The Goals of My First Year as an Educator

As I prepare myself to begin my first year as an educator, I find that I have a mixture of feelings.  The most prevalent feeling I have is a sense of excitement for the upcoming school year and the possibilities it holds.  My excitement is intertwined with nervousness as I stand of the precipice of having my own classroom, my self-constructed curriculum, and mostly importantly, students I am fully responsible for.  I have the upmost faith in the education and experiences I received from Saint Michael's College and I have been steadfast in preparing myself in anticipation of the new school year.  As I brainstorm and reflect on ideas in how to organize my classroom, build unit plans, and purchase supplies, I am aware that I will never feel truly prepared when the first day of the school year commences.

As I mentally and physically prepare myself as a first year educator, I have found it helpful to outline the principal objectives that I accomplish this school year.  With this foundation, I will build my unit and lesson plans, outline the entirety of the academic year, and ensure that my students are prepared for following years.  These objectives will not be neither content-based or grade-based, however they will contribute to my goal to have my students express their learning and knowledge in a meaningful manner.  My personal objectives for the year will be:

1. Establish and maintain positive and meaningful relationships with my students

This objective has been the cornerstone of my educational philosophy since my initial education class in college.  I understand my role as an educator and a mentor in the classroom, yet I do not want to create a strict authoritarian role with my students.  I will facilitate student learning in my classroom, reflect and value their feedback, and mostly importantly, adapt my curriculum to their learning styles.  My students will be able to speak with me and know that their opinions are valued and needed.  Respect in my classroom will begin with my example and stem to the students as we progress through the year together.

2.  Build a positive and inclusive learning environment for all my students

My classroom will be a safe haven for all my students.  Opinions and ideas will be respectfully expressed and discussed, with no insults or harsh words exchanged between students.  Education thrives in debate and discussion, with students freely sharing ideas and points of view that other students may have never considered.  Disagreement will be civil and respectful.  An inclusive classroom is a necessity, as all students are equal partners in their learning.  I will adapt my lesson plans to fit the needs of students, however the learning targets will never change for students.  The journey for students may be varied, but they will all achieve the objectives we set as a class.

3.  Learn from my students to become a better educator

There is a wealth of knowledge I can learn from my students this year.  Their feedback and achievements will guide and instruct me on the teaching strategies that are successful and the methods that will need to be refined.  I understand that methods that were previously successful may not be effective this year.  When my students have a grasp of the content and an understanding of the concepts, then I will know that I was successful.  Positive student relationships with my students will help them be more forthright with both their praise and their criticisms.  I will not take either personally, as constructive feedback is the only manner that I can improve my teaching style.

4.  Ensure that parents are fully informed of their student's progress

I will partner with parents as a means for us both to be educational instructors to their student.  Parents should be informed of their child's progress and I will strive to maintain open dialogue with all parents.  I will accomplish this by way of scheduled emails, blog posts, and meetings throughout the school year.  Parents will be free to contact me with any questions or concerns and I will promptly respond to them.  As with my students, I will value their feedback and strive to maintain meaningful relationships with them.  I want to encourage parent involvement in any manner.

With these objectives, I approach the upcoming school year with determination and enthusiasm.  I look forward to meeting my students and accomplishing important and critical material this year.  The success achieved this year will benefit both my students and myself.

Same Sun Here And The Potential For Teaching

I had the privilege of attending a discussion that Neela Vaswani, one of the authors, at Saint Michael’s College.  The event covered a number of topics, ranging from the issues in the novel to the path of becoming a successful author.  Neela Vaswani had a very unique point of view, one that is not often found in Young Adult literature.  It was present in the writing, as it added a sense of realism to a very human story.  The novel, in correlation with the Saint Michael’s Mission Statement has expanded and nurtured the view of how I believe literature can be used creatively in the classroom environment.  This novel could be used in a myriad of ways to help students craft historical narratives, be used as a companion assignment to learn geography, or as a tool to show the impact of environmental issues and social strife.

At the event, Neela Vaswani spoke of how she had visited schools and talked with students of what they took away from the book.  The answers and questions she received were varied, and I was intrigued by how each student focused on something different in the novel.  As educators, we can present materials and ideas to students and they have the ability to view situations in ways that we failed to see.  I find this very important as I progess as an educator, as I want to provide my students enough freedom and creativity for them to analyze ideas and materials for them to draw their own conclusions and questions.  I want to guide the learning of my students without overpowering their personal creativity and interests.

