Master of Arts in Teaching
University of Saint Mary
Program Reflection
1. How has your graduate study changed you as a teacher?
Before continuing my education and beginning my graduate work, I believed I was doing everything I could to be a great teacher. I was kind and fair and I loved my students, but I missed the mark in so many ways. Through my graduate studies, I have learned how to conduct action research and I have become comfortable taking risks in order to maximize learning and to give students the tools they need to be successful. I have become someone who can think outside the box and I am not stuck in a time warp of learning. I know now that education and the accepted practices are always changing and that all things do not work for all students. Interventions, differentiation, and goal setting are all incorporated into the daily routine and students are the ones who truly benefit.
I know that I have always met National Board Proposition 1 as a teacher, but I have not always been able to meet each of the other National Board Propositions/standards. After completing my graduate studies, I feel that I consistently meet all 5 of the National Board educational standards. It is evident that each of these is met because I care about students and their learning, I am dedicated to students and to differentiation to ensure I am teaching in a variety of ways and meeting all student needs, I know my students and their abilities and I meaningfully assess regularly, I am a reflective practitioner, and I participate in collaboration with other educators at a building, a district and a state level. I have learned how to be a well rounded educator and to put students at the head of everything I do.
National Proposition 1: Teachers are Committed to Students and Their Learning
National Proposition 2: Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students.
National Proposition 3: Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning.
National Proposition 4: Teachers Think Systematically about Their Practice and Learn from Experience.
National Proposition 5: Teachers are Members of Learning Communities.
2. What impact has it made on your classroom and students?
My classroom has become even more of a place where students feel safe and secure. I meet them where they are and I give them what they need. We focus on strengths and set goals to help students minimize their challenges and maximize success. We support one another and encourage each other through our mistakes. Authors and educators Madrazo and Motz believe that “Teaching tied to positive emotional experiences will lead students to generate new thought and motivation to learn” (2005). I do not expect students to be the same and to learn in the same way. I am willing to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to give my students a boost and to help them achieve their personal best. Students know they can express themselves and they can be who they are. They are empowered and yet they can ask for help as well as accept help with ease because they know they are loved and supported no matter what. According to J. Dianne Connell, “Students optimally benefit when their assignments are challenging and the classroom environment feels safe and supportive.” Other evidence of this comes from the article How Can Research on the Brain Inform Education? It states “Studies that explore the effects of attitudes and emotions on learning indicate that stress and constant fear, at any age, can circumvent the brain's normal circuits. A person's physical and emotional well-being are closely linked to the ability to think and to learn effectively” (n.d.). In other words, students who are in a safe and non-threatening environment will learn more than those who are in a stressful place. Because I am willing to support students and I always try to be their soft place to fall even if they are struggling, I feel they are achieving their best as they become confident and happy learners.
3. Has this study stimulated you to do further study of some kind?
I have become very interested in student goal setting, peer tutoring and self assessment as I have worked through the program. These are areas that have shown success and promise for my students as they have made academic and social gains while participating in each. I plan to continue to research and utilize these intervention tools in ways that assist and enhance my classroom teaching. Each of these tools allows the students to take the lead and take ownership of their learning. Students who feel powerful in this way are more interested and more engaged in what is going on. The trust in the teacher student relationship grows tremendously as students are given more freedom to set their own goals and assess their own performance. Thus far, my studies have focused on literacy and behavior modification, but I would like to extend these concepts into other content and areas of need in my classroom.
4. Has it spurred new goals for you?
My new goal is to continue to work with a variety interventions in the classroom that are relevant and meaningful to my students and their needs. I plan to not only utilize the interventions that have been successful thus far, but I will also continue to research new and interesting ways for students to achieve their learning goals and meet grade level expectations.
5. Reflect on your accomplishments during the program.
I have seen student success in a variety of ways simply by changing the way we do something in the classroom or by giving them intervention tools. It is amazing! I like trying new things with students and I have taken on a trial and error approach. If something works, stick with it, but if something does not work it is okay to move on. It has been said “If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.” Sometimes stepping out on a limb and trying something new is a great way to reach students and to get out of a teaching rut. I feel that I have become willing to do whatever it takes in order to help my students; including reflecting on my role or responsibility if a student is struggling. I have become a better version of myself with the help of USM and this program. I have always had the heart for teaching, and now I have a great and always growing toolbox of interventions, research skills, and brain based strategies that will only enhance my teaching and student learning.
