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Field Journal Ten

 Creating Safe Spaces for Students

This field experience has been amazing for some many reasons. I have been able to form relationships with students are create lesson plans that fit their needs. There have definitely been some challenges. Like working with technology, trying to navigate restricted curriculum programs and password locked resources, and dealing with some intense behavioral concerns. However, I have been able to make connections with students in ways that I never really imagined were possible. Starting this placement, one of the first things I noticed was how dehumanizing the school environment could be. As much as I understand the reasoning behind the administrators’ and teachers’ decisions, I cannot deny how it negatively affects so many students. The teachers and admin (most of them) act out of fear and the desire for power or control. They see the students as less than human and their actions certainly reflect this. Many of the teachers do not seek to understand but seek to be in charge and have the final word. There were so many times that I witnessed an exchange between student and teacher that made me so sad for the kiddo and disappointed in the adult. The adult would never seek to understand the behavior, but immediately jump to punishment of the behavior and asserting dominance over the student. They would interrupt the student, often not while even looking at them to say their piece or tell them to stop unless they wanted to be written up. So much progress could have been made if the teachers would have followed the advice from the point below. 

“Focus on hearing clearly what is being said by students, and reinforcing this understanding through use of eye contact, nodding, open body language, summarizing statements and asking questions to confirm understanding.”

 After one exchange, I head a student mutter “I’m not a bad kid.” after a teacher was giving them an unwarranted lecture about misbehaving in the hallway. It made me so sad because these kids are not bad kids, they just don’t have the supports to thrive! They do not want to be misbehaving or getting in trouble, they just simply are not set up to be successful in this in so many other areas. 

Part of this also comes from the lack of desire to get to know students, or even the ignorance to the importance of this part of teaching. If we get to know our students, we can know who does better with a quick reminder verses who would benefit from a quick chat in the hall. It would tell you who would shut down after being called out and who is acting out because they just need someone to notice them and would love to have a classroom job that made them feel important. Having this personalized approach is also a method of classroom management, and when kids know that you notice these little things, they know that you care about them, and they will want to work harder for you. During my first six weeks of observation, I noticed four students in particular that were really struggling with behavior issues in class. Right away I noticed that these behaviors happened when my CT did something (100% unintentionally) that made them feel small, unimportant, dismissed, or unheard. These students took her need to focus on something else or shut down what could be a big issue as an immediate dismissal of them and their needs. I knew that I would have to be very intentional with my words and actions with the students to reach them. During my observation I made sure to acknowledge them by name each day, make space for them, remember little details, and check in with them during spare moments. In my unit, I did not have any behavior issues from any of these students. I was pleasantly surprised that three of four of these students were extremely vocal in their responses and all four worked diligently on every activity. My kindest not of feedback also came from one of these students. 

“Instead, focus on making it clear to the student that you understand the challenge of their experience, and that you are willing to help them consider productive ways of dealing with it. “

Overall, this was a very affirming experience. I was able to see that it truly is worth it to pour extra time and love into your students and that knowing them will help you connect and reach them better. It is so much easier for students to work hard for you when they are not in fight or flight mode the entire class.  We have talked a lot about this is methods class as well as several other courses, but this article I found also supports the efforts of making safe spaces for our students. Specifically, the page about micro-affirmations was very interesting to me. The article defines the active use of micro-affirmations as consistently affirming student emotions, active listening, and recognizing and validating student experiences. I think this matches my own goal for student interactions, especially throughout this placement. It helps so much to speak to students like human being and treat them with respect. As simple as this sounds, I think a lot of schools fail to do this and that I why these dehumanizing environments are so prevalent. If teachers sought to create safe spaces for all their students, not just spaces that helped them feel safer through the acquisition of the feeling of power, then maybe their students could start to be successful in the classroom. 

In my future classroom, I want to ensure that I am consistently acting in ways that would support my students. I want to stay up to date and actively practice ways to validate my students, humanize them, and create a space for them to thrive. I hope that as I get better at this, and actively practice it in my career, I can set a positive example for other teachers as well. 

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/publications/2020/apr/creating-safe-spaces-students-classroom

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Field Journal 9

Group Work in The Classroom

This week’s article search was inspired by my fairly unsuccessful attempt of doing group work in my classroom this week. At the beginning of my unit, I wanted to use a pre-test to not only gauge student’s knowledge of the standards, but also to get to know them a little bit more. In the pre-test, I asked the students to list their three least favorite things about school. A lot of students mentioned how they disliked not being able to do group work. This complaint matched up with what a lot of what a lot of teachers have been claiming; that kids in urban classrooms cannot do group work. At first, I thought this might have just been an excuse made out of frustration, fear, or a way to manage the classroom. However, after being in an urban classroom for a couple months, I can see that while these still might be excuses, those obstacles are very real and take a lot of time and effort to overcome. 

I went into my unit thinking that my students would definitely be able to handle group work. I was confident in the relationships I was building and the foundation I was laying in the classroom thus far. I figured they would appreciate some freedom and that they would automatically know how to handle themselves when I let them go to start work. However, I did not set them up to be successful in this at all. First of all, I had not laid the foundation for behavioral expectations. I assumed that the students would follow the regular classroom rules and that I would not have to give any reminders beyond a quick cue to quiet down. I very was mistaken as I had to break up two verbal fights, break up a physical play fight, and give about 10+ reminders to lower the volume and get back to work. I also had to constantly circulate around the room to check in with students and make sure they were actually working, and not just playing games on their chrome books. I also did not do a good job of explaining directions or expectations for how to start the project. I could have done so much more to prep the students that day, but this also could have gone better had they had more practice to meet the expectations in previous classes with the same scenarios. I can’t expect them or myself to be perfect during the first time, the same way I can’t expect them to behave well if I do not even explain my own expectations for the class. 

