Teaching Diverse Students- The competent teacher understands the diverse characteristics and abilities of each student and how individuals develop and learn within the context of their social, economic, cultural, linguistic, and academic experiences. The teacher uses these experiences to create instructional opportunities that maximize student learning.
This essay was done as requirement for my Introduction to Education class. It asked us to reflect on our cultural development; that is, how we came to think and believe what we do. So I looked back on what things were contributing factors in my growth as a person. I was also asked to talk about how diversity was handled in my family and what I've learned about it. I also looked ahead to my future as a teacher and how I would handle diversity in a classroom. This was a very eye opening essay to write. It caused me to reflect on what I think and how I act in these situations and what diversity is. Now that I have reflected on my cultural development I know how I would respond to situations in my classroom. I learned many things about myself and my cultural background while writing this essay.
While writing this paper I have met several indicators of the Illinois Professional Teacher Standard One, teaching diverse students. The most significant thing I learned while writing this was that diversity is not just about race and that shows indicator 1A which states the teacher will “Understand the spectrum of student diversity (e.g. race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, special education, gifted, English languages learners (ELL), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity) and the assets that each student brings to learning across the curriculum.” Each student is unique and brings different things to the classroom including different ideas, cultures, and behavior and as a teacher I need to make them feel included and valued. In indicator 1C it says that I will “understand how teaching and student learning are influenced by development (physical, social and emotional, cognitive, linguistic), past experiences, talents, prior knowledge, economic circumstances and diversity within the community.” I have shown this indicator by writing this paper. In this paper I gladly reflected on how these things have shaped and influenced me. By doing this I was able to see what my students will experience when they look at their lives and backgrounds. This essay prepared me for the classroom because I saw the importance of “facilitating a learning community in which individual differences are respected” as well as “using information about students’ individual experiences, families, cultures, and communities to create meaningful learning opportunities and enrich instruction for all students” as required in indicators 1K and 1L. Because each student is unique they will have different thoughts and it is extremely important to make sure that they feel safe to participate in the classroom. I, as a teacher, will try to use their views and backgrounds to teach them. Now that I have looked at my culture I have a greater understanding and knowledge how to teach diverse students.
Disability Paper and Presentation: Deafness
For one of my special education classes we were required to give a presentation on one disability. I was given the disability of Deafness. I wrote a paper and book report as well as gave a 15 minute presentation on what the disability is and some accommodations that can be made in the classroom for students who are Deaf. My research included learning about the Deaf culture, sign language, and reading personal stories of those who struggle with being deaf. I have always had a personal interest the Deaf culture so this was a requirement that was of interest to me.
This presentation shows that I meet several indicators of the Illinois Professional Teacher Standard One. Several pieces indicate knowing how developmental differences influence learning. Indicator 1D says, "Understands the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning and communications pursuant to the individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (also referred to as "IDEA") (20 USC 1400 et seq.), its implementing regulations (34 CFR 300; 2006), Article 14 of the School Code [105 ILCCS 5/Art. 14] and 23 Ill. Adm. Code 226 (Special Education)" By including tips for teachers and accommodations in the classroom I show that I have knowledge on what might help a student and what others can do to help them learn best. This shows that I can understand the impact that disabilities have on learning and communication. Disabilities affect each student differently so these are some broad examples but it is a start. Indicator 1G says that I should "understand how to identify individual needs and how to locate and access technology, services, and resources to address those needs". This presentation shows that I can identify individual needs because I know where to start. I plan to make some initial accommodations and then find out what works for the student from there. I am up to date with technology and know how to use it pretty well. This allows me to assist students who use technology to learning. Differentiation is important while working with students with disabilities, especially those who are deaf, as they tend to learn more visually and can not multi-task as productively. Indicator 1J says a teacher, "differentiates strategies, materials, pace, levels of complexity, and language to introduce concepts and principles so that they are meaningful to students at varying levels of developments and to students with diverse learning needs" and this can be seen in the tips portion of the presentation. I encourage teachers to use visuals to teach, give out notes so the student can read lips, and give extra time on assignments. Deafness and learning sign language is something I have always been interested in so I really enjoyed this project and hope to keep learning about it.