Reflections about what I have learned

As I started work on my Student Teaching Application I realized how much fun it is to reflect on what I have learned so far, how my beliefs about teaching and teachers have changed so much, and how my skills have improved.  I used to think (similar to many Americans) that I knew how to fix schools and what the problems were.  Now I still think that, but how very different my ideas have become!  Parents think that they know how to fix schools - well, after all, they went to school, didn't they?  That's like saying that I know how to invent the next cure because I had a doctor's appointment!  So, I am only at the rough draft stage, but here is how I answered the questions on my application......I have come a long way :)

To the question on how my education has prepared me...

I began my education at the University of Northern Iowa as a parent who thought that I had a good idea of how things should ‘be done’ in schools.  I soon realized that I had a lot to learn, but that my own educational experiences gave me the foundation to understand the benefits of what research is telling us now.  The inter-curriculum, inter-disciplinary, experiential lessons of my education in England was exactly what I felt that my children had missed, and precisely what I saw working so well during my experience at Lincoln Elementary School, Waterloo, as part of the Literacy Education Professional School (LEPDS). The experience of taking university classes in an elementary school, and then immediately taking new learning into the classroom was incredibly powerful.  With the direct coaching of experts such as Dr. Traw and Nicki McGowan, as well as the Reading Recovery team and classroom teachers at Lincoln Elementary, I learned about both the realities of day-to-day school life as well as seeing the lessons learned in our own classes applied continuously in the school setting.  Reading and discussing research about literacy is one thing, observing it evidenced on a daily basis is even more powerful.  The works of Linda Dorn and Marie Clay influenced me early and continue to do so 3 years later.

Preparation through in-person observation and hands-on teaching has taught me vital lessons as well as highlighting areas where I needed more work and strengths that I should be aware of.  Even more valuable in some ways has been the required journaling and reflecting upon each experience.  Looking back over my early notes from my literacy methods class and comparing them with my reflections from my middle level curriculum class experience at UNI-CUE two years later, the growth is obvious.  Not just in my methods and competence, but also in my ability to look at each session with a clearer lens, and to be able to adjust my lesson plans according to the need of my student.

Attending the annual Association of Middle Level Educators’ conference with Dr. Schneider and Dr. Douglas in 2013 was a defining moment.  Each session attended brought new moments and clarifications to my understanding.  Two sessions were particularly influential.  One was on ‘unwrapping’ the Common Core and was in direct contrast to many of the more negative commentary heard in reference to the recent changes in education.  The other expert, who helped to shape my thoughts as I move towards being in my own classroom, was Rick Wormeli. His thoughts and concepts have influenced me to the point of buying several of his books and noting many of his ideas.  His discussions about differentiation, assessment and working towards getting students enthused and thinking outside of the walls of the classroom continue to motivate me. 

From early lessons about teaching using the workshop method for better, differentiated teaching, to later learning about individualizing lessons and helping students to make the connections that they need for better learning, I have seen how twenty to thirty very different students can work together in the same environment, learning the same information in different ways.

Question number 2 asked for what I have done to prepare myself for student teaching.  This is my first draft response:

Field experiences and classroom time as a volunteer, combined with my unique background has given me a strong foundation to take into my future classrooms.  Not only have I experienced different classrooms as a student, but I also have a background of seeing schools from a parental perspective. From living in the English countryside to military housing in North Carolina, I have had very diverse experiences.

In my field experiences I have seen both urban and rural poverty and have been able to compare the rebuilding of curriculum and procedures at Lincoln Elementary, Waterloo, with the concerns currently being faced in the Dike-New Hartford School District.  I have worked alongside newer, excited teachers who are being given a plethora of development opportunities, as well as having seen teachers who are sticking to their basal books and are not prepared to step away from the comfort of worksheets and text book homework.  Through field experiences at Grundy and Lincoln I have seen the power of differentiation and workshop style teaching, as well as understanding how curriculum should be integrated and learning is most beneficial when interdisciplinary.

At the Association of Middle Level Educators (AMLE) annual conference I was fortunate enough to connect with Ross Burkhardt, author and member of the National Teachers Hall of Fame.  He is currently writing a book about teaching poetry and asked me to try three lesson plans that he had written to share both my and students perspectives about his content and activities.  This was a very interesting activity for me as it allowed me to take a pre-prepared plan and experience teaching it in two small group environments and one whole class (at New Hartford Junior High), but also allowed me to reflect on how my personality and beliefs influenced his thoughts.  Creating and maintaining interest with the class as compared with the small group, teaching virtually the same lesson, was an interesting study of how my classroom management skills needed to change in each environment. 

Often as a student we are given the smaller groups that are easier to work with.  I have been very fortunate through both my Lincoln experiences, Junior Achievement volunteering and helping out at New Hartford, to have had the opportunity to work with full classes.  Although I am aware that continued classroom time will continue to hone my emerging skills, it was satisfying to realize how much my classroom presence has improved since I had my level 1 field experience in the fall of 2011.

And finally, so why do I want to be a teacher, and what are my core beliefs?

When I first decided to leave my corporate world to become a teacher, it was because of the realization of how comfortable I was in the classroom. When you are choosing to do something for free, it is time to think about whether perhaps that is the career you should be in!  I have learned so much in the last few years and am looking forward to synthesizing it all in the classroom.

Rick Wormeli tells a story about a teacher, who, for the sake of research, stayed with and followed a sixth-grader throughout her classes in a classic junior high. The teacher was highly frustrated to see how many possible connections could be made between classes throughout the day that were missed, and to discover how much the average student has to try make those connections alone, or more sadly, never makes them, and how much easier the learning would have been had teachers connected curriculum for better learning.  This story sums up much of the way that I feel about myself in my future classroom.  I have seen the power of using the science or social studies text to focus on grammar, or a free write that uses characters from history.  Connecting disciplines just makes sense.

As well as connecting what our students know to help them build and learn, I have also seen how important constant differentiation is.  We put 20 or 30 children, all from different homes and backgrounds, in the same classroom, expecting them to learn the same things at the same time.  Starting with my level 1 field experience at Grundy, then both studying Linda Dorn’s books and seeing her theories used at Lincoln Elementary, I was able to see the power of teaching using the workshop method. Being able to teach a small mini lesson to the class, and then be able to allow each child to learn either individually or in peer groups as they go at the own pace, then summarizing in the large group, with student participation at the end helps both teacher and student. Being able to see who truly has mastery, and be able to move them further forward, while seeing who needs help learning the skills allows the teacher to play to each student’s strengths while watching for their weaknesses and helping them beyond them.

I strongly believe that each student should be given the opportunity to build upon the knowledge that they have and should be able to be an integral part of the community of learning in the classroom. My favorite experiences have been those where the community and parents have been included in the classroom opportunities and where communication has been constant and consistent.  Seeing the high expectations fulfilled in the classroom, particularly at Grundy and Lincoln, showed me the power of a teacher having belief in their student’s abilities – as long as the teacher gives the student a real opportunity to connect, learn, rehearse and master each new skill.

So, now the changing, polishing and checking happens as I put the final document together.  But I think that this is a good starting point!