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MLE 500 Capstone: Self-Reflection

Hannah Tricamo

+What do I have to offer?

Creativity: It is important to me to vary my teaching approach and to teach for each student’s needs. This no doubt takes a lot of creative thinking.

Caring: It is important to me to be a caring and positive influence on my student’s lives. I hope to be an advocate for my students and their needs.

Patience: I understand that all students have different needs and learning styles. I will need patience to get to know my students well.

Organized: I will no doubt have an orderly classroom with consistent procedures and routines. I think that having an organized classroom will help students feel more stable and comfortable.

Photos from: frameworksinstitute.org and chykalophia.com

“Teachers who thrive… integrate their care for students as people with their efforts to enrich instruction and curriculum (Powell, 2011, p87).”

+What am I willing to do?I believe that every student has the potential and the ability to learn difficult skills.

I will be available as a resource for students. I will be easily accessible by phone, email, and in my classroom. I will be sure my students know that I am happy to provide extra help, answer questions, give advice, or lend an ear to listen.

I will encourage students to follow their individual interests, and I will provide a supportive environment for them to succeed.

I will stay updated on the most recent teaching practices. Personal and professional development is very important to me.

I would like to create a community of learners in my classroom:

A community of learners is “a place where close, trusting relationships with adults and peers create a climate for personal growth and intellectual development (Turning Points, 1989, p.37).”

Photos from: nnym.com and wallacecameron.com

+What am I unwilling to do?

I am unwilling to lower my expectations for any of my students. I will not sit back and watch any of my students fail. I hope to provide them with the encouragement and tools they need to succeed.

I am unwilling to ignore bullying.

I am unwilling to “teach to the test.” Students need to learn more than just academics in school. Character development should be an ongoing lesson in my classroom, and I should consistently model exemplary character.

I am unwilling to become complacent and stop learning. Professional and personal development is an important part of becoming a great teacher.

“Our mission is to meet students where they are in terms of ability and effort and then find ways to design/choose curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessments to move them forward (Powell, 2011, p.69).”

Photos from:facebook.com/excelined and qacps.k12.md.us

+What are my motives?Every student has the right to an excellent education, and not every student receives the education they deserve. This motivates me to be a better teacher to benefit all of my students.

I want every student in my class and in the school to feel welcome. For some students, school is the only positive and safe place in their lives. This motivates me to be more sensitive to student’s challenges outside the classroom.

My goal is to help students discover their own individual interests. This is especially important to middle school students, since they have more choices of elective classes and after-school activities. Helping students explore their interests can also help them socially, as they will be able to find groups of other students that share their interests.

“…Using names, showing concern, and demonstrating the simple fact that we actually like them makes a difference to young adolescents (Powell, 2011, p.92).”

Photos from: talentegg.ca and rudd.jefcoed.com

+Do I believe in the statements included in This We Believe?

An essential attribute of effective education for young adolescents is: “advocating for and ensuring every student’s right to learn and providing appropriately challenging and relevant learning opportunities for every student (National Middle School Association, 2010).”

Yes, the statements in This We Believe are vital to the effectiveness of middle level education.

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: It is important for teachers to know the unique aspects of teaching young adolescents. Curriculum should be challenging and teachers should use multiple teaching approaches and multiple approaches to assessment. Student should be empowered with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.

Leadership and organization: Educators and leaders value collaboration in an organizational structure that fosters purposeful learning. Everyone in the educational system should be held to high expectations.

Culture and Community: It is important that students feel safe in their school environment, and that they are guided by an adult advocate.

Photos from: amle.org and massillonahead.com

+Why do I want to become a middle school teacher?

I am hoping to teach art in a Chicago Public Elementary School, many of which are K-8. With such a wide range of ages, it is important to me to understand the developmental differences of each group. Middle school students are able to use more advanced artistic techniques than the younger students. They are also at the perfect age to study art history more in-depth. At this age, the students will have a more clear opinion on art class: some students will feel a strong connection with art, some will think it is “pointless,” and some will see it as a fun way to take a break from the focus on math, English, and science. I hope to convince all students of the importance of art class, while encouraging those who feel a strong connection to art to study it more in-depth.

Photos from: pdesas.org and karisfunlessons.blogspot.com

“86% of teachers believe that only those with a “true sense of calling” should pursue the profession of teaching (Powell, 2011, p.83).”

+What is my learning and teaching style?Learning Style:

•ISTJ: Introvert, Sensing, Thinking and Judging

•Left-Brained: Logical, sequential, symbolic, linear thinker

•My predominant learning modality is VISUAL. I prefer using pictures, colors, and maps to organize information. I value to-do lists, charts, and graphs. KINETHETIC is my second most dominant learning modality.

