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Digital Weebly Portfolio Project

Part I
1. Identify and discuss one (or two) disposition(s) in which you believe you've made the
most personal growth this semester:
Sociocultural Consciousness
Affirming Attitude Toward Difference
Value and Affirming Student Background Knowledge
Constructivist Approach to Learning
Responsibility and Capacity to be Culturally Responsive
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One of the dispositions I have grown the most in through the course of this semester is
affirming attitude toward difference. One of the quotes that stayed with me from this was
Teachers who see their students in an affirming light acknowledge the existence and
validity of a plurality of ways of thinking, talking, behaving, and learning. Not all
students are the same nor come from the same backgrounds. As a teacher, it is important
to treat all students with respect and to uphold their dignity as human beings. I have been
able to see my improvement in this area because my students in my internship classroom
were able to hold the expectations that were laid out for them. I also had the opportunity
of seeing them have success in the classroom and achieve a few of the goals that they had
for themselves. When a teacher is open to all, students will see that they are important
and this will push and motivate them to want to grow in their formation as human beings
and to learn.

2. What will culturally responsive teaching look like in my classroom? How will I embody
at least one of the principles from CRT (Academic achievement, Cultural
competence, Critical consciousness)?
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In my classroom, I will set high expectations for my students, challenging them to do

their best and to grow in their learning. I will also keep them accountable for what they
do and do not do in my classroom. These are a couple of ways in which culturally
responsive teaching will look like in my classroom. In addition to these two points, I will
embody the principle of cultural competence in my classroom and teaching practice. I
will strive to do my best on being unbiased and being accepting of all students that may
come from different cultures. Being empathetic with my students will allow them to see
that I am a human being as well. This will help them trust more in me and I will show
them that I truly do care about them and their wellbeing.

3. How will I use professional competencies to drive the relationships that I have with
students, parents, and colleagues? (Please discuss all)
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When it comes to using professional competencies to drive the relationships that I have
with my students, parents, and colleagues, there are several things that I can do. I must

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first avoid having archetypes, where I make assumptions of others simply based on
previous experiences and on the other persons identity. It is crucial to avoid these
archetypes as they can lead one to have further conflict with another individual. To
continue, there is interpersonal awareness and in this, I must recognize the limits of my
own perspective and seek to understand the viewpoints of others. Everyone will not
share the same thoughts that I may have as an educator. By practicing interpersonal
awareness, I will be open to receiving the thoughts and beliefs of others, coming to a
deeper understanding of those individuals. The third professional competency is
suspending judgment. In all situations it is important to suspend whatever judgements I
may possess. They will not help the situation, but by suspending these judgments, I will
be able to avoid the archetypes and biases that I may have. In other words, I will have
the ability to be more discrete and listen to others. Suspending judgements leads to the
fourth professional competency, which is asset-based thinking. Asset-based thinking will
allow me to consciously and consistently seek the positive aspects of a person or situation
and build on the strengths. I will put this form of thinking into practice in order to build
upon the growing relationships that I will have with others. The fifth and final
professional competency is locus of control. This point will provide me with the
opportunity to grow as an individual and teacher, using whatever mistakes I may have
done and learn from them, also growing in perseverance. This will be another way in
which I may also grow in humility as an educator. The five different professional
competencies all tie in well with each other and I will apply them in my future practice in
order to grow in my relationships with students, parents, and colleagues. I will be more
open when it comes to listening the thoughts and concerns of my students and their
parents or guardians. I will be able to put biases aside and listen to what they have to say,
being considerate of their feelings as well. As for colleagues, I will have the opportunity
to grow in humility, accept all feedback that may be shared with me and realizing that I
have much to improve in. All of these points will give me the ability with time to be an
effective teacher and build quality relationships with others who I will see and work with
on a daily basis.
4. Identify two examples within your content where you can create
learning opportunities consistent with Culturally Responsive Teaching.
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In the Spanish classroom, one way that I could create learning opportunities consistent
with Culturally Responsive Teaching would be to have students learn about their
classmates and the cultures that they come from. This can be done at the beginning of a
school semester through I Am poems. This will help students get to know one another,
put aside judgements, and be empathetic towards the backgrounds of others. Another
method in which I can create learning opportunities that will be consistent with Culturally
Responsive Teaching would be promoting candid discussions about different topics that
are regularly excluded from classroom conversations, but may be relevant to the lives of
my students. These discussions do not have to necessarily be about a controversial topic.
For example, an example would be having a discussion about Cinco de Mayo and its
significance. For some students, this holiday will be about festivities, while for some, it

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may not have any particular significance. This could be a discussion that can help spark a
movement for the growth of cultural awareness in the community.