Cultural Autobiography

I have always grown up in what you would call an upper-middle class

white family. For a while, both my parents worked six days a week. My
father and mother both worked at a university during the week and at church
on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. My father, according to him,
grew up dirt poor. He explains that he grew up with nothing in his family
and had to work since he was 15. He always kept pushing himself and holds
a bachelors degree in music education from San Diego State University, a
masters degree in music theory and composition from UCLA, and a
doctorate in music theory and composition from UCLA. He claims he has
worked many jobs during his life, including choir leader, band
director/conductor, composer, educator, writer, and more. At the time when
we lived in North Carolina, he worked at UNC Charlotte, as well as at Back
Creek Presbyterian Church. My mother got her bachelors degree in piano
performance from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, a masters degree in piano
performance at Winthrop University, and is currently finishing a doctoral
degree in music education from Boston University. She also worked for a
while at UNC Charlotte, and at the same church.
I do not remember what the majority of my town in North Carolina
practiced for faith, but I know most were of some denomination of
Christianity. Religion was somewhat important in my town of Mooresville, but
I cannot remember for sure. I wasnt very active in the community at the
time, except for when I participated in cub scouts. I always did what all the

other white kids did when I was growing up and didnt think it was strange or
different from anyone else. In North Carolina, I thought I was racially the
same as most of my peers (white), and I didnt know what race was at the
time. It took me until the second or third grade to learn that I was part
Chinese. When I learned this, I didnt really care. I believe that it didnt affect
me and my peers didnt really care about it either. I thought that we were all
the same, despite having different skin colors. I knew of several AfricanAmerican friends and peers in my elementary school, but they acted mostly
the same as I did. We were all between the ages of 5 to 9 and grew up with
each other. My personal best friend at the time was half African-American
and half Filipino, but I didnt know what either one was at the time. I didnt
really care that Andrew (my best friend at the time) had a different color
skin. Eventually, he and I drifted apart when he went to middle school and he
never came to play with me again. The neighborhood I grew up in was
primarily white, with a few African-Americans and Asians (Koreans). Because
my mom was a piano teacher, she taught children from all across town. Most
of the children were white, but one or two were African-American, two to
three were Korean, and another three were Chinese. In terms for boys and
girls, there was not very many differences between the girls and boys. Boys
were softly pushed towards more masculine toys and identities while girls
were lightly pushed towards more feminine toys and identities. If girls and
boys wanted to play with nontraditionally gendered role toys, then that was

fine to the parents and teachers (for the most part). In terms of education,
there was no difference between the sexes.
When I moved to Beaumont, Texas, I started middle school and finished
my freshman year of high school there. I initially started off in Vincent Middle
School, but then I switched to St. Annes private Catholic school. The reason
for the switch was because of the time I had at Vincent middle school for the
first few days. Part of the reason for the switch was because of the cultural
shock and difference from moving from Mooresville to Beaumont. For my
duration in Texas, I became much more isolated and introverted. This has
affected me and continues to this day. Because I primarily grew up in a
middle class location for elementary school, I was not prepared for a socioeconomic change in environment. St. Annes was more of the school that I
had grown up with in North Carolina.
Beaumont was a lower-middle class city that was much more racially
diverse. I believe that religion played a small role in the city of Beaumont
and most were affiliated with Christianity, but I cannot remember how much
of a role it was for the community at large. Not only was it racially diverse,
but the white attitude down there was also different from what I knew was
white in North Carolina. The whites there generally had the gung-ho,
Texas is the best attitude that I never cared for. This attitude showed its
face across most interactions and the whites were generally proud of it. I
didnt grasp this attitude until I was out of the state of Texas. This period of
my life also introduced me to people of Hispanic descent. At the time, I knew

