Identifying who I am what I like and dislike, along with my fears and strengths I feel is important. To do a self-evaluation as a future educator to evaluate what may be brought to the classroom and what should be left is key to being a successful teacher. Being aware of who I am culturally will impact teaching in many ways allowing me to tackle cultural weaknesses as they occur, not letting me judge based on my cultural biases, and allowing me to use my literacy practices to meet the needs of my students. 

Being able to relate to the teachers cultural background allows for better connection to the students and other teachers. Considering the identity of the teacher will help understand the teaching process and they approach different types of students. Teachers have to realize their own cultural identity and learn their students’ cultural identity to fully understand that children are not illiterate or smart due to their culture. Using this in the classroom will eliminatesome of the biases that occur and help create a secure and positive classroom environment. Biases occur every day because it is our perception of people based on our up brining so, learning how we see other people and working to eliminate some of those biases is important in creating a safe classroom for all. A great approach to use to ensure the teacher is meeting all the needs of her students and parents by creating a culturally relevant program is by using and understanding the funds of knowledge. Funds of Knowledge are the essential cultural practices and bodies of knowledge that are embedded in the daily practices and routines of families. It is important the teachers know this to promote a culturally responsive classroom actually understanding all of the families involved. When teachers shed their role of teacher and expert and, instead, take on a new role as learner, they can come to know their students and the families of their students in new and distinct ways. Incorporating different foods and books into the classroom to meet the needs of their students will maximize learning for all the students’. 

In my classroom I will integrate literacy in an engaging way that children will respond to making learning fun. In the beginning of the year I will learn all of my students’ cultural backgrounds and use that to promote learning in the classroom incorporating families to create a culturally diverse classroom. This will maximize learning the students’ creating a new way to learn the content. Incorporating what I learned in class about involving all the students in different ways and not making reading and writing the only way to incorporate literacy but “good literacy” connecting students to the content using book and activities students can relate to.  The teacher cannot force their cultural beliefs and ways of learning onto the students but learning the needs of the students and integrate both so learning are not mismatch and no students will be left behind.