Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

DOUGLAS PARRISH: StudentSo my name is Douglas Parrish and I'm an eleventh grade student at Carrboro High School. And for me I learn better when, um, a teacher can relate the student to my life because, I don't know, some things are always easier to learn when I can kind of relate to the topic or use an example that's happened with me to learn the material.

I feel more connected to class or school when a teacher uses proximity and can relate the content to student lives because not only is it good for a teacher to walk around and kind of engage with the students but also to kind of relate it to their backgrounds and stuff like that. If a teacher just walks around and just pretty much talks, class can still get boring. Yeah they're still walking around to make sure everybody is on task but if they're not relating the student can still get off task.

The complete opposite of proximity would be when the teacher stands up in front of the class and just lectures the class on pretty much the topic that you're learning. But if they were really, I don't know....if they were using proximity really well then they would walk around, maybe with a laser pointer or something like that if they had a PowerPoint up on the board and point to the PowerPoint as opposed to standing in front of the class and using some like pointer stick or something like that. They would walk around and talk to each individual student but while they're still talking to the class at the same time.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

I’m Oscar Romero and I'm a senior.

I learn better when my teachers are close to me cause I feel like a pay more attention to them. Like if they were far away then I would be drawing and my mind would be distant from what she's teaching. But when she's close to me I just always know I have to be paying attention. And I feel like that should be with all the teachers. Instead of being at their desks or just somewhere they're-where they're far they should always be like close to the student and walking around and helping each student and see if they get-if they understand the material or not.

They're not just teaching it just to teach it. They're teaching it so like you can understand it and do good and do something. But like that's why I feel like they should always be close to you and just always, not just like close as in physically but also like as in personally. They should also just as you like how are you like everyday. Like I have one teacher that just always asks me how are you doing? How was your weekend? Like what are your plans this weekend? I'm just, I'm comfortable with him because like I know he cares and he's helping me teach. But not just as in like motion but also physically. Like he's always walking around and like looks over your shoulder, make sure you understands. And just like if someone's off topic or like-or off track or something they just help you out.

I also, I feel motivated when my teachers actually don't just call on the same people and they also-when they give eye contact with me. Like I have this one teacher where she's not-she doesn't give eye contact enough and just gives eye contact with the people that she just always picks on. And other teachers I have give eye contacts with everybody and just calls on anybody and just doesn't put you on the spot. And just like if you don't know it, you don't know it. She'll come back to you with another question. Or if you don't know the material she'll just help you and just work with you like one on one. And I feel like it's really helpful and I-that motivates me because it just-I want to like do good in her class to show her that I want to be in her class. And she just, if I show her that then she'll help me out a lot more than just if I don't show that I don't care; I'm just like sleepy or just not doing anything.

When my teacher ask me my point of view of the lecture we're on, it just tells-it just shows that they care about what I think and not just what goes around you know. Like it helps me, or it just lets me know that they're like there to like make me feel comfortable and they want to know what I feel. For my Spanish teacher, like there's so many ways to speak Spanish. So he asked me, yeah, like what's the Mexican word for this or what's the Honduras word for this? And I feel like that's awesome cause he wants to know every type of Spanish not just the Spanish he learned through like college and stuff. So I feel comfortable in that class a lot.

I feel equal in that class just like everybody in that class is equal. Like no matter if you're good at Spanish or you're not good at Spanish you're always going to like be equal. Like he's always going to help you out. And if you don't understand it, like he's the best person to go at during lunch or during class. He'll just like re-teach it and help you like understand it. He'll help you understand it really well. And if you don't, I mean you can go to him during lunch. He's available and he'll always say that like just come to me, I'll help you out.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

I'm Erika Franco. I'm a sophomore at East.

I remember more when my teachers relate what it is that we're learning to my personal life or just in general to students' lives at our age because it helps me relate to what it is that we are learning. And I feel more comfortable that way and at the same time it gives me a chance to kind of have a more real life perspective of what the subject or what it is that's going on in our classroom.

I remember my biology teacher and my chemistry teacher also when they were teaching dimensional analysis she would say, oh for example, she'd give a problem and she'd use food. And that always helped in my mind think about it food this equals this and that equals that. And when you apply the units that we were having to use for dimensional analysis it was a lot more easier for me to be able to think about it in my mind as in this equals this instead of having to think about the actually units, just kind of familiarizing it to something that she related it to before.

