To begin, I was born in Kankakee, IL, as Briana Lynn Dahn. My middle name was given to me after my mother Rhonda Lynn Dahn. At the time of my birth, my mother was nineteen years old and unmarried; hence, I was given her maiden name. My mother’s biological father’s name is Frederick Dahn. Frederick’s ancestors are said to have traveled from Germany in the 1930s. Her mother, Teresa Mellein, is of German descent. My Grandma Teresa’s side of the family also had ancestors come from Germany. They immigrated with the hopes of bettering themselves economically. The family was run by struggling farmers looking for better opportunities. Sadly, I do not have any more information when it comes to ancestry. I do not know my biological father at all, so
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In a few of the readings we have done in CI 545, the commentaries have illustrated how passionately we as teachers hold and guard our own personal values and practices in our classrooms. We can be judgmental and even harsh when it comes to handling some situations within our schools. The family values that have been passed down to me show when I teach. My reactions to certain situations are triggered by my beliefs. My family on my maternal grandmother’s side is Christian based. My immediate family members, except for my grandparents, are not practicing Christians, though. So, I grew up in a non-Christian household, but I was attending church regularly and had family functions with practicing Christian grandparents. Religion can affect decision making skills in and outside of the classroom. In our class textbook, Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL by Suzanne Peregoy and Owen Boyle, there was a chapter that talked about the importance of getting to know your students. It is imperative as teachers for us to become aware of our students’ personal histories and cultures, so we, in turn, understand their reactions, feelings, and even frustrations while in our classrooms. It is also important that I am aware of my own personal beliefs and what they …show more content…
In the development of literacy skills for ELs, reading comprehension is more of a struggle. Five years are typically required for second language learners to “catch up”, but they are rarely given that amount of time (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013). As teachers, it is important to read aloud and model thinking and how we comprehend while we are reading. Oral development is a primary source for meeting essential needs (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013). In turn, it is learned with little explicit instruction where literacy development needs explicit instruction (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013). I have a new sense of how while teaching literacy, I should use background, culture, and community knowledge with my students. It would also help if I incorporated more social based learning situations. I want to make sure and capitalize more on purposeful reading and writing. I use many of the strategies mentioned in Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL by Suzanne Peregoy and Owen Boyle in my first grade classroom. Sight words practice, big books, read alouds, choral reading, and songs are just a few. I have been missing a lot of other strategies that could be really helpful, though. I am trying to step away from the notion of assuming things about my students, and I am slowly learning how to examine the big
In a few of the readings we have done in CI 545, the commentaries have illustrated how passionately we as teachers hold and guard our own personal values and practices in our classrooms. We can be judgmental and even harsh when it comes to handling some situations within our schools. The family values that have been passed down to me show when I teach. My reactions to certain situations are triggered by my beliefs. My family on my maternal grandmother’s side is Christian based. My immediate family members, except for my grandparents, are not practicing Christians, though. So, I grew up in a non-Christian household, but I was attending church regularly and had family functions with practicing Christian grandparents. Religion can affect decision making skills in and outside of the classroom. In our class textbook, Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL by Suzanne Peregoy and Owen Boyle, there was a chapter that talked about the importance of getting to know your students. It is imperative as teachers for us to become aware of our students’ personal histories and cultures, so we, in turn, understand their reactions, feelings, and even frustrations while in our classrooms. It is also important that I am aware of my own personal beliefs and what they …show more content…
In the development of literacy skills for ELs, reading comprehension is more of a struggle. Five years are typically required for second language learners to “catch up”, but they are rarely given that amount of time (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013). As teachers, it is important to read aloud and model thinking and how we comprehend while we are reading. Oral development is a primary source for meeting essential needs (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013). In turn, it is learned with little explicit instruction where literacy development needs explicit instruction (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013). I have a new sense of how while teaching literacy, I should use background, culture, and community knowledge with my students. It would also help if I incorporated more social based learning situations. I want to make sure and capitalize more on purposeful reading and writing. I use many of the strategies mentioned in Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL by Suzanne Peregoy and Owen Boyle in my first grade classroom. Sight words practice, big books, read alouds, choral reading, and songs are just a few. I have been missing a lot of other strategies that could be really helpful, though. I am trying to step away from the notion of assuming things about my students, and I am slowly learning how to examine the big