LuisaBravo

Languageisourculturaltool-weuseittoshareexperienceandsotocollectively,
jointly,makesenseofit...Languageisthereforenotjustameansbwhichindividuals
canformulateideasandcommunicatethem,itisalsoameansforpeopletothink
andlearntogether.

-NeilMercer,TheGuidedConstructionofKnowledge

LanguageManifesto

AsItransformintoasocialjusticeeducator,Iambecomingmoreawareofthe
importanceoflanguagethroughoutthisjourney.Languagecomesthroughmany
methodologies,includingbutnotlimitedtobodylanguage,drawings,gestures,and
writing.Therefore,itisessentialformeasaneducatortoprovidemystudentswith
outletsthatembodyamultitudeofvariouslanguagearchetypes.Bydoingso,Iaim
tointerruptthesystematiccycleofoppressionandprovideequitableaccessto
education.Ihopetobeconsciousofthewaylanguageisusedinmyclassroomby
firstgettingtoknowmystudents,theircultures,andtheirneeds.Through
day-to-dayconversation,Ihopetogainunderstandingoftherolelanguageplaysin
theirlivessoIcanthenreflectonmyteachingmethodsandourtheclassroom
cultureIwillaimtoprovide.

MYPROMISETOYOU

IpromisetochallengeyouandsupportyousoIcan
createasafeandlearningenvironmenttoenrichyour
learning
Iwillprovideahighchallenge,highsupportenvironment(Gibbons2015,p.17)i nthe
classroombyholdinghighstandards.Ibelieveyouarecapableofhigher-order
thinking,andunderstandingandcompletinghigh-challengingtasks.Simultaneously,
Iwillscaffoldyoutoprovidetheindividualsupportyouneed,suchasexplaining
directionsandconceptsindifferentways,breakingdownthequestionwithyou,
providingyouwithasourcetodevelopyourEnglishvocabulary(EL),andanything
elseyoumayneed.Althoughsometimesitwillbechallenging,Ihopetoprovideyou
withthesupportyouwillneedtosucceed.

Ipromisetolistentoyouandencourageyoutolearn
howtolistentoeachother
Iknowweallhavealottosay.Whenyouaskformyattention,Iwillgiveit--when
appropriate.FacingyouandlookingatyouaresomeofthewaysthatIwillshowyou
Imlistening.Inreturn,Ihopeyoucanshowmeyourwaysoflisteningwhenwespeak
toeachother.Wewillpracticelisteningactivitiestolearnhowtoreallylisten.Such
activitieswillincludedyads--twowaylistening,whichwelldoduringinstruction.
(Gibbons2005,p.189).

Ipromisetovalidatethelanguageandactionsthat
reflectsyourculture
Ourculturesreflectdifferentlanguages,mannerism,beliefs,andmore.Ipromiseto
gettoknowyouthroughyourculture.Iwilltrymybesttoincorporateyourculturein
theclassroomthroughacademiclessons,presentations,activities,classroombehavior.
Someexamplestoculturalbehaviorincludes,butisnotlimitedto,shoutouts,looking
atmeintheeyewhenspeaking,workingwithpreciseandrelativetime,andmore.For
studentswhoarelearningEnglishasasecondlanguage,Iwilltrytouseyourmother


tongue(definitelyinSpanish,andwilltrymybestwhenitsanotherlanguage)to
introduceconceptsinawaythatyoucanunderstandbetter.TherewillbetimewhenI
willallowyoutouseyourhomeandnativelanguagetopresentyourwork.

Ipromisetoengageindialogueandgiveyouthe
opportunityandtimetothinkcritically
AsIteach,Iwillaimtoengageindialogueb
yaskingopen-endedquestions,encourage
higher-orderthinking,andencouragedialoguebetweenallthestudentsinorderfor
youtoshareyourthoughts,ideas,andlearnfromeachother.Youwillbeaskedto
thinkbyyourself,withapartner,oragroup,reflectonyourideas,andsharethem.
Unlessabsolutelyneeded,IwillrefrainfrompracticingQuestionandAnswer,which
failstoprovideanopportunityforyoutoproducecomprehensibleoutput(IRE).
(Gibbons2005,pg.31).

Ipromisetoprovideyouwithdifferentoutletsthatwill
encourageyoutoexplorevariousformsoflanguage
Weallexpressourselvesinmanydifferentways.Wecancommunicatethroughoral
language,signlanguage,bodylanguage,writing,bodymovements(suchasdancing),
drawing,tone,pitch,andmore.Youwillbeinaclassroomwhereweexpress
ourselves.Someprojectswillhavesomesortofrubric,butwillbeuptoyoutodecide
themethodofpresentation:youcanwriteareport,usedrawings,acting,singing,
spokenword,dancing,andanyformyoucansuggest.

Ipromisetoprovideyouwithdifferentsourcesof
learning
WealllearndifferentlyandIwanttomakesureIprovideyouwithdifferentwaysof
learning.Thisincludesusingvisuals,videos,writing,audios,songs,engaging
activities,independentwork,groupwork,etc.Itisimportantforyoutohaveaccessto
thesetoolstoensureyoulearnwhatisbeingtaught.

Ipromisetotakethetimetogettoknowyou
Thereisoneofme,andmanyofyou.Althoughitmaytakesometime,Iwilltakethe
timetogettoknowyouindividually.Greeteachofyouinthemorning,useworktime
towalkaroundtocheckonyouandhavesmallconversation.Askyouaboutyourday.
Usingtribalcircleswillalsobeusedforyoutoshareaboutourlivesandusethatfor
metofollowupwhenneeded.

Ipromisetotreatyouasanindividualandseeyoufor
whoyouare
Thiswillnotbeaclassroomwhereyoualltrytoout-doeachother.Wearea
communitywhereeachoneofyouhassomethinguniquetobringtothetable.Youare
notthesamepersonasthestudentnexttoyou.Thereisnotspaceforcomparisons,
unlesstheywillbeusedasencouragement.Ifsomeoneelseisdoingbetterorworse
thanyou,Iwillmakesureyouunderstandthateachofyouareondifferentpathsand
onadifferentpace.Iwilltrytohaveone-on-onesthroughoutthesemesterstomeet
withyouandgooveryourprogress,talkaboutyourstrengthsandyourneeds,soYOU
cansucceedatyourownpace.

Ipromisetobelieveinyou
Youarecapable.Youaresmart.Youaregifted.YouwillbeyourbiggestcritiqueandI
willbethereeverysteptomakesureyouknowhowspecialyouare.Learningmightbe
difficult,behaviormayormaynotbeanissue.Regardless,youhavetheabilityto
succeedinthisclassroom.

Students,Itaketheoathtobeaccountableforthesepromisesinorder
to.AlthoughIamnotperfect,self-reflectionwillbeessentialformeto
remindmyselfofthepromisesIhavemadetoyou,asyouarethe
priorityinthisclassroom.

Love,
Ms.Bravo