Content Knowledge
Human Development and Learning
Diversity
Planning for Instruction
Learning Environment
Instructional Delivery
Communication
Assessment
Collaborative Relationships
Reflection and Professional Growth
Professional Conduct
Knowledge is powerful. It can take you anywhere you want to go in life, no matter who you are or what you want to be. An educator’s job is to impart the knowledge that they have concerning different topics within different subject areas. At the same time a connection needs to be made across the content areas, as well as with students life experiences, in order to make learning personally relevant. Teachers must be confident in the knowledge that they have and continually work to increase what they know because they are one of the main sources of information for elementary students. They supply students with background information at the beginning of the unit. Then through engaging lessons they build on this knowledge base, challenging student to become critical thinkers as they apply what they have learned. One of the things a teacher hopes for the most is that he/she has in some way interested the student enough that they are willing to go out and explore the topic more in-depth on their own.
I feel that I have built a strong knowledge base regarding the different content areas through the classes that I have taken at Illinois State University. Each one gave me a chance to read a variety of texts, listen to lectures, participate in various activities, and contribute to class discussions. All of these aspects combined helped me to address the curriculum standards during student teaching. Although in my classroom we set aside time each day to cover certain subject areas, everything ends up becoming integrated in some way particularly through language arts because it is so highly stressed. During a unit on the United States Government I made a bulletin board that incorporated integration of the different content areas. As a class we made a run chart of our government quizzes to see the improvement that the class as a whole had. I also put up rules that the students had made with each of their groups. These rules symbolized the central government that was in place for the thirteen colonies, which was a weak one due to the fact that each colony (table group) had different rules.
[Back to top]
Human Development and Learning
As a teacher, I truly believe that being an active learner is not only the job of our students but also ours. Every day new ideas about educating children are rising to the surface. If we teachers don’t seek out that information, then we are greatly failing our students. Our job is to give each student the best education that we can, and to do that we have to continue on with our own education. We have to see the relevance and importance of developing professionally.
I had the chance to reflect on my performance with my PDS liaison after his observations. He would come observe a lesson and take notes and afterwards we would get a chance to talk about what he had seen and what areas he wanted to see me improve in by the end of the student teaching experience. I feel that my evaluations from student teaching, and my midterm, demonstrate the improvement I made throughout the semester, as well as show my professional growth. I have also contributed to my professional development by attending and participating in the Illinois Reading Conference. This was an educational opportunity that gave me many ideas to implement in my classroom. I actually have used some of the strategies that I learned at the conference, and have made them a daily part of the classroom. However, this is an area I will continue to expand in as I conduct research in my classroom and attend conferences and workshops.
[Back to top]
Diversity
As a teacher you believe in the uniqueness in every learner, and that instruction should be matched to the particular learning needs, interests, personalities, of each student. To reach each student you have to see them as individuals who learn through different strategies and with the use of different resources. All teachers are well aware that students learn through different forms of instruction. (Visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile) Thus, every lesson should somehow contain these different learning modalities, to reach all learners.
During student teaching I really was able to put into practice the idea of differentiation. One lesson stands out very strongly in my mind. During math a lot of times it seems easy to fall into simply showing and then having students do worksheets to demonstrate weather they fully understand the concepts or not. This was something that I really tried to work on not doing. For a lesson on quadrilaterals I visually showed the students the new concepts by using the overhead. I was at the same time verbally talking to them about the different traits of the quadrilaterals. I then gave the students time to manipulate string and make the different shapes, which was to reach my tactile learners. Finally to reach my kinesthetic learners I had the students form quadrilateral shapes by laying on the ground and using their bodies. This lesson was effective and after assessment I was aware that it really did reach almost all of my learners.
[Back to top]
Planning for Instruction
As a teacher, when planning lessons it is extremely important that you connect the goals and objectives with the Illinois Learning Standards. These standards are set in place for a reason and thus should always be considered. Student interests are also high on the list when churning up lesson ideas. If a lesson is not going to grab the students attention, then it is not well planned. However, I do feel that just like every other aspect of the education world, I will continually be learning how to effectively plan for instruction as I increase my level experience. Things will change each year, depending on the class I have. New curriculum and technological advances will also influence what and how I teach. All I can do is stay abreast of new developments and do my best to relate what students are learning in school to their lives at home and future experiences that they might have.
When I first began planning the instruction for my full-time takeover I was very overwhelmed. This was due to the fact that my mentor teacher pointed out a huge cabinet of resources that I could utilize and I did not have a clue where to start. Gradually I started sorting through the materials and began to lay my plans out based on where the students were expected to be. However, when I actually began teaching I quickly learned that being flexible is important. Many activities had to be moved around or taken out altogether due to time constraints or level of readiness (on the student’s part). I also learned how fun it was to plan lessons. Some nights I would throw myself into my plans and I would get so excited that I couldn’t wait to teach them. With prepared lessons, that would engage students interests and meet state standards I felt armed and ready to impact my learners.
