Educational Beliefs and Practices Reflection

Teaching is important to me because I want to make a difference in student’s lives. I strive to be an exemplary role model, educator, and inspiration to all students. I grew up in a household where my grandfather and mother were educators. My grandfather taught high school science and my mother was a kindergarten teacher. Hearing their stories about making a difference in students’ lives encouraged me to follow in their footsteps and help students find their own paths. I hope one day I can be as inspirational as the teachers in my life were. 

As a professional educator, I believe that connecting student's own experiences by knowing my students and their culture is extremely important. I will be sure to incorporate their culture in lesson plans and curriculum. Additionally, I will teach students about different cultures by incorporating nontraditional texts. My beliefs about bringing student's own experiences and culture into the classroom is supported by both theory and research. Incorporating students experiences and culture into the classroom is supported by constructivism, which values student interests. Additionally, according to Rachel Fuhrman, incorporating student experiences and culture "not only will communicate to students that their culture is valuable to the classroom but also will allow them to find more success with the content when they are able to make personal connections and utilize their previous knowledge to develop an understanding of new content" (2020).  

B3: The learning outcome I want to foster in my students is meeting state standards, specifically the following standard for 12th grade English Language Arts CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. It is highly important for me that students analyze central ideas of texts that we will read in the classroom, as well as interact and make connections as we read in class together. 

B3a: I will use the following instructional strategies to foster student mastery of the learning outcome above: think-pair-share and debates. After reading a text, I will have discussion questions for students to determine and analyze the central ideas of the text. Think-pair-share will allow students to think about the discussion question, share their answers with the partner next to them, and then share their thoughts with the class. This will generate critical thinking and allow students the opportunity to analyze central ideas of a text that we read together in class. On the other hand, debates after reading each novel will allow students to analyze the development of central ideas over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another throughout the entire novel. Debates will open up the conversation to multiple analyses and allow students to use their critical thinking, listening, and speaking skills. 

B3b: I will use the following assessment tools to measure student mastery of the learning outcome: formative assessment during think-pair-share and summative assessment during debates. When students are sharing their answers and thoughts with their partners, I will walk around the classroom to monitor, observe, and give feedback. I will have a checklist with each student's name on it and give students a check mark if they are participating and highlight students names who have grasped the learning objective and circle students names who need more assistance. This informal formative assessment will provide me with data on which students have grasped the learning objective and which need more assistance. On the other hand, when students are participating in debates, I will grade them via a summative assessment. When the students are debating, I will grade them related to the standards of making connections and analyzing central ideas. Students will receive mastery on the standard if they receive a 90% or higher on their summative assessment. 

It is immensely important as a professional educator to build positive relationships with school stakeholders. I believe that each individual in a school makes a strong, positive, and safe community for both staff and students. To build positive relationships with school stakeholders, I will participate in PLC activities and volunteer my services at the school. Participating and volunteer will let school stakeholders know that I am here to be a positive part of the school's community.