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My name is Khadija Bruce, and I am currently a senior elementary education major at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. In the future I would like to be a principal of a school that serves students of color. I am passionate about exploring different cultures and immersing in communities outside my own. I have been given the opportunity to student teach third grade at Country Day School in Costa Rica (January-April 2019). This teaching abroad experience will not only help me grow as an individual, but it will enable me to expand my teaching perspective and style. This opportunity will allow me to put everything I have learned into practice and adapt it to the students I serve and the culture I am immersed into. One of the biggest draws of the teaching abroad experience is the opportunity to be a part of a broader educational community. I strongly believe that I am equipped to serve students and to be a positive influence on the educational community I am selected to be a part of. I have worked tirelessly to save money for this experience, but I have fallen short. I have already estimated that I can cover a large percentage of the funds, but I really need help in raising the last $3000 to participate in this experience. I am extremely grateful for any money you donate to help support my student teaching (every penny counts!). This opportunity will broaden my teaching skills and teach me how to better serve diverse communities. Your donations mean the world to me. Thank you so much for reading and donating!
Below is an estimated cost for this 4 month experience.
Tuition:
Covered by my Act Six Scholarship
Housing:
$1500 includes room, board, and utilities
Meals:
$500 ($125 per month)
Basic In-country Transportation:
$400 ($100 per month)
Estimated Tourist Travel:
$250
Misc. Expenses:
$350
Estimated Total Expenses:
$3000
Professional Rationale:
My lifelong passions are experiencing diverse cultures and transforming our education system, which I believe to be the foundation to a prosperous society. I have a strong desire to dynamically restructure our education system so that quality education is equitable. I am seeking this student teaching experience because I believe it will be dynamic, both racially and linguistically, and will grant me access to an education outlook I would otherwise not have. I am interested in understanding how culture and traditions shape education environments and student’s experiences. It surprised me how much I desire working with diverse student populations, and I hope to continue this experience while in Costa Rica. I believe that being immersed in the Spanish language and Costa Rican culture will help deepen my understanding of education, and will help me better understand how to create equitable teaching environments for my future students.
More about me:
I come from a multiethnic family. My father is from Ghana, West Africa and I have been to Ghana multiple times to both visit family and participate in cultural traditions such as festivals, independence days, and weddings. My grandparents lived in different areas of Northern Mexico throughout my childhood and I have spent every other summer visiting them. Some of the places I have traveled to include France, Ireland, Ghana, Mexico, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. My traveling experiences have broadened my perspective and outlook on life, and has given me a deep appreciation for culture and humanity.
My hobbies include trying exotic food, spending time with friends, and watching documentaries. I have always loved to try new foods, and I make a point of not ordering the exact same thing when I go to a restaurant. Lastly, along with reading autobiographies and biographies, I love watching documentaries. I am very fascinated with hearing people's stories and their perspectives on life.
Educational Perspective:
I was always told I was a great student when I was younger but I never fully understood the impact teachers had on my life until I was older. I did not grow up wanting to become a teacher, because I did not want to be responsible for shaping young minds. However, during my time in high school, I began to explore the educational field more in depth. I began researching jobs, looking at the type of education required, and gained a greater understanding about the education system in general. I became passionate about education and wanting to become a teacher once I realized the many injustices students of color face in American school systems. I started to ask my peers about their experiences in school and found that they were very different from my own. Although I am a person of color, I was always a good student and praised by my teachers for both my academic and leadership accomplishments. A majority of my peers faced discrimination in the classroom or felt that school was “not for them”. I continued to ask questions and tried to understand why my peers were having such negative experiences in school. I began to realize that confidence in one's abilities and the belief that one is capable were major components in academic success. If students are not confident in their abilities or the work they produce they begin to feel like school is not for them and shy away from academic success. If students did not believe they were capable of doing assignments, they will not attempt to even try. As I learned more and began listening to stories, I knew teaching was right for me. I want to become a teacher that students are comfortable with and that encourages students to be reflective, proud, and confident. I want to create a classroom environment where diversity is not only celebrated, but lived out. I want my students to feel not only empowered, but capable of doing anything they work hard at. In my perspective, the role of the teacher is to foster productive learning environments where students become dynamic problem solvers and continuous learners. I want to teach my students to enjoy learning and realize that learning happens in every aspect of life, not just the classroom. My educational perspective stems from three major waves of educational philosophy in America: essentialism, progressivism, and social reconstruction. I plan to create a classroom of learners where students use basic skills such as reading, writing, math, and science to challenge and explore other passions they might have. I believe in creating a classroom where everyone is recognized as unique individuals who work together for the greater good of the community. Lastly, I believe that my students will become agents of change in the world. I will teach them the modern injustices of the world so that they do not repeat the injustices that plague our history.
