The New Kids by Brooke Hauser

If you have ever wondered what it must feel like to arrive to the United States and be immediately immersed into the culture all while experiencing the physical, emotional, and mental trauma of surviving as a teenager, this book is a must read.  Not only is it based on actual students from Brooklyn’s International High School at Prospect Heights, but this book also goes into the histories of the founder of the international school, the teachers who work so hard to motivate these students to succeed, and the families inside and outside the United States who support these students on their journey to graduate from high school and pursue degrees in college. 

            I loved how emotionally invested in each of the students these teachers were.  There were certain students in the novel who would not have made it through the end of the school week, let alone the end of the school year, without the help and encouragement of these educators.  No matter what their cultural background was, these teachers valued the cultural capital that each and every one of their students brought to the classroom and sought to understand more about the culture of each of their extremely diverse students.  One of the teachers even decided to take on the responsibility of becoming a student’s legal guardian in order to bring the student closer to obtaining citizenship in the United States.  This was a slight point of disruption for me since I am not accustomed to the private and public lives of teachers overlapping with their students in any way, but at the same time I was touched by the actions that were taken to give this student not only a house, but a home. 

            The teachers also went out of their way to ensure that students had the right amount of social and cultural capital to succeed at school.  The cultural capital was provided by teachers on a daily basis in the classroom as well as by advisors who helped guide new students around the school when they first arrived.  These advisors also helped the students to develop social capital by making themselves available as a resource for students whenever students needed someone to talk to about academic or non-academic circumstances.  Each advisor was over a group of students and met with them as a group twice a week, allowing the students to also establish social capital with their peers, which is especially important for high school age students.  Social capital was also nourished as teachers made an effort to secure internships for graduating students in fields of work that students were interested in. 

            Issues with class and poverty were also addressed by the faculty of this school as they aided students in securing necessary school supplies or even prom dresses so that students could be not only functional in their schoolwork, but socially accepted by their peers.  The faculty knew the essential details of all their students’ lives, allowing teachers to provide assistance and support when needed before students disappeared through the cracks of the school system. 

            This book caused me to reframe a lot of my thinking about how involved I should be in the lives of my students.  Throughout this course, I have developed the conviction that I want to value each of my students as individuals.  However, I have begun to realize that it may be difficult to value my students as individuals if I know little or nothing about them and their lives outside of school.  I don’t want to overstep my bounds as an educator and try to be friends with my students in a way that overshadows my authority as a teacher, but I do want students to know that they can come to me at any point in time to talk.  Like the teachers in this novel, I want to truly care about my students and let them know that I want them to succeed and that I believe in them.  In addition, I also want to provide my students with as much social capital as I can as they prepare to enter the real world after high school.  I want to make them aware of scholarships, internship opportunities, and other experiences they may be interested in that will increase their chances of success and possibilities in their future lives.  By truly caring for my students and providing a means for them to obtain social capital, I hope that I can begin to become the type of influence that the teachers from this novel were to their students at the International High School at Prospect Heights. 

My Re-imagined Future Classroom

I have included here a copy of my original future classroom exercise, but the blue text is what I have added or changed from the original future classroom activity.  I will explain my changes at the end of each section.  

A typical lesson:

A typical lesson in my classroom would begin with about 5-10 minutes of allowing my students to respond to a free write prompt in their writing notebooks.  I would also respond to the prompt in my own notebook, but I would also position myself so that I could easily observe all of my students and offer my assistance to students who struggled with writing or were reluctant to write in general.  I may suggest that these students draw a picture or write a poem instead of responding in paragraph form.  Students who are learning English for the first time may also be permitted to answer these prompts in their native language.  Sometimes the prompt would have to do with the lesson or the particular unit we were studying, other times the prompt would simply be an opportunity for students to use their imagination and begin to view themselves as creative writers. Once the majority of the students are done writing, I would ask two or three people to either read what they had written out loud or share what they had written with a partner.  Occasionally, I will ask students to share with a partner or in small groups to accommodate those who are less comfortable with sharing with the entire class.  After any student reads their except out loud, the class would clap enthusiastically to thank them for sharing something so personal and to make the students feel comfortable and accepted should they share their own pieces of writing in the future.  If this lesson were taking place at the beginning of a unit on persuasive writing, I would then begin the class by asking the entire class how they defined persuasion and what some qualifications were that could make something persuasive.  I would ask them for examples of when they were persuaded by someone, why their argument was persuasive, etc.  Once I felt we had discussed persuasion adequately based on the knowledge my students already had in order to cultivate a fund of knowledge, I would proceed to teach my students the parts of a persuasive essay and why each part is important to the whole.  I would then pass around sample persuasive essays (some good, some excellent, and some mediocre) and ask the students to identify the thesis, topic sentences, concrete evidence, and commentary in each sample in small groups.  After about 10-15 minutes of group work, we would then come back together as a class and discuss what each group had found in their essay samples.  At that point, I would answer any questions that people still seemed to have about persuasive essays and then work through particularly hard writing samples as an entire class.  To end the class, I would ask my students to begin brainstorming potential ideas for persuasive essays and tell them that we would talk about their upcoming writing assignment the next day in class. 

