Anna Brown

9/11/24 

In my ideal classroom, upon arrival, the day would begin with a silent assignment at students’ desks, which are set up in clustered groups of about 4-6 students. I have decided on this desk formation because it fosters group work and discussion, as students are close to their peers. John Dewey, a prominent educational reformer, believed in the importance of collaboration in learning environments, which has influenced my desk formation. He argues that in many traditional learning environments, desks are set up in rows all facing the front of the classroom which hinders student’s ability to collaborate and grow. I consider this an institutional norm and something I have experienced in much of my educational career thus far. In my experience, I have had more productive interactions in classrooms that implemented cluster desk arrangements instead of rows. 

Throughout the day, my students would engage in activities at our dynamic learning centers. These centers would each focus on different subjects we are covering in class, and provide students with hands-on activities to further their understanding of the subject. I’ve decided to incorporate learning centers into my ideal classroom because of the importance of learning through experience, an idea John Dewey is a firm advocate for. Reflecting on my own elementary school experiences has also further strengthened my decision to include dynamic learning centers. When I recall the classes that fostered the most personal and educational growth, it was the classes that provided opportunities to learn through experience, specifically my science and math classes. I believe the institutional norm of sitting in class all day, especially in elementary school, is something I will challenge in my ideal classroom. 

When looking at the design of my classroom, I want to create an aesthetically pleasing and calming environment for self-reflection. Having quiet reading corners and work spaces will provide students with the opportunity to focus and reflect on the information they have learned, without being overwhelmed or overstimulated. Alternative lighting options such as lamps and fairy lights, along with relaxing colors are what I plan on incorporating. I was a very anxious child throughout elementary and middle school, and I appreciated the teachers who designed their classrooms in a way that provided a comfortable and calming environment to learn without being overwhelmed by colors or sounds. 

Lastly, in my ideal classroom, my teacher’s desk will be easily accessible to my students. I agree with John Dewey in his belief that a teacher's role is a facilitator of collaborative learning rather than the traditional role of a director of learning. I believe to achieve this, it’s crucial students build a close, trusting relationship with their teacher, which begins with having an approachable desk. It will have a space for the students to sit and collaborate with the teacher, it will be elementary students' height so it's not intimidating, and it will have accessible materials for the students to use.

Anna Brown

9/18/24

My teaching methodology is based on a blend of my experiences and newly acquired information regarding effective learning and teaching models. Reflecting on my educational experiences thus far, I attribute much of my growth, intellectual and personal, to the supportive environments I had during elementary and middle school. I want to provide the same learning environment in my classroom, focusing on creating opportunities for students to reach their fullest potential. I am also abundantly aware that students all have different strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles, leading me to believe that there is no one right-way to approach teaching or learning, but instead a blend of effective aspects that can benefit a wide range of students. 

I will blend aspects from multiple teaching models in my classroom to create my ideal teaching methodology. The three models that I think are most effective are the transmission model, the social constructivist model, and the holistic model. In the transmission model, the teacher is in charge and holds the authority to evaluate learning according to how well learners meet his or her expectations. Education is delivered and classrooms are managed as efficiently as possible, through a one-way authoritarian process. In the social constructivist model, learning happens through collaboration and interaction within a community. This model is more child-centered compared to the teacher having all the authority. It gives a social dimension that extends to a larger concern for social justice, while also respecting human capacities and tendencies. Lastly, the holistic model focuses on the interconnected nature of the world and human experience. Educators in this model attempt to balance freedom and structure, individuality and social responsibility, spiritual wisdom, and spontaneity. This model recognizes that all aspects of life are important, not just intellectual knowledge.

I will be incorporating aspects from all three of these models into my ideal teaching methodology. More specifically, I believe some degree of transmission is necessary to foster a good learning environment which is why I do think the teacher will hold the primary authority in my classroom. I also want my teaching style to be child-centered, similar to the social constructivist model. I think basing my curriculum and lesson plans on the students’ strengths, weaknesses, interests, and dislikes will benefit my students greatly. Another aspect of my teaching methodology that I want to focus on is promoting growth in all aspects of my student’s lives, not just their intellectual growth. Similar to a holistic approach, I believe teachers need to place importance on social and emotional growth. In my classroom, this will look like spending a lot of time outdoors doing community service projects, as I did in highschool. Focusing on topics such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and mental health will also ensure I am educating my students on more than just the basic curriculum. 

