Introduction
Born and raised in Smithfield, R.I., I am the daughter of Lebanese-American parents. As a child, I embraced my heritage, yet as I became older I attempted to become more "Americanized." At the time, no one was familiar with Lebanon and I had a desire to fit in with my peers. However, decades later, I deeply regret abandoning the language and culture and I have since immersed myself in the community.
From the age of five, I knew that I wanted to follow in my mother's footsteps and become a teacher. My mother taught World Languages in Providence for over thirty years before she retired. In 2004, I graduated from Rhode Island College with a B.A. in English and Secondary Education. Almost two decades later, I enrolled in RIC's TESOL graduate program. Several of my colleagues and I finished the program in June and we have three classes left to obtain our M. Ed. TESOL.
Currently, I am the teacher leader of the Multilingual Learner (MLL) Department at Hope High School in Providence. Clearly, this is an unprecedented time and we are starting off the school year with a great deal of anxiety.
I am the mom of four children under the age of fourteen. Between caring for my children, teaching, and attending graduate school, I do not have too much free time. However, I love to go to the beach and I am a yogi, too.
Hello, you and I had the same vision of becoming a teacher. I had no one's foot to follow because I am the first teacher in my family. I use to play school with my sisters and cousin and if I was not the teacher I would not play. (LOL)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with you teacher leader job this year.
Hi Ky!!
DeleteBut, look at you now- you are one of the best! I, too, used to play school as a child...but, I was teaching stuffed animals. :) Thank you so much! These past few months (and especially these past few weeks), have been incredibly stressful. But, I have an amazing and devoted department, and I know that we will get through it! Thankfully, we do not have PD tomorrow, so I am going in to get my room ready!
Marissa-- I am an ESL teacher in Johnston, Rhode Island. Thank you for sharing your story. Your story sounds similar to the stories I hear from the students I work with. I often see my newcomer students' struggle with this sense of identity. At times, they do not want me to translate things for them or speak to them in their native language--They do not want to be "different" from their peers.
ReplyDeleteDo you think you tried to become more "Americanized" because you felt pressure from others (i.e. teachers, friends, etc.)? In, "The Americanization of the Immigrant" Huebner talks about the "forces" in place to assist with Americanization of immigrants such as, schools, churches, and work facilities. Do you think these "forces" played a role in you feeling like you needed to become "Americanized"?
Here is the link to the article if you want to take a look. It's quite interesting...
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1010522.pdf
Hi Shannon,
DeleteI actually wrote about this is one of my graduate classes. Growing up in a white neighborhood, where most of the girls had blonde hair and blue eyes, I definitely stuck out. I was mocked for eating Arabic food and for looking different from my classmates. I will never forget the look on my mom's face when I asked her what a mulatto was (I was in third grade at the time). From a very young age, I realized that I didn't fit in-- so, I was desperate to become "Americanized"". I quickly stopped bringing Arabic food to school and I refused to speak Arabic. As an adult, I deeply regret the choices that I made. This is why I am so passionate about my students, as I don't want them to ever feel the way I did, nor do I want them to abandon their culture and heritage. We celebrate all cultures in my classes and I always encourage my students to translanguage. I am not a believer in the "Melting Pot; but, rather, I prefer the salad bowl metaphor. Thank you so much for the article; I actually have time to read it tonight!
Hi Marissa!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your introduction! Thank you for sharing this heartfelt story about your experience as a child. The fact that you had to make these sacrifices and changes just to "fit in," is disheartening. I am sure you are an amazing inspiration to your students! As educators, we need to embrace and celebrate our students' cultures every chance we have.