I feel that I'm a lot more engaged and motivated to learn when my teacher makes me feel visible in the classroom and when she doesn't try to branch me off because of either my race or because I'm not as smart as the other kids. And when she acknowledges that I'm there and just acknowledges that I'm not like everybody else and we move on from just that barrier. I feel a lot more connected and just in the classroom and not kind of branched off to the side or ignored. And when she acknowledges that I have a different culture or that I'm not the same as everybody else, and yet she treats me like I am. It makes me feel a lot better about myself in general and about being in the classroom.

I feel that to be visible in a classroom is to be acknowledged as a person. Or when a student gets a good grade sometimes it's good for you personally to congratulate them and just say or good job or if you need help on anything I'm here, you can come see me or during lunch or after school we can work something out. And just in general making sure that the student knows that you're there for them in case that they need any help with any of the subjects or in case they're confused about anything.

I think that teachers should acknowledge students not only when they're succeeding but also when they're struggling because it helps them know that in case that they need help with anything they can go to you for help just in general with both things related to school and not related to school. And that's something...it's really special to have a bond with the student, mostly with a minority student because you kind of get to know more about them and see that they want to succeed in life and break the barriers and break all the statistics about them not graduating or not going to college.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

I'm Erika Franco. I'm a sophomore at East.

I like it when my teacher engages the classroom or gives them a little bit about my culture in general. Or sometimes when the teacher jokes around in a way talk in Spanish for awhile or makes me feel that I or just like tries to connect with me in Spanish or does something to reali-to make me realize that I'm there (going back to being visible) but at the same time to show that I'm not the only person in the classroom who isn't equal I guess in a way. To just be able to relate to someone else or someone more powerful than the students it makes me feel better. And I like when teachers do that. I like when my teacher just shows me that she cares about me or just tells me that I did good or that I can improve or push me to do better. That's really good.

I think that it's really important to have a really special bond not only with students and-but also with teachers because when you have a special bond with someone outside of your peers and someone with a more powerful position, it's really good for you because they could access you to full potential or access you to opportunities that you otherwise wouldn't know of. For example, my biology teacher she actually nominated me for a program in Washington D.C. and it was like a medical program, and I thought it was really nice of her. And at the same time it was because she got to know me better not only because, ah, she recognized me just like in the classroom but because I went outside the barrier to talk to her and for her to get to know me better and have that special bond.

In my perspective I feel that there is a barrier between the teachers and the students because sometimes students don't want to go outside of their adult, just like being an adult and talk to students and relate to them in ways that they just think they won't be able to relate to them. And I think that breaking the barrier between the adult and the student and also the same barrier between whites and blacks or Mexicans and blacks or Mexicans and Whites in general is really good for student life in general because when you break that barrier between adults and the students you have a bigger connection with people. And having connections with people, you know people know people and it helps you just to be more diverse in general.

I don't think it's the responsibility of the adult to break the barrier. I think that both student and adults should be willing to break the barrier because when a student tries to break the barrier and the adult doesn't want to, it makes them feel really uncomfortable and it just causes a problem in the classroom because I know if one of my teachers completely ignored me and when I was trying to talk to them it would just make me feel really bad and vice versa. If a teacher tries to connect with a student, the student should be willing to take in the help and use their advise to do better in school and out of school. But both student and adult should try to have a special bond because it's just something good to have.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

My name is Jamie Salazar and I am a junior.

I learn better when my teacher connects the subject to something we are learning outside of school.

For example in math class every student asks why are we learning this and when are we going to use this outside of school. So she, before we even start with the subject, she gets the projector, goes on the website, and says if you want to be an architecture you're going to have to learn this. And she shows us all the equations people have to learn, and then that gives us more of an idea why we're learning this. And it's not just something we're going to be tested on. It's something that we will need to use later on in our future if you're going to try and follow that career path.

Sometimes if you are interested in math or in trying to do something with-or in a math career then in might be important to you or it might interest you more. But sometimes it's just important, I mean interesting overall. It's, oh cool I can use this even though I-this is not something i want to follow on for the rest of my high school or college career. But it kind of motivates you to learn the material better.

I feel motivated more when my teachers come to me and maybe sometimes it doesn’t' have to be in front of everybody or alone, but they tell me encouraging words. Um, like I said there are some teachers who just secretly to the side say, "you're very-you seem like you understand the material why don't you participate more? Or why don't you raise your hand and join the discussion?" And that kind of lets you know that the teacher knows you can do well and is trying to motivate you to do better or even participate in what is going on in the classroom.

