Classroom Reflection Analysis

My time spent in the Clinical setting, so far, has been extremely inciteful as to how to become a better educator in a classroom setting. Through the data I collected I was able to connect Borich’s Seven Variables of learning to the students. By being in the clinical setting for nearly two months, I have been exposed to new ways of thinking when it comes to structuring a classroom and instructing a classroom. Within this reflection you will find out how I would better plan an effective lesson for the pupils in my future classroom. You will also discover what I will do about certain issues in the classroom and how I will address/fix them.

For the final part of the project, me and the other students, plus the teachers and aides met in the classroom on Monday morning to reflect on the project. During the final round table teachers expressed some concern with communication. I think they felt like it was difficult to communicate with us students since they did not have any contact information from us. A great suggestion was made during the meeting to make a google document that would include all of our contact information as well as updates and information about the all the children who the teachers were concerned about. I feel like this would be beneficial for both the students and the teachers in order to contact each other more easily and to get updates on the children efficiently. During the course of the semester, I felt like the students and the teachers were not on the same page due to the issues of contacting each other. For instance, when me and partner would get to the preschool we sometimes would be unable to fully observe or coach during our time due to other activities happening in the classroom. For example, one time me and my partner came and an employee from the public library was there for her weekly reading activity. I felt a little surprised by this novel situation, but my partner and I would try and adjust our plan to make it feasible to the new situation.

During this out-of-the-classroom activity, I chose to attend 1 Million Cups. This is a free, weekly national program designed to educate, engage, and connect entrepreneurs. 1MC is developed by the Kauffman Foundation with different foundations located across the country in order to inform and inspire current or future entrepreneurs. The two speakers that presented during the session on Wednesday September 27 were Jenn with Next Gen Summit, and Simeon Talley with Rad Incubator.

On the morning on September 29th, 2017, uncertainty, anxiety, and excitement were three of the best words to portray my emotions. I was uncertain of what my role within the classroom would be and how the students would receive my presence; I was anxious to commence this new experience and put my classroom knowledge to the test to further my education; But, most of all, I was excited to meet the students that would ultimately begin my long career in making a difference in kids’ lives through education.

Scenario: I’m teaching a third-grade class of 20 total students. The class consists of the following population:

In my position as a vice president of curriculum programs, I visit many diverse educational settings in public and charter schools, both large urban and small rural districts. Daily, I face issues of race, gender, culture, socioeconomic class, and disability. Because I work with diverse students and a multicultural workforce, my reflection regarding powerful social and cultural influences leads me to two different conclusions. The first is that many children in the schools I visit are disadvantaged. They are born into immigrant and transient families and live in communities that rank in the lowest socio-economic strata in the country.

As part of the district’s goal to increase student engagement in the classroom, teachers are asked prioritize relationships when handling discipline rather than to use solely punitive measures. To support this initiative, the district has called upon Dr. JoAnn Freiberg from the State Department of Education. For the past two years, Dr. Freiberg has provided training to all administrators and any new teacher entering the district. The idea is to create the capacity amongst staff to use strategies that will allow students to recognize their wrongdoing and think about what they can do differently in future situations. This notion requires a shift in mindset away from simply punishing students every infraction.

On November 6th, 2017 at Fulton County Juvenile Court Center. Upon my arrival at the building, I was immediately asked to see my ID, but I had left all my items in the car so the two officer had to make sure that I did not have a phone and proceeded to let me enter the court house through a metal detector and asked me to place my notebook in a gray box to be sent through a dual-energy X-ray system. As I walked in the courtroom, it took me by surprise of how the set-up was because I was thinking that it would look like the courtrooms that are presented on television. Although, this set-up was very different. In the courtroom they had a total of four benches on the right side and three on the left side. Most of the probation officer, school counselors, and other people that were working on the behalf of the juvenile defendant were sitting on the left side of the room and that is where I decided to sit as well. There were no raised layers except for the judge. There was no defendant box, but there were two stands on each side facing towards the judge for both parties. While observing the people that were coming in for a hearing it took me by surprise that none of the young adults or parents were in business causal clothing. Majority of the cases that were being heard were dealing with the African American ethnicity.

2) Describe a time when you were on a team that was dysfunctional in some regard. How did you address the situation? (Teamwork)

The compelling question that I plan on using for my inquiry lesson is; “What are some important physical and behavioral adaptations that help animals survive in their environment? Students will work in pairs to investigate two animals in a symbiotic relationship, for example, Oxpecker birds and Zebras. Students will research the animal’s habitat, the animal’s physical and behavioral adaptation and how it helps the animal survive and how the animals interact with nonliving and living things.

This semester has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride for me, but with many, many more highs then lows. My first semester in the College of Education, has reaffirmed what I originally believed; I was meant to be an educator and I want this more than anything in the world. At moments, I was scared to follow through or was discouraged, but other moments in the Cohort and in the classrooms, are moments that stay with you for the rest of your career. I can honestly say that every day I was in the classroom with my kids and supporting them during their educational journey was a highlight, but one specific highlight comes to mind when looking back. While I was always there helping the kids out and supporting my teacher mentor, I was given my

I previously stated a general idea of my assessment for my future classroom in a previous assignment. But in this assignment, I will breakdown the specifics and values of each assessment and go into detail about assessments that I did not address for the complete breakdown of my classroom learning. As a math teacher, I know that math is a pretty ridged subject in comparison to other subjects and the summative assessments come fast and numerous. I have had some math teachers who I feel are my mentors and plan to reflect some of the aspects of my classroom assessments off how they structure theirs. The gist is to categorize the various parts of the total makeup of the grade. A student’s grade will be broken down into the following sections in which each of them have varying point values and weight percentages for the end result: homework, participation, queries, quizzes, and tests.

As I am studying to become an elementary teacher, I am discovering new strategies and disciplines that have helped me become a more active learner and efficient educator. I admire the saying; we teach what we learn. From my elementary education program and classroom field experiences, I have learned that what might work for one student may not work for another. As a future educator, I believe it is essential to continue to fill my teacher toolbox with research, exploration, and application of new methods and approaches to find what best fits the needs of my students. If I discover an activity or strategy that has worked for me personally or has been scientifically proven to work, I am more open to implementing it

When Mr. Gibson came in to speak with us today about how he goes about teaching his classes, or getting along with the kids in his class, formulating lesson plans, etc. I was taking down a lot of notes, I had viewed Mr. Gibson as a strong, authoritative figure, with a bright sense of humor when it came to certain things about our class or perhaps people that he had recognized A lot of the little things mean a lot to Mr. Gibson because he is learning every day. He loves that he gets paid to help people by using his belief system and his teaching had clicked Even more when he became a parent. Mr. Gibson makes sure that the “Bellwether” Kids are always focusing in his class. As your kids worry about their home, when they arrive at school and

While reading through the innovations and strategies offered in the sections entitled, “Structural Innovations” and “Innovations to Improve Academic Learning,” I was able to reflect on my current teaching style. Consequently, I reexamined the areas of class size, the implementation of a school uniform, creating spatial competences, and the utilization of technology in the classroom. Each of these strategies has the potential to increase my students’ success.