Date of Award

Summer 2020

Degree Type

Restricted to Claremont Colleges Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Education, MA

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Abstract

This paper is an ethnography, which means the study of people more closely related to the customs and culture of the group of people. This study was conducted at the same time frame as receiving a Preliminary Credential and a Masters in Education. The first part of the ethnography talks about my cultural backgrounds and my experiences growing up in a school structure. I reflected on these experiences and discover my purpose of why I wanted to become a teacher. I also looked into my own personal strengths and weaknesses and attempted to use the information to shape the teacher I wanted to be in a classroom.

The next part of the ethnography was looking at specific students in my classroom, particularly three students with specific life experiences. The life experiences the students had were one student had an IEP, another student who was identified as an English Learner, and a student who had a significant or traumatic life experience. I performed home visits, which gave insights on my students outside of my classroom. All of these components informed me on the importance of knowing your students inside and outside of the classroom because it provided me with more information about them.

Towards the end, I looked into my classroom and its community. I conducted interviews with the school staff, community members, parents, and any person or person(s) living in the community that gave insight about the community. I learned about the history of the community and how it has evolved. The research of the community was a major factor for me in wanting to become a social justice educator. Lastly, I reflect on my experiences and the practices I used in my classroom throughout the year and discuss the reasons I confirmed my decision of becoming a social justice educator.

DOI

10.5642/cguetd/177

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