The article I found is called “Group Work as an Incentive for Learning - Student’s Experiences of Group Work.” It talks about how there are “Two approaches concerning learning in group are of interest, namely cooperative learning and collaborative learning”....”an “objective” (i.e., learning collaborative abilities) and as the “means” ... (Chiriac, 2014)

This way of looking at group work allows it to be applied differently in classrooms. If group work is the objective, then the goal is to get students to work well collaboratively and use the activity to foster fellowship among their classmates and learn to work well with others. “group work is to serve as an objective, the group’s function is to promote students’ development of group work abilities, such as social training and interpersonal skills.” (Chiriac, 2014)

However, if group work is the means then that allows the students work in groups as a way to find the answer collaboratively. “group work is used as a means to acquire academic knowledge, the group and the collaboration in the group become a base for students’ knowledge acquisition”. (Chiriac, 2014)

I think that viewing group work through this lens can help teachers, including myself, better apply group work to their classrooms. If urban teachers can see group work as a means to learn cooperative behaviors, self-control, and collaboration then they might be able to better craft expectations to help support these goals. If they just see group work a means to achieving one activity, then they might not be able to build in the supports that the students need to be successful in that environment, 

In my future classroom, and in my current placement, I will absolutely have to remember to look at group work through the objective lens at first when developing lessons, expectations, and management strategies. The better I understand my students, the better I can set them up for success, and the better chances they will have at being successful. I think it’s also always important to remember that students’ behaviors are their ways of communicating and they always communicate in response to how we act as teachers. 

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Field Journal 8

A Continuously Diversifying American and its Impact on Education

America, the melting pot, is a country that has been known to most as a place where people can come to find refuge, opportunity, and freedom. This idea has been what brings people into this country for decades, and even though the country seems to be regressing in some ways, this is still a common pull factor for many. America’s incredible diversity only continues to increase, and that is undeniably reflected in schools. Schools are full of students who fall on very different points of a socioeconomic and cultural spectrum. Certainly, this change in the student body should be reflected in a change to learning goals, teaching styles, and levels of differentiation. 

Fact List from aecf.org 

https://www.aecf.org/blog/us-child-population-grows-and-changes-74-million-kids-to-shape-future-of

One in six Amer­i­can kids grew up in pover­ty, pre­sent­ing tremen­dous risks to child well-being. Despite eco­nom­ic growth and reduced unem­ploy­ment, there’s been vir­tu­al­ly no progress on child pover­ty since the pub­li­ca­tion of the first Data Book in 1990.

The per­cent­age of Amer­i­can chil­dren who were Lati­no more than dou­bled from 12 to 26%. The pro­por­tion of Asian and Pacif­ic Islander chil­dren also dou­bled, from 3 to 6%. The per­cent­age of white chil­dren declined from 69 to 53%.

From 1990 to 2017, 38 states and the Dis­trict of Colum­bia saw the per­cent­age of chil­dren from immi­grant fam­i­lies dou­ble; 12 have seen those per­cent­ages quadru­ple. More than one in four U.S. chil­dren is grow­ing up in an immi­grant family.

This resource calls communities to “Expand the pro­grams that make and keep kids healthy, pro­vide the tools proven to help fam­i­lies lift them­selves up eco­nom­i­cal­ly and tear down obsta­cles faced by kids of col­or.”

Within those communities, schools have the power to have these big influences on their students’ lives, specifically when it comes to expanding programs and tearing down obstacles. This could mean providing community resource programs for local families, identifying and then meeting community needs in a way that fosters family engagement, and taking down barriers in their own classrooms. On a small scale this might look like hiring teachers practice anti-racist teaching methods, providing one hour of free laundry machine use in exchange for one hour of a parental figure’s involvement at school, or sending up to date (translatable) resource lists to parents with instructions about how to access local resources. 

Teachers can and should be making these changes in their classrooms. One way to create a classroom that is better equipped to teach diverse students is to differentiate their instruction and cater to their students’ specific needs and ived experiences. America is commonly guilty of falling into a one-size-fits-all pattern of teaching. Progress has been made in some areas, like for students with physical or cognitive disabilities. However, when it comes to teaching students of different backgrounds, whether ethnic, cultural, or economic. Not a lot of teachers, or even schools as a whole, can say that they differentiate for these students. 

It seems that though my education at Otterbein has done a great job at shaping me to be a teacher for all students, it has been evident that there are a number of people in education who seem to be less prepared. There are people who are seemingly stuck in a mindset that expects assimilation. Meaning that students who come to school in America must learn to behave and perform like “normal” American Students. This definition of “normal” usually describes a student who comes a slightly advantaged economic background with present and positive parental figures, someone who does not have a language barrier, and someone who generally follows and identifies with American ideologies about gender roles, respect, and culturally accepted behaviors. Generally, this means that some people have a very narrow lens of how they perceive a “good student”. They might prefer a classroom of total silence, total submission to authority, a lack of questioning, and an adherence to all rules (spoken and unspoken). An environment like this might work for some students and some schools, however with America’s increasing diversity, we know that not all students who come into the classroom will have these tools in their toolbox. Teachers that understand this will be able to better identify the adjustments that their students may have to make in the classroom. 

In my current placement, I have a very diverse classroom with immigrants and first-generation students as well as 98% of the students being persons of color. The students come from very different economic backgrounds as well. Some of them live in single-family suburban homes while other students are living in shelters or crowded apartments. I have seen a few efforts by the school to have a community impact. They offer extracurriculars to keep kids occupied outside of school hours. They offer meals over breaks for families who need extra help. They do fun events at a more cost effective or affordable scale so people can participate without spending a lot of money. However, I have not seen an individual effort made by the teachers or admin to highlight the student’s cultural diversity. 

In my future classroom, I would like to make an effort to get to know my students and their families so that I can celebrate these details about them in ways that allow their cultural identities to be upheld. I would also like to understand their cultural differences so that I can take them into account when creating a classroom environment and set of behavioral expectations. Overall, I want to create a classroom that is peaceful and welcoming to all students so that they will all feel valued and respected. 

I have taught two days of my two-week unit so far, and it has been going well. I think that this week I will challenge myself to include two ways to learn more about the student’s cultural identities. I can do this through Nearpod by using the writing prompts to help them share and reflect, that way I can see their answers too along with their classmates. 

[thejordanriversblog]

Journal 7

How do teachers differentiate based on data?  Where do you see differentiation in the field?  

When it comes to differentiation, data should be the key driver. In any classroom, it can be easy to identify students who learn differently than the “norm”. Maybe you can identify some students who always seem to struggle, or some with IEPs that tell you specifically what it is they need differentiation with to succeed. Maybe you can also identify a few students who consistently perform above target and often complain of being bored or done early. It could be easy to send some students to be tutored for extra help or to the bookshelf to occupy their mind, but differentiation asks that teachers go even further and develop lessons plans with these varying levels of learners in mind. 

