Our school is located between two Native American reservations, close to two Spanish Land Grants. Our small student population consists of about 95% Native Americans and about 4% Hispanics. Despite being minority populations, these students have exceeded expectations over the past 5 years, setting the bar in our state for improvement in small high schools.
Every day, our Native American students live two lives: their Native life, and their school life.
This causes them deep struggles sometimes, but they do not give up hope. They inspire me every day with their zest for life and desire to succeed. Most of the adults in their community did not receive an education beyond high school (if that), so they push the students to do better and reach higher. These kids deserve nothing but the best in education.
My Project
I am starting a "Grow-Your-Own teachers" program at my school. This program, affiliated with a CTSO, prepares students to become teachers. The books in this project are key to helping my students learn.
When students learn about education psychology, they become prepared for education, but they also learn about themselves as people.
David Elkind is a prominent educational psychologist, and his books are crucial to this concept. After reading "The Hurried Child," students will be able to identify ways in which children are pushed beyond age-appropriate levels of development. This will cause students to discuss their own experiences (enhancing the family-like environment of my class). It will also underline the generational differences between the students and their parents, and lead to a better understanding of physical, moral, cognitive, and psychosocial development.
Upon reading "All Grown Up and No Place to Go ," students will be able to identify the stages, challenges, and needs of adolescents. Similarly to "The Hurried Child," this reading will enhance the students' knowledge and understanding of how adolescents "tick." This will be especially useful to my students who are interested in working with middle school and high school aged students.
I am particularly excited about the children's books I have requested! Children's books are very revealing of stereotypes and concepts, and drive excellent discussions. Also, reading these children's books (to themselves, and aloud) will prepare my students to volunteer in local elementary schools. My students will read them, analyze them, imitate them by creating puppet shows or by writing books of their own, and ultimately present them to young children (either through expressive read-aloud sessions, or by performing their puppet shows). This experience is going to be one of the highlights of the class!
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