Standard 4 - Learning Environment – The competent teacher structures a safe and healthy learning environment that facilitates cultural and linguistic responsiveness, emotional well-being, self-efficacy, positive social interaction, mutual respect, active engagement, academic risk-taking, self-motivation, and personal goal-setting.
Class Website
Rationale: I made sure to create a website that made anyone who visited feel happy and welcome. As I bilingual teacher I want my students and their parents to feel comfortable navigating through the website. I made sure to introduce myself so parents and students can learn a little more about me. I have my contact information displayed as well as a separate contact page to make it easier for parents to contact me with ease. My rules and regulations and parent letter are both in Spanish and English for parents to easily understand what I find important in education and to communicate effectively with them. I provided my classroom set up to showcase my vision of my dream classroom. My procedures are essential in improving the overall classroom environment and helps make learning possible for all students. I have included my instructional style and strategies for anyone including administrators to view my personal teaching style. I have also included a diversity page to exhibit the importance of diversity in the classroom and how I'll incorporate in my teaching. Lastly I included additional pages such as parents' corner as resources for parents.
Connection to IPTS Standard: When I started creating this website I tried thinking of what was important to find on my child's teacher website from a parent's perspective. I also thought of what really mattered to my future learners. I tried offering information that will support my students and their families. I believe classroom management is a crucial component to a great educator and making sure I was clear and informative was a priority. This classroom website connects to Standard 4 because; I have created a detailed learning environment for my future learners to guide them to feel safe, motivated, have respect for one another, take risks, achieve and succeed in a self efficient way, as well remain actively engaged with everything my website offers.
Self-Evaluation: Creating this website helped me become more tech savvy by developing my technological skills with website design. There was also a lot of research behind my instructional style, teaching philosophy, classroom management, and the importance of diversity within the classroom. I will use this website as a future tool for my students and parents. This website adheres to Standard 4 of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standard and will be a great instrument for any future schools and possible employers.
Trade Book Analysis- Biblioburro
Rationale: This artifact is a trade book analysis I created of the story Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter. This story is about a teacher who travels far away to provide traveling library to children that do not have the luxury of being a able to take out a book from a library. The story depicts the amount of work and danger that Mr. Luis faces each day as he sets out to provide books to read for the young children of El Tormento, Colombia.
Connection to IPTS Standard: This artifact is connected to Illinois Standard 4 by making sure I structure "a safe and healthy learning environment that facilitates cultural and linguistic responsiveness". Additionally, working with bilingual students helps create a student-centered lesson where the student’s socio-cultural assets are not only significant but highlighted. Students are able to relate to the story since it originated from Latin America.
Self-Evaluation: I learned to importance of including my students' culture and backgrounds in my lessons and overall curriculum. When students can identify themselves in the lessons, they are best at acquiring knowledge.