Discussion: Reflection

1. Discussion

How have the concepts presented positively impacted your teaching? Provide examples and rationale to
support your response.

Getting to know your students and families is crucial to your classroom. As a first-year teacher my
Principle/ DSP told me she didn’t want me to get into curriculum or assessments in the first couple of
weeks of school. As a teacher that was new to the community and grade level, I really needed to spend
time getting to know my students and let them get to know me. I am a huge advocate for learning
though play so my classroom is set up with toys so that we could play. We set up routines, discussed
expectations and asked each other lots of questions. I stayed on the playground during snack, lunch
recess and P.E. for those first couple weeks so see how they interacted with each other students from
other classes and different adults. I set up a ClassDojo page for an easy want to communicate with
parents. I do not use us for classroom management but to share what’s going on in the classroom. I also
routinely encourage parents to reach out.

Before you enter a classroom it’s important that you know yourself. Your pet peeves, the language and
vernacular you use with children, even your body language and facial expressions. It is also important
that you know your triggers, your biases, and how different parts of your culture and identify influence
your everyday life. Rather implicit or explicit parts of who you are going to come into your classroom. In
fact, teachers that are their authentic self in my opinion tend to be the best fit for the classroom.
However, your authentic self cannot impede your students or collogues authentic self. And it takes a lot
of self-reflection to know which pieces of you overshadow, judge and possible put another in danger or
trouble.

I was really having trouble understanding differentiation within whole group instruction. So much so
that it wasn’t until the last lesson plan, I wrote for this class that I got full point for that section of the
lesson plan. In differentiation every part of the lesson needs to be accessible to all the students. Not
simple the independent practice. However, as I am writing the lesson plan. I’m thinking how can I
expose all my students to 2ND grade content when not all of them are not at a point where they can
understand it. I do that by teach 3 levels of the same concept. For example, in a lesson about the short a
sound. My approach group might explore the words bat, hat and cat. While my approaching group
explore the words chat, slam and scan. And the beyond level students explore flash, cramp, and stand.
Everyone is working on the same concept but at the level that match their abilities.

Have you experienced gains in your student outcomes from implementing concepts presented in this
course? Why or why not? Provide examples and rationale to support your response.
I set up my classroom in such a way that 95 percent of the space is children’s space. There are multiple
areas and many different activities for them to do. There are not many entities in my classroom that
require my help attainting. Pencils, glue, scissors, staplers, tape, colored pencils, markers are always
available to students. They know where they are and know they don’t have to ask in order to get one.
Additionally, I use the Zones of regulation in my classroom. Promoting my students to identify their
feelings and giving them resources as to what is a safe and appropriate way to deal with that feeling.
Lastly, I give my students a choice in their day when I can. Students have free choice every day. They can
choose to read, be on computers, play with toys, paint, color even create comic books. I do my best to
create a safe and fun learning environment where students feel heard, where they know the classroom
belongs to us and not me, where its okay for mistakes to happen and I don’t expect them to always
know the answers. So much so that help each other regulate or focus before I even get the chance to
sometimes.

We use PBIS at my school. Students are able to earn Badger Bucks for doing good behavior that they can
then spend at the Badger Store. In addition to that though I am a big fan of the phrases “Kiss your
brain”, “I like the ways you’re thinking”, “I appreciate the way you solved that problem”, “Thank you
for______” and “Everyone is smart at different things”. Furthermore, I give a lot of head rubs, high fives
and happy dances if the children allow. If students get “in trouble” in the morning I am not harboring on
it after lunch or the next day. I deal with the unwanted behavior in that moment then make sure to
point out 2 positive things after that. Positive behavioral intervention has been my best friends in
managing behavior in my class. Of course, the students have their not so great moments. But for the
most part I don’t have a lot of behavior problems in my class.

Review the Introduction video you created from Week One, did you learn what you indicated (TPE
1,2,3)?

