Prompt 7

Doing my Service Learning at Charlotte Woods Elementary definitely skewed my teaching ability for the better. Growing up without much diversity made me conscious of inner-city schools and how much more attention they need as opposed to rural schools. Doing my SL there, it also expanded my patience that was once very short with small children. I never used to have a lot of patience for small children - hence the reason why I want to teach High School English. However, Mrs. Caliri's classroom completely changed my outlook and I am very grateful for that. Volunteering there completely opened my eyes to the way inner city schools are as opposed to rural schools. The setting (lack of green grass and jungle gyms), lack of funds (free lunches, books that are not great condition, etc), the way students are taught (they are learning the english language), lack of parental participation,etc... I think the more VIPS students go to inner-city schools, the more our generation could hopefully raise enough awareness to schools that seem to be swept under the rug when they are the schools that should be paid attention to the most.

Prompt 6

In Charlotte Woods Elementary, it was fairly easy to show sensitivity to the students despite the huge language barrier. The teacher, Mrs. Caliri, is very affectionate in terms of giving hugs and spending a lot of time with them. She is also extremely patient, knowing that English is not their primary language. As for me though, I cannot speak Spanish. I demonstrated my sensitivity and responsiveness by listening to the children and dividing my time up between each table of children so that no one thought I paid more attention to the other. Each student was more than willing to share stories of their home lives, school life, friends, etc. Sometimes I do not think teachers listen to their students enough, even small children. If teachers did listen to their students, they could get a better understand why a student behaves the way he/she does and maybe there would be less communication. Referring back to prompt 5, the more inactive parent participation is, the more teachers should be willing to listen to their students and get involved with them as individuals and not just as one whole class.

Prompt 5

I have noticed a major difference in rural schools to inner-city schools. Because I went to a rural public school all my life, I constantly compare it to Charlotte Woods Elementary. A competent teacher will definitely try to get parents proactive in the school community. In Scituate, it was easy to get parents' participation in the school programs whether it was volunteering, PTA, or even just meeting with the teachers to see how well their child is doing. After speaking to Mrs. Caliri (my SL teacher), it is like "pulling teeth" to get parents active in their child's academic life. This is definitely not speaking for everyone obviously, however, the majority. I think this is because in inner-city classrooms, many of the children come large families and maybe the parent cannot participate because they are too busy with the other children. Some parents are even incarcerated. In my own opinion, after reading certain articles (Kozol in particular), many parents of inner city students are drug users - again, I am not saying ALL parents. Drug users put their addiction ahead of anything else which is very sad especially if they are in a large family. These are all contributing factors as to why a teacher may have difficulty getting a parent or a guardian's participation in their child's academics and/or behavior. This also may be why some children look at their teacher as a mother/father figure and/or role model.

Prompt 4

Growing up in Scituate, RI, there is very little cultural diversity. Because of this, I never really experienced what it is like to work with people of different races and to be honest, most people in Scituate are racist Republicans (MOST). Thus, I was completely out of my element when I did my VIPS at Charlotte Woods Elementary. Working with children of different races when I grew up in a country-area was very different and almost...scary (for lack of a better word). I was very nervous. I think my personal experience in Scituate helped me at the school because it humbled me greatly. I appreciate what I have and it rose my awareness to help those who are in troubling inner-city schools. Challenges I may face as an up and coming teacher is the language barrier. There was a lot of communication problems I faced with the students - especially because it was an ESL class. I don't speak Spanish and that is their dominany language so it's hard to try to have a student read/write something to you and comprehend it as well. My misconceptions of the students were brief. I shamefully believed the students would be troublemakers or not really care too much to learn anything but in fact it was quite opposite. That sounds horrible, I know, but I blame most of it on how I grew up. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood, school, etc. I think bilingual people definitely make for better teachers - I wish I was, but I'm not... It just seems that bilingual teachers understand their students better and like I said previously, communication is KEY. I am not ashamed to say where I came from but I definitely feel like I msised out on learning about other cultures and working one-on-one with those who are different than my peers were. On the flipside, going to Scituate HS really opened my eyes to children in inner-city schools - to compare the rural to the urban society, to appreciate what I have that I would ordinarily take for granted and to try to help those in need as best to my ability.

