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- Maintain stance of curiosity, don't make assumptions.
- Consider student voice and choice in all moments.
- Balance high expectations and empathetic flexibility.
- Prioritize development and community over punishment.
- Treat students like humans, not friends, and with a high level of dignity and respect.

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The biggest challenge facing students in this day and age is distance learning. From experience on both sides, as a student and as a teacher, I know that learning is not the same and not nearly as effective as in person learning is. It is unlike this is a short term problem either. As this year ends and next year (hopefully) is in person, students will be expected to know and understand all the content that they were being inadequately taught. This year will have long standing implications for all students.
In this virtual learning environment, what motivates students to engage or disengage is sadly all on them. In a normal school setting, engagement might be driven by teachers or being social, but in this environment students can and I fear have, just turn on the zoom and then can leave the room without anyone even knowing.
I have definitely been influenced by others and the different perspectives they have. For example, I was influenced by our good friend Daryl and his thoughts. We were having a discussion about what the role of a teacher. He said that the role of the teacher is to create activists. I at first had a strong aversion to this idea as I think teachers should simply be passing on knowledge so that students can make their own decisions. While I still believe that, I see merit in encouraging students to think on their own and fight for what is important in the world and to them.

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I noticed that in the early intitial concerns postings a few of my colleagues expressed concern about being too "buddy buddy" with students or not being able to maintain enough professional distance. Interestingly this has never been one of my top concerns, because I feel like as long as boundaries and expectations are clear and consistent, that there's not any reason to have an air of distance from your students. Whenever I've worked in management in any job I've noticed that the most respected authority figures are the ones who are relatable, yet able to make their limits completely clear.
The concerns that I identified were the challenges of serving students who are dealing with trauma, as well as serving students who are particularly disengaged. My approach so far in my placement has been to try to make class as engaging as possible, to try to promote motivation among the students who have struggled to turn any homework in at all. This is still a challenge, and I feel like being a student teacher adds a level of challenge because I can't change the expectations and manner of assessment put forth by my CT. This class has taught me that there are other ways of assessing students, and that molding these means of assessment to fit their needs and preferences is being a good teacher, not a bad one. Especially in my subject area, which is Spanish, pencil and paper style assessments are actually a relatively poor indicator of the level of proficiency a student has in tbe language, and most students find that kind of work to be really boring. In the future I will probably give my students a few options of ways to demonstrate their proficiency, and I will continue to make Spanish class as fun as I possibly can. As far as serving students who are hindered by trauma, I'm going to have to keep learning and trying new things, because I still feel like I have a long way to go (posted in Baylee's column)
I wrote my first paragraph as a comment by accident, but I will continue my statement here:
What are the most important aspects of a thriving learning community, and what are the dangers,  liabilities, and downsides  associated with these attributes? I believe, as I believed at the start if this class, that the most important attributes of a thriving learning community are that all members of the community feel that they have something valuable to contribute. People who feel valued and respected don't need to be controlled, and indeed the very idea of control over other people is illusory. I don't know if I would call it a danger or a liability, but one of the key problems with putting this at the center of your philosophy is that it's extremely difficult to achieve, because every person is unique and therefore have different needs. Add complications like trauma, learning differences, social pressures, and systemic racism and the job of classroom management becomes infinitely more difficult. That being said, I have acquired many tools in this class to give me at least some semblance of a head start in the lifelong process of improving this ability.
What motivates students to apply effort and to behave pro socially in classroom settings? Students are motivated to behave pro socially when they feel as though they have a stake in the success of the class, as well as the community. Every student has something of value to contribute to a classroom, and if we assume that learning is a constructive process, then the class as a whole will benefit from the contributions of all students. World language classrooms are particularly well suited for accomplishing this, because language is inherently used for interaction, and language skills are built through practice. I've said many times that a world  language class has more in common with a Karate class than with a history class. All students arrive with different skill levels, and those varying skill levels, and indeed their various personalities, come together to improve the skills of all students. Students of lower skill levels benefit from exposure to students with skills slightly greater than their own, and the more skilled students benefit from the opportunity to teach the things they have learned, which solidifies their knowledge. What might tend to undermine this motivation? I think that the number one killer of motivation in a language classroom, and one that is always a possibility, is that students are naturally afraid to make mistakes in front of a group of people. When students feel that they have nothing of value to contribute, they can respond by checking out or by disrupting class. This assumes, of course, that what's going on in the class is the only contributing factor to this behavior, which of course is never the case.  One way to help prevent this is to create a classroom culture from day one where mistakes are encouraged and rewarded. Another is to have improvement as a goal instead of a uniform standard, at least as much as possible.  Of course even the idea of improvement is different to every student, because everyone has their own reason for taking the class. Many are only taking the class because it's required, so for them the goal should be to make acquiring some basic skills as painless and fun as possible. Others are taking the class for travel or to connect with family, and others are taking the class because it will improve their college or job prospects in the future. If students are given multiple options for how to approach their practice and assessment, they are more likely to feel that they are getting something out of the class that matters to them, and in turn will be more likely to feel a sense of ownership in the class.
Why do students engage or disengage? The reasons for this are so many it would be impossible to list them, but many students tend to disengage or disrupt when they would rather be somewhere else. Maybe they aren't interested in the subject, maybe they feel that they are incapable of being good enough, or maybe they simply have so much going on in their lives that they don't have any energy left for engaging in class. I think that when students are respected as individuals, and when their concerns and difficulties are treated as important, they are more likely to feel valued by the community. And if they feel valued they are more likely to feel like they have a role in the community.
What roles that control, discipline, authority, punishment, reward, justice, equity, retribution, restoration, relationship, accountability, power, trust, social location, identity, autonomy, and/or agency play in the development of classroom learning communities? I believe that control over people is an illusory target, but I believe that when a classroom culture is built together it is much easier to manage because all members feel that they are on the same team. I believe that authority, discipline and punishment can be replaced with clear communication, healthy boundaries and natural, consistent consequences. Students should know exactly what the results of their behaviors will be, and the results don't need a value judgment attached to them, but can be aimed at repairing and improving the classroom. This builds respect and trust among all members of said community. When people feel that they have agency they will in turn feel valuable. And that is the key to a healthy, pro social, learning environment.

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During the activity on anticipated challenges, I was surprised to see a number of people say they were concerned about seeming too "buddy buddy" with their students, or that they were concerned that it might be difficult to keep an appropriate professional distance. This was something that I've never felt to be a big concern, because I've always felt that as long as boundaries and expectations are clear and consistent, it's okay to have a good relationship with your students. Laughing and joking around make the classroom fun and engaging, and can help students look forward to your class. If the class has a sense of common purpose, and feels like a community, and all students feel like stakeholding members of that community, boundaries and expectations will be a lot easier to maintain. If students feel that you are consistent and fair, and that you always have their best interest in mind in everything you do, students will respect you.
The  challenge that I identified myself was how best to serve students who are dealing with or have dealt with trauma, to the point where it's causing problems with their ability to function in school or leading to destructive habits. As I said before, I'm just now  learning to identify the ways in which my own trauma has effected my ways of coping in the school environment. I've worked in classrooms where the amount of trauma has made the basic functioning of class into a major undertaking. In my capacity as a student teacher I have seen the ways in which many of my students are responding to trauma.  I've made an effort to make class as fun and engaging as possible, and to make all students feel like they have something to contribute, regardless of their background or their skill level, but I still feel that I have a long way to go, and it's going to be an uphill climb, considering the how thin most teachers are spread these days, with many teachers having 120 students.

