Variety of Culture in the Classroom

Response to Prompt 2

The elementary school that I am volunteering in is large, and many cultural backgrounds contribute to the student body. The website  http://inforworks.ride.ri.gov  reports that out of the 621 students, 38% are African American, 30% are Hispanic, 19% are White, 7% are Multiracial, 3% are Asian, and 2% are Native American.

The individual classroom that I work in mirrors those numbers pretty well. The students in the class are primarily African American, with a handful of white and hispanic students, and one or two Asian students. The teacher of this classroom is of Asian descent and has a very strong accent.

Although these students are of different backgrounds you would never know by observing their interaction. There is no separation in the classrooom between cultural groups, or even between boys and girls. At this young age I think that children are too young to care about anything beyond having a friend.

The variety of culture found in this classroom is refreshing, and as an observer or teacher I would be interested to hear the different aspects that each student can bring into the classroom discussion. Children from different backgrounds can offer opinions that may not be brought up in an all white classroom, and I think those can be very valuable thoughts.

This week in the classroom I worked one on one with a student who was behind in reading due to his lack of concentration according to the teacher. This particular student was having trouble staying focused when we were reading outside in the hallway, especially when other students walked by. Although working with him was tedious he expressed such a sense of accomplishment when we were finished that it was worth the patience. I am learning a lot from these kids, not only how to teach but how to get them to open up and interact in a way that encourages them to be productive.