the individual student. Many of the students spoke Spanish, however, to
simply use Spanish translation would have left out the other non-Spanish speakers. By
allowing students to do some exercises such as brainstorming or vocabulary comparisons

in their home languages, all students had equal access to heritage resources.
Working in community-based schools gave me a larger
understanding of my role as an educator in a community. The coteacher I worked with was interrupted one day by a mother who was
passing through the hall with a baby carriage. Her daughter was a
student in the class and the mother was in the school that day to fill
out some papers. I was surprised at the time when the teacher walked
to the door and actually stood for a few minutes to talk to the mother
about how she was doing and how the baby was. I could see an
authenticity in the exchange, and I realized that if a parent takes the
time to visit her daughters teacher, a teacher should welcome it (even
if it does interrupt a lesson for 4 or 5 minutes). By fostering
communication with the mother, the teacher was showing respect for
the student and her family. She was also strengthening a partnership
between the mother and the school.

My goal is to promote a partnership with parents and the community in

my own teaching career.