One other key idea I discovered at the event is that media, such as books, can be used as a catalyst to start conversations and discussions among students.  Presenting new ideas to students through literacy allows them to have a common platform to begin sharing new ideas with one another.  Students may disagree with one another, yet in the classroom they can listen to each other’s point of view.  Novels that present intriguing and divided issues, such as mountaintop removal, can start debate and possibly move students to become active in their communities.  Empowering students in and out of the classroom is something I strive to accomplish as an educator.

Back to Back Lessons

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to teach two short lessons that I planned and designed to a select group of my classmates.  After the completion of each of my lessons, I was given critical feedback by each of my classmates that would allow me to be better prepared for my next lesson.  I have linked my Lesson Plan, Time Chart, and the assessments I recieved as evidence here.  My lesson plan and time chart clearly outline the goals and focusing questions that I aimed my teaching towards.  The assessments I recieved provided me with which methods worked for my students and which I need to improve upon.

I was looking to complete and meet the requirments of the following PCs:

Performance Criterion 3.1: Candidates design learning environments that support individual learning marked by active engagement.

Performance Criterion 3.2: Candidates design learning environments that support collaborative learning marked by positive social interaction.

Performance Criterion 7.1: Candidates plan instruction by drawing upon knowledge of content areas to meet rigorous learning goals.

Performance Criterion 8.2: Candidates use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

I believe that my lesson plan incorporates many aspects that would meet the standard of PC 3.1, yet I do not feel that I fully encompassed the ideal of active engagement.  I need to adjust my activities to better facilate my students, which is reflected in one of my peer assessments.  PC 3.2 was met by both my lesson plan and in the positive feedback I recieved in weaving my lesson with interaction between myself and my students.  I did not fully complete all of PC 7.1 as I did not meet the learning goals I had set in my plan, according to peer assessment and from my own self assessment.  Finally, PC 8.2 was fulfilled as my plan involved placing knowledge and skills from the lesson into the present through quotes and contrast and comparison of ideas.

I feel that my lessons included information that pertained and keyed in on my focus questions, however I am not completely satisfied with my performance.  I felt that the latter part of my first lesson did not convey the information in an engaging way to my students.  My activity for that lesson was also not as interactive as I planned it to be.  However, I took this knowledge forward into my second lesson and refined my second lesson's activity to better captivate my students and engage their thinking and reflections.  The assessments I recieved for my first lesson demonstrated that I had to better focus my direction for my second lesson.  This proved effective as I rearranged some aspects of my second lesson to ensure that my focus question had the ability to be answered by my students.

From this experience, I learned how effective my teaching strategy was, but also that I need to work with better communicationing my intentions to my students from the start of my lesson.  As this was my first lesson that I planned, designed, and taught, I know that I have room for improvement in both my preparation and my lesson design.  My first lesson was too broad in some areas, yet I know I will be able to perfect this skill with my future lessons.  Literacy and Cirriculum prepared me for these teaching episodes by teaching me that lessons must be multifaceted in both their design and approach in order to appeal to all students.  They also taught me how to plan backwards so that all my goals and standards are met before I begin creating a lesson.

Lessons from Teaching Vocabulary

Lesson Plan

I was tasked with crafting a lesson with the context of conveying vocabulary words that would be critical to my students' understanding of my lesson plan.  I analyzed my unit and selected the key words that I believed would be either confusing or foriegn to my students.  I recorded the teaching of my Vocabulary lesson to my peers as a way to reflect upon my performance.  I believe that I achieved the following Performance Criterion in my reflection:

Performance Criterion 3.1.  Active Engagement.  Candidates design learning environements that support individual learning marked by active engagement.

Performace Criterion 4.1: Communicate Central Concepts.  Candidates accurately communicate central concepts of the discipline.

Performance Criterion 8.1: Accessibility to the Discipline. Candidates use a variety of instructional strategies to make the discipline accessible for diverse learners.


I have learned that analyzing a proposed lesson plan for vocabulary words to teach your students can be surprisingly difficult.  I found it somewhat strenuous to limit the number of words that I wanted to elaborate upon.  Upon review by my peers and my critique of my video, I believe that I should narrow my focus to a more minute number of words for future lessons.  I incorporated the vocabulary into sentences and images to help with comprehension of the words, which I believe is a benifical practice that I will continue to use.  I also need to re-evaluate my approach to teaching, as I feel I have a tendency to resort back to lecturing when I become flustered.

