Questions-DIFF 590

Scenario:
Maggie lives in a town located on Sovereign Native American nation, and attends a
kindergarten classroom in an elementary education school in that town. Maggies
parents are Native American. The family is very close and has strong ties with an
extended family circle. The parents are now divorced but maintain amicable
relationships, they have each remarried. Both sets of grandparents are very
important to the family, and the maternal grandmother runs a language immersion
preschool that Maggie attended for many years as well as the early childhood
program in the Nation. The direct family has attended some of the initial school
meetings but there seems to be a reserve in their demeanor, they dont stay and
chat, and have not volunteered for anything at school. The school district has been
in the area for many decades. Most of the teachers are Caucasian and have lived in
the area for a long time. The same teachers tend to roll their eyes when Columbus
Day comes around and the Native American high school students decide to protest
that particular day. There is one guidance counselor who serves the Native
students, and there is one language and culture teacher who teaches mainly Native
American students. The kindergarten teacher is new to the area and eager to
establish good and meaningful relationships with the family and Maggie, who is shy
and very reserved also. This teacher has a dual certification in special and general
education. Maggie has cerebral palsy and uses a cane to walk, sometimes requiring
a wheelchair. She loves books and is often asking for stories to be read to her. She is
very creative and is interested in drawing. She will sometimes use Native words and
can get mixed up when speaking to peers. She is not the only Native child in the
room.
1. What can the teacher do independently to prepare for a diverse classroom?
a. A teacher should always prepare for a diverse classroom as no two
students will be exactly the same and all differences should be
welcomed and embraced. One thing that the teacher in the scenario
could do to prepare independently for her diverse classroom would be
to research the culture of her students. The scenario explains that the
town where Maggies elementary school is on Sovereign Native
American nation, which means that the teacher should familiarize
herself with the Native American culture. Another thing that the
teacher could do to independently prepare for a diverse classroom is to
make sure that the literature in the classroom, along with the
classroom dcor, pictures around the room and other materials,
represent all types of diverse students. It is important that students are
able to relate to material within the classroom. Finally, she should
begin putting together lessons for the beginning of the year that foster

a community within the classroom and help students to understand

that all people are different and different is not bad, just different.
2. What general initiatives can she take within and outside of the school to
better communicate with the families of her students? (at least 3 approaches)
a. It is crucial that parents are able to communicate effectively with the
parents of their students while still respecting their culture. One thing
that the teacher in the scenario could do to better communicate with
the families of her student is to involve them in a family project. The
project could be something completed outside of school, based around
their family and culture and the students could show them off in class.
This way the students could share the things that are important to
their family with the other students and the teachers. Additionally, for
this project the students could invite their parents into the classroom
to view the presentation. Another initiative that the teacher could take
would be to reach out to the guidance counselor for assistance
communicating with the Native families. The scenario state, There is
one guidance counselor who serves the Native students, and there is
one language and culture teacher who teaches mainly Native American
students. This guidance counselor and language teacher would be
great resources for this new Kindergarten teacher. Also, the teacher
could ask the parents in her class which method of communication
they prefer (email, letters home, phone calls, meetings etc.) and
communicate with them that way. Some people prefer to speak directly
to the teacher face-to-face while others could become intimidated by
that. Lastly, she could begin a communication log for her students and
their parents. It could be a written version or an app that could reach
all parents but this would allow parents a structured way of
communicating with the teacher on a regular basis.
3. As a special educator, what should she make sure she does in relationship to
Maggie and her family specifically? (at least 2 approaches)
a. As a special educator it is important that this teacher takes action to
make Maggie and her family comfortable and a part of the education
team. One thing that the teacher could do is make sure that the family
has a resource (either a person or written language source) that will
explain school things to them. They could be reserved in school
meetings due to a lack of understanding the language. This person
might be the language person in school or the family may prefer that
the grandmother who runs the language emersion preschool program
be the one to act as a contact for school things. Allowing the family the
choice makes certain that they are comfortable in the communication
regarding Maggies diverse needs. Along with this the Kindergarten
teacher should always act as an advocate for Maggie and be aware of
the types of resources that may help the family or Maggie in school.
This Kindergarten teacher should also use appropriate person first and

sensitive language when discussing Maggie and her needs. A teachers

language can communicate a level of awareness and understanding if
done so appropriately.
4. Are there any other characteristics of Maggie that might warrant further
investigation?
a. There are a few characteristics that Maggie displays that could warrant
further investigation. First, the scenario states that Maggie is
interested in books and also creative and interested in drawing. The
teacher should be aware of these skills and talents and make sure that
she is incorporating Maggies love for these types of activities into her
learning. Along with this the teacher should be sure that Maggie is
being pushed to her full potential in the areas where she displays
creativity as minority groups are often underrepresented in gifted
education. Additionally, the teacher should look into helping Maggie
receive ESL services if available as the scenario says that she
consistently mixes up her words and is struggling with expressing
herself.
5. How would you use Maggies background to help her with beginning literacy?
(at least 2 instructional strategies)
a. It is important to use a childs prior knowledge and background to most
effectively teach them. One thing that I would do for Maggie to help
her beginning literacy is to give her an assessment to see what she
already knows from her PreKindergarten program. Additionally, I would
help Maggie build her alphabet knowledge and phonics skills as those
are foundational skills to beginning to learn to read. Furthermore, I
would want to be able to relate her lessons in English to her home
language to make it easier for her to understand. Finally, I would be
sure to incorporate a lot of books and creative assignments into her
literacy learning as the scenario states that she is very interested in
these things.