1) Equal=/=Equitable
Though this is not a knew idea to my program, we really delved deep into it this week. In Planning, we completed a student learner profile so we can track what accommodations and approaches are best suited for the students. In my Math course, we discussed how the language and content of word problems should be culturally responsive. By ignoring the knowledge and experiences that our students possess, we may not meet their needs appropriately. And in my Integrating ESE course, we noted that the needs of students with disabilities are not "special"; they are unique as any student's are to the goal of reaching their potential. By the time my colleagues and I all met for Seminar, we understood the urgency of creating an equitable environment in our classrooms.
2) Know Your Students
When in comes to planning lessons, teaching content, or strengthening classroom community, I believe that knowing your students is key. In Literacy this week, we read in Classrooms That Work some things that highly effective teachers do, one of the most important being knowing students on a personal and academic level, which I am realizing with my own students. With formative data coming back to the classroom, it's tempting to get caught up in the numbers. But when it comes to meeting the needs of children, it takes so much more than considering percentages on bar graphs. Some of the most heartwarming moments from the time I've spent in the classroom come from when a child engages me in something they are passionate about. I love to share in their excitement, and try to file it away so I can somehow connect it to their learning in the future.
3)Modeling
In Math my instructor made an interesting comparison that I had never considered: math problem solving is a lot like literacy. Just like when tackling a new passage or article, a math problem can be introduced by having the teacher think-aloud the process of "decoding" unknown parts. Just as learning to read requires a balance of decoding skills (phonics) as well as automaticity (sight words), math requires decoding skills (strong conceptual knowledge) as well as automaticity (procedural/"drill and kill").
All of these parts should be modeled to students because good problem solvers, and good readers, use them continuously.
In my experiences this week, I have spent a lot of time modeling summary responses to my students. Now that I have the chance to write them on my own as opposed to using my CTs model, I feel more involved in the process. I am certainly not perfect, but I am learning more and more each day on how to keep students accountable and engaged.