I was pleased with both the scope and execution of my assessment.  I had planned for an interactive quiz at first, but in the moment I adjusted one of my learning opportunities to become my assessment.  The assessment was interactive and it allowed students to see what the summary of the upcoming unit lesson, as well as focused on the new vocabulary words.  The use of the images that accompanied my vocabulary seemed to make it more memorable to my peers.  Overall, I believe that I was successful in teaching my vocabulary lesson as it seemed that it retained with my peers.

Within in my group of Jenna, Meg F., and Meg A, they all had very strong lessons which I was able to draw very good ideas and inspirations from.  They each had a unique experience and had a focus to their lessons.  I must refine my approach and include more student involvement throughout the lesson, not just for the assessment.  I had a lot of information in my lesson, which I need to use as an opportunity to inject conversation or activities.  Finally, I need to perhaps focus on the overall arching objective of the lesson, rather than the historical information, when crafting future vocabulary lessons.

The Importance of Understanding a Technology Contract

Template for letter home to parents:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to announce our new initiative to supply all of our students with new Chromebooks. This letter has been sent out to share with you why we have decided to start this initiative, our resources for creating successful learning environments for your child, and how we will address your concerns with implementing this technology. In allowing for this Chromebook Initiative to take place, it will provide students an opportunity to prepare themselves for the tasks seen in the 21st century workforce. This initiative will also allow us as teachers to integrate engaging and meaningful learning experiences that will not only be memorable, but also a way for students to expand their digital literacy in the technological age.

Why we are starting this initiative:

We believe by starting this initiative, we are creating better opportunities for students to learn in and outside of our school. We believe Chromebooks will increase opportunity for digital literacy, as well as create engaging instruction for students. By introducing technology, we are addressing the ever evolving digital society in which we are helping prepare your child for, which will lead to better experiences that will create future career opportunities.

Resources:

We are prepared to support both students and parents with this new technology. This is a learning experience to prepare and challenge students in the digital world. Rest assured, if you experience any problems with the technology please remember our staff is here to help. Please don't hesitate to contact either myself or IT for assistance. We are prepared to troubleshoot any issues/concerns related to the chromebooks. Students will be attending a session at the start of the school year that will involve an internet safety and proper laptop use workshop to ensure that your children not only know how to use the technology but also understand how to use the technology in a safe manner.

Concerns:

We understand that the implementation of this type of technology into the classroom can raise a few concerns among parents such as internet safety, the hours of usage, classroom distractions, and whether students will create a positive digital footprint. When debating this integration, we took these dilemmas into account and came up with action plans to combat any potential negatives of this initiative.

-Students will be required to take a course concerning Internet Safety, outlining how to stay safe, and what is appropriate to say online etc.

-We understand as well that overuse of technology can be detrimental to students development. Our goal is to monitor the amount of time students spend on their laptop/internet during the school day. Parents will be in charge of controlling the amount of time students spend on the computer each night. Teachers will be required to give students a good balance of homework on the computer, as well as paper homework. Our hope is students will spend a maximum of 2 hours on their laptop doing homework each night.

-Technology is often viewed as a distraction, our school internet server has blocked all websites that are not related to school and all social media in order to limit the amount of distractions available to students.

-We would like parents to be aware that all the Google Chromebooks are set up with Parental Controls that Parents can access. These can control what sites are visited, what is downloaded, and how much the student is able to
use the device. I.e. They can be set up to shut off after 9pm and can not used again until 7am the next morning. Our hope is that parents will be involved in their child’s technology journey.


Advantages to all of your students will be beneficial and visible in an immediate capacity.  Students having individual access to the internet while in the classroom will allow them to    conduct research personally.  This is a necessary skill in the digital age that we live in today, one which will improve your student’s ability to succeed now and in the future.  Implementation of technology in the classroom will also make your ability to view your student’s classroom much easier, as we will share it via email to you.

Technology Contract

1. I will use all classroom devices carefully and respectfully to avoid damaging them. If a device is damaged when I receive it or becomes damaged while I am using it, I will notify the teacher immediately.

2. I will not change the settings on any classroom devices.

3. I will return classroom netbooks and Chromebooks and plug them in before leaving the classroom.

4. I will not use classroom devices to play games, surf, Tweet, text, or use applications other than those designated for a specific educational purpose by the teacher.

5. If I bring my own device, I will be completely responsible for it. I will not use it to play games, surf, Tweet, text, or use applications other than those designated for a specific educational purpose by the teacher.