Explanation for changes: 

I wanted to be sure to provide accommodations for struggling students and immigrant and non-English speaking students in my classroom even in the simplest of tasks.  One of the most important reasons I want to include class writing time in my curriculum is not only to get students writing, but to create a community of writers.  This cannot happen if several students feel as if they are unable to participate.  I also included more details about asking for the opinions and experiences of students at the beginning of the lesson in order to cultivate a fund of knowledge and let the students feel like valuable participants in my classroom.  

My students:

My students would come from a wide range of backgrounds.  Many students will be clearly identified as different based on their physical appearance and race, others will be identified as different because they speak a different language or have certain customs that set them apart from their classmates.  No matter what my students look like physically or what ethnicity I believe they belong to, I will not assume anything and I will treat each and avery one of my students as individuals.  I will make it very clear that I will not tolerate any racism, religious discrimination, sexual harassment, or bullying of any kind in my classroom.  I will punish people for using the word "gay" as a derogatory term just as I would punish as student for using the word "nigger."  My students will also have various learning styles and levels of interest in the subject I teach.  Some students would be listening attentively and hanging on to my every word because of their love for me and the subject of English, but other students would look at me with a mask of apathy and make it clear that they did not want to be at school at all, let alone in my English classroom.  No matter how interesting I find the subject matter at hand to be, not all of my students will be enraptured with everything that I have to say and everything that we have to talk about.  Whether I teach at a junior high or high school, many of the students will be friends already before the class begins and often distract each other with mumbled side comments before, during, and after class.  Other students will seem to live on the fringes of the classroom and interact very little with their peers before, during, or after class. Some students may often come to class wearing the same outfit a few days in a row because their families are too poor to afford to buy them the brand name clothing that these kids believe will lead them to instant popularity.  While this may be true in many instances, even observations such as this should not lead me to stereotype students who I believe may be impoverished.  What I can and will do is make it clear to my students that if they have circumstances that make it impossible for them to turn something in or do their reading, I will be willing to work with them.  Hopefully this policy will encourage students who may be in tough home situations to confide in me.  Many girls will come to class with caked on makeup and tight fitting shirts as a result of their exploration of their sexuality and a test to see how many boys will notice them that day.  Some students will be athletic and very involved in sports at school and outside of school; others could care less about the next football game or the next school pep rally.  As a teacher, it may be tempting to stereotype my students and group them into good students, druggies, gangsters, know-it-alls, jocks, or recluses, but I must strive to see all my students as individual people who each possess the ability to contribute to and learn from the discussions and activities in my classroom. I will provide my students with opportunities to bridge the gaps between their differences so that prejudices can be broken down and students can begin to value each and every one of their classmates.  I will continually give my students opportunities to make their voices heard in the classroom and prepare them each to be valuable citizens in the democracy of my classroom as well as the democracy of our country.  

Explanation for changes: 

I wanted to address the issue of race and ethnicity more directly in this section and explain that I will not tolerate any form of discrimination in my classroom.  I understand that many prejudices will exist, but I will do my best to provide my students with experiences to break down any existing prejudices they may have.  I also wanted to make it clear that no matter what I observe about my students outwardly, I cannot and will not judge them.  I will treat each of my students as individuals regardless of any predispositions I have regarding their race, sexuality, or social status.  

Surroundings in the classroom:

My classroom will be by large windows, allowing the room to be lit primarily by natural light as the day progresses and fostering a classroom that does not feel like an artificially-lit prison to my students.  The walls will be decorated with inspirational quotes by famous writers throughout the ages and grammar posters with helpful rules that students often forget.  Since I plan to teach some ESL classes, I will also include some posters of essential English phrases on the walls.  I would also include plenty of posters that made it clear that I am accepting of all lifestyles, including any LGBTQ lifestyles.  I want to make it clear that I am an advocate for these lifestyles and that my classroom is a safe space for any and all students.  I'm not sure exactly which posters I would hang up to indicate this, but there will certainly be several visual indications of my advocacy for LGBTQ students in particular.  In the back of the room, where will be bookcases with books for my students to check out at their leisure, encouraging students to read not only when it is required, but whenever they have the desire to expand their minds and escape from the toils of daily life as a teenager.  The books would range from the latest and greatest young adult novels to nonfiction memoirs of people who changed the world.  No matter which grades I taught, I would provide books that fit into various reading levels and covered a wide variety of content and genres in order to ensure that any student would be able to find something they could read for pleasure in my classroom.  In addition to accommodating various reading levels, my classroom library would include books that represented a range of cultures both inside and outside of the United States.  I would also include some books in other languages, perhaps even translations of popular young adult novels or classroom novel books in another language so that students who are not yet proficient in English would not feel left out.  My desk would be a type of organized chaos with a long list of to-dos, piles of papers to grade, and pictures of my family and loved ones to remind me that I was never alone.  My desk would also be a place to store the handouts in an organized bin with a slot for each class period for each day's lesson.  For example, the variety of writing samples used in the lesson I delineated on an introduction to persuasive writing would be stored in the bin for second period English 9 and then passed out.  I would also have a bin for each class period to turn in their papers and writing assignments, including their writing notebooks every 2 weeks.  At the front of the room would be a whiteboard with a projector screen installed in the ceiling that could be pulled out whenever I used the projector, particularly with powerpoint slideshows when teaching new concepts to my students.  These technological tools would be used as I taught my students the important components of a persuasive essay before they split into groups to label the writing samples. 