a little more about what race was, but not how ethnicity played a role as
well. I also met people of Pilipino descent, especially at St. Annes and the
public high school I went to, Westbrook Senior High School. In the public high
school, I was finally ready to immerse myself into the racially diverse public
education system. By the time I hit high school, I was more aware and
accustomed to the cultures down there.
In Texas, band is just as important as football. This holds true for my
high school down there. In marching band, I got to know kids of different
race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Some of my friends were Mexican,
and a few liked to appear to be with a gang. How try that might have been,
I am not sure. Beaumont isnt exactly the safest city in Southeast Texas and
Westbrook has had incidents with gang affiliation before. However, I still
treated them as my friends and got to know them merely as fellow students.
I also had a couple of African-American friends who I talked with about school
related activities. They were glad to be around their peers, and we generally
got along. I also had a few friends that were gay. I had a better friendship
with one of my gay band friends who hid his sexuality from most at school,
but he was open with me and other close friends. There was also a lesbian
that I talked to on occasion, but she was fine with me. She did not go into
detail as much as my gay friend who discussed many topics with me. To me,
they were just like everyone else, except with a little difference. There wasnt
a difference in expectations for boys and girls in almost anything. Both sexes
were expected to graduate high school and get jobs someday. However, from

what I can remember, teachers and administrators expected boys to be nicer

to girls and girls were easier to deal with.
However, race was a growing issue for me and to a lesser degree, for
my family. Because the African-Americans grew up differently (more
economically poor than us), they appeared to not work as hard and seemed
to be a little more lazy. This does not hold true for all of them because I
knew some that were academically excelling and getting good grades. The
vast majority seemed to uninterested in academics and didnt care. I never
spoke about this, but it is worth mentioning. Some stereotypes about AfricanAmericans not achieving as much did prove true while I was in Texas, but not
for all of them. It was also a time I was introduced to the n-word. I had
never heard of this word before except in books (such as Tom Sawyer) and
was taken back at how often African-Americans used it. I knew that if I said it,
it would result in me being assault physically or verbally. I know that it wasnt
their skin color that made me dislike them; it was their cultural beliefs and
attitudes that I didnt like. However, my prejudice eventually died down once
I moved away from Beaumont.
I moved to West Lafayette, Indiana for the rest of my high school years
and the beginning of college. According to others, Hoosiers have an accent,
but I never noticed one. Moving to Indiana was like life in North Carolina, it
was primarily white with a little bit of diversity. Purdue University brought
more diversity into West Lafayette, and it first introduced me to people of the
Asian ethnicity. My high school, William Henry Harrison High School, was

primarily white (with some country folk mixed in), with a few Asians, AfricanAmericans, and Hispanics. I believe that West Lafayette is mostly Christian,
with a little bit of Islam and Judaism mixed in. Religion did not play a major
role for me in West Lafayette. West Lafayette could be considered uppermiddle class (especially with Purdue University within its boundaries). Living
in West Lafayette, and ultimately going to Purdue University for two years
reinforced the stereotype that ethnic Asians always did well academically
and were all rich. The only Asians that I saw who fit this stereotype were
mostly Chinese students, with a few Indians, and Japanese students. Despite
being at Purdue for two years, I never really interacted with others who were
not in my classes. I know that while I was there (and continues to this day)
was the fact that some people did not like having so many foreign students
coming to Purdue. The people who said there were too many were not
xenophobic, as much as they wanted Purdue to accept more students from
the state. Purdue wanted more international students to make more money.
My first real event that I remember is the gradual losing of whom I
considered by best friend, Andrew. When I first moved to Mooresville in North
Carolina, the neighborhood was just beginning and we were some of the first
kids on the street. We lived next door to each other and hung out almost
every day. We played video games, tossed balls around, went swimming with
each other, and much more. However, he eventually expected me to ask him
to do everything. I didnt fully realize this until later. As he started middle
school, he was too busy for me and wanted to play with his new friends.

