Summative Self Critique
“There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.” Michel Foucault
Reflection, reflection, reflection! That is what I believe this course should have listed under its description. Over the last several weeks I have come to find out so much about myself as an educator and as a learner. While I have been teaching in the classroom for ten years, I am currently finishing up my first year of graduate school. This has been one of the most challenging courses I have taken thus far because of the true reflection that has to go on as part of the learning process. But overall I feel that I have learned a tremendous amount of knowledge that will be applicable in my every day teaching life.
As a teacher, I have been taught countless strategies and methods to use in the education of my students. In this course I have taken away the knowledge that I need to examine each area of topic and see how it relates to my own teaching. This will allow me to truly reflect on my teaching process and to note areas of strength and weakness. I have learned that to maximize my skills as a teacher the art of reflection is crucial. Without being able to reflect we are only left with unawareness while with reflection we have more certainty. Reflection allows us the opportunity to step back and view ourselves in a different perspective. Then if we are able to reflect on our own processes, we can reflect on our students and our instruction for them.
As a learner, I know that it takes some extra time for me to process the information I am given in order to fully understand it. I also need to be more analytical when learning; trying to make the information I’m learning about more applicable to myself. As a learner, this semester I have thoroughly loved the blogging aspect of this course. To discuss the articles and chapters we’ve read as a group has been some of the most enlightening discussions I have been privy to for graduate school. I can take so much more away from others when I’m allowed to hear their perspective on the topic. I’m able to analyze and gain more awareness after obtaining information and other’s interpretations of the material. The blogs have truly given me an opportunity for reflection. If I was ever confused about a reading, I would jump on to the blogs and read some of the comments from other classmates. Once I had a better understanding of the issue at hand I could reflect on myself and my teaching with a little more ease. After working in this course, I now know about how as a reader and writer I must reflect on what I have read in order to allow for a deeper understanding on my part. Making notes and jotting down questions and concerns I have while reading let me reflect upon the topic and myself with more thoroughness. I know that I am an extremely visual learner, and to have Dr. Jackson’s podcasts supplement the material clarified these topics to me in ways that I had struggled with previously.
While I have enjoyed Hicks’ work and reflecting on her qualitative research and my own reflection, the different articles we have read throughout the semester had a more profound effect on my reflection process. The articles by Delphit and Dowdy that we read at the beginning that were referencing how our language and dialect can be an obstacle in the classroom really touched me in how applicable it was to my teaching situation. At a school that is predominantly Hispanic, with several different dialects of Spanish spoken by our students, I believe that we have to meet our students where they are at academically, socially, and culturally. This includes reflecting on our instructional practices with these students to overcome this obstacle. Over the years I have been challenged in learning how to work with these students and in the end it has made me a better teacher.
While I do not speak Spanish myself, I don’t feel that communication between my students and me are a concern. I still could kick myself for taking 4 years of French in high school and wish that I had chosen to learn Spanish. In ten years of teaching I’ve had one French speaking child and hundreds of Hispanic, go figure. Once again, the process of reflection at work! In my classroom, language is a very open and accepting topic. No child is chastised for speaking in their native tongue, they are applauded. Most of my Spanish speaking students are fluently bi-lingual and love to teach me some of their language. So often their culture is looked upon negatively about having few opportunities however these students are maximizing as many as possible. The impact these students will have in the future by being bi-lingual will open up so many doors and tear down boundaries for them.
One of my absolute favorite days of the school year with my children is Cinqo de Mayo. On this day Mexico and the Spanish language are celebrated. We learn about Mexico and their culture, language and other topics of interest based on the students I have that year. The most popular activities that day with my Kindergarteners are when we make quesadillas and play Bingo in Spanish. I will never forget when on one occasion I told the class about how we were going to play number Bingo in Spanish, and a student piped in, “I know how to speak Spanish!” as if I wasn’t aware of this fact. It was just too precious.
In conclusion, the overall underlying theme of this course for me is on how our students are so diverse but part of a unifying group, whether it be race, gender, or culture. Each student needs to be and has the right to be treated as a valued individual and we should celebrate and appreciate the differences of each other. As teachers we need to examine and reevaluate how we work with these differences in our classrooms and let them drive our instructional practices whenever possible. Our students are entitled to instruction that meets their needs as a learner and we need to be sure to actively reflect on our abilities as an educator. Without reflection we will never question what we know and if we can see things from the perspectives of others and that are different from our own views and biases. Without reflection we will never challenge ourselves to meet the needs of our students and learn about our own practices.
Nikki Leggins