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While this is my first year in APS I'm a veteran teacher with 15 years of experience under my belt. I have had the pleasure of working in all Title 1, low income urban districts. While at times this may mean that there are disadvantages I also know the gems that are sometimes overlooked in this type of school. I am the children that I teach I relate to their stories. I at all times make sure to be sensitive to their reality, and to make the classroom that they enter a free, safe place to be exactly who they are

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All of the trainings at APS have prepared me for building relationships with my students. Trainings from Children's Hospital, Restorative Discipline and Cultural Sensitivity all have the core importance of building positive relationships with your students. When I took over for a teacher in the middle of the year, I immediately started a morning circle. I saw at my previous school the importance of a morning circle. Learning how to say students' name is very important. I have witnessed many instances where students' names are mispronounced or even misspelled on their desk or locker. I always take  pride in correctly spelling and pronouncing students' names correctly. I also make sure that all students have the opportunity to have some sort of breakfast to help bridge the gaps that may be outside of my realm of control.

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I really appreciate this reminder to build relationships with our students and their families. I feel passionate about learning students' names and pronouncing them correctly. I cannot allow my cultural upbringing prevent me from welcoming, embracing, and respecting each of my students, from each of their unique family backgrounds. When I model resect for each student, that helps them to build relationships with each other and it helps to create an inclusive, thriving classroom.

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I really appreciate this reminder to build relationships with our students and their families. I feel passionate about learning students' names and pronouncing them correctly. I cannot allow my cultural upbringing prevent me from welcoming, embracing, and respecting each of my students, from each of their unique family backgrounds. When I model resect for each student, that helps them to build relationships with each other and it helps to create an inclusive, thriving classroom.

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Being aware of cultural and diverse students inside your school and classroom is imperative to your teaching role. Not only do you need to know the sensitive areas in their home life, but you need to know and most importantly understand them. Teachers need to know and understand the students triggers and weak areas, just as much as they need to understand their strong areas. Diversity inside the classroom is necessary especially when inclusion is involved. Teachers need to ensure that they are accommodating to all students needs.

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Being aware of cultural differences and applying this knowledge to our classrooms can make a major impact on student learning. I feel fortunate to be a part of a district that has puts an emphasis on diversity and cultural sensitivity.
Knowing where students come from and knowing about their home lives can help us to develop a positive classroom environment as well as positive relationships with each student. I honestly can not say enough how important relationships are in teaching!!! I hope to learn more through PD and interactions with students on this topic in addition to this training.

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As I work to become an effective and great teacher, I've made sure  add to my credentials. In doing so, I'm proud to be apart of a school district that values diversity and cultural sensitivity. Before teaching in an urban school district, I had little experience with diversity in a classroom. This training program has given me some tips and insight on how to create a cultural sensitive classroom climate that embraces diversity, safety, and positivity.

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I cannot even imagine spending so much time with these kids and not getting to know them. It is not easy to get to know the kids that are disengaged but those are the ones that really want us to know them but don't want to say it or have it be recognized. I am really enjoying getting the chance to learn so much about them and they ask me stuff all of the time about my life and my family to check on us. I am still working on the family connection but I realize the importance and am taking the right steps to do so. Another really important thing to remember especially in this environment is that a family can contain a really wide variety of people and does not only include the traditional family that a lot of people think about.

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After reviewing the material, I agree that it is extremely important to build relationships with our students. As a teacher, I believe in order to have students engaged, you must communicate effectively and build rapport first. Then by using your teaching knowledge you can foster a positive and safe learning environment where students will be eager to learn new material that they will be able to use in their everyday life. I enjoy teaching Family and Consumer Science courses because I feel these classes are important for students to explore more about themselves and who they want to become in the future. Also, it is a great way to form a connection with each student by learning more about their interests, goals, and plans beyond the class.
-AT

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Anonymous 2mo
I have now had the opportunity to travel to 4 different countries. How other individuals interacted with me ranged to very friendly to almost off putting. At first I was taken back by the less friendly group, but as I read and looked into their culture/language I came to realized that this was a culture difference and not actual malice towards me as an outsider. Getting to know and understand where the students come from, their cultural background will help provide better understanding of their beliefs and provide better relationship with the student.

Anonymous 2mo
Yes, it is so important to realize that our differences are a good thing- that each one of us has something unique and beautiful to bring to the table!
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Cuturally responsive teaching
Cuturally responsive teaching
I read this article about a month ago. It was shared on Twitter. I love it! I am going to reach out to  all of my students parents/guardians with in the first 2 weeks of school. I want to establish a line of communication and know how best to contact them. I also want to use Remind with my students (and parents).
4 comments

Anonymous 2mo
I like your plan of reaching out to the students and their families right away. I have a similar plan! I think this is a great way to start out forming a relationship with them from the start and it will help them realize that we care about them and their child and appreciate their unique needs. Lynda Olsen

Anonymous 2mo
I agree that communication is key. For consistency in behavior and helping the student progress what can be done in school and in home will help further the student along. As well as if issues arise its easier to communicate with the family and help get a better understanding of the student.

