I am one of them.
Santa Monica College was my first stop after high-school, almost 20 years ago. Growing up it seemed that I was always marginalized. I was the “darker skinned kid” who didn’t speak English and whose parents had funny accents. I recall being 7 years old and being cornered by a bunch of kids my age, and being told that my skin color was not liked by “God”. I realized early on that I was different. This difference, for an immigrant, is a hard pill to swallow. My high school years were riddled with days where I felt alone, misunderstood and frankly depressed, and this reflected in my grades. In fact, in my senior year, my grades suffered immensely that I was on the verge of not graduating. I was not lazy, nor was I ill-equipped, …show more content…
I see their struggles and I see the difficulty they have in their everyday lives. And at the same time, I see that my classroom is a safe-zone for them to explore and become self-reflective. My aim is to create an environment where learning becomes lifelong habit rather than a semester long chore.
My professional experience expands over 20 years, having worked in the private, public and non-profit sectors; as an educator, consultant, and psychotherapist. I have 7 years of experience working in a community college setting and I understand that diversity in a college is not only needed but must be nurtured and is vital for success. Furthermore, I have had over 7 years of experience as a psychotherapist and over 4 years of experience teaching Psychology in the California Community College …show more content…
In this capacity, I was involved in an intensive year-long training program focusing on the foundations of pedagogy as well as techniques, skills, and best practices for a diverse classroom. I received on-campus in-class training. I was involved in conducting lectures, preparing examinations, quizzes and addressing student concerns and questions and guiding their educational goals. This opportunity allowed me to attain great insight into continuing to nurture the diversity that exists in the California community college
Santa Monica College was my first stop after high-school, almost 20 years ago. Growing up it seemed that I was always marginalized. I was the “darker skinned kid” who didn’t speak English and whose parents had funny accents. I recall being 7 years old and being cornered by a bunch of kids my age, and being told that my skin color was not liked by “God”. I realized early on that I was different. This difference, for an immigrant, is a hard pill to swallow. My high school years were riddled with days where I felt alone, misunderstood and frankly depressed, and this reflected in my grades. In fact, in my senior year, my grades suffered immensely that I was on the verge of not graduating. I was not lazy, nor was I ill-equipped, …show more content…
I see their struggles and I see the difficulty they have in their everyday lives. And at the same time, I see that my classroom is a safe-zone for them to explore and become self-reflective. My aim is to create an environment where learning becomes lifelong habit rather than a semester long chore.
My professional experience expands over 20 years, having worked in the private, public and non-profit sectors; as an educator, consultant, and psychotherapist. I have 7 years of experience working in a community college setting and I understand that diversity in a college is not only needed but must be nurtured and is vital for success. Furthermore, I have had over 7 years of experience as a psychotherapist and over 4 years of experience teaching Psychology in the California Community College …show more content…
In this capacity, I was involved in an intensive year-long training program focusing on the foundations of pedagogy as well as techniques, skills, and best practices for a diverse classroom. I received on-campus in-class training. I was involved in conducting lectures, preparing examinations, quizzes and addressing student concerns and questions and guiding their educational goals. This opportunity allowed me to attain great insight into continuing to nurture the diversity that exists in the California community college