My dad told me to stop asking him to play and wait for him to come get me.
He did try to get together once or twice, but he stopped all together. I was
left alone and didnt know what to do. I now realize that it didnt mean as
much to him as it meant to me. This is probably the starting point of my
introverted self. It took about a year before I really had other friends I could
play and interact with.
Another significant experience I had was the shift of cultures from
North Carolina to Texas. I was very sheltered when I lived in Mooresville. My
parents were very protective of me (and still are a little bit) because I was
their firstborn child. By the time I left North Carolina, I had formed a large
group of friends who had to split up because of various reasons. Because of
the culture shock, I didnt really know how to react to it and how to interact
with others. It left me very upset and this is when I switched schools from
Vincent Middle School to St. Annes. The culture was still different from what I
knew and only had a few friends. I was basically isolated from what I knew in
my previous life. My parents were much busier and didnt have anywhere
near as much time as they used to and my sister was doing her own things in
her life. Because of this episode, I became much more introverted and shy
around individuals. I started to try to fit in with what some would call
weirdos at whatever social event I was at or group at school. This is where I
came across my friends of different sexual orientations. Since coming to Ball
State, I have tried to open up more and understand different perspectives.

I lived in several worlds in Beaumont. One was my world what I

thought in my mind and desires. I had many different thoughts racing across
my mind and how lonely it was. Another one was my family. My family was
too busy with working, but we managed to survive. It was not easy and I still
didnt know how to speak up and express myself. Now that I reflect on my
past self, I realize that I was somewhat narcissistic for wanting more
attention from my parents. I didnt want to disappoint my parents and make
them feel ashamed of me. My school life was another world; I wanted to be
accepted like everyone else, I didnt want to stand out and be made fun of,
and I wanted to achieve.
An influence that has been with me all my life has been my dad. He is
always working and devotes his life to music. He inspired me to do music,
but he always told me dont do music. Because of his influence, he taught
me saxophone starting in the fifth grade. He demanded that whatever I do, I
had to do well at. There were many lessons that I was not good enough for
my dad. My dad knows what it takes to be successful, especially in a career
in music. Because of my dad and music, I ended up in most, if not all, of the
music programs in every school I went to. I became a band nerd. I should
have worked harder and better to achieve more. If I had listened to my dad
more, I could have gone to other schools or been perceived as more
competent in high school. However, I kept going at it and I ended up at Ball
State for the moment.

I perceive myself as an upper-middle class, ethnically white individual. I

like to believe that I am as white as any other white individual. I do not
associate myself at all with being Asian. I have grown up like a white kid,
so that is all that I know. I believe that most other students see that as well.
When I tell my peers that I am half white and half Chinese, they generally go
along with it and dont make it a big deal. We occasionally make racist
comments about how Asian or un-Asian I am at times. For example, some
of my peers expect me to get high grades. This is probably a combination of
my attitude towards school and some stereotyping.
Because of these events in my life, I try not to judge other people as
much as I used to. I used to think that I was more important than others to a
degree. I isolated myself and compared them to me. I wanted to be a good
child and would see anyone who wasnt academically or morally on par with
me as ignorant. I also wanted to be accepted like everyone else though.
Because I constantly compared myself with my peers, I would belittle them
in my mind. I grew up with high standards, and I can sometimes hold others
to my own standards. I now understand that while others may seem to be
okay at school, they may be wearing a mask and could potentially have
deeper issues. I also know that I need to bring myself down from my own
pedestal and accept everyone who isnt performing as well as I do, or as I
have done.
I see that my thinking about many (but not all) African-Americans is
similar to the What Do You Mean When You Say Urban? article by Dyan

Watson (2007). While my town was not urban, it could be considered

suburban and had some of the same issues that were present in the article.
The African-American students (as well as some Latina/os) could be
considered as urban students who come from an environment where they
cant see the value of education. (p.78). Many teachers assumed that
because you are African-American or Latina/o, then you have a greater
chance of not wanting to learn, coming from parents who dont see the value
of education as much, and not getting homework done. This is where we
divide students into categories: urban or urban-like and normal. The
article explains that urban basically means less than, especially when
compared to normal. The students who achieve and are doing well are
considered normal. Students who dont do school are considered lazy,
underachieving, or urban. This caused some division through
institutionalized racism within my high school in Texas and underlying effects
that I did not realize at the time. You could see this effect in some of my
classes. In many of my Pre-AP, or honors courses, there were
significantly more white and Asian students than African-American or
Latina/o students. The more general courses, such as basic English and
history class, had more African-American and Latina/o students. This was an
unfair assumption on my behalf and those who felt similar while I lived in
Beaumont. Many of the African-American and Latina/o students came from
more socio-economically depressed portions of town and did not have as
many resources as I did. The school did not do as much as they probably

