Teacher Reflection

Education will always be the primary source of student’s success in the workforce, community, nationwide and globally. Teachers carry the weight of ensuring students are learning what is required to become productive members of society. As a teacher, the success of my students is the most important goal. There are so many pedagogies, philosophies, strategies, and materials teachers are able to use to be productive in the classroom. Every teacher has their own preferred

The goal in every math classroom is for students to achieve automaticity, flexibility, and ultimately accuracy. For each student to excel in the classroom, he or she must first have strong foundational skills in place. This process was challenging for me, but not because I did not understand the needs of the student or how to remediate. The challenge for me, was that I was placed in a kindergarten classroom and struggled to find someone that would provide me with student errors to complete this assignment. Therefore, my reflection is one of an outsider, who has not had the privilege of working with the students or seeing the teacher in action in the classroom. My experience consisted of receiving weekly texts of student work to review, analyze, identify errors, and provide insight to how I would remediate in the classroom.

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.

Successful teaching occurs when the teacher is able to select the most efficient method for reaching out to each student’s individual style of learning and inspire students to rise to their highest potential. While the responsibilities of a teacher are extensive (as one can serve as a teacher, a friend, a counselor, a disciplinarian, an entertainer, a facilitator), I believe that students should play a big part in shaping own education as well.

It bears mentioning that I care a great deal about excellence in instruction. My pedagogical stance is based in the power of the narrative. Whether I am teaching multivariate statistics, persuasion, research design or social and behavioral attributes of public health—I approach it as though I have a story to tell. I want students to learn, of course, but I also want them to be inspired to be their “best self”. I firmly believe that students are our most valued asset. If students believe the school to be their “home” and the people within the school

| Priority:3 I ranked this professional deposition at number 3 because it is important to realize that teachers should be committed to the profession of teaching and learning by being professionally active lifelong learners. (COE GCU-Framework 2013)Profession development opportunities should reflect the latest research in pedagogy and instructional strategy . (COE-GCU-Framework 2013) This increases teacher’s sense of self- efficacy and as a result the teacher’s motivation to learn new instructional strategies which are consistent ant to their beliefs and practices . Therefore raising the student’s ability to achieve in learning.

It is essential for the East Three Secondary School teachers of the Grades 7 -9 students to become familiar with the format, content, and pace of the course before attempting to conduct the sessions. These staff members will require time to meet, discuss, and prepare for the implementation of the course using the resources available for downloading at no cost by Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (2015). Not unlike other new programs started at the school, training for the CWS course will be included as part of the school-directed teacher in-service time or non-instructional time where teachers have days in the school calendar without teaching duties.

1. What went well today? Provide 3 specific examples of children’s actions/comments that occurred during self-selected activities. What evidence do you have for your conclusion? DO NOT use the words, “loved, liked, enjoyed;” rather describe the evidence of children’s reactions to the learning experience.

Coe writes that spiritual formation involves “[joining] in following my example, and [observing] those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (Phil. 3:17). In other words, through relationships with their parents, children learn spirituality first from their parents, observing and copying how they deal with issues, walk in a spiritual journey, and more. The parent’s role is to awaken the God-given capacities and desires as they interact with their children so that they can form healthy attachments to God as well.

In the opening chapters of my dissertation, I acknowledge the invaluable contribution of my mentors: my committee chair Jelena Subotic and committee members Charles Hankla and Andrew Wedeman. What made my mentors exemplary teachers was their devotion to their students and to their profession. In and outside the classroom my mentors helped me develop my ability to assess, create, and articulate ideas and think independently, which propelled my academic growth. They also developed strong curriculums with the knowledge to support it, set high academic standards, and built trust among their students. My mentors set an exceptional model for me to follow and thus shaped my pedagogical philosophy, which involves teaching my students to think independently, to respect intellectual diversity, and always be open to learn, while I uphold high academic standards in the classroom, never stop learning, and lead students by example.

Throughout this class, I have been able to rediscover a part of myself that has been hidden away since high school. When I decided to attend the University of Northern Iowa and become a Biology BS and a Biochem BS major, I in a way decided to put to death part of the old me that I liked. I was an entertainer, and this class has helped bring that out in me again.

I have been working in Mrs. Bogner’s 5th grade classroom at Columbus Elementary in Edwardsville, IL. The class itself has a mix of different learning abilities, ranging from very low level students to very high level students. Although it is not considered an inclusion class, there are have multiple students in our classroom who spend a majority of the school day in a special resources classroom where they get extra help in subjects such as math, reading, and English, but then come back into our classroom for subjects such as social studies and science. Certain students may go to the special resource class for just one subject, while other students go in for multiple. My CT classifies all of the students in the class into three different level learning groups for each subject: average, which is the normal 5th grade level, above average or high, and below average or low. When picking a student to work with, my CT and I decided it would be a perfect opportunity for me to work with a lower-level math student who struggles with most concepts. By doing this, I would not only be getting my assignment done, but I would also be helping him with the assignment itself and making sure he was answering the problems correctly. After working through the assignment with him, I reported back to my CT about any concepts he struggled with so she could know what he still needs a little extra work on.

During May 2016, School of Visual Art and Design Professors Amanda Wangwright and Mary Robinson led a group of Honors students on a ten day Global Classroom Program to Japan. Professors and students travelled to the historic city of Kyoto and the modern metropolis of Osaka in addition to day trips to the smaller cities of Nara and Uji. While in Japan, the class visited World Heritage Sites and studied firsthand Japanese cultural and religious practices and architecture. Furthermore, the class produced their own art while abroad at a washi papermaking workshop at the Kyoto University of Art and Design and at modern artist Haruka Furusaka's printmaking studio.

Teaching can be a challenge, you never know what to expect and each classroom will be unique. However, you will always have to be prepare for teaching in a situation you may not be comfertable with. Educating students and practicing proper knowledge on subjects such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation and disability are vital in creating a safe and respectful classroom for all. School is often looked upon as a place of security for students and it is our job as teachers to help maintain that status.

When the day to day tasks of a teacher becomes dull and not amusing, this is known as being in a rut. After countless assignments of rambling on about lazy teachers, the conciseness is that teachers give up because they lose their spark for education. Although this is not the main topic discussed in Linda Christensen’s “Introduction” to Teaching for Joy and Justice, it is necessary to tie lose ends up before continuing into further discussion. Yes, there are teachers that are lazy and only care about themselves, however, there are also teachers that care more about their students. These are the teachers that need to be talked about, because without them the whole educational system would be ruined.