"El Salvador"

For week 7's assignment, I was to select a country that I was unfamiliar with and prepare a fictional place for an emigrated child's arrival. I chose to place myself in the position of a teacher in a middle school setting. The child who is in my care comes to me from El Salvador. The country of El Salvador is rich in history and I was amazed at some of the facts that I found out. While reading the history of El Salvador, I thought of ways that I could become more culturally responsive to the student who has been placed in my care. Listed below are ways that I plan to become culturally responsive:

1. Design an instructional method whereas I am incorporating some type of background knowledge of the student in questioning. I think that by doing this the student will feel more comfortable being in the classroom setting.

2. Incorporate books and other activities for that particular student's enjoyment. Again, this will allow the student to see that my getting to know him/her is imporant and this will build a repor with teacher and student.

3. Implement cooperative learning groups so that the other students may become involved in the "getting to know" the new student process. It is intimidating being in a classroom where everyone knows everyone there except you.

4. Incorporate show and tell in the classroom will allow that particular student in the classroom to bring in a piece of himself so that we can all partake in the sharing of ideas and culture.

5. Collaborating with the family is a great way to find out more about the student's customs and traditions so that some of these can be celebrated rather than denied with the classroom.

I chose to put the main focus on the child in the classroom because it is here that I will more than likely have the most contact with the student. Also, I think that these things will help the student to become successful within the classroom. There has been a time where the students have become so enthralled in a lesson that they have gone home to share it with the parent. The parent is need for academic achievement and student success.