Thursday, April 26, 2012
a troubling occurance
today, a student accused me of being "average." when i quickly retorted that i find myself to be above average, thank you very much, she asked "well why are you teaching here then?" ... aquí hay problema... if students themselves believe that they don't deserve the best, how will they push themselves to achieve it? OR if they think that teachers are supposed to be just "average" people then why should they believe what we say to be true or helpful?
Monday, April 9, 2012
Fulbright Statement of Grant Purpose
I'm going to Jordan y'all. Here's why:
STATEMENT OF GRANT PURPOSE
Maria Ramirez, Jordan, English Teaching Assistantship
Beginning my second year as a middle school Spanish teacher, I have found that teaching this language is really only a small portion of my job. Of course, in planning my lessons on Sunday evening, I make sure to align my overarching objective to the state-mandated Spanish curriculum. But once thirty little bodies walk through my classroom door, I remember that there is more than just vocabulary and verbs that I would like them to take away from class.
I am applying for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for just this reason. Since receiving my undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and beginning my Masters of Arts in Teaching at American University, I have fallen in love with the teaching profession. The time in the classroom that I spend interacting with students keeps me coming back for more. After exploring other professions and different graduate school programs, I could not conceive of another job equally as meaningful and frankly as enjoyable as a foreign language teacher.
Working as an English language teacher in Jordan, I would employ my knowledge of linguistics and trends in teaching foreign language to create an interactive and cooperative classroom in which all students would be actively engaged in experiencing the English language and American culture. In returning to the United States, I would be able to use my experience with Jordanian students and the Jordanian education system as a foundation from which to continue to build an internationally connected classroom for my future American students. And as the United States continues to be politically involved in the Arab world without an adequate number of American Arabic speakers, teaching the Arabic language to and cultivating an interest in Arab culture in our nations’ youth greatly appeals to me as well.
Working with students who have rarely left their community, it is my vision to transform my students from citizens strictly of Maryland into citizens of the world. It is my belief that until students are exposed to the rich cultural background of the target language, they cannot truly become fluent. I realized this myself when I was thrown into Egyptian culture and society in 2006 as a recipient of the AFS Intercultural Programs and National Strategic Language Initiative- Youth language study program. Though I initially applied to study in Cairo because I wanted to be able to understand the lyrics to Amr Diab’s greatest hits, I left with a newly awakened passion for the Arabic language and a fiery interest in Middle Eastern culture and politics.
I would like to teach English in Jordan specifically because of my combined interest in education and the Arabic culture and language. I am excited for the possibility to teach in a country which pushes bilingualism at an early age and whose leaders value the institution of public education. Additionally, I am eager to continue my Arabic studies by interacting with people in and out of the classroom, focusing my studies especially on the Levantine dialect. And after countless conversations over bowls of the green and gooey molokhiyya and the latest Nancy Ajram hit humming in the background, my Jordanian friends have proven their homeland as the best place for this type of experience. Their stories about laying under the stars in Wadi Rum or sharing endless cups of cardamom-flavored coffee in a friend’s dining room have allowed me to see the Middle East outside of the limited view I gained in Cairo. And knowing that I will have adoptive friends and family upon arrival draws me in even more.
Time and time again, Jordan presents itself as a center for rich ancient culture, vast national diversity and warm, welcoming people. The more I learn about my peers’ experiences in Jordan, the more I cannot wait to hop onto a crowded bus on my way to work, greeting my new neighbors with a friendly “al-salaamu alaikum.”
STATEMENT OF GRANT PURPOSE
Maria Ramirez, Jordan, English Teaching Assistantship
Beginning my second year as a middle school Spanish teacher, I have found that teaching this language is really only a small portion of my job. Of course, in planning my lessons on Sunday evening, I make sure to align my overarching objective to the state-mandated Spanish curriculum. But once thirty little bodies walk through my classroom door, I remember that there is more than just vocabulary and verbs that I would like them to take away from class.
I am applying for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for just this reason. Since receiving my undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and beginning my Masters of Arts in Teaching at American University, I have fallen in love with the teaching profession. The time in the classroom that I spend interacting with students keeps me coming back for more. After exploring other professions and different graduate school programs, I could not conceive of another job equally as meaningful and frankly as enjoyable as a foreign language teacher.
