Quality Standard Two:
Teachers establish a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for a diverse population of students.
Standard || Reflection:
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Element A: Teachers foster a predictable learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior and efficient use of time in which each student has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults and peers.
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Element B: Teachers demonstrate an awareness of a commitment to, and a respect for multiple aspects of diversity, while working toward common goals as a community of learners.
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Element C: Teachers engage students as individuals, including those with diverse needs and interests, across a range of ability levels by adapting their teaching for the benefit of all students.
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Element D: Teachers work with families and/or significant adults in the lives of their students.
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Reasoning Statement: Every day in class, students independently read a book of their own choosing, and then complete a reading journal based on what they have done that day. Doing this allows students to get into the mode of learning in the classroom, but also know that they do not automatically have to speak as soon as they enter the class. We are also able to sit in proximity with them, talk about their books and even help them pick at a new one. For me, this helps me build relationships with my students and also allows me to know what their interests are, and I can place that into lessons.
Reasoning Statement: During our Tolerance unit, students were ale to read the text The Greenies. Through this text, and many others similar to it, students were able to have a variety of discussions for the importance of how tolerance is important, and how the diversity in our classroom shows how far we have come, but also how far we still need to go. In this discussion in particular, I was able to help guide student thinking as well as show the similarities between movements they may know BLM, Slavery, and the Holocaust and show how the lack of tolerance allows horrible things to happen to those that may not look the same as you.
Reasoning Statement: For review of figurative language, 7th and 8th grade students are able to write a poem of their own choosing to present to the class. With giving them this personal freedom to decide on what to write and how to write it, with certain guidelines, it allows students to have the creative freedom while also showing things that matter to them as an individual. This also gives them the ability to show their understanding of lessons in a variety of different ways.
Reasoning Statement: During parent teacher conferences, I was able to talk to parents about how their students did over the quarter. Besides talking about things they could improve on, we also discussed things such as how they help the class, or build relationships with students. This allows students to know that we don't just talk to parents for negative behavior, but also positive behavior as well.
Standard Reflection
When looking at this standard, I feel like this was my weakest part when going into student teaching. While I felt like I had a variety of texts under my belt that I could use, I was wondering how I could transfer this into the classroom without making students feel like their voices aren't being represented. However, there are a lot of texts that could help show the voices of other students, but relate to everyone in the classroom in someway. Through building relationships with students, and through an extension their parents, it also builds classroom culture and shows students that they can be brave by sharing their thoughts and feelings. Building this with students takes a long time, especially if you are coming into the classroom and they do not know you. However, I was very lucky to have students that were excited to have me, and wanted to ask me questions about myself. Building that bridge takes two people; both you and the students, and as a teacher I felt as though I did a decent job making those connections. So my growth was able to happen thanks to my students.
However, the one thing I do want to work on is making those connections to parents and others in the community. While I was very happy to talk to a couple parents during parent-teacher conferences, I didn't feel like I made as much of a connection as I could have. Once I move into my own classroom, I would like to connect with parents/guardians a little more often in order to build that relationship with them. I think when I begin to build these relationships with parents, then I can build an even better relationship with their students.