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I have to admit, that I have a recoiling response to the term management, likely because of the positions of power that often come with it. However, I know that the term management also includes organization, structure, and planning. In this regard the position of power is something that should be collective and not that which is solely controlled by me. In viewing my students as the leaders of the classroom  I can begin to make great efforts to redistribute positions of power that the term management often encompasses back to the students. The organization, structure and planning should be theirs, and reflect what they want to learn, what they find meaningful and be relevant to their lives and experiences. A collaborative process to say the least in which communication in form of student input and voice is at the forefront. Where students are vested in the classroom community they serve and have created because they have been involved every step of the way. Where respect is mutual for all involved. This has been the case for my experience student teaching thus far, and am confident that if we have achieved this virtually- we can in a classroom as well.

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This class has shifted my perspective of all that classroom management entails. While I admittedly still recoil at the word management, I now understand that it can mean so much more than I understood possible. Often management has felt like an oppressive form of power luring over, suppressing me into conformity with little option for voice or autonomy. I was nervous to begin this class, as I've shared some of the punitive actions that I've experienced and have since vowed to avoid punitive measures at all costs. This class has offered so much insight around what classroom management can look like, and how centered in community it really can be.  I envision my classroom as a safe  space that is inclusive for all students and celebrates diversity, I now better understand the steps that need to be taken to get there.  This is not something that happens over night, even if my heart is in the right place. It is something that requires ongoing reflection  in order to thrive and sustain itself. Students voices undoubtably matter in every aspect of my classroom that is truly student centered because I truly believe that they are capable leading the way. It is so essential that class content is relative to their lives and experiences. The slide that was shown on the last day of class sums up my feelings perfectly- I even took a picture to remember it as words to teach by. We must teach with empathy, create a climate for social interaction, use positive reinforcements, establish a climate of kindness and gratitude, and equip students with language of compassion. This is the heart of classroom management, and what keeps students engaged, participating, and vested in the content they're learning. Students need to have choice and autonomy. This year has been such a whirlwind for everyone, as we've had to adjust to all that is CDL. What I feared most was not being able to make connections with students, or deliver content in a way that was accessible for all. What I've since realized is that I've had to let go, and while I may not be able to deep dive into every area of health, I know that I have made connections with students in ways I never thought possible- everything i teach comes back to empathy and compassion for ourselves and others- the process has felt collaborative in our effort to create a thriving learning community in which students voices are heard, and the content is relative to their lives and experiences. For so long I thought, this isn't how I would teach if we were in person, but now I realize how much of it is. I truly never thought I would be able achieve such a hight level of engagement with my students with CDL, or build the relationships that I've been able to build. The amount of respect my students have towards one another is incredible. CDL felt so restrictive and cold, but now it feels so warm and inviting. Again, I was just a small part of this, as I have my students to thank for making this all possible.

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As most of us have pointed out, this year has been anything but normal. My observation of classroom management in the field has been augmented by virtual learning, however this class has helped to clarify my approach to classroom management. As a teacher I am going to focus on building community and intent through my teaching. Ideally, each student will know that they are a respected member of the classrooms’ community, and that they do not have to be afraid of contributing or questioning the intent of the curriculum.

In my student teaching placement, students have began to express a higher level of stress as we move towards the holidays and the end of the term. Unfortunately a few students have approached my CTs and I with the possibility of dropping Band due to heavy coursework in other classes. While this is unfortunate, it has given me the opportunity to have very real discussions with students about managing stress, and facing the reality of covid. For the most part, these discussions have helped to retain students who feel like dropping. During these discussions I try to appeal to the emotional side, as a student myself it is too easy to view our current educational system as pointless.

I am excited to exit this stage in our lives and begin working to build a community of mindful students. I am also glad that this class has left us with a plethora of ethical resources for for navigating classroom management.

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This class and my philosophical reflections throughout it have helped me examine my own views of discipline, community and dialogue. Much of what we read throughout the term confirmed many of my already pre-conceived notions from reading the works of Freire, Zizek, Chomsky, Lao Tzu, William James, John Dewey and Eduardo Galeano. These thinkers stress the importance of transmitting change or "the revolution" to those who will be the agents of change. There is a common thread through all of these thinkers and that is that they all stress a student-centered approach to learning and a people-centered approach to governing society. The school is simply society on a smaller scale, and so in that microcosm of the larger world we have a chance to create a different world with alternative solutions to the world's ills. The readings in our class provided me with less generalized philosphical notions and actually applied many of these ideas into practical activities and lessons. In the readings, you can feel the presence of Freire's and John Dewey's specters.

An inextricable link between the ideas of Freire and our class material is evident throughout Steele's Beyond Discipline. Especially here in a discussion of community building:
"When we talk about “discipline,” for example, we are talking about how the adult intervenes with this student or that one. Moreover, the intervention—like the usual view of teaching itself—is often conceived as instilling something in, or transmitting something to, each student. Even people committed to cooperative learning often see their mission as changing each  participant into someone who can listen, make eye contact, encourage others, and so forth." (Steele, p.105)

Here there is a direct connection to the emphasis in Freire's criticism of the Banking Method of teaching, in which the teacher attempts to transform the student into a beast of his own creation. That is how you get a Frankenstein complex! Avoid the attempt to control and manipulate your students into the type of person that you want. You will only reel away in horror at what you yourself created. It is much better to follow the advice of Steel and Freire, which is to emphasize community and connection first and foremost. One must cultivate an environment where you accept students for who they are and where you meet them where they are at emotionallly and materially. In the words of Freire; teach with love:

I am more and more convinced that true revolutionaries must perieve the revolution, because of its creative and liberating nature, as an act of love. (Freire, P. 62)

This thought process can also be seen in the literature of Teaching Tolerance. Their Code of Conduct is focused on channeling students AWAY from the school to prison pipeline by "shifting" the teacher's attitude in the classroom. This shift that they refer to is in fact the same "shift" from one style of teaching to another expressed in Freire's work. One must abandon the authoritarian and dehumanizing nature of the classical teacher-student dynamic. We must enter into a new dynamic between student and teacher in which our expectation is to 1.) adopt a social emotional lense rather than an authoritative one and 2.) know your students in a way that cultivates trust between you and them. These are the first two shifts in Teaching Tolerance's Code of Conduct. They stick out to me the most because they truly imply that a teacher must practice their profession with empathy and love for the students and the community. This is how one cultivates revolutionary change, we must provide safe places for community to grow. From practicing these shifts and teaching with love in mind, we can "change the game" and avoid contributing to systematic oppression such as the STPP.