[Back to top]
Learning Environment
Classroom management is something that needs to be established in the first weeks of school because it lays that foundation of expectations. Those expectations should always be clear and consistent. To do that, teachers need to make sure that lines of communication are open between teachers and parents. This could be in the form of handbooks, phone calls, and weekly newsletters. Teachers should also communicate and share ideas with each other about what does and doesn’t work in their classrooms.
In my four years at ISU we were always talking about classroom management and how important it was. However, it was not until student teaching that I realized the true importance. The way that the classroom is managed truly does lay the foundation for the rest of the year. I feel that two of the most important elements of classroom management are being empathetic towards the students and giving the students choices. If we take the time to get to know our students then we can sometimes understand why they are misbehaving. When we approach them about the behavior we can explain that we understand why they did what they did, but at the same time they are not following the rules and there are consequences for breaking the rules. At this point I think that you should give the students a choice. For example if a student is throwing papers during an assemble they can either write an apology note to the presenter or they can stay in from recess and help to clean up the room where the assembly took place. I firmly believe that allowing students to have a choice in their consequences shows that you still respect the students and that you are also empathetic towards them.
[Back to top]
Instructional Delivery
There are so many possibilities to consider when deciding how you want to introduce any type of material to your students. What different types of learners are in your class? What diverse characteristics do you need to try and meet? The only way to effectively teach all of your students is to try a variety of strategies. Then as you begin to understand student’s personalities better and continually reflect on how well each lesson went, you will begin to see which methods work best. The way in which lessons are delivered is also probably going to change from year to year, depending on the type of students that you have and how they fit together as a class.
During my student teaching I was very flexible about the methods I used. I would plan lessons for the whole week, but then re-evaluate each day to see if the students understood the concepts I wanted to get across. IF they did, great! If not, my mentor teacher and I would discuss ways that I could re-teach the material. At the same time, we were also taking into consideration that some students had already grasped the concept and would need additional work to challenge them. Adapting lessons was something that I dealt with on a daily basis. Within my class, there were two extremely bright students who could finish an assignment in five minutes that would take the rest of the class twenty minutes to do. Therefore I was constantly finding enrichment work for them to do. At the other end of the scale, there was a student in my literacy class who I had to adapt spelling word lists for due to her lack of phonetic skills. During student teaching I learned so much about accommodating the needs of all my students and about the different methods that I am comfortable using. I know that I still have a lot more to learn, and will continue to try new ideas and learn from my experiences.
[Back to top]
Communication
Learning to effectively communicate with others requires practice. Throughout my four years at ISU, I have had an ample amount of time to develop these skills in classes where participation/discussion were essential. These classes incorporated written and visual communication, as well as verbal and non-verbal communication when actually giving presentations. I strongly believe that the way that a teacher communicates, weather it be written, verbally, or non-verbally, says a lot about who they are and what their expectations are. That is why it is so important to be able to effectively communicate in every way shape and form.
Yet, nothing can prepare you for all of the communicating you will do during student teaching. At times, verbal communication is just not an option because then you would have to be shouting over students’ voices to be heard. During my student teaching experience I employed many different strategies to get my students’ attention, such as chimes, turning lights off, a clapping pattern, etc. The majority of the time they responded well to these methods. However, during times when they were extremely rowdy I would just sit and wait for them to be quiet. I remember one time when a student looked at me and asked what I was doing. I replied that I was waiting for a turn to talk and asked if it would be all right to go ahead and explain the next activity. He gave me a funny look and said, “yes”. One of the neatest things was that while I was talking to this particular student the rest of the class quieted down.
Visual reminders also worked well in my classroom. We have something called “way to go cards” and if a student shows a behavior that should be rewarded we write a little note and put them on the students’ desks. They knew that when they had received a set number of cards they would receive extra recess time. It was something that worked really well because it did not draw attention to the student. It could quickly and quietly be placed on their desk as you walked by.
[Back to top]
Assessment
Assessment can take on many forms. Some assessment is more formal in nature where students are required to show what they know by writing an essay, completing homework, taking a test, or making a project, etc. Formal assessments are the paper and pencil things that students do, which teachers collect. This becomes evidence that they can show to others who want to know what theirs students are learning. Formal assessments are a way to hold teachers accountable for their students’ progress. There is also informal assessment, which is done mainly through observation and can occur on a daily basis. Informal observation/assessment helps determine what concepts students comprehend and what they are still struggling to understand. This type of informal assessment then helps to guide the development of future lessons. Both types of assessment are crucial because they provide valuable information to the classroom teacher and they will continue to influence how different lessons are implemented.
