Clinical Field Experience C: Cultural Competence

Clinical Field Experience C: Cultural Competence

Part 1: Continued Language Support

How do you support and celebrate cultural diversity within instruction?

Mrs. Thomas: Well, in my classroom, I make sure that all the students have a chance to express themselves. I usually begin by getting their opinions on what they like to do on the weekends or on holidays. This enables them to converse about their cultural customs and life experiences. Additionally, I incorporate movies or texts that they enjoy, and we often write about their favorite things outside of school. By doing this, we celebrate their diverse backgrounds while also integrating it into our instruction.

How do you leverage home language and cultural assets?

Mrs. Thomas: Mrs. Thomas, I believe it's critical to provide students with opportunities to complete specific assignments in their home language. For instance, if a student feels better at ease speaking in their native dialect during particular exercises or debates, I let them utilize it. This helps them feel valued and respected, and it also allows them to draw upon their cultural assets and knowledge.

How do you show responsiveness to the different strengths, needs, and identities of all ELLs, including special needs?

Mrs. Thomas: I concentrate on each student's strengths, which include language abilities. I give students numerous activities or projects so they can become accustomed to using their language skills. By doing so, I can cater to their individual needs and support their linguistic development. For ELLs with special needs, such as Michaela and Enyhia, who use sign language or drawings to communicate, I make sure to create a supportive environment where they can express themselves in their preferred mode of communication.

How do you demonstrate an understanding of students' social, emotional, and cultural needs when establishing classroom routines and procedures?

Mrs. Thomas: I consider my students' social, emotional, and cultural needs while designing classroom routines and procedures. Additionally, I allow them to express themselves visually, whether through drawings, paintings, or other visual mediums. I also include a variety of writing and reading assignments that are related to their experiences and interests. Further, we read relevant stories and use YouTube videos in the classroom, which promotes a feeling of community and comprehension among the children.

Additional Questions:

Is it easy to allow them to express themselves in their language?

Mrs. Thomas: It can be a little difficult at times because out of the five students, only two are really verbal and often speak for the others who may not be as verbal. However, I deliberately work to foster an accepting atmosphere where all students feel inspired to express themselves in their language. I provide support and resources to those who may need alternative means of communication, such as sign language or visual representations.

How do you get the nonverbal students to express themselves?

Mrs. Thomas: I use sign language to communicate with nonverbal students like Michaela and Enyhia. They have the option of communicating using sign language, and I also urge them to use drawings to express their views. I make sure that all children, regardless of their linguistic proficiency, have the opportunity to engage and share their views in the classroom by offering these alternate forms of expression.

Part 2: Reflection

During my observation in Mrs. Thomas' language arts class for special education students in the seventh grade at Bailly Stem Academy, I got the opportunity to keep working with Michaela, a high-functioning student who needs customized tools to help her succeed in the classroom. Consequently, I considered insights from Mrs. Thomas regarding Michaela's nonverbal communication, in which sign language is used as her major form of expression. I also recognized the value of utilizing students' native languages and cultural assets, exhibiting sensitivity to the various needs, strengths, and identities of English Language Learners (ELLs), and fostering social, cultural, and emotional awareness when developing classroom schedules and procedures.

Michaela is nonverbal, so Mrs. Thomas and I put numerous communication-enhancing techniques into place to help her. In order to help Michaela communicate her feelings, thoughts,? and ideas, sign language evolved as a crucial element of our teaching strategy. Both Mrs. Thomas and I honed our abilities in this kind of communication via frequent access to sign language and devoted practice. We helped Michaela strengthen her language skills, gave her the confidence to participate fully in class discussions, and created a welcoming learning atmosphere by incorporating sign language into our instructional activities. Additionally, we realized that Michaela might benefit from various forms of communication in addition to sign language. Consequently, given that she could not draw owing to her vision impairment, we looked into different ways she could express herself, such as using tactile symbols or adapted technology like augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices or braille.

On the other hand, the subject of our conversations with Mrs. Thomas was valuing and encouraging diverse backgrounds in the classroom. According to Mrs. Thomas, she carefully incorporated lessons that honored her students' diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, generating a sense of belonging and empowerment. Each student, including ELLs and those with special needs like Michaela, received instruction according to Mrs. Thomas's customized teaching methods. Additionally, she developed a friendly learning atmosphere that acknowledged her students' various skills and talents through varied instruction and one-on-one support (Diaz-Rico, 2017). Further, when setting classroom rules, Mrs. Thomas showed a keen awareness of her students' cultural, emotional, and social needs (Diaz-Rico, 2017). Consequently, she encouraged social-emotional growth and cultural knowledge using instructional techniques like YouTube videos, a variety of reading materials, and interactive activities. In this context, despite the difficulties nonverbal students such as Michaela presented, Mrs. Thomas constantly encouraged different ways of expressing oneself. With the use of adaptive equipment, sign language was used as the main form of communication to engage nonverbal students and foster their linguistic development.

In conclusion, my observation and collaboration with Mrs. Thomas have confirmed the value of individualized assistance and modifications in promoting language learning and cultural inclusivity for students like Michaela. This experience emphasized the importance of individualized education and accommodations for students like Michaela. Consequently, I experienced firsthand how inclusivity, as well as alternate communication methods like sign language and adaptive technology, positively affect language development. This reaffirmed my dedication to encouraging linguistic development and cultural awareness in my line of work. In this context, my future goals include matching Mrs. Thomas' commitment to building a friendly, culturally aware classroom atmosphere. Therefore, I can better meet students' language acquisition demands and foster their entire growth by enhancing my teaching strategies and keeping up with research. In this regard, I am motivated to use comparable tactics in my future professional practice, where I will prioritize individualized support, language development, and cultural awareness.

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Reference

Diaz-Rico, L. T. (2017). The crosscultural, language, and academic development handbook: A ???? complete K-12 reference guide (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.