Standard 2
The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
View all my artifacts for Standard 2
Reflection 2016:
The teacher uses their understanding of their student’s differences and diverse backgrounds to ensure that the school is an wide-ranging learning environment, that supports, allows, and aids each student to meet a set of high standards.
As preservice teacher, I have learned that each student brings a set of unique and personal experiences, abilities, talents, prior learning, and interactions to the classroom. No two students are exactly the same, they each have their own personal strengths, weaknesses, and experiences, and those are what have shaped them into the students that they are. In the Spring of 2014 for Practicum 266, I had one student who was a straight C and D student, but she was very lucky to have three different teachers, in the special education department, that worked endlessly with her, while making sure that she “owned” her own work. To the three of us it was important that she felt as if she was still in charge of her own education, and it was not just us forcing her to complete her assignments. By doing this, the girls grades went from straight C’s and D’s, to almost consistently getting all A’s and B’s, what she needed and wanted was someone, to reassure her that she was smart enough to finish assignments, and that someone believed in her.
All my life I have learned many lessons from two of my aunts who are both elementary school teachers, in La Porte, Indiana. They have both had so many different families over the years, and each year they say that their classroom has become more diverse than the year before. Each student will have a different achievement level, a different family background, a different finance situation, and a myriad of other factors that we do not know about. They always taught me that even though, these are factors, that have made our students who they are—you cannot treat them any differently than other students, otherwise you are making their background out to be a disability. As a freshman in college, I conducted an interview for my English 104 class, and in this interview, I spoke with one of my high school science teachers; they told me that one of the best things that you can do as a teacher, is to step back and look at everything from a student’s point of view. As a student when you have a teacher, who you can tell does not care, or have your best interest at heart, you tend to shut down, that is why it is so important to incorporate differences, but not put precedence of differences, over the student themselves.
Since each student is different, my goal as a teacher, is not to just teach in one way. Over the years, I have come to realize that there is no one perfect way to teach a lesson, a lesson need to reflect the group of students that are placed in front of you. I am able to teach each and every one of my students; like the individuals they are, instead of a class of 25 of the same people (every year). We have very high expectations for each one of our students, and because of this one thing that I find really helpful is using KWL charts, I would word with my students to create one every month. However, I would focus more on the “want to learn” section (the W in KWL), this way I am grabbing and creating a list of items that each one of my students is interested in. I know that I cannot be limited to teach only what they want to know. However, if I can find out what they want to learn, I will be able to make create and gear most, if not all of my lessons towards the interest of my student’s, intern, ensuring that I will maintain most, if not all of my student’s attention.