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This year has shown my growth in a lot of different ways. It has shown me to appreciate the communities and relationships I have and it has shown me to be a better member of society. The major changes in the way I think about others comes from a lot of the experiences I have had in student teaching and the classes I have been taking in the GTEP program. Because of this, I have chosen to be a teacher that puts a pro-social community first. I want my students to feel safe and respected when they are in the environment of my teaching. A thriving community is all about having a common goal that is the same for all people, regardless of economic/racial status or past experiences. Students feel most motivated when they are connected with those around them. They gain this feeling of connection when empathy is introduced to the community. They also feel connected to the community when the feeling of risk is low or not at all. Students are comfortable with taking risks when they know they are appreciated and expected regardless. Students will engage when they know they are looked out for, this is the most important thing.
When a student misbehaves, it can be for a number of reasons both internal and external. It is important for the teacher to understand that sometimes misbehaving attitude has nothing to do with the student at all. It is the teacher's responsibility to hold a non-biased approach when dealing with a misbehaving student. Punishment, if needed, should be fair and just. It should always contain an opportunity to learn and grow from past mistakes.
My commitment to my future students is thus, I will do my best to be your cheerleader and your coach. I want to create an environment where you feel safe and cared for. I want to establish a community that relies and takes care of one another. Equity and social justice will always be on my mind when creating lesson plans and concert programs. Most importantly, I will strive to make sure every single one of my student's voices is heard, as it deserves to be.

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Throughout this class and the program as a whole so far I've been thinking a lot about the idea of authority. There is both the idea of authority that is attached to traditional ideas of how a classroom should look, with students "behaving" by sitting quietly, taking notes, only speaking well called on, etc, and the related notion of the teacher being an authority on their subject and serving as the font on knowledge, dispensing it directly to students.

While I and many of my classmates sort of balked at the use of the term "management" because of its sort of rigid associations in our minds, the models of authority in a classroom I mentioned above can have their appeal, even if you don't think of yourself as someone inclined towards being a disciplinarian. Being the only adult a room full of several dozen adolescents, and having the responsibility to teach them something, can make the kind of looser classroom controls that feel more responsive to student interests and needs feel like they could spin out of control or get overwhelming. And in terms of subject area knowledge, I think a lot of us chose to teach because we love our subject, and want to share it, and that can sometimes make us start to make the teaching process center on showcasing our knowledge, without intending to or even realizing it. For me personally, I also know that it can be hard for me to shift from my role as a student, where I kind of get to showcase what I know, to the role of helping facilitate the process of others showcasing what they know, can be difficult. I like showing what I know. I like talking about history and politics and government. And sometimes I like it so much that I don't leave enough room for others.

I think to some extent, having a teacher who is really enthusiastic about their subject can be motivating to students and help get them interested. But that only works as long as it is balanced against an equal (or greater) interest in students' development not just as learners of your subject, but as people. That requires letting go of a preoccupation with our own authority, including the pleasure that comes from being an authority on a subject we like. I think moving forward, that is something I will have to keep in mind for myself. Student agency will drive student engagement and learning, and that requires keeping our classrooms flexible, our ideas about what constitutes misbehavior and how it should be addressed flexible and centered on the goal of keeping students in school and integrated into our community, and prioritizing student safety over ideas of order.

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Ian E.E. - Philosophy Statement (final) 

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Ian E.E. - Philosophy Statement (final) 

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For me I want to put a lot of importance on the collaborative aspects of classroom environment. The ability to take part in and feel ownership in the classroom is just something that cannot be understated. The only real dangers of this that I can see is that it will be a little time consuming since they will need class meetings and group discussions on things that might need to be added, taken away, or reworked. I also want to work really hard on being aware of not only my own biases but also the biases of the system and the curriculum and to make sure that I am solving them by being open and inclusive of all the students in my class. This has literally zero downside.

Motivations for students to apply effort and behave pro-socially I think is a tricky one just because we know that every learner is going to learn differently and the same can be said about every student and their desire to apply themselves or socialize. But one thing I think that we can make sure to try is to attempt to work as many different things into the classroom and curriculum that we can fit. If we can give multiple avenues for students to reach the same point then there is going to be a better chance of including all the students. It also is a good reminder to make the learning, lessons, settings, ect. as student centric as we can. These spaces aren't just for us, they are for all of us.

I may seem a little old school here but all things to me seem to come from the desire for attention, reactions, feelings, ect. Students are all going to have differing needs and situations and it is is going to be crucial to connect and get to know our kids and to think of things as not purely punitive. Engagement and disengagement is mostly going to be on the interest of the student. If they don't care about what is happening then how are they going to be able to engage in it?

All of these things play into the role of classroom learning communities (I know kind of a copout but it is the truth). The handling of each one as a case by case basis or how they are built into and applied across the board is going to decide how well things will develop. And for me it is important to look at it as a ever evolving thing that should never be above change or reworking.

I am a very touchy feely person that has a constant running inner monologue so my own feelings and thoughts have a large influence on my philosophy. Because of this taking the time to think things through and to apply the new ideas and thoughts of our classes and work them through my brain has helped a lot of development. Another one is getting the different perspectives from all of you in my cohort has been awesome because it pulls me out of my own head and into the present where I can think of things from different points of views that helps me to see the bigger picture of things that I may be looking at with too narrow of a lens. Research and theory I think will be something I have to work into my thoughts more because it just seems so laborious and time consuming to keep up on but it is something that I know will be helpful and needed. And last but not least my commitment to equity and social justice is something that I hope can drive me forward because if not then I will have failed the whole purpose of being an educator that cares and wants the best for every single one of my future students!

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The most important attributes of a thriving learning community are boundless inquiry, empathy, safety, and personal challenge. Encouraging a culture of inquiry and experimentation encourages growth, reflection, learning and understanding in students. I define boundless inquiry as inquiry encouraged in all directions, which can sometimes lead to hurt feelings through clumsy application of concepts or to injury through accidents. These can both be dangerous for student self esteem and safety, and cause possible liability problems. As such many schools choose to limit inquiry and curriculum, which can possibly mitigate, but not avoid, these issues. I believe however that we do students and educators a disservice if we limit their curiosity in this way, which is why I think empathy and safety are also key attributes to a thriving learning community; and not just as aspects, but as key tenants that pervade every subject and classroom.

As we discussed in this class “the student is not the problem, the problem is the problem.” If we approached dangerous or harmful behaviors through a supportive and restorative model it turns these inevitable situations into learning opportunities, and allows our students to feel empowered to take risks and be responsible members of a school that values them. If the school models responsible risk taking in our curriculum and culture through boundless inquiry, I believe students will see the same ideal reflected in a restorative discipline approach. They can then feel supported to not only take risks in the classroom but also to grow from past mistakes.