I believe students come to know and understand things through collaboration and experience, similar to John Dewey’s beliefs. He is a big believer in experiential learning, which is what influenced my teaching methodology. My approach to education will be rooted in a constructivist model. This model states that learners actively construct knowledge based on their experiences and interactions with the world. In my classroom, this will translate into an emphasis on group work, discussions, and hands-on activities. 

I firmly believe that in the learning environment, teachers should be facilitators of learning rather than directors of learning. This shift from a traditional teacher-centered approach to a student-centered approach supports my teaching methodology because it promotes active learning, collaborative learning, and fosters a supportive environment. In my teaching methodology, I picture the students engaging with the learning process as active participants. As I previously explained, I believe students learn through experience and collaboration therefore I believe it’s vital for students to be active participants in the classroom. Reflecting on my educational career thus far, specifically in elementary school, the classes that had the most impact on my personal growth were classes that I actively participated in which supports my belief that to learn most effectively, students need to be actively engaged. 

Anna Brown 

Reflect on your personal experience researching this inequity. What was the most surprising or eye opening aspect of your research?

I really enjoyed researching and sharing the information I learned about the digital divide. It’s a topic I hadn’t heard much about prior to this project, and it gave me the opportunity to educate myself about the large sector of the population that feels the effect of this inequality. I think certain aspects of my research challenged me more than others. Specifically, researching and formulating possible solutions to close the digital divide was difficult. The issue with the digital divide is for there to be a solution, so many different players have to all work together in unison in order to make any progress. Parents and families have to work with schools who have to work together with local governments, state officials, and larger representatives. Additionally, for any progress to be made all members of communities, low-income neighborhoods and wealthy neighborhoods, have to be willing to close the gap. But many times, wealthier communities/families don’t care enough to fix this issue because it doesn’t directly affect them. They are either oblivious to the struggle, or just have a lack of empathy. 

There are two aspects of my research that shocked me the most. The first was how many factors contribute to the development of the digital divide, and the second was how many children with autism live in low income households. There are so many contributing factors that widen the digital divide, and it shocked me how many aspects of society played a part in the equation. As I discussed in my project, educators, racial disparities, policies, infrastructure, and economic barriers are only the ones I chose to focus on, but there are so many more. 

How did engaging with this topic deepen your understanding of educational inequities and their impact on students, educators, and communities?

Engaging with this topic, the digital divide, deepened my understanding of educational inequalities because it reaffirmed the idea that educational inequalities are often closely related to socioeconomic status. Through conducting my research, one common factor I saw throughout the different causes and effects of the digital divide was that the divide mainly affected students who lived in underserved and low-income communities. It didn’t solely depend on the quality of education or school they attended, but also where they lived and the socioeconomic status of their family and community. Additionally, researching this topic made me aware of the long-term effects of educational inequalities. They can hinder not only the rest of your educational career but also life beyond school. Such as what jobs you get, and consequently the trajectory of an individual’s life.

Consider your role as a future educator. How might this exploration shape your approach to fostering equity in your classroom or community?

I believe this exploration will heavily impact my approach to fostering equity in my classroom. It has given me insight into what I should focus on in my classroom, and the goals I should aim to achieve. I will make sure to focus on fostering a good relationship with local company partners, to make sure my students get the proper access to resources if they are not already provided. I will aim to hold frequent and open communication with the parents/families of my students, so we can figure out a plan if they do not have access to the internet, devices, or any other resources at home. I will also make sure to put forth effort in researching and advocating for funding grants if my school doesn’t offer sufficient funding to provide digital literary training, or devices to all of my students. 

Reflect on the agency you had in choosing the topic and format. How did this approach to learning affect your engagement with the material and your overall learning experience?

I really enjoyed having the freedom to choose the topic and format in which to present my ideas/knowledge. Picking my topic allowed me to not only be motivated but also excited to explore the topic, as opposed to dreading doing this project. I also appreciated the opportunity to pick the format, as it allowed me to stray away from more traditional formats like an essay, which is the most frequently assigned project in other classes. Getting to be in charge of my research and project ensured that I was able to customize my learning experience and pick a format I knew would make a lasting impression on my learning.

