Self Reflection On Teaching And Learning

As a teacher I am responsible for the evaluation of course work and all aspect of the learning process to gauge whether improvements can be made. Throughout the process I must make sure that the course is delivered with quality and professionalism and continually assess my own teaching style and course delivery. As a teacher I will need to evaluate the course and delivery throughout the course duration to enable continuous improvement of my teaching and the impact that it is having on my learner.

As an inspired teacher of secondary education /special education, one of the ideas that most appealed to me was working with students of various ages and learning abilities. I’ve come to realize even more so now with the changing demographics in U.S. schools that we are becoming a very diverse population. Within my classroom student’s differences may consist of their academic level, cultural background, personality, religious beliefs, and the list goes on. Hence, in today’s classroom as a teacher it is important that I embrace, model the attitude to my students, and make positive use of diversity. When educators value diversity, we recognize and respect the fact that people are different and that these differences are generally a good thing. For example, when attempting to solve a problem, it is better to assemble a diverse team with many skills and many different ways of approaching the problem than it is to assemble a team that has all their strength concentrated in one area. If a student feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or not respected, then their chances of success in my class dramatically decrease. Therefore, as an educator I must provide students with an environment that is conducive to learning. I have a number of roles in my classroom; valuing diversity is one of the most important ones a teacher must fill.

As a teacher it is important to know who you are as a learner because it allows for you to help improve your educational experience and to help increase your knowledge. It also allows for you to open your mind to remembering that every person and every student in unique and how they learn will be completely different from one another. This means that in one class you could have thirty unique learners and it will be your job to make sure that you make each child’s educational experience meaningful to them.

An essential tool to create a safe environment for students to learn is classroom management. I hope to create an effective classroom management plan that dissolves barriers that are stopping students from learning. I am highly committed to make my classroom a safe environment where my students are provided with the best opportunity to be challenged and engaged in learning. As a special education teacher, I seek to meet the needs of every student I work with, so they have a sense of belonging in my classroom. I believe belonging will create a classroom atmosphere that will be conducive to student-centered learning in which all students are challenged to be critical thinkers.

I chose to base my studies on J because we shared a lot in common; we are both Christians living in a predominantly Muslim country. He is eleven years old. His parents are Jordan nationals who have lived in Bahrain for at least two years. J goes to school at Naseem International School where I work. The school offers PYP programs. Lessons are conducted in English; however, Arabic lessons are also offered per week. Majority of kids in this school are Muslims most of whom are Bahrainis. Other nationalities making the student population are Saudis, Lebanese, Jordanians, few South Africans, and other Arabian Gulf countries. Teachers are a mixture of nationalities. Some of them are Arabs, others South Africans, while some are Europeans.

In order to implement this into my future class I first need to recognize the variety of individual culture, gender, background, socioeconomic status, learning style, developmental stage and other factors of students, families and colleagues. Establishing that my classroom is a safe zone and a place where differences are celebrated and embraced will help me create an environment where everyone’s diversities are respected.

Students should share their experiences to the benefit of their peers, demonstrate respect and tolerance of different viewpoints, and be able to effectively handle challenges to their own perspectives for an overall positive learning experience.

Successful teaching occurs when the teacher is able to select the most efficient method for reaching out to each student’s individual style of learning and inspire students to rise to their highest potential. While the responsibilities of a teacher are extensive (as one can serve as a teacher, a friend, a counselor, a disciplinarian, an entertainer, a facilitator), I believe that students should play a big part in shaping own education as well.

In beginning this class entitled Diverse Learners, I thought to myself that it would be a good opportunity to learn about teaching in an inclusive classroom to the myriad of students which will enter its walls. In essence that is what teaching is all about, creating an environment in which all students can learn to the best of their ability no matter what that ability is.

In the practice of teaching, it is the responsibility of a teacher not only to teach students subject matter, but to teach students in order to enable them to grow and develop as a person. While it is essential for students to have an understanding of academic material, it is also equally as important that when students finish their education they have skills to use in

My measurements of success are found in each and every student I teach. One of the most rewarding experiences I have had while student teaching, was watching a child’s face light up at the pivotal moment when they grasp a new concept or master a new skill. In fact, those “aha” moments are my motivators which feed my desire to look for better ways to ensure all students experience those same “aha” moments. As an effective teacher, I am determined and dedicatef to the continual process of researching, implementing, collecting and analyzing data to ensure I am improving upon the curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessment used in my classroom. Learning is a never-ending process. The better skilled I become as a teacher, the better the learning experience I can provide for my students. Therefore, the more I actively research, implement, and reflect, the greater the opportunity for giving my students the education they deserve and hopefully, the inspiration to pursue their own lifelong love of learning.

I came to Teachers College without any classroom experience, I realized that teachers needed to be adaptive in their style when it came to their teaching style and forms of assessment, however, I never realized how significant and important this practice is. My course and student teaching experiences helped me realize how significant a role adjusting teaching style and assessment play in the classroom.

In order to establish an effective role in high school student lives, teachers must create a positive environment in the classroom, engage the students with a variety of materials, and provide different variations of learning techniques that will accommodate the needs of every student (Bellanca & Brandt, 2010). While also, displaying the personality of a culturally competent teacher that is able to effectively incorporate diversity in her curriculum. On the other hand, some teachers lack the ability to influence their students, and cultivate a positive learning environment. These teachers typically do not incorporate theorist ideas and techniques for creating a meaningful classroom environment (Flinders & Thornton, 2013). For that reason, students lose interest

Like it or not, there has always been diversity among students in the classroom. It is the fact that each and every student is unique. From every circumstance, students bring a varying set of values, perspectives, and beliefs to the learning environment. Understanding the character of students is important in order to become a competent teacher. In fact, teachers should be aware and recognize students, as unique individuals, all acquire information differently than others. Some of these differences are due to developmental variations in cognitive, physical, intellectual, moral, emotional, and social changes caused by maturation and experience. And this reality of classroom conditions makes instruction much more challenging for teachers and

My educational experience is one amazing thing I would never forget. My parents gave me an experience of a lifetime that I would never let go and continue to expand. It was a gift of a great education I could have tossed away but instead I took advantage of it and it expanded my intellect and made me more independent. As a young girl my parents always told me, they wanted a great educational experience for me. They said no matter what it took to get me into good schools, to have a great education they will do it. My parents worked very hard to give me the opportunity to be in private school my whole life since pre-school. They always told me to work hard, be bright and be bold. The educational level I had being in private school my whole life was amazing. What was amazing about my education level is that I was able to take all college prep. classes, I took an AP Spanish class, my teachers were always on top of us to hand in work in time, essays in my English class were based on a college level writing. It was amazing because my school expanded my mind more on a college based level.