Please click on the photo above to read my final draft for my leadership platform.
Thank You for visiting.
Thank You for visiting.
Please click on the photo above to read my final draft for my leadership platform.
Thank You for visiting.
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Subject: Curriculum and Instruction I believe that: All students should have access to research-based curriculum that is challenging, innovating, and engaging. In addition, the delivery of this content should be through instruction that uses 21st century practices that are cross curricular, student centered, and incorporates the “never too late to learn” philosophy. I believe this because: as teacher I have seen the importance of finding research based instructional programs that give my students access to content that is challenging, innovative, and engaging. I remember when I first started teaching we were using Open Court curriculum, which had great potential, but was very limiting because it was very scripted. I saw that the some of parts of the content worked for my students, while other parts just bored my students and did not challenge them. I began incorporating assignments in which my students were able to work collaboratively and independently. This made it easier for them to stay focused and engaged. I did not want my students to be bored while I taught. I wanted them to love and really immerse themselves in content that they would have otherwise dismissed. Furthermore, I noticed that, like me, they loved anything that involved technology. Therefore I began to incorporate as much of it as I could in my teaching and in their learning. As time went on I have realized that technology is not an answer for all of the educational problems, but merely a tool supports teaching, just like and a pencil does. Lastly I have seen the importance of making connections through various content areas using a similar theme. My students love making connections in math, science, language arts, and social studies. I love seeing their faces when they make these connections because they are surprised that something in science helped to understand something in math. Lots of issues/aspects: Meeting the Common Core Standards For example: project based learning, a student centered classroom, consistent teaching practices, weekly ongoing formative assessments, teacher-teacher/student-student/student-teacher collaboration, 21st century teaching and learning practices and multiple hands-on teaching opportunities. I’d like to elaborate about: 21st century teaching and learning practices. I really enjoyed using methods that were the opposite to the scripted content we were asked to do when I began teaching. I really think that this took away from the art of teaching, and it made it boring and simple. I wanted to instruct my students in ways that they felt challenged and engaged. After my first three years of instruction I moved and discovered the philosophies of 21st century instruction. This type of instruction made more sense to me because it complemented what I was trying to do in my classroom. I wanted to challenge my students to think critically, not for the sake of making things hard for them, but to engage them and challenge them. I also noticed the importance 21st century instruction gave to project based learning in which students made real world connections to things that they were learning in class. This made it easier for me to support their learning, while at the same time teaching them about how to work effectively with others. Subject: Parent and community involvement I believe that: In order for a student to be successful there needs to be a healthy involvement amongst all stakeholders, which include: parents, community members, and school leaders. This creates a supportive and caring environment in which students can perform to their fullest potential. I believe this because: I have seen the difference between districts in which the parents support and make sure that all the teacher needs to do their job efficiently is taken care of. This made me feel appreciated and supported. Which made it easier for me to take care focus on teaching. I have also seen the opposite of that, which leads me to conclude that parent involvement and community involvement is crucial to creating an environment that pushes everyone in that community to want to go above and beyond what they are expected to do. Lots of issues/aspects: Building bridges in diverse communities For example: celebrating the diversity of the community, weekly newsletter that focuses on a member of the community creating connections between different cultures, sending information home in various languages, monthly movie nights that focus on diversity, parent volunteers help to teach about their culture, and pen pals with members of the community. I’d like to elaborate: on creating connections between different cultures. Explain your example: I have been fortunate enough to have taught in areas that serve diverse communities. While I was teaching in these communities I realized the importance of tapping into each community’s cultural funds. I did this by making sure that I was inclusive and knowledgeable of each of their beliefs. When reading stories in class I would choose literature that incorporated characters, and storylines that were just like that of their community. I saw right away how much more engaged my students and parents were. In addition, I would get parents wanting to come to share about their culture which engaged and motivated my students. I always saw this as a win-win because I learned more about the community in which I taught in, and they got to see the thing we were learning about in our class. I believe that if I had not made an effort to get to know the community in which I taught in, I don’t think that my parents would feel comfortable enough to come and support their students, and me. Subject: Discipline and School climate/culture I believe that: All students should have a place where discipline is set up in way that focuses on rewards, and positive feedback. In addition the school helps them feel