could have to engage more racially diverse students and incorporate them
into higher and faster learning courses. You could even say that the upper
level courses were in place to shelter some of the smarter students from
the general population of the school. They did offer reduced priced and
free lunches to those who needed them, but that was primarily all the school
did. Some educators in the school saw the inequalities that were present in
the school and tried to form clubs to make the education for the AfricanAmerican and Latina/o students more equitable. Some of these students
came from families who didnt express as much interest in education like my
parents did. Some saw it as a waste of time and other parents didnt care.
There should have been more open dialogue on getting students more
motivated to do school work and succeed academically.
Because I attended two different high schools in two different regions
in the United States, I see contrasting cultural effects, especially when I
consider the Students Multiple Worlds: Navigating the Borders of Family,
Peer, and School Cultures article by Patricia Phelan, Ann Locke Davidson,
and Hanh Cao Yu. Students in both high schools developed a sense of oneself
first. They made sure that they were in control of their own body and mind
and developed their understandings of the environments they were in. In
both high schools, peers had a great effect on students. My peers in my high
school in Texas were much more concerned about their peers and
relationships between each other. No matter what happened, you did not
want to lose respect and standing among your friends and acquaintances.

Many students saw relationships with each other as more important than
schooling, and to some, more important than immediate family. This may be
due to being more comfortable around friends than educators. Some peers
had broken families, which students may have also wanted to get away from.
You could tell that many students were more comfortable with others who
were of the same race. The only area that I saw that students of different
races come together was during band activities. We all had grown
accustomed to each other and more or less knew what to expect. Because
we were all together for long periods of time, our values gradually became
closer in comparison to family values and academic values. In this
environment, many of my peers would treat different aspects of their lives in
various ways. Because of the need for peer approval, many students would
be very casual and joking towards each other, but not at all to educators.
Teachers were on a higher level than the students and treated them as
such. My peers also sometimes treated their families differently. The
language use would be a little more concise and moral. You wanted to have
better behavior when your parents were around. My high school in Indiana
saw peer relations as having some significance, but not nearly as much.
Students in West Lafayette were more mixed, as they generally saw a
balanced importance in family, school, and peer relationships. Many students
had the same values, regardless of family and school, so integrating into
peer relationships were easier. These students generally saw their worlds as
parallel and managed them accordingly. The way you treated your peers was

similar to how you treated family and school officials. You were a little more
relaxed around your peers and used more casual words and jokes, but it was
a little more open to the teachers than in Beaumont. There were less borders
between everyone in my high school in West Lafayette than in Texas.
From my time in both high schools, I see that the concept of
colorblindness and white privilege existed and continues to exist to this day.
From the article Diversity vs. White Privilege by Rethinking Schools
Magazine (2000). Because of my time in a predominantly white school in
West Lafayette, it was hard to notice some degrees of white privilege and the
lack of multicultural thinking. Because the vast majority of students and
teachers were white, they taught and learned from an almost exclusive Eurocentric viewpoint. Everything presented was from either an American or
European view of the world. Those who were racially different, did not
receive any information regarding their cultural background or history of
their ancestors. The only place that did not discuss American values, stories,
or information was the language department. The only other language
offered that was not European, was Japanese, and even that class was cut
during the recession back in 2009. It was deemed not as important as
German, French, or Spanish, which made some students and teachers angry.
Another problem that was present in the school was using the colorblind
method of teaching everyone. Because of the lack of diversity, most teachers
taught without knowing many students backgrounds. There were parent
teacher nights that families could go to, but most would not show up. The