Anonymous 2mo
I am using Remind also! I set up a parent and student account to establish good communication about upcoming events.

Anonymous 2mo
That's a great idea. I like to use remind for this. I also like to make at least one parent phone call a week, positive or negative
Your avatar

Add comment
Write your reflections after viewing the videos and reading the articles on the Akron Public Schools New Faculty Orientation site.
Write your reflections after viewing the videos and reading the articles on the Akron Public Schools New Faculty Orientation site.
Respond to one other post in addition to your reflection.
2 comments

Anonymous 2mo
I don't see any other posts!

Anonymous 2mo
I found the videos enlightening about the diversity that is at Akron schools and the barriers of poverty, and how we as educators and staff can make a big impact on influencing and helping the students reach their academic goals
Your avatar

Add comment

# data[].attributes.body
Anonymous 2mo
I have now had the opportunity to travel to 4 different countries. How other individuals interacted with me ranged to very friendly to almost off putting. At first I was taken back by the less friendly group, but as I read and looked into their culture/language I came to realized that this was a culture difference and not actual malice towards me as an outsider. Getting to know and understand where the students come from, their cultural background will help provide better understanding of their beliefs and provide better relationship with the student.

Anonymous 2mo
Yes, it is so important to realize that our differences are a good thing- that each one of us has something unique and beautiful to bring to the table!
Your avatar

Add comment
Cuturally responsive teaching
Cuturally responsive teaching
I read this article about a month ago. It was shared on Twitter. I love it! I am going to reach out to  all of my students parents/guardians with in the first 2 weeks of school. I want to establish a line of communication and know how best to contact them. I also want to use Remind with my students (and parents).
4 comments

Anonymous 2mo
I like your plan of reaching out to the students and their families right away. I have a similar plan! I think this is a great way to start out forming a relationship with them from the start and it will help them realize that we care about them and their child and appreciate their unique needs. Lynda Olsen

Anonymous 2mo
I agree that communication is key. For consistency in behavior and helping the student progress what can be done in school and in home will help further the student along. As well as if issues arise its easier to communicate with the family and help get a better understanding of the student.

Anonymous 2mo
I am using Remind also! I set up a parent and student account to establish good communication about upcoming events.

Anonymous 2mo
That's a great idea. I like to use remind for this. I also like to make at least one parent phone call a week, positive or negative
Your avatar

Add comment
Write your reflections after viewing the videos and reading the articles on the Akron Public Schools New Faculty Orientation site.
Write your reflections after viewing the videos and reading the articles on the Akron Public Schools New Faculty Orientation site.
Respond to one other post in addition to your reflection.
2 comments

Anonymous 2mo
I don't see any other posts!

Anonymous 2mo
I found the videos enlightening about the diversity that is at Akron schools and the barriers of poverty, and how we as educators and staff can make a big impact on influencing and helping the students reach their academic goals
Your avatar

Add comment

# data[].attributes.body
Anonymous 2mo
I have now had the opportunity to travel to 4 different countries. How other individuals interacted with me ranged to very friendly to almost off putting. At first I was taken back by the less friendly group, but as I read and looked into their culture/language I came to realized that this was a culture difference and not actual malice towards me as an outsider. Getting to know and understand where the students come from, their cultural background will help provide better understanding of their beliefs and provide better relationship with the student.

Anonymous 2mo
Yes, it is so important to realize that our differences are a good thing- that each one of us has something unique and beautiful to bring to the table!
Your avatar

Add comment
Cuturally responsive teaching
Cuturally responsive teaching
I read this article about a month ago. It was shared on Twitter. I love it! I am going to reach out to  all of my students parents/guardians with in the first 2 weeks of school. I want to establish a line of communication and know how best to contact them. I also want to use Remind with my students (and parents).
4 comments

Anonymous 2mo
I like your plan of reaching out to the students and their families right away. I have a similar plan! I think this is a great way to start out forming a relationship with them from the start and it will help them realize that we care about them and their child and appreciate their unique needs. Lynda Olsen

Anonymous 2mo
I agree that communication is key. For consistency in behavior and helping the student progress what can be done in school and in home will help further the student along. As well as if issues arise its easier to communicate with the family and help get a better understanding of the student.

Anonymous 2mo
I am using Remind also! I set up a parent and student account to establish good communication about upcoming events.

Anonymous 2mo
That's a great idea. I like to use remind for this. I also like to make at least one parent phone call a week, positive or negative
Your avatar

Add comment
Write your reflections after viewing the videos and reading the articles on the Akron Public Schools New Faculty Orientation site.
Write your reflections after viewing the videos and reading the articles on the Akron Public Schools New Faculty Orientation site.
Respond to one other post in addition to your reflection.
2 comments

Anonymous 2mo
I don't see any other posts!