Assessment was a huge part of student teaching. During this time I used many different types of formal assessments. Some were mandated by the state, others I selected, adapted, or designed. The goal was to use as wide a variety as possible in order to best assess each student. After a unit on division I created a final test to determine how well the students were understood the concepts of division, and I also was given a specific formal assessment to give to the students while they worked on their 3-D math projects.
Even though these and many other formal assessments are worthwhile and can tell you a lot about individual students and the progress that they are making, I found that the informal assessment I did on a daily basis was most beneficial. I got to know more about my students and their personalities as I worked with each one via whole class instruction, small group, or on an individual basis. Using the knowledge that I gained from these informal assessments, I was able to determine what types of assessments students were more comfortable with. It also helped me to determine the progress we were making as a class on a more regular basis. For example, through the informal assessment that my mentor teacher and I did everyday just by observing the class, we were able to recognize that one of our students was a very auditory learner. He got distracted very easily and had difficulty completing written work. But if you were asking him questions that he could respond to orally he had no trouble. The assessments that I use will continue to evolve based on the resources that I have available. They will also reflect the curriculum goals and follow district guidelines.
[Back to top]
Collaborative Relationships
In teaching, collaborative relationships play a huge role in having a successful year. A teacher must be able to get along with other teachers at his/her grade level, teachers at other grade levels, support staff, administrators, etc. Being able to establish collaborative relationships and work with many different types of people is very important for any job, but particularly teachers because it helps to avoid teachers feeling isolated from the rest of the community around them. I have had some great experiences both at ISU and through my field placements. I only hope that I will continue to be blessed and be able to build strong collaborative relationships with the staff and parents at school where I teach.
During my student teaching semesters I was able to form many collaborative relationships with the staff members at my school because I showed others how excited I was to be at school each and every day. I got to know other teachers by attending staff meetings, eating lunch with them, and just taking a few minutes to smile and say hello if I saw then in the hallway. I also made it a point to attend special events going on at school. During my full phase take over I did a lot of planning with my mentor and other teachers in the building. This gave me a chance to share ideas and resources, as well as compare how different activities had gone. Planning together also allowed us to bring out classes together for special activities. For the Multicultural lesson I met with two other interns to come up with a day filled with centers, food samples, games and more. It was truly collaboration in its finest. Our mentors also popped their heads in on the planning process to add or comment on ideas. That collaboration helped bring together not only an amazing lesson, but only strengthened the professional relationships that I have built with these fellow staff members.
[Back to top]
Reflection and Professional Growth
Throughout the last four years here at Illinois State University, I have been taught how valuable reflection is to teachers. It brings many insights that you might have missed, if you had just dismissed the event and moved on. Without reflection a teacher is not attempting to make changes so that lessons can be more effective, and the classroom environment can be more conducive to learning.
As I began my student teaching, I found that you are constantly informally reflecting on your lessons and how they come across to the students. Though this type of reflecting you are able to pinpoint what went well, what needs to be clarified, what to do next, and so on. If seemed like everyday my teacher and I were saying to each other, “I liked how…went” or “Next time let’s try this”, etc. Reflection also carried over into the long car rides home. Each day when the carpool would come together we would share different things that had been going on in our classroom and how we had handled them, as well as asking for advice in how to handle certain situations.
Lastly, I had the chance to reflect on my performance with both my mentor and university liaison after their observations. They would observe me teach lessons and take notes and afterwards we would get a chance to talk about what was seen and what areas I could work on improving in by the end of the semester. I feel that my evaluations from student teaching demonstrate the improvements that I made throughout the semester. These improvements were made possible because of the time that was spent reflecting.
[Back to top]
Professional Conduct
A teacher has the ability to impact each and every student in the classroom, staff member in the district, and parent in the community. To make a positive impact a teacher has to be armed with the ability to make decisions that are best for all parties involved, especially when it comes to his or her students. Many decisions that teachers in elementary school make can lay the foundation for the route that education takes and plays in each students’ life. That is why it crucial that decisions made are both logical and fair.
As I began my student teaching I found that I constantly had to make decisions and that those decisions had a direct effect on my students’ lives. It seemed like every day I was seeing the effects of previous decisions that I had made. For example, I gave a long division mini quiz to my class. After I had graded it, I looked at the results and found that I had a handful of students who were not grasping the division concepts. I had planned on giving a test the next day, but knew that would not be fair to this handful of students. Instead, I decided to have a centers day. I broke the class up into 4 groups and the handful of students who were having trouble worked with my. The rest of the class rotated from computers, division facts, and multiplication facts. This decision was a successful one. When I did finally administer the final long division test, the students who had been having trouble no longer were confused. Even more, the students who had time to practice their division and multiplication facts did better on the timed tests. The decision seemed like a small one at the time, but when looking back on it, it was a decision that greatly impacted each learner in the room.