While writing this paper and conducting research on my placement school for fall and spring semester ('22-'23), I grew to understand the wide range of diversity that this school embraces and displays which helped me understand "the spectrum of student diversity and the assets that each student bring to learning across the curriculum." (1A). I learned from each student that there are so many different ways of learning and presenting that knowledge. I was able to better understand "how each student constructs knowledge, acquires skills, and develops effective and efficient critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities" (1B) and "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;" (1C) due to so many different factors such as language and abilities. 

I was also exposed and interacted with not only racial and ethnic diversity but diversity relating to different abilities where I better understood "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); " (1D).  I also interacted with many students who speak a wide range of languages along with meeting so many students who are apart of a diverse range of cultures. I grew in my understanding of "the impact of linguistic and cultural diversity on learning and communication;" (1E). 

I was also able to learn and dissect where and why I had certain biases and how they could effect my teaching. I grew to better be able to identify my "personal perspectives and biases and their effects on one’s teaching;" (1F). This paper was able to help me come up with new strategies while building off of my own knowledge and experiences and talk to other support staff so that I was able to best help my students learn. I grew to be able to better "analyze and use student information to design instruction that meets the diverse needs of students and leads to ongoing growth and achievement;" (1H) and "stimulate prior knowledge and link new ideas to already familiar ideas and experiences;" (1I) due to my better understanding of the very diverse community of students I was working with. I was also challenged and I grew to better "differentiate 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;" (1J). 

From this paper, I was able to assess the original way I wanted to teach and what kind of environment I wanted to create in my classroom. I was able to strengthen my intentions along with understanding how to better "facilitate a learning community in which individual differences are respected" (1K). This paper also encouraged me to learn from students about their backgrounds and apply that to my teaching. I feel that it opened my eyes to what kinds of students I was working with and how to best "use information about students' individual experiences, families, cultures, and communities to create meaningful learning opportunities and enrich instruction for all students" (1L).

This lesson plan was developed for an ELL methods course I took during the spring of 2022. This lesson plan helped me understand that language and reading skills have a very diverse range and differentiation is key. I grew to better understand "the impact of linguistic and cultural diversity on learning and communication" (1E). This helped me understand that I need to use my understanding of students' backgrounds and skills to develop meaningful and effective lessons to be able to reach all students. From this lesson plan, I was able to assess the student population and "analyze and use student information to design instruction that meets the diverse needs of students and leads to ongoing growth and achievement;" (1H). 

When it comes to differentiation for this lesson plan, I was challenged in how I would have best helped my students learn and grow. I was able to then assess and "differentiate 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;" (1J). Due to the importance and high-need for differentiation, this lesson plan allowed me to identify and better understand how to "facilitate a learning community in which individual differences are respected;" (1K). 

I wanted to ensure my students were able to best connect with my lesson. I worked to understand and "use information about students’ individual experiences, families, cultures, and communities to create meaningful learning opportunities and enrich instruction for all students" (1L). I was also able to use the experience from writing this lesson plan and from this class to be able to understand the range of diversity amongst students and apply it to my teaching during my time while student teaching. This includes growing in my understanding "the spectrum of student diversity (e.g., race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, special education, gifted, English language learners (ELL), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity) and the assets that each student brings to learning across the curriculum;" (1A).