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Andrea Godinez

Professor Pham

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Promises to Students

As your teacher I would like to make these promises to my students to ensure that I will

do everything in my power to create a learning experience is both equitable and culturally and

linguistically sustaining.

The first promise I make is to create and develop a curriculum that both challenges and

engages my students. I will do this by enriching my skills as “transformative intellectual”(Giroux

194) as well as using my classroom to cultivate new ideas and experiences to challenge what it

means to be an educator. Reflecting on my pedagogy and execution of my curriculum is

important to me, and is supported by research that states, “Transformative intellectuals need to

develop a discourse that unites the language of critique with the language of possibility, so that

social educators recognize that they can make changes.”(Giroux 1998).

The next promise I will make to my students is that I will use to create a safe and positive

learning environment for all students. I will do this by implementing UDL strategies that support

all students in their learning experience. Using and implementing strategies to support and

provide opportunities for all students with their work is important to me, and supported by

research that states, “UDL provides a blueprint for designing curricula that accommodate learner

differences.”( Hall, Meyer, Rose 2011).

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Thirdly I would like to promise my students I will do my best to be aware of the cultural

and linguistic diversity within our classroom and our school community. It is important to me for

students and myself to be knowledgeable and embrace the diversity within our classroom. This is

supported by research that found, “Students compare various pieces written in different styles,

discuss the impact of different styles on the message by translating… discuss the history,

apparent purpose, and contextual appropriateness.”(Delpit 1988). This evidence supports that

students can grow in understanding power dynamics within culture and language through

classroom activities which I will implement.

The next promise I make to my students is to incorporate diverse voices and perspectives

in the texts they read in class to the best of my ability. I will choose informative and

supplemental texts that support our core literary works, but that are written by diverse authors

from various backgrounds. It is important to me that my students see themselves in the works

that they read and can relate on a social, emotional, and linguistic level. I promise to allow my

students that space for growth an understanding through multiple sources. This is supported in

research stating, “Teachers play a critical role in arranging the discursive histories from which

these children speak.”(Johnson 2004). When students are allowed their own space to learn about

themselves and each other, they practice and apply skills they need to succeed.

I promise to provide help, support, and guidance in practicing their writing, reading,

speaking, and listening skills. However, more importantly I promise to provide all students

opportunities to engage in academic discourse. I would like to implement Socratic discussions as

well as established routines where they have an opportunity have verbal interactions with one

another. It is important for me to provide strategies to have them practice their speaking skills
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while also creating community and supporting each other's learning. Research has supported this

notion, the guidelines for ELA instructions states, “Focus on language as a resource for meaning

making and as a “craft” for communicating with different audiences for different purposes.

Activities calling students’ attention to features of language (e.g. conventions of written and oral

language, grammatical structures, and vocabulary) are important. Such a focus should be

integrated with—rather than isolated from—meaningful.”(Bunch, Castellano, Pimentel, and

Stack 2012).

I promise to check in with students regularly, especially those who are struggling to meet

the learning objectives and that I know can meet and even surpass them. I will help students by

making myself available and keeping in mind each students individual learning needs. I want

students to feel and build the community they are working in. Getting to know my students and

what they need to feel supported in the classroom is very important to me. I want the classroom

environment to feel productive when addressing students who are struggling or have any other

discipline issues in the classroom. Researched by Alfie Kohn he states, “the “working with”

solution, brining students in on the process is likely to work a lot better than the “doing to”

techniques” that come to mind so readily.”(Kohn 2006). It is important for my students to feel

that they have autonomy in their learning progress.

I promise that I will affirm and accept all cultures and languages that my students have

and view those qualities and assets to the learning environment. I want to incorporate the assets

of my students into the lessons so that all students are allowed to view their identity as valuable

and recognized. I think that implementing all of their funds of knowledge is crucial to engage

them into the lesson(s). Research found in “Funds of Knowledge for Teaching” states, “It is the
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teacher, not the anthropologist, who is ultimately bridging the students’ world, theirs and their

families funds of knowledge.”(Moll, Amanti, Neff, and Gonzalez). As your teacher I want to be

the link between what you know and how we can use that as an asset to improve on what we

want to learn during our time in the school year.

Lastly and most importantly, I promise to understand my influence within the classroom.

I will recognize and aware of the language I use when addressing all situations. I want all

students to feel safe, accepted, and have a clear understanding of expectations and lessons. For

this reason I will use language that is culturally and linguistically sustaining for all students.

There has been research conducted to support the idea that the language we use influences the

success and motivation of our students. As stated by Johnson “the teacher has to make something

of what the children say and do. Make sense of herself and offers a meaning for her students. She

imputes intentions, offer possible worlds, positions, and identities.”(Johnson, 2004). What I say

within the classroom matters and impacts beyond the class period.