Current Educational Issues

Current Issues in Education

2008-2009

Making Topics Relevant to Students:

In order for students to be engaged in the material, it is necessary to make a connection between the material and “real” life. When the students see the material as important and useful to their life, they will be more likely to focus and want to learn. When planning lessons, I try to find ways in which I can make that connection. I outline the chapter objectives for the students by telling them what they will learn in that chapter and how it can be used outside of the classroom. In addition, using examples for pop culture helps spark student interest. On assignments, I contextualize the material so that it makes sense to the student and I use examples of situations that really occur. Assignments with random questions and examples that are not connected do not make sense to the student and the student loses interest because he/she sees it as irrelevant. Engaging the students in the curriculum is one of the most difficult tasks, however by making it apply to their life directly helps the student to see the relevance.

Daily Objectives:

It is important that the students know what to expect when entering the classroom. Consistency and structure are crucial at the middle school level. At the beginning of the term I outline the daily routine with the students. After the first day of class, they know what to expect when they walk into the classroom. On the chalkboard is a bell ringer, which they are to start immediately. Below that, the agenda and activities for the day are listed. Posting this information for students works because the students know what they will be doing that class period and they have something to work on right away. It is important that the routine be in place each and every day to reinforce structure, which in turn creates a safe environment.

Aligning Curriculum with State Standards:

In my classroom the state standards are posted and at the beginning of the term we discuss the state standards. However, this is not enough to ensure that the lessons are aligned with the state standards. When planning my lessons, I keep a copy of the state standards next to my plan book. Before choosing the activities for the lesson, I decide which standard I want to cover based on the chapter objectives and then I plan my activities around the specific standard being addressed. I continually look back at the activities to make sure that they accomplish the goal of each state standard. There are so many standards to cover in a short amount of time; this is a challenge most teachers face. In order to make sure that I cover all of the standards, I keep track of which standards were covered each week and which standards still need to be addressed. At the end of each chapter or unit, I review the standards that were covered with the class to solidify the skills that they should have learned. This also serves as a self-check for the teacher and students to see which standards may need further emphasis.

Preparing Students for ISTEP:

The ISTEP test is an opportunity for students to demonstrate which state standards they have mastered. It is also an opportunity for teachers to examine the test data and locate state standards that need to be further addressed.

I prepare students for the ISTEP test on a daily basis. I continually reinforce testing vocabulary in my bell ringer activities, quiz/test directions and spelling words. In addition, the students take a pretest that is aligned with the state standards. After taking the test, I examine the results and identify the standards in which the students scored the lowest. From that point, I plan my lessons and assignments based on the areas that need improvement. I spend more time on the weakest areas so that the students are achieving mastery on each state standard.

Student Accountability:

Holding students accountable for their work and their actions is a priority to me as an educator. I believe that it is important to emphasize to students that they have a responsibility to themselves and that they are responsible for the actions and learning.

In an effort to increase student accountability, I have a Zeros Aren’t Permitted policy in my classroom. ZAP is a program that holds students accountable for their assignments. ZAP means that students are not allowed to have any zeros or missing assignments in the grade book. Every student is responsible for completing every assignment. The students are required to stay for ZAP sessions after school if they made the choice not to turn an assignment in. This holds the student accountable for the assignment, while the focus is also placed on learning the material. ZAP has been a successful program in my classroom. It has increased student performance and students are more conscious of their academic performance.

Classroom Management:

Classroom management is an area that I am not entirely comfortable with. I have read books, articles, taken classes and asked the advice of my peers about how to successfully run a classroom. I am always seeking ways to improve my classroom management plan. I believe that the key to a successful classroom is to have clear, well-defined expectations. I explain the behavior that I expect out of the students and discuss behavior with each class at the beginning of the term. Often, I discuss this more than once to reinforce the importance of having good behavior. Another component to a successful classroom is procedure. I state the classroom procedures in written form and demonstrate them for the students. When procedures are in place, the students know what to do and tend to feel more at ease. Clear procedures allow for consistency in the classroom. In addition, I manage my classroom with the philosophy of being firm, fair and factual. I treat all students alike and assignment fair consequences. In difficult classroom situations, I look at facts and put aside personal feelings or emotions. In addition, I am firm. I mean what I say and I stick to it. Combining all of these strategies, I have experienced some success managing my classroom; however I continually look for ways to improve in this difficult area.

Building Rapport:

Middle school is a difficult age-level to connect with because they have many developmental issues that interfere with their emotions and learning. In order to compensate for these obstacles, I make a conscious effort to listen to each student and speak to them with respect. Finding out what they like and connecting the classroom material to their likes is helpful as well. I enjoy getting to know the students and making a connection with them on another level. I find that I have more success teaching a student when I know who the student truly is. I attend their school events and celebrate their achievements with them. I show each student every day that I genuinely care about them by greeting them at the door and speaking to them individually.

Classroom Environment:

I believe that each student has the right to feel safe and comfortable in the classroom. During the first few days of school, I spend a lot of time working with the students and doing activities that reinforce a safe and warm classroom. I establish clear expectations and procedures right away. In addition, I tell the students about myself and who I am as a person. I want the students to feel comfortable with me. In order to create an environment that demonstrates safety and comfort, I have decorations related to the content area posted around the room. Posting motivational quotes each day for the students to read is another way in which I make my classroom inviting and inspiring.

