Final Reflection

This semester in social studies, I have learned a tremendous amount about who I am and what type of teacher that I desire to be. The cultural knapsack put my background into perspective. It helped me to understand that every person has their own cultural knapsack and that it differs in many ways. For instance, I was born in a city that was very culturally diverse versus my husband who was born in a town that was very segregated. This is important to realize because it helps me to understand his family’s values, actions, and reactions. If I am able to understand that my students will bring different experiences to create a unique culture inside of my classroom, then I can properly advocate and effectively teach my students at the level in which they will learn the most. In addition, I learned that my teaching style focuses mostly on creating a better society. Though the student is important… I see the big picture. Teachers do not just teach language arts, reading, and math… rather, they teach LIFE.

The activities that we have done in class have really supplemented my desire to integrate subjects. I have learned that social studies are the essence of every other subject. Most teachers would say reading is while others would say math. This all proves that all subjects are inter-connected. My favorite activity was the King’s M&M’s. I think I loved it the most, because it taught the students about life. They were able to connect history while diving into politics, economics and of course, social justice. This was by far the best social studies activity that I have ever participated in. Also, I enjoyed Box City because I could visualize how many lessons you could teach with it. The activity could be modified continuously to meet every social studies standard that exists!

In conclusion, this class has developed my professional knowledge in teaching. It has taught me to use primary resources to supplement my teaching and to integrate multiple subjects.