Sunny blond hair and
shiny green eyes are the features that outline the beautiful face of my
niece, Sara, now age 22. Sara is a high school graduate and is
fulfilling her goal of serving in the military. Sara has learning
disabilities and her school days were frustrating. Determination,
perseverance, and interest in learning were the driving factors in her
successful completion of high school. She is one of many students who
have inspired me to enter the world of education. Seeing children learn
and discover the world around them is exciting. I love being part of
the process and that is why I want to be an elementary school teacher.
The students of today must be prepared to
function in a globally competitive world. State of the art technology
will play an even greater role in the future and will change how
teachers teach. I believe that flexibility and the willingness to learn
new methods of teaching illustrate the importance of being a life-long
learner in this ever changing world. Today’s teacher is also challenged
with teaching to a culturally and linguistically diverse student
population. Accepting and valuing this diversity would be evident in my
classroom. Attention to and integration of the home cultures and
practices would help students learn histories, contributions, and
traditions of others and appreciate each other’s similarities and
differences. Educating myself on issues of cultural and linguistic
diversity and practices that are most effective would be a priority. I
would also use culturally responsive pedagogy such as authentic
literature so all learners feel supported and are provided the best
opportunities for learning. Most importantly, I would have high
expectations for all diverse learners.
Like Abraham Maslow, I
agree that children need to be nourished, feel safe, have a sense of
belonging, and feel confident in their abilities to fulfill their
potentials. My classroom will be a welcoming and accepting place where
each student will be a contributing member of the classroom community.
Students will help design consistent routines, rules, and consequences
for use in our classroom community. To be good citizens, children need
to understand values such as respect for self and others, perseverance,
and responsibility. I have selected these tenets from the philosophy of
Essentialism. These concepts will be intertwined throughout the
curriculum and students will transfer this knowledge to problem solving,
decision making, conflict resolution, and community
service.
Like John Dewey, I feel that children
learn best when they are actively engaged in “hands on” activities and
interacting with each other. I will use constructivist practices such
as teaching students to classify, analyze, predict, and create to
facilitate active learning. Students will construct new meaning from
discovery and prior knowledge with support from scaffolding and
strategic teaching.
The needs of the individual learners will
be determined by a variety of ongoing assessments. The results of the
assessments will drive the instruction that I provide throughout the
school year. Incorporating differentiated instruction will further
ensure that students are working in their zone of proximal development.
I will implement strategies such as flexible grouping, independent
learning centers, and tiered activities to promote learning for all
students. Differentiated instruction will also bring to light students’
multiple intelligences and offer outlets to develop them.
Research-based practices to support the
needs of all learners will be critical to my teaching. Students will
come to my classroom with diverse learning needs that require efficient
and effective practices. I will complement my research-based approaches
by bringing the important human qualities of kindness, empathy, and
compassion to my classroom. Reflection will also help me evaluate my
teaching practices and explore other methods that further support
student achievement.
To view my reflection
paper from ITEC 501, click here.