6. If I borrow a classmate’s device with his/her consent, I will not use it to play games, surf, Tweet, text, or use applications other than those designated for a specific educational purpose by the teacher.

Furthermore,  I understand that to have technology rights, I have to be responsible in my actions as well.

1. I will remember that not all people have access to or utilize technology in the same way. I will treat all of my classmates respectfully and kindly no matter what their options and access to technology are.

2. I will tell my teacher if I come across any information online that makes me feel uncomfortable.

3. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or make me feel uncomfortable. If I receive any messages like that, I will tell my teacher right away.

4. I will not share or publish my last name, address, telephone number, or other identifying information online.

5. I will treat others the way that I wish to be treated when using technology. I will keep in mind that my technology use affects others.

6. I will be a responsible online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.

7. I understand that using technology in the classroom is a privilege that may be revoked.

By providing these signatures, the student and parent are both agreeing that they have read and accept the conditions of this contract.

______________________________                       _______________________________

Parent Signature                  Date                            Student Signature                   Date


In crafting the letter home, we wanted to create a document that addressed the positives of ultizing technology in the classroom.  We also wanted to validate parental concerns and help to alleiviate any issues that they may form in there mind.  The technology contract was created as a way for the students to understand that technology in the classroom is a privilege that can facilitate their learning.


Performance Criterion 3.1: Candidates design learning environments that support individual learning marked by active engagement.

Performance Criterion 10.1: Candidates are prepared to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure student learning.

These templates are an example of the above criterion.  They help construct a positive learning environment that is driven by the responsibility of proper technology use.  Active engagments through technological initiatives, such as Chromebooks, iPads, and internet use can be used to engage students in entertaining lesson plans.  The template for the letter home to parents and guardians shows how I would collaborate and inform families in the future.  Conveying my teaching vision to families and community members is a crucial aspect of an educator's job and must be done in a professional manner.

One of my fears in utilizing technology in the classroom is that I do not want it to take over every lesson.  I feel like it could easily become a crutch to properly planning my lessons.  I also am weary of how distracting technology can be in the classroom, drawing the students' attention easily.  I am also aware of the positives of technology, such as how it can enhance a lesson through audio and visual means.  It can also be used to take polls of the class to see what works for students and what does not.

I want to incorporate technology in my classroom sparingly.  I believe that it can serve a very unique and unmatched purpose, however I want to stress human interaction in my classroom.  I need to better develop the ability to transfer in and out of technology quickly.  I also believe that the development of a friendly and respectful classroom environment is needed to reach the full potential of technology in the classroom.

The Link Between Literacy and Curriculum

What is Constructivism

Literacy in the Digital Age

Using two different types of technology (Explain Everything and SparkPage), I was tasked with identifying, researching, and explaining my curriculum philosophy.  I was also tasked with defining literacy in the digital age. Upon reviewing of my assignments, I believe that they can be defined by Performance Criteria 4.1 and 5.2

Performance Criterion 4.1: Candidates accurately communicate central concepts of the discipline.

Performance Criterion 4.2: Candidates accurately address common misconceptions of the discipline.


When I began work on these two assignments, I viewed them as two separate entities and ideas.  Both are used in the confines of the classroom to teach and educate students, but it was not until completion that I was able to identify the similarities that they share.  My curriculum philosophy is the foundation of my teaching style and agenda, which also impacts the role of literacy in my lessons.  The methods and value I place on literacy are dictated by my philosophy of Constructivism.  In order for me to scaffold my students properly, I must be certain of their ability in all fields of literacy.  Literacy and curriculum philosophy must coexist and thrive together, as each will fail without support from one another.

With both presentations, I was able to accurately and proficiently communicate the tenants of my curriculum philosophy and my belief of digital literacy.  I presented my researched material in a concise manner and had a firm knowledge of the material.  I also addressed misconceptions on the notion of what literacy is and the belief that it merely pertains to the written word.  Finally, I clarified the principles of Constructivism and the key differences that separated it from other philosophies.

My most definite self reassessment came from the redefining what literacy meant in the current world.  I had to address my own misbeliefs that I held to be true.  Identifying my teaching philosophy helped me to research information and familiarize myself better with the discipline.  I plan to continue researching the hallmarks and teaching strategies associated with Constructivism.  I intend to actively incorporate digital literacy into my lesson plans, as I see the potential of the value it can add into the classroom.