Explanation for changes: 

I want my classroom to feel like a safe space for everyone, which is why I added the sentence about including basic English phrases on the wall.  Such posters can make a difference in whether an immigrant student decides to speak up and participate or not.  Including posters about my acceptance of LGBTQ students is also imperative to ensure that these students feel safe in my classroom.  Having visual reminders that I am accommodating to all the needs of my students will also provide all my students with added comfort.  I also decided to expand my classroom library even further in order to accommodate immigrants and people who do not speak English as their native language.  Bringing in books about other cultures and from the perspectives of other cultures will also increase the chances of my students finding a book they can truly relate to.  

Lesson topic:

As I mentioned in my initial description of the lesson, I would be teaching my students the basic components of a piece of persuasive writing.  The components I would focus on would be thesis statement, topic sentences, supporting evidence, and commentary.  Of all these components, I would spend the most time emphasizing the importance of a thesis statement in a persuasive piece and the need to make a specific argument in the thesis statement before a persuasive essay can be built around it.  The main thing that I want students to take away from this lesson is a general familiarity with how an argument is usually formed in writing and why each of these components is important in order to create a successful persuasive piece of writing.  Later in the week, I would introduce to them their new assignment to write a persuasive piece of writing on their own.  In order to prevent students from being overwhelmed by this new assignment, it is imperative that students possess a familiarity with the basic pieces that make up a piece of persuasive writing.  This initial phase would also allow me, as the teacher, to assess how familiar my students are with writing persuasive pieces of writing and whether or not the majority of my students have written persuasive pieces in the past.  This will allow me to anticipate any adaptations that I need to make to the persuasive writing assignment before I even give the assignment to my students. I would also be flexible during the first part of any unit as well as throughout the unit to ensure that the needs of my students are being met and that the pace of the learning is not overwhelming anybody.  If there are students who feel overwhelmed, I would make it a point to work with them one-on-one as much as possible and place them in groups with people who would be patient with them as they learned.  

Explanation for changes: 

Being flexible is part of teaching, especially inclusive pedagogy that endeavors to reach and teach a diverse body of students.  Putting students and their needs first is an essential part of effective pedagogy.  

Work as a teacher during the lesson:

While my students are writing in their writing notebooks, I am taking attendance based on the seating chart that I have put my students in.  At this point, I should know the majority of my students' names, but if I don't, I am practicing my ability to match names with faces according to the seating chart I have put in place.  I am also looking around to assess the interest level of each of my students; some are writing furiously, others stare off into space as if they don't know where to begin or how to continue, and others think of this time as an opportunity to sleep.  I gently remind any sleepers that I will be checking off their notebooks and giving them points that Friday, so they need to be sure to write something in order to get those points.  I also make a mental note of the students who are having a hard time with the prompt and try to cater tomorrow's prompt more to their interests and ability level as writers.  After I have led the discussion on persuasion and persuasive writing and appropriately assessed my students' familiarity with the writing genre, I launch into teaching my students the basic components of a persuasive essay.  Rather than talking the entire time, I often ask students to read excerpts and blurbs from the powerpoint presentation and also ask students questions to keep their interest and involve them in the lesson.  Once I ask the students to get into groups and pass out the writing samples for them to work with, I wander casually around the room; sitting in on conversations, listening to group discussions, answering questions that students have about concepts they are struggling with.  I also observe students who seem to be struggling or who are getting off task and ask them specifically if they need assistance rather than waiting for someone to ask me for help.  Once the majority of the groups are done, I would give a 2 minute warning and tell the other groups to wrap up their discussion and be ready to share what they have found with the class.  From there, we would come together as a class once more and I would ask students to classify their writing samples as persuasive or not persuasive and back their claims with evidence.  At the end of this group discussion, I would offer to answer any questions or clarify any points of confusion and wrap up the lesson by telling students what they can anticipate for tomorrow's lesson. 