Anonymous 2mo
I found the videos enlightening about the diversity that is at Akron schools and the barriers of poverty, and how we as educators and staff can make a big impact on influencing and helping the students reach their academic goals
Your avatar

Add comment

# data[].attributes.body
While I enjoyed all of the articles and videos within the training, the one that spoke to me the most was the article on Family-School Partnerships.
As a Title I Tutor, I was a part of the planning and execution of Parent Involvement activities at the middle school level, and a participant at the elementary level.  I've also attended most Interim Pick-Up nights as a member of my 6th grade team.  I know how difficult it is to find ways to engage most families in the learning process.  I also know that the students whose families do actively support and model learning are much more likely to grow and thrive in the school setting.
I know it is up to me to grow a climate for working together in my classroom.  As a new classroom teacher, I know reaching out to the families of all of my students in order to start that team-building process is a must.
I've found that using the Remind App is one way to communicate various pieces of information with families in a way that is familiar and comfortable to most in this technological age.  This mode of communication not only allows me to share assignments, but is also an excellent way for parents to learn about their child's successes, because their child matters every day, not just on their bad days. Students need to see early on that their teachers and their families are working together for their success.

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As a music teacher, I strive to learn about my students' interests, musical tastes, and culture. I find it most important to build strong relationships with my students, especially since making music involves vulnerability and I believe students must feel accepted and safe to be vulnerable enough to make good music. Music is beautiful because it is a part of every culture, and it brings people together. I strive to bring music to my classroom from my students' cultures, or have them share their favorite songs. It is so important, especially in such diverse schools.

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As a teacher, I will be spending a large portion of my life within the lives of my students. How unfortunate would it be if I spent that time just teaching facts and not actually seeing who my students are. Each student brings with them their own experience to the classroom. By learning about their lives and experiences I have the opportunity to create richer learning opportunities that will help my students to achieve success. We are no longer living in isolated societies, and each day we all encounter people of different backgrounds and beliefs. It is my feeling that through cultural sensitivity training everyone has the opportunity to learn ways to celebrate those differences and how to integrate those differences into the daily fabric of our lives. If I can bring that into the classroom then I can start to build bridges between students who can then have a better understanding of each other and go out into the world with a bigger picture of what it means to live in a global society.

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Part of the reason I always wanted to work in APS was so that I could work in a culturally diverse environment. Now that I am working at one of the most diverse schools in the district (Jennings CLC) I am truly seeing the importance of learning HOW to develop a culturally sensitive environment in my classroom. I was especially struck by the "A Classroom where Everyone Feels Welcomed" article when it mentioned pronouncing names right. Even misspelling them really bothers the students, and I have seriously struggled with this! I say I value their cultures, but part of that is taking the time to respect their names and what they mean for the students.
Sometimes I get so caught up in teaching my content and making sure we check off our to-do list that I forget that the STUDENT is the most important part of my job and taking time to make them feel valued is more important than my lesson plan at the end of the day.

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Reflection
I feel so fortunate to work in a district so diverse in cultural backgrounds. I have worked as a tutor for many years in APS. From the beginning I marveled at the diversity. I love the mix of cultural experiences it adds to the classroom. The diversity provides a rich environment of learning. I love to build community through each students diverse backgrounds. We learn so much about each other, other regions and even other languages and countries. These differences make for great teaching opportunities to learn about fellow classmates. I look forward to getting to know my students. I hope to show them that I am proud of their cultural diversity. I plan on supporting my students by building relationships with them and their families. By engaging in activities that promote cultural diversity I can help my students to think in positive way about themselves and others.

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As a new teacher I feel that cultural sensitivity is crucial to my teaching practice. Now that school has begun, I realize more than ever, that I need to be more in touch with my students and their diverse backgrounds. As I look back on my first week, I was striving to begin teaching some of the content in my pacing guide. However, I quickly realized that even though my initial plans sounded good on paper, I needed more time to get to know my students. Reflecting on my experience and the articles/videos, I realize that establishing a caring relationship with our students is vital so that we can teach the content to the student and not at the student. When we know about our student’s life outside of school we can start putting together the puzzle that is our teaching practice. I feel that this is ever evolving, and that every student’s situation whether good, bad or ugly, helps us become a more caring and dedicated educator. As someone who chose teaching as a second career, I feel that I still have so much more to learn about cultural differences and how those differences are perceived and accepted especially in the eyes of our children. As adults we tend to see things in certain fixed ways, but as I have noticed, children see things very differently and we have to adjust our thinking to try to understand where they are coming from. Also, after reading “Partner in Education: A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships” I realized something that I also need to work on is the aspect of family involvement. As a student teacher, I worked in a suburban school district where parental involvement was high.  Family communication was an everyday occurrence, mostly brought about by the parents inquiring about their child’s progress. I know from being a long term- sub in APS, this is usually not the case. I certainly don’t want to be only speaking to parents/caregivers when there is an issue because I feel that parents should know the importance of their student’s accomplishments. I hope to be able to learn new strategies about how to go about getting families involved and develop a partnership in education with parents and caregivers.