Prompt 3

Although Mrs. Caliri has been absent for the past three weeks, I still have learned a lot by the way she interacts with her students from what I've seen. As far as responding to the linguistic, ethnic and sociocultural characterisitcs of students, Mrs. Caliri does her job very well. For example, she uses word syllables and phonics in order to get the children to understand. It is an ESL class and a few students have difficulty learning the material. She uses pictures and breaks down each word in order to pronounce and understand what they mean (i.e. "butterfly" would be but/ter/fly followed by a picture of a butterfly). The picture-word association really helps with the children's comprehension of what they are reading. Because Mrs. Caliri does not allow Spanish-speaking in her classroom, she really encourages to speak English as best to their ability. So far, I've seen a great response from the student. Mrs. Caliri, being bilingual herself, realizes how much Spanish is spoken in their homes. However, being patient with her students is probably the biggest thing she could do. She does not take away from their culture - she obviously knows they are from Hispanic descent. If the children have questions, they ask one another or Mrs. Caliri but she encourages them to figure it out for themselves and nine times out of ten, it works.

Prompt 2

A week later and Mrs. Caliri is STILL sick! Another sub was in class today...The subsititute teachers are really no match for what Mrs. Caliri can do with the children and I think the kids know this. She has a lot of control over the class and they end up more productive.

Although the children know the basic fundamentals of the english language, a few still do not understand. It's weird because though it's an ESL class, the children HARDLY speak Spanish. Even the entry-level students will not speak Spanish, mostly because Mrs. Caliri will not allow it... But even when I think they're stuck, they will make an attempt to try it themselves and see if they recieve praise or criticism in return. I found that kind of bizarre because I thought if they had at least had a question, they would be more vocal. I think incorporating a child's backround into one's classroom environment is important for a teacher. Our class defined culture inclusive to media, religion, practices, music, movies, etc. I believe it's important to know about how one grew up to better understand them. When you understand how a student grew up or how they practice this/that, it's easier to teach them. You might teach them how to do one thing when they learn it an entirely different way at home but it's still correct (math, for example). Also, with behavior issues, knowing one's backround culture, family life, etc. really helps in knowing why the kids act the way they do. For example, some kids speak without raising their hand or without getting called on but that might be because that is how they act at home. This is also a hard concept to teach --- especially when the kids @ Charlotte woods are all at different levels (advanced, intermediate, beginner)... Mrs. Caliri talks to everyone as a whole class when she teaches - specificially the phonics and syllables. She doesn't allow anything but english being spoken in the classroom but she does know how to speak spanish so if someone is having terrible difficulty with a specific assignment, I'm sure she'd be able to explain in which they could understand (i have yet to see her do this though). It's so much easier to talk/learn/communicate with someone if you understand them... This is true for any relationship not just between the teacher-student.

Day 4

Today was my fourth day at Charlotte Woods Elementary. Mrs. Cliri was absent from class today so there was a substitue, Mrs. Acosta. She seems enthusiastic although not as patient as Mrs. Cliri. It was clear the children are more comfortable with their ordinary teacher (not to put down Mrs. Acosta). She had a very heavy Spanish accent that was a little difficult for me to interpret.

I started off by reading a book in front of the class... I am still sick so my voice probably sounded ridiculous but I did the best I could. Thinking back now, I'm wondering if I should have slowed down with the reading. I think I read it too fast. The assignment following the reading consisted of associating words with pictures within the story which I think really helps them learn English a little easier. During this time, I took my 3 usual students in which I am their reading buddy and worked with them. The kids were very hyper today though. They were more interested in getting to know ME rather than focusing on their studies. They wanted to know where I came from, how many friends I have, if I have a boyfriend, etc. My personal information I kept extremely brief because as much as I'd like to tell them about myself, I know I am there to help them LEARN. We did syllable pronounciations that were timed - for example : El-e-phant (3 syllables). We also did timed "DOLCH" where the kids work with flash cards (I hold up a card, they read me the word and tell me the meaning). We did this for about 30-35 minutes.

After that, I went to each table (there's about 3-5 kids per table) and they were all reading short stories (Dr. Suess, Arthur, etc). I was impressed that not only they read very well, they comprehended what they read, which was the main thing. I think associating pictures with the words really helps them develop their English skills and word development.

