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My favorite book is the Bible of course. It is the book of life.

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My favorite characteristic about myself is my patience. Those close to me often commend me for my patience. As I continue to get older, I truly understand that patience is virtue.🧘🏾‍♀️

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To you this may just be a a picture of a simple flower, but to me it represents my name. I am named after two of my aunts (Hyacinth and Roseanna) who were named after flowers. When I am asked what my name means I like to tell people it means beautiful flowers.

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My strength as a teacher would be my ability to teach culturally diverse students. I build relationships with my students which creates a meaningful learning enviornment.

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To me, my passport is an important object because not only do I love to travel but it is vital to me because it allows me to see my family back home <3

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For work everyday I have to write notes about my observations. This is one way that I have literacy incorporated into my daily life.

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Growing up I struggled with my cultural identity. Living in New York I felt the most secure with my cultural identity. When I moved to Georgia things changed. As a young child I began to feel ashamed of my culture because the lack of representation in Georgia.

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I feel the most community support when I’m in the gym. “Stronger together: Where encouragement, determination, and progress create a thriving gym community.”

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Life is not all about money but instead it’s about the experiences and memories that are made. I learned that it’s okay to miss work if it means you get to create lasting memories with the people you love.

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My favorite practices would have to be my social life. I enjoy staying connected with my family and friends and just sharing my thoughts online!

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I am unintentionally bias to other cultures due to my lack of knowledge. While I can relate to be being culturally different, I truly don’t understand what life is like in other cultures. #OutOfManyOnePeople 🇯🇲💕

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I am patience rooted in strength,

A flower blooming from the names of my aunts—

Hyacinth and Roseanna,

Beauty and resilience intertwined.

I am a seeker of experiences,

My passport a symbol of journeys near and far,

Carrying me back to the embrace of family,

And forward into the world of possibilities.

I am a storyteller,

Writing my daily observations,

Connecting literacy to life,

With the Bible as my guide to purpose.

I am a teacher,

Building relationships with diverse students,

Turning cultural differences into bridges,

And seeing every child’s potential.

I am Hyanna,

A flower of many petals,

Each one a story,

Each one a strength.

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My Padlet represents who I am and the experiences that shape my teaching philosophy. The photo of the flower, which represents my name, connects to my family’s traditions and reminds me of the importance of honoring identity in my classroom. This ties to the concept of funds of knowledge, which emphasizes the importance of drawing on students’ cultural and personal experiences in education (Wiltse, 2015). The passport photo symbolizes my love for travel and connection to my family, teaching me the value of incorporating students’ global and cultural experiences into learning. Writing daily work observations has shown me how literacy is present in everyday practices, and I want my students to recognize how essential literacy is in their own lives, aligning with Compton-Lilly’s (2019) view of everyday literacies as critical for connecting home and school practices. My favorite book, the Bible, reflects my personal values, reminding me to encourage students to explore texts that resonate with their unique identities.

The photo about cultural discomfort, from my transition from New York to Georgia, highlights how the lack of representation can make students feel unseen. This experience motivates me to ensure my classroom is a place where all cultures are represented and celebrated. I also acknowledge my unintentional cultural bias, stemming from limited knowledge, and I strive to address this by learning more about my students’ backgrounds and incorporating diverse perspectives into my teaching. This self-awareness reflects Washington and Larimore’s (2023) assertion that culturally responsive teaching requires addressing biases and creating equitable opportunities for all students. Building meaningful relationships is my strength as a teacher, and I believe these connections create a supportive and inclusive environment where students feel valued.

Overall, working on this multimodal project has helped me reflect on how visual and personal narratives, like the ones in my Padlet, can make literacy more engaging and relatable for students. I’ve learned that students’ funds of knowledge—their unique cultural and life experiences—are vital to their learning (Kiyama, 2011). Moving forward, I want to integrate activities that encourage students to share their own stories and identities, helping them see the value of their experiences in the classroom.