Lesson activities:

The first lesson activity, no matter what the lesson, will be a time for the students to write in their writer's notebooks.  This activity is not designed to simply keep the students occupied while I take roll or quiet them down quickly, but rather it is a way to incorporate writing into the daily curriculum of my classroom and emphasize its importance in daily life.  The variety of prompts are also designed to get the students interested in writing and help them to see themselves as writers and as people who are capable of expressing new and exciting ideas.  By not restricting students to any specific writing form, I will not only invite creativity into the writing process, but I will also provide a needed accommodation for students who are struggling with writing or who are struggling with the English language.  The invitation for students to share what they have written after the time is up gives students the opportunity to open up and become more comfortable around each other in order to create a safe classroom space.  This time to share also allows students to recognize and admire the different ways that people approach each prompt and the rich diversity that each writer in the classroom can bring to the class.  The group work where students are asked to identify the components of a persuasive essay in various writing samples will give the students an opportunity to talk and interact with each other while also providing a way for students to immediately apply what they have just learned.  By mixing up the groups each class period, I will provide students with valuable experiences with peers from different racial, ethnic, and social backgrounds that can aid in the breaking down of prejudice.  In addition, this group work is an easy way for me to assess the level of understand of my students without any formal assessment so that I can ascertain how slowly or quickly I need to move through my lesson material and the unit of persuasive writing as a whole.  The group discussion implemented throughout the class gives the students the opportunity to learn from each other and value the opinions and knowledge of others as well as their own opinions and knowledge.  These various activities are also designed to expose my students to persuasive writing instead of simply expecting them to learn about it from what I tell them. 

Explanation of changes: 

It is imperative that I give students opportunities to interact with people who are different from them in visible or invisible ways.  This is one of the first steps in breaking down any prejudices my students may have toward certain groups of people.  We are all unique and we all come from very different lifestyles.  What is important is that we do not let these differences become the reason we choose to dislike, discriminate against, or marginalize people.  I doubt I will be able to break down all the prejudices that my students may possess, but I will certainly try to break down the majority of them by replacing misunderstandings and misconceptions with genuine and uplifting experiences with others.  

Personal Artifacts

Wearing deodorant is something that is seen as mandatory in my culture for social acceptance.  Small children do not wear deodorant, but once children hit puberty, it is expected by the middle class culture of the United States that deodorant will be worn as a part of personal hygiene practices.

In the Unites States, having shaved legs and armpits is a cultural norm that is expected to be followed by the majority of women.  While there are no laws against women not shaving, many people simply expect women to shave because it has been so integrated into our culture.  

Even though not all citizens have the income to support the cellular plans and data plans needed for smart phones, smart phones have become an accepted part of our culture and it is often assumed that the majority of United States citizens have them.  

This image is representative of the implied need for women to wear makeup.  Again, there are no laws in our culture that state that women must wear makeup, but it is an implied cultural phenomenon that in order to be perceived as beautiful and hygienic, women must wear makeup.  

In the Mormon culture, men are expected to maintain a well groomed appearance that includes short hair and a clean-shaven face.  This cultural artifact is a little more unique to BYU campus, but people often assume that men on campus with beards or long hair are not as active in their church attendance because they have neglected to uphold the image associated with men in the Mormon culture.  

Brushing one's teeth twice a day is something else that is considered a cultural norm in the majority of the United States.  If someone neglects to take care of their teeth in this way it may not be immediately apparent in the appearance of their teeth, but having bad breath is something that is seen as culturally unacceptable.  

Shoes are also seen as a cultural norm; whenever one is outside or entering a public place, shoes must be worn.  If someone chooses not to wear shoes into a public place, they are often looked down upon or even asked to leave.  

This artifact demonstrates the importance of having straight teeth in my culture.  In other areas of the world such as Europe, straight teeth are not viewed as a necessity or something that is a necessary part of physical attractiveness.  

Hugging is another part of my culture and is viewed as a sign of affection, love, and friendship.  Hugging is viewed as appropriate as a greeting, a farewell, or even a spontaneous moment of affection.  

Holding hands is another acceptable sign of public affection in my culture.  Sometimes small children hold hands or people who are related to each other, but it is most often viewed as a sign of affection between couples when both people holding hands are adults.  

This artifact is a representation of my culture's norm of wearing a swimsuit to public beaches.  In European cultures, many swimsuits do not require wearing a swimsuit and many people choose not to wear anything as a result.  

In my culture, shaking hands is a very common way to greet people in more formal settings or when meeting them for the first time.  Other cultures employ alternative methods of greeting such as kissing people on the cheek.  

Eating food with utensils such as a fork, knife, and spoon is a common practice in my culture unless the food being eaten is specified as "finger food."  

My culture also uses paper, disposable napkins most commonly as a part of eating rituals.  Cloth napkins are reserved for fancy restaurant settings and are rarely seen in homes.  

Funerals are a somber event in my culture and it is assumed that all who attend funerals will wear black clothing as a sign of mourning.  