Working as an English language teacher in Jordan, I would employ my knowledge of linguistics and trends in teaching foreign language to create an interactive and cooperative classroom in which all students would be actively engaged in experiencing the English language and American culture. In returning to the United States, I would be able to use my experience with Jordanian students and the Jordanian education system as a foundation from which to continue to build an internationally connected classroom for my future American students. And as the United States continues to be politically involved in the Arab world without an adequate number of American Arabic speakers, teaching the Arabic language to and cultivating an interest in Arab culture in our nations’ youth greatly appeals to me as well.
Working with students who have rarely left their community, it is my vision to transform my students from citizens strictly of Maryland into citizens of the world. It is my belief that until students are exposed to the rich cultural background of the target language, they cannot truly become fluent. I realized this myself when I was thrown into Egyptian culture and society in 2006 as a recipient of the AFS Intercultural Programs and National Strategic Language Initiative- Youth language study program. Though I initially applied to study in Cairo because I wanted to be able to understand the lyrics to Amr Diab’s greatest hits, I left with a newly awakened passion for the Arabic language and a fiery interest in Middle Eastern culture and politics.
I would like to teach English in Jordan specifically because of my combined interest in education and the Arabic culture and language. I am excited for the possibility to teach in a country which pushes bilingualism at an early age and whose leaders value the institution of public education. Additionally, I am eager to continue my Arabic studies by interacting with people in and out of the classroom, focusing my studies especially on the Levantine dialect. And after countless conversations over bowls of the green and gooey molokhiyya and the latest Nancy Ajram hit humming in the background, my Jordanian friends have proven their homeland as the best place for this type of experience. Their stories about laying under the stars in Wadi Rum or sharing endless cups of cardamom-flavored coffee in a friend’s dining room have allowed me to see the Middle East outside of the limited view I gained in Cairo. And knowing that I will have adoptive friends and family upon arrival draws me in even more.
Time and time again, Jordan presents itself as a center for rich ancient culture, vast national diversity and warm, welcoming people. The more I learn about my peers’ experiences in Jordan, the more I cannot wait to hop onto a crowded bus on my way to work, greeting my new neighbors with a friendly “al-salaamu alaikum.”
Fulbright Personal Statement
I since I know this essay is a winner, I figure I may as well put it up.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Maria Ramirez, Jordan, English Teaching Assistantship
“Ms. Ramirez, I don’t mean to be all up in your business, but is you and your family… illegal?” I decided to take a break from –AR verb conjugations to watch and discuss a documentary about young Central American immigrants making their way north to the United States. And instead of being highly offended at this no-so-politically correct question, I thanked Alexander for speaking up and used it to turn the discussion towards every teacher’s dream: the “teachable moment.”
Whereas five years ago I may have turned up my nose at such a question and deemed someone ignorant for asking it, I find my reaction to be quite different these days. As a second-year middle school Spanish teacher and the only Hispanic adult in the school building, I have grown accustomed to misunderstandings about my birthplace in America’s Dairyland and inquiries about how I speak English so well.
Growing up in a small and rather conservative city, I was a very confused teenager. Should I be annoyed with the people who seem to only focus on my “exotic look” or should I enjoy getting a leg up in acceptance on committees because it looked good to have a Ramirez on the roster? It was not until I had the chance to leave my hometown and explore other parts of the world that I decided I did not have to choose one or the other; instead I greatly benefitted from my identity in that it actually allowed me to become a cultural chameleon, adapting to any culture, context or community in which I would find myself.
Spending six weeks with a conservative Muslim host family in a suburb of Cairo put this notion to the test. As an 18-year-old Wisconsinite who had never before experienced any big city, Cairo was the ultimate first introduction to traffic, overcrowding and culture shock. Sharing a three-bedroom apartment with an Egyptian family of six, I certainly had to adapt. No longer was I an independent American high school graduate with a part-time job, car and her parents’ complete trust. Instead, I was an illiterate, unmarried Muslim daughter, totally dependent on her parents and family for food, transportation and lessons in cultural competency.
