Diversity sensitivity and awareness are inherent in all of my personal and professional interactions. One of the most rewarding aspects of Spanish language education is the opportunity to include culturally inclusive material into as many facets of my teaching as possible. My entire teaching philosophy is centered on my commitment to diversity in cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas. Effective Urban Educators are committed to meet the needs of diverse population.

 

 

How I incorporate the appreciation of diversity into my teaching:

 

I work hard to make my teaching student-centered in order to ensure that my students are actively engaged in meaningful learning. This requires the application of varied and interesting material as well as the integration of different teaching strategies and methods. I am committed to creating an environment that is welcoming and supportive of diversity of every shape and color while also allowing students to feel comfortable as they learn about cultures and languages from around the globe.

 

The following artifacts are some samples which demonstrate my diversified background:

 

The Service Learning opportunities I have had throughout my college career have given me experience working with diverse populations. One of the most meaningful experiences was my time with El Centro Comunitario del Bario Mitre, a community center located in an underserved community just outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina. While there, I was able to help students achieve academically by providing tutoring services for English and Spanish grammar, Math, and also, Literature. Giving my talents and my time to a truly impoverished and underserved population is a deep passion of mine and there is no doubt I would return to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to continue working with those children. 

 

El Centro Comunitario del Barrio Mitre - Learning with Communities

This is a reflection of the community I worked with in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and shows my commitment to research and learning more about the people I am working with in order to teach the learners more effectively and use the best methods possible to ensure their success.

 

Lesson Plan – Fútbol en España

This lesson was incorporated into the unit plan “Pasatiempos” (past times) in order to engage students in culturally comparative thought processes by learning about the variety of past times that are enjoyed in other Latin American countries. Students were asked to reflect on different aspects of American culture and then compare it with Spanish culture and past times (specifically the area of Barecelona, Spain). Included in the lesson plan are different strategies to assist students with IEPs by spanning across the different learning styles, namely visual and auditory learners. Below is an example of the kind of video that was shown in class to expose students to Spanish culture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How I have grown in my understanding of servicing the needs of a diverse population and my goals for continued growth:

 

As an educator focused on serving urban youth, I have come to realize that I must get to know each and every student individually and personally. I also believe that it is extremely important for me to continue to educate myself about the communities in which I work and about the social situations that accompany each of my students. The disparities between social classes and racial privileges have long been an interest of mine and I am fascinated in finding ways to bring awareness to my classroom in order to better advocate against such social challenges.

 

It is my goal to continue to use foreign language programs in order to educate my students about the many forms of diversity that exist, both here in Michigan and around the globe. Additionally, I desire to be one of the teachers that my students can come to in their time of need. I want to be the teacher that opens her classroom during lunch so students can study, work on homework, receive additional instruction or simply build lasting relationships with other Spanish students. It is my ambition to provide superior, engaging, and meaningful Spanish language instruction to each student that passes through my doors.

 

My continuous growth as an effective urban educator that is committed to diversity is illustrated by my involvement with organizations focused on providing educational opportunities to underserved populations. To see the projects I am involved with, please view the Service Learning page.