On April 18, 1994, a baby girl was born. She was the second child born in a Chinese/Thai family, following a son. Both Mom and Dad struggled to pick a name for their newly born daughter. They both loved the name Nina, but unfortunately another aunt in the family had already named their newborn Nina. During the year 1994, a famous singer named Selena rose to fame. “Selena” had a nice sound to it and closely resembled Mom and Dad’s favorite name, Nina. Nina would then be her nickname. To give their new daughter a bit of individuality, they decided to name her Celina, spelled C-E-L-I-N-A. They wanted her to be unique and to set her apart from the famous singer. Celina also means “heaven.” In considering her name, Mom and Dad also thought about naming their daughter with a name that was easily accepted in America and was not too difficult for Americans to speak since she was born in the United States. However, in order to keep her Chinese cultural roots from her father’s side, Mom and Dad gave her “Wai-Ling” as a middle name and “Chau” as her last name. “Wai” means great and “Ling” means precious in Chinese. The Chinese believe in naming children with strong meanings behind them to give them good luck and good fortune. The Chinese also believe their name can also represent the child’s character. “Chau” is a family name passed down from many generations. Its origin is from China where Dad’s ancestors are from. “Chau” means to surpass or exceed. It is important for every family member to take the Father’s last name in Asian culture. Lastly, in order to keep her Thai cultural roots, Mom and Dad gave her a Thai name “Siriphon” meaning glorious blessing. This name was thought of by her grandmother on her Mother’s side. Whenever she would visit her Mom’s side of the family they would call her by her Thai name, and whenever she would visit her Dad’s side of the family they would call her by her Chinese middle name. Her immediate family will know her as her nickname Nina, and her friends and others will refer to her by her name Celina.

            Language, literacy, and culture are different from one family to another. Based on the readings from, Mui & Anderson (2006), it depends on the culture. In their article, they expressed how teaching and learning came from the older siblings and cousins with the support of their caregivers, such as their nannies. Much like my home, I looked up to my elders, my older brother, for support in my education. Students may come into the classroom with these different kinds of experiences, and it may contribute to how they learn based on how they are already being taught at home. This article explains the idea of learning coming from the parents versus other caregivers. In the article by Mohr (2004), there is the approach of integrating lessons that emphasize reading and writing. Their method is nonlinear. They believe that teaching reading and writing first, gives the ELLs an accelerated learning start in English where listening and speaking will naturally come within the process. 

            My thoughts on literacy as I was completing the project have broaden. When I initially think of literacy, I think of reading and writing. However, as I was completing this project, I noticed that I was making meaningful reflections within my writing that connected to one picture. I was surprised as to how much meaning one picture could hold as I was writing my descriptions. Connecting visuals to writing was a big thing for me. In doing this project, I also gained a lot of information about myself. This project allowed me to reflect upon my own culture and beliefs. As my fellow classmates presented their work, I realized the diversity amongst us. This allows me to be more mindful and aware that I may have diverse students within my classroom in the future who have different values, cultures, and beliefs that contribute to who they are. This project gave me insight on who I am culturally. I am a Chinese individual who values respect, open-mindedness, and kindness. I can incorporate my values into my classroom by implementing norms that ask my students to be kind and respectful to one another. With this, I am considering my identity and who I am. Teacher identity is important in recognizing that children are not illiterate and fail at school due to deficits in their culture and in their cognition. Students raised in different cultures may think differently, but that does not mean a student is illiterate. The background experiences and knowledge that students bring into the classroom makes up who they are. There are many cultures that I may not know or understand, but I must be respectful and willing to be open to learning about them and how to better help them succeed.  This project also allowed me to realize my struggles and cultural biases. Now that I am aware of my weaknesses in teaching culturally diverse individuals, I can be more cautious and considerate. Understanding the funds of knowledge is also important in the classroom for a teacher. With this, the teacher is able to understand the type of home life their students come from, and then they are better able to teach their students. “Funds of knowledge, or the knowledge, skills, and resources present in homes, have been utilized to incorporate students’ and families’ experiences into the classroom” (Kiyama, 2011). The funds of knowledge takes under consideration language practices and social practices within an individual’s home culture. As a teacher, it is important to be aware of a students’ home life and use that as a means to better reach the individual in education. A teacher can use this to make better connections that the students can relate to.

            Often times, a student’s cultural experience and understanding of literacy and education are sometimes a mismatch to the school and teacher’s ways and beliefs. My character trait of being open-minded allows me to break these barriers. I feel that I am very kind to all students, and I am willing to work with each student despite our differences. In this class, I have learned to be more aware of what people and books are saying and showing about “good literacy.” What may work for one individual, may not work for another. Not all students learn the same, therefore not all methods will work for everyone. I must get to know each of my students and find out what works best for each. To promote equity and to better serve my students, there are many things I can implement into my classroom. By being culturally responsive, I can allow choice in my classwork. I can let students choose how they want to present information to allow them to express themselves in the way that best suits them. To promote equity I can use name sticks. By using name sticks, I can ensure that I call on each student and give each student an opportunity to participate.