Traditional marriage proposals in my culture look a lot like this: the man down on one knee holding an open ring box with an engagement ring.  Not all marriage proposals must be completed in this format in order to be viewed as valid, but the majority of marriage proposals in my culture are completed in this way simply because it is a cultural expectation and an expectation that women of the culture often hold as well.  

The action of putting one's hand over their heart as the United States National Anthem is sung is a gesture that has been an integrated part of United States culture for many years.  

Knocking on the door of someone's private residence before entering is also a common practice in my culture.  If someone is familiar enough with the resident they will often walk in without knocking, but this a case-by-case situation.  

Bedtime stories are also an important part of my culture.  I was read to very often before bed as a child and this allowed me to practice my reading skills and discover my love for reading at a very young age.  

Back to school shopping is another part of my culture that is an annual fall event.  Many stores in have bought into this cultural tradition that has emerged over the last decade and as a result many families have made back to school shopping a high priority every year before sending their children back to school.  

This was an extremely interesting exercise for me to explore many of the unspoken traditions and practices of my culture.  It's very common to view what is familiar to us as uncultured and to view foreign cultures as more "cultured" than the practices we are accustomed to, but the reality is that every individual participates as a member of a culture on a daily basis.  Almost all of the cultural artifacts I gathered can have implications in classroom settings.  For example, if a student was never exposed to bedtime stories as a part of their culture as a child, they may find the idea of reading for fun or enjoyment as foreign and be reluctant to read in their free time.  In school cafeterias, all students are expected to use forks, spoons, and knives that are provided when eating certain foods.  If a student was not accustomed to using these utensils when they ate, then many students would judge them because of their "lack of manners."  I also realized that many of the cultural artifacts I gathered concerning personal hygiene could also affect how individuals are perceived by their teachers and peers at school.  If an adolescent boy is part of a culture that values longer hair, many people who do not view this as acceptable within their culture will look down on him just because of his physical appearance.  Since I have been raised with all of these things and I have come to perceive them as cultural norms, I must be careful as a teacher that I do not discriminate against or judge students who do not adhere to these implicit and explicit expectations.  

Community Experience - Alcoholics Anonymous

I was even more apprehensive about this cultural experience than my last experience at The Way Church.  However, my feelings of discomfort and nervousness did not come until I arrived at the location of the AA meeting.  I went to a meeting in Northern Orem and at first was unsure that the location even existed as I drove up.  Once I saw a gathering of shady-looking people outside in a huddle, my heart immediately plummeted into my stomach.  What if these alcoholics were hostile towards me?  What if everyone knew I didn't belong?  What my presence messed up the entire ambiance of the meeting and nobody was willing to share any experiences because an "outsider" was there?

Luckily, these worries were short lived.  As I entered the meeting room, I chose a seat about three rows back; far away enough that people wouldn't stare at me too much, but close enough that I didn't appear to be avoiding unneeded attention.  When I walked in, they were in the process of reading the twelve steps to recovery.  After these were read, they also moved on to read the twelve traditions of AA and how the meetings were run.  I was shocked that God was such an involved part of not only the recovery process, but the traditions of AA.  After these were read, the director of the meeting specified that God referred to any higher power that individuals believed in and wasn't necessarily defined as God in the Christian sense.

I was blown away by the sense of community that I felt throughout the entire AA meeting.  There was a wide array of people present; a woman with tattoos and gorgeous hair, an older man with a limp, two young girls who looked fresh out of high school, a Polynesian man with his hair pulled back in a lazy bun, and all sorts of other people from different phases of life and ethnic backgrounds.  What brought them together was their desire to stop drinking and to stay sober.  AA runs on a 24 hour commitment program.  The meetings are held every day, not just once a week as I had thought previously.  All those who attend commit to not drink for the next 24 hours and fight their alcoholism one day at a time.

Although I was lacking in social capital and didn't know anyone at the meeting who I could talk to or make me feel like I belonged, the ambiance of the entire meeting was a welcoming one.  I felt absolutely no hostility toward me and no pressure to speak up or explain why I was there.  I was simply adopted into the space without any objections from anyone.  The people who attend these meeting and run these meetings have clearly set aside their prejudices in order to create the community of AA and ensure that anyone who enters feels welcome.  As various people shared their successes and their struggles, one of the men who spoke claimed, "All the nondrinkers, if they knew what we had, might start drinking to get here."  He was so sincerely grateful for the peace and love that he felt at every AA meeting and he recognized that very few people have such a non-hostile and accepting space they can participate in.  The only true cultural capital necessary to participate in AA was this: the desire to stop drinking.  And even though I did not possess this particular piece of cultural capital in the same way that others did because I am not an alcoholic, my knowledge of the consequences of alcoholism that I have obtained from family members allowed me to sympathize with all the stories I heard in that room.