When I asked her about her teaching philosophy, she said that she believes a teacher's job is to help students grow into lifelong learners and to help them build their confidence. She emphasized that confident people can do anything, which is why her primary goal was to help students feel confident and capable. We ended our conversation with discussing experiences in her educational career that made her feel most fulfilled, and she told me about how recently a past student had texted her to tell her that she decided to go into education and that she was looking to teach students with learning disabilities. She expressed how grateful she was for Mrs. Love and my highschool. 

When reflecting on my own personal beliefs and motivations for entering the educational field, I noticed a lot of similarities to my teacher’s “why.” I’m considering a career in education for two main reasons, firstly I have always had a passion for working with kids, and two, I saw what a huge impact good teachers had on my sister who had a learning disability. Watching my older sister struggle both academically and socially was something that stuck with me as a kid, and seeing how appreciative my parents were to have teachers who cared about her success and wanted to see her grow made me want to become that teacher for someone else. My sister has gone on to be very successful academically and I credit that to the teachers who helped build her confidence, like my teacher Mrs. Love. One of my goals is to build my students' confidence, because I also believe that the foundation of success is believing in yourself.

1. Which strategies seem most effective for Cesar Batalla’s context?

• Before my first community visit I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was confident at least some of the new ELL strategies we learned would be put to practice in the classroom. Personally, I believe that the most effective strategies are total physical response and sheltered instruction. I believe these strategies seem most effective because they are reasonable to implement in classes of larger sizes, and are effective for students of all different abilities. Both strategies can give students who know english very well the opportunity to challenge themselves further, while simultaneously allowing students who struggle to practice the basics. 

• The first-grade classroom I was placed in at Cesar Batalla was an entirely English-speaking classroom. The teacher did not speak any Spanish, and although the kids demonstrated their ability to speak Spanish during small discussions, no Spanish was used for lessons or instruction. However, I still could identify the use of Total physical response during lessons and instruction to support the development of English-speaking skills. 

2. How can these strategies help bridge language barriers while ensuring rigorous academic content?

• Use of Total physical response helps to bridge language barriers while ensuring rigorous academic content because it Helps students associate language with physical actions and build a brain link between the two. In the specific example of using this strategy during a vocab or reading lesson, it  Helps children remember new vocab and phrases by creating mental associations. Additionally, and arguably the most important aspect of this strategy is it creates a more stress-free environment for ELL students, allowing them to feel confident to participate in class without being scared to fail or embarrass themselves. 

3. Reflect on the students you will be working with at Cesar Batalla next week. After learning about these ELL strategies, how might you approach your work with these students differently? What considerations will you make to support their language development while fostering a meaningful learning experience?

• I think the biggest thing I took away from learning about these strategies is how important it is to create a stress-free environment for learning. One of the biggest obstacles ELL students face is a lack of confidence, which leads to insecurity when learning and practicing their skills. All of these strategies that we learned highlight the importance of meeting students where they are, without putting them on the spot or making them feel uncomfortable. I will try my hardest to create an environment that is judgment-free and stress-free, to allow students to improve their skills without the added stress of messing up. Additionally, I will make sure to use a lot of positive reassurance when they do well, like reminding them that they are smart and capable, so they feel more empowered.

I observed the concept of community through how my mentor teacher taught and interacted with the students. It was evident that the students not only respected the teacher but also relied on her for emotional support. She fostered a very comfortable environment through her willingness to listen to the kids' concerns and worries and try to fix them. The students also took great pride in their artwork/work that was hung up around the room, and I think that contributed to the sense of community.

• How were language needs supported for ELL students?

The first-grade classroom I was placed in at Cesar Batalla is an entirely English-speaking classroom. The teacher did not speak any Spanish, and although the kids demonstrated their ability to speak Spanish during small discussions, no Spanish was used for lessons or instruction. Therefore, I don't feel the most informed about strategies used to support ELL students because the students in my classroom all spoke perfect English.

• What role did you play during your first visit, and how did you feel about your
approach?

During my first visit, I provided extra support in the classroom. I was not given individual tasks but was instead asked to walk around during class-wide instruction and class-wide activities to provide extra support to the students who needed it. In terms of my personal approach, I tried to use a lot of positive reinforcement when they did something right and remind them that they were smart and capable if they were getting frustrated.