In my introduction video I was very concerned with differentiation. How do I make sure that the children
who don’t know all their letter names and the ones reading at a 3-grade level are learning at their pace
but being challenged and are making progress? This week was the first week I went into the classroom,
and I wasn’t working so hard just to stay afloat. Today one of my students who didn’t know all his letter
names at the beginning of the year spelled “my dog Gus” in his journal on his own and one of my high
performing students in ELA was stumped by a concept as opposed to breezing through all the work she
is given. This tells me that in the past 8 weeks I have been able to do the exact things I was worried I
wouldn’t be able to do. Challenge students to learn new concepts based on their learning level and help
them make progress in their learning journey.

R: It is clear how you are positively applying the concepts learned to influence your teaching. You have
created an environment that is learner-friendly as well as catering to every learner's need.

I: Can you clarify your thoughts as it relates to creating enough spaces for learners in the classroom?
How do you create these spaces in a classroom filled with students' activities?

S: As you proceed, I encourage you to involve a parent in your classroom to have more improved
behavior and better social skills. Parents play a significant role in children's success.

E: As you continue to build on the idea of creating an environment that suits all your learners, consider
knowing how students' home environment looks like.
 2. Discussion
I'd say this course has had a major impact on my teaching. I have been a teacher for 20 years, and I've
found there are still ways I can improve. My school currently has many students who do not come in
person, and it has been a challenge to engage them virtually. Therefore, I had to think about how to
make the curriculum accessible to all in accordance with TPE standards 3.6 and 3.7. Some of my
students are not savvy with computers, and they prefer to do work packets, for example. So I had to
make my lessons both on and off Google Classroom. It was more work on my part, but I now have a
handle on it.

As far as how students have responded, it has been a mixed bag. A lot of our virtual students engaged at
first, but then stopped communicating. We tried different ways of following up with them, but they have
other stuff going on in their lives apparently. But some of our students have been better. They make the
effort, and return work when they can. One of our students was shot, and he was in the hospital, then
stopped coming to school. His parents were too afraid to send him out of the house, and there was even
talk of him leaving the state. But he stayed in Oakland and did the work virtually. The teachers were very
proud of him. We put ourselves out there everyday and when our students respond in spite of the
adversity in their lives, it makes it all worthwhile. That is what alternative education is about.

When I'd recorded the video during week one, I had just begun teaching at the school--only two weeks
in. I was not the grizzled veteran I am now. But I'd already understood at that point that it would be a
challenge ahead. And above else, I wanted to help my students to get their credits and prepare for what
lie ahead after school. To that end I had hoped this course would help prepare me in that regard. But
when I was making the video the idea of having to do coursework on top of my regular school job felt
disheartening. I was insanely busy at the time. And I still am to this day, yet I have gotten used to
compartmentalizing my responsibilities. At the same time, I have benefited from thinking about the TPE
standards and how they relate to my classes. I gave the example above, but beyond that it has made me
take a different approach to lesson planning. Come next term when I have the opportunity to rework my
lessons< I will incorporate them more, which is something I look forward to.

R: It is clear how the concept impacted your teaching. For a successful learning process, student needs
to access the curriculum that engages them and address their needs. This is something that you have
achieved.

I: How did you get from engaging virtual students to making them stop communicating? What were you
doing wrong that made them stop communicating?

S: In the future, to continue keeping learners more engaged, you must keep testing them regularly to
ensure the required performance is maintained.

E: Further research on virtual learning may lead to insights on how learners with disabilities can be
provided with learning resources that cater to their needs.

Discussion: collaborate with colleagues

1. Discussion
 What is the impact you want to have on your students?  I am participating in a fellowship
program called EnCorps that recruits people that have had careers based in STEM and offers
workshops and guidance towards pursuing teaching crendentials with the ultimate goal of
teaching STEM subjects in underserved schools and communities.  Most of these schools have
lower social-economic profiles and many are primarily minority students.  These students
probably do not have exposure to family members or many community members that have
gone to college at all, let alone pursued a career in STEM.  The impact I would like to have on
students is that science is interesting, there are many career opportunities and that it is
achievable for students that are interested.  I want to impart the attitude that Science is not too
hard, that with focus and instruction each one of them could build a career in STEM.   

 Who do you need to collaborate with to support your desired impact?  Ideally, if the district
would fund a science classroom, I would like to Co-teach with a Special Education Teacher.  
Special Education teachers have a different set of strengths and have more training in teaching
to learning differences in addition to IEP and 504 plans.  I would also like to have and ELL
specialist for collaboration to look over lesson plans and coach me on the best way to reach
English language learners.

