The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. ~Mark Van Doren
- Content Knowledge
- Human Development and Learning
- Diversity
- Planning for Instruction
- Learning Environment
- Instructional Delivery
- Communication
- Assessment
- Collaborative Relationships
- Reflection and Professional Growth
- Professional Conduct
In teaching, there are various techniques in teaching children. From my student teaching experience, I used a variety of ways to present the material. Throughout the year, I used direct teaching as well as hands on activities. Children also need time to work together to learn. The students first need a base of knowledge and then given the opportunity to explore. In a lesson on the earth, my class learned about the four different oceans and the seven different continents. After learning about the earth’s oceans and continents, the students made their own paper Mache globes. After the globes dried, they labeled all the different oceans and continents. The below picture is of my students making their globes in class.
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Human Development and Learning
By being a part of a whole year student teaching program, I have learned an extensive amount on how students grow, develop, and learn. Each child is different. Therefore in the lessons I create, there are different activities so each student can understand the concept and succeed in school. Another aspect that affects the student’s growth is the classroom environment. I had my students arranged in two long tables of 10 students at each table. While making the table arrangements, I considered the student’s needs, abilities, and personalities. Therefore, there is a mixture of abilities and personalities at each table. In my student teaching, my students worked in different settings: students worked individually, pairs, and in small groups. Thus, students were afforded the opportunity for students to work on their social skills. The pictures below show the different group work my students were involved in.
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Diversity
Every classroom needs diversity to succeed. Just like the different colors in a crayon box, each color is unique, but together they are a complete set. Having different learners in a classroom is vital for the class to shine. Just how diversity is celebrated around the country, as a teacher I embrace the differences each student brings. Therefore, when preparing my lessons, I take each individual into account and provide each student with different approaches to teaching focusing on the different modalities people learn; auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic learners. In every lesson I created, I kept all students in mind.
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Planning for Instruction
When planning lessons during my thirteen weeks of student teaching, I followed the Illinois State Learning Standards as well as district standards. I mostly aligned my lessons with the district’s standards, I Can Do It sheets. Throughout the year, the students are assessed at three different grading periods; Fall, Winter, and Spring. Focusing on the district standards in my lessons helps create uniformity in math, reading and writing. Creating this consistency helped the students succeed in school.
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Learning Environment
Creating a safe environment where the students are engaged is important to me. To keep this safe environment, the students are asked to follow the I-CARE rules in the classroom. These rules are also used district wide and are reinforced in my classroom. When a student breaks an I-CARE rule, they have to move their clip on the stop light. Also student are awarded for positive behavior as well. Individually, students can earn Popsicle sticks. Students can earn sticks for having their desks clean, finishing their papers on time, following directions, etc. When a student receives ten sticks, they get to each lunch in the room with me. These devices help students create a safe and positive learning environment.
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Instructional Delivery
There are multiple ways to present material to the students. I have found from my student teaching experience, it is important to hook students into the lesson. When introducing a new topic, I start out with a discussion or questions to peak their curiosity. Then, I provide hands on activities, experiments, and projects so they can explore the material themselves. Lastly, I always incorporate literature into every lesson. Getting students engaged in learning is a difficult task and takes some creativity.
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Communication
There are many different kinds of communication; verbal, nonverbal, and written. From my student teaching, it is important to communicate home with parents. Thus, every week, I sent home a newsletter telling the week’s events, homework, and things to keep in mind. However, communicating with my students is most important. During the day, the students and I would communicate verbally and nonverbally. Developing these skills is an important aspect. Here is a picture of me reading.
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Assessment
My student teaching experience opened my eyes to all the different types of assessment. Different types of assessment are important to understand the growth in the classroom. In my class this past year, I utilized formal assessments (tests and quizzes), informal (observations, worksheets, papers, journals), and district assessments. Some of the district assessments I administered were DIBBLES, CARS, and AR. Here is a picture of me helping a student with an AR test on the computer.
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Collaborative Relationships
For a school to function at its best, collaboration or teamwork is a key element. As the saying goes, “Two heads are better than one.” Having the opportunity to work with other staff members allows you to use all of the resources available to benefit the needs of the students. Teamwork means pulling together to benefit the team. I attended staff meetings, worked as a grade level, and collaborated with the PTA. For example, I collaborated with my colleagues, we as team of second grade teachers, decided to teach the Olympics and then host our own Winter Olympics in the gym. This was a great activity that taught teamwork for the students and for the teachers. In collaborating with other staff, I was able to create positive relationships and create a fun event for all of the students.
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Reflection and Professional Growth
Reflection is important for teachers to use. During my student teaching, I reflected on a daily basis both verbally with my mentor teacher and written in a journal. If something did not go right during the day or I had a behavior problem, it was a great learning tool for me to go back and think about the days events. It was important for me to see what I could do next time in my lessons or personally to prevent the issues.
From reflecting, I was able to make adjustments in my lessons and in my classroom management that improved my instruction. Reflecting has made me a better person and a stronger teacher. Reflection is similar to an assessment for a teacher, it can occur at any time of the day.
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Professional Conduct
As a teacher, you have professional responsibilities both inside and outside the classroom. Being a teacher, I want to be a positive role model for my students as well as the community. Therefore, I have attended school functions, PTA events, and meetings. Also, being a role model is demonstrating professional dress, attitude and relationships with students, staff, and parents. As a teacher, “you only have one time to make a first impression.” Here are some pictures of me at some PTA events.
