Galarza, Ernesto (2011). Barrio Boy. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.
Pages 255-263
The Lincoln School in relation to Ernesto sets a good example for diverse education. Children from various places in the world came to the school and were taught by teachers who encouraged them every step of the way. Throughout the process of enrolling in school, Ernesto notes that everyone they encounter is warm and welcoming. Miss Ryan is Ernesto's first grade teacher. In his first description of his teacher, Ernesto says, "there she was, crouching by my desk, her blond radiant face level with mine, her voice patiently maneuvering me over the awful idiocies of the English Language." He later says something along the lines of him being in love with Miss Ryan. I am by no means suggesting that students should be in love with their teachers, but I think it is remarkable that this teacher could make a child so comfortable after all he had been through. He moved to different homes in Mexico, then moved to Tuscon and the Sacramento. He has to constantly meet new people and adapt. He has experienced various forms/ideas of education. He is in a new country with barely any English language capabilities. She helped him feel like he belonged in her classroom. He explains, "Step by step,she loosened me and my classmates from the safe anchorage of the desks...Frequently she burst into happy announcements to the whole class."
Miss Ryan gave Ernesto private lessons to help him grasp what they were learning, she did what was necessary to ensure her students were successful. But what makes her an inspiring teacher goes beyond that. The author says that the reason he and his peers where at Lincoln was for "those who were alien, to become good Americans; for those who were so born, to accept the rest of us...making us into Americans did not mean scrubbing away what made us originally foreign." I loved reading this section of the book. It was hear warming to read that the students were called by their names, not an Americanized version of it, and that they were not yelled at for speaking their native languages. Their original nationalities were embraced and they were allowed to be who they were. Instead of teaching them to "be American" but rather be themselves in America; they were taught English so they could communicate with other people while still embracing their native tongue. Speaking multiple languages is a gift and honestly, I wish it were embraced more rather than treated as an elective.
This part of Ernesto's story will stick with me regardless of where I end up in life (profession or otherwise). The idea of being warm, welcoming, supportive, and encouraging is the ideal, to goal. Furthermore, embracing other cultures doesn't minimize the importance or existence of your own culture. It is a ridiculous notion and fear that exists that shouldn't. The best teachers I have had have been able to look at things from multiple perspectives; facing the differences in students and teaching them to your class benefits everyone. Differences aren't a handicap, they are a strength.
Pages 255-263
The Lincoln School in relation to Ernesto sets a good example for diverse education. Children from various places in the world came to the school and were taught by teachers who encouraged them every step of the way. Throughout the process of enrolling in school, Ernesto notes that everyone they encounter is warm and welcoming. Miss Ryan is Ernesto's first grade teacher. In his first description of his teacher, Ernesto says, "there she was, crouching by my desk, her blond radiant face level with mine, her voice patiently maneuvering me over the awful idiocies of the English Language." He later says something along the lines of him being in love with Miss Ryan. I am by no means suggesting that students should be in love with their teachers, but I think it is remarkable that this teacher could make a child so comfortable after all he had been through. He moved to different homes in Mexico, then moved to Tuscon and the Sacramento. He has to constantly meet new people and adapt. He has experienced various forms/ideas of education. He is in a new country with barely any English language capabilities. She helped him feel like he belonged in her classroom. He explains, "Step by step,she loosened me and my classmates from the safe anchorage of the desks...Frequently she burst into happy announcements to the whole class."
Miss Ryan gave Ernesto private lessons to help him grasp what they were learning, she did what was necessary to ensure her students were successful. But what makes her an inspiring teacher goes beyond that. The author says that the reason he and his peers where at Lincoln was for "those who were alien, to become good Americans; for those who were so born, to accept the rest of us...making us into Americans did not mean scrubbing away what made us originally foreign." I loved reading this section of the book. It was hear warming to read that the students were called by their names, not an Americanized version of it, and that they were not yelled at for speaking their native languages. Their original nationalities were embraced and they were allowed to be who they were. Instead of teaching them to "be American" but rather be themselves in America; they were taught English so they could communicate with other people while still embracing their native tongue. Speaking multiple languages is a gift and honestly, I wish it were embraced more rather than treated as an elective.
This part of Ernesto's story will stick with me regardless of where I end up in life (profession or otherwise). The idea of being warm, welcoming, supportive, and encouraging is the ideal, to goal. Furthermore, embracing other cultures doesn't minimize the importance or existence of your own culture. It is a ridiculous notion and fear that exists that shouldn't. The best teachers I have had have been able to look at things from multiple perspectives; facing the differences in students and teaching them to your class benefits everyone. Differences aren't a handicap, they are a strength.
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