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As I wrote in my “Impact” section, “I view technology as a fantastic tool for research and creative work like moviemaking, animations, or digital art, but I do not want to become overly dependent on it or use technology for its own sake to “improve technological literacy..”  This notion seems like a poor use of time to me when most students are more technologically competent than their teachers and the technologies they will be using by the time they hit the workforce may be quite different from those available today.”  As such, I encourage students to use the internet for research and I recognize the importance of giving students the tools they need to use technology responsibly, productively, and safely.  However, because students do not always follow these rules even when taught, I see technology as more of a distraction than a benefit in many cases.  As a rule, I do my best to keep students off their chromebooks during the day unless I have a specific research or digital creativity goal in my lesson.  When students are using their chromebooks, I make sure to keep close tabs on their activity using GoGuardian.

I have also been very unimpressed with IXL, a software similar to iReady that seems to produce no improvement in students’ math or reading abilities, which students in my class work on for about 30 minutes a day.  My resident teacher mostly uses it as a tool to calm kids down after recess, which I understand, but some teachers expect their students to do an hour or more each day.  I see this as an example of technology crossing the line from assisting learning to becoming a poor substitute for actual teaching.  While I would not describe myself as a complete technophobe, I am skeptical of the way technology is implemented in many of the classrooms I have been in.

I will have to modify my stance on technology further for my kindergarten classroom. Kindergarten students have different needs around technology than the older students I have been used to, such as not being able to read material on the screen and being unfamiliar with chromebooks. I will likely focus more on teaher-centric technology, such as youtube and technologically mediated whole-class games.

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Bishop, RS (1990). "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors."  Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom. Vol. 6, No. 3

Cassetta, G. and Sawyer, B. (2015) Classroom Management Matters. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

CAST (2018). "UDL and the Learning Brain." Wakefield, MA: Author

Dweck, C (2015). "Carol Dweck Revisits the Growth Mindset." Education Week 35(4). p. 20-24

Lambert, N. M., Stillman, T. F., Hicks, J. A., Kamble, S., Baumeister, R. F., & Fincham, F. D. (2013). To Belong Is to Matter: Sense of Belonging Enhances Meaning in Life. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(11), 1418–1427. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167213499186

UC Berkeley Graduate Student Instructor Teaching & Resource Center (2016).  Learning: Theory and Research. Teaching Guide for GSIs http://gsi.berkeley.edu/media/Learning.pdf

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Students can urge one another to be quiet without speaking by holding up their index and pinky fingers while touching their middle and ring fingers to their thumb.  I learned this signal as “quiet coyote”, although the kids at my school call it “quiet cheetah” (our mascot is a cheetah).  This signal will allow students to apply social pressure on one another to be quiet without adding to the noise by asking them to be quiet or being rude by telling another kid to shut up.  I can also use it to keep my class quiet in places where my call-and-response attention getters would not be appropriate, such as an assembly or the library.

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Students can ask to use a bathroom pass by holding up two crossed fingers.  Like the water signal, this will allow me to dismiss students without breaking the flow of instruction.  One student at a time may use the bathroom.  They must use a pass and place a bottle of hand sanitizer on their desk until they come back.  During group work time or when students are out of their desk they can use the signal or walk up to me and ask, but they may not leave the classroom without my permission or without a pass.

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Students can ask to get a drink of water from the fountain at the back of the class by holding up their first 3 fingers.  This will allow me to dismiss students from their seats without needing to break the flow of instruction.  One student at a time will be allowed to get water.  It will only be used during direct instruction or student presentation; when kids are working together or out of their seats they can get water at will as long as the water fountain does not become a gathering place for distracted students.

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I will use a few easy hand signals to convey quick information without being disruptive.  These three signals will be introduced on the first day of class and used throughout the year.

