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This I Believe Final Reflection
Isaac A. Lavadie
Department of Education and Leadership, Southeastern Oklahoma State University
EDUC 5183: Leading in Culturally Responsive Learning Environments
Dr. Mila Zhu
25 February 2024
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This I Believe Final Reflection
Reflecting on this class, I have realized how my personal experiences and cultural
background have influenced my identification and meaning-making. Our first assignment was an
autobiographical reflection to consider how our social location has facilitated and impeded our
learning about others’ cultural experiences. I spoke about how I am an only child, and I felt that
that has significantly influenced how I approach life and the classroom. Growing up in a
somewhat multicultural environment, I learned to appreciate diversity and respect different
cultures, which has helped me develop a broader life perspective. Music was also always around
in one form or another. I remember listening to records repeatedly and playing on my aunt’s
piano. These two experiences would have more of an impact on me than I realized later on.
I also learned how my cultural foundations have played a significant role in shaping my
identity and values. My background has made me more accepting and empathetic towards people
from different cultures. It has also helped me become more self-aware and reflective of my
biases and assumptions. As I mentioned in a previous assignment, I would visit with my cousins
from Utah maybe twice a year, which showed me how different our upbringings were.
In my academic journey, I have had the privilege of learning about different educational
philosophies and theories. I appreciate how these different approaches can be applied to improve
educational practices and create a more inclusive learning environment. I believe that my
personal experiences have reinforced my understanding of these theories, as I have had the
opportunity to witness the impact of different educational practices on students from diverse
backgrounds. I have to understand the various challenges that students have to be able to have
realistic expectations. In a perfect world, I would be able to have students practice x amount of
minutes every day, but that is not realistic. Some students live in hotels, have parents who work
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evening shifts, or have to help care for siblings as soon as they get home. I have been able to
learn from my student's experiences.
My cultural foundations and personal experiences have enabled me to better understand
the world around me. As an educator, I hope to use this understanding to create a more inclusive
and equitable learning environment for all students.
Our second assignment, Border Crossings, was designed for us to put ourselves in
circumstances, places, and social locations we have not previously experienced. I reflected on
my recent medical mission trip to Honduras. This experience helped me empathize with my ESL
students. I have made it a point to try and learn a little of their language to show that I care about
them and want them to be comfortable in my class. I have seen them open up and be more
willing to try, even if they do not entirely understand what I am saying. Serving on the medical
brigade was a life-changing experience that, at the time, had nothing to do with my teaching job.
We were pharmacy techs, which was also a new learning experience and, as we later found out,
extremely important for the entire trip. I am glad I can use this experience to be a more
empathetic and understanding teacher.
The Dialectics assignment allowed us to engage in conversations with people across
differences with a sincere attempt to understand them better. I used the respectful discussions I
have had with students’ families in varying parts of my school career, which has helped me learn
to be more tolerant of others' ideas and go into discussions with an open mind. I also talked about
my friend group, which has varying religions, cultures, and sexual orientations. We are all music
teachers and have great conversations about how our days go and what strategies work for us.
Since we are open to sharing ideas in a judgment-free zone, we can understand different points
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of view and take our understanding back to the classroom. I am fortunate to have had these
experiences and this great group of friends that make me a better teacher.
Pop Studies had us explore popular culture in multimedia and symbolic forms. I enjoyed
learning about the Disney princesses and the different commercials from back in the day, which
today’s standards would not accept. This assignment also happened during Super Bowl weekend,
a prime opportunity to focus on current pop culture. Social media and technology have given
voices to people who otherwise would have been quiet. Although not everyone will agree with
some statements, it is a powerful tool for good. We have made significant strides to be more
inclusive and sensitive to others who may seem “different.” Although we are not where we need
to be, we are closer, and as long as we continue to fight for what is right and have those difficult
conversations, we will continually improve as a society. The ABC news story, Would You Stop
Muslim Discrimination, was also eye-opening. It reminded me of many social experiments that
were conducted that I learned about in psychology class.
The 13th documentary comprehensively analyzes the historical and political factors
contributing to mass incarceration and racial inequality in the United States. I did not know much
about the 13th Amendment and its impact on the U.S. I took a lot from this documentary and
wanted to write about it to understand it better. In a way, this could also be the whole point of the
Micro Studies assignment. It gave a history of the 13th amendment, information on some civil
rights champions, focused on the War on Drugs, and delved into the political factors of racial and
cultural divisions of the day. The documentary is a call to action for social and political change
to address the issues of mass incarceration and racial inequality. It raises awareness and inspires
action to deal with this issue in the United States. I wish they had provided arguments from the
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other side to make this a more complete viewpoint. Still, nonetheless, I took a lot from this
documentary, and I am glad to have been shown this critical topic in American history.
This class opened my eyes to many cultural differences and how they can affect the
classroom. Although I do not teach in a very culturally diverse area, I feel more prepared if we
do get more culturally diverse students and, more importantly, to make sure the few students I
have feel supported and connected. I also appreciated learning about Dr. Zhu and her brief
stories about her musical experiences as a piano player. As a musician and artist, I wish I had
more time to be more creative with the assignments rather than write papers, and I appreciated
the option to represent ourselves uniquely. Thank you for a great class!
