Classroom Context
I teach at one of the highest achieving high schools in the district and state. The school is a diverse school, where 37% are White, 28.8% are African American, 17% are Latinx, 8.7% are Multi-Racial, 4.8% are Native American and 3.7% are Asian/Pacific Islander. This diversity is reflected in every classroom, including my own. There are a wide range of ability levels present in my classroom, including English Language Learners and students who are on IEP’s (Individualized Education Program) and many of my students are on free or reduced lunch which is based on their parents’ income. Many of my students have part-time jobs, either because they need to contribute to finances at home or because they are self-supporting. While many of my students are high achieving and are reading at or above grade level, there are also students in my classroom that are barely reading at or below grade level. This can be a challenge when teaching a foreign language, and it is also a challenge when trying to assign homework in a foreign language based on vocabulary and grammar. Therefore, I must be creative about how the material is taught for all my students to understand and get creative about how I assign homework.
What is unique about my school is that it is a historically African American high school and they also offer African American Studies. In my school district, African American Studies is taught at most of the high schools. The largest demographic in my school district is 34% Latinx. The demographics in my school district are changing and are not reflected at my school yet. Currently, there is no course offered for students in Latin American Studies.
Many of my heritage speaker students are sharp and are interested in learning about their heritage and sharing their knowledge with their peers. Many of my students have become advocates of anti-racism and have protested the killing of unarmed Black and Brown people in Tulsa. My students are becoming aware of the racism and racial formation that exists in the Latinx community in the United States. This is the opportunity to talk about the racism that exists in Latin America and is not acknowledged. Through the study of literature and film, students will be able to see how the effects of colonialism are still felt today through racism in Latin America. This unit will expose students to content that is not normally taught in the school system and make a connection with the racism they see in the United States.
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