- Content Knowledge
- Human Development and Learning
- Diversity
- Planning for Instruction
- Learning Environment
- Instructional Delivery
- Communication
- Assessment
- Collaborative Relationships
- Reflection and Professional Growth
- Professional Conduct
Content Knowledge
Throughout the course of my internship, there have been many concepts that I have had to brush up on before teaching them to my students. For example, when I did my unit on poetry, I had to research many different types of poetry so that I could have a variety to teach. I also enjoy sharing my research methods with my students, to prepare them for what they are going to have to learn how to do in their educational futures.
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Human Development and Learning
While district and state standards are two things that I focused on while developing the curriculum for my classroom, I also focused on the individual abilities of my students, as well as brain-based learning. During my time in the classroom, I did a week-long unit on music appreciation. This unit gave many of my students the opportunity to be creative and expressive in their own ways. In one of the activities that we completed in this unit, the students listened to four different genres of music and then drew a picture to express what they thought about or how they felt.
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Diversity
I believe that in education, diversity is one of the most important things that a teacher can celebrate in the classroom. There are many different ways to celebrate diversity. One way that we made sure that we celebrated diversity every single day in the classroom was to have many student-led activities. For example, there we always have "center time" in our classroom. This is a wheel that is spun at the beginning of each day and students' names are assigned to a center. This "center time" allows students of all different learning modalities to experience success in what they may already have mastered, as well as be challenged to earn success in modalities they may not have mastered.
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Planning for Instruction
Throughout my student teaching experience, I have created many exciting lessons and units for my students to engage in. Using the state and district standards as my guidelines, I would strive to make sure that my class stayed on top of the learning objectives that we needed to reach by the end of the year. Working collaboratively with my mentor teacher allowed our ideas to merge into some beautiful lessons!
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Learning Environment
The environment that my classroom exists in is one that has been created to stimulate a calm, soothing, and relaxing atmosphere. The low lighting and greenery has been proven in studies to give students a sense of comfort and safety. Twinkle lights around the room bring a magical and imaginative feel to the room that I feel is very important in the eyes of young students.
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Instructional Delivery
One of the things that is very important in the delivery of instruction to my students is the use of technology. There are many different technological means that I use in my classroom. The best part about this technology is that my students get to use it as well! We have a Smartboard in the room that we use on a daily basis, as well as a student computer station, a Palm Pilot used for Dibbles testing, and a fully equipped television and VCR.
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Communication
Communication is vital to a successful classroom. Communication with my students' parents is important because to be an involved parent they have to know what is going on in their child's academic life. I accomplish this communication by writing and receiving notes and e-mails from parents, newsletters, and verbally through phone and in-person visits. Communication with my students is important as well, especially in a student- led environment, such as the one that I teach in. Our classroom has hand signals and quiet signs to get the class quiet and focused on the teacher. I also have many talks with my students to make sure that they clearly understand all of my directions, as well as what is expected of them in certain situations.
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Assessment
I have used many different types of assessments throughout my student teaching experience. Authentic assessments are one thing that I enjoyed incorporating into the classroom because it gave those students who needed the non-traditional form of assessment to do well. I also made sure that I played a variety of study games that were brain-based and used critical thinking skills to prepare students for assessments.
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Collaborative RelationshipsOne of the most important qualities that I believe a teacher can have is the ability to be collaborative. In one activity that I did this year, I worked collaboratively with another student teacher and hosted the first annual C.B. Smith Olympics. It took a lot of planning and preparation, but working with another person made it fun and more engaging for the students who participated.
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Reflection and Professional Growth
Throughout the journey of my student teaching, I have learned that reflection is not only good for the soul, but rather mandatory for a good teacher to do. Without the art of reflection, teachers would not be able to expand upon and create new ideas from the activities they have already done. Reflection also promotes professional growth in the same way.
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Professional Conduct
A positive rapport with my students and their families is one of the most important things to me as a teacher. I know that as a teacher, I am constantly being surveyed by my students, their families, and other facility members. With this in mind, I always make sure that I am portraying the role of a positive model for my students, as well as having a positive and professional style to my teaching, verbiage, and writing.