My trouble today was dividing my attention between each student. Almost every student would call my name, tap my shoulder, or raise their hand for my attention. I guess that is what a teacher has to deal with. I was trying to pay attention to everyone but I was getting overwhelmed. Again, if anyone had any suggestions, please send them my way!


Looking forward to next week :) The kids are awesome.

Day 3

My apologies for all who have been following my blogs - I have been feeling ill.

Day 3 at Charlotte Woods Elementary was again, nothing short of fantastic. Everytime I go there, I have a blast. A lot of students in our class say how their kids misbehave but in this ESL class, they're amazing and obidient.

This time, I worked with three specific students whom I will be working with for a half hour each time I visit. They are struggling with the English language (which, to their credit, is the hardest language to learn). However, they are quite bright. Our excersizes include flash cards with words in which they tell me how to pronounce them and what they mean and also, Bingo! If a student matches one of the vocab words with one of the w0rds on their card, they obviously get a point. This lasts for about a half an hour.


There was also a new student - a little girl. Mrs. Cliri tests each student to see what level of Engligh they're at (advanced, intermediate, beginner). I believe the new student was intermediate. The remainder of the time I am there I float around to each table of students to see if they need help. The students are eager to ask me what the answer is but I am careful to have them try to figure things out for themselves.

Again, my only issue is the language barrier. If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it.

Again I apologize for my short post - I really need to kick this cold! I'll be visiting again tomorrow morning for 2 hours so I will blog more!

Day 2

Yesterday was my second time volunteering at Charlotte Woods Elementary. Each time I go there, I am increasingly humbled. For example, something I would take for granted, the kids are so happy to receive... When I walked in yesterday, Mrs. Cliri was sitting on her chair with the children in a half-circle around her. She had news that she got them a new pencil sharpener (the other one broke) and they were so excited! I couldn't believe it.

As far as the classroom is concerned, it is very colorful! Whether it's the rugs or the whiteboard or the folders, everything is a different color. The children have the option of going outside at lunchtime (11:30 am... I leave then) and that's when my heart sank a little. From what I've seen so far, there was no hint of a jungle gym or swings or anything. I could be wrong.What are children supposed to do at recess/lunch outside? They make most of what they have. In Scituate, kids I know would cry if they couldn't get this or that but the students at Charlotte Woods Elementary seem very easy to please. The children are all Hispanic or African American. Mrs. Cliri is Portuguese and bilingual. I feel a little out of the my element there. I'm glad I'm at this school because it's a big eye-opener and I learn a lot observing Mrs. Cliri. She found that instead of yelling at misbehaved students, she ignores misbehavior unless it's really bad (which I haven't seen yet) and uses a lot of positive reinforcement. The students respond well - they always seem eager to behave well.

I found that this time was a little more difficult than last though. Because I am a little more familiar with the kids, classroom, etc., I believe Mrs. Cliri wanted to give me a little more responsibility. She read them a book called Pigs (Robert Munch) & told the class to write and draw what they think would happen. She had me work one-on-one with some of the kids, those who were at the beginning level of English. I don't speak Spanish and the kids I was working with do not speak English very well so it was hard to help them. It's hard to get them to write something when they don't know what letters I am referring to. Using pictures only helped so much. I have to try something different - a little more effective... but what?! I met Ms. Winnie for the first time and she spoke with me about what a "Reading Buddy" is. It's not so much that I read with the children or to them - it's more that I help them build their english skills. I worked with 3 entry-level students (boys). The workshop we did consisted of flashcards and bingo. I would hold up a flashcard, which were color coordinated in order to show how each was increasingly difficult, and the kids would say what the word was. If a word was too hard for the student, Ms. Winnie & Mrs. Cliri said to just tell them what it is. For beginning students, I was surprised and delighted that they kept up so quick and still knew the meaning to each word.. Some people I know that actually know English still get confused on "there", "their" and "they're" or "to", "two" and "too". The students I worked with needed no help with knowing which one was correct.

