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My Name: Sheryl Ann Riley (almost Barnard!!!..23 days!!!!!)

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My Name: Sheryl Ann Riley (almost Barnard!!!..23 days!!!!!)

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My name is Sheryl, (pronounced Shār-el) Riley. This has been my name for the last 29 years. I have already discussed the origin of my name on the My Name Story assignment. What was not happening during that time was me thinking about what my "new name" will be, and very soon!!! I will become Sheryl Barnard on May 20th ♥♥
However, when I student teach this fall I will still be going by Ms. Riley in the classroom. I have decided that I will legally change my name after I graduate from GGC. I don't want to have to fool with any paper work just to get my diploma to have my married name on it. I will just hold off until after school and take care of everything before I accept a job in a school.

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My Favorite Characteristic: My Personality 💃

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My Favorite Characteristic: My Personality 💃

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I have to say that my favorite characteristic of myself is my personality. I am genuinely happy person. There are very few pictures of me without a smile on my face, and that is pretty much true for all of the time. I love people and really get along with just about anyone. I have great friends that I have had for years and years; I have mostly good relationships with my family members. I am a happy and loving person who tries to do what is right.

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An Important Object: My Little Green Car "Esme" 🚗

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An Important Object: My Little Green Car "Esme" 🚗

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My car is something that I truly value and appreciate. It doesn't seem that way at the moment, but I will clean her up real nice as soon as I have some time! This car is an important object to me because it was my very first one.
Approximately 10 years ago, when I started dating Mike, his parents offered to sell me the car and I would pay them $100 per week. It took me a little over a year and almost $6,000 but finally it was mine! What an incredible feel that was for me to pay off my car. All on my own, 💯%!!!
What makes the entire situation even more memorable for me is the fact that I did not even know how to drive it when I agreed to buy it. Mike took me to the mall parking lot and practiced with me. I remember being so nervous about the having to drive myself to work for the first time! My old job was right near some railroad tracks, so I feared I would stall out trying to cross over them, with having to downshift and all. 😉 But I made it, and have been driving the same car ever since. I love driving a stick shift car! And I use this car to travel: PA there and back alone, SC with my little sister on her spring break, she's been all over the SE. She has almost 190,000 miles on the engine, but she still runs beautifully (for the most part). I do have to admit, though, I can't wait to have a job and get a new car! Until then...

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My "Privilege": Being a White Woman in the USA 🗽

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My "Privilege": Being a White Woman in the USA 🗽

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I hate to use this picture because it was one of the best days of my entire life, but it is fitting for the stereotype that I sure I have been associated with by someone at one time or another. I would have to say that my privilege is being born a white female in America. While that is not as privileged as being a white male in America, it is still seen as privilege by some. I do not come from a family with money; I was raised in a house with five kids and my parents took care of my Papa, so eight people living in a 4 bedroom house. My whole family, parents and 5 kids only had one bathroom! It was not a life of luxury by any means, but I would not change it for the world. I am not a spoiled girl, nor an I ungrateful for anything that I have in my life. I tell Mike thank you after every single meal he treats me to. I tell him thank you for paying the rent each month. I try to never take him for granted and show my appreciation to him for everything he does. I am a very frugal person; I only spend money on my hair/make-up about once a year. I do not buy new clothes. I try to spend as little money as possible while I am not contributing to the household.

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My Cultural Biases: Underestimating Other's Abilities

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My Cultural Biases: Underestimating Other's Abilities

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This is a good representation of my cultural biases. I would say that I underestimate other's abilities in some situations. This could be in a wide range of situations:
•I think a young woman would be a better teacher than a man
•An older white man is the best doctor
•If they don't speak English they probably don't know what they're doing
•Foreign people can't drive
•Women can't drive
•Indian people that own gas stations are cheap

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My Cultural Values and Beliefs: Hard Work and Nothing Less 

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My Cultural Values and Beliefs: Hard Work and Nothing Less 

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I grew up knowing that if you want something in life, you have to work to get it. My parents were never in a situation to just give us whatever we wanted. I'm sure growing up I hated this, but I could not be happier that I grew up this way. I have had a job since I was 15 years old and have always been responsible for my own wants. Even now, if Mike needs my help with a job he has to do over the weekend, I am right there to help. I know that my helping him is helping us, and I want to do any and everything I can to help our little family. I do work now, but I contribute so little to the household that I really love when I get to help him with a job.
Aside from being a hardworking and respectful citizen, I value my family. We have get-togethers for one thing or another at least once a month. I love my family, most of the time 😉, and love how close we all are. I live within 10 miles of three of my sisters, one of my brothers and my parents. I do have family a little further out, but if they live in GA they are not more than an hour away.

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My Cultural Discomfort: Being Around my New Family

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My Cultural Discomfort: Being Around my New Family

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I had to think about this one because there are very few times that I am uncomfortable around people. I have checked out the Global Mall for a school assignment and absolutely loved it! Loved the food, loved the people, loved the experience. I have all been around diversity; in elementary school my sister and I had a group of girlfriends and we were all best friends. This group was made up of 3 white girls, a black girl, a Korean girl and an Indian girl. In the later elementary years, we had a new girl from Cuba join our little click. I have always been exposed to culture and people that are different than me. But, for the purposes of this paper, I will talk about this photo.
My sister has been in a relationship with a guy from Mexico and they recently had a my precious niece, Scarlett. It was different having his family at the gatherings; the language is a little it of a problem with his mother, but he and his siblings all grew up in the US so they speak perfect English. I have enjoyed having a new crowd at the functions; they are very loving people and always prepare a ton of food for special occasions. Most of his sisters have children and bring them around. My family has only recently gotten used to having littles at the functions, so it is still a little weird to have even more children around. My sister has never been happier and her boyfriend is a great guy!