     Differentiation is responsive teaching rather than one size fits all teaching (Tomlinson, 2005). This means that teachers proactively plan varied approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it, and/or how they will show what they have learned in order to increase the likelihood that each student will learn as much as he or she can, as efficiently as possible (Tomlinson, 2003).

     Differentiated instruction is a continued series of student-oriented decisions that teachers make about how they are going to teach their range of students. These decisions though, must be based on data. This data can come from your own assessments or from other/former teachers who have had the students. Things like learning styles, preferences, behavior, and environments may also affect classroom learning as well. Data about any of these subjects, as well as academics can and should be collected regularly to inform instruction for your students. A simple way to think about this might be to administer a pre-test before every unit you teach to determine where students are with the content, expectations, and learning goals. This can tell you how to group students, what to prioritize, and how to create the rest of the unit. 

     In the field, I have not seen a ton of differentiation so far. My CT does a good job of engaging the students and keeping things exciting, but they do not seem to be doing a ton of differentiation. There is one partially blind student in the class, but they are able to keep up with everyone else since all of the class work in on a Chromebook that they can zoom in on the screen if needed. My CT did originally mention that they had to alter instruction based on the low iReady reading scores. Since most of the 8th grade students are at a 4th/5th grade reading level, they had differentiated their instruction by focusing more on vocabulary than with other groups of students from the past. Although this is not really differentiating for her current group of students, it still shows an effort to meet the current needs of students, which I think is more than a lot of teachers might be doing in the field. 

     In teaching my two-week unit, I hope to try out differentiation with these students through using graphic organizers. Some of the students struggle to participate in class when they feel overwhelmed, so it seems like they would benefit from graphic organizers that are a bit more guided and pre-filled than the others. This might encourage them to jump in where feels comfortable rather than giving up before really trying because they already feel behind or confused.  I also want to try assigning different questions to different students based on the level of difficulty and their pre-test scores. 

     In my future classroom, I hope to use differentiation a lot more by incorporating it into everyday lessons and activities. I would want to do a lot of group work and stations, so that would be a good opportunity to use differentiation. Additionally, I want to make a lot of tiered lessons so that my below target students don’t feel overwhelmed and my above target students will feel challenged. It also would be important to me to include data from student conferences. I would want to talk to students about whether they feel challenged enough and take their opinions into consideration when grouping them or assigning them tasks. 

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Journal 6

What is the role of assessment in teaching and learning?

     When it comes to teaching and learning, assessment is huge. We know that assessment can be broken down into two categories; formative and summative. From the FIP Module, we also learned that formative assessments provide feedback and information during the instructional process, while learning is taking place, and while learning is occurring. This is in comparison to summative assessments that take place after the learning has been completed and provide information and feedback that sums up the teaching and learning process. - FIP001 Formative assessments give the teachers soft data to use in the formation of their summative assessments that eventually produce hard data to pass onto admin or parents etc. 

     Both types of assessment are important in the classroom and they both have a time and a place. A lot of the summative assessments are provided for us like standardized tests for the state or in school-wide curriculum. However, there are not a lot of formative assessments that become mandatory for classrooms and this partially explains their absence or weaker presence in some classrooms. While both types of assessment are important, it is arguable that one kids does a bit more to boost student learning. Formative assessments are crucial when it comes to teachers gathering data to use in their planning of the rest of class and future summative assessments. These formative assessments show what they students know so far and where they are in their learning. They show current areas of strength and weakness and paint a clear picture of how the students are learning or doing in the class. 

     Not all assessments have to “count”. In my own placement I have seen some very academically advanced students become frustrated with doing activities or assessments that do not count for a grade. These students tend to view them as a waste of their time when they would rather be doing something for a grade or something for fun on their Chromebooks. Although I think my CT may have mentioned the importance of practice activities in the past, she does not actively convey their importance to students. I think that sometimes the students might need a reminder that these type of informal assessments will eventually help them with formal ones and that they aren’t a waste of time just because there is not a grade attached to them. I also think that having clear learning targets for students will allow for them to do self-assessments. This would be useful for students of all academic levels because it allows them to compare themselves to the learning target, not each other. 

     In my own education, I can remember teachers using 1/2 way point quizzes to show what we know, practice activities before doing the real thing, or verbal discussions as methods of formative assessments. This helped them gauge where the class was in regards to mastery of the subject so they could see what we needed to review or work on before moving on in the lesson or taking an end-of-unit test. I like these methods but I think in my future classroom I would like to accompany my methods of formative assessment with a lot of feedback. I have had a CT tell me not to waste my time on giving feedback to students before, but I think that this is what helps students the most. When teachers give their students effective feedback, not only does this help them focus on what they need to work on and give them guidance in doing so, it helps form better relationships with students too. This shows that you actually care enough to read their work and spend your valuable time on trying to help them improve. It can also help motivate learning and boost student confidence by telling them what they do well. It is very important for me to do this, along with providing a variety of assessments in class so that students can get the  most out of their learning and time in the classroom. 

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Journal 5

How do you see planning in your classroom?

    Planning is often considered one of the key components of teaching. That being said, not every teacher goes about that process in the same way. From Professors to grade school teachers to cooperating teachers, I can think of many ways in which their planning habits differed. Some dedicate their whole lives to teaching, planning, and grading while others prefer to spend their time on other priorities. Certain teachers like to plan out every detail while others prefer just to think about the basic framework. In my current classroom, my CT is a big planner. She uses a website called Planbook to store all of her lesson plans for varying grade levels and courses. Then, based on the year and her students she can pull different ones or alter them to meet the needs of each class. The site seems very easy for her to navigate but it has been hard for her to share it with me because there are a lot of hoops to jump through when “sharing” a class to someone else and I have to do them every time I log on. I think a site like this one is an awesome resource to use as a teacher, but I think I might choose a different one, especially if I eventually work with my own student teachers. 

