Classroom Reflection

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.

LP 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 are evident in this teaching session.

Education is the key to many doors. The way one uses that education allows for many different doors to be unlocked. The student I am today and will be in the future is a direct result of my journey through different doors into who I am no. Whether it was procrastinating throughout high school, studying hard in college, or planning courses for a new semester, each choice is a door leading to the next room.

Question 1. How do you make work more meaningful to your students? What motivators are you currently using with your students? Examine the climate in your classroom. What would you change to make it better?

My passion about teaching and my students motivated me to learn more about teaching. So, I really have to admit that I enjoyed this course a lot and I was so excited to take this course to know more about the teaching strategies used and the techniques of the classroom management.

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

When I arrived to my classroom today, Mrs. Beach’s students were still at their special. This gave us about ten minutes to talk about my upcoming less. Mrs. Beach would like me to teach my lesson on October 24. I am not certain which standard I will be teaching, but I do know that I will be teaching students how to solve story problems using the standard subtraction algorithm. I am excited to teach this lesson, but I am also very nervous because I don’t know exactly how to introduce this topic to the students. At 10:10 A.M., the students returned to the classroom, grabbed their math baskets and sat down at their desks. I am constantly amazed at how well behaved these students are. I cannot to learn more about the management strategies that Mrs. Beach implements in her class.

This learning experience supported the science content area physics. It provided the children with opportunity to collaborate as a group to work together to problem-solve. My focus for this lab was to build and construct ramps and pathways in the outside play yard. I implemented technology by letting the children watch a YouTube video about constructing ramps and pathways to generate new knowledge about the activity. They used marbles to travel down the ramps, while recycled bottles and PVC piping were used to make bridges and underpasses. I planned this lesson to connect to some of the children’s prior knowledge about using this type of track. When the children began using the tracks in the outside play yard they chose to put their ramps off landscaping rocks. This gave them the ability to secure the ramp at the top as well as the ability to build bridges and underpasses on the ground. This activity immediately ignited their language such as, “let me try this, I have an idea, what about this, how about if we do this” which demonstrated that the children were engaged in the inquiry process. The learning standards this activity supported was; 3.2 PK.B.1 Explore and describe the motion of toys and objects. AL.1 PK.A Explore and ask questions to seek meaningful information about a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

As stated in Everston & Emmer “teachers who have good rapport with their students get better cooperation and have a more positive classroom climate” (2017, pp 12). As in life, building strong relationships allows all parties to interact with meaning and learn from each other. When teaching there are two parties that are very different that you are trying to work along and ensure that each has the knowledge and support they need to feel comfortable with you as a teacher and a mentor to their children. Each teacher has different strengths that allow them to connect with their students and engage in learning. Some of my strengths that would be brought to the classroom, and why I feel I would do best with a younger population are my openness,

On September 25, 2017, I was unable to participate in class due to an infection. However, I was able to observe and evaluate the others in class. This opportunity allowed myself to view the students’ body alignment, challenges, and the ability of picking up phrases. Not only did I observe the students, but I tried to imagine myself in the space and wonder what would have been difficult for me.

Dr. Karen Lea (2016) stated that aggressive behavior has been shown to grow from overly severe and punitive parenting, association with highly aggressive peers, and heavy viewing of television and film violence. Several of my students have clearly experienced such environmental influences which have led to the development of attention seeking behaviors, violent behaviors, poor attitudes towards school and learning, truancy, and below average academic progress. My students have also faced poverty, close family ties to gang activity, death or incarceration of a parent, lack of parental supervision, abuse, hunger, online bullying, inconsistent friendships, and rape.

The teacher that I have selected for my interview, is one that I have previously used for an assignment in this class. Mrs. Shore teaches freshman Biology, and is a coworker of mine at the ninth grade academy in which I am employed. Mrs. Shore’s classroom management style is one that is very similar to what I had discussed in my reports over the length of this class. She uses a fun, energetic environment, while at the same time clearly depicting expectations about student behavior. She explained to me that she believes talking with students and gaining an understanding about what type of environment works best for them, and then molding numerous styles together. When discussing discipline issues, she notified me that her most difficult challenge is deciding when to punish a student. Mrs. Shore explained that it is vital to be invested in students and know when grace needs to be given, and when discipline actions need to be taken because students can be adversely affected by their home lives and many other factors. She continued to explain that multiple factors should be taken into account before deciding if a student truly deserves to be punished. Another thing that I enjoy about Mrs. Shore is her classroom environment. When walking into Mrs. Shores classroom students are not greeted with desk, but rather a variety of table styles and around the tables students will find large rolling desk chairs. The setup of Mrs. Shores class is what stood out to me the most. Her tables and chairs provide a sense of comfort while also allowing students to learn in an environment different from the traditional school setting. Mrs. Shore explained that she tries to provide a sense of safety and fun to her students.

This lesson took place at Lawton Elementary, which sits in Oviedo, FL. The second grade class is predominately Caucasian with a few minorities. In the class, there are 11 girls and 7 boys. The class gets along with one another fairly well. I chose this lesson because the topic was aligned with the timeline of the school’s math book and framework. Furthermore, I wanted to try to add art into the math curriculum because there’s a misconception that the arts cannot be integrated into the math curriculum. I liked this lesson because it seemed like a fun way for students to become creative and to visualize a math symbol in a different way. I like that students can view something in multiple perspectives and views.

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

There are several revolutions in the classroom including: technology, flexible seating in bigger classroom settings, student lead discussions, group based testing, team lead for grades with meetings, and frequent hands on project based learning. I think a lot of these modern classroom changes have been implemented in the district. Not in every school but in most. I know in my school we have all of the above and I can see how these changes have helped in the learning process.