The last attribute I mentioned is personal challenge. Challenges can either motivate students or cause them to disengage all together, and every student is different. While we cannot personalize every curriculum, we can give personal challenges to our students; challenges that are evocative to them personally, involve what they are interested in, and reward their actions when they rise to the challenge. We have studied how a student centered curriculum  impacts student engagement and we can all remember checking out when subjects seemed like we would never use them. Connecting with students on things that are pertinent to them, while giving them the opportunity to succeed, could help reach both motivated and disengaged students in the same classroom.

My philosophy is influenced by my own experiences growing up. In the classroom I was present and engaged but I was a disengaged student at home. It also comes from 15 years of teaching and coaching, which while helpful, were in voluntary environments where students/players chose to be there. This is very different from school. From our class I have been reminded that not everyone sees school or learning the same way as me, and that for many it is not a safe or welcoming environment. As I mentioned in my mid-philosophy statement, I want to design my classroom as a space for students to have as their own safe haven from whatever it is that might be plaguing them outside of school, or even in other classes. After discussing cultural sensitivity and a checking of our own biases, I realized that in designing my space I need to put my own taste for bold colors and line to the wayside in my classroom, and think more of the space as a blank canvas for my students to show themselves. I had the complete opposite idea about my room before taking this class, but now I see student-centered teaching going beyond the subjects and into the way we design everything.

Something I have always been passionate about is equality and social justice, and I have learned a TON in this class and Anita’s and Molly’s about accessibility and equitable teaching practices. I want to combat my own cis-white-middle-class programming and not pass on toxic behaviors to the kids, and I think the best way to do that is to be humble, to listen and trustvprimary sources about their experiences, and to remind myself that learning is a two-way process. We learn from our students as much as they learn from us, if we can listen to what they tell us that is. A big aspect of this is checking our personal feelings in times of conflict and trying to bring trauma informed practices to our teaching and discipline, and not make assumptions about the character of our students.. The resources I have from this class should help me to become better at being there for my students, and to remember that every student has the capacity to learn.

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While nobody ever expected 2020 to turn out like this, I am thankful for what it's done for my teaching skills. Classroom management is extremely different when it is all online versus when the instruction is in-person. However, through all of this, I have found that maintaining a strong sense of community, accountability, equal participation, and an air of compassion within the classroom has resulted in more engagement and commitment to choir classes. This is obviously a challenge with online classes as digital equity needs to be considered and respected, as some of my students did not have the resources to participate fully in classes.
Something that I love about my CT is that she always actively seeks out the resources that these students need and guides them through the process so it doesn't feel so overwhelming. For the first month of classes, we spent a majority of our time connecting students to free school resources to help them participate and feel included in classes. This has made a huge difference with the kids and they begin to feel like they are valued within the classroom, which motivates them to want to actually participate more.
When students do not receive this sense of community and compassion from a teacher, they shut down, don't contribute, and act out in an attempt to get any kind of recognition from the teacher. Then, it becomes and endless cycle of useless discipline that only encourages the students to act out and become resistant.
This is why I really enjoy icebreaker activities and think that community-building exercises can be very beneficial for students, such as a show-and-tell day, or a Socratic seminar about a topic they are interested in, or simply playing Among Us with their teachers!
All in all (for in-person instruction and online especially), these students just want a teacher who cares about their wellbeing and actively makes space for them to be a part of the community. Kids just want to feel like they belong somewhere and feel like their voice is being heard in some way. When I was in public school, this is all I desired from my teachers. When I finally felt valued and encouraged to try harder, I felt so much more motivated to complete my homework and advance my skills. This was because someone was recognizing my hard work, encouraging me to continue, and making a space for me within the classroom. Kids these days are facing challenges that I couldn't even dream of at their age, so it's even more vital to provide these supports in order to create an equitable and compassionate community.

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Some important aspects for me of a thriving learning environment include motivating and engaging students in the work that we can accomplish inside of a classroom. Unlocking how to bring these traits out of students is by far one of the more challenging things that I have tried to do in my professional/academic career. For me, the one thing that has consistently been key to getting students to engage has been to be my genuine self inside class, modeling that its not only OK, but better for the environment if each person feels safe in being themselves. Anytime I have felt that I needed to act outside of my natural persona has left me feeling less likely to engage with others. I think the suppression of peoples personalities can many times end in acting out, "misbehaving" and disengagement. While some students natural tendency is to be outspoken and social, other may be more of the listen and learn type. These two very different learning methods are both equally important to the learning environment as they each hold different ways of comprehending content and adding to the climate of a classroom. Discipline in school needs to walk a fine line between reprimanding uncalled for behavior while also allowing for personal and social growth in individuals. The relationship a teacher holds with their students can be the way in which this fine line is maintained, through mutual respect, genuine interaction, and empathy. Throughout my experiences in school as a learner and teacher, my professional life, and even my personal life, I have come to recognize that their are stark differences in my outlook on life compared to my peers. What I experience is constantly compared and contrasted with what I see/hear from others. This is my way of learning and growing. My commitment to social justice and equity is always evolving as I become confronted with new challenges and perspectives. Having a sense of community inside a learning environment is my biggest hope as an educator so that students can thrive in their pursuit of social and educational growth.

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The uniqueness of 2020 will have a lasting effect on my teaching philosophy. At the beginning of graduate school, my main concern was learning how to connect with my students and build a community for the students that step inside my class. My experience with Comprehensive Distance Learning has confirmed to me that this quite possibly will be the greatest challenge of teaching and the most rewarding aspect of teaching.  I believe this because it has been challenging to connect with students in this Zoom environment. Due to multiple reasons, many students leave their cameras off and hesitate to unmute their microphones. I have seen seasoned teachers struggle to connect.
Teachers are reaching out to one another, looking for ways to connect. While I have seen the struggles, I have also been witness to successes. I have concluded that our best weapon in this struggle is the teacher themselves.  Students are looking for their instructors to be their authentic selves. Guiding them and showing their humanity, especially as we navigate this unique school year. I believe students have a "realness" detector, and they embrace the real and reject the fake.
As teachers, we are always looking for ways to provide a student-centered education for our students. Studies have shown that this is the best way to overcome the inadequacies that our education has given marginalized children. This pedagogy benefits all students and empowers our students in their education. As a person of color, I am interested in this because I can see what representation matters.
Just the other day in a Race and Ethnicity class, the students were asked to write their racial autobiography. I let my cooperating teacher know that I was willing to share my racial autobiography to help them understand the assignment. Honestly, I felt a little worried, but I felt that opening up to the students personally would help them connect with me. At the end of class, a few students stayed in the session and asked me more questions about my feelings and the current state of race in America. The following day another student stayed behind because he wanted to thank me for sharing my story because he had not heard his feelings vocalized by anyone, much less a teacher. I was thrilled that my voice allowed him to see that he was not alone in his experiences. Others have been there as well. This is why I chose to pursue this career. I will be a teacher that seeks human connection and places students at the center of their education experience.