     This year in school, my CT has decided to make her class more like a “game show”. She said that she decided to do this to boost engagement with her students and work within their seemingly shortened attention spans. She saw a lot of negative effects on the kids after the pandemic and chose to make changes in her plans to try and help them catch up. She has taken her old lesson plans and modified them by adding a lot more technology resources. Each day on the chalkboard there are key details written on the board that are also seen in her google classroom. There are Learning Outcomes, “We will know we have it when...”, homework, and reminders about upcoming tests or quizzes. She makes a point to refer to these at the beginning and at least one more time throughout the lesson. Some of the kids seem to appreciate these being displayed on the board but a lot of others seem to glaze over when she talks about them. They are definitely cool for me to see as her ST though because I can see how her lessons align with them each day. A typical lesson looks like starting with reading the learning goals, then moving to a Nearpod the covers some basics and SEL, then a video that explains the lesson, an activity that lets students practice the skill, and then some sort of game or two that allows student to compete against each other online while putting into practice the skill or set of words they learned that day. The school as a whole follows StudySync for curriculum so that is where she gets the texts, resources, and standards alignment from too. 

     In my K-12 experience I can remember a lot of my teachers having binders and file boxes full of lesson plans. Especially ones that they could project on to a screen or make copies of from handouts. A lot of my high school teachers were the kind to just lecture without any other materials so I would be curious to see what their lesson plans might actually look like. In the transition from physical lesson plans to digital lesson plans that I saw during my education, I am sure that a lot of my teachers made the switch from one to the other. It would have been neat to be aware of the art of lesson planning as I was younger so that I could have actually paid attention and observed how my various teachers did it. 

     I have yet to see any of my CT’s or previous teachers use a UBD or Backwards Design method. I think that although it has been around for a little while, it still is not seen as a “typical” method for planning. Although UBD is not particularly difficult to do, I think that it can be intimidating for teachers to try simply because it is different. Its a little more abstract to start at the end and it might seem daunting to switch up the way you design a lesson for your students. In the Grant Wiggins clips, he mentioned that UBD is not something that has to used my everyone, but more as a response to a need from your students, and I think that is important to remember. UBD might not be for everyone it is available as a resource for the teachers who would like to take the time and effort to try implementing it into their classrooms. 

“ Teachers are coaches of understanding, not mere purveyors of content knowledge, skill, or activity. They focus on ensuring that learning happens, not just teaching (and assuming that what was taught was learned); they always aim and check for successful meaning making and transfer by the learner.” - ASCD

     This way of thinking applies to all teachers, but is especially pertinent to those who use UBD. Teachers with this mindset will be more successful in it’s implementation because they are actively trying to get their students to understand why they are learning something as a means to enhance their lives, not just get a better grade. 

[thejordanriversblog]

Journal 4

What role does SEL have in teaching and learning?

     Social Emotional Learning is a crucial component in both teaching and learning and there is growing demand to include it in classrooms of all levels. 

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success. - cfchildren.org 

     As our society progresses, we learn more about how we can do better and make improvements in all areas of life. This is especially true in schools and is evident in the more recent push to educate the whole child, compared to a sole focus on academics. This has especially been true amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic. As a country we have seen the extreme negative effects that this health crisis has had on each other, especially students. In the EdWeek article called “ The Pandemic Was a ‘Wrecking Ball’ for K-12, and We’re Still Tallying the Damage”, a few of these effects stood out to me...

“a decrease in the mental health of students and teachers

an increase in levels of anxiety

a 51% increase in suspected suicide attempts in girls ages 12-17

1 in 360 children having lost a parent of caretaker to covid

students the equivalent of several months of reading and math 

income based achievement gaps grew by 20%

many students lost access to disability services”

     Having experienced a few of these myself, I am certain that this has impacted many of my classmates, professors, and students as well. As teachers we have the opportunity to help our students work through and manage these challenges. Not only can we give them tools to help them have a better classroom experience, but hopefully some they can take home at the end of the day to make home-life a little easier to navigate too. 

In the SEL Research Summary, they identified five framework competencies. 

Self Awareness

Self Management

Social Awareness

Relationship Skills

Responsible Decision Making

     These competencies are important for students to learn and will help them be better students, friends, and citizens. They can be woven in to lesson plans of all kinds, from a journaling lesson to build self awareness to a budgeting lesson to practice responsible decision making. The classroom needs to provide opportunities for all of these elements to be practiced on a regular basis and the teacher needs to model them as well. 

     In my current placement, my CT is really good at including these competencies in her lesson plans each week. She lets the students do a prompted write about their emotions of the day to build self awareness. She provides free time that lets the students prioritize what they want to work on during the set time to practice self management. She frequently has them work on teams to build social awareness and relationship skills. Finally, she scaffolds them to remember assignments by prompting them to fill in their planners with important information and practice responsible decisions. 

     In my own K-12 education, I remember doing a couple assignments that helped me work on self management, responsible decision making, and relationship skills but I think that it lacked in helping me build self awareness until I got to college and got to take some classes that allowed me to understand myself a lot better. Classes that encourage independent thinking and experimental writing really helped me understand who I was and why. I want to include more of those elements for students in my future classroom as well. I think that self awareness is key to becoming better with the other four competencies because the more you understand yourself, the better you can understand where you fit in society. 

     I also really loved the three statements from “The Bonds of SEL” Article. “This is important. You can do it. I won’t give up on you.” These are all really important for students to hear from the adults in their lives. These words are both comforting and empowering and I want to build the habit of using them daily in my classroom. I am a firm believer that students who have their emotional needs met are able to perform better academically and I think that my teaching habits will certainly reflect this. 

[thejordanriversblog]

Journal #3 - How do you create a safe and healthy learning environment in your classroom?

     When thinking about how to create a safe and healthy learning environment in their own classrooms, teachers have to consider many different factors. They first have to consider the context of their school. Where it is located, how diverse their student population is, what ethnicities make up that diversity, what kind of economic backgrounds their students might be coming from, and many more similar aspects. However, no matter what those aspects end up looking like for each teacher, they all know that no matter what, students are going to be more willing to learn from the teachers that they know care about them. Building a trusting and safe learning environment comes from a foundation of purposeful relationships with the students. Students needs to know that they are going to be safe, cared for, and pushed to do their best in a classroom to meet the teacher’s high expectations. These students will also know that the teachers care about them when they see certain guidelines in place to ensure their safety and academic success in the classroom. This can look like expectations for classroom behavior and ways to support positive behavior that leads to a better learning environment for all. 

Looking at the research behind PBIS, there are a few essential components that teachers can meet in order to make sure that they are on their way to achieving these kind of classroom environments. 

