My Cultural Self-Study shows a reflective lens on the factors of race, gender, and social class which shaped my current identity. As someone who grew up in a homogenously white, low-middle class environment, cultural differences were typically associated with issues of race. Over time, I learned culture would include more than skin color, but this early perception would instill an unconscious bias that needed to be further examined. 

Discomfort manifested in trying to understand my identity and innate biases. I felt uncomfortable acknowledging my privileges and examining my biases because I did not understand the need to engage in these discussions, nor the implications of my woeful ignorance. I stuck to what I knew and avoided confronting these issues for a long time. The Cultural Self-Study was an opportunity to recognize my growth from a colorblind, closed-minded, midwest white man to someone who now recognizes historical inequities and cultural richness of those different from me. This is important to establishing the priorities laid out in my vision for creating a culturally inclusive learning environment. 

The impacts of Cultural Self-Study led to examining my surroundings through a new lens. I began to deeply consider the impacts of my teaching in relation to each of my students’ needs. This appeared in the type of language used, the lesson content planned, the instructional strategies chosen, and the behavioral management routines codified. I adjusted my practice to consider how I could ensure my student's success and not contribute to their downfall. The best example of this was my recognition of the behavioral differences from my own educational experience to those of my students. I recognized my students learned best through discussion and engagement, whereas my experience aligned with the expectation of being quiet and completing book work. The awareness of the cultural differences between my experiences and my students leads to intentional decisions that improve my students’ outcomes. My willingness to adapt my style of teaching to meet my students’ style of learning is reflective of my recognition of their individual needs.

The Student Profiles assignment represents a deep reflection of my student's individuality and unique learning needs. The analysis of three students puts into words the characteristics and needs of three students highlighting their behavior, academic achievement, and special interests. Each student varies in comparison and serves to show the attention I commit to understanding my students beyond a name-by-name basis. The Student Profiles demonstrate a commitment to reflecting on my students' lives beyond the classroom, which is important for forming meaningful connections. I am able to talk with students about their interests, goals, and family. I listen to what they say and use that information to check in on them when they're feeling frustrated or need an inspirational pick-me-up. Also, I apply this student background into explaining the content and engaging my class. The more I know about my students, then the more I am able to use relevant examples that break down confusing concepts. This is evident from the decisions made in my culturally responsive lesson plan. 

The student questionnaire highlights another approach to learning about my students' learning style and perspective on their education. I used a Google Forms survey to pose questions about their preferred learning styles. Then, this information was discussed in our class meeting about how our class could make changes while still holding ourselves accountable for learning. 

The surveys are important components to include student voices in creating our classroom learning environment. I use information from the survey to support the execution of lessons and formulate relevant examples. Also, I am able to refer to the student information from the survey as individual talking points with each student as they enter the room or through casual conversations in class. The opportunity begins with the initial questionnaire and sets up future opportunities to learn more about my students' interests, needs, and defining characteristics.

The last component of my preparation phase includes building trust with my parent stakeholders. In the Classroom Management I course, I made positive phone calls home to students. Often, a phone call home signifies a problem at school, but positive phone calls and messages work to build trusting relationships with families. Ideally, the positive feedback is passed onto the student and then leads to trust and further validation from the teacher. 

Positive phone calls transferred to positive messages to account for conflicting schedules. These positive notes of affirmation have led to greater relationships with students as parents and students have shown greater comfort reaching out to me for academic support. This comfortability relays to my willingness to meet parents on their terms and build a relationship with the mutual goal of supporting their students in mind. I avoid criticism and always emphasize my role in helping make their student's success possible.