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After participating in group discussions, reading various texts, and working in the field with students, I feel much more confident about classroom management than I did at the start of the class.  I believe that some of the most important attributes of a thriving learning community include a safe space where students feel valued and the teacher is fair, compassionate and holds themselves and their students accountable for their actions.  Students' voices are valued and they should have a say in creating the classroom culture.  This includes creating the rules and the consequences for breaking them in the classroom.
I have learned that students may be motivated to apply effort in the classroom because they are valued as individuals with opinions and the teacher does their best to know each student and support them in any way that they can.  That includes being culturally competent and trauma informed.  It also includes not viewing the students as the problem and when there is an incident shifting the paradigm from punishment to development.  Not listening to students or taking the time to think before you react can undermine students motivation for learning.  It is also important to center the student in instruction.  Students should have a say in their education and will be more willing to learn if they are invested in the content or at the very least be supported for success.  In the classroom and in the text/materials used all students should be represented and students should be allowed to collaborate and express their own opinions.
My philosophy is mainly informed by research and theory.  I have learned a great deal from the assigned readings as well as my own personal experience both as a teacher and a student.  When my teachers have demonstrated compassion and fairness towards me and my peers, I have been more open to learning and collaborating.  I have worked with other teachers who formed unfair opinions and biases about their students and have seen how detrimental it can be not only to a students education but to their lives as well.  I am committed to equity and promoting social justice in my classroom as well as in all areas of my life and in order to do so I believe that it is important to continue to examine my own practices and do my best to prevent my students as being viewed as the problem.  Instead I plan to seek for a solution that is fair and do my best to create a loving community where everyone is appreciated.

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I think the most important aspects of a thriving learning environment revolves around a space students can feel safe in. Students should feel comfortable sharing ideas and asking questions without fear of being put down or singled out. Ideally, I would like to see a classroom community where students have fun working with each other and therefore enjoy working on assignments. I think a strong sense of community will encourage and motivate students more than the threat of bad grades. There are some dangers  associated with this approach. It will require me to stay on top of student behavior in the classroom to ensure no one feels threatened or bullied. Discipline will require more work and critical thinking rather than using blunt procedural  tools to impose my will.

It’s important to remember that students who seem disinterested or who act out are most likely not doing so because of anything I have or haven't done, but because there are likely forces outside of school affecting their lives that create stress and anxiety. This stress can carry over and manifest itself at school as poor behavior. Reiterating that they are an important part of the classroom experience and community may help them re engage.

To get students to comply with requests, I think positive reinforcement is the first thing to try. By praising the instances where students do a good job, especially in an area they may normally struggle, can go a long way in helping them feel like part of the classroom community. Discipline, I believe, will also be more successful if I am willing to have a dialogue with students about their behavior before taking disciplinary action. This would include a conversation about what might be wrong, if there’s any way I could help the student overcome their difficulty, and a gentle reminder of what’s at stake if we can’t come up with a solution together. I don’t think students who are struggling in school are served well by having additional infractions dumped on them that weighs down their educational experience even more.

I think it’s important to be aware of the power dynamic that exists in my classroom. While I may be hesitant to use harsh discipline on students, there comes a time when action is appropriate. Specifically when there is conflict between students or when a student may feel singled out by their peers. I think it is also important to maintain some semblance of order for the students who do show up attentive and ready to learn. The balance of power with the feel of community and, hopefully, a lighthearted learning environment will not be an easy one to maintain, but would create the best atmosphere for students to learn, and want to learn, if successful.

Of course these ideas mostly stem from my personal experiences as a stay at home father for many years along with the ideas I’ve been introduced to through my PSU studies. I believe many students live disadvantaged lives and school is one of the places they can go where they feel welcomed, loved, and even fed. Part of my job as a teacher will be doing my best to ensure all my students feel as though they are afforded equal opportunity to learn. Other teachers may be more quick to use harsh disciplinary methods. They may also put more emphasis on “personal responsibility” of students, choosing to ignore the impact of students’ outside lives on their ability to attend and focus on academics. My secondary educational experience was a long time ago so one of the challenges for me will be to break away from the rudimentary ideas of classroom management I grew up with and create something far more engaging and successful for as many of my students as possible.

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I know my classroom management philosophy will continue to develop and finesse itself over time. Right now, a few things that stand out to me include being a cheerleader/champion for my students, supplying relevant content, and practicing flexibility and patience.
When I say being a cheerleader/champion, I mean the literal, "YES YOU CAN DO IT!" "YES LET'S TRY THIS NEW THING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENDS!" and also, being a point of continuous support in my students' lives. Yes, I'll admit this sounds exhausting, but I want to be someone who does not doubt their students-but encourages them to explore their ideas and concepts to the fullest extent! This also means being able to develop the skills to recognize where support is needed and providing them with the tools they need to succeed-this can look different depending on the needs of the class as well as the individual. Looking back to my pre-statement, I mentioned creating a clear schedule, and I said "It acts as a guide or reference point-but is not taken as a end all be all" and I still hold this to be true.

Something that continues to make me excited to teach is ensuring the lessons are relevant to the students. We have started a new unit focused on collaboration and revisions, and our final project for this will be a collaborative class graphic novel! We did some introduction & prep work by first asking what comics & manga's our student enjoy. Next class we did some close reads of manga, comics and graphic novels and we had THE MOST cameras turned on to date! They were motivated to chime in to the class discussion and there was so much buzz about things like, "oh that character is so cute!" "they're my hero!" "i love this series!!" which was SO FUN to see! This is absolutely a project I would love to repeat in the future-and again, making things relevant was KEY for this to happen.

The necessity for flexibility and patience has also become very important in my current placement. We are practicing distance learning and like many, we have found ourselves sometimes drowning in the land of unfamiliar online technology. Beyond this, there are endless variables that could effect my teaching  students ability to be present...some might not want to be there/wifi issues/ personal commitments/ family commitments/ access to tech/ and so forth. By practicing flexibility and patience as a teacher, I can model grace and how we can be kind to ourselves & each other(especially now). One example of this happened just …I had set up some group jam boards for a collaborative activity and five minutes before class started I realized the images that I wanted to cover up a portion of the drawing could not be covered! I went ahead and taught the mini lesson regardless... I did tell my student of my goof and thanked them for going with the flow. They did not seem to mind at all and completed the lesson as usual. It ended up being a fun/silly and quick way to introduce collaboration and revisions-which is exactly what we're focusing on for the unit! (I still want to try to make it work but maybe on a different platform)

Some other random ideas that I've jotted down since June include...Avoid penalizing for late work... Do we want to have a collaborative class playlist?... My students want to submit ideas for the warm up sketches... The problem is the problem... Take breaks. Asking for feedback on "how did that lesson go? what can I improve?" wasn't as brutal as I thought it might be (...yet).

