Marvin Reed
Sacramento State
“All students can succeed when the right tools are present. I learned a wide range of concepts and skills from my time as an undergraduate, masters and credential student at California State University, Sacramento. As an advocate for social justice for all students, I truly believe that a meaningful educational experience, personal and professional development and efficient support services are key factors for student success.
The two-semester credential program at Sacramento State was very rigorous and challenged me as an educator to be able to work with a wide range of students, placing a special emphasis on teaching through a lens of social justice and advocacy. My biggest takeaways from the program were teaching students about healthy, reflective mindfulness in the classroom and using classroom resources, such as
Tribes Learning Communities and the
Framework for 21st Century Learning. These are all effective tools for building community in the classroom and creating a positive, holistic learning environment for students.
“Students cannot be what they cannot see.” This quote was constantly in my head throughout my student teaching experience. Our students of color, especially our boys, have the lowest retention rates in education. I went into this field to be a leader of change. The fact is, we need more teachers of color in the classroom. In many of my educational settings, I was the only African American male. This reflects our education system for students of color. I am becoming a teacher to be who and what I needed to be able to get through the system of education. Our students of color need to have people who look like them teaching them. I will make this change for my students. This first starts in my classroom. I am so grateful and fortunate to be a teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District, an educational community that stresses culture, equity and inclusivity for all of its students.”
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