First Day (Prompt 1)

I was assigned to be a volunteer student teacher at SGT Cornell Young/Charlotte Woods Elementary school in Providence. My first day was yesterday. I am a reading buddy for second graders in an ESL class (English as a Second Language). I attended school in Scituate which is a bit more country and the minorty rate is less than 5%. It was a huge difference to walk into Charlotte Woods, where some letters on the building were missing, there was essentially one jungle gym and two teenagers were literally getting arrested the next street over. To be honest, a bit of nervousness overcame me partially because I felt out of my element, part because my heart sank for the young boys and girls but also that I wanted to do a great job as a volunteer student.

Walking into Mrs. Clieri's class, however, eased my nerves. She is an energetic, unbelievably nice teacher who made me feel very welcome. The kids were exceptionally welcoming as well. They were very eager to know my name, how to spell it, where I was from, what I wanted to teach, etc. So after a mini-briefing about myself, I observed Mrs. Clieri's return to homework the review. The children's homework was to experiment about what happens when you throw a parachute up in the air and then write what they saw. They were all sitting down in a little circle, if you will, looking up at their teacher, giving her their full attention which I was quite impressed with. The girls, as I expected, were right up front.

Mrs. Clieri is a bilingual teacher who is full of energy, articulation, compassion, compliments all while staying in CONTROL of her classroom that has a significantly higher number of boys in it than girls. Mrs. Clieri continued her lesson (I sharpened the pencils for her and helped set up) about pronouncing words using "PGM". PGM (Phonics Graphing Mapping) is a tool that uses syllables and sounding out letters in order to pronounce a word. For example, one of the words was "infant". First, she sounded out each letter (i-n-f-a-n-t) then the syllables (in-fant). The children were eager to learn and wanted more and harder words to learn such as basketball and hockey. I was beyond impressed with how well they caught on and how much they wanted to do.

Following the PGM lesson were the Literary Centers. Each table (7 tables approximately with 3-4 children at each one) were assigned one activity to do. One table was associating picutures with words with syllables. For example, one was a picture of an insect that had another piece of paper with the word "insect" on it. Finally the syllables "in" and "sect" were there and the children had to match all 3 components together. The language barrier was difficult for me seeing I don't know how to speak Spanish and some children could minimally speak English but the children were teaching me and the advanced students were helping the ones with difficulty. It was just a generally awesome class and learning experience.

After my 90 minutes was up, Mrs. Clieri left me with a positive note and some confidence for next class. She told me she was impressed how I took the initiatve to help her out and get right in there with the kids. The children collectively said goodbye to me at once and all jumped out of their seats to give me a hug at once (Mrs. Clieri said it was normal but I did as instructed by our professor to give them light one-handed taps on the back). I will be attending the remainder of my 15 hours there, every Tuesday (except for their February vacation). I feel more confident about going in and will try to do better every time I go in. I told Mrs. Clieri that any feedback (negative or positive) would be helpful in learning how to teach and thanked her and the children for letting me participate that day.

Overall, I was very pleased with the day and I can't wait for class!

Mini Biography

My name is Margeux Bourque. I don't typically blog, however this is for a course I am taking in order to become a teacher. I am French (I am sure you could tell from my name), Irish and Mexican. I was born in Texas but grew up in Rhode Island for as long as I can remember with a wonderful family & close-knit friends...and of course, my dog. :) I was raised in Scituate by my grandmother. I am a child of divorce and though I consider my Memere my own mother, I maintain a strong healthy relationship with my dad (her son). I have one significantly older sister who is my best friend but recently moved to Miami. She is bilingual (she speaks Spanish) which is a something I am admittedly jealous of because it's an amazing quality to have. I was born in late February, thus making me a Pisces. I tend to think of myself as an open-minded laid-back and quiet. A go-with-the-flow type of person, if you will. English is my passion, it always has been which has led me to wanting to become a Secondary Education major. My goal is to teach English (preferably literature) to young adults, get married and live a happy, long successful life. I read for pleasure (some favorites include V.C. Andrews, James Patterson, Edgar Allan Poe, James Joyce and Shakespeare). I also enjoy sports... In high school I used to play soccer, softball and cheerlead but now, I am more of a spectator. I also love watching football (New England Patriots of course). My taste for music varies - I listen to anything from the Rolling Stones to Eric Clapton to DJ Tiesto to Bullet for my Valentine. I am not a big believer in luck - I am a believer in working hard for what you achieve... In a nutshell, I work hard and play hard. I love my life and the people in it. :)