I feel that if you do say it overall to just everybody in the classroom it's just a broad statement like "yay, I know you guys can do good in school, keep on doing it!" But if a teacher goes to a student face to face it's more like the student knows that the teacher cares. It's the teacher coming to you and telling you you can do better. I know you can. Push yourself more. You know that the teacher wants you to improve on what you're doing.

I think first a teacher needs to start of with the kids that are quiet in class because the students who do raise their hands and participate in class they know that they understand or at least are participating in class. It's the quiet kids who probably too shy or too scared to raise their hand and ask the question. I think is should go for them first and tell them I know you understand what you're doing. Um, just participate or come to me after school and we can talk things through. It's the-I think a teacher should do it every now and then when the student is quiet or just doesn't seem interested in the class.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

My name is Jamie Salazar and I am a junior.

I'm a shy kid. So in most of my English classes when there's discussions I don't really participate. But when a teacher comes to me and talks to me about what is happening, they know that I under-I'm understanding the subject. They just, when they talk to me they're like, "I know you understand it" because sometimes I do. They tell me that no matter what I say people are going to agree with me or disagree with me but that's the point of discussion. It leads on with what is going on. So that encourages me more to participate and give out my opinions and not just to stay quiet.

I like it when my teacher comes to me and we create a bond. Um, I know there's 200 students sometimes that...I know that teachers sometimes has about maybe 200 students and she can't or he or she can't necessarily make that student-teacher bond with every single one of them, but I think it should be made with the kids (like I said before) kids who actually need the help or seem to be struggling. Um, or just a random kid in the morning when they're walking in say, "hi. How are you? How was your day?" Make conversation and let them know you. And you get to know the student. I feel more, I guess people feel more comfortable in that classroom and it'll make a better learning experience.

Right now this year I feel like most of my-half of my teachers do greet me or we do have a bond, which makes the learning classroom-the learning experience even better because I can actually speak out. And, um, the teacher-sometimes I talk about my personal experience and then she understands what I'm talking about and then we can make it a bigger, I don't know, statement and just keep on leading the discussion. Um, but I think more teachers need to do that. That way kids get out of their shells and start talking.

Yeah. The other half either maybe they're busy but they stay behind their desks. And they only talk to us when they're about to start their lecture. And you as a student, you don't want to just walk into a room and then have a teacher just start talking to you. You want to know who the teacher is. You don't want it to be a stranger telling you what you have to learn for a next test. You want to know who this person is. And I feel if a teacher connects with the students it makes a better, um, chance for students to speak out and learn and to have a fun class.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

Hello, my name is Itzayana Salazar and I'm a senior at East Chapel Hill High School.

I learn better when my teacher connects what we're learning with our day-to-day life. My U.S. History teacher from last year, he would teach us about like the Civil War and connect it to what is happening today with, um, with how society has either, um, grown less segregated or how we still see segregation in society today. We also were able to connect, um, the Civil War with the Civil Rights Movement with the immigration movement that is happening today. And we were able to talk about the Dream Act and other things like, um, other-talk about other things Hispanics are doing to try to get equal rights in the United States.

I feel motivated to learn when my teacher's able to show us that she acknowledges every single student in the classroom; that you're not just another body but you're actually a person and they actually know you or something personal about you. We also, I mean, I also like it when the teacher reveals information about themselves or shares personal stories. For example, my AP Stat teacher, he would, um, use his son who has three really extremely rare diseases. And we were learning about probability so we were talking-he was sharing like the probability of his son having at least one but all three of them, which was really nice cause we were able to learn something about it and we were also able to connect that with our lesson. Um...

After the teacher shared his story, we were able to, um, not only connect with him in a different level but it also made us feel a little bit more comfortable with even wanting to share a personal story that we've lived through. Or just the connection between us, it took down a wall that allowed us to feel more comfortable and, um, connected in his class.

I like it when the teacher is able to address race and the fact that it makes me feel more comfortable in class just know that the teacher feels comfortable makes me feel comfortable and being able to connect with the teacher. And it allows me to not only feel connected with the rest of the class but it allows me to, oh, it allows me to want to participate and feel comfortable sharing my own thoughts and feelings.

When a teacher doesn't address race or just cease to ignore it, um, it kind of just shuts-it creates a wall that makes we want to kind of like back track with whatever relationship we were trying to build. Um, most definitely I'm not going for help. I'll find someone else. Um, it's just a wall that is built that doesn’t allow us to further my education and wanting to be involved as well as makes me feel uncomfortable and not wanting to actually go to class.