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This picture is showing you my passion for cooking new and exciting dishes! I like to explore different websites and get ideas for meals I can make for dinner throughout the week. My top go-to's for recipes are www.cleanfoodcrush.com, Tasty Recipes and www.allrecipes.com to name a few. I have recently been checking out paleo recipes.
In addition to finding and trying new recipes, I like to take pictures of what I make and post them with the recipes on my hobby page I have started on Facebook. Sometimes I have people ask questions about recipes or ideas for stuff for them to try.

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Literacy Practices of My Everyday Life: Email, Facebook, Texting, Radio, TV

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Literacy Practices of My Everyday Life: Email, Facebook, Texting, Radio, TV

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I spend a lot of time at this table. It is nice have a gorgeous fish tank to look at when I space out or need to think about something.
On a daily basis I engage in the follow literacy practices:

• Reading and Writing Emails
•Listening to the Radio for both talk radio/news and music
•Social Media
•Texting
•Cooking Dinner / Searching, Reading and Following Recipes
•Watching TV
•Schoolwork

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Important books in my life, for the last 6 years, have been textbooks. I don't really have time to read for pleasure these days.
This been an emotional journey for me because I have struggled during this time. But, what has really kept me going has been the drive of getting my degree. I am so close and I keep reminding myself to see it to the end!

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My Struggles with Teaching Culturally Diverse Students: Meeting Their Needs Effectively

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My Struggles with Teaching Culturally Diverse Students: Meeting Their Needs Effectively

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Really the one concern I have when it comes to teaching culturally diverse students is the language barrier that I will have with either them, their parents, or both. I wish, wish, wish I spoke Spanish! I am going to take some classes to learn more. Not being able to communicate with people is just a unfortunate situation, especially when you are a teacher and want to talk to parents about their children, or even worse when you want to teach this young child the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in life.

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I see me as me. Sometimes I'm a hot mess and sometimes I have it together.

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I am Sheryl.
I am a student.
I am (almost) a wife.
I am strong.
I am weak.
I am a go-getter.
I am a chef.
I am a hot mess.
I am Sheryl.

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As culturally responsive teachers, we have to allow some wiggle room for our students who are not used to the American culture and allow them to get comfortable with their new surroundings before we can require that they do things a specific way. Writing is not everyone's forte. Drawing may not be either. Expressing yourself can be done through so many outlet and it is not fair to limit someone's creativity. I would love to see a new student come into the classroom with actual pictures from their life and be able to tell us about their experiences. I think this would be an interesting ice breaker between the new students and the current students. Unless we, as teachers, are comfortable with thinking and stepping outside of the box, we may limit some children.
This ELAN class has made me more aware of the cultural separation that clearly exists in the real world. Teachers should not, but are often quick to judge these exceptional children and are not taking the time to see what they bring to the table. This is not fair to these children and as a teacher I will focus on inclusion and literacy outlets that may be different, but allow the freedom for creativity where it is comfortable for my students!

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My Strengths on Teaching Culturally Diverse Students: My Love and Passion of Teaching 

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My Strengths on Teaching Culturally Diverse Students: My Love and Passion of Teaching 

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I think this is a fabulous depiction of how I see my strengths on teaching culturally diverse students. I look happy and excited and surrounded by my sweet students ♥♥.
I look forward to getting to know my students, their families and their interests. I know I will have my struggles here and there, but I am honestly excited about the opportunities that come with teaching.

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I really liked putting this project together because it made me think outside of the box. I had to look at the different aspects of my life and try and associate those aspects with a photo; I found that I did not have the most culturally diverse photos!
I have always considered myself a very culturally diverse person. I grew up in DeKalb County GA and have had friends from all ethnic groups for as long as I can remember. I did not grow up only surrounded by white people! I am very fortunate to have the experiences I have has, from an early age, because there was a point when I moved to an area lacking diversity, and that made me extremely uncomfortable. When I was in 8th grade I decided I wanted to go live with my mom in Alpharetta. This was a huge mistake; I did not fit in. I was not dressed as well. I did not come from money. I had braces and wore the same old clothes I had been wearing for however long and I did not fit in. This was a very rough transition for me to make, especially at that age. Long story short, I ended up moving back in with my dad shortly after.
I feel like this experience gave me a look into the eyes of a foreign person and I experienced what it was like to be the odd ball out. It is so easy to make people that are different than you feel like they are nothing. That is how I felt during this time. Knowing how exclusion made me feel, I know the value of inclusion and feeling welcomed. Literacy is such a powerful way to bring other's experiences to the table! Imagine a child doing a project like this and the amount of information you are able to take away about someone through their pictures and writings.
When we take the time to step back and allow others to tell us something through their own creative outlet, we are able to learn so much!
As teachers, we must find out where our new friends are, intellectually, and what they are comfortable with inside the classroom. Maybe my new student isn't comfortable standing up and telling us about his or her past life; this student may be able to create the most unique and beautiful drawing to illustrate where they come from. This is OK, and a great way to make your student feel more comfortable!