1. Setting Clear Expectations

2. Including Comprehensive Instruction

3. Having consistent systems of acknowledging and correcting behaviors

4. Providing Supportive Structures

5. Creating and Maintaining Community Connections

                                                                        - ODE Website on PBIS

     In my current field placement, I see amazing examples of PBIS from my CT. She designs her classes to move at a very quick pace that allows students to stay engaged and excited throughout the lesson. The school has adopted a points-based rewards system that allows students to earn points for good behavior, doing their assignments, and academic excellence. In turn, students can exchange these points in the school store for items like food, candy, games, and sports equipment. My CT gives out points to her students for turning in assignments, being ready at the beginning of class, staying on task, winning classroom activity games, and many other things. Not only does this motivate students to learn, but it allows other students to see what kind of behavior gets rewarded. The CT shows herself adding points on the smart screen in the classroom, so everyone in the class gets to see who gets points for being on task, who gets points for being polite, and so on. The CT also consistently talks through what she is doing when she adds points so that the students are getting reminders of those clear expectations and instructions for their behavior. From my perspective this really hits all five points for the 5 essential components of PBIS, especially since the whole school is implementing this kind of system after an adjustment from a similar attempt last year. They were able to identify areas of concern and make adjustments accordingly, still keeping with a system that worked best for their students. I’m thankful to have such a great example of all of these factors and I can see myself using them in my own classroom one day soon!

     I think that this will be a good thing to ask about as I move into the job interview process for a teaching position. It would be good to find a school that is already successfully using a system like this, but I also would be confidents in trying to make one for my own classroom if not. Looking at the research from the Center on PBIS, it would be easy to examine the indicators of School-Wide PBIS and develop them into a few interview questions. 

1. Buy In: Involving all the school staff

2. Using data to make decisions

3. Teaching expectations and rules

4. Providing effective consequences

5. Developing rewards systems. 

     In my own classroom I think it was also be important to help students identify and build intrinsic motivation as well, because I think that will be a very important skill that they can carry through to a real life after school that may not always offer rewards. I hope to help them do this by learning about them so I can find out what motivates them. I also want to help them think about what drives the, what they are passionate about, and what their dreams are. That way I can use that information to help motivate them to fulfill their ambitions. 

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Journal 2

How does context affect teaching and learning?  

Context of each school can greatly affect teaching and learning in a multitude of ways. When thinking about the context of a school, one must consider the city, neighborhood, school district, and students. 

Conveniently, my placement for this semester is less than a mile down the road from where I went to High School, so I already knew a ton about the area and the context of the school. I know that Columbus City Schools have a reputation for being underfunded and that due to that they are typically avoided if families can help it. This is one of the unfortunate realities of public education in the United States. Families that can afford it, will move so that their children can have a better education and in doing so this takes them and their tax dollars to other districts. This means that the families left in the area for worse off schools get stuck in a seemingly unbreakable cycle of having to send their kids to schools that are unsafe, underfunded, unsanitary, and understaffed. 

This is evident on Karl Rd. My CCS placement is located in a building that is not even up to safety standards for handicapped persons. There is no elevator, and the majority of the entrances to the building have some sort of narrow entrance or stair component. Meanwhile, the private, Catholic School down the road boasts new additions like multimillion dollar football fields, newly redone parking lots, and 3D printers very regularly. 

The differences in resources not only affects the teaching and learning environment, but it also affects who comes in the door. The students at my placement are dealing with very different in-school struggles compared to the struggles of the students down the road. Struggles like limited access to updated technology, deteriorating classrooms, unregulated temperatures, unsanitary spaces, and outdates classroom resources. These struggles affect the learning and teaching environment immensely. All this being said, these struggles are results of poverty, not of the decisions of the people in poverty. 

According to the deficit perspective, discrepancies in access and opportunity are explained, not by inequities, but by “deficient” cultures and behaviors of people in poverty (and other marginalized groups). - Savage Realities

The schools “report card” is reflective of many things. 82% of students qualifying for free lunch reflects that they come from low-income families who struggle to make ends meet. The diversity of the study body reflects the students coming from many different cultures and communities. The number of ESL students reflects the students who speak another language at home, are immigrants, or even asylum seekers or refugees. The 18:1 student teacher ratio might reflect and underfunded and/or overstretched school. All of these details are what make up the context of the school and while some may seem them as simply negative, good teachers should be able to see them as tools to get to know the school dynamics in order to better serve it’s students. Here are some ways teachers could see these details and act on them in a way that serves the students. 

- Most students on free lunch? Make sure they get other meals at home and if not, talk about connecting them to community resources for food outside of school. 

- Highly diverse population? Get to know all of your students and how they personally relate to their culture. Use this information to build rapport and help other students learn more about people who are different from themselves. 

- High student to teacher ratio? Connect to local universities to form a relationship that will bring in student teachers or volunteers. 

Teachers and Administrators who work in these urban settings need to heed Adichie’s advice too. (The Danger of a Single Story) We/They need to get to know all of the students and their unique stories. Be careful not to fall into the trap of stereotypes and get to know your students for who they truly are. This will be good for me to remember too as I go into this placement and into my teaching career. That just because one students come from one place or that they have a certain detail about their family life, this does not mean that this detail will dictate who they are as a whole. I need to let students tell their own stories and listen to them fully so that I can learn about them and use those differences to teach to them specifically and help them be successful. 

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Journal 1 - Fall’22

What is the Impact of CRP on Teaching and Learning?  Would you have supported the Columbus City Schools strike as a teacher, parent, community member?  And, did it empower students?

I personally believe that the use of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy is one of the keys to being a successful teacher. There are a lot of high expectations put on teachers. Not only do they have to teach to a set of standards and prepare their students to perform well on standardized tests, they also have to cater their teachings to administrative guidelines, what the political climate is like, and to meet external demands coming from the community. However, any good teacher know that they should cater their lessons to the individual students that they have in their classroom each year.  We know this is an expectation because it is a part of the AMLE Standards for Middle Level Instruction and Assessment.    

    - Middle level teacher candidates understand, use, and reflect on the major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to data-informed instruction and assessment. They employ a variety of developmentally appropriate instructional strategies, information literacy skills, and technologies to meet the learning needs of all young adolescents (e.g., race, ethnicity, culture, age, appearance, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, family composition).

CRP is important in every classroom because teachers (and admin) need to recognize, support, and celebrate their student’s differences in order to foster a learning environment that is accepting, positive, and productive for learning. It will allow students and teachers to form a stronger bond founded on a mutual respect and understanding which will in turn foster a relationship of trust. Students will be confident in the teacher’s ability to lead them in learning because they feel valued, respected, and cared for by them. 

