My Teaching Philosophy by Mizuki Yokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa EDU275A Teaching Philosophy and Management Padlet Presentation en-us 2021-08-10 05:26:35 UTC 2023-02-25 03:49:56 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4da.png Part I: Teaching Philosophy myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673775498 Every student (regardless of their social identities) deserves the best quality education so that every student is well-prepared to pursue STEM education and career if they want to. Even if they decide not to pursue a STEM field, every student should be equipped with the knowledge to make logical decisions or judgments on the information presented to them in everyday life.]]> 2021-08-10 06:05:38 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673775498 "Why should we care?" myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673795863 According to Kellough & Kellough (2011), students tend to be more motivated to do class activities when they understand the reasoning behind those activities (p. 124).

I believe it is common among highschool students (especially those who don't enjoy learning STEM subjects) to question why they need to take science courses and why they should care about what is being taught in those classes. Therefore, I would always make sure to connect the contents covered in class with some real life examples, so that students can realize that whatever they are learning is still relevant to their life.

image source: https://cen.acs.org/education/Periodic-Graphics-chemistry-slime/96/i25?utm_source=YMAL&utm_medium=YMAL&utm_campaign=CEN&utm_content=pos1]]> 2021-08-10 06:28:58 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673795863 Building lessons around students' interests myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673812072 By doing lessons that speak to students' interest, I can help them develop an intrinsic motivation to learn more (Kellough & Kellough, 2011, p. 119). 

To do so, I would proactively learn more about my students by... 
  • asking them to fill out a survey about their interests at the beginning of the school year
  • talking with teachers for their other classes
  • interacting and observing them outside of classroom (such as sport events, clubs, lunch time, etc.)

image source: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/behavior/physiological-and-sociocultural-concepts-of-motivation-and-attitudes/a/motivation-article-2
]]> 2021-08-10 06:45:17 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673812072 Meeting every students' learning style needs myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673831824 Every student learns differently. To meet everyone's needs, I would incorporate many different types of teaching tools such as...
  • slides with images and words to read
  • small group discussions
  • videos with closed captioning
  • lab/experiments
  • talk with direct and clear languages

image source: https://femalecoachingnetwork.com/2017/11/06/create-efficient-learning-environment-tip-4/
]]> 2021-08-10 07:07:44 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673831824 Culturally Relevant Pedagogy myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673841123 Students of color, English Learners, and first generation students are less likely to pursue a STEM field due to the achievement gap between them and their white peers (Carr & Baucum, 2019). Additionally, most of the scientists represented in science classrooms and textbooks are white male individuals, which discourages students who don't fit in 'male' or 'white' categories from pursuing STEM fields (Makarova et al., 2019). While the Makarova et al. (2019) only looked at the gender gap in the STEM field in their research, I believe the same issue also applies to other societal identities, such as race and sexual orientations. 

To close the achievement gap, and to encourage more students with underrepresented identities to pursue STEM education and career, I would utilize materials that students can connect with (Winn & Johnson, 2011). One way to do this is to share scientific discovery or work done by scientists with backgrounds similar to the students. Since the idea of stereotype is internalized among students since early in the K-12 education, it is important to introduce them to scientists who are female, people of color, identify as LGBTQ+, etc. so that students can start to realize that they too can be successful in the STEM field (Makarova et al., 2019).]]> 2021-08-10 07:18:31 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673841123 Growth Mindset myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673864172 Scientific discovery is all about trial and error.

According to Dweck (2007), when students are in the growth mindset, they are more encouraged to take on challenges, learn from mistakes and care about learning (p. 36). Therefore, I believe it is our job as an educator to make sure our students are in the growth mindset (Dweck, 2007, pp. 36-37).]]> 2021-08-10 07:46:15 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673864172 Part II: Classroom Management myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673868899 Create a positive learning environment so that every student, including those who are not interested in science, can feel motivated to learn and put some effort.]]> 2021-08-10 07:53:13 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673868899 Greetings myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673876101 I would always greet each student with a smile and a friendly manner as they enter the classroom (Kellough & Kellough, 2011, p. 115).

image source: https://www.pbisrewards.com/blog/5-simple-ways-to-greet-students/]]> 2021-08-10 08:02:17 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673876101 Co-constructing Classroom Norms myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673882310 At the beginning of the school year, I would take some time to discuss and co-construct our classroom procedures and consequences. During this discussion, I would ask the following questions to assist the development of our classroom norms:
  1. How do you want to be treated?
  2. How do you want to treat others?
  3. What should the consequences be when the norms are not followed?
While I would let the students come up with ideas, I would also have some key expectations in mind, such as be respectful, be on time, and come prepared. Therefore when these are not mentioned by the students, I could suggest them by saying "How about _____?".
At the end of the discussion, I would organize their ideas into 5-6 concise points so that we have a clear, easy to understand expectations to refer to throughout the school year.

By involving students in the development of classroom procedures and consequences, students are given with a "partial ownership of and responsibility for their learning" (Kellough & Kellough, 2011, p. 110). This allows them to feel sense of empowerment and help develop a positive relationship in the classroom (Edutopia, 2019). Moreover, I believe it is more effective in classroom management when students are involved in developing one because it's what they came up with and agreed on.
]]> 2021-08-10 08:11:45 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1673882310 Focus on Positives! myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1674399859 Reminding them what they should do rather than what they should not do helps encourage students to follow the classroom norms and create a positive classroom environment.

For instance, when a student starts talking over their peer, I would say "Remember, we agreed to respect each other, right? Let's listen to (their peer's name) first" rather than saying "don't talk over (their peer's name)!" or "stop talking!".

image source: https://www.weareteachers.com/positive-language-in-the-classroom/]]> 2021-08-10 17:28:47 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1674399859 examples... myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1677266692 These are some strategies that I could use to foster growth mindset in my students:
  • Recognize and praise their effort, not their intelligence
  • Ask students to set SMART goals at the beginning of the school year and revisit occasionally (SMART goal: goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based)
  • Give challenges that will help stretch their abilities and learn to overcome obstacles
]]> 2021-08-12 19:33:59 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1677266692 Safe and Welcoming Community myokokawa https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1677316709 I believe it is my responsibility as a teacher to establish a classroom community where students feel safe and welcomed. I would also want to make sure that every student realizes that it is okay to be different and it is something they should be proud of. 
The following strategies are some ways I would make sure that my classroom is safe and welcoming space for all:
  • small group activities where each student in a group is assigned to a specific role/task so that no one is left alone
  • share scientific discovery or STEM-related fun facts that involve scientists who are from similar cultural background as some of the students
  • addressing holidays or celebrations practiced by students' culture, and let students talk about it if they want to (talk with the student ahead of time to see what they feel most comfortable with)

I believe this is important because when students are not feeling well mentally or emotionally, there is no way they can perform well in school. By making sure to establish a safe and welcoming environment where each and every one of student's identities are accepted and celebrated, I'm hoping to support "minority" students who tend to be more self-conscious about their identities.
]]> 2021-08-12 20:28:31 UTC https://padlet.com/myokokawa/EDU275AYokokawa/wish/1677316709