teachers were active in the community at large, but many did not get to
know the socio-economic levels of many students. Most students had
resources because of their parents, but not all of them. This holds true for my
high school in Texas. Basically every teacher there did not really get to know
everyone on a personal and individual basis. All teaching done was
colorblind and backgrounds were not of importance. My teachers here
were more racially and ethnically diverse, but that did not mean they were
more culturally competent. The generally had the same attitude about being
colorblind and ignored the unique differences that made up their students.
There was slight white privilege from one or two of the teachers at my high
school in Texas. One or two of white teachers who taught basic level general
courses may have given slightly better treatment towards those with white
skin than those who are African-American, but it was never mentioned, only
slyly seen. This was done through the attitudes displayed by those special
teachers.
The article, But Thats Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally
Relevant Pedagogy, brings up the attitudes and cultural awareness and
relevance that I experienced in Beaumont. From the article, an informed
educator will bring up cultural relevance and insight to the students world. A
good educator should also critique the cultural norms and actions to develop
our future. At Westbrook, I had one teacher who was culturally open to her
students. She taught French, but grew up in the surrounding region of
Southeast Texas/Southwest Louisiana. She knew Creole French and the

history of the area better than anyone else. Because of her experiences, she
could teach at a different perspective than those who only lived in
Beaumont. She was one of the few white teachers there who understood
more about African-American history. She knew and has explored different
countries as well and she was always interested in her students. Through her
travels, she experienced different French cultures, as well as other
languages. She had spent many years teaching at this high school, so she
knew how to work with her students more effectively (except for those who
only were troublemakers). During the course of her class, she would have us
do several projects over the course of the year about the different cultures
that use French as a language. Despite being more culturally open and
aware, she still taught colorblind, and did not really have us analyze
cultural norms, values, and institutions that promote inequalities. We merely
learned what she wanted us to know, but not to think too deeply about
underlying issues. She did not go over the French slave trade that existed
across the globe and turned four times as many Africans into slaves than the
Americans did. She was an older woman and related to us like the other
teachers. She didnt create lessons that we would easily be able to work with
from our cultural point of view, and wasnt culturally relevant to us very
much. However, if we were struggling with words or phrases in French, she
would break them down and try to find ways that we would be able to
understand the words or phrases through relatable actions and dialogue.
Because of her, I started looking at different countries and the cultures that

existed. I grew to enjoy learning about history and the triumphs and mistakes
that humanity has made that has influenced us to this day. One thing that
she taught me was to look at someones situation before passing a
judgement. You need to put yourself in his or her shoes and assess if the
action is understandable.
Reading Putting a Human Face on the Immigration Debate, by Steven
Picht-Truijillo and Paola Suchsland reminded me of the few times I discussed
immigration in my classes. I studied German in high school and at Purdue
University and immigration was a topic that always came back. Since the end
of World War II, Germany has asked for immigrants to fill its vacant jobs. The
article makes use of immigration to bring about the real issues of those who
end up immigrating to different countries. My grandparents, mom, and uncle
are immigrants who came from Hong Kong and understand the troubles that
can occur from moving from one culture to another. The article discusses the
real life situations that are facing Southern California about immigration from
Central and South America and ultimately the entire continental United
States. While my family never discussed its adaptions to American culture, I
have read and studied some about Turkish immigrants coming to Germany to
live and work. While we did not do activities, such as acting out as if we were
Turkish immigrants first arriving in Germany, we read very much about their
struggles and the attitudes they faced. The Turkish immigrants were told of
the wealth they could obtain by working in Germany and that they would be
accepted with open arms. Some were, while others were not. The major issue

that continues to this day is the religious differences between both cultures.
Turkish immigrants are generally Muslims, while Germans are typically
Christian or even atheist. Sometimes, the Turkish immigrants would be
harassed for just living in Germany and would want to leave for their
homeland, just like some of the documented and undocumented immigrants
in the article. To combat all forms of prejudice and hate against all
immigrants, our culture (as well as other host cultures) need to be more
educated and empathize with the situations that face immigrants.
Immigrants who come to our country, as well as other developed countries,
need equitable footing to make the transition here easier. Just because they
want to live here, does not mean they want to become part of our culture.
Sometimes, they come and lose their native culture that they cherished. The
immigrants become white-washed, such as my family has become. I never
knew Cantonese Chinese and I regret not learning it from my mother.
Race: Some Teachable and Uncomfortable- Moments by Heidi
Tolentino made me reflect on my own racial journey and what I have
experienced in my life thus far. The article discusses the awkward and
intense moments about black and white relations throughout history and
how they spill over to todays world. This article is taken from the real life
episode of the author who was teaching about race relations in the United
States. The author lived in very white community with little diversity. She
tried to have the white students experience what it was like for AfricanAmericans to vote back in the late 1860s. Because of this, one of the few