“Anchor your curriculum in the everyday lives of your students. Connect their knowledge and skills to content knowledge. Spend time on helping students learn the content. Use real life, authentic texts. Engage students in inquiry about things that matter to them.” - Equity Alliance by Elizabeth Kozleski 

Personally, I went to a very diverse high school that prided themselves on academic excellence. Although this school had a lot of academic awards and state championships that they regularly celebrated, they did not really celebrate the diversity of the student body and how that also made the school great. The school has been criticized for their lack of diverse teachers, their biases, and consistent record of microaggressions towards students of color. The students of color have even put out statements supporting these claims and asking for the school to take responsibility and make changes so that they can better serve all of their students. They asked for written letters of support from POC alumni and allies to boost their voices but with all that, the school received this as a personal attack and did not even make a statement, let alone enact any changes. Image how great a “great” school could be if they actually used culturally relevant pedagogy and celebrated all of their students differences. 

In my last placement I was able to see how students interacted with a teacher who did not care to get to know them or see value in their differences. The students could easily tell that the teacher was not interested in learning about them, building relationships with them, or even going the extra mile to make the schoolwork engaging or interesting. They seemed to match the teacher’s level of engagement. If the teacher seemed to be putting in the bare minimum amount of effort then why should they care any more? Having witnessed this, I know for sure that I want to make an effort to get to know my students so that I can celebrate them for what they each bring to the classroom. Some ideas that I had for this are: 

weekly journals

 “What’s one thing you wish your teacher knew?” activity

rotating small group meetings about what both students and teacher could do better to improve classroom environment 

Heritage Weeks - discover each student’s heritage and find a respectful way to honor it and educate the students about what makes each special

Keeping a personal notebook as a teacher with a page for each student to write down the little things I learn about them each day

CCS Strike!

From any angle, I would have supported this strike. I think that the Columbus Education Association’s decision to strike was an amazing one. I know that many of the schools within the district have been in need of repair for a long time and I know that some of the buildings are downright dangerous for anyone to be in. It is disappointing that Columbus City does not value or respect the students and teachers enough to put the money they receive into schools in efforts to make them sanitary, safe, and hospitable to learning. The teachers did what they had to do in order to have their voices heard. They did what they had to do to improve conditions for their students and as a parent, student, or teacher I would have supported them 100%. 

Their decision to strike will empower students in every way. Not only will their successful strike hopefully bring them better learning environments in which to flourish but it will also be an example of what can happen when people stand up to do the right thing. These students will see how hard their teachers are fighting for them and how much they care about them. They will see that a lot of change can happen when you ban together and fight for it. They will see the power of unions and how you can protect yourself from the selfish interests of people in power. They will see how a huge problem in a school district in the Midwest could touch the heart of millions across the country. Overall, this strike will make them better students and better citizens after they leave the school too. 

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Journal #10:  How does your understanding of young adolescent development, middle level philosophy, UbD and integrative curriculum affect your understanding of assessment?

My understanding of these four elements has greatly influenced my understanding of assessment. I now understand that assessment is so much more than formal, graded tests administered to students. Assessment can happen in numerous ways and be shaped by many different confounding variables. 

Understanding young adolescent development and middle level philosophy demands that our assessments are developmentally appropriate and relevant for our students. The assessments that vary in style, formality, pressure, and schedule are best for our students with varying stages of development and diverse schedules. We should also let students know about the assessments ahead of time. This will “prepare students for the standards-based statewide achievement tests. Show students where they are in terms of achievement, de-mystify the assessment process, and provide clear purposes and guidelines share the scoring criteria so that success is well-defined and attainable.” (Assessment for Learning Slideshow) 

Understanding UbD has taught me that the assessments take just as much careful planning as the lesson, as they are a part of the lesson. We can design a unit or lesson with assessments built in at any point. From the informal frontloading with images to a where do you stand activity, and even an exit ticket “graded” just to gain understanding of where the class is on their journey to understanding. 

Understanding integrative curriculum means that we know our assessments would be even more beneficial if they aligned with another subject or even another relevant moment from our student’s lives. 

In my current student teaching classroom, my CT does not use any of these strategies or understanding during the development or administration of their assessments. The assessments are one size fits all tests on their chrome books and there has been no evidence of informal assessment (aside from copying answers onto a worksheet) or connection to any other subject or experience. 

In my future classroom, I want to ensure that I am carefully crafting my assessments with all of these elements in mind and that I deliberately choose to step away from “one size fits all” assessments in the form of testing. I want to implement many informal ways of assessment so that I can tell how my students are understanding the material and where they may need an extra boost. I want to decrease their levels of test anxiety by giving them a plan ahead of time and support them in their success. 

Source: Assessment for Learning Slideshow

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Journal 9 - How does your new understanding of UbD, integrative curriculum, and young adolescent development affect your concepts of lesson planning?

       “He seemed unsure about what an understanding was and how it differed from knowledge “(UBD p.36). I think a lot of people might be stuck in this same boat. It seems like some teachers think that because their students can regurgitate information on a worksheet and answer some questions in class that they have an understanding of the topic or unit. However, their basic knowledge and ability to memorize information is not equal to an understanding of it. Teachers should be able to teach in a way that promotes a sincere understanding of the materials so that students can apply their knowledge across multiple settings, understand multiple levels of the topic, and be so well versed that they could in turn teach the basics of the topic to someone else. 

       From my understanding, I think UbD is a great way to achieve the goal of teaching for understanding. If we as teachers start with the goals for our students in mind, then we can plan and design a unit that will lead them to the goal. For example, if we know we want our students to be able to build a model of a cell, we would not simply show them slide shows of what a cell looks like and label the parts. Instead we would teach the students how each part of the cell operates, how they relate to the other parts, and the importance of each piece. We would also show them multiple visuals of a cell from many different angles and perspectives and should probably show them an example in class that they could interact with. We could also bring in Integrative Curriculum here as well...we could connect the science with math by teaching students about the math that tells cells what they are within certain species. We could collaborate with a home economics unit of baking and have students bake and decorate cell cakes. We could collaborate with ELA and have students do a writing exercise about how all humans are similar on a cellular level but still present so differently on the surface. This way the students can become so familiar with the cell parts and it’s functions, they will be confident in building their own and sharing their methodologies with another person. Combining these two elements will be great in considering adolescent development as well because it will create a relevant, challenging, and developmentally appropriate unit that students will be able to add their own twists on by determining how they will create their cells. 

