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The answers to the questions below are based on a 3rd grade classroom with a large Latino population and my focus is on the families from Puerto Rico. //**1. Where do my students come from?**//  //**2. What cultural and linguistic assets do they bring with them?**// To answer these questions about my new classroom I would start by looking at the student records that are available to me. This may give me information about what places my students come from and if they have been identified as students who speak Spanish. Then during the first week of school I would have the students complete a “get to know you” presentation. To show the students what I am expecting from their presentations I would model the presentation for them by presenting one on myself and my family and then I would explain the project to the students in more detail. I would title the project something like “Why my Family is Special.” There would be a letter that would go home with students to their families explaining the project and encouraging family participation. The students would have a choice in how to present the information: PowerPoint, a poster, dramatic interpretation, etc. Allowing the students to choose the format for the presentation will tell me a little about how the student organizes information and give me insight into their personalities. Additionally I think that having that choice coupled with presenting information that they are experts on will give them a higher comfort level. Also because this is a first presentation and a classroom with many students who speak/understand Spanish I would allow a bilingual presentation. My goal is for the students and myself to all get to know each other better and also for the students to become comfortable in the classroom and giving presentations. The students will be asked to present information about their families like where they are from (if they were born in the US or their family has lived her for a while then where did their grandparents, etc, come from?). What languages do the members of your family speak, which do you speak? Who makes up your family? Tell one special detail about each member. What do you like best about your family? What is something we would be surprised to know about you or your family? Tell us about two traditions that are important to your family. Also students will be encouraged to include pictures and any other objects to help us get to know them and their families better and to add to their presentations. Additionally this would be a good opportunity for the students to learn about how I grade presentations and what will be expected of them throughout the year with other presentations. One website that I can use to learn more about the Puerto Rican culture and history as well as to find out what is going on in the Chicago Puerto Rican Community is []. This is the website for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago. There is a wealth of information on the website and the site shows a library that is full of historical information that would be a great resource as well.

//**3. How can I invite my students’ families and community members into my classroom?**//  //**4. How can I involve my students’ families and community members in our class activities and culminating celebrations?**// Family members may be invited to celebrations or culminating activities. Creating invitations for family members can be included as part of the unit’s activities. In addition, having a potential audience can give the students a focus and as well as motivation. Another way to include family members is to provide volunteer opportunities in the classroom. These activities could require the person to be physically present or they could be projects that are sent home for family members to work on and send back to school. One of the teachers that I observed during my elementary education program suggested creating a list of volunteer opportunities before the first parent night. Then during the evening explain the different opportunities and ask parents to sign-up if they are willing. Some suggestions that she gave me are providing extra snacks to keep in the classroom for those students who forget a snack, helping out with projects, providing prizes for behavior incentives, etc. This teacher also recommended creating a letter to the parents reminding them of what they signed up for to send home when you need to call on those volunteers. Additionally I can find out what is going on in the community of my students by keeping up to date with the website Humboldt Park Portal ([]). This website also includes a community calendar where I may be able to find activities that we can include in our class or participate in outside of the classroom. There is also the Puerto Rican People’s Parade that occurs in June, by attending this festival I can show my support of my students and also continue to learn about their culture. Additionally depending on when the parade is and how long school is in session this is something that could be incorporated into the end of the school year events. //**5. What words/phrases in my students’ language can I learn?**// I have a good understanding of the formal Spanish language from my own studies. This should aide my ability to understand my students and speak with them when they need assistance in their first language. However, I am aware of the different dialects and slang that are present. To show the students my willingness to learn and grow and to model a good example for my students I would create a Spanish word wall for myself and whenever I encounter a word I do not know I will add it to the wall. This wall will mirror the word wall that will be created for the students with English words throughout the year. Additionally I will have Spanish/English dictionaries available for myself and the students.

//**6. What are some examples of quality children’s and/or world literature from my students’ culture/s?**// http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/latinohispanic.html – this is an annotated bibliography of Latino children’s multicultural literature.

Ada, A. F. (1995). __ [|My name is Maria Isabel] __. Illustrated by K. D. Thompson. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. (2-5) //Third grader Maria Isabel, born in Puerto Rico and now living in the U.S., wants badly to fit in at school; and the teacher’s writing assignment “My Greatest Wish” gives her that opportunity.// (amazon.com) Mohr, N. (1999). __ [|Going home] __. New York: Puffin. (4-6) //Everything in Felita’s life seems to change the year she turns twelve. Felita spends her summer in Puerto Rico, where she struggles to fit in. By the time summer has ended, Felita is beginning to feel at home with herself and her Puerto Rican heritage.// (amazon.com) //**7. Where can I find resources about my students’ language and culture?**// [] [| http://prcc-chgo.org/] []

//**8. If my students’ expectations in school prior to this are different from the way I teach, what should I do to help them understand my expectations?**//  //**9. What kind of teaching style are my students accustomed to?**// To help me understand all of my students I would give them a survey that asks questions about how they like to learn and what they would like to accomplish for the upcoming school year. This would give me an idea about my students’ learning styles and expectations. Then I would take the time at the beginning of the year to clearly lay out my expectations for the students and practice the routines that I will be incorporating into the school day. In my opinion this is important because then all of the students will be on the same page because they are all learning your expectations at the same time. When the students do not meet my expectations then I will address the class about what was different and how a situation should be handled. Also important are rewards and consequences as well as following through with either the reward or the consequence. If a student joins my class later in the school year then I would match that student up with another student from a similar background who has a clear understanding of the rules and expectations of my classroom to help the new student navigate. //**10. How does my classroom environment celebrate my students’ linguistic and cultural assets?**// My classroom will help celebrate my students’ linguistic and cultural assets by displaying the students’ work throughout the classroom. Additionally I will have literature that is bilingual (Spanish/English) as well as literature that is monolingual Spanish and English. All of our signs will be bilingual and students will have input in how the classroom is decorated and how we display their work. This will give the students pride and ownership over the classroom, which leads to a positive working environment. Finally I will include posters, pictures and information about people who are a part of the Latino and Puerto Rican cultures, in addition to maps and flags from the countries that my students represent.

References: http://www.humboldtparkportal.org/index.html http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/latinohispanic.html http://prcc-chgo.org/ http://www.solboricua.com/history.htm http://www.topuertorico.org/history.shtml