Teaching Style:

•I have not yet determined my teaching style, since I do not have formal teaching experience

I imagine that my teaching style will be “Facilitator,” which is more student-centered.

Photos from: therightsideofnormal.com and infed.org

“These teachers tend to focus on activities and place much more responsibility on the students. Teachers typically design group activities which necessitate active learning, student-to-student collaboration, and problem solving (University of South Carolina, 2013).”

+How do I know that I will be a collaborative and innovative team member?I am able to listen to other’s opinions, which is a part of Habit 5 in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teams: seek first to understand then to be understood. Empathic listening, or trying to get inside the other person’s frame of reference, is very important to truly listening to someone.

Goal setting is very important to me as a future educator. Goal setting is part of Habits 2 and 3 in the article: Begin with the end in mind and Put first things first. In order to set a goal, it needs to be attainable and it needs to work towards the “big picture.”

I am constantly searching for ways that things can be improved and that quality will no doubt carry over to my teaching career. I am not one to just stick to the status-quo if it is not working completely effectively.

“Beginning with an end in mind means painting a clear picture of where you are going in life, what you want to accomplish (Branham, 1997).”

Photos from: contactzilla.com and studentsuccess.unc.edu

“Being proactive becomes a true reality and practice when the team moves to actively looking for ways to make things happen by thinking outside the box (Branham, 1997).”

+How will I create a safe learning environment for my students?I will never ignore bullying. I will learn what bullying looks like and I will stay aware of my surroundings.

I will consistently teach civility and respect.

I will be sure my students get educated on the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and that they receive appropriate sex education.

I hope to provide more than a safe environment for my students. I hope to provide an inviting, comfortable, and welcoming classroom.

“This is a safe zone. I am understanding, non-judgmental, and willing to provide an atmosphere of acceptance and assistance for members of the LGBT community

Photos from: dare.org and thinkprogress.org

I love this quote from thinkprogress.org. I think these qualities should apply to everyone, not just the LGBT community:

+How will I model inclusive practices for all cultures, genders, and socioeconomic levels?Each student should have the same educational opportunities and high expectations. As a teacher, I will celebrate differences.

I will make sure the materials in my classroom reflect a wide variety of contributions and perspectives (Powell, 2011, p.63).

I will acknowledge gender differences, but will not show bias towards one gender. I will be aware of how I interact with students with regard to gender.

I will keep socioeconomic levels of my students in mind, but will not lower my expectations for any students.

“Being purposeful in the selection of methods and materials will send messages to boys and girls that they are indeed different from one another, but equally intelligent, equally important, and equally cared for in our schools (Kommer, 2006, p.49).”

Photos from: psdgraphics.com and education-portal.com

“A safe, secure learning environment is a place where teachers are aware of their students’ race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, first language, ability challenges, and other unique characteristics (Dyck, 2006).”

+How will I keep current with outside influences of media and popular culture that affects my students?I will discuss media and popular culture with my students directly to keep up-to-date on new trends. This can be done through class discussions or one-on-one interactions.

I will use websites like Media Smarts to teach digital literacy to my students.

Using my knowledge of current media and popular culture, I will help my students reflect on how these things effect their lives.

I will use technology in my classroom to keep students engaged.

“Media Smarts’ vision is that children and youth have the critical thinking skills to engage with media as active and informed digital citizens (Media Smarts, 2013).”

Photos from: Facebook.com and youtube.com

+How will I communicate with parents and guardians effectively?I will stay updated on grading student work, and I will use an internet grading system so parents can keep up with their student’s academics.

I will send home a parent newsletter twice a quarter to keep parents updated on the happenings in my classroom.

I will create a classroom website that I will update at least every two weeks with important internet links and information for parents.

I will make my contact information readily available and will make myself available for parent conferences.

I will help parents understand the complexities of middle school (class changes, course choice, etc) more clearly.

Photos from: docstoc.com and kennedy.usd497.org

“Getting to know the adults with whom our students live is more difficult in middle school when parental involvement often plummets (Powell,2011, p.67).”

+References

Media Smarts. (2013). Our mission and beliefs. Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/about-us

Powell, S. D. (2011). Introduction to middle school. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

National Middle School Association. (2010). This we believe. Keys to Educating Young Adolescents,

Branham, L. (1997). The seven habits of highly effective teams. Middle School Journal, 28(5),

Kommer, D. (2006). Considerations for gender-friendly classrooms. Middle School Journal, 32(2), 49.

Jackson, A. W., & Davis, G. A. (2000). Turning points 2000. New York: Teachers College Press.

Dyck, B. A. (2006). Becoming a multicultural educator. Middle Ground, 9(4),