A. I can still vividly remember my elementary school experience and all the teachers I had from kindergarten to sixth grade. I have never been a vocal student in class and usually just listen to what is going on in the classroom. I have been this way since I started elementary school and my mother still remembers my kindergarten teacher telling her that I needed to speak more in class if I wanted to pass the year. Later on in elementary school I would begin to participate more, but not all the time and only when I felt comfortable. I would interact with teachers usually only when I needed help with work and then would just keep to myself or interact with other classmates.
The teacher I liked the most was my sixth grade homeroom teacher Ms.
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The three standards from the Portrait of a Teacher that I most want to strive towards are numbers four, seven, and eight. Standard four revolves around taking account issues about class, gender, race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, age, and special needs, which I find to be extremely important. My elementary school was predominantly Hispanic with many immigrant students who were just beginning to learn English. These students would need extra help in order to fully understand their coursework, and should not be degraded by teachers by being told to only speak English in the classroom. Another way to degrade students is by showing heteronormative behavior in the classroom. It became a teacher goal of mine to avoid doing this after a class discussion where a classmate of mine talked about how her and her wife were mistreated by their daughter’s teacher because of their sexual orientation. The teacher did not take into consideration that not every one of her students has a mother and a father and spoke in a heteronormative way. The teacher would make flyers and tell her students to inform their mothers and fathers, instead of saying parent, parents, or guardian. This would have been more inclusive, and is what my classmate wanted but the teacher said that their relationship was not normal. As a teacher I will try my hardest to be inclusive in order for no student to feel out of place and as though they cannot
An educator must have the ability to notice the value of extending planning and subject matter. In addition, educators need to be flexible enough to change the curriculum based upon state standards and the student’s ability to absorb information.
As an educator one must understand that the children you will be teaching will all come from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, different homes with different values. No one student will be the same, and no one student will learn the same. The role of a modern educator is to harness this idea of diversity and channel it into a positive learning atmosphere for children of all backgrounds. “I define culturally responsive teaching as using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them” (Gay, 2013, p.50.). The hope for all teachers is to capture the minds of their children, as educators we must learn how our students learn, adapt to their skill set and channel our curriculum to their strength.
The numbers of standards directly related to ABE are increased, but the suggestions for the “Respects for Diversity Education” are not in the program book. A kindergarten teacher might utilize S1 and S2 to create activities, which might increase the self-awareness of the children and family pride, which exactly match with the first goal of ABE. While I was working, I created a wall for the family photograph’s, and invited the parents of the students in to my classroom. By applying S6 and S8 into a kindergarten curriculum, the teacher might create opportunities to their students to become more aware and respect the other individuals, who have different characteristics. Then the teacher should create an environment to discuss how to protect others’ right, when they against discriminatory actions. In this way, the teacher will be empowering the students’ skills to speak up for others to protect them, which is the last goal of ABE. Lastly, the teachers might apply S9 to their lesson plans to deeply discuss the culture of children, but first the teacher should become cognizant about the cultural background of the each student. With my current knowledge on ABE, I would confidently create an ABE in a kindergarten setting by using aforementioned five social emotional
While differentiating instruction and being able to design lessons geared towards the needs of diverse learners are currently highly prized skills for teachers, this has not always been the case. The history of education in the United States is a history of segregation. Even today, schools and curriculum are designed to meet the needs of a core group of students, which does not include students with disabilities (Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose, & Jackson, 2002). In the past, learners who were different, out of the mainstream, or did not fit into the mold to which teachers taught (were not part of the core) learned how or lost out on learning. This is not to say that teachers of the past did not care about their students, about being effective teachers, or about student learning. However, as schools are mirrors reflecting mainstream societal norms (Chartock, 2010; Delpit, 2006)—and, given that our society has not always valued diversity in people, be it due to disability, class, culture, or race—teachers in the past have largely focused their efforts where they could earn the largest return on their investment: the average student .