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Another clapping call-and-response, although this one begins with my voice rather than clapping.  I call out, “If you can hear my voice, clap once!”, to which students respond with a clap.  If I need a second reminder or just to reinforce their attention, I usually follow up with “If you can hear my voice clap twice.”  I will use this attention getter to signal students to end a task and put their materials away, or to grab their attention after they come in from lunch or recess.

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A quick verbal call-and-response that quiets the class down remarkably well in my experience.  I say “waterfall” and the students respond with “sshhhhh.”  I will use this attention getter when transitioning between activities where students are talking at a reasonable level or to quickly grab the class’s attention mid-task to answer a question or clear something up before getting them back on task.

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The standard clap, clap, clap-clap-clap pattern is my go-to, but I can add some variety if the students need a second reminder or if I use this one a lot.  I will mostly reserve this attention-getter for a loud classroom or outdoor environment where I need students to hear me over the noise.

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I will keep my attention getters simple and mostly nonverbal to avoid having to look around for a chime or recite a wordy rhyme.  Ideally these will work quickly and be audible even in a rowdy classroom or outdoors.  These will be introduced on the first day of school as a way to help me get students’ attention and calm down a noisy room.

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One of the best ways to get students to feel invested in their classroom while also taking some work off the teacher’s back is through the establishment of classroom jobs.  I will introduce these jobs in the second week of school, once we have just begun settling into our daily routine.  To introduce them, I will have a list of basic jobs such as line leader, paper passer, whiteboard collector, chromebook charging monitor, etc., and then I will let students propose additional jobs that might not be on the list.  I will decide which suggestions have merit and create a final job list, at which point I will select students at random and allow each student selected to choose their job.  The jobs and their holders will be written down on a poster near the front of the class. Once the jobs have been assigned, I will re-assign jobs every month starting with the students who were not picked the previous month.  This system will help foster a sense of group responsibility for our classroom and individual self-discipline among the students chosen for each job.

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I will create classroom expectations in concert with my students by allowing them to propose class rules and norms, but I will make sure that respect, kindness, and work ethic remain at the heart of our classroom culture.  As mentioned above, kindness and respect are essential to creating and maintaining an environment where students feel safe and welcome, without which learning is greatly inhibited.  I prefer “work ethic” to other words like “grit” or “perseverance” because I believe it is more universal, easier to understand, and easier to tie into character education/SEL.  Work ethic is defined as “the principle that hard work is inherently virtuous and worthy of reward.”  In order to bear this principle out in my classroom, I am obligated as a teacher to provide the students with tasks that are worthy of hard work rather than mere “busy work.”  A culture that values strong work ethics will also be one in which a growth mindset and an embrace of productive struggle can more easily take root and flourish. (Dweck 2015, p. 2)

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To Belong Is to Matter: Sense of Belonging Enhances Meaning in Life

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Social Psychology Shows that Belonging and Purpose are Key to any Community

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Social Psychology Shows that Belonging and Purpose are Key to any Community

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https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0146167213499186?casa_token=spxmiEzbnL8AAAAA%3ARZTXr5aciBlnhbeUeYbeeI6YO0AvWlo-707eE5e7aqA4oEFVjHCP5M2maXihISZ0Jn_qzSZQE1KZ

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I believe that the two most important factors in creating an inclusive and welcoming classroom are to make students feel a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose.  To foster a sense of belonging, teachers should ensure that their classroom and materials are reflective of their students, making ample use of student work as decorations and including plenty of nuanced diversity in their materials and handouts to remind students that they belong.  Teachers must also be understanding but firm in their commitment to kindness and respect, which are the foundation of any healthy classroom community.  Insults, foul language, and put-downs should not be tolerated, and the consequences should be clear, logical and consistent, though not overly punitive.  To foster a sense of purpose, teachers must have a thorough plan for the educational year.  As part of this plan, the teacher must consistently remind students that their purpose in school is to learn and grow as people, and that their teacher’s purpose is to facilitate that learning.  If the teacher seems directionless in their lesson plans or instructional units seem sloppy and unplanned, students will not feel that their presence at school has much purpose beyond social interaction.  However, a community of purpose will help students feel responsible not only for their own learning, but also for helping their peers towards the goal of greater knowledge.