Parent Contact:

Often contact with parents is limited to negative issues, however I try to contact parents for positive and negative reasons. Establishing a connection between the teacher and parent is important to the student’s success. When the student knows that there is a relationship between the parent and teacher, they are more likely to perform better. I think parents need to be aware of their child’s behavior and progress in class, therefore I make every effort to contact parents when necessary.

Professional Development:

Part of the teaching profession is continuing to learn. I take advantage of every opportunity that I can to attend professional workshops or conferences. I do not like being away from the classroom, however when I attend professional development activities I know that I am improving my skills. I seek out opportunities to attend different sessions in areas that I am interested in. Being part of the professional community is important as well. I enjoy networking with colleagues and collaborating with them. I always get new, fresh ideas from professional development sessions that I am excited to try in my classroom. This year, I attend the Indiana Foreign Language Teacher’s Association conference in Indianapolis.

Involvement with PL221 Plan:

The PL221 plan is meant to inspire improvement within the building. I take that task very seriously. I want to be a positive member of the Northside community and put forth the effort to improve the areas that the PL221 plan outlines. Each year, I read the PL221 plan that is in the faculty handbook and I commit to doing my best in each of those areas. I remind myself of these areas of need periodically in order to continue helping to make improvements in the building.

Improvement Since Last Year:

After each unit or lesson, I reflect upon it and identify areas that went well and areas that need improvement. Evaluating each unit or lesson that I teach allows me to continually make improvements and changes. I feel that since last year, I have become more confident in creating lessons that appeal to a variety of learning types. Last year I presented material in one or two different ways, however this year I create lessons and activities that involve all learning types at some point.

In addition, I am better at helping students with learning disabilities be more successful. I am more conscious of the various learners in the classroom, and I better able to accommodate their needs. This was difficult for me last year because I found it difficult to understand the different learning abilities, however this year I have a better grasp of developmental and emotional obstacles that students might face.

2007-2008

Strengths and Areas for Improvement:
There are always areas that one excels in and areas that one needs improvement in. I believe that I have several strengths as a teacher. My primary strength in the classroom is my ability to engage students in the material by relating it to their own lives. Students at the middle school level tend to be egocentric, therefore by making the information relevant to their own personal lives it creates a strong bond between the student and learning. The information being presented is always more valuable when it directly relates to the student. Another strength that I have as a teacher is my commitment to building a strong, safe and trusting learning environment. I believe that the classroom is a community that should be built upon mutual respect. I reinforce this principle every day in my lessons and actions. The classroom should be a place where each student has a voice and feels comfortable to express themselves, I am dedicated to building this type of environment throughout the school year. In addition, as a professional and a teacher I am very organized. This is a modeling technique for my students. When they see that I have my lessons ready, that I am prepared and have my desk organized it is an excellent example for how they should be in their academic lives.

We never stop growing and developing and humans. As a professional, it is my duty to reflect and evaluate myself and my practices. I have identified some key areas that I believe need improvement. I would like to improve upon my ability to plan lessons that are cross-curricular and engage the students. I believe that by connecting all of the subjects, a stronger knowledge base will be formed and critical thinking skills will improve. I would also like to improve in the area of classroom management. This is an area that I struggle with, however I would like to attend some professional development sessions and read professional literature to improve my understand of how exemplary classroom management is implemented in the classroom.

Classroom Management:

The classroom is a place for learning and growth. I believe that it is important to have a classroom management plan that nurtures the purpose of the classroom, while maintaining order and respect. To read about my classroom management philosophy and to view examples of my classroom management plan, click here.

Engaging Students in the Classroom:

The majority of my lessons are structured around a period of instruction, followed by several different activities that reinforce the instruction. I usually try to incorporate several different activities in one class period so that the students are changing activities every ten to fifteen minutes. By incorporating a variety of activities in each lesson, the students remain interested and involved in their learning. Also, through the various activities I try to reach the different types of learners in the classroom. It is important for the students to feel challenged, therefore I try to make each lesson reasonably challenging. This helps keep the students on task throughout the lesson, however it also provides the students with a sense of accomplishment when they conquer the challenge.

Communication with Parents:

One of the most important connections is the one between teacher, parent and student. It is important that the parents are aware of their child's progress. I communicate with parents when the child does something positive by writing a postcard. On occasion it is necessary to contact a parent when a student's behavior is not appropriate for the classroom or their academic progress is suffering. It is important to contact the parent by phone so that they are aware of what is happening at school. In some cases it is helpful to schedule a conference with the parent to discuss the matter further. Contacting the parent is a powerful tool because it makes the connection between home and school stronger.

Student Feedback:
It is important to give the students a chance to express their thoughts about the course and classroom environment. At the end of the grading period I administer course evaluations and self evaluations. I ask for the students to provide detailed responses to specific questions about the classroom environment, activities, projects, lessons, etc. I also ask the students to complete a self evaluation, they are given a set of questions that asks about their progress, behavior and participation. The information that I collect from the evaluations allows me to get the student perspective of my classroom and teaching. They are my audience, and I feel it is important for their opinions to be heard. Based on the evaluations, I make changes or alteration to classroom procedures or activities for the next semester. I value the feedback that I receive from my students, I believe that it allows me to continue to grow and improve as a teacher.