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I will be teaching within the APS district full time  this year. I remember when I was first hired to work at APS as a tutor several years ago and realized how much I had to learn about the varied backgrounds of our students. My prior teaching experience was within a rural and almost all white school district. Fortunately, I grew up in a community that included a number of African American families so I had friends of somewhat varied cultural backgrounds. There was less economic disparity in that community, however. I have really had to learn a great deal about the "culture" of poverty and want to be sure to be sensitive to my students who lack certain childhood and life experiences that I believe every child benefits from having. I plan to show my students that I value them and their families, cultures, and life experiences.I plan to work toward being sensitive toward the daily challenges they face and  I am hoping that through relationship building with my students and through esteeming them highly we will learn much and have a highly successful year.

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Although this will be my first time teaching full time APS, I have substituted in almost every APS school in the past year and have grown aware of the high demand for cultural sensitivity not just in one cluster of schools, but throughout the entire city. Akron is an ever growing and culturally changing city, and after growing up in the APS district and understanding the change that our district has undergone makes me even more driven to provide the most safe and comfortable environment for my students. The 60 minutes video was very informative for understanding what some students go through in our district that we still may not even know about, and also gives insight into some of the reasons why students may not be able to access food on a regular basis.

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Although I have worked with APS for two and a half years now, playing various roles from substitute, to different types of tutors, to now becoming a first year teacher, I feel like I am always learning something new about children. I come from a diverse background, as I am also an APS graduate. I have also taught at a private school as well. These diverse backgrounds have made me very comfortable getting to know all of my learners within the classroom. Yet, I always feel like I am still learning about my students everyday. The information from the articles and videos were very helpful as a first year teacher having my own class. It will be a lot different than the role I played as a substitute or tutor and this information has prepared me even more for this wonderful challenging experience.

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Though I am new to APS, I am aware of the obstacles and opportunities unique to teaching in an urban setting. Through my student teaching experience in an urban school district I encountered students from diverse backgrounds, many of whom lacked the basic tools that so many of us as educators may have taken for granted when we sat on the other side of the desk. The symptoms of poverty that we see present in our students often appear overwhelming. That being said, the work ethic of some of my students proved to me that students will rise to their potential when placed within an environment for them to thrive. I look forward to building rapport with my new students this year, as we create the sensitive classroom community to help all students.

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I am new to APS but have worked in other urban school districts. I felt the information provided was very informative and helpful in how to create a culturally inclusive classroom community. The 60 minutes video stood out to me because I think sometimes we don't realize what struggles may be going on at home. This is why building those relationships and really getting to know your students is so important. They may be going through things at home that may academics more challenging. If we build a trusting relationship with them, we can help them more.

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This year will be my first year at APS. The past year I worked in another urban district around Akron where I worked with many diverse backgrounds, so I have some background knowledge with working with this population of students. You need to create positive environments and relationships with your students even if they can be challenging. Get to know every student's background and be aware of it when you are teaching. You want your students to trust you and enjoy being at school.

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Having worked in APS as a part time tutor for several years I believe that this issue is an awareness that all staff need to have, including some of the veteran teachers. The students we work with in Akron come from a variety of backgrounds that we as teachers need to be aware of an sensitive to the fact that there home lives are very different from each other and from what we may have grown up having. The challenges we face with our students in APS can be frustrating and very difficult at times, but taking the time early on in the school year to get to know each student and take in interest in their life makes a world of difference to them. Teachers are some of the constants in these students lives!

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I am a brand new teacher and having just graduated from Kent State University, I did multiple field experiences (including student teaching) in Akron Public Schools. I went to a high school and had most of my college classes in a not-so-diverse environment. My eyes were opened when I started working with APS to the outstanding diversity that is present in these schools. It is humbling to see what these students deal with on a daily basis and I am honored and so excited to get to know the students in my classroom!

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Having worked in the district many years now I believe this is something that all educators both full and part time coming into the district need to participate in. Having worked in buildings on both ends of the spectrum (good and bad) I see these points to be true no matter which building you are working in. Today our students have so much to worry about, that most of us as fortunate adults do not. It's hard to tell a child to only care about their academics when we don't know what is going on outside in their family life. Teachers need to strive to understand where each child in their classroom is coming from. It helps build such a bond and relationship with each student when they know you are taking the time to get to know them as a real human being and not just another kid in your class. In the past I have found that some of the most challenging students have the most going on outside of academics and when you take time to get to know them and their worries like home life, food, if they have a place to sleep tonight, etc. they actually trust you and will open up to you and accept the knowledge you are teaching them easier.