As I read these articles, I agreed with almost everything that was said. The Great Teacher Question: Beyond Competencies, by Edward R. Ducharme begins with a sentence that basically sums up my reason for teaching, “I begin this essay by defining a great teacher as one who influences others in positive ways so that their lives are forever altered” (Ducharme, 1991 p. 2). Over the course of a student’s education they will have many teachers, but there are maybe only one or two who are THE teacher. The teacher who impacts this child’s life in a positive way forever. The rest of the articles follow this same theme, suggesting ways that teachers can become THE teacher. One of the most important qualities I found in these articles (and one I
Students who are enrolled in elementary schools with a diverse population usually develop an understanding of insights and perspectives of children from different backgrounds and learn to function in a multiethnic, multicultural environment (Morrissey, 2014). Therefore, students need to learn how to interact in diverse environments. Teachers face challenges of making lessons and instructions “culturally responsive” for all students to avoid favoritism (Griner, 2012). Some students’ cultural backgrounds may have a negative impact on them in a modern classroom (Burt, 2013). It is imperative for elementary school teachers to be knowledgeable of different cultural beliefs and practices to help students adjust to traditional classrooms (Nigma, 2015). Defining the
Standard I- Teachers understand student learning and development and respect the diversity of the students they teach.
In reflecting about all that I have learned during my first five years of teaching, I have found it to be a very humbling experience. As a first year teacher, people always complement you on your new and innovative ideas, but that quickly wears off when you are faced with changing district climates, new co-workers, and of course the state and national politics of education. At the beginning of my PDP, I selected teacher standards 4, 5 and 10.
"While for political, economic and social justice reasons, there is now an emphasis on ensuring that all children achieve educationally, including those whose ethnicity, 'race ' or socio-economic status are different from the dominant culture, multiple and often contradictory discourses operate concerning how teachers should work with diversity". The article is based on a case study focused around one teacher 's perspective on diversity. The author provides the reader with research from Australia, North America, and the United Kingdom to support the theories concluded around the findings.
this power to help form and solidify social norms also “offers the opportunity for particular notions of difference to be challenged and de-legitimised” (Burnett, Meadmore and Tait, 2010). With a heightened awareness of the influence discrimination can have on the classroom environment, teachers have the ability to not only change an individual’s learning experience, but shape and change the opinions of their class as a whole. It is critically important that “as teachers we must be aware that discriminatory practices fluctuate considerably with contemporary culturally aware forms, now using culture as their primary discursive weapon” (Burnett, Meadmore and Tait,
Teachers should always maintain the same high bar for all students despite ability and resources. The same expectations should be apply for all students. Teachers should take the time to build meaningful relationship with students. Teachers should be abel to differentiate students needs but in a manner where they are still meeting the same standard yet in different ways. Every individual has strengths. Teachers can empower students and families by focusing on what is good about them. Give students and families opportunities to shine. Teachers should be very careful in their actions. For example, showing empathy is better than sympathy. No one likes people to feel sorry for them. Constantly reminds students how important and smart they are. These students need a strong relationship with a trustworthy adult in order to
My goal as a teacher is to provide children with a rich environment where they feel safe to explore, initiate learning, and feel free to express their feelings. My personal philosophy is to respect all children and their families’ cultures, ethnicities, race, and beliefs. I treat each child fairly to ensure that all children feel equally special, have families, communities, and educators work as one.
As a new teacher preparing to embark upon what I hope will be a long-lasting, rewarding career in education, I want to create an inclusive, stimulating and collegial climate in my classroom. I plan to make sure that all my students feel valued, and contribute actively to the knowledge, interactions, learning and interests shared by the class. However, I appreciate that as a new, inexperienced teacher I could encounter or unintentionally create barriers that undermine my vision of an inclusive classroom. Although systems will operate in any school setting that can help or hinder inclusive practices, I believe it is my responsibility to ensure that every student in my care has high aspirations, and experiences success at school regardless of the school context.
It is very important for teacher educators to develop self-awareness of cultural biases and discriminatory practices as well as to exam the effects of their beliefs, their attitudes, and expectations for teacher
It is expected that the profession of teaching embraces many qualities of any other professional practice. Teachers must possess a combination of many qualities beginning with a strong academic background and wide-ranging knowledge. The National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching (2003) it is the knowledge of students, curriculum, subject matter, pedagogy, education – related legislation and the specifically teaching context that is the foundation on effective teaching, and a firm foundation on which to construct well educated judgments.