Classroom Jobs

School is an institution where students learn academic subjects, communication with peers, and form social relationships that will contribute to their entire life as an adult.  Teachers must encourage and nurture a positive atmosphere conducive to learning, create viable and engaging lesson plans, while also establishing positive relationships with their students.  Many educators and parents rightfully focus on the academic content that schools provide, encompassing large periods of school time dedicated to the memorization and understanding of this content.  Unfortunately, this places social development and responsibility as an afterthought in student development as a result.  Studies have shown that students who feel a sense of belonging and responsibility to their school and classroom are more motivated, have a stronger bond with their peers, and decreases the negative behavior of students (SPAN).  The answer on how to better involve students in the classroom, while at the same time placing emphasis on the positive development of social relationships, must be out there.

One developing strategy in classrooms has emerged to help combat this growing gap in social development, responsibility, and teacher-student relationships has.  Teachers have begun to implement and refine the roles of responsibility in the classroom for their students.  The idea of assigning students jobs and tasks that they are responsible and have devotion for is not overall a new idea, but the strategy of using these roles to help students develop self-pride, empowering students to feel success in a non-traditional school role, and using these roles to establish a more constant teacher-student relationship is (SPAN).  Students want to have a positive relationship with their teachers, yet they often link how their teacher feels about them to their grades.  A student who struggles in the academic content more than his peers, may feel that their teacher does not value them as much as a student who consistently grades highly academically.  As a result, a student may begin to feel disconnected and isolated from their peers and become incorporated in a negative cycle, struggling with self-doubt in the process.

The use of classroom “jobs” can help re-engage students that may feel disconnected, while allowing them the opportunity to reinforce the value of their own self-worth (Beaty-O’Ferrall).  Simple tasks that provide the students the ability to succeed can also encourage them to socialize with one another, establish teamwork and a sense of community, and provides the teacher the ability to evaluate their students in a non traditional way.  These roles allow the student the occasion to demonstrate skills they have worked tediously to develop and affords the teacher the ability to acknowledge it in a productive way.  The teacher must be cognizant of their students’ potential and comfort in social roles, in order to properly assign them jobs where they will excel.  This consistent reinforcement of success strengthens the bond of the classroom community and transfers responsibility to the individual students.  Progress has also been shown to promote positive self-image, leadership, and classroom cohesiveness (Schaps).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l51bP8j9EOE

Triumph of the classroom job system requires proper implementation and constant refinement by the teacher.  The first obstacle a teacher must overcome is to determine how the students will be selected for the jobs.  Teachers can use a variety of factors to assign roles, ranging from volunteering based on previous job performance to randomly selecting jobs from a bowl.  Educators must also take in to account factors that can affect the ability for students to maintain certain jobs, such as students that may leave school earlier than others and those that may require closer supervision than others.  Teachers must also be clear and transparent of the duties that each job holds, establishing the length that each student will hold their respective job.  Proven experience from classrooms has found that creating an interactive job board and displaying each student’s name allows smoother transition of jobs among themselves (Sesay-St. Paul).

Maintaining the order and functionality of job system is the educator’s main duty. This role involves monitoring each student’s performance, shuffling positions so students can experience varied assignments, and ensuring the completion of jobs by the assigned students.  The educator must be the leader of the classroom, assuring that the sense of community and social bonds are being fortified.  Once the students are held to the standard of properly completing their jobs, they will hold themselves and their peers to the same principle.  Positive acknowledgement and public encouragement by the teacher throughout the day will also empower the students and foster community relationships.

REFERENCES
Beaty-O’Ferrall, Ellen, Alan Green, and Fred Hanna. Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students: Promoting Change through Relationships. Association for Middle Level Education, 2010, https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.

Allison, Brynn. Caution! Students at Work: Classroom Jobs for Secondary Students. The Literary Maven, 2016, http://www.theliterarymaven.com/2016/09/classroom-jobs-middle-school-high-school.html.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.

Schaps, Eric, Ph.D.  The Role of Supportive School Environments in Promoting Academic Success. Ceter for Collabortive Classroom, 2005, https://www.collaborativeclassroom.org/research-articles-and-papers-the-role-of-supportive-school-environments-in-promoting-academic-success.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.
Sesay-St. Paul, Mariama.  Student Helpers in the High School Classroom.  Scholastic Inc, 2017, https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/student-helpers-high-school-classroom.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.

Wade, Mary.  How to Set up Democratic Classroom Jobs. HonorGradU, 2015, http://honorsgradu.com/how-to-set-up-democratic-classroom.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.

Protecting Students: The Importance of Activies for Belonging and Capability. SPAN Idaho.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.