I hope that I can create a classroom that is as loving and accepting as this AA meeting was.  This space took in anyone and everyone who wanted to participate and valued what every person in that room had to say regardless of ethnicity, gender, physical appearance, or age.  To create a classroom as accepting and non-prejudiced and non-discriminatory as this one would be a dream come true.

Being the "Other"

For my "other" experience, I chose to attend a service at a Pentecostal Church known as The Way located in Provo.  I had never before heard of this particular church and in fact had no idea what Pentecostal even meant.  Before looking up the times of the various services, I decided to at least look up the meaning of this word.  From my brief look at Wikipedia, it appeared that Pentecostalism entailed a strong belief in religious experience through feelings of the Holy Spirit, which could be manifest in several different ways.  With this small bit of information in mind, I looked up the information for service times and decided to attend a service on Wednesday at 7:00 pm.

Even though my fiancée was extremely curious about the experience I was about to have, I reiterated several times that no, he could not come; this was an assignment that I had to complete on my own in order to truly feel the sense of being an "other."

Interestingly enough, I did not feel as "other"-like as I had anticipated.  I felt like a fish out of water as soon as I walked into the building.  The building was definitely an old one and it was unclear as to which area was the area where the service would be held.  After I wandered around aimlessly for a couple minutes trying to find my place, I found the congregational area.  There was a table inside the entrance with an assortment of pamphlets, business cards, and other pertinent information regarding The Way and it's beliefs.  There was also a special pile of enveloped marked for visitors.  I took one of these envelopes and sat in the fifth row, perusing the contents of the envelope.  Inside the envelope were pamphlets about The Way's basic beliefs, information about the pastor, information about worship times, and information about the church community as a whole.  It was very user friendly and in a language I could clearly understand.  They even had accommodations for Spanish speakers.  After several minutes, I soon realized that tonight was not a mass worship night, but rather an adult study group that was a lot more intimate.  The leader Sheighlah beckoned me to move up a few rows and join the group.  They were just beginning a short lesson from the book THis New Life about the healing power of Jesus.  It was very interesting and I agreed with many of the things that Sheighlah said.  At the end of the short meeting, I met two of the other five companions, June and Spencer.  June was extremely eager to get me involved and make sure I felt welcome and even went out of her way to tell me about a young adult activity that would be happening on Thursday.  Sadly, this did not work with my schedule and I informed her I would not be able to attend.  I then had a very wonderful discussion with Spencer and Sheighlah and was able to get to know them and tell them about my religious experience and membership in the Mormon church.  At first I was hesitant to tell them I was Mormon because I was afraid they might throw me out or call me a devil child, but in reality they were very interested in me as a person and appreciated the effort I was making to become educated about other religions.  I learned that I felt most like the "other" when I refused to open up or communicate with anyone.  However, as soon as I spoke to these lovely people, I felt very comfortable and welcome and even though we had our differences, it was a very safe and non-hostile space.

In the future, I will have much more empathy for people who feel like the "other" in various spheres of life.  I cannot imagine having the feeling of constant pressure to pay attention and not miss any unspoken cues as an inherent part of my schooling experience, but that is something that many immigrant or foreign exchange students experience every day in the classroom.  As a teacher, I will do my best to make my students feel welcome and relaxed, just as June, Sheighlah, and Spencer did when I visited their church.  Furthermore, I will take special time to talk to any students who seem to be experiencing "other-ness" and fill them in on any unspoken rules of my classroom that I might otherwise assume my students know ahead of time.  This is not to say that I will project any single stories onto students who are experiencing "other-ness;" rather than assuming their needs I will also take time to ask them what is making them uncomfortable and let them know that they can talk to me before or after class about discomforts whenever they arise.

The Single Story - LGBTQ

The single story for the LGBTQ community is one that can be observed clearly in the following cultural artifacts:

Articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT

http://www.alliance1.org/ppf/youth-and-positive-identity

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/20-things-lesbians-are-tired-of-hearing#44yxyhq

http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Transvestic-fetishism.html

"Gay Men Will Marry Your Girlfriends" - video 

The stereotypes presented against the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer populations are baffling to say the least.  The single story of gay men tends to go something like this: they love shopping, they have great fashion sense, they take care of their bodies, and they would be better boyfriends and partners to strait women than most strait men.  The lesbian single story tends to label lesbians as women with short hair, muscular bodies, and a tendency to dress and act like men.  Transgender, bi-sexual, and queer people are often portrayed as freaks or people who are simply confused, excessively horny, or "going through a phase."  As if the single stories that attempt to label each individual community weren't bad enough, the LGBTQ community as a whole also has single story stereotypes that attempt to portray the members of this community as consistently atheist, democratic, overbearing, ostracized from their families, suicidal, and explicitly public with their affections.

