Reflection on Growth

At the start of the year I created goals for myself and for my students.  To read more about the goals I set for my student’s learning click here. As for the goals I set for myself, they are as follows,

  • I will support the students emotionally.

  • I will provide my students with the opportunity to learn together and guide my students through times of struggle during collaboration.

  • I will make learning individualized, engaging, hands on, and relevant.

These goals were guided as my interactions with the students and the lessons I designed throughout the year. During this year I was able to learn what my students responded well to, what they need practice with, and the best ways to support certain students. From this understanding I was then able to morph my lessons to fit the students in addition to the standard, rather than simply the standard.

I will support the students emotionally.

It is important to support the students emotionally, both in the classroom and out of it.

          This goal encompassed and guided every aspect of the day. I believe that my responsibility as a teacher is to make the students feel safe and comfortable. These feelings coming from consistency, accountability, being their biggest cheerleader, while also being an honest advisor, coming to know the students interest, strengths and weaknesses, being present for them in times of celebration and trials.

          I naturally make a lot of jokes with the kids. At the start of the year they were unsure if I was kidding or not. As I have grown to know them and vice versa we have created a relationship which is full of small jokes. In conjunction with this I worked to be honest with the students. This way the students are not questioning if I am trying to “play” them or guide them unauthentically. This aspect of my teaching style also seemed to confuse the students at first. In the middle of the year students would often become frustrated by this style of learning because they craved the structure of problem then answer and repeat. After acknowledging this discomfort, I realized that I needed to work to lead the discussion in a way where the students felt supported, while maintaining an authentic conversation. By the end of the year, whole group conversations became authentic, meaning that students were able to guide the conversation and learning with their questions, frustrations, and successes. 

I will provide my students will opportunity to learn together and guide my students through times of struggle in collaboration.

          There is rarely a lesson taking place in 312 where students are not working together in

Students Collaborating during social studies.

someway. At the start of the year I felt uncomfortable with such constant collaboration because it can make classroom management a bit more challenging. As students came to understand the classroom collaboration expectations and I began to solidify my classroom management techniques, deep learning began to increase.

          During the year there was a season where I began to pullback on how often I was encouraging students to work together. During this time I realized that while the students were learning, they were not excelling or experiencing deep learning. Upon reflection I was able to realize that students needed and wanted this interaction in order to allow them to take hold of their learning together. As collaboration became a focus of the classroom culture students began to experience some collaboration struggles. In these times we discussed in full group what a good team member is and is not. When students were having pointed situation we would take the time to step in the hallway and allow a space for the students to solve the problem and come to an understanding together, student to student. 

I will make learning individualized, engaging, hands on, and relevant.

         When entering the classroom I understood that making lessons individualized, engaging, hands on, and relevant was vital to the students success. I can be honest in saying that I was not sure how to do this in practice. At first I felt that I had to be the authority of all knowledge and understanding. This made me nervous and scripted. I am proud to say that as I watched my mentor teacher design engaging lessons and learn techniques and strategies in class, did I begin to explore implementation of these techniques. 

During the year students used a variety of materials to deepen their learning.

 Over the course of the year I have come to know a multitude of technology resources, hands on activities, and strategies to make the lesson individualized for each student without taking an exorbitant amount of preparation. I believe the responsibility of a teacher is to a life long learner right along with their students. I look forward to the opportunity to learn new strategies and to continue to improve on this goal.