African-Americans burst out about how whites will never know what it is like
to be black. One of the white girls responded by saying that how would we
know, if we cant try to experience it. Another episode was the discussion of
the N word between whites and African-Americans. Some white students
complained that they couldnt use that word that has become a source of
pride for some African-Americans. This led to another angry and intense
classroom discussion that was necessary to have. The white population did
not understand where the African-American girl was talking from and her
experiences. Obviously, she has had a difficult time with her race and it has
been an issue for her, but not only her. Many African-Americans feel the
same way of being mistreated for decades if not longer. Open dialogue
between the races is what need to occur between all races, ethnicities, and
cultures so we can live together in peace. We need to understand each
other, as well as our backgrounds to what has made us individuals. I
personally have not had this type of talk before with African-Americans
because it is so heavy when discussing these topics. Only in a safe and
inclusive classroom, such as in the introduction to multiculturalism class I
took, would be appropriate to discuss this. I knew that if I were to have said
the N word back in high school in Texas, I would have been assault in some
fashion, either physically or verbally.
Even though I identify as ethnically white, I am still racially half
Chinese. In the article, Youre Asian. How Could You Fail Math? Unmasking
the Myth of the Model Minority by Benji Chang and Wayne Au, both authors

hammer home information regarding ethnicity and stereotypes. Japanese

students are considered a model minority because they appear to have
assimilated into the mainstream American culture. Just because one group of
Asians do well, doesnt mean they all do. Some Asians do succeed well in the
United States, but many do not. You cannot group the success of one sector
of a race and call it successful. There are numerous unsuccessful Japanese
students as well. When students think of Asian, they predominately think of
either Chinese, Japanese, or Koreans. Most times, they forget the other
categories, such as Indian, Thai, and Persian. Many Asians suffer academic
problems and do not succeed academically. One problem with the model
minority myth is that Asian Americans out earn their white counterparts, but
when broken down to household incomes, Asian Americans make less per
person than whites. Because some like to use the model minority myth, they
use it against other minorities who are not succeeding as well. They compare
the success of a few individuals in a category against entire groups and
cultures. To combat the prejudice and stereotyping of Asians and the model
minority, educators need to get to know each and every individual student
and understand where they are coming from. Just because some individuals
of a race are doing well in society, doesnt mean that your students are.
They might be struggling and need individual attention because of the added
pressure from the stereotyping. I also need to consider how I interpret
silence in the classroom. Because silence means yes to whatever I say, I
may be overlooking issues that some students may have. I will need to

double check with individuals to make sure that they are grasping the
content of my material and are secure with their abilities. Another strategy
that not only applies to Asians, are to bring up and discuss individual racial
and ethnical heroes in your classroom. They should represent those who
identify with different races, sexual orientations, ethnicities, etc. Everyone
needs a figure to look up to, especially if they are not promoted in the
mainstream culture.
Regardless of location, religion is an integral part of many peoples
lives. Religion (or the lack of religion) will be a part of my students lives.
From the article One Nation, Many Gods, it tells of the success of
mandating a worlds religions course for a school district in California called
Modesto. Everyone eventually agreed that there needed to be a safe space
for all religions to congregate and learn about each other. Most educators do
not like to touch religion, but you cannot avoid it. The course that is taught is
strict in terms of educational material. I touches six of the major religions in
the world and dedicated an equal amount of time to each one. Throughout
the course, students learn about each others different religions and begin to
be more open and accepting of one another. It helps promote tolerance for
different religions, but goes beyond and teaches students to be accepting of
other religions. Many students think that only their religion matters and
every other religion is wrong. Every religion exists for a reason and not a
single one should be treated better or worse because of its history, people,
or what it preaches. During this course, students did not lose their own