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https://www.sciencebuddies.org/

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Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools

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Free Topic Selection Wizard, science fair project ideas, step by step how to do a science fair project, Ask an Expert discussion board, and science fair tips for success.

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Examples of Resources for Project-Based Learning

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Examples of Resources for Project-Based Learning

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https://www.centerforlearning.org/

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Students explore the exciting side of science while learning about space, how weather works, and the creepy crawlers they can find in their own backyard.

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Because my constructivist philosophy is centered around students’ curiosity and agency, it may be difficult for some students to take the initiative at first, especially if they are used to more prescriptive, teacher-centric classroom models.  As such, I will take care to be explicit in my instruction, particularly when giving direction and explaining goals of projects.  A solid base of teacher-distributed background knowledge is essential to a healthy project, otherwise students are left adrift with too many choices and insufficient scaffolding.  This style of learning will not permit me to spend much time at my desk; I will need to move about the classroom and engage with student questions, give hints, and build up relationships with students as a mentor and guide.  If I can do this well, it will motivate students to take an active role in their own learning through engaging, fun projects that also develop their social skills and ability to work independently.  The goal of joy features heavily into my teaching philosophy, since I believe that the best way to make a project engaging is to make it fun.  As such, art, games, and creative writing will feature heavily in my classroom, as will visually impressive science activities and opportunities for digital creativity.  I view technology as a fantastic tool for research and creative work like moviemaking, animations, or digital art, but I do not want to become overly dependent on it or use technology for its own sake to “improve technological literacy..”  This notion seems like a poor use of time to me when most students are more technologically competent than their teachers and the technologies they will be using by the time they hit the workforce may be quite different from those available today.  I will also work to ensure that students develop their social-emotional skills outside of group work by modeling and using healthy debates and drawing lessons in character from our literature and social studies units, which I have found is more natural than trying to teach SEL in abstract isolation.  In terms of equity, the UDL considerations mention above will be combined with a curriculum that takes pride in diversity and inclusion, offering students a nuanced variety of resources to expose them to various viewpoints and experiences in the “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” framework described by Dr. Bishop. (p. 2) Although Dr. Bishop was referring to books, I believe this kind of outlook can be applied to all subjects.

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I have chosen this philosophy because I believe it is a workable synthesis of what I have experienced before teaching school and what I have learned since I began taking education classes and student teaching/subbing.  I also think it strikes a balance between idealism around outcomes with practical considerations for instruction and behavior management (further discussed below).  I recognize that my experience is unique and cannot be generalized to all learners, but I believe that a focus on effective instruction through a constructivist lens, with considerations for inclusivity and positive relationships, can offer opportunities to the widest possible range of students.  Project-focused constructivist classes also pair exceptionally well with the UDL framework we learned about in this class, since students are encouraged to take on various roles within their groups and the class while being allowed to construct knowledge in the ways that work best for them. (“UDL and the Learning Brain, p. 2)  Projects are also inherently goal-driven which is critical to the UDL framework, and I will do my best to make the goals of each task explicit. I acknowledge that this kind of hands-on teaching strategy will require a great deal of materials, since the best project-based constructivist classes usually have several projects, labs, and inquiries running simultaneously for different subjects.  For example, we might be doing reading circles and working on a creative writing assignment in ELA, building a model or working on a multimedia art piece in social studies, conducting a lab in science, and playing a math-themed simulation to strengthen number sense all in one day.  It will be intensive both in the materials required to run all of these projects and the time and energy I will need to put into planning and modifying my instruction, but I have always been willing to pour plenty of thought into my passions and I’m used to working long hours.  I do think that these kinds of tasks are very conducive to creating a classroom community and building social-emotional skills, since they require a great deal of social interaction and peer feedback.  In terms of assessment, my assessments will likely vary a great deal depending on the subject or nature of the project, but I will emphasize high expectations and work to foster a growth mindset in my students.  To do this, I will strive to offer plenty of feedback that is specific in both its praise and its criticism, pointing out growth opportunities without putting down students’ current skill level.  This kind of feedback is especially important on written assignments, which will be plentiful in my classroom.