safe, appreciated, and respected. Teachers and administrators are nurturing, encouraging, and supportive of all students, so they can instill in them a positive attitude towards school. I believe this because: since I have began teaching, I have seen that all of my students respond better when I emphasize their good behavior, than if I remind them of what rule they are breaking. They fill up with pride when I exaggerate their positive behaviors. For example, if I ask my students to quietly lineup for lunch I say “I love the way Joe is walking quietly to line up for lunch.” As I am saying this I have half of the class, or almost the whole class, trying to follow this student’s behavior. I try to minimize punitive approaches to discipline in my classroom because I personally don’t feel that they create a positive learning experience. Instead, I think that it creates resentment towards teacher. Therefore I try to make sure they have ample opportunities to show me how they can learn from making good choices and that they don’t need punitive consequences. I rarely have to resort to this. I also believe in making sure students know that they can change their behavior, by making positive changes to less than optimal behavior. The idea is to build trust and empower them to know that they can behave well without the teacher always reminding them of what they should be doing. Lots of issues/aspects: fostering a place that where teachers use “choice words” to promote a positive learning environment, and behavior For example: use Classdojo points to reward positive behavior, create badges to support good choices/actions, implement 7 habits with badges, supporting students with choice words, staff discuss implementation of 7 habits, and daily report of behavior via classdojo to parents. I’d like to talk about: implementing 7 habits with badges. Explain your example: Our school is working towards being a lighthouse school for the 7 habits. This goal has helped us focus on making the 7 habits a daily part of our school’s culture. We began by teaching students about the seven habits and it’s importance to them as individuals and and students. They are familiar with them, but are still in a transitional phase, to truly implement them daily and effortlessly we still need more practice. Therefore I have began giving Classdojo points for students who are following them and implementing them. I now want to add digital badges into the mix. I would like to collaborate with other staff members to create digital badges and the criteria required to earn them. I would like to use these badges to reward students for their exemplary implementation of the seven habits. I believe that with this extra step the students will find another motivator to implement the 7 habits, which promote a supportive, positive, and rewarding learning culture. Subject: Technology I believe that: Technology is an amazing tool that should be used to enhance instruction, learning, and other aspects of education. Technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution for education, but rather an important tool that will support the everchanging educational landscape. I believe this because I have been exposed to technology for quite some time both professionally and personally. Through this time I have seen both its benefits and it pitfalls. I remember when I first got 1:1 iPads in my classroom. I was very excited to begin using the iPads with all my students. I looked up ideas on google and found an a great idea on how to use the iPads to create digital books. I began my lesson by modeling to for my students what I wanted to them to do on their iPads. Then I had them get to work. They were doing great until our internet connection went down. The amazing idea of having my students create their first ebook had to be completely modified because they couldn’t connect to the internet to gather information about their topic, which was part of the plan. I had to quickly readjust my lesson and we only use our class library to find information. I was so frustrated, but understood the fact that technology is not reliable and that as an instructor I shouldn’t solely rely on it for everything, but rather use it as a tool to enhance my students’ learning. Lots of issues/aspects of: Using technology as a tool to enhance instruction For example: create ebooks, understand the importance of the SAMR model, start with simple tools and apps that focus on various content areas , use Schoology as a place for teacher and students to create and share information, and use apps/sites that allow students to collaborate with classmates at anytime. I’d like to elaborate on: how to use an Schoology as a place for teacher and students to create and share information. Explain your example: I would like to use Schoology, which enhances my students’ learning, by giving them a platform in which they can create and share information. I will create a class on Schoology that gives my students access to Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts content that we currently studying in class. I will then have them share information with other classmates, via the discussion boards, by posing questions for them to answer. I will also give links to reliable information that will support any topic we might be learning about in class. This will support their learning and enhance what they already know. I will also provide them with Quizlet links to support their vocabulary. I will give them access to stories in pdf format, so that they can access them at home and use them in school with Notability to mark relevant information, and so that they can create their own summaries from these stories on Book Creator. I will also create assessments on here that make it easier for me to implement a “never too late” philosophy. Lastly I will give them access to Voicethread, so that they can record themselves practicing and improving their fluency. While doing all of this I hope to give my students all the support to enhance their learning. |
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March 2015
AuthorI touch the future... I teach! Categories |