Standard #3 – Learning Environments
The teacher candidate works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
Summer 2015: I am most excited to use integrated teaching techniques in my classroom. Beginning with a co-teaching model in my clinical experience, my teaching career has the potential to be one integrated with others, far from the traditional vision of a classroom. I hope to use proven instructional techniques to engage learners in the subject area and encourage them to be life long learners.
Autumn 2015: Our classroom is set in a laboratory which easily lends itself to being a collaborative working environment. The fact that there are two of us teachers in the same room also allows for the use of co-teaching techniques, such as parallel teaching, station teaching, supplemental teaching and team teaching. One particularly great day we used alternated teaching to how to solve stoichiometry problems. We offer multiple kinesthetic learning activities that are not labs, as well as randomized board work for all students. We ask our upper level students to develop their autonomy by seeking help from us before and after school as needed, reading the textbook without it being assigned, as well as using new equipment and techniques in the lab that they haven’t used in previous years. We are preparing college bound students, and we do not take that task lightly.
Spring 2016: Planning for instruction has not wavered throughout this entire preparation program from being my most favorite aspect of teaching. After careful consideration, I have concluded that I most enjoy planning for a student led classroom. The onus of planning lies on me, but the execution of learning rests on the students. There can be resistance from students who aren’t used to working in such an environment, but with guidance and clear expectations, students become accustomed to it. Because of this we work frequently with partners and in small groups, together at the board and with think-pair-share activities.