Meaningful Connection

As every individual is unique, getting to understand the students’ characteristics, knowledge and cultural background are essential requirements for encouraging their development and learning (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2012). In order to achieve the above requirements, a strong and positive relationship with students is the effective way for teachers to build up a holistic picture of a student (Groundwater-Smith, Ewing & Le Cornu, 2015a; Nixon & Gould, 2005). The various recorded interactions and observations between teachers and students made during the professional experience, have helped me to understand how students learn and have strengthened my ability to plan and implement lessons (Arthur et al., 2012).

This notion and method of getting to know your students is supported by Craven (n.d., para. 4) in which she states “good things for students to share are information about their families, hobbies and interests, and any other fun facts… [in] building your classroom community”.

If they all work together the classroom will not only be a positive environment, but the goals that have been set will be achieved. High-quality teachers are important to have in any school district because they can really make a difference on our student’s life. We need to realize that our students are our future and it is important that they use what they have learned so they can learn to face the world properly with the different type of skills they have learned in school. Some students face complications, but educators are their to help students get through anything. It is always important to ask questions and to ask for help. This is something we encourage most at the Rolla Public School

Most of the students in my culturally diverse school enter my classroom with wisdom and knowledge from their home experiences that can be used to expand their learning even further. The positivity from the learning in my classroom are exponentially greater when my students feel the appreciation and respect that I have for the rich cultural value that their family contributes to the ever-growing educational environment. I believe that young children learn best in a relational, interactive mode rather than focusing on the simple rote instruction.

social interaction and building a good relationship with one another. I do notice that that themes the teacher

It will be important that I have a good understanding of where each student comes from. For student’s similar to Jacinta and Rosa, I will want to create a positive relationship with both the student and the parents. Communication is key when trying to work with the parents in sustaining a positive relationship. To communicate with parents, I might set up a parent teacher conference, send home newsletters, phone calls, or even a home visit. By communicating with parents, I will be able to get know the student even better, which will help me help the student become successful in the classroom.

Teachers are the people who are supposed to make all the concepts fit together and explain it to the students in a way they can comprehend. I’ve had teachers who’ve been successful at this task and those who are not so successful. As a teacher, it’s very important to make sure to consider others. Going back to the beginning where I want my students to know that I would do anything to help them succeed not just thinking of myself. Previously, in the years I was in school, a teacher of mine got upset at me for not reading as well as other kids when I read aloud. The teacher made me read a dictionary front to back until the time I had to go home, I didn’t really do it because I had a lot of trouble. Looking back now I wonder why she didn’t just help me

Connection: Connection is the feeling of belonging or exclusion. It is the feeling of either being part of a bigger community such as a fandom or a smaller one such as personal or romantic relationships. For me, the feeling of connection occurs in both celebrity fandoms and personal relationships. For example, when we all choose our friends, we tend to gravitate to those who have the same interest us as. Whether its going out and partying all night or staying at home and binge watching shows, we tend to find the one that fits us exceptionally well. So, when me and my friend decided that we will both liked the same band, it was a deep connection we shared. not only did it give us something to talk about, but it gave us a sense of belonging

To get the top of whatever field you pursue whether it be art, politics, or business you have to know the ins and the outs. I also can relate this to playing monopoly or poker because to be able to come out on top you have to be able to deceive and bluff your way to win the game. I relate this to myself because to get through high school and continue on to college you need the support of a plethora of people for recommendations for scholarships or just for the application. I treat every single one of my teachers with respect so that when it came down for me having to ask them for a recommendation it wouldn't to difficult a task for them to be able to write it because they know my character. Connections is one of the most important thing in

I chose to teach the lesson on pages 62 and 63, Connecting to Feelings, because I felt that is would be appropriate and work well with both of my children, who are in kindergarten and third grade. I felt that you can make this activity easier for younger students and then ask older students to add more details, so it was a great fit for my two children. We also have a lot of feelings going around in this house because daddy was preparing to leave this week and flew off today for about a month for work ups to deploy next February. Also, feelings are something that every child has and this is a topic that is easy for them to connect to and write about.

I feel that there are many things one can learn from other’s stories, reason being, we as human beings are constantly curious of the unknown or unexperienced. This curiosity often causes us to imagine ourselves in similar situations to those stories and in doing so we make mental connections to our own stories. I believe we as a species have a yearning to connect with individuals and the things around us. That being said, most of our lives are molded from stories of others, whether it be our parents, a close friend or even someone whom we’ve never met. Whom I am and the person I continually evolve into being is constantly being influenced by the world around me and those individuals whom I feel the most connection with. This

Attending the University of Maryland has truly allowed me to internalize the importance of cultural inclusiveness. UMD is a very large campus that was dedicated to creating a learning environment center around inclusiveness. The four years I have spent at this school has expanded my knowledge of living and working in a diverse society. Being a culturally responsive teacher does not simply means treating all students the same regardless of their background. As a teacher, I will actively work towards gaining insight on my students’ background. What will come naturally to be is my use of inclusive language and my ability to hold open dialogue with my students and their family. I am aware that individuals from different background may hold different values and family traditions. Because of this, I will have to be open-minded and speak in a manner that allows my students and their parents to know that I have the absolute best interest of their child in mind. In summary, what I believe will come naturally to me is being culturally conscious, having affirming views of my students despite their background, and knowing about the

needs are met and they feel as if they are respected by the teacher. Mutual respect is once again

When I think about my role as a teacher, one of the most important things I consider is the relationships I build with my students, parents, colleagues, and community members. In the classroom, I need to ensure that I create a safe, loving, and positive learning environment. In order to make all students feel welcome, I get to know their names, the correct pronunciation and spellings, learning their culture and background, and their

In order to develop strong relationships with my students, colleagues, and parents, I plan to do a variety of little things to yield big results. The relationship that teachers have with students is vital to the classroom environment. In “You’ve Got to Reach Them to Teach Them,” Mary Kim Schrek writes that “the human encounter between teacher and student is often a more powerful teaching tool than the academic content, the grade, the data analysis, and the hours spent picking apart the curriculum” (Schrek, 2011, p. 5). In order to establish such relationships, I plan to follow a four-step procedure that I read about in an article by Nina Sears on the National Education Association’s website. Sears’ article suggests that a teacher “get to know their students, individualize the curriculum, watch what they say, and keep trying to reach students” (Sears, 2014). As an attempt to get to know my students, I will create a little survey on the first day of school for each student to fill out; questions would include asking my students what their favorite color is or what type of books they like to read. By doing this, I will learn about my students’ likes and dislikes and how to use their answer in the curriculum.