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This will be my first year with APS, and my first full-time teaching position. I have spent the past three years in various long-term sub assignments, and the first two of those years were in rural,  non-diverse environments.  However, last year I had the opportunity to teach for six months in Youngstown, and this ended up being very different from my past experiences, quite challenging, and very rewarding.
I had virtually no training in culturally responsive teaching, so I was often left feeling ineffective as a teacher. I didn't fully understand how and why I was falling short, and it wasn't until I started reading "Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain" by Zaretta Hammond this summer that I realized that I was missing a culturally responsive teaching mindset (I highly recommend this book, by the way). I've come to realize that I didn't understand the cultural backgrounds of my students as well as I thought I had, and that this led to many misunderstandings, which ultimately hindered student learning and growth on more than one occasion.

The first two articles ("The Importance of Teaching Through Relationships" and "A Classroom Where Everyone Feels Welcomed") strongly resonate with what I have been learning from Hammond's book. These resources all stress the importance of clearly and consistently communicating to students that they are respected and safe in order to build effective learning partnerships. I look forward to the opportunity I'll have here at APS to continue developing my practice as a culturally responsive teacher.

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I have been with APS as a tutor and this will be my first year as a full time teacher. One of the most rewarding parts of working at APS has been getting to know my students and forming relationships with them.  This section of  training was very informative and gave me more insight into some of the things we take for granted in our day to day lives. For instance, having food to eat. This part of the training has really reinforced for me that we have to strive to understand the situations and circumstances that make each one of our students who they are.

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This is my first year with APS, but I have worked in a variety of culturally diverse settings in my career. I taught abroad in Greece, moved to South Carolina to teach in a very rural school outside of Charleston, and eventually made my way back home to Cleveland.  Greece taught me to be sensitive in a global sense as most of my students spoke English as a second language and it was very humbling to realize that I was the minority in that I spoke only one language. It was my first test to build those bridges with students, I relied heavily on pop culture references and questions about their backgrounds, which I could use when teaching them ELA. The video about hungry children reminded me of particular students that I had in
Charleston, who I learned later, were in fact homeless. I felt so guilty harping on them for missing homework, or sleeping in class and I never thought to ask them why until another teacher brought it to my attention.  It's a mistake that I won't make again.  Students make an effort for you, if you show them you care.  Those relationships aren't automatic, but it is worth it on both sides of the desk to integrate that time in school.

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As a white person, I must be particularly careful when I consider cultural sensitivity in my classroom. I am used to operating in situations where my way of being is "normal" and other ways of being are marginalized. As I teach at North, I want to remain mindful that my students have a host of experiences and backgrounds that vary from my own. I must remain vigilant to seek ways to build bridges and gain understanding.

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This is my first year with APS, but have spent the past three years in a rural district in Wayne County where I have noticed that economic disadvantage seems to be rising. As a tutor, I often work with students from a low-income background or that don't get what they need at home. As I was watching these videos and reading this material, I kept thinking about what I have done to make these struggles a little easier for my students and what I'm going to have to do this school year for my students. I have found in my experience that building trusting relationships in which the students know you care about them should be the first priority. Students respond much better academically when they know they can trust in you and rely on you for support and encouragement. The best thing we can do for our students is to culturally sensitive and supportive of who they are.

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I strongly agree that relationships with students and families are a huge and valuable part of meaningful teaching and learning. Taking the time to listen is a huge part of that. I am an intervention specialist and I have learned that when my students trust me they show me much more of their personality and talents. They also take more risks to try something new. It takes time to earn that trust and building a relationship is important.

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This is my first year as a full time teacher for APS but I have been in education for the last 8 years between college and teaching. Being a social studies teacher it is always important to incorporate all cultures in my lessons. With that I need be sensitive to all cultures in my classroom and school. I connect with my students and I teach my students that connecting with others is also respecting others cultures. You can be friends with anyone no matter if you agree or disagree with them.

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While this is my first year teaching, I've been able to see benefits of building relationships with students and their families. During my first teaching experiences, I often worried that we weren't getting through all the material and activities I had planned. Upon reflecting on that time, I realized that time was not wasted; my students and I were spending that time learning about each each other and how to relate. I think that taking time to get to know about the lives students and their families pays off in the long run because everyone will be more excited about and invested in education.

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After watching the videos and reading through the materials, I find myself thinking about how to meet people, children and families alike, where they are at. To build relationships and be successful with outreach to families, knowing and acknowledging the realities that they deal with is important. There are issues that the families and children may be experiencing, that I may have no personal experience with, but I can try to understand how these issues might affect them.

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This is my first year teaching in APS, but I have always been in urban education. My past experience has been that if I build relationships with the kids by actually listening to them, they are more likely to listen to me and want to learn from me. Trust and respect was not automatically given...it was earned.

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When I first time I came to APS, I experienced things I never had before. Children that were a half hour away from my home were experiencing a much different childhood and life than me. Getting to know my students was amazing and made me a little sick to my stomach at times. I was living in this world that was pretty happy all the time. I never had any of these struggles nor could I pretend that I knew what that was like. They taught me so much about life. It is so important to listen and ask questions about students' lives and family. This will help when teaching them and knowing where they are coming from and why they do what they do. Knowing your students is crucial to planning lessons and how we live in our classroom together. It is important to know when we interact with students family. This creates trust in the classroom and once you have that and are aware of any issues or road blocks a student may have, you can teach and make goals. I love the question and how are the children? At the end of the day, we are here for the children and we should ask ourselves that question 100 times a day.

