A Little Insight Into the Mind of Marisa

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A Little Insight Into the Mind of Marisa
Journey Through My Life
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My Ethnicity

• Birthplace
• I was born August 29, 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia
• I was adopted three days later
• My birthmothers family is Italian
• Religion
• My birthmother is Roman Catholic
• My mom is Jewish and my dad is Christian
• I would not categorize myself as any one of these
  in particular because all of these encompass my
  life
• Language
• English is my first language
• I even know a little French

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My Cultural Paradigm

• Disadvantages
• Growing up in a society that favors the All
  American look
• Ideas disregarded based on me being female
• Not being able to get certain scholarships or
  benefits that others may receive
• Not taken seriously because of my age
• Advantages
• Having a well rounded view on life
• Strong-minded and an independent thinker
• Having a supportive, caring family
• Having access to many cultures
• Getting discounts places because I am a student

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My Experiences and Exposure

• I grew up in an urban area where many of my
  friends were of different backgrounds than myself
• I work with many diverse children at Marietta
  Middle School
• I have learned about many religions through my
  family and school
• I have had many teachers from different countries
  and ethnic backgrounds
• My family raised me to be open minded and
  accepting of others beliefs
• I continue to learn about different cultures each
  day by observation

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Sex and Gender Identity

• Non Traditional
• Less concerned with appearance
• Less reserved, more loud and outspoken
• Have interests such as cars and baseball
• Not prissy
• Traditional
• Like to be taken care of
• Enjoy general female activities such as shopping
• Very emotional, talk about problems
• Dislike bugs

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Teaching Diverse Students

• I feel that not all students are accepting of
  others who are different than themselves. A
  student who feels isolated by their ethnicity may
  see me as a threat or not understanding. As a
  teacher, I must show these students the value of
  having diverse people in the classroom
• Teach the students that everyone has culture,
  even if they dont seem differentThe U.S. is a
  melting pot
• Inspire the students to learn about different
  cultures through ongoing projects and guest
  speakers.
• Have an open classroom where the students are
  free to talk to me about insecurities
• Assign group work that will pair individuals of
  various ethnic backgrounds so they become
  familiar with other cultures
• If they speak a different language, encourage the
  students to learn a little of their language and
  make conversation.