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One thing I am thinking about a lot in terms of my classroom management philosophy is the classroom arrangement. In my previous statement I touched on cultivating community and being worried about not calling out in discipline, but instead calling in. After the chapters on classroom arrangement, and after our role play assignment, I am trying to think of a way to make a classroom that facilitate self regulating or a semi private space where one on ones can happen, not solely as discipline, but as a trusted place for student/teacher conversation. Perhaps it will be a "hub" where all the critiques happen.... As an art teacher there is the extra challenge of needing a flexible space because it will be FULL of materials, so I am still wrestling with this. My best friend is a kindergarten teacher and she bought special lights for her room and keeps them semi dimmed at different times, and that one trick has helped make her space calming. I do not have that option, as light is required for art. So now part way into the term I have changed my definition of "community" to include the space we occupy, not just the people in it. I am thinking the room arrangement will be a very big part of how I manage the flow.

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For this mid evaluation I am going to focus on Jackson's anticipated challenge. He describes it as, "Time management and addressing student's mental health
I want to design curriculum that gets students outside of their house for a while, or allows them time to process and work through things that they are experiencing due to the pandemic" I really connect with this situation a number of ways. I want my students to be at the best mental health capacity that they can be. But I also want them to be in class and learning. I think the major challenge in this is getting students to recognize that school is still important and that it still holds the same value, even though it looks different.
To offer some solutions, the most important thing is to give grace and let the students know that they are noticed. This pandemic is a trauma that both the teachers and students are going through. It is important that teachers are able to recognize the grief, stress, and depression that some students may be going through. We need to give grace by being in constant communication with our students. This includes, check-ins, leniency with deadlines, and not over assigning homework. Another solution is to let our students know that we see and hear them. My CT and I have been doing individual interviews to get to know our students. I find that having these interviews helps the personalities of my students thrive in the online world. In a world when nothing is about them, they get to feel important for a little bit. I feel that even taking a moment at the beginning of class to address the "elephant in the room" of this pandemic is way healthier than pushing through and ignoring it.
Overall, it is better to use precious class time to focus on the well being of the students than it is to shove material down their throats. It is true that a well taken care of mind is more ready to learn than a busy, worried mind. As teachers, we need to understand the importance of this and be okay with making our students feel okay, because we know deep down that they are resilient and they can make it through anything they are ready to tackle.

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Looking back at my initial post, I believe I hold roughly the same values, however my definition of classroom management has shifted. I believe that good classroom management is not so much a defined method as it is a result of authentic and respectful teaching. This has been sketchy in the time of covid, it has been hard to communicate with students, or even receive feedback on the success of a lesson or their interest in subject material. While it seems like the overall experience has been a loss for teaching in general, one on one interactions with students have felt honest, and gave opportunity to discuss the value of music. While it may be difficult to cultivate a large community in the moment, we can focus on the building blocks that consist of strong interpersonal relationships and meaningful content.

While building intent and community is a strong focus of my management philosophy, a more pressing issue is engagement. Technology has been a fantastic tool to boost engagement in the virtual classroom, but it feels a bit like a bandaid on a sharkbite. I do not have a brilliant idea for solving this issue, however I believe we can take moments and lessons from these times to improve student engagement in the future. Student’s have reacted positively to the use of Digital Audio Workshops to create music with each other. This technology, while limited and not as engaging in the long run, gives students another degree of creativity and autonomy with their music. I believe that giving students the knowledge and space to explore music, partnered with a sense of community and belonging will boost engagement and musical output.

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Upon rereading my first philosophy statement I was looking at at classroom management as being a way to act as a guide for my students, like if the were on the road heading to a destination in the world. Now with the new knowledge I have acquired I would like to think add to mine that it is also add that in addition to acting as a guide on the road I would also like to add that another part of classroom management is to be a DJ in the car. The DJ is responsible for bringing people together in the car so that everyone isnt bored looking out the window into oblivion. The DJ has the power to put the Nyan cat, which no one can sing along to and drives people away from each other. Instead the DJ can put on a song like Bohemian Rhapsody, which has everyone coming together to sing their hearts out. These types of things should be what we as teachers should encourage our students to do in order to build the a community. I am lucky to be a band teacher where I will have the same group of students interacting with me for 4 years and they have the opportunity to interact with classmen who are older and younger than them. This means I will be able to help create a community of multiple individuals. There are some challenges that can come in these covid times with trying to create community when no one can see each other in person. A way how I have been trying to create this community is to play ice breaker games. One of which is to have everyone turn on their camera and ask a question were the kids answer by leaving their camera on or turning it off. By the end of it 3-5 kids are left with their cameras to show that they have something in common. Its a little thing but in these times the little things are the true victories.

Upon reading my  philosophy statement for a I stand by what I said and the only thing I would to add to it is that part of building the community, being a teacher, and having good classroom management is also participating in the rules and boundaries that create the community of the classroom. The reason why I want to add this is because communication/relationships are a two way street and one person can not be above the rules at every moment. So what ever the rules, norms, ect... are of the class the teacher is not above them or can not break these rules whenever they want.

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Looking back at the original padlet with the challenges that I’m pondering, I still have a lot of exploring and learning to do, mostly because I only just a few days ago got a chance to finally work with actual students instead of just hypothetical. I highlighted my hesitation and curiosity in the areas of boundary maintenance and the enforcement of set standards, curriculum, and rules.

For the first of these, boundaries with students, I feel that I have grown a lot in this area since the beginning of my professional career and am still learning how to properly develop them. I have learned to see the importance of boundary maintenance not only for “professionalism”, which was never a very convincing argument for me, but also for holding a trauma-informed space. It’s important that students have trauma-informed boundaries with adults, not only for their present safety, but also so they have a model with which they can compare and hold as a standard for other relationships with any adults in their lives. So, while I have learned this as a foundation, I still struggle a bit with bringing this abstract idea into practical use, especially in my subject area of health, where things like bodies, sexuality, and identities are discussed. I would like to be able to contribute my own experiences to discussion in order to provide personal examples of the topics and to potentially destigmatize the topics. But I also don’t want to share too much to where the students feel uncomfortable or that they have a closer, more personal relationship with me than is appropriate. This will likely be something that I will have to research more on my own and air on the side of caution until I am able to find the right balance.

For the second topic, which is the enforcement of set standards, curriculum, and rules by the school, district, state and nation, I suppose I will have to have some conversations with my teacher and some other health teachers and administrators in order to get a real feel for the direction of this. I haven’t learned too much about this general topic, but it seems to me that this depends very widely on the area and specific school and the culture of them.

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My own understanding of how I view classroom management has is constantly shifting as I navigate my student teaching.  Having negative experiences throughout my journey has built up a desire to be a better educator that what I saw as a middle/high school student. I think that one way it is changing is how I approach the idea of leading a classroom through an online platform.  I have always believed in keeping student voices and engagement as high as possible, however I questioned how I was able to do this through virtual learning as speaking freely in class can result in what I perceived as chaotic or a free for all.  This perception has changed greatly, as I see this as the engagement that students need in a virtual classroom.  At first when students began unmuting their computers and speaking what ever was on their minds I felt as if I was not leading the class through any constructive dialogue and that students were wasting valuable class time.  I now see it as an opportunity for students to not only express their true emotions in the classroom, but a way for them to build upon their relationships in the only way possible in virtual learning.  I also now recognize that I can learn a great deal from my students and create meaningful trust through these seemingly chaotic conversations.  The challenge of building meaningful relationships with my students via an online learning platform has been eased by me relaxing on traditional classroom management methods and allowing for more student expression.  Giving students a voice and a place to be heard seems to be a crucial aspect of comprehensive distance learning.  Our readings and classroom discussion in this class have helped me to create equitable incentives for students as well as to understand that students voices in a classroom are extremely helpful in building a democratic learning environment.

