Entry 1
Hello, all! My name is Angelina Mancino, and welcome to my blog! I am currently in my last year at the University of Houston as a first-gen student majoring in Teaching and Learning. I am very excited to be receiving a B.S. certification as an EC-6 Generalist in May 2023! I have had the greatest pleasure of student teaching in Fort Bend ISD, having been a product of that district as well. This school district is one of the most culturally diverse in the state of Texas, so my goal for this class is to have a better understanding of EL students and how I can best support them as an educator.
As a biracial child growing up with two immigrant parents, I had my fair share of mixed languages being spoken at home. When I was very young my mother, who is Taiwanese, was a stay-at-home mom so I grew up speaking Mandarin Chinese. My father is bilingual (speaks both English and Italian fluently) therefore I did also speak English at home. I am incredibly fortunate to have experienced both languages from an early age, however once I entered my adolescent years, I began to lose some of my Chinese fluency. There was a peculiar cultural shift I experienced when I was in middle school--Instead of taking pride in my heritage, I found myself wanting to be "more white". I had many experiences that influenced this change in attitude, particularly from the way my peers would react when I showed my Asian side. I felt a deep societal pressure to abandon that part of myself which ultimately led to me resenting my background. It wasn't until I entered university that I had begun to embrace both cultures. Once I reached this point, I was incredibly upset with myself for becoming so out of touch with my Taiwanese side. Relatives and family friends I used to converse with, I could now only understand through choppy fragments of a sentence and facial expressions. I had neglected a large part of my identity for so long that it was almost unrecognizable. Having gone through this, I fully recognize the need for educators to not only acknowledge, but celebrate and truly integrate students' cultures into the classroom. This, of course, includes supporting ELL students in any way I can.
My teaching philosophy focuses on the notion that I want to make a positive impact in my students' lives. Although this may be a common sentiment, it truly is what drives me everyday. This idea extends into the importance of forming relationships with my students, understanding how to support them, and making the conscious decision daily to treat them equitably. Although this presents itself with many challenges, I believe it is my role as an educator to provide my students with the tools they need to be successful. Studying new concepts and skills everyday is already exhausting for students, so with the added factor of learning English must be emotionally and cognitively demanding. With the knowledge that much of" students' identities are socially constructed through their... interactions and relationships", as well as understandings of how the majority culture works, I believe it is critical to preserve ELLs home language (Wright, 2019, p. 20). ELLs are frequently faced with identity crisis so I want to ensure they understand they do not need to choose one language, or one culture, over another. I think once students have this mindset, or at least realize it is an option for them, they will feel less pressured to assimilate to "American" culture. I believe second languages are best learned when teachers understand the great diversity of ELLs. Once they view each ELL student as their own person with rich backgrounds instead of a collective whole, instructional support can be tailored to "address the needs of this diverse population" (Wright, 2019, p. 10). I can help ELLs develop their English language skills by integrating their home languages or cultures with academic content, develop relationships with their parents to solidify their home-school connection, intentionally activate their prior knowledge, and show a genuine interest in their cultures.
Works Cited:
Wright, W. (2019). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice (3rd ed.). Caslon.
Hello Angelina! Your post was so thoroughly explained and your video was very interesting! It was really cool listening to the gradual realization that being a teacher is what you wanted to do. I relate to your statement about feeling as though teaching wasn’t an option because of societal and familial expectations. However, realizing that working with kids and providing that support for them is what is guiding us to become teachers! I appreciate the consciousness you convey when it comes to understanding the different cultural backgrounds of your students. As Wright stated, it is important that teachers build that knowledge on their student’s cultural backgrounds to understand how it will influence their learning at school (p. 18). Reading your teaching philosophy resonated with me as I grew up being an ELL. Having teachers who ensure that students don’t feel they must choose one language or culture over the other is extremely important. Otherwise, it ends up creating a sense of confusion for the student, as you also faced growing up. Overall, your post was super insightful and I enjoyed listening/reading!
ReplyDeleteHi Tania! I am so glad my thoughts were conveyed clearly and that some of what I wrote resonated with you. I didn't realize the significance of having knowledge of my ELLs' cultures could play in their attitude towards school and society until I started student teaching. It's important that to "help students succeed in the classroom and in school, teachers must 'think linguistically'" so we understand the importance of language and integration in the classroom (Wright, p. 31). Having all of my students feel linked to school and to their peers is critical in building a sense of community, and part of that includes me taking active steps to tie in their home cultures to school.
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