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The activity I created is theoretical, but I attended an event like this as an undergrad that gave me the idea. I would title my event, "Food Around the World," and have student's families and school staff get together to share a dish representing their culture. Food brings people together, starts conversations, and makes them feel good inside! This is a fun and creative way to build relationships outside of the classroom and implement them inside the classroom. Everyone participating will give a short presentation describing what their dish is and its origin. The presentation would be in any format they would like it to be. The only requirement would be to talk about the dish and what it means to them.

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The measurable objective would be for me and everyone participating to analyze cultures in a fun and interactive setting and gain a better understanding of another country as well as the person/family who brought the dish in. The way I would know I achieved this goal is by creating feedback surveys, The surveys would include questions about their experiences, such as what they learned about different cultures, and if they felt the event was interactive and enjoyable, and of course a section where they can include any suggestions for improving the event. I would also do some personal reflections and go up to different staff members and family members to get to know them better through conversation. I will ask questions to increase my cultural awareness, sense of community, and appreciation of diversity.

Possible questions for reflection:

How is their culture similar or different to my own?

What dish tastes and feels familiar to me and my own culture?

Possible questions for conversation:

What does this dish mean to you?

Do you have any family stories related to this dish that you can share?

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A "Grecian Urn" is an activity that is enjoyable, but lacks educational value. I learned how to avoid having "Grecian Urn" lessons by having an appropriate objective that can be measurable. Same for my Food Around The World event, additionally, I plan on having interactive activities. For example, cultural storytelling where participants would share personal stories related to their dishes and cultural heritage. Staff members will be able to learn about their students in a way that they may not have been able to inside of their classrooms, and therefore become more aware of who their students are and vice versa. My school offers Mandarin and Korean languages, and I believe it is important that the students have the opportunity to taste the food of the language they are learning if they one day decide to visit those countries when they are older. Who knows, maybe they love it so much that they will continue learning the language even after they are done with the courses at Sawyer! I also plan on having diverse representation. My staff has "Asian Fest" which I unfortunately wasn't able to attend because it was on a Friday and I had to attend in-person classes. My mentor did tell me about it though, she is Pakistani, so she told me about the rice she brought and there are also Filipino coworkers, so the food must have been amazing, but it is only between staff members, so I think it would be nice to have an event where the entire community can gather and share with one another.

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For my event, I will require a signup sheet to track the number of participants attending. It is essential to have individuals register to accommodate the space for everyone to come and feel comfortable. I will have individuals' contact information so I can ensure to send out regular updates and reminders as the event date approaches so the participants can enough time to prep and prepare their amazing dishes. During the event, I will ensure to showcase the participants and recognize and appreciate the efforts of those who contributed. Most importantly, I will ensure the event is welcoming to everyone, regardless of their cultural background and emphasize inclusivity and respect for all! cultures.

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This question reminds me of when I shared my teaching philosophy with my group members. I told them that when I was younger I didn't have a teacher who looked like me. I also remember students being told "This isn't Spanish class," whenever students would speak Spanish to one another. It wasn't until I was in college that I began to feel proud of who I was as a growing professional. I was away from home attending a PWI and I felt comfort in going to the Latino resource center, and I joined a Latina-founded sorority. I found my place after many years of schooling. I don't want my students to have to wait until they are in college to have someone who sees them and values all that they are. I will be able to have some shared experiences with my students by simply indulging in cultural foods and being proud of our roots. Even if the students don't share a culture with me I can still respect and appreciate where they come from and ensure to foster a sense of belonging in the classroom.

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Creating his event will impact my experience as a teacher in various ways. First, because it will enhance my leadership skills. By organizing the event, I will gain experience in the ability to plan, coordinate, and manage complex activities. These skills are transferable to the classroom improving my ability to organize lessons, projects, and other school events. I will build stronger community connections. Through working closely with families and community members, I will strengthen my relationships and build a sense of community. By having stronger connections, it can lead to increased parental involvement in school activities and better support for students. An event like this will engage with diverse cultures and be an inclusive event which will deepen my understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. This cultural competence will enhance my ability to create an inclusive classroom environment that respects and celebrates diversity.

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I am already thinking about what I want the first day of school to be like with my students. Completing the student profiles in my practicum courses instilled in me the value and importance of getting to know my students and their families. I want my students to do a "Get to Know Me" activity where I share about myself and they get to share about themselves. I want to know what motivates them and even their favorite food. When I attended the Learning Rotations I attended an IEP meeting and I liked how personable the teacher was with the parent, and when she was sharing the student's strengths she shared the student's favorite food which was "green spaghetti." It's a Mexican dish, so I was familiar with it. The mom giggled and the teacher responded by saying, "I don't know what that is, but that is what he told me." The mom answered with a smile and said, "Yes, I make it at home." I liked the personable feel and the way the mom seemed comfortable with the teacher and it was just so pleasant and it was a great way to start a simple conversation and not have the parent sit in silence like all the other meetings I have experienced.

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I would love to make this event an annual event. Every year won't be like the rest because there will be new staff members and families who will come and go, but how awesome would it be to have been the coordinator who started an event that is so well thought out and planned that families and staff would like to continually have it! Especially if we take the feedback provided and implement the suggestions that the people want to see. It can maybe even turn into an entire festival where there could be some cultural performances. The school already has a K-pop dance team. It would be nice to see a folkloric dance team or other representations of culture at our school.