• Although the classroom I was placed in was an entirely English-speaking classroom, I made some adjustments in my approach to supporting the students to ensure I was fostering a safe and encouraging environment. During my second visit, I made sure to focus on letting the students tell me about their families, hobbies, and culture without trying to immediately redirect them back to their work. I realized that in the moment, it's much more important to make sure the students feel heard and appreciated than to focus on completing the assignment. I think this adjustment helps build confidence in the classroom, along with strengthening the sense of community.

  
  

How did the classroom community and your role evolve over time?

• I think my role in the classroom remained relatively similar to my first visit, as I mainly played a supportive role in helping the students and my mentor teacher wherever needed. The main difference I noticed was that the students felt way more comfortable confiding in me and asking for help during my second visit in comparison to my first. I was impressed by how only one visit made such a difference in the student's attitude toward me, and I was relieved to see they felt more comfortable during our second visit. Similarly, I also believe I saw the classroom community evolve the most through observing students' interactions with each other, and their teacher. I continue to be impressed by the teacher's commitment to being there for her students and how the students respond to that kindness.

• I believe my understanding of ELL strategies and the importance of community in education grew immensely between my two visits. Although the classroom I was assigned to is a completely English-speaking class, between my two visits, I have been able to observe initiatives the schools have taken to help foster an educational environment that supports both English-speaking and ELL students. I think the most significant thing I learned was the importance of creating an inclusive, safe space for students to learn. I observed the school's announcements, instructions, and posters/artwork being in both Spanish and English. I think this was essential in helping students feel included and appreciated, fostering an educational environment where students feel confident enough to participate.

How do you think creating a stronger sense of community within the classroom can enhance language learning for ELL students?

• I think a strong sense of community within the classroom enhances language learning for ELL students because it helps the students feel supported and encouraged during instruction and activities. A strong sense of community can create strong bonds among students and teachers and allow ELL students to feel comfortable participating even if they make mistakes.
  

• Teacher Engagement: How did the teacher work to engage students during your visits? Provide specific examples of strategies or techniques you observed.

  • I observed my mentor teacher working to engage her students through multiple different strategies. Something I observed that was very effective was she would give students specific class jobs, it made them feel important and helpful, and in turn made sure they were engaged with the lesson or activity. Specifically, one time she assigned a student to be the “guard” to make sure all the students were quietly sitting on the carpet while she prepared the smartboard for her lesson. 

• Challenges Identified: What challenges (academic, behavioral, or motivational) did the teacher encounter? How did they address these challenges?

  • One challenge my mentor teacher had to deal with was classroom management, and the behaviors of the students. I was in  a first grade classroom so most of the behavior issues could be explained by their young age, but because there were 20+ students in the classroom with one teacher, sometimes the volume got too loud or students wouldn’t stay in their seats. 

  • The teacher addressed these challenges by reminding the students of their privileges and rewards such as recess, class prizes, etc, and then explained to them how the students could only enjoy them if they followed the rules and listened. This seemed to be a very effective strategy because it reminded the students of what they are “working towards” and gave them motivation to behave. 

• Your Role: Describe your involvement in the classroom. How did you contribute to student learning, engagement, or classroom management?

  • My role in the classroom was to support the teacher or students wherever needed. My mentor teacher let us have a lot of freedom in deciding our roles, and after a little bit of trial and error, I often felt most helpful when I was giving one-on-one support to specific students. 

  • I would either help the students that were struggling with assignments/activities they didn’t understand, or I would place myself within groups of students who tended to be more roundy and misbehaved to help with classroom management. 

Part 2: Reflection on Your Growth and Future Role as an Educator

• Personal Growth: What insights have you gained from your experiences at Cesar Batalla? How did these visits impact your understanding of the challenges and rewards of teaching?

  • I think the biggest insight I have gained through my experiences at Cesar Batalla is recognizing the importance of understanding that students come from different backgrounds, home-lives, and different educational histories, and how to adjust your teaching to accommodate them. Although it is obviously very important you treat students with the same respect and empathy regardless of their background, I think it can be just as damaging to ignore the individual differences and struggles students experience. 

