Teaching Style
After studying and reviewing the many different teaching philosophies over the course of my education I do believe that my teaching philosophy falls under Progressivism. I believe the purpose of education is to introduce students to the world around them. Also to equipped them with the necessary skills to be able to successfully navigate through life. In my view progressivism best aligns with this belief. The hands-on experiences and independence that the students are given through this way of teaching will be beneficial to them in developing life skills. What they are learning in the classroom should be relevant to their own lives. One of the most famous progressive teachers was Maria Montessori, whose research and books I am quite familiar with. Although I would be interested in teaching a Montessori classroom one day, I do believe that her techniques can be used in most classrooms. I have visited classrooms that take pieces of the essence of what Montessori advocated for.
"Progressivist teachers try making school interesting and useful by planning lessons that provoke curiosity. "
With progressivism, the instructions are student-centered. The role of the teacher should be that of a guide. This is another aspect that I greatly believe in. I believe that the balance of power should be shared equally with the teacher and her students. I believe that the teacher is there to keep the students on track and to help them succeed as much as possible. The students should be able to make as many choices as they can in regards to their own education without causing a detriment. The students must be an active participant in their own education, as it’s hard to teach those who do not wish to learn. I believe the teacher should develop lessons and activities that will help the students with their educational needs. With these, the students should be allowed some decision making and a chance to be an active participant.
Classroom Management
I believe the first step in being successful in classroom management is building a rapport and trust with your students. Who are they? What are their strengths? Where do they most need support? These are the first essential questions that need answers when encountering a new student. Once you have figured out the needs of each student you can find patterns that would help develop how the classroom should be structured on a day to day basis. I have been in field placements where the needs of the students varied, some classes needed more independent work, while others thrived on group participation. I feel most of the time it’s a healthy balance of both. I would never force my own personal style on a group of students if it was not in their best interest.
When it comes to behavior management I am strongly for positivity reinforcement and placing an emphasis on students who are on task and setting a positive example for their classmates.
Whole Class
I do believe that the class should be held responsible as a group to help build that sense of community. One management system that has caught my attention regarding this is Chris Biffle’s Whole Brain Teaching. He has a scoreboard system that puts the whole class versus. the teacher. The students earn points and level up, in which each level has a new activity the students can participate in. I do like how the reward system is experience-based rather than using material rewards. I hope to implement this in a classroom one day.
Individual
In my field placement, I have used brag tags as a means to further extend positive reinforcement. Students could earn tags that were academic, behavior, and effort based. I was mindful to create rewards that were achievable for the entire class, so no student would feel left out. I also had brag tags that were focused on a growth mindset. In my classroom when students would get stuck on a problem or realize that they were wrong, they would use the phrase “I forgot”. I create tags that rewarded a student for not giving up mid-way through a problem and reinforced that being wrong is part of the learning process. The students were able to wear their brag tag necklaces on Fridays and this is something that they seemed to look forward to. My mentor teacher has planned to continue this system even once I leave.
When it comes to behavior management I am strongly for positivity reinforcement and placing an emphasis on students who are on task and setting a positive example for their classmates.
Whole Class
I do believe that the class should be held responsible as a group to help build that sense of community. One management system that has caught my attention regarding this is Chris Biffle’s Whole Brain Teaching. He has a scoreboard system that puts the whole class versus. the teacher. The students earn points and level up, in which each level has a new activity the students can participate in. I do like how the reward system is experience-based rather than using material rewards. I hope to implement this in a classroom one day.
Individual
In my field placement, I have used brag tags as a means to further extend positive reinforcement. Students could earn tags that were academic, behavior, and effort based. I was mindful to create rewards that were achievable for the entire class, so no student would feel left out. I also had brag tags that were focused on a growth mindset. In my classroom when students would get stuck on a problem or realize that they were wrong, they would use the phrase “I forgot”. I create tags that rewarded a student for not giving up mid-way through a problem and reinforced that being wrong is part of the learning process. The students were able to wear their brag tag necklaces on Fridays and this is something that they seemed to look forward to. My mentor teacher has planned to continue this system even once I leave.
I see myself continuing to use this system as long as it fits the needs of my students. I would like to take it a step further and have the students set a goal each week for a tag that they would like to earn. I would design a sheet in which they could write which tag they would like to earn and what steps they need to take. This would allow me to watch their actions more carefully and mindfully. No one wants their hard work to go unnoticed and I think this would be benefits for the student as well as me as a teacher.
As for negative behaviors in the classroom, I believe in having conversations with the student and documentation as a means to remedy the situation. Having a behavior system in which the whole class is aware of what kind of day a student is having I’m not a fan of. Examples would include color-coded behavior charts and Classroom Dojo. In my field experiences, these never seemed to reach the students that needed the most help behavior wise.
As for negative behaviors in the classroom, I believe in having conversations with the student and documentation as a means to remedy the situation. Having a behavior system in which the whole class is aware of what kind of day a student is having I’m not a fan of. Examples would include color-coded behavior charts and Classroom Dojo. In my field experiences, these never seemed to reach the students that needed the most help behavior wise.
Technology in the Classroom
I enjoy working with computers and other related technologies in the classroom because I feel that they greatly improve student engagement and prepares them for the world in which we live in. Using technology in the classroom can be designed to be fun and engaging for the students, but it can also allow them to learn at their own pace. During my student teaching experience, I went through training on how to use and create lessons for a SMART Board using their educational software called 'SMART Learning Suite'. I would create SMART Board lessons as often as I could. I’m excited to see the further expansion of technology into the field of education.
Reflective Teaching
One of my assignments at Oakland University required me to film myself teaching and to find one area of improvement. Below are just five-minute clips of my lessons as well as my reflection papers. My focus on for this assignment was to be more equitable in the classroom, to strive to increase my student participation levels throughout a class discussion.