Below is an estimated cost for this 4 month experience.
Tuition:
Covered by my Act Six Scholarship
Housing:
$1500 includes room, board, and utilities
Meals:
$500 ($125 per month)
Basic In-country Transportation:
$400 ($100 per month)
Estimated Tourist Travel:
$250
Misc. Expenses:
$350
Estimated Total Expenses:
$3000
Professional Rationale:
My lifelong passions are experiencing diverse cultures and transforming our education system, which I believe to be the foundation to a prosperous society. I have a strong desire to dynamically restructure our education system so that quality education is equitable. I am seeking this student teaching experience because I believe it will be dynamic, both racially and linguistically, and will grant me access to an education outlook I would otherwise not have. I am interested in understanding how culture and traditions shape education environments and student’s experiences. It surprised me how much I desire working with diverse student populations, and I hope to continue this experience while in Costa Rica. I believe that being immersed in the Spanish language and Costa Rican culture will help deepen my understanding of education, and will help me better understand how to create equitable teaching environments for my future students.
More about me:
I come from a multiethnic family. My father is from Ghana, West Africa and I have been to Ghana multiple times to both visit family and participate in cultural traditions such as festivals, independence days, and weddings. My grandparents lived in different areas of Northern Mexico throughout my childhood and I have spent every other summer visiting them. Some of the places I have traveled to include France, Ireland, Ghana, Mexico, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. My traveling experiences have broadened my perspective and outlook on life, and has given me a deep appreciation for culture and humanity.
My hobbies include trying exotic food, spending time with friends, and watching documentaries. I have always loved to try new foods, and I make a point of not ordering the exact same thing when I go to a restaurant. Lastly, along with reading autobiographies and biographies, I love watching documentaries. I am very fascinated with hearing people's stories and their perspectives on life.
Educational Perspective:
I was always told I was a great student when I was younger but I never fully understood the impact teachers had on my life until I was older. I did not grow up wanting to become a teacher, because I did not want to be responsible for shaping young minds. However, during my time in high school, I began to explore the educational field more in depth. I began researching jobs, looking at the type of education required, and gained a greater understanding about the education system in general. I became passionate about education and wanting to become a teacher once I realized the many injustices students of color face in American school systems. I started to ask my peers about their experiences in school and found that they were very different from my own. Although I am a person of color, I was always a good student and praised by my teachers for both my academic and leadership accomplishments. A majority of my peers faced discrimination in the classroom or felt that school was “not for them”. I continued to ask questions and tried to understand why my peers were having such negative experiences in school. I began to realize that confidence in one's abilities and the belief that one is capable were major components in academic success. If students are not confident in their abilities or the work they produce they begin to feel like school is not for them and shy away from academic success. If students did not believe they were capable of doing assignments, they will not attempt to even try. As I learned more and began listening to stories, I knew teaching was right for me. I want to become a teacher that students are comfortable with and that encourages students to be reflective, proud, and confident. I want to create a classroom environment where diversity is not only celebrated, but lived out. I want my students to feel not only empowered, but capable of doing anything they work hard at. In my perspective, the role of the teacher is to foster productive learning environments where students become dynamic problem solvers and continuous learners. I want to teach my students to enjoy learning and realize that learning happens in every aspect of life, not just the classroom. My educational perspective stems from three major waves of educational philosophy in America: essentialism, progressivism, and social reconstruction. I plan to create a classroom of learners where students use basic skills such as reading, writing, math, and science to challenge and explore other passions they might have. I believe in creating a classroom where everyone is recognized as unique individuals who work together for the greater good of the community. Lastly, I believe that my students will become agents of change in the world. I will teach them the modern injustices of the world so that they do not repeat the injustices that plague our history.