       I can see these three factors blending together successfully in my future classroom. I want to create unit that are collaborative with other subjects, designed to meet student goals, and appropriate for my student’s needs, even if it takes some extra time and effort. 

       I do not see any evidence of this in my placement. My CT is very knowledgeable about SS, but their instruction method is strictly lecture, showing videos, and having the students complete worksheet packets. They do not collaborate with other teachers, they do not cater instruction to young adolescent needs and they teach with the standardized tests in mind. So I guess you could say that that is a student goal, to perform well on standardized tests. 

       This week in my field, my CT had me grading student tests. When I gave them back, they said that I don’t have to write down the right answers for them and that I should not waste time trying to decipher the meaning of an answer since both were a waste of mu time and would drive me crazy as a future teacher. This was a bit disheartening to me as I remember always learning the most from teachers who wrote down little notes or corrections on my tests. I think that they extra few seconds of effort is worth it if it means my students will be able to know what the right answer is or see that I took time to address their mistakes. It may be unrealistic to make notes on every single test or assignment but in my future teaching position, I know that I want to be the teacher who takes the extra time to show that they care. 

Wiggins, Grant P., 1950– Understanding by design / Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe.— Expanded 2nd ed. p. cm

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Journal #8 Understanding by Design and Integrative Curriculum

Understanding by Design is a teaching strategy that starts with identifying the end goal of what students need/want to know or need to accomplish and then working backwards from those goals to figure out the steps needed to take in order to design a program that fits those needs in way that is specific to your students. Integrative curriculum means that “all teachers can identify the connections among ideas and fields of knowledge, as well as how their teaching relates to the courses and student activities conducted by other school personnel” (AMLE). These two strategies have the potential to work very well together, and both can be found in a successful middle school. Teachers can work together in teams to identify learning goals for their students and then collaborate over creating lesson plans that make connection to multiple subject areas and real-life experiences. 

I have not seen any evidence of this in my current placement. It does not seem like the teachers communicate very well at all. I have heard a lot of students complain about overlapping tests and an overload of content and homework. I feel like the school would benefit immensely from both of these strategies, even just a coordination of test schedules to start with at the very least. I hope that my future placements offer me a chance to see either one of these in action. 

In my job search, I will be interested to ask schools that I interview for if they use these strategies and evidence of their workings. I think it is important for the school that I choose to be actively trying to implement these strategies, even if they are taking baby steps in the process. 

In my future classroom, I want to make a point to be in collaboration with the other teachers and try to coordinate some overlap in materials or topics. It might be hard to coordinate every single topic, but I think the extra effort would be worth it to find some similarities here and there. As a first-year teachers, I could ask the more experienced teachers with developed lesson plans for guidance on where to start but then as I got more experienced, I could then be that sort of mentor figure for incoming teachers. 

My placement this week was different. My CT was out for the day but did not communicate that. So, I went in for the day and got to experience what it was like to have a different teacher step in to cover each period. All that my CT had planned for the students was to watch a movie, so I really did not get to witness different teaching styles. However, I did get to see some different classroom management styles so that was a nice change of pace. 

Questions:

1. Does Otterbein try to put students into placements that model the characteristics of a successful middle school or that implement UBD/IC? Or do they just have contracts with certain schools, and they get what they get?

2. What would be a specific question to ask in an interview that would tell you if a school is really committed to these improvement strategies and not just making empty promises? 

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Journal #7:  How does middle level philosophy affect curriculum?

       Young adolescents need curriculum that is relevant to their needs and experiences, yet still challenges them to grow and learn more. (This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents identifies a “curriculum that is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant” The things that they learn about in class may not always be interesting to the students, but teachers can work on ways to present the topics in an interesting way. This can mean starting lessons with an enticing hook, making sure to vary instruction, and making connections to the various student interests throughout the lesson. 

       For example, when teaching a social studies lesson in my future course, I could start out with telling the students about a current event and asking where in history, we have seen something like this before. Then throughout the lesson, they could make connections and comparisons between the events. Then I   could include a lecture, some videos, some group work, a reflection opportunity, and a hands-on activity throughout the whole unit for some variety. At the end, there could be an opportunity for students to write or share about how the events have affected their life or how it might affect their future. 

       Not only should students be able to make connections in each class, but they should be able to make connections across their multiple courses. Teachers, working in teams can plan out how to schedule units that work together so that they can emphasis the connections between topics. The students might not initiate these connections.  “Students won’t always be ready or motivated to ask their own questions. That doesn’t mean they don’t have any.” - as a teacher, I need to be prepared to figure out how to get students to ask questions. I like the “3,2,1″ exit tickets or similar activities that give students a chance to privately ask questions - I would want to implement something similar if students aren’t eager to ask them in class.

       Personally, I am excited for my future students to engage in this type of learning in my classroom. It makes coming to class more fun if topics seem relevant and you can make meaningful connections. This is the kind of learning I wish I could have participated in during my middle/high school education. 

       This week in the field, I was there on a test day. I spent each period reading tests to ELL/IEP students and trying to help them understand the questions. It is so sad to me that students who can barely speak conversational English, are expected to keep up in a class where they get no support. I do not think it is fair to the students to put them in that situation. They get so sad and frustrated when they don’t understand, and they have labeled themselves as dumb or failures because of their poor grades. I wish that they had a translator to help them take the tests. Even with the Spanish speaking students, I am of no help because my Spanish isn’t advanced enough to translate the tier 2 and 3 vocabulary that is used on the assignments/tests. When I am a teacher, I will try to provide as much support as I can to these students, and I hope I can end up in a school that chooses to support them rather than taking the cheap/”easy” route. 

       There was also a period of class that the CT left to go make copies and left me to watch the students as they got some last-minute studying in before the test. Most of the students must have not realized that I was in the room though because they started bashing the teacher and venting about how they have so many tests, they go too fast through units, and that they do not ever learn anything. It was sad to hear them say these things and they were embarrassed when a student pointed out that I was listening the whole time. I did not tell my CT about this though, I’m not sure that she would care. 