I've had some teachers talk about, um, there was one class where a girl was like what about if I’m colored blind and I don't see people as their race but as who they are? Um, that got me thinking and I feel like teachers try to do that just so they don't touch the race topic or just anything that has to do with race. It sometimes makes me feel like you're trying to ignore something that's already going on, which is somewhat uncomfortable at times and sometimes just frustrating because you're ignoring something that exists. I can't take away being Hispanic.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

My name is Jordan Williams. I am a senior at Chapel Hill High School.

I learn better when my teacher is around me more or like in the proximity of me. I am more engaged when she starts off the class talking about something that happened in her life or...cause it'll make the class laugh or keeps us more focused. And I like it when my teacher is like around me again because as soon as class is over, if I need some help with some questions I can just be like, "excuse me can you help me out?" So, and that really helps me out in English.

If you're like three feet away it helps you stay more focused because the teacher is right there in your face. Like if I was on the other side of the room in my English class, I probably wouldn't really be focused that much even though she tells a lot of stories that like interact with her life and keep us interested in what she says.

When we're doing like vocabulary words she'll relate the word-she'll digress from like the vocabulary words for like ten minutes. And then like at the very end of her story it will go right back into the sentence of the vocabulary word we learned. I was like, I told her one day that was awesome. That was really cool. I had to give her props for that.

It shows you that they're not afraid to help you or they're putting everything out there so they want you to give something back by push a little give a little. And that shows that all you got to do is work hard or just like ask questions and she's there to come and talk to you and help you.

Yes. It helps you because you can always go talk with them and they're willing-she says she's willing to come talk to students of hers to come talk if they need anything or they need extra help. You know she's showing you that she's trying to go the extra mile as long as you go with her.

In her class I'm doing pretty well because I sit-I'm more focused in that class. And I'm more able to do like be myself, speak up. Um, I was one of those kids who'll always, you know, ask questions and answer the questions so I felt kind of bad about that.

That definitely makes you a better student because it shows you that someone cares and, um, they're there to like help you if you need that crutch.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

My name is Maggie, and I'm a junior.

I learn better when my teachers are close to me and they develop a relationship with me and they relate the content that we're learning about to my life. So if they make it relevant to me then I'll actually come more engaged because I know it applies to my life in a way.

The ways that teachers show they care is when they come up to you and ask you, "do you need help?" They let you know that they're there for you to help support you and help you get through what all your challenges may be.

A teacher needs to do it mainly when they see you struggling but overall they should praise you when you do well to let you know that they're still there but they shouldn't just do it one time. They should make it like, at least when they see you're struggling. That'll at least show you they care.

I'm engaged when my teacher addresses race because they let me know that they understand that there's racism but they're not going to let it stop them in the way that they teach. And so they become-when they become more comfortable with the racism issue, it helps me to become more engaged because I'm a minority.

It should come from a teacher with a diverse background that understands racism. It doesn't matter if the teacher is black or white as long as they understand that there is racism and that they're comfortable with it.

You can't just ignore that there's-that there is racism in this school. So just saying that they love all their kids no matter the color. It's kind of like trying to ignore racism in a way. But it's cool that they love their kids it's just that they're ignoring racism.

My racial identity does matter to me because it makes me who I am. And looking at statistics, like minority students are mainly the ones that are put down and make negative comments about. But my racial identity truly does like push me to learn because I don't want to be part of a statistic. And when my teacher addresses race it helps me understand like, you know you can keep doing this. You don't want to be a part of the statistics.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

My name is Maggie, and I'm a junior.

Get to know your students and get to know, like, where they come from. Like don't just ask them what their names are and what grades they are. Like get to know who they are like not just what you see in the classroom cause it really will make the child feel more welcome.

I like it when my teacher makes me visible in class. Like I like it when they acknowledge that they see me, they greet me when they see me. It let’s me know that like they're ready to do their job, which is to teach me and support me.

It lets me know my teacher's acknowledging my strengths and what I need to work on in class. Like they're showing me that they see me. They're not ignoring me. It helps-it lets me know that they care.

They should focus on my, if anything, my weaknesses more than my strengths because they need to let me know what I'm doing wrong so that I can correct it. Like I know what I'm doing right. I just want to know what I'm doing wrong.

Approach me in a calm manner. Don't yell cause I'll get angry. But don't yell at the child. Like just pull them aside and be like, "well you did this right but there's a little fault here or there." Like don't just focus on everything that they did wrong.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

My name is Christopher Watkins. I'm a senior at Chapel Hill High School.

