- Learning Environment – The teacher fosters and manages a safe and inclusive learning environment that takes into account: physical, emotional and intellectual well-being.
Throughout EDU 6130: Classroom Management, we addressed all parts of program standard 5 associated with fostering a safe and inclusive learning environment. A few ways to do this include differentiating instruction, promoting a positive classroom environment and utilizing effective management techniques. These tools create a smooth running classroom, which leads to an effective and productive environment for students to reach their full academic potential but for this reflection I am going to focus on differentiated instruction as a means of fostering student’s emotional and intellectual well-being.
Differentiating instruction addresses the idea of intellectual well being for students. By allowing and accommodating for different levels of student achievement and interest, students can take ownership of their learning (Huff, 2015). To do this, teachers must be explicit and direct in their assignment instructions and anticipated end goal (Wong & Wong. 2009). This facilitates a road map for students to follow and helps them to reflect on if they have met that end goal at the end of the assignment. When differentiating instruction, the process may be different for students but the end goal or expected outcome will be the same, that they have mastered a new skill or concept (Huff, 2015). Below is a video showing one teacher’s path to differentiating her social studies course. This method in particular highlights the “different method, same outcome” idea discussed above. When students feel that they can master the material either independently, in groups or as a whole class, they will feel more inclined and driven to put forth their best effort on a daily basis. When this occurs, students become emotionally and intellectually stimulated and learning occurs at a more meaningful and internal level.
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/differentiating-instruction-strategy
In my classroom, I would like to provide different ways for students to master the required content. This may not occur on a daily basis but at the end of each unit students could come up with a project of their own choosing in order to demonstrate mastery of the material. I observed a high school math teacher whose calculus class did just that. They were able to choose what kind of project they wanted to do so long as they showed that they understood various aspects of the topics they covered throughout the course. While they had to incorporate three different concepts, I would want to do similar projects one concept at a time and at multiple points throughout the school year. The students enjoyed this assignment because they were able to incorporate other aspects of their education such as art, writing, videography or even a simple math demonstration.
Differentiating with Learning Menus. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2015, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/differentiating-instruction-strategy
Huff, E. (2015). Classroom Management: Session 8 [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from https://bbweb03.spu.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_87019_1&content_id=_1077175_1
Wong, H., & Wong, R. (2009). How to Create an Effective Assignment. In The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher (pp. 223-245).
Online Teaching Portfolio 