For this reason, my visit to the Middle East was not your typical see-the-pyramids, ride-a-camel vacation. But for the same reason, I credit this sole experience for preparing me mentally and emotionally for everything that came after. Being engrained into a culture and society so different from my own, I realized that that I did not have to be limited by the stereotypes that other people cast upon me and no two labels were mutually exclusive. Instead, I could be “mi hija” to my Mexican-American grandmother, “ya habibti” to my Egyptian mother and father and “Maria” to my American family and friends.
My identity has continued to shift and transform especially after becoming a teacher as part of Teach for America’s national education movement. Over the past year, I have found myself in countless new roles, some of which- mentor, educator, behavior monitor- I expected, and others- lunchroom supervisor, Spanish interpreter, public education advocate- which I did not. Yet, all of which I embrace as part of my ever-evolving identity.
I know that I am potentially throwing myself into a quite uncertain scenario where I could be living in either a big city or small village, teaching perhaps small children or adults. But knowing that my life experiences have led me to be able to find my way around a 19-million person urban jungle and manage a classroom of 37 thirteen-year-olds makes me confident that no matter the responsibilities placed upon me, I will manage. I will struggle until I find what is right and what is appropriate for where I am and for the task at hand. And through it all, I will share with my students a part of each of my past experiences while asking for their help in shaping my current experience and future identity.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Maria Ramirez, Jordan, English Teaching Assistantship
“Ms. Ramirez, I don’t mean to be all up in your business, but is you and your family… illegal?” I decided to take a break from –AR verb conjugations to watch and discuss a documentary about young Central American immigrants making their way north to the United States. And instead of being highly offended at this no-so-politically correct question, I thanked Alexander for speaking up and used it to turn the discussion towards every teacher’s dream: the “teachable moment.”
Whereas five years ago I may have turned up my nose at such a question and deemed someone ignorant for asking it, I find my reaction to be quite different these days. As a second-year middle school Spanish teacher and the only Hispanic adult in the school building, I have grown accustomed to misunderstandings about my birthplace in America’s Dairyland and inquiries about how I speak English so well.
Growing up in a small and rather conservative city, I was a very confused teenager. Should I be annoyed with the people who seem to only focus on my “exotic look” or should I enjoy getting a leg up in acceptance on committees because it looked good to have a Ramirez on the roster? It was not until I had the chance to leave my hometown and explore other parts of the world that I decided I did not have to choose one or the other; instead I greatly benefitted from my identity in that it actually allowed me to become a cultural chameleon, adapting to any culture, context or community in which I would find myself.
Spending six weeks with a conservative Muslim host family in a suburb of Cairo put this notion to the test. As an 18-year-old Wisconsinite who had never before experienced any big city, Cairo was the ultimate first introduction to traffic, overcrowding and culture shock. Sharing a three-bedroom apartment with an Egyptian family of six, I certainly had to adapt. No longer was I an independent American high school graduate with a part-time job, car and her parents’ complete trust. Instead, I was an illiterate, unmarried Muslim daughter, totally dependent on her parents and family for food, transportation and lessons in cultural competency.
For this reason, my visit to the Middle East was not your typical see-the-pyramids, ride-a-camel vacation. But for the same reason, I credit this sole experience for preparing me mentally and emotionally for everything that came after. Being engrained into a culture and society so different from my own, I realized that that I did not have to be limited by the stereotypes that other people cast upon me and no two labels were mutually exclusive. Instead, I could be “mi hija” to my Mexican-American grandmother, “ya habibti” to my Egyptian mother and father and “Maria” to my American family and friends.
My identity has continued to shift and transform especially after becoming a teacher as part of Teach for America’s national education movement. Over the past year, I have found myself in countless new roles, some of which- mentor, educator, behavior monitor- I expected, and others- lunchroom supervisor, Spanish interpreter, public education advocate- which I did not. Yet, all of which I embrace as part of my ever-evolving identity.
I know that I am potentially throwing myself into a quite uncertain scenario where I could be living in either a big city or small village, teaching perhaps small children or adults. But knowing that my life experiences have led me to be able to find my way around a 19-million person urban jungle and manage a classroom of 37 thirteen-year-olds makes me confident that no matter the responsibilities placed upon me, I will manage. I will struggle until I find what is right and what is appropriate for where I am and for the task at hand. And through it all, I will share with my students a part of each of my past experiences while asking for their help in shaping my current experience and future identity.
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