religion and change their beliefs. This course shows that religion plays a
major role in education through understand and accepting of other cultures.
To personally combat my ignorance, I need to explore the different religions
and the beliefs of each one. This way, I can begin to understand who some of
my future students might be. An educator should be well-versed (or at least
have some understanding) in the different aspects students lives. I have to
tell my future students that no matter what, religion (or no religion) is
happily accepted in my classroom and that there is no room to insult or
demean other religions.
Language could be a potential barrier to my students. Some may be
learning English, have some sort of disability, or speak in a different dialect,
such as Ebonics. From the article, Black English/Ebonics. What it be like?
Ebonics is a variation of English that was created by African-Americans. It is a
cultural identity that some African-Americans use to separate themselves
from proper white English. It is comprised of African and European
traditions that were melted together. Some would associate Ebonics with
being lazy or uncultured. However, this oral transmission is highly
developed and even artistic in its usage. I typically have no problem with
individuals who use Ebonics in their everyday life. I understand why they use
it and what they mean when they talk. When I lived in Beaumont, Ebonics
was used quite frequently and I grew accustomed to hearing it. However, this
is not the only style of language I may hear in the future. I may potentially
have non-native English learners in my classroom. Because I attended

Purdue University and had fellow students struggling with English, I

empathize more with those learning it. I understand that it will take time to
learn a language and be fully immersed in conversation. This holds true
when I was learning German. It takes years to fully develop the languages
ear and mind to comprehend what someone is speaking in a foreign tongue.
To accommodate my students who may struggle with English, I will talk to
them and get to know their individual needs and I may need to slow my
speech so they can understand me.
Those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered are also
welcome in my classroom. These students may need the most support out of
all my other students. While I do identify as LGBTQ, I understand and
empathize with the situation that they are in. Because of my experiences
with those who do identify with the group, I know that it can be a difficult
road to come out of the closet and they need support. The article From
Surviving to Thriving: Lessons from Lesbian and Gay Youth, by Richard A.
Friend, explains stories and situations that were facing gay students. Many if
not all students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered
experience some form of bullying and intolerance. Even though our country
is opening up to these people, we still need to work further to educate those
who oppose this reality. Many students do not have someone to turn to for
support and acceptance of their gender and sexual orientation. I will firmly
defend these students if they are being attacked and will offer my classroom
as a safe space for those who need it. One thing that would help our

students is having openly gay role models that our students can look up to.
Another method of accepting gay students is to have better training in how
to comfort and effectively maintaining an inclusive environment for all
students. Homophobia needs to end and those who hate gays have to realize
that they are here and will not just disappear.
Students with exceptionalities or disabilities are a hidden minority
that many do not consider when discussing minorities. The article, The Top
Ten Things New High School Teachers Need to Know about Servicing
Students with Special Needs outlines several steps to appropriate work with
special needs students. I personally have not yet had the experience of
working with such individuals, and I should explore my options to fix this. The
Individual with Disabilities Education Act aimed to ensure the right to free,
appropriate, public education, regardless of handicap. Students who need
special assistance will not be turned away because of his or her disability.
Because the range of disabilities is so large, every student that requires
special care is examined on what to teach and how to teach the student. In
my classroom, I will ensure students with exceptionalities are warmly
received and can participate. I will have to learn how to accommodate
students with disabilities. If I need to, I can teach these students different
techniques about how to play percussion instruments or teach at a different
rate. It all depends on the student. There are several ways to play music,
even if you are hard of hearing.

Because of all these events and educational moments in my life. I feel

that I am fairly able to handle classroom interactions. I know how some of
my students feel like and what they could potentially be going through, but I
do not know everything. For example, I do not know what life is like as a
female. I never have or will experience this and lack the true empathy that
females need from their male peers. The main area of my personal growth
that I still need to attend to is the race relations, especially when it comes to
African-American and white relations. It makes me somewhat uncomfortable
discussing this exact relationship, but I know it needs to be addressed at
some point. If there were more safe spaces and inclusive environments, I
would be more welcoming to address issues between races and cultures.
My belief in teaching is to inspire the students to understand the world
and its future. My future students must learn that we are all unique
individuals who can contribute to each others understanding. No one is
more important or valuable than someone else. In my school, you should
have time to express yourself, but also to pivot the attention you receive and
give it to someone else. What I give to my students will be the idea of hard
work, but an understanding that just because you see something odd in
someones culture, doesnt make it wrong. Wherever I end up, I will respect
authority so I can foster a positive relationship between myself, my
department, and them. We should be able to mutually benefit off one
another through open communication and dialogue to discuss the best
methods of teaching students. There needs to be a level of respect between

