Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Description: This is a commitment to diversity and inclusion for an educational setting. It highlights the importance of creating a welcoming and safe environment to enhance student learning. 

Connection:  This artifact aligns with the knowledge indicator 1D "understands the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning and communication 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 ILCS 5/Art.14] and 23 Ill. Adm. Code 226 (Special Education)" This paper demonstrates my understanding of student diversity and what inclusion looks like from an educator dedicated to inclusion. 

Importance: Teachers must create a safe learning environment for everyone. In doing so, I must be aware, promote open communication, continue to educate myself on research-based best practices, and advocate for inclusive classrooms that are accepting of all cultures and diversity. 

Description: This is a differentiation of teaching between various grade levels. It highlights the importance of developing fundamental skills and progressing throughout ones academic career.  

Connection: This artifact aligns with the performance indicator 1J "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 development and to students with diverse learning needs." This paper demonstrates different strategies and levels of compexity between elementary and high school teaching. 

Importance: Teachers must follow curiculum and develop a skill development and sequentail lessons and units to promote skill development.