  • These visits impacted my understanding of the challenges and rewards of teaching because it showed me how fulfilling having meaningful interactions with students can be. Regardless of the challenges I experienced during my school visits I always walked away remembering the rewarding moments instead of the hard ones. I think I will always appreciate some of the nice things the students said to me, and it just reiterated why I want to go into teaching. 

• Shift in Perspective: How has your perspective on the role of a teacher evolved through these visits?

  • I think my understanding of the teacher’s role has expanded over my school visits. Although I knew that teachers were responsible for more than just teaching academic information, through watching my mentor teacher interact with the students, it became more and more obvious that teachers are responsible for helping students develop good social skills too. I watched the teacher explain to students what being a good friend means and how to be empathetic to their peers. I also watched her teach students how to interact with authority figures and the respect they need to show. 

• Looking Ahead: Based on what you’ve learned, what strategies or practices would you like to carry forward into your future work as an educator?

  • I think one of the biggest things I want to carry forward into my future work as an educator is the mentality that we shouldn’t take things so seriously. This is a mindset my mentor teacher exhibited throughout my school visits and I learned to appreciate and respect this mindset a lot. She took her job very seriously and maintained order in the classroom, but she also took the time to let kids be kids and not stress over insignificant issues. If a student interrupted her lesson to say something funny, she didn’t jump to scold them about interrupting or being disrespectful, she instead laughed and smoothly redirected the focus back to the lesson. This is something I want to carry out in my future classroom because I think it creates a safe and welcoming environment.

Anna Brown 

10/12/24

During my time at Cesar Batalla, I identified a few notable challenges, however, the biggest challenge I identified was the gap between well-performing students and students who struggled. Within the first-grade classroom I visited, this looked like some kids who demonstrated strong foundational skills, such as early reading ability, math skills, and basic social skills. These students participated often in group activities and lessons, completed their work quickly, and asked the teacher minimal questions. In terms of the students who struggled, I observed them falling behind their peers in literacy, math, social skills, and emotional development. In my personal experience at Cesar Batalla, the majority of the first-grade students could be categorized into the struggling group rather than the excelling group. 

This created multiple difficulties for both the students and the teachers. When there is such a large gap in skills within one group of students, the teacher is responsible for meeting the needs of a wide range of abilities within the same class, which can cause them to stretch themselves thin. I believe that this can lead to teacher burnout, or unreasonable expectations. This gap also affects the students. The struggling group could feel discouraged watching the other students excel with lessons, leading to academic insecurities that affect performance. Additionally, the excelling students aren’t getting the proper attention or challenges they need to continue to grow academically. 

To address this issue within Ceasar Batalla, I would propose implementing an enrichment program. An enrichment program would offer differentiated learning opportunities and promote engagement for all students, regardless of their academic ability. For this initiative to work, teachers, students, and school administrations need to be involved. The school would need to hire a handful of enrichment teachers who could solely dedicate themselves to creating lesson plans that challenge the excelling students, and support the struggling students. The homeroom teachers would also have to be involved, as they would have to coordinate with the enrichment teachers when to hold enrichment sessions. I believe the most effective approach would be when the homeroom teacher is doing a lesson, the enrichment teacher pulls either students who are struggling or students who already mastered the material to participate in an adapted version of the lesson to fit their academic needs. This initiative would allow the homeroom teacher to focus on a group of students who have the same understanding of the material, without having to stretch themselves so thin and split their time. Additionally, it allows students to have adequate attention and support, even within larger classes. I believe the expected outcomes for this initiative would be a decrease in teacher burnout and an increase in overall student performance/ability. 

I believe my proposed initiative is sustainable for multiple reasons. First of all, it's a very flexible solution, and doesn’t require teachers, students, or administrators to commit to the program for a certain amount of time. If the initiative proves successful, it can be easily continued, but if struggles are identified it can also be easily tweaked or changed. I also believe it is sustainable because other than the cost of hiring new teachers, enrichment programs don’t require a lot of materials and, therefore don’t require extra costs. Enrichment activities can be created using everyday classroom materials or digital tools that are free of charge.

I think implementing an enrichment program is impactful because it gives students personalized learning support that could drastically change their performance. In Cesar Batalla for example, a lot of students come from different familial, cultural, and academic backgrounds. So implementing this program would allow the school to meet students where they are, and help them improve individually. 

