Learning and Teaching

As an educator that specialized in English education at the elementary level I think about the subject often and its importance. The English language is one of the most spoken languages in the world at the moment; it is the universal language of the world. For this, and other reasons, it is a subject that holds great importance in the school curriculum in order to offer students a chance to reach greater opportunities and sources for learning. Thanks to my dual specialization in preschool education and English education I realized how important interdisciplinarity is. In preschool education we are taught that in order to teach we have to do it holistically, involving the whole child. This is to say that we create learning experiences that involve all of the child's dimensions of development and combine these experiences with the integrated curriculum. I apply this knowledge also to the English education at the elementary level because it allows students to gain meaningful learning experiences. Integrating the language with other subject matter allows students to make connections and expand their knowledge, it gives them something that they can relate to and understand. It is as easy as to connect the process of gaining the 4 language arts; reading, writing, listening and speaking to the Spanish language, to give readings that offer insight into history and science, to talk about the names of numbers and more (not only the traditional subjects). As an elementary school English teacher it is my job to lay the foundation for students to learn the English language and doing it in a holistically manner is the most effective way to expand their knowledge, vocabulary and cover all the basis of what they should know in order to communicate with a native speaker and succeed academically, professionally and personally.

Diversity in the classroom environment encompasses learning styles, multiple intelligences, exceptional students, special education, differences of race, class, gender, sexual preference, and religious or spiritual beliefs.  As educators, we must consider how our reactions and actions can influence children's learning experiences. My goal is to create a classroom environment that fosters love, respect, inclusion and equity where all feel valued and respected. An inclusive classroom will make learning a meaningful experience, give students a sense of belonging, understanding of their peers and all of this will help them improve their academic performance and self esteem. Some of the strategies that I plan to incorporate in my teaching practices to foster inclusivity and respect is to get to know the student above all else. Knowing our students allows us to adapt our teaching methods and strategies to fit students needs. One of my philosophies is that the teacher should adapt to the student rather than the student to the teacher. Every student is unique and has different learning styles, whether they learn holistically or analytically. The best approach to this is to teach in an eclectic form; blending methods and strategies in order to teach in a way that helps the most students. I could also put into practice differentiated evaluation. Students can express their knowledge in different ways, some may perform better in tests while others can perform better doing low-stress level assignments. Another way to make students feel included and seen in the classroom is to include aspects of their experiences, race, class, gender and more into the instructional plans. For example, give readings, activities or texts that they can relate to. These are just some of the ways that I can think of, of many more, that we can incorporate in order to promote inclusivity, equity, respect and collaboration within the school community.

Creating motivating environments is one of the most basic yet effective ways in which we can promote the learning of our subject matters, the development of critical thinking, interdisciplinarity, student diversity and the use of technology. An example of one of the most basic strategies for an environment that promotes the learning of the English language is developing print awareness with students. Labeling everything in the classroom in the english language and pointing to the words while talking about them. This will help students to slowly but surely comprehend what a word is and that it holds meaning. Offering collaborative activities is another strategy that I would use to help students develop critical thinking. It's an experience where students can interact with each other, be exposed and comprehend other points of view and social contexts. For interdisciplinarity, although a feat not easy to achieve, I would collaborate with the teachers of other subjects and offer activities that connect and are relevant to what they are learning in the other fields of study; like offering readings, conversations about our experiences, environments and more. For student diversity, participating in activities such as talking about their socio-cultural experiences and backgrounds and making projects about family or even other students' cultures would prove to be effective. I would also give the same opportunities to all students regardless of their diversity, abilities or needs, to make instructional plans and evaluation that adapts to all children. Lastly, integrating technology into my teaching practices. Technology is everywhere, it does not only refer to electronics but to innovative materials like creating instructional games. Motivating environments is crucial given that it promotes collaboration and interaction between students which is what we look forward to so that they can develop language. By fostering a supportive and encouraging atmosphere, teachers can inspire students to actively participate in the learning process, develop their language skills, and achieve success in their language learning journey.