 How will you collaborate with your colleagues to accomplish this?  If I could have a Special Ed
Co-teacher, I would plan to co-write and co-present lessons and labs to my students.  That
would mean that we would split the duties of presentation to the class.  We could then work
together and break students into groups for more project work and mini-labs during the class.
The two teachers could then circulate through the room, stopping in on each group and
overseeing student group activities.  At the end of each class, the teachers could then reflect on
the lesson for the day, evaluate what worked and what didn't, and adjust the next day's lesson
to correct deficiencies.  If we have a lot of ELL students, perhaps an aide could also be available
to circulate and assist with instruction.

R: It is clear what impact you want to have on your students. I believe if students’ attitude is
directed towards embracing science subjects, you will positively impact the community, and science
will become a subject of interest.

I: Can you clarify your thoughts as it relates to co-teaching with a special education teacher? How
will you plan your lesson to include the services he or she provides in your classroom? How will you
allocate his services in the classroom?

S: As you proceed, I encourage you to collaborate with specialists to find suitable resources that suit
all learners.

E: Further research on collaborating with special education teachers may lead to insights on how
special Ed educators can resolve learner and programmatic issues.

2. Discussion
  What is the impact you want to have on your students?

I’m not really sure what kind of impact I want to have on my students.  I want to say a positive impact,
but the more I get to know some of my students, the more I realize how ill equipped I feel when it
comes to meeting their social-emotional needs, which is what they seem to need the most. I can be very
well prepared for my students in terms of my lesson planning, content, scaffolding and all that good
stuff, but it seems it truly boils down to the relationships with the students.  For example, I had a
student tell me she feels invisible.  Her mother walked pass her in the morning, “like she didn’t exist.” I
simply told her, “you're not invisible, I see you. I’m sure your mother feels the same way too.”

I didn’t have enough time to talk with her after class, but it resonated with me that students now more
than ever, need an anchor to survive the social aspect of school, especially in the aftermath of Covid-19
plays.  

She is one example of other students who shares their insecurities, fears and daily struggles not just in
the classroom, but their home environment. Long story short, if I am to make an impact with my
students, I have to recognize that each of my 135 students have different social emotional needs and
they’re looking for support.  We aren’t just teachers, were 2nd parents, counselors and possibly a
helping hand friend for them too. 

 Who do you need to collaborate with to support your desired impact?Collaborating with other
teachers in the same grade level, content, or general studies seems to provide the most valuable
insights into my students' classroom behaviors. Today, I talked with the English teacher about a
few particular students accused of bullying other students. I learned about the individual
struggles of these students, which gave me a better understanding of their behavioral patterns
to help them better, inside and outside of the classroom. For this reason, I understand how
critical it is for students to receive guidance and support. Also, our school counselor is available
for students to talk with anytime. She checks in with teachers about students in need of extra
help regularly so this helps the teacher gauge how and what approach works for any particular
student in need of extra support. 

 How will you collaborate with your colleagues to accomplish this?

So far, I have contacted colleagues either through meetings, lunch, breaks or prep time to discuss
developing systems for our students if needed or when needed. I have been lucky enough that teachers
are always open to talk about ways to improve our system for the student’s sake. We also collaborate
closely with our specialized teachers to gain insights on what works for the students or what they
struggle with.   In short, an open line of communication within the teachers is the way to enhance
collaboration. 

 R: It is clear how you are planning to collaborate with your colleagues to help achieve the impact you
want to have for your learners. in most cases, learners' emotional needs are not met, but with your
approach, you will reach out to these learners.

I: Can you clarify your thoughts as it relates to reaching out to learners with social, emotional needs?
What strategies and approaches will you use to address this need?
S: As you proceed, I encourage you to find how you can also collaborate with parents to positively
impact your social-emotional emotional needs. Parents also play a huge role as far as learners' social
emotion change is concerned.

E: Further research on collaborating with the parent will provide you with more alternative ways of
positively impacting your learners' social, emotional levels.