What did I learn? Where do I go from here?
This Teacher Research experience has truly opened my eyes to a whole new side of teaching. It’s interesting because with each new class of students, new questions will rise. I learned that I can use what previous teachers or classmates have to say and use that to my advantage. I learned the importance of have a strong community of peers and co-workers who can provide feedback, critiques, and suggestions to help me. My focal child, Benji, has taught me so much about who I am as a teacher. He has been super willing to work with me and has made it easy for me to learn from him. As an ENL student, Benji, has slowly become more and more open about his life, thoughts, and willingness to learn. I learned that every child can learn and has potential for success, regardless of slow progress. I take away the fact that I can make a huge impact by differentiating my instruction, establishing relationships and connections on the first day with my students, and understanding where my students are coming from mentally and with home life. This will bring about growth and a successful classroom where students of all ethnicities, backgrounds, developmental stages can positively benefit. I hope others can take this away, too.
Connections to Butler University COE Core Values
I connect what I have learned to the College of Education’s core value of Appreciation of Diversity and Similarity.
· Candidates have a defined set of values and principles and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, and skills that enable them to work effectively in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner with all members of the educational community.
· Candidates integrate multiple perspectives of cultural and individual differences into their professional practices, 1) by implementing instructional and assessment strategies that value cultural and individual differences, 2) by communicating in a culturally responsive and respectful manner and 3) by fostering a classroom environment that embraces cultural and individual differences and similarities.
I think this value exemplifies my research question perfectly. It’s important to understand that the classroom is a diverse, unique place and it is the role of the teacher to put the pieces together and have a positive classroom community. I can do this by differentiating my instruction so that all students, specifically ENL students, can learn at a pace that is comfortable, yet challenging for them.
· Candidates have a defined set of values and principles and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, and skills that enable them to work effectively in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner with all members of the educational community.
· Candidates integrate multiple perspectives of cultural and individual differences into their professional practices, 1) by implementing instructional and assessment strategies that value cultural and individual differences, 2) by communicating in a culturally responsive and respectful manner and 3) by fostering a classroom environment that embraces cultural and individual differences and similarities.
I think this value exemplifies my research question perfectly. It’s important to understand that the classroom is a diverse, unique place and it is the role of the teacher to put the pieces together and have a positive classroom community. I can do this by differentiating my instruction so that all students, specifically ENL students, can learn at a pace that is comfortable, yet challenging for them.