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My biggest takeaway from these cultural sensitivity resources is that we must be advocates for our students and their families by doing our best to provide support and resources to create a partnership. The Dual Capacity Building Framework has me thinking forward to the open house and beginning of the school year because I want families to be engaged in their students learning due to the positive effect it has on the students. This is a new resource to me and has me considering how I can create a welcoming classroom environment for open house to set a good first impression with families that we are in this together. I am also going to start to consider what I say and how I say it to families to implement the policy and program goals-capabilities, connections, cognition, and confidence.

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I find as a teacher it is always hard to remember that not every child comes to school prepared the way I did or how I would send my child.  Students bring things from home with them to the classroom, good or bad, every day. Some students may be hungry, some may not feel safe or comfortable at home, some may not be comfortable in class because their home life is different than everyone else around them. It is our job as a teacher to build that rapport with every student. You dont have to be able to solve every problem, but should be aware of what each student is like individually. And if students are struggling to to fit in or be engaged, it is your job to be the spoke in the wheel, or at minimum, a constant source of positive interaction for that child.

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To me, all of these articles and videos are insightful and all of the information is important.  But after reading each article and watching each video, my mind keeps coming back to the same thought: listen to your students.  Listen to how they speak to us, to each other, about themselves, about their family, about their learning.  We can learn so much from our students by listening to their responses about how they want to be included in our classroom or how they want to learn.  We can have a culturally inclusive classroom and an effective classroom by including our students in that planning and creating.  We can involve family by asking students to invite their families into their learning.  We can solve conflict within our classroom by listening to our students.
I am not sure if this reflection is like any of my other coworkers' thoughts, but my mind couldn't help but go to these thoughts because my most meaningful teaching has happened in the past from just listening to my students needs and opinions.

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Something I always need to remember is that I don't know what happened between the time my students left the classroom the day before and when they returned the next morning. This is why I think the morning check in is imperative. Just asking each student how they are can give you a glimpse of their lives outside school. Finding out about our students lives is so much bigger than knowing their names. We have to know who their families are, where they live, what their interests are.... To be culturally inclusive we need to be able to integrate their families into the school community if we want their families to become stakeholders in their education. I once was running an after school program at a school where I was unfamiliar with the students. One of the students went to sleep everyday as we started the program and didn't wake until it was over. I asked her classroom teacher about this and she told me the girl was exhausted because she was afraid to sleep at home. What an eye opener to me! Normally I would have made her wake up and participate which probably would have caused her to become agitated.  By knowing her background I was able to become more compassionate.

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One thing that truly resonated with me in reading articles and watching the videos was the importance of building relationships, not only with students but also their families. If someone were to ask, "What is the single most important part of being a teacher?", I would absolutely say that it is the relationships. Without being aware of the great things about our students, the hard things they deal with, what life is like for them at home, we can't get into the real meat of teaching and have it be truly meaningful. A student isn't going to be focused on learning about reading comprehension strategies if their belly is empty or they had a hard morning or if they are having friendship troubles. They aren't going to be focused if exciting life events are happening either: a new baby, meeting a big personal goal, winning their baseball game last night. Let them share if they want, get to know them on a personal level, embrace their unique personalities. Of course our desire for our students is for them to learn and grow academically, but I also want my students to feel important, to be respectful, to be kind, and to feel loved and cared about. When the relationship is built, the students can trust in their teachers to guide them to great things!

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As a teacher, I have always found it important to listen to my students and understand the environment and culture that they bring into my classroom. I also allow my students to get to know me.  I work to find common interests in an effort to build a positive relationship with them. That relationship gives the students a sense of belonging and pride in our class. When preparing my lessons, I think about the students in my room and how this lesson will affect them beyond meeting the standards required. What might my students' background bring to the lesson? By doing that, I am showing my students that I respect where they come from and respect them as an individual.

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Reflection  - I had a very naive outlook on the world as I entered the classroom for the first time.  For the most part, my little corner of the world was relatively a sunny happy place.  So, as I entered the classroom of my student-teaching experience and built relationships with my students, families and the community my eyes were open-wide to a variety of community, cultural and socio-economic situations. I realized then, life is not always sunny.  The struggles and astonishing situations these children and families face are very real. You realize that it is important to be sensitive to each family’s personal “story” and the only way to do that is to build a relationship built on honesty and trust – with no judgments.  You understand the hierarchy of needs you studied in college and the impact it has on education.  You worry about your students and their families even after the school bell rings.    I don’t know the answer to fixing all the problems families, children and education face but I do believe getting the entire community involved is key.  This may sound cliché, but I do believe in the old adage, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  Hopefully, one day we will figure out how to make this happen for the benefit of our children’s future.  I am very happy to be part of Akron Public Schools where building community and family relationships are a priority.  