I think the biggest insight I gained from designing this project was how obtainable many initiatives are. Before this project, I assumed implementing community projects/initiatives would be unreasonable for many low-income schools, but I was surprised by how easy it is to implement small changes that can have big impacts on students.  

This initiative aligns with my teaching philosophy because I strongly believe in an inclusive approach to teaching and learning. I believe regardless of the knowledge a student has entering a classroom, all students are deserving of the same attention and support. I believe the biggest impact my experiences have had on my approach to challenges is understanding the impact of poverty on learning. My visits have given me valuable insight into the importance of empathy and patience when addressing challenges within the classroom, as many of the challenges children face due to poverty are completely out of their control.

• My understanding of the hidden curriculum and the “good student” concept evolved through this exploration because it opened my eyes to how choices I might view as beneficial to an individual’s mental health, are actually damaging. Additionally, many of the choices we were faced with in the activity  that damaged our mental health were the ones that a “good student” would make. This made me realize that oftentimes it's extremely hard to balance school and mental health, which leads us to prioritizing one or the other. 

2.  What are some of the hidden expectations in school that might impact students with unique needs?

•  Through class discussions we talked about many of the hidden expectations in schools that could impact students with unique needs. One of the ones that stood out to me the most was participation and engagement. I know that speaking from experience, in some academic settings my anxiety gets worse when I have to present or participate in class, but that doesn’t mean my understanding of the material or my abilities are less than my peers. I think it's also difficult to expect everyone to be engaged at the same level when you have no clue what else the student is dealing with, how exhausted they are, or the home-life they are coming from. 

  
  

• 3. If you could redesign aspects of the hidden curriculum, what changes would you make to better support all students?

• I think I would follow the model that we are given in this class when it comes to presenting our understanding of the material through a variety of options. I think this allows students to communicate their understanding and abilities without having to be subjected to the same set of guidelines or standards. Additionally I wouldn’t require the same amount of participation, or even participation in only one form, from all of my students. I would allow them to communicate with me about how they believe they best showcase their abilities, taking into consideration unique needs.

• Although I can’t identify many microaggressions that I have experienced in my own educational experiences, there is one that I recall quite clearly. It was on the playground in either first or second grade and I wanted to join a soccer game that the boys in my class were playing. I got turned down and told to go play with chalk or swing because I was a girl and playing rough wasn’t for girls. It made me feel small and embarrassed in the moment even though I was very young and it discouraged me from asking to play with the boys again. I think my experience made me realize that it's important to address these issues and assumptions regarding gender and identity regardless of age because unfortunately, they do exist everywhere.

• I have seen this image multiple times throughout my schooling career, and it sticks out in my memory every time I see it. I think it perfectly represents what people believe is a just system versus what people need for it to be a just system. I think the two panels that stand out to me the most are the equality and equity panels. Oftentimes, as a society, we believe if we create a system that promotes equality, then we have done our job. If we evenly distribute the same amount of tools and assistance to every group and individual, then we are creating a system that works for everyone. But that is simply not the case. I think the equity panel perfectly represents the steps we need to take to create a fair and just society. We need to create and distribute tools that identify and address inequality instead of giving everyone the same resources. 

2. Course Connection: Think back on our semester activities and discussions–such as exploring the hidden curriculum, educational models, policies, community-based initiatives, and educational inequities. How do these experiences connect to the themes in the image? What insights or shifts in perspective have these experiences provided?

• I think our class discussions regarding the hidden curriculum, in particular, connect to the idea of equality vs equity. As we have discussed, oftentimes, teachers and professors create lesson plans, syllabuses, grading rubrics, etc., for a large population of students, regardless of education or cultural background. The teacher might believe this is the most fair approach to teaching because they are giving all the students the same resources and directions, but it's putting a large number of students at a great disadvantage. Teachers and professors need to reflect the equity panel in the image and distribute the tools and resources that address inequality. This would make sure students of every cultural, educational, and socioeconomic background are getting the tools and resources they need to succeed.

• In my future role as an educator, I will strive to meet the needs of all my students individually instead of addressing them as a whole group. I will make sure to focus on providing the tools and resources needed to address these inequalities inside the classroom, as I believe if they are not addressed, the cycle will just continue.