both parties and if there is an issue, we need to discuss it and come to a

workable conclusion. I need to adapt to whatever situation I come across. I
will become relatively comfortable in almost any situation, but I can augment
it by understanding my boundaries and limits. I understand that I am mere
one person that can aid in the development of my students and that it is up
to me to show them how to learn and grow. I cannot teach them material
that they need to memorize and forget. I must become an educator that is
comfortable talking about race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. If
students perceive that these issues are important and are comfortable
around me, they will open up and express themselves more than if I was not
okay with talking about these issues. It is solely up to me on how much I
open up to my students and what I teach. I cannot blame others for what has
happened to me or my students, but I must carry on through my career.
Whatever I do, it is because I choose to do it. It ultimately does not matter
how important it is to be liked in the classroom. I am not an educator to
solely be liked for myself. I am a future teacher who wants to educate our
future citizens. It would be great if all my future students would love my class
and enjoy me, but that is not my priority. As a music teacher, you always
have to have a lesson plan. You cannot go into a classroom and expect to get
as much done if you do not have a lesson plan. With that said, you also need
to account for events that might arise during the classroom. Some days will
have better results, while other days will have almost no student gain.
However, it is good to be spontaneous at times to keep students on their

feet. Continually moving through the motions every single day becomes
boring and monotonous.
For my classroom, students of different cultures do not harm my
boundaries. I am fairly open to whomever and any culture that may pass
through me doors. I will do my best to understand each individual and their
backgrounds. One of my goals is to get to know every student. There needs
to be a boundary between teacher and student. It could be a fine line, but
the students need to know that while I give them freedom to do things and
express themselves, I am ultimately in control of the classroom. I am most
comfortable with upper-middle class white students, but because of my
experiences, I have grown more used to being around individuals of different
races and ethnicities. For those I am uncomfortable with, I need to get more
experience with working. For example, I am generally good working with
anyone now, but I would say discussing material with non-native English
speakers would be fairly difficult. It can and most likely be taxing on my
patience when I do not understand my students if they speak little or broken
English. To combat my lack of expertise on this matter, I need to gain more
experience. The only way for me to engage and progress with those with
English or even speaking difficulties, I need to train myself by working
alongside them. Another group that I might be a little uncomfortable with are
disabled individuals. I, like others, have had little interaction with those who
have exceptionalities and need to progress as an educator to combat our
ignorance. I realize that I am not completely comfortable with these groups,

and I need to put myself in these situations to know how to act, reaction, and
teach accordingly.
The part of my identity that I will need to emphasize as a teacher will
be accepting of all my students. Students who know they can trust and be
safe with are more likely to befriend and understand your position. I want to
make clear to my students that I mean no harm to them and I want to get to
know them. I also need to reaffirm in what I believe. If you go into the
teaching profession and are generally unsure of serious matters, then you
have no solid foundation to refer to in times of crises. I need to rethink what I
know about myself and where I live. I may end up living in an almost equally
racially diverse school district and I need to understand the different cultures
that may exist. I need to throw out the stereotypes associated with each
culture and learn about my students on an individual level. All stereotypes
affect all individuals, regardless if they are positive or negative.

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Top Ten things New High School Teachers Need to Know About Servicing
Students with Special Needs.
Au, W., Chang, B. (2007). Youre Asian, How Could You Fail Math?
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Diveristy Vs. (2000). Diversity vs. White Privilege. An Interview with
Christine Sleeter. Rethinking Education, 37-44.
Friend, R. A. (1994). From Surviving to Thriving: Lessons from Lesbian
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