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I think a concept that I am grappling with moving from theory to practice revolves around the idea of representation within the classroom. I have really enjoyed and been challenged by some of the texts we have read. The overarching goals I had at the beginning of the course about management (inclusive, culturally sustained, etc) remain true but the mechanics about how to achieve those goals have readjusted. Managing the classroom means that all voices are valued but not necessarily that everyone should have the right to freely share every opinion they have if they further marginalize oppressed groups and create unsafe environments. While students should feel free to share, a free for all approach can tend to further increase power dynamics that exist in society. The Steele text in particular has given me many tools for managing a class that is trauma informed which looks like including boundaries, separating an "issue" from a student, and using safe resources.

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I am finding the last few chapters we've covered have challenged me in reassessing how much classroom collaboration I would like to facilitate. Specifically, when creating the classroom layout and its accessibility. Previously, I probably would not have ranked these very high on my classroom priorities list. After exploring these last couple chapter, I can clearly see how it can positively contribute to our classroom community.
As mentioned in my previous post, I know I would like to have inclusive visual aids, key vocabulary and have classroom norms visible and accessible at all times. To further this, I am now considering how I can invite my students to have a role in creating and decorating this space as well.
One passage that stood out to me was, "When working in an elementary classroom, be mindful of how some paths that are obvious to adults may not be as visible or obvious from a small child's vantage point," (Pinto 2013, pg. 66). I had never considered this, but I love how it challenges educators to take a moment to pause, and consider the needs of the students from their perspective. This seems so vital for the inclusive classroom.
I would definitely like to apply these same ideas when collaboratively designing & arranging the classroom space with my students as well as creating designated task-focused areas.

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I think that my main concerns right now are about how to cultivate student engagement and sense of community while the students are in distance learning. Unlike the cohort that I am a part of, these students don't share a Discord server through which they can communicate, and they aren't always in the same classes with the same students so they rarely have repeat classmates. On top of this, many students do not speak or turn their cameras on during class. It is difficult to even get basic questions answered in class because the students feel so disengaged.

I am almost at a loss for what to write in this because so much of my teaching philosophy has to do with physical presence. But I'll try my best.

I am still trying to find ways to apply my philosophy of the Tao to my teaching methods and have found many parallels between modern day teaching methods and Taoist/Buddhist philosophies around the concepts of wisdom, self-knowledge, leadership and patience.

Here is one lovely example of how the Tao connects to Constructivist princiles. In our reading of Steele's Beyond Discipline, he writes:

Student-generated rules that emerge from a deep and ongoing conversation are likely to be valuable  not because of the rules themselves but because of the conversa tion that gave rise to them. The process is the point (p. 72)

This idea of having the students at the center of rule making is a fundamental idea of how Taoists view virtuous leadership. The people, in verse 17 of the Tao, are supposed to hardly be aware of the Master's existence. They take it one step further, saying that to act as an authoritarian figure creates an objectifying and dehumanizing separation between student and teacher (which is also very similar to Freire's view of the student-teacher dichotomy):

If you don't trust the people, you make them untrustworthy (V 17, Tao te ching, Stephen Mitchell)

The purpose of ruling, in the philosophy of the tao, is to barely exist as a ruler. Likewise in education, the purpose of being an educator is to provide as much empty space as possible. The consequence of which is that students will vacate that role. This is why in the same verse it ends by saying:

When [the master's] work is done, the people say, "amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!".

The constructivist concept of a democratically student-run classroom is strikingly similar to Paolo Freire's call to break down the dehumanizing barrier between student and teacher, and the Tao's emphasis on a leader-less leader.

How I will apply these concepts to my online class? I really am still trying to figure this out. The ideal is that the teacher creates empty space which the student is able to take over so that they develop a deeper sense of agency and learn to participate in the democratic process. However, in a distance-learning environment, it is the students that are creating the empty space by lack of participation! I struggle to find ways to invite them back in and I end up speaking much more than I want to.

I am going to end on a depressive note: This year it seems that I have to accept that one can only do so much community building and classroom engagement through zoom and whatever other technology our districts allow us to use. It feels as if the classical and traditional methods of teaching (they read, then write, then turn in) thrive in this alienating, isolating and cold environment of distance learning. In our present moment the much warmer and personable practice of constructivist teaching is facing a very tough challenge. How is it possible to make our students feel together when in reality we are so far apart?

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One thing that stood out to me from the first padlet was everyone talking about engagement and community building. This I believe is especially important in the digital format. Students that I have worked with tend to hide with their cameras off and rarely speak. I think this is largely due to them not being comfortable or feeling that the community of safety is not there to support them. There are no real substitutes for in person community building, but there are some methods that seem to make things slightly better. I have found a great way to help build community is to make yourself as the teacher as approachable as possible. This can be done through telling stories about yourself, embarrassing yourself, or talking about things you know the students are interested in. The ladder of which I feel is especially helpful, I will even intentionally say something incorrect about a popular show or whatever in order to get students to speak up. These tactics seem to encourage kids to not be embarrassed about what they have to say or scared to participate. Another fun thing we are doing in my classroom to build community, is this Friday being the last day before Halloween I am dressing up and encouraging the students to dress up too. I doubt we will even get into much school work as this will be a day to dedicate fully to community building.

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Lauren Smith Philosophy  Statement (MID)

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Lauren Smith Philosophy  Statement (MID)

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One of my major concerns I had at the beginning of the term was making sure that all my students feel valued and seen. I mainly have this concern because there are so many injustices embedded in the education system and the last thing I would want to do is further isolate students because they do not represent the majority of the class.  One major solution to help ease this fear would be to get to know each student on a personal level and to ensure that I have (at the very least) a basic awareness of their personal culture and home practices.  Creating a "get to know me" assignment at the beginning of the school year could be a helpful tool and help me learn more about how my students identify themselves in a safe way where they can share as much or as little as they choose to.  Another way to create an inclusive and safe classroom is by modeling that as a teacher.  Calling students by their preferred pronouns, incorporating a wide and diverse range of curriculum and setting up classroom norms with my students as opposed to on my own are all things I am planning on implementing in my future classes as well as with the students I am currently working with at my placement.  I also think that modeling that I am a human is very important in creating a safe and inclusive classroom. Acknowledging when I make a mistake, listening to my students perspectives and opinions and demonstrating compassion and understanding will hopefully help the students feel safe and valued.

One of the most valuable things that I have learned is to lead with the mindset of every student/situation is going to require different needs.  One student might do well in a class that is more group-based and collaborative and other students will require a more quiet work space.  I believe that providing differentiated learning opportunities for my students will directly help students realize that my goal is to work with them rather than against them.

