Standard 4

Standard 4: Educational practices that foster learning, development, and achievement in all of the nation’s children 

Educators should use teaching strategies and educational practices that develop children’s capacity to think critically, analytically, and imaginatively, and extend their knowledge and understanding of the world.  They should provide multiple ways for children to deepen their grasp of concepts, stretch their thinking, express their understanding, and learn critical skills.  They should search for appropriate materials, experiment with new technologies, collaborate with specialists and colleagues, and consult with families and community members to meet the instructional needs of all their students.  Educators should establish caring, inclusive, stimulating, and safe learning communities in which all children feel they belong, and in which they can assume responsibility, take intellectual risks, make mistakes, explore alternatives, participate in decision making and work both collaboratively and independently.  They should understand principles of effective classroom management as well as human motivation and behavior from the foundational sciences of psychology, anthropology, and sociology.  They should understand cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning and how these processes can be stimulated.  They should also understand language development and the role of language in learning.  Educators should understand principles and techniques, and advantages and limitations associated with various teaching strategies.  They should be able to communicate effectively within many domains (oral and written discourse, mathematical/symbolic representation, non-verbal communication, audiovisual and computer-based technologies), and model effective communication strategies in conveying information and in asking questions.

Good educators use a variety of teaching strategies to reach all the different students in their classroom. The students learning should always be the first priority. All students learn differently and thus teachers need to help students understand concepts in deep and various ways. Teachers should also know how to manage their classroom to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible from day to day. Managing the classroom and keeping students motivated to do their work goes hand and hand. If there is good classroom management, students will want to do well. 

Creating a classroom community is very important in every classroom. By creating a community, children will be more successful inside the classroom. Students will feel like they are able to speak up more and not feel like they will get in trouble if they answer something wrong. Building a classroom community also allows students to all be on the same level. Teachers and students will be able to come up with the rules for the classroom all together instead of just the teacher dictating them. In the book From Compliance to Community written by Alfie Kohn, Kohn discusses different activities that can be done inside the classroom. “The single most significant and multifaceted activity for the class as a whole is the class meeting” (Kohn, 2006). Class meetings can be used for multiple things but most importantly as a place where the whole class can come together and talk about anything. 

It is also important for teachers to remember that all children learn differently. This is especially important when teaching english language learners. According to Terry Piper, teachers are talking 78% of the day in the classroom. The other time is split up between the students in the classroom. For english language learners, it is especially important for them to talk inside the classroom. This helps them build their literacy skills.  English language learners also have a difficult time keeping up when multiple people are talking at a fast pace. This is good to remember so teachers can pay careful attention to these students, as they might need additional help in order to participate in class. 

During the first few weeks in my practicum, we created a list of rules to follow. We called them “Room 106 cares about...”. The teachers then lead a discussion with the students about what they cared about. The list included respecting others, helping each other and learning along with others. After the list was written on poster paper, the students then each got to trace and hand print on construction paper, cut it out, and sign their name on it. Once they did that and glued it to the poster paper, they were agreeing to follow this contract the whole class helped to create.  When this list was created by everyone in the classroom, it build a sense of community inside the classroom. Everyone know what the goals were inside the classroom and the students began to help each other so everyone could be successful. Attached is a copy of the poster contract created (Appendix 4A).

The school I was at, Graham and Parks, believed in CARES. CARES stands for curiosity, aiming high, respect, engaged, and showing kindness. Every student in the school knows what CARES are and is excepted to abide by them. In my classroom, we focused on a different CARES value every day for a whole week. During this time students were asked to draw pictures on stars of what each CARE value meant to them. This was all put on a poster board and then hung inside the classroom for the students to look at. If they were ever not showing CARES, we would point out that they weren’t and ask them if they knew how they could change how they were acting in order to follow the CARES values. We also started a contest inside the classroom. Every day at closing meeting, students could mention any student that they saw showing CARES. Every student who got mentioned got a heart that we put on a bulletin board. At the end of the month, if the students showed more CARES than the month before, they would get a reward. The CARES hearts really motivated the students to do their best work. They were aware that even when a teacher might not be watching them, another student was to see if they were following the CARES values. Attached is a picture of the CARES heart wall (Appendix 4B).

During my pre practicum and practicum classrooms, I had my first experiences with english language learners. These students while many of them soared in math, really struggled inside other subjects such as ELA, social studies, and science which required more reading. The lead teacher and myself in both classrooms began making vocabulary sheets to help english language learners that they could place on their desk. The sheets would have common terms of any new terms they might come across. This sheet helped students so they could comprehend the material they were reading better. This, in turn, helped students writing become stronger. 

By remembering that all children learn differently, the classroom can be a more successful place for everyone. It is important for students to feel safe and like they are part of a community. By having everyone in the classroom be on the same level when creating rules and having students have discussions as a whole class, it helps students feel like they are really a part of the classroom. Students also gain more ownership inside the classroom thus creating a better environment for all students to learn. 

resources

Kohn, A. (2006). Beyond discipline from compliance to community (10th anniversary ed., 2nd ed.). Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Piper, T. (2001). And then there were two children and second language learning. Toronto: Pippin Pub..