Edits made 2/28 based on Assignment feedback.***

Works Cited:

Williams, By: Rachael. “Get Real: Worthy Curriculum for Worldly Adolescents.” AMLE, 15 Mar. 2021, www.amle.org/get-real-worthy-curriculum-for-worldly-adolescents/.

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Journal #6:  What does it mean to be a professional middle-level educator?  What do you see in the field as far as professionalism from your teacher and others?

       A professional middle-level educator is many things. First, they are a positive role model for their students and community. They model a positive attitude, good communication skills, honesty, community involvement, and a love for learning. The show respect, not just tolerance, for all people and they speak with kindness to everyone, no matter what. 

       Professional middle-level teachers are also lifelong learners who participate in many professional development workshops over their career. “Professional learning for all staff is relevant, long term, and job embedded” (Bishop and Harrison). This means that the school is not just sending their staff to the same conferences every year just to check off a box. Admin can ask their teachers where they see a need within their school, classroom, or students and send them to workshops and conferences that meet those needs each year. 

       In my field, I currently see some teachers who are good role models for their students. However, I have seen some who are not, and I have also not heard anything about professional development or community involvement. The school as a whole is understaffed and overwhelmed by less than favorable student behavior. Most of the teachers are just trying to get through the day. They know that a lot of their students are struggling in class, but they feel helpless in helping them succeed. Some teachers seem to be at their wits end with the students, maybe feeling like yelling and straight lecturing are the only way to take control of their classroom. They might only be interested in professional development that would teach them how to manage these types of classrooms.

       I would be interested to talk to my CT about it again to see if I can get her to talk about what their school does in more detail. I would like to learn what they are required to attend by admin vs what other teachers have brought forward as a need to be addressed in the school.    

       I think that it would be a great idea for me to start constructing some interview questions about how the schools I would like to work in approach professional development. It would be good to see that they consider staff input and try to meet each year’s different needs. In my future teaching career, hopefully I can find a school that lets me suggest workshops/conferences to go to based on what we are directly experiencing, 

Bishop, Penny, and Lisa M. Harrison. The Successful Middle School: This We Believe. Association for Middle Level Education, 2021.

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Journal #5: What is this middle school concept?  Why is it unique?  How are middle schools different from junior high schools?

The middle school concept is that middle schools need to be built specifically to meet the needs of young adolescents. They are not just shrunken down high schools; they are structured differently and purposefully. Middle schools should prioritize teams/advisory groups. These groups should stay together throughout middle school and should be advised by a teacher or group of adults. The curriculum of these groups should be helpful to student development and be influenced by student interest and discussions. These groups also give students an adult advocate and someone that can be there to check in with them consistently. 

Middle schools also need to realize the importance of collaborative learning. Students will benefit greatly from having lessons that not only overlap in key details from multiple subjects to help make connections, but also when these lessons overlap into their lives and interests. Teachers that put in the work to make these connections help student learning improve immensely. 

As a future teacher, I need to make sure that I enter a school that prioritizes this style of teaming and instruction. Block scheduling is not enough. Teams are necessary and important to create a better learning environment for students. I can make sure to connect with the other teachers in my grade level to learn about their lesson plans and find opportunities to make connections in as many ways as possible. I will also make sure to ask my advisory groups meaningful questions and have helpful conversations with them. 

In the field, I have seen an attempt at teaming. My CT said that this is the first year my school has introduced an advisory period. However, myself and my CT are in agreement that there is a lot of room for improvement. Currently the students get together for an 18-minute period each day. The first day I saw, the students circled up and talked about New Year’s resolutions, but they did not go any deeper than that and didn’t even discuss ways to meet them. On the second day that I got to come to the class, they were watching “Hidden Figures”. They did not do any discussion or explanations, and almost every student was on their phone, listening to music, or sleeping. While this period might be well intended, i do not think they will see positive results at this rate. The sessions need to have more meaning, the teachers need to care, and connections have to be made. 

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How does the knowledge of This We Believe affect your teaching statement and philosophy?

I have gotten to us “The Successful Middle School: This We Believe” in two of my classes thus far at Otterbein University. This book delivers eighteen characteristics of a successful middle school. I like this book and I think that it creates a very clear path to identifying or creating a successful middle school. I can say that this book has had great influence on the shaping of my personal teaching philosophy, and I know that it will be very useful when I start job hunting and throughout my teaching career.

There were a couple characteristics that stood out to me. The first one being “The school engages families as valued partners” (p.21). I know from personal experience that schools with a higher rate of parent/guardian participation are more likely to see better behavior, grades, and attendance from its students. The issue of parent involvement tends to be one of equity. Not every family is privileged enough to allow one or both parents to stay home with the kids, help with homework, come to school events, or consistently volunteer. In cases like these, schools might have to get creative in incentivizing parent/family involvement. Some ideas might be waiving a pay-to-play fee after a minimum hours of volunteer work or allowing one hour of free laundry to families for every hour spent volunteering. Teachers and administrators should know their students well enough to identify a need within their community and then work from there. 

The second characteristic that stood out to me was “Health, wellness, and social-emotional competence are supported in curricula, school-wide programs, and related policies” (p.33). As someone with a background in the health sciences, this is so important to me. As a country, America is extremely unhealthy. Unfortunately, we live in a society that is solely driven by money and power. This makes it very hard for schools to push healthier agendas that will initially cost more money. For example, most public schools have a very limited budget for cafeteria foods. They want to make sure they have enough food to feed everyone, so quality is usually not something that can be prioritized. Instead, they end up with bulk foods that are low in nutritional value and full of preservatives, or even with ingredients that are banned in other countries. Additionally, in some schools, physical education teachers have been eliminated, recess periods have been cut, and properly trained and certified coaches are out of budget. There are so many issues, I could go on forever. Overall, I am glad that this characteristic is included. and I am excited to be able to use my knowledge and certifications to help my future students and athletes on day. 

Due to inclement weather this week, my placement was cancelled. I plan to make up the extra hours soon, but I am excited to go back, and I have hopes that I will have a better experience this time. My CT connected with me last week to check on me since the office workers said that I seemed upset after my 1st day. It was good to communicate with them and share my concern. I am glad that they reached out, it makes me feel better about going back. 

Works Cited:

Bishop, Penny, and Lisa M. Harrison. The Successful Middle School: This We Believe. Association for Middle Level Education, 2021.