DSTR Portfolio

I wouldn't have been able to start my inquiry project had I not taken the time to learn more about the educational environment and the people within it. When it comes to understanding a school, or any other workplace for that matter, history is at the heart of where an institution is in the present.

History and Social Context

In History and Social Context, we took a look at not only the origins of American education, but the continued evolution of diverse teaching practices within America. This strand is at the heart of many other conversations, such as gender studies, questions of diversity and inclusion, adolescent psychology, and more. Having attended independent day schools for the latter half of my life may have helped me understand what private schools are like in a social way, but doing these readings and following them up with discussions allowed me to scrutinize the skeletal structure behind private day schools. These are the schools I must familiarize myself with as I continue to be a part of them.

Teaching and Learning Strand

Content knowledge is one aspect of being an adequate teacher, but instructional strategizing is a whole other can of worms. Proficiency with the course subject can only go as far as the educational approaches in the classroom. Things like Backwards Design help us understand the motives behind our lesson plans and allow us to integrate assessments to track progress. Besides being engaging and challenging, how is this lesson helping students understand how to read or write? What aspects of reading of writing? And how does this lesson fit into the larger curriculum and scaffold to the next lesson? There is an art to choreographing these lessons and there is also a science behind them, and together, they aim to help teachers create an educational flow within the classroom.

Reflective Strand

The reflective strand works as a source for self-awareness as a teacher. As the north stars of the classroom, it is our duty to self-assess our teaching techniques while prioritizing our students. Along with writing in our teacher journals, doing readings related to the subject, and observing other classes, having visitors enter our classrooms created opportunities for us to talk through our lessons with another person. In this way, the reflective strand invites moments of contemplation while inviting other colleagues to give constructive criticism about our own emerging styles.