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A lot of the challenges people anticipated have to do with building connection, engaging students, building trust with our students, etc. It's hard to develop a sense of community over zoom, especially because I think a lot of students are hesitant to turn on their cameras or to speak up in class (for a lot of totally understandable reasons!) I'm finally going to be getting into the classroom next week (hopefully) and my CT wants to start off by having me do some sort of community-building/get to know you activities with the students, which I think is good, but I'm trying to think of how to do that most effectively. I'm thinking of how it happened with our cohort, and I think a lot of it came down to the vulnerability that our professors were willing to show us early on, which is a good place to start, but I also still share concerns brought up by Baylee and another classmate about potentially not maintaining the right balance of student-teacher appropriateness. In some ways, I think it's easier for us as a cohort, because we and our professors are all adults. We're also all in a program we chose to be in, rather than in a class we're required to take, so it's more natural for us to push ourselves to engage and participate.
But I think the core concept of being open and vulnerable with students does have a lot of merit, and will hopefully help as I start to engage with them.

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I chose to mull over Emily's anticipated challenge, which was was that they just wanted to hear their students sing. I think this is not only a subject specific thing but can easily be morphed into the greater category of simply, "I just want to hear my students voices". Because I may not have experienced the desire to hear all of my students singing (though I think that would be very interesting for a social studies classroom and I would be ecstatic to hear all of my students voices in that way) but I have had the desire to just simply hear their voices. And so far the amount of kids that I have heard speak has been limited to really a hand full.
Over my time with my CT and in this online environment as well as getting to witness the interactions of my daughters classrooms I just don't often see those chances for the students to talk other then when they are brave enough to unmute and ask a question instead of throwing it into the chat. But one thing that we are going to be trying out for the first time in my class is giving the students a flipgrid assignment in which with an accompanying work sheet they can frame their response with sentence starters and an outline to make their video with as little stress as possible. I have yet to see how many responses have come in but I am waiting to check out how many of them have done it just so I can hear them. Maybe finding a way to incorporate low stress and non-graded exercises where students can post a flipgrid video of them singing their favorite song, or having an assignment to find a song they like that matches a theme or a mood they have been having and post a flipgrid of them singing that. I wonder also if there are chances in flipgrid to make it so that the other students can't see what is posted other than their own so that they won't have the nerves of singing while their classmates are also going to be hearing what might be going on in the background or the quality of the device that they are singing into. I just think that these are very interesting times and so if we are wanting to hear our students voices (singing or simply speaking) then we have to think of interesting things for them that will entice them to do it.

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For our original Padlet, I wrote that I was concerned about building community within my classroom is a big concern that I have while we teach students using distance learning. It appears that others in our cohort have similar concerns regarding this school year. I have also noticed that it is a big concern for many of the teachers in my placement school.
As educators, we have been entrusted with one of society's most essential tasks; educating the next generation and preparing them for life as adults. I plan to be a teacher that uses a student-centered, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and for me to be successful, I will need to get to know my students. Additionally, I need to get to know them early and quickly in the term.
My experience with my Cooperating Teacher has shown me that this year has its own set of circumstances that make learning about our students more difficult. But at the same time, a teacher's experience can go a long way to achieving that goal. But as of now, I see that that the use of surveys and check-ins can be very beneficial in helping a teacher to understand their class better. My research survey has shown me that surveys are a great low-risk way to learn more about your students. Learning about my class answers some questions for me and helps me ask better questions for the future. Learning about my students makes it possible to build the type of community I am seeking for my students to share

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I chose to select Hannah's anticipated challenge, which was finding a way to eliminate distractions at home while virtual learning. Lately, I have been noticing high levels of distraction amongst the students. Most often, the students are on their phones, playing video games, or have completely walked away from the computer.
Over the past couple of months, my cooperating teacher has used a miriad of different techniques to keep students engaged. The most useful technique that she has implemented into her teaching strategy happens to be quick pacing. Students are easily distracted at home, so keeping a fast but steady pace often helps them focus more and stay on task.
Another strategy we have recently implemented is using Kahoot! and other games similar to it as a reward for hard work. We noticed how much our students talk about video games so we decided to give it a shot, and it was worth it 100%! The student's love the competitive game and become very engaged and excited about the subject we are going over.

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During the last discussion, Daryl wrote he sees challenges in, "Helping build community despite the separation"
I think this is an incredibly difficult problem to solve in the current climate of distance learning. Nothing can replace the valuable social development that takes place in a school building.
Recently, many schools and classes have begun migrating to a more asynchronous model of teaching and less face to face time. Because this means less time in "person", I think the in-class time could be more directed to community building rather than going over materials or lessons.
My reasoning is lessons and material can be laid out online ahead of time. As long as they are organized, articulate, and easy to find, students can focus on those during their own time.
Meanwhile, the face to face time that is so valuable could be used exclusively for community building activities. I know those kinds of activities are the ones I feel are most successful in the distance learning environment and considering how isolated I feel, my online classmates are important in keeping me engaged and giving me a sense of belonging.
A couple of caveats should be addressed concerning this idea. The first is I don't mean to imply that every face to face class should necessarily be community building. First, there are times when having a live lesson is more beneficial. Especially for ESL students or students who may not absorb ideas as well via reading. Further, if every face to face class is a social building activity, students may start to wonder why they are meeting face to face at all.
Secondly, the teacher would need to insure they are available to answer students' questions about both material and homework. If students are left to their own devices with sparse or no help when confused, the results could be less than ideal.
Maybe the best practice would be to make a large swath of the face to face schedule community focused but still leave room for more traditional, academic discussions.

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I noticed that in the early intitial concerns postings a few of my colleagues expressed concern about being too "buddy buddy" with students or not being able to maintain enough professional distance. Interestingly this has never been one of my top concerns, because I feel like as long as boundaries and expectations are clear and consistent, that there's not any reason to have an air of distance from your students. Whenever I've worked in management in any job I've noticed that the most respected authority figures are the ones who are relatable, yet able to make their limits completely clear.
The concerns that I identified were the challenges of serving students who are dealing with trauma, as well as serving students who are particularly disengaged. My approach so far in my placement has been to try to make class as engaging as possible, to try to promote motivation among the students who have struggled to turn any homework in at all. This is still a challenge, and I feel like being a student teacher adds a level of challenge because I can't change the expectations and manner of assessment put forth by my CT. This class has taught me that there are other ways of assessing students, and that molding these means of assessment to fit their needs and preferences is being a good teacher, not a bad one. Especially in my subject area, which is Spanish, pencil and paper style assessments are actually a relatively poor indicator of the level of proficiency a student has in tbe language, and most students find that kind of work to be really boring. In the future I will probably give my students a few options of ways to demonstrate their proficiency, and I will continue to make Spanish class as fun as I possibly can. As far as serving students who are hindered by trauma, I'm going to have to keep learning and trying new things, because I still feel like I have a long way to go