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Part 2 of the curriculum of the Rapid Learner Program, in which I was enrolled during elementary school, a major influence on my teaching philosophy.

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Part 1 of the curriculum of the Rapid Learner Program, in which I was enrolled during elementary school, a major influence on my teaching philosophy.

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From https://www.sanjuan.edu/Page/24015

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A photo of 3 of my elementary school teachers--Mr. LaMarr (4th grade), Ms. Darrow (6th grade), and Ms. Mets (3rd grade)--that they recently sent me

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keep the school running as smoothly as possible

work to fill vacancies and ensure classes are provided with necessary resources

work to balance the interests of students, parents, and teachers

recognize that although students’ needs are paramount, parents and teachers also have a say in how their school is run

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support their children’s education to the best of their ability by making sure homework is done, and encouraging a positive attitude towards school and academic subjects more broadly

engaging in the school community if they are able

bring their cultural wealth to bear on instruction by communicating with teachers and helping influence what is being taught in the classroom.

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facilitate learning by creating an accessible and inclusive learning environment while providing instruction that is both engaging and responsive to students’ needs

communicate with parents regularly

ensure curriculum lines up with district rquirements and Common Core standards

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create knowledge through the experience of working both independently and in groups to solve problems and think critically

treat one another with kindness and respect in accordance with classroom agreements

respect the teacher and avoid disruptive behaviors that prevent other students from learning

be empowered to offer constructive feedback to one another and the teacher

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My philosophy of teaching and learning is that every student deserves access to engaging and relevant academic instruction that facilitates character growth as well as academic success.  In this class, I have been strongly influenced by Cassetta and Sawyer’s formulation of what constitutes instruction that is both intellectually engaging and “develops the learner” in terms of behavior and character: high expectations, opportunities for active engagement, scaffolded support, just-right challenges, and opportunities for social interaction.  (p. 79-80)  I would also add that instruction should be relevant to students’ prior experiences.   Reading this section was a revelation to me, as it introduces a systematic way to approach lesson planning that put my instincts about engaging instruction into clear-cut words and suggestions.  I believe that teachers’ primary duty is to create this sort of instruction for their students, and that they will have a much easier time developing positive relationships with their students if their students respect them as a “good teacher.”  I believe that this kind of instruction is best implemented through the constructivist framework of education, wherein students are given a great deal of choice and agency within a teacher-designed framework to build new knowledge on the foundation of their past experiences. (UC Berkeley GSI Teaching & Resource Center, p. 5) I agree with Cassetta an Sawyer’s overall thesis that individual relationships with students is crucial, but I wish they had emphasized this academic aspect more; teachers must play the role of an educator first and foremost, and teachers who try to be students’ friends without also providing effective instruction are, in my opinion, still failing their students.

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I am motivated to go into teaching both by my own experience and by the acute need for quality educators I perceive in this country today.  First, I am privileged to have had an exceptional elementary school experience, particularly grades 2-6.  I was placed in an accelerated program where the standards for teachers were very high, so I had the benefit of seeing some of the best elementary educators working with students who could push the limits of their academic achievement.  I am still in contact with several of those teachers, and I hope to bring the joy and curiosity about learning that they fostered to my own classroom.  Their philosophy has been deeply influential on my own outlook towards education.  As I grew up, I always enjoyed working with kids and tutoring, both in professional and informal settings.  Working as a swim instructor gave me a lot of experience with younger kids, while tutoring in high school allowed me to connect with my peers.  Finally, I have been affected by the educational developments of the last few years, particularly the catastrophe of distance “learning” and the endless headlines of teacher and staff shortages across the education sector.