Class Reflection

While completing the final week of this course, there is a ton of information I have gained and am able to reflect on. It was nice to see that some of the practices discussed are those that I have been exposed to through the coaching from my intern provider, professional development workshops, discussions with my peers, as well as through the required observations of other classrooms from previous courses. There has been an abundance of information I am able to take away and incorporate in the teaching of my students.

Within the first week and the readings required, it was very interesting to learn about the educational philosophies that have evolved. Although I was able to pinpoint specific characteristics that I have identified within my own teaching philosophy, it was evident to me that I can see a mixture of Essentialism and Progressivism philosophies within my beliefs. While I believe it is essential for all students to understand and know the basic concepts of the core subject, I also believe what we should teach students should be based off their interests and abilities. If we are able to teach the core basics while maintaining student interest and elaborating on student abilities, I believe we will create a culture of education where students are not asking, “Why do I have to learn this?”. Maintaining a culture of education that is sparks student interest and keeps them motivated to learn is one I would hope to establish with my students.

Perhaps the information that stood out for me the most was in week three, discussing Whole Brain Teaching and Learning. The second I started watching the videos, it was evident that I had seen Power Teaching being put into action in a classroom I had observed previously. I remember how well the students responded to the cues given and wondering how long it took them to become conditioned to this practice. The teacher I was observing was very animated and used a variety of hand gestures with her students. The students knew exactly the gestures to respond back with as well. This is a practice I would love to use with my students and will research how it can be used within an independent study setting. I love how interactive and engaged the students are and my hope is to create this type of active and engaged learning in my setting.

A practice that I am able to use within my school setting is cooperative learning. I find that this is a practice I use with my students whenever I am able to. Since it is an independent study setting, getting students to collaborate with others is a key aspect in keeping them engaged in school. While they battle with all of the non-school barriers they face at home, coming to school and collaborating with their peers is something I can see keeps them motivated and wanting to comet to school. The cooperative learning practices are those I will continue to seek information on and continue to use with my students.

While we use cooperative learning in our classroom, it is important that we are able to collaborate with classmates as teachers. I enjoyed creating the blog and reading through everyone’s journey within their posts as well. I think this is a great opportunity to collaborate as teacher and share information that works for each of us in our own classrooms. Reading comprehension is one of the most important, basic needs in education. All content areas require reading comprehension and it is essential that students are able to understand what they are reading. Having the ability to not only research but also share various strategies through our websites is also a tool I will continue to use throughout my teaching career. One of the most powerful resources a teacher has are their peers. Bouncing ideas and strategies off one another is yet another tool we can not only use for ourselves but also teach our students to do.

Although there has been a variety of knowledge gained from this course, I know there is much more information still needed to gain. Keeping each of the practices and theories I have learned about in mind, I will continue to seek the tools needed to become an effective teacher that is able to bring out the most of each student throughout their educational career. With the mindset that an educator continues to be a life long learner, the tools gained through each week will be a pivotal tool in the success of each student that crosses my path.