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Reflection  - I had a very naive outlook on the world as I entered the classroom for the first time.  For the most part, my little corner of the world was relatively a sunny happy place.  So, as I entered the classroom of my student-teaching experience and built relationships with my students, families and the community my eyes were open-wide to a variety of community, cultural and socio-economic situations. I realized then, life is not always sunny.  The struggles and astonishing situations these children and families face are very real. You realize that it is important to be sensitive to each family’s personal “story” and the only way to do that is to build a relationship built on honesty and trust – with no judgments.  You understand the hierarchy of needs you studied in college and the impact it has on education.  You worry about your students and their families even after the school bell rings.    I don’t know the answer to fixing all the problems families, children and education face but I do believe getting the entire community involved is key.  This may sound cliché, but I do believe in the old adage, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  Hopefully, one day we will figure out how to make this happen for the benefit of our children’s future.  I am very happy to be part of Akron Public Schools where building community and family relationships are a priority.  

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Way long ago in the beginning of my career, I realized that once the bell rang and the kids left, that those children were often going home to situations that I never had any experience with in my life--that life after school was very much a part of what life in school would look like the next day. I agree 100% that there needs to be a relationship built on trust and respect in order for learning to happen. I loved the idea of asking "How are the children?" twelve times a day as a reminder that the children are the reason we are all teachers. Knowing the students, respecting the students, being a safe adult in their lives is what I am focused on!

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I believe that one of the most important and effective teaching tools that we have is to simply get to know our students and to use our knowledge of our students in our teaching. Several of the articles touched on getting to know your students and how they learn and using that in your class which is great, but there is so much more we can do. By using our students interests in the class and showing them that we have a genuine interest in what they like, they will look forward to coming to your class each and everyday and they will want to learn and be more of an active participant.

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As a teacher I think it is essential to understand that our students are with us for most of the day. We might not know what each child is going through or struggling with. But, it is our jobs to be their advocate and build those relationships with our students to create a positive and welcoming learning environment. Without relationships, it may be difficult to build trust with your students and could impact their learning.
As an educator, I believe that cultural sensitivity is essential when teaching in an urban community. As teachers, we need to be patient, flexible, and sensitive to different situations our students may be going through.

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As a counselor, I believe that relationships are key.  I have worked in schools for many years and not only do I believe it, I have seen it in action. A positive relationship needs to be built between the staff and the students in order to see change. Students need to know you care. This extends to the family as well. It is very important to build a positive relationship with families so you are not just calling them when you need something or when the student is in trouble. Building the relationship and building trust is how we can make a difference in the lives of our students.

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There are many excellent reflections on the material provided, so I will add a personal note. I am happy that Akron Public School District stresses relationships. I am a teacher because of the relationships that I had with my teachers.  I just came from a school that stressed discipline. I was constantly told to write up certain students who regularly caused trouble. I focus on talking to them and getting them to know and believe that I care and want them to succeed. Some of the most creative projects my students made last year were done by troubled students. They went from acting out to get negative attention to wanting to do something to make me happy. Consistently the attitude changed when he/she felt I could be trusted and that I really care about each of them as my children, not someone else's children.

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To summarize relationships and interactions, on every level and between any people, Maya Angelou said it best, "I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."  When you treat a person with respect, they feel and know it. And most times, It is reciprocated.

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Cultural sensitivity is essential for teaching in an urban community. All of my classroom experiences involved students from urban areas. I implement the strategies in "A Classroom Where Everyone Feels Welcome" and look forward to continuing to do so in Akron. It's always important to take into consideration where your students come from and to use that in the classroom.

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Each of the articles and videos that were presented for review were so powerful! I especially liked the comment of being the "spoke in the wheel" and looking at myself (as an administrator) as one who can help to encourage and build relationships between students. Relationship building is key and a skill that is so important for students to learn, even at the earliest of ages. Also, the final video about "And How are the Children" was so inspiring. It is critically important that we always keep the well-being of our APS students at the forefront of everything we do. Doing so will ensure that they are well and thriving!

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Cultural sensitivity is important in order to teach students. When I had attended school, I had believed every one of my classmates received breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I did not realize that many students went without meals. During my years in college, I watched a student take food from a going away party that we had for the students. Now I understand the student was trying to feed themselves or their family. I am so happy that here at Akron Public Schools we feed our students breakfast, lunch, and snacks. The video that hit home was the "Who Goes to Bed Hungry?" video. We as teachers need to realize that we might not always understand what our students are going through at home. We need to realize that some of our students have gone through trauma, and we need to take that into consideration when teaching our students. Building relationships with our students help us to figure out what is going on in their homes.

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Cultural sensitivity has been such an important topic to me. Coming from a minority background myself, I believe it is so integral to foster a sense of safety and security within children, while also teaching them to accept others who come from different backgrounds. Creating these relationships will make such a large impact on not only the students, but also us as educators and school staff. I will no doubt try my hardest to get to know the students, families, and faculty I work with on an individual level, because building these connections really is what make education such a special field!