These single stories can have a severe impact on not only students who are experiencing LGBTQ tendencies within themselves, but also students who have been raised by gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual parents.  Many people of Christian faiths often view anyone affiliated with the LGBTQ community as anti-Christian and therefore discourage their children from associating with the children of LGBTQ parents or children identifying with the LGBTQ community themselves.  Furthermore, many parents promote the idea that if one does not agree with the particular practices of any social group, then mean behavior and overall dehumanization are justified practices.  This could inevitably lead to exclusion of LGBTQ students from group conversations or friendships made in the classroom just because certain students were raised by their parents to believe the single story of the LGTBQ community.  In addition, students who begin to identify themselves as members of the LGTBQ community may alter their behaviors, clothing, and mannerisms to match the single story of a homosexual in order to "fit in" with the LGBTQ community.  These actions to assimilate themselves into the LGBTQ community often influence an adolescent's development of self identity or even become their only sense of self identity.

It is extremely important for all educators to be aware of the portrayals (past and present) of certain cultural groups in order to have a general idea of the single stories that other students or other teachers may be projecting onto other students in our classrooms.  By possessing an understanding of the most common perceptions of cultural groups, particularly LGBTQ, we will more easily be able to understand the often ignorant, judgmental, and overall rude behaviors that students display towards individuals belonging to these groups.  Moreover, by understanding the single stories associated with cultural groups, educators are one step closer to refusing to accept the single stories of any of these groups as a correct representation of every individual in that group.  I hope to be able to look at every LGTBQ student with a new pair of eyes that will allow me to see past the stereotypes and into the heart of that student as an individual.

My Future Classroom

A typical lesson:

A typical lesson in my classroom would begin with about 5-10 minutes of allowing my students to respond to a free write prompt in their writing notebooks.  Sometimes the prompt would have to do with the lesson or the particular unit we were studying, other times the prompt would simply be an opportunity for students to use their imagination and begin to view themselves as creative writers.  Once the majority of the students are done writing, I would ask two or three people to either read what they had written out loud or share what they had written with a partner.  After any student reads their except out loud, the class would clap enthusiastically to thank them for sharing something so personal and to make the students feel comfortable and accepted should they share their own pieces of writing in the future.  If this lesson were taking place at the beginning of a unit on persuasive writing, I would then begin the class by asking the entire class if they knew what a persuasive essay was.  I would ask them for examples of when they were persuaded by someone, why their argument was persuasive, etc.  Once I felt we had discussed persuasion adequately based on the knowledge my students already had, I would proceed to teach my students the parts of a persuasive essay and why each part was important to the whole.  I would then pass around sample persuasive essays (some good, some excellent, and some mediocre) and ask the students to identify the thesis, topic sentences, concrete evidence, and commentary in each sample in small groups.  After about 10-15 minutes of group work, we would then come back together as a class and discuss what each group had found in their essay samples.  At that point, I would answer any questions that people still seemed to have about persuasive essays and then work through particularly hard writing samples as an entire class.  To end the class, I would ask my students to begin brainstorming potential ideas for persuasive essays and tell them that we would talk about their upcoming writing assignment the next day in class. 

My students:

My students would come from a wide range of backgrounds.  Some students would be listening attentively and hanging on to my every word because of their love for me and the subject of English, but other students would look at me with a mask of apathy and make it clear that they did not want to be at school at all, let alone in my English classroom.  No matter how interesting I find the subject matter at hand to be, not all of my students will be enraptured with everything that I have to say and everything that we have to talk about.  Whether I teach at a junior high or high school, many of the students will be friends already before the class begins and often distract each other with mumbled side comments before, during, and after class.  Other students will seem to live on the fringes of the classroom and interact very little with their peers before, during, or after class.  Some students may often come to class wearing the same outfit a few days in a row because their families are too poor to afford to buy them the brand name clothing that these kids believe will lead them to instant popularity.  Many girls will come to class with caked on makeup and tight fitting shirts as a result of their exploration of their sexuality and a test to see how many boys will notice them that day.  Some students will be athletic and very involved in sports at school and outside of school; others could care less about the next football game or the next school pep rally.  As a teacher, it may be tempting to stereotype my students and group them into good students, druggies, gangsters, know-it-alls, jocks, or recluses, but I must strive to see all my students as individual people who each possess the ability to contribute to and learn from the discussions and activities in my classroom. 

