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Final Reflection on EDG4376

Veronica Alvarez

Miami Dade College

Professor Moton
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Throughout my time in EDG4376, I have learned about a plethora of instructional

strategies to implement in my future English classroom. This class, which deals with not just

language arts and social science but also ESOL students, has shown me how much of an impact

we can make as teachers. This course has also taught me the impact teachers can make in their

student’s community. Oftentimes combining instruction with community service can help build

on the education the students learn in class. From the tonality and body language to the presence

in the classroom, teachers can make or break a student’s self-confidence and desire for an

education. Culture also plays a crucial role in representation within the classroom, and actually

contributes to the student’s desire to learn. In EDG4376, a passion for teaching, the importance

of community service, and a need for unifying different cultures within school walls are all

components of a progressive and socially conscious education.

Education is an important profession that ensures the fates of future generations. Leaders,

doctors, lawyers, and even other teachers grow in the classroom, and it is up to the teacher to

make sure that the students reach their goals. This isn’t a “simple” profession that a college

student picks because it seems easy enough, and guarantees a job after graduation. Teaching is so

much more than that. Teachers have the power to build a student up, and make them think that

anything is possible. A simple nod or smile can inspire students to work well beyond what they

think they are capable of. Teaching truly is the most important profession, which oftentimes gets

taken for granted. EDG4376 has taught me that teachers must do everything humanly possible

for their students, because when the teacher is invested success is ensured. This profession needs

passionate individuals who want to make a difference and shape the future not just collect a

paycheck.
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One can infer that with a passion for teaching comes a passion for social work. Teachers

work with a lot of students from different walks of life, and must have a level of sensitivity for

the student. Service learning can benefit both the student and the teacher by enhancing

instruction and giving students a chance to learn in other ways. Student advantages of service-

learning include enhanced opportunities for learning, and personal and social skill development.

Students gain increased knowledge of academic materials, their communities, and themselves.

Service-learning is a form of experiential education that supports deep learning. Through their

service-learning activities, students apply classroom knowledge in practical settings to enhance

their understanding of class materials. By working with community members, students can

enhance their group, organizational and interpersonal skills. They also can gain important

experience working with diverse members of their communities. Service learning and its impact

on students’ education is crucial in their social development, as well as the different cultures that

they will see when helping out communities.

Culture is an important piece of education. It is imperative for the teacher to ensure that

all of the students feel represented in the classroom. This can expand the student’s knowledge of

different cultures, and help make them citizens of the world. The inclusion of cultural practice

within the education curriculum can develop this sense of belonging. For some students it will be

the sense of familiarity that they respond to, for others it will be the age-old human desire to

know where they come from that will attract them. Providing the opportunity for a student to

know oneself and one’s heritage will ensure that student develops a strong sense of identity,

leading to greater self-confidence. Completing the multicultural literature project has helped me

understand the deep connection culture and education have. It is important for students to relate
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well with the course material, as well as having the classroom be seen as a multicultural

environment.

In EDG4376, a myriad of educational practices and instructional strategies were

explained as well as shown how to put in to practice. The importance of culture and its impact on

student education and representation was heavily emphasized. The marriage of community

service and education was also seen as a must in most classrooms, because of the unorthodox yet

welcomed way students could learn about social issues. Out of all of these concepts and

strategies taught in class, the most important one was the need for passion and a desire to teach.

While this may seem so basic and fundamental, passion is what drives teachers to really make a

difference in their students’ lives. True and undeniable passion is what distinguishes the

mediocre from the truly great educators. In the end, it’s all that really counts.