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- Shinjo Ito

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Na Lei Aloha Foundation
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Lantern Floating Hawaii
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Stephanie (correspondent)

Stephanie

Stephanie was a summer Shinnyo Fellow from Stanford University summer 2009 and will be entering her junior year in the fall. Stephanie is involved in various activities dealing with issues such as homelessness, education, and Japanese language and culture. One of Stephanie’s many pastimes includes playing the violin.

Teaching for Personal Growth and for Ripples of Understanding

After interning with the Shinnyo-en Foundation last summer, the SEF philosophy has helped me reflect upon my everyday interactions and relationships. I am especially looking forward to the upcoming month though, as I will be able to reflect upon the philosophy with regards to a more formal public service experience. This summer I will be teaching middle school students from East Palo Alto for a five-week program. Not only will I teach a sociolinguistics elective class called “Language and Identity”, but I will also get to know my students, and drive my “van group” around the Bay Area for field trips and community service.

I have just completed my first week of the program, and it has been both wonderful and challenging. The students bring so much character to the program and to my class; however, I realize that I have to continue working on my curriculum development and classroom management approaches. Even though it has just been one week, I am quickly learning the importance of being firm yet compassionate with the students. In my class, perhaps there are a couple of students that frequently talk out of turn, which means I have to respond strictly. Outside of class, however, I realize the power of relationship building, as I want to show all the students that I care even if I mean business when it comes to the classroom.

Because the relationships I will build with students are more of a mentor-student dynamic, I would initially expect that the students would overtly gain and grow through the guidance of the “mentor”. At this point, however, I feel that I am gaining more than I see my students learning in class. I have wondered if this then becomes a one-sided relationship, where I am the mentor receives the challenges and is able to grow. I am hoping that this is just a tendency of beginning stages in getting to know students and teaching for the first time.

Each day has its challenges and rewards, however, I anticipate that the next four weeks will pass quickly. For now though, I am curious to explore how the SEF philosophy intertwines with the role of educators, especially in light of educational inequity. Some days I feel that my students have not learned as much as I hoped possibly because I am still developing my teaching skills. Nonetheless, my attempt to start a ripple of knowledge and understanding stops short, and I realize that I may need to send many continuous “ripples” in order to get them to spread. I am hopeful for this, and as the program progresses and I build relationships with students, I hope that both mentor and student will gain something, whether a support network, knowledge, or an enriching summer experience.


More about Stephanie…

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spotlight

Interview with Nan Peterson

Ms. Nan Peterson is the Director of Service Learning for The Blake School located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is also the first and only Senior Fellow of the Shinnyo-en Foundation. Read more...


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