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As an intervention specialist, it is crucial that I establish relationships as soon as possible with my students and their families so that they can thrive both inside and outside of my classroom. I need to ensure that I communicate in a variety of ways with my students and their families so that I can get to know them, build strong, positive relationships, and incorporate my students' needs, learning styles, interests, and cultural backgrounds into my lessons. Each of our students is unique, and they bring a unique perspective to our classrooms, which should be understood and appreciated. I am a firm believer that relationship-building is one of the key aspects to each child's success. I really enjoyed reflecting on my perspectives and biases heading into this school year, and I will continue to self reflect throughout the year in order to become the best I can be.

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Every child matters. Every child is important and possess unique talents and characteristics. It will be our jobs as teachers to get to know each and every student. This is not simply learning their names rather, it is discovering how they learn best, hobbies they like to do, their culture/background, family life, etc. I believe that learning can not occur until a relationship is first established.

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Cultural sensitivity has always been an interesting topic and sparks several ideas in my mind. I always want to make sure that I am meeting the needs of my students inside and outside the classroom. It is important to get to know your students outside of the classroom in order to build positive relationships.

One goal that I have for the start of the year is to learn all of the student's names in the building by the second week. This is challenge because I will see all the students in the building (music). Seeing a student light up after you remember their name after one class period can brighten your day!!

The videos and articles are an excellent refresher for the beginning of the school year!

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I'm really excited to come back to Akron! I've had the chance to always teach in culturally diverse areas, which I think will make it easier for me to form a good rapport with students.

I am also excited to embrace any changes that I may not have seen prior.

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I am excited to continually refresh and expand my knowledge of cultural sensitivity so I can begin to understand my students on a deeper level. I have learned over the last several years of teaching that relationships are what make teaching and learning fun. A student will want to come to class to learn from a teacher who goes out of their way to learn more about them.

The video about the students who were worried about their next meal really resonated with me. I have seen first hand how students will sometimes store part of their breakfast or lunch for a sibling or stock up so they have something to eat on the weekend. I will do my best to make sure my students have their needs met so they can be at their best.

I also appreciated the refresher on recognizing one's own worldview and how it can affect decisions and reactions to certain situations. There is always more to learn about others and I look forward to new experiences.

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As a speech-language pathologist, I have the unique opportunity to get to know many different students in many different grades, at many different levels. At the beginning of my sessions, I have found that the simple act of asking each student to share a “good” or “not so good” moment of their day has helped me to really get to know each student. As such, a student can share any celebrations or discuss (if they choose) difficult parts of their day. While this helps me to develop stronger relationships with each student, I have found that this can also help target their speech goals! Additionally, I have the opportunity to share about my day (which doesn’t always go as planned and can be used as a learning experience).

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After substituting last year with APS and student teaching the spring before, many things from these videos and documents rang true for me. In a system that often makes us teach to the test or steamroll important things in a child's life in favor of scores or funding or stakeholders, I hope that I'm the kind of teacher who honestly cares enough about the students themselves for themselves, and will be able to take the time to stay connected with parents and community in more than just the classroom.

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The Teaching Through Relationships article really resonated with me. When I was going through grade school, I often felt that wall between my teachers and myself. I feel I could have been more successful in school if I believed my teachers were invested in getting to know me as a person and learner. I love this concept and believe more teaching through relationships is the key to reaching even the most difficult students!

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Reflection on Learner Preparation Materials  Lynda Olsen

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Reflection on Learner Preparation Materials  Lynda Olsen

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As I reflect on the Learner Preparation Materials, I have the realization that we all want to feel welcomed and accepted by the people around us and to feel validated as an individual no matter what our unique characteristics are.  Whether we face challenges because of our race, religion, disability, socio-economic status, cultural background, or other aspect of ourselves, we all have the common threads of wanting to be accepted and of facing challenges.

Focusing on our similarities can be a valuable way to understand someone from a different cultural background.  During my graduate studies I had the opportunity to expand my cultural awareness through a project in which I interviewed a fellow student from a different cultural background.  After spending time with him and his family, I was able to see that on a deeper human level we actually had more in common than the surface differences would predict.

As a teacher, I need to be mindful of the unique qualities of each of my students and their families.  I can use our differences as a starting point to build a relationship with them through open dialogue and active listening.  As I listen, I can appreciate both our differences and similarities, and use this understanding to enhance the student’s learning opportunities.

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I read this article about a month ago. It was shared on Twitter. I love it! I am going to reach out to  all of my students parents/guardians with in the first 2 weeks of school. I want to establish a line of communication and know how best to contact them. I also want to use Remind with my students (and parents).

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Write your reflections after viewing the videos and reading the articles on the Akron Public Schools New Faculty Orientation site.

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Write your reflections after viewing the videos and reading the articles on the Akron Public Schools New Faculty Orientation site.

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Respond to one other post in addition to your reflection.