174
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Unit 3 The Learner
Perspectives on Teaching
Today, I am a kindergarten teacher, but I can
still remember being a kindergarten student.
Because of my circumstances, starting school
left a lasting impression.
My parents came to America from China
as young adults. They spoke only Chinese in
our home when I was young. They socialized
with other Chinese people, so when I started
kindergarten, I neither spoke nor understood
English.
Of course, school was bewildering at fi rst. I
can remember standing back and watching the
other children, trying to fi gure out what they
were saying. Fortunately, children pick up new
languages easily. My parents told me I began
to learn English words and phrases rather
quickly. Each day when I came home, I would
play school with my younger brother and sister,
teaching them what I had learned.
Li Shao is a Chinese-
American kindergarten
teacher. Today had been a
heart-warming day in her
kindergarten classroom. A new student joined
the class who speaks very little English. The
other students welcomed her with open arms,
communicating in a way only kindergarteners
can without words. As Li Shao pondered the
day, her thoughts went back to her kindergarten
experience.
I was fortunate to have a wonderful teacher.
She spent extra time helping me with the
language, but she did much more than that. She
made me feel special instead of different. She
incorporated learning about China into many
lessons. She even invited my mother to come
and share some of our Chinese customs and
foods with my kindergarten class. I never forgot
that experience or my kindergarten teacher.
Today, many schools have special classes
for students who do not speak English. My own
experience taught me that a creative and caring
teacher can make a real difference in students’
lives. I try to remember that every day with my
own students. Each child needs acceptance and
recognition. Acceptance and recognition do not
just help them socially and emotionally. When
children feel secure, they learn more, as well.
Li Shao’s Thoughts…
Analyze It!
After reading Perspectives on Teaching, analyze Li Shao’s comment about
caring teachers. “My own experience taught me that a creative and caring
teacher can make a real difference in students’ lives.” Discuss points of
evidence in the narrative that supports this statement. To extend this activity,
interview a student who moved from another country and who did not speak
English at fi rst. How is this student’s experience similar to or different from
Li Shao’s?