I remember when teachers basically give a personal anecdote about events or date they encountered or something, um, a previous experience about whether their college life or high school life, they have to connect to, um, the student themselves and then sort of lower themselves to us, that way we're able to connect with them more clearly. And, um, I have a teacher right now, an English teacher Miss Hall, she um, constantly tends to digress a lot but, ah, usually her digressions usually they come to a meaning and everything is also-everything is centered around a meaning. And so, um, she might digress about usually her family life...like she's Puerto Rican and, um, everyone talks about the stereotype of Puerto Ricans have and large family and whatnot. And so, um, she tends to just basically just breakdown those stereotypes, yeah it's true or whatnot and go off that.

The positive way of a teacher basically breaking down their life story and whatnot is, um, they have to have different methods and whatnot that they approach that. And so, um, let me give you an example. When she gives a digression about her life or whatnot, um, usually um she does a vocab word. Usually senior teachers they sort of stop and expect you to know and whatnot and you're not taking the SATs again generally. But she does vocab words and whatnot but she has you study the anemology, synonym, antonym. She makes you draw a picture of the word so that way you're able to memorize the word. But, well, let me reverse that. You're not memorizing the word, you're learning the word. That's where it comes into play. So usually when we go over vocab it's very vital for her to go over the vocab to, um, and once we go over the vocab she usually gives us an example or, usually it's a story related to that word depending on which word it is.

The teacher has to, um, connect with the students by walking around, providing something that off topic. Like I had a math teacher who would, um, we'll be learning PowerPoint, we'll be learning the material, give examples, all of a sudden you'll see a slide of Michael Jordan. You're like what in the world? Why is there a slide of Michael Jordan? And he does that to like grab your attention. He'd be like, "oh you're a Michael..." He might have a fact about Michael Jordan that's something you would not know, that's unhidden. And then after that, boom next slide we're back to math again. It's like oh snap you know what I'm saying. It's like you take it away and you pull it back again. And that's a good feeling to have.

I mean it's like, you know, when you're watching a show and the climax is coming and you're like, you're like jumping or whatnot. I guess it's sort of like-I guess it'll be like a climax for that. Like you provide something different for, um, the students. And it basically comes down to their own originality and teachers need to have originality like they can't be all about the books. Like I have a math teacher, this is a way to not-this is a way to not do what you need to do, a math teacher basically copies you know the math notes in the textbook. And she hands out sheets and she just goes by the book and we're tired-you don't want to go by the book. You want to throw some other problems in there, have a different worksheet. But it's the same worksheet just a different number.

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Students’ Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Teaching

My name is Christopher Watkins. I'm a senior at Chapel Hill High School.

I like it when my teacher, um, let's see. I like it when my teacher, um, I guess checks for understanding with the students. So for instance, everyone generally says, "ah, do you have any questions and whatnot?" But some teacher know that-some teachers know by the look on your face that you don't get it and so a way for them to sort of like call you put but not by calling you out. they would provide more examples of that. And so you'll be like oh well my question is gone now you know what I'm saying. And it's just like, um, that's just a good way to do that. I like it when my teacher just-you have to check for understanding for the students. And the best way is not always to ask for questions that gets, oh that's boring. So it's usually provide more examples, um, show how it relates to us in real life, show us what it's going to do, show us how we're going to use it. In math we tend to ask why we doing this? What's the use for? Ah, I have a teacher, um, this another math teacher but she has like a chart and it shows a list of what you're going to use this for. So you're like oh "what are we going to use this for" and she's like "look at the chart up there and whatnot." There's different like careers and whatnot that you can use it for, different techniques so that's good that they do that.

So by that it shows how, um they take their job-they don't take their job for granted. Like they're very, um, precise, persistence, and they, um, they're there for you. So it shows like a relationship and whatnot with the student and teacher that oh they're here for me and they're willing to teach and they're not just here for the money or whatnot. they're here cause they want to teach the future. You know.

I mean usually it's sort of hard to always provide more examples and do all of that but generally like the best way is for them to provide the material so you learn it not just get through it. I mean cause nowadays we're getting rid of EOCs and whatnot so they can teach by their schedule and so that-I guess that's better for them. But generally a teacher should not go by the book all the time, oh the book says we need to be over here. Um, last year in history class for EOC my history teacher, we were like, um, I don't know. We were like six weeks behind so we-technically we didn't finish the unit to, um, be able to do the EOC. We had to do that on our own time. But the way that he set us up for that we knew all the material beforehand. Like he provided examples, stories, uh, different facts and whatnot. So we were able to not really-we already knew that before material. It was just a matter of us just thinking in the after material so.

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