Surroundings in the classroom:

My classroom will be by large windows, allowing the room to be lit primarily by natural light as the day progresses and fostering a classroom that does not feel like an artificially-lit prison to my students.  The walls will be decorated with inspirational quotes by famous writers throughout the ages and grammar posters with helpful rules that students often forget.  In the back of the room, where will be bookcases with books for my students to check out at their leisure, encouraging students to read not only when it is required, but whenever they have the desire to expand their minds and escape from the toils of daily life as a teenager.  The books would range from the latest and greatest young adult novels to nonfiction memoirs of people who changed the world.  No matter which grades I taught, I would provide books that fit into various reading levels and covered a wide variety of content and genres in order to ensure that any student would be able to find something they could read for pleasure in my classroom.  My desk would be a type of organized chaos with a long list of to-dos, piles of papers to grade, and pictures of my family and loved ones to remind me that I was never alone.  My desk would also be a place to store the handouts in an organized bin with a slot for each class period for each day's lesson.  For example, the variety of writing samples used in the lesson I delineated on an introduction to persuasive writing would be stored in the bin for second period English 9 and then passed out.  I would also have a bin for each class period to turn in their papers and writing assignments, including their writing notebooks every 2 weeks.  At the front of the room would be a whiteboard with a projector screen installed in the ceiling that could be pulled out whenever I used the projector, particularly with powerpoint slideshows when teaching new concepts to my students.  These technological tools would be used as I taught my students the important components of a persuasive essay before they split into groups to label the writing samples. 

Lesson topic:

As I mentioned in my initial description of the lesson, I would be teaching my students the basic components of a piece of persuasive writing.  The components I would focus on would be thesis statement, topic sentences, supporting evidence, and commentary.  Of all these components, I would spend the most time emphasizing the importance of a thesis statement in a persuasive piece and the need to make a specific argument in the thesis statement before a persuasive essay can be built around it.  The main thing that I want students to take away from this lesson is a general familiarity with how an argument is usually formed in writing and why each of these components is important in order to create a successful persuasive piece of writing.  Later in the week, I would introduce to them their new assignment to write a persuasive piece of writing on their own.  In order to prevent students from being overwhelmed by this new assignment, it is imperative that students possess a familiarity with the basic pieces that make up a piece of persuasive writing.  This initial phase would also allow me, as the teacher, to assess how familiar my students are with writing persuasive pieces of writing and whether or not the majority of my students have written persuasive pieces in the past.  This will allow me to anticipate any adaptations that I need to make to the persuasive writing assignment before I even give the assignment to my students. 

Work as a teacher during the lesson:

While my students are writing in their writing notebooks, I am taking attendance based on the seating chart that I have put my students in.  At this point, I should know the majority of my students' names, but if I don't, I am practicing my ability to match names with faces according to the seating chart I have put in place.  I am also looking around to assess the interest level of each of my students; some are writing furiously, others stare off into space as if they don't know where to begin or how to continue, and others think of this time as an opportunity to sleep.  I gently remind any sleepers that I will be checking off their notebooks and giving them points that Friday, so they need to be sure to write something in order to get those points.  I also make a mental note of the students who are having a hard time with the prompt and try to cater tomorrow's prompt more to their interests and ability level as a writer.  After I have led the discussion on persuasion and persuasive writing and appropriately assessed my students' familiarity with tho writing genre, I launch into teaching my students the basic components of a persuasive essay.  Rather than talking the entire time, I often ask students to read excerpts and blurbs from the powerpoint presentation and also ask students questions to keep their interest and involve them in the lesson.  Once I ask the students to get into groups and pass out the writing samples for them to work with, I wander casually around the room; sitting in on conversations, listening to group discussions, answering questions that students have about concepts they are struggling with.  I also observe students who seem to be struggling or who are getting off task and ask them specifically if they need assistance rather than waiting for someone to ask me if I think that the students are too embarrassed or shy to ask themselves.  Once the majority of the groups are done, I give a 2 minute warning and tell the other groups to wrap up their discussion and be ready to share what they have found with the class.  From there, we come together as a class once more and I ask students to classify their writing samples as persuasive or not persuasive and back their claims with evidence.  At the end of this group discussion, I offer to answer any questions or clarify any points of confusion and wrap up the lesson by telling students what they can anticipate for tomorrow's lesson. 

Lesson activities:

The first lesson activity, no matter what the lesson, will be a time for the students to write in their writing notebooks.  This activity is not designed to simply keep the students occupied while I take roll or quiet them down quickly, but rather it is a way to incorporate writing into the daily curriculum of my classroom and emphasize its importance in daily life.  The variety of prompts are also designed to get the students interested in writing and help them to see themselves as writers and as people who are capable of expressing new and exciting ideas.  The invitation for students to share what they have written after the time is up gives students the opportunity to open up and become more comfortable around each other in order to create a safe classroom space.  This time to share also allows students to recognize and admire the different ways that people approach each prompt and the rich diversity that each writer in the classroom can bring to the class.  The group work where students are asked to identify the components of a persuasive essay in various writing samples will give the students an opportunity to talk and interact with each other while also providing a way for students to immediately apply what they have just learned.  In addition, this group work is an easy way for me to assess the level of understand of my students without any formal assessment so that I can ascertain how slowly or quickly I need to move through my lesson material and the unit of persuasive writing as a whole.  The group discussion implemented throughout the class gives the students the opportunity to learn from each other and value the opinions and knowledge of others as well as their own opinions  and knowledge.  These various activities are also designed to expose my students to persuasive writing instead of simply expecting them to learn about it from what I tell them.