SPARKS Conference - ED 710

On 4/21 , I had the opportunity to attend a conference called SPARKS. This conference is designed for teachers with zero to six years of experience. I was selected to attend by our union rep and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to network with people outside of my school. This conference is sponsored by our union, TABCO, and allows new teachers to better understand the roles of our union. We discussed topics like certification, retirements, member benefits, and legal. I learned a lot of important and new information.

A conference like this is really important for me to grow as an educator. I often find it difficult to network with teachers outside of my department, let alone outside my school, and this provided a fantastic platform. I have become very comfortable interacting with my students, public speaking and the like, but I still have a great deal of shyness when it comes to interacting with others that I do not know. This conference pushed me out of my comfort zone and had me interacting with teachers from all grade levels and different schools. In fact, it was an overnight conference so I was roomed with someone I did not know. My roomie was actually from my school and it helped forge a friendship that probably would not have formed on its own. Now I have friends outside my department and someone I can talk freely with when needed. 

Beyond the conference, they provided us with team building activities. They sent us in groups on a scavenger hunt through Annapolis followed by dinner. This was really awesome because I made more connections with people while we competed to win the hunt! I look forward to attending conferences in the future and have already signed up for a three day summer conference in July.

Cultural Diversity - ED 710

In my classroom, I have a mix of students that come from a different ethnic backgrounds. This was a bit of a culture shock to me when I entered the classroom. My school has approximately 1460 students enrolled. About 880 of those students are Caucasian, 340 are African-American, and the remainder identify as either two or more races, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American. Growing up in Harford County and attending a private high school, there were approximately 800 students in my school with the vast majority of the students identified as Caucasian. Even where I live now, and where my children attend school, there is not a diverse population.  Coming into a classroom with such diversity and coming from a very non-diverse background has left some space for growing and learning. Things that might be normal to my upbringing can be very different than other cultural upbringings. I have found this year a learning experience on this front. To help close this gap, I have spent time learning about different cultures in the hopes to understand my students and their lives better. It has been an interesting and enlightening experience that I will continue to explore while teaching.

We also have a large number of students that come from low socio-economic backgrounds. Currently, 55% of our student population qualify for free or reduced meals (FARM). This high percentage points to the fact that many of our students live in poverty or close to the poverty line. As a teacher, I have to remember to not assume. I have to remember and reflect on student lives and experiences when I construct my lessons, assignments, and expectations. For example, many of my students cannot always afford basic essentials. Therefore, I do not have established consequences for lack of preparation. I provide pencils, erasers, and paper so that my students can be successful in my classroom. I also have to be mindful about homework assignments. We had students work on a project where they constructed a mole and then completed math problems. The school provided basic supplies for the creation of the mole to ensure that all students could complete the assignment. When I assign homework, I ensure that internet is not required as not all of my students have access to internet or computers at home.

Students walk into my classroom from a variety of backgrounds. My ultimate goal is to ensure that all students are successful in learning Chemistry regardless of their background.