Week 4 Blog: Boys and Girls Club

JoBeth Allen's article on Family Partnerships tied in with my week at the Boys and Girls Club. I administered the Student Interest Survey to all of my students independently, and I found that it was an excellent way to gain insight into my students' backgrounds and interests outside of school. Allen wrote about addressing cultural differences and I think this is extremely important in a classroom with diverse learners. I learned that this student (survey shown in picture) swings on her clothesline in her backyard for fun. This is very different than the activities I participated in as a child, so I would love to learn more about her culture and I think addressing those differences in a classroom is necessary. If these were my students, I would include Allen's ideas about drawing neighborhood maps, reading and discussing cultural memoirs, and gathering photographs and other cultural artifacts. Understanding our students' culture is so important and it will help create a welcoming environment for all students. I plan to administer this student interest survey in my future classroom to gain an understanding about my students' interests and backgrounds, and that will help me address cultural differences in my classroom.