Reflection
Throughout my investigation on the community, I have learned a lot of information that can be beneficial for when I create lessons. Since a lot of my students live within walking distance from the school, a lot of the information that my interview provided can also affect the students background knowledge that is taken into play when creating lessons. All of this community information plays into the background application that teachers need to take into consideration. From the interview, it seems as though a lot of students may not get the attention and guidance that should be given at home; so providing a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment in the classroom is vital. Touching on character qualities could be beneficial as well if correct guidance isn’t given at home and becomes a problem at school. Analyzing the cultural backgrounds from this school should be addressed and celebrated in the classroom. When teachers make a point to celebrate the cultural differences in the classroom, mutual respect for cultures can occur; Therefore creating a comfortable and safe environment. The fact that the school is Title 1-mostly due to the funds coming in for free and reduced lunches-is important to acknowledge while teaching. The majority of the students may rely on the school for their breakfast and lunch, so if a student comes in late they may not perform adequately because they’re hungry. Therefore, having snacks available in situations like that could be beneficial. I think that even if sink-holes aren’t in the standards that are required information for my students to know, I might have done a lesson or crossed this topic into the classroom because so many of the students were affected by it, even the school. Not only did an interview come in handy when doing an investigation on the community, but also surveying images of landmarks around the community can shed light on the community as well. From the images, it shows that there is expansion and construction that is common in the area. The majority of the housing in the community appears to be middle to lower class, which can account for the large amount of students receiving free and reduced lunch. Construction could also cause students to come in late into class because of traffic that can arise due to congestion. Therefore, teachers should be aware of this situation because if a student is late then they could miss the only opportunity to eat breakfast. Having breakfast bars or some sort of snack could come in handy for students attending the school. Additionally, the prevalence of a variety of different religious churches in the zoning of the school could be tied to the students’ background knowledge and ability to apply information to lessons. One of the churches actually had two separate services that provided an English version and then a Spanish version which should be considered with the diversity in the classroom and understanding and applying cultural respect in the classroom. The community has many family friendly places to gather that the school could potentially collaborate with for family nights. Also places like that the students are familiar with so they could be incorporated into lessons and activities so that the students recognize and connect it to their background knowledge. For example the baseball field or grocery store could be incorporated into a math lesson.
After doing this investigation, I see how doing research on the community is a significant aspect in a classroom. When I begin my career, putting the extra effort into discovering the backgrounds of my student, where they’re coming from, and the community around the school will significantly be shown in the effectiveness of my lessons and classroom. I think this because having a true understanding of my students’ background knowledge all has to do with the students’ achievement in school. If a lesson isn’t differentiated for the students’ background knowledge and culture, then there will still be a hindrance in students’ learning. Additionally, applying real life information that is based on the community can support and assist learning because of the reliability of it, which can also guide students towards success in a much more efficient way. Viewing what the community consists of opens the eyes of educators to possibilities, applications, and accommodations that could potentially be vital in a classroom.
Miss Edmunds Teaches 
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