Reflective Report
Describe
The school in which I conducted my field research was an urban private school. The school has one classroom which has five students, and it teaches reading and mathematics. One of the two students is in first grade and the other two are in the second grade. However, since only one student was in the first grade, the administration of the school decided to include the student with the other students in the second grade (Banks, 2013). This therefore means that there are four students in the second grade, one of whom is supposed to be in the first grade (Addy & Wight, 2012). Prior to conducting my research, I decided to conduct a research about the school and noticed that it was a school which was based on equality. The school did not tolerate racism, gender inequality or ethnicity. All students were considered to be equal, and the main of objective of the school was to provide good education to all students regardless of where they were from. Moreover, the school has students of different races, each of the students speak their own native languages, but when in school they are supposed to speak English language. English is therefore the unifying factor in the school, since the students can be able to communicate with each other without having any problems bearing in mind that they are of different races (Gollnick & Chinn, 2012).
There are two girls and three boys in the class, the students are from three different countries. Some of them speak Pakistan, while others speak Arab (Baldwin, & Reis, 2004). On the other hand, they also speak fluent English which makes them to be able to communicate with each at ease. Even through the students have different cultures, the school has made sure that it treats them equally without looking at their culture or otherwise their religious influences. Furthermore, both the teachers and the students strictly obey the policy of the school which is to ensure that there is no tolerance of prejudice in the provision of education in the school. The school’s main agenda is therefore to provide education to the students, and to ensure that they become people who will be of importance in the society, through upholding high moral rights (Banks, 2013).
I also observed that the administration of the school appreciates all students, and it also works hard to ensure that students respect each other. For instance, while I was teaching in the school, there was a new student who came to the class but the other students were not willing to relate with him. The teacher encouraged the students to talk and even play with the student. Moreover, the teacher also talked to the school principal about the matter asking her to talk to encourage the students to be good to each other (Gollnick & Chinn, 2012).
Analyse
When looking at gender balance in the school staff, female teachers are many as compared to male teachers. This is so because, 75% of the teaching staff in the school is women, this therefore leads to gender inequity of teachers in the school. Moreover, 60% of the students in the class are male, thus making the percentage of female students in the class to be 40% (Banks, 2013). Even though the school is very strict in making sure that it exercises diversity in the best way possible, gender inequity is a major problem. The students therefore miss the technical teaching of male students since they are only taught by female teachers. On the other hand, since the school is an Islamic school, all students are supposed to learn Arabic in order to be able to understand the dictates of the Islamic religion. This consequently makes students from a different religion and country that is, the Pakistani students to suffer while learning while learning a new religion and language. This makes it hard for them to be able to understand a different religion when they have been taught a different religion and the Islamic religion is not their religion (Baldwin, & Reis, 2004).
Programming in the school is very good, despite the school having a few number of students (Addy & Wight, 2012). The school as co-curricular activities, where all students are supposed to participate in the activities if they qualify. This consequently makes the students to be able to enjoy learning since they can be able to play and explore their talents. Moreover, the teaching technics used by the teachers is also very good. This has consequently enabled the students to be able to understand whatever they are being taught even though they are in different grades but studying under the same roof. Thirdly, the school has incorporated academic trips which enables students to be able to enjoy learning and learn new things (Banks, 2013). Each and every student must go for the academic trip, which is essential for the creation of a good relationship between the students and the teachers. The good relationship between students and teachers has made it easy of students to be able to understand whatever they will be reading (Gollnick & Chinn, 2012).
Synthesize/Judge
According to the research I conducted, I believe that the service being offered in the school are very significant (Baldwin, & Reis, 2004). This is mainly because, the school is not only focused on providing educational support to the students, but it also works to ensure that the students are equipped with proper moral upbringing. This really helped me to be able to understand the need for teaching students not only to understand whatever they are being taught, but to also be able to impact the society positively. Furthermore, the programs offered by the school are also very important in that they support proper teaching techniques in the school by the teachers (Banks, 2013). I am now able to do more than what I actually thought I could do because research has really helped me to understand the other side of teaching which is giving it your all. I was also motivated by the teachers to not only teach but to also incorporate ways through which students can be able to understand whatever they are being taught regardless of the resources that one has (Gollnick & Chinn, 2012).
Goal Setting:
This research has therefore enabled me to be able to understand how to teach in different conditions, and how to make sure that I provide the best teaching ways (Addy & Wight, 2012). On the other hand, I have also loved teaching and I am more than willing to teach students in different parts of the world, and make them to not only understand the curriculum, but to also have the right moral upbringing. I am now going to work hard in making sure that I prepare myself very well for the lesson and to make sure that whatever I teach the students they get to understand (Banks, 2013). I am also focused to using unique approaches while teaching to make sure that each and every student gets to understand whatever they are being taught.
Reference
Addy, S. & Wight, V. R. (2012, February). Basic facts about low-income children, 2010.
Retrieved from www.nccp.org.
Baldwin, A. & Reis, S. (2004). Culturally diverse and underserved populations of gifted students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Banks, J. (Producer). (2013, November 26). Democracy, diversity and social justice: Education in a global age [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mEw8M85PY8.
Beegle, D. (2003). Overcoming the silence of generational poverty. Talking points, 15(1), 11-20.
Gollnick, D. M. & Chinn, P. C. (2012). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society (9th ed.).
Allyn & Bacon.
Gorski, P. C. (2010, April). The challenge of defining ‘multicultural education’. Retrieved from Critical Multicultural Pavilion website: http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/initial.html.
Oakes, J. & Lipton, M. (1999). Teaching to change the world (3rd ed.).
Sloan, W. Gender in the classroom. ASCD. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascd- express/vol5/512-sloan.aspx.
