Tell about an opportunity you had to work one on one with a student.

So I'm not sure how to tie this in to the historical aspects of the module other then, I am working at a Native American Summer school which in the time of segregation we wouldn't of been able to be in a white school with white kids (other summer school classes were also going on in the building)  The fact that most of these Native children came from educated backgrounds is something that didn't happen just a generation ago.  So there is progress. With that progress there ares still cultural differences when working with this Minority group. It was kind of nice to be able to speak Navajo and English to some students my own form of Navaglish ha ha.  Say jokes and tease with out having to explain why the punchline was funny, and realizing that eye contact isn't the highest form of respect for some of the children.

ANYWAY, on to my one on one experience. (it will be hard in 2-3 paragraphs). I was put with a young girl that just wasn't catching on to the assignment very fast and the teacher chose to put her with me to complete the assignment and move the class on with another activity. With every question that I asked her the response was "I don't know"  I would make the question simpler the response was the same. I would ask in another way still "I don't' know." at one point i got a bit frustrated and it showed (Hey, I'm just learning still).

The child then perked up and said, "I bet you don't think i can do this huh" I replied, "I know you can I am just sitting here waiting for you to get it done" she perked up even more. "You really think I can" I said again, "I KNOW you can. So get going" and to my utter surprise she started digging into her assignment. Her blank look was gone, and she was working. Later I asked her about it, she first said "I don't know " again, and I gave her a look and she actually said, " Sometimes, they just don't make me do it if I take a long time'  this little girl used the "I don't know" to frustrate her teacher in to the point she got out of assignments  AND SHE KNEW IT.

Yes she was a bit behind the other students but she had the capacity to sit, think, figure out and do the assignments. I am not a professional, but my guess is she has a learning disability in something and that is where she figured out her "I don't know" blank faced look that she then used in all subjects.