References
Connell, D. J.(2009). The global aspects of brain based learning. Educational Horizons,
28-39.
How can research on the brain inform education? (n.d.). retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/scimath/compass/v03n02/brain.html
Madrazo, G. M. & Motz, L. L. (2005). Brain research: Implications to diverse learners. Science Educator, 14(1), 56-60.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (n.d.) Retrieved April 8, 2010
from http://www.nbpts.org
Before continuing my education and beginning my graduate work, I believed I was doing everything I could to be a great teacher. I was kind and fair and I loved my students, but I missed the mark in so many ways. Through my graduate studies, I have learned how to conduct action research and I have become comfortable taking risks in order to maximize learning and to give students the tools they need to be successful. I have become someone who can think outside the box and I am not stuck in a time warp of learning. I know now that education and the accepted practices are always changing and that all things do not work for all students. Interventions, differentiation, and goal setting are all incorporated into the daily routine and students are the ones who truly benefit.
I know that I have always met National Board Proposition 1 as a teacher, but I have not always been able to meet each of the other National Board Propositions/standards. After completing my graduate studies, I feel that I consistently meet all 5 of the National Board educational standards. It is evident that each of these is met because I care about students and their learning, I am dedicated to students and to differentiation to ensure I am teaching in a variety of ways and meeting all student needs, I know my students and their abilities and I meaningfully assess regularly, I am a reflective practitioner, and I participate in collaboration with other educators at a building, a district and a state level. I have learned how to be a well rounded educator and to put students at the head of everything I do.
National Proposition 1: Teachers are Committed to Students and Their Learning
National Proposition 2: Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students.
National Proposition 3: Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning.
National Proposition 4: Teachers Think Systematically about Their Practice and Learn from Experience.
National Proposition 5: Teachers are Members of Learning Communities.
2. What impact has it made on your classroom and students?
My classroom has become even more of a place where students feel safe and secure. I meet them where they are and I give them what they need. We focus on strengths and set goals to help students minimize their challenges and maximize success. We support one another and encourage each other through our mistakes. Authors and educators Madrazo and Motz believe that “Teaching tied to positive emotional experiences will lead students to generate new thought and motivation to learn” (2005). I do not expect students to be the same and to learn in the same way. I am willing to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to give my students a boost and to help them achieve their personal best. Students know they can express themselves and they can be who they are. They are empowered and yet they can ask for help as well as accept help with ease because they know they are loved and supported no matter what. According to J. Dianne Connell, “Students optimally benefit when their assignments are challenging and the classroom environment feels safe and supportive.” Other evidence of this comes from the article How Can Research on the Brain Inform Education? It states “Studies that explore the effects of attitudes and emotions on learning indicate that stress and constant fear, at any age, can circumvent the brain's normal circuits. A person's physical and emotional well-being are closely linked to the ability to think and to learn effectively” (n.d.). In other words, students who are in a safe and non-threatening environment will learn more than those who are in a stressful place. Because I am willing to support students and I always try to be their soft place to fall even if they are struggling, I feel they are achieving their best as they become confident and happy learners.
3. Has this study stimulated you to do further study of some kind?
I have become very interested in student goal setting, peer tutoring and self assessment as I have worked through the program. These are areas that have shown success and promise for my students as they have made academic and social gains while participating in each. I plan to continue to research and utilize these intervention tools in ways that assist and enhance my classroom teaching. Each of these tools allows the students to take the lead and take ownership of their learning. Students who feel powerful in this way are more interested and more engaged in what is going on. The trust in the teacher student relationship grows tremendously as students are given more freedom to set their own goals and assess their own performance. Thus far, my studies have focused on literacy and behavior modification, but I would like to extend these concepts into other content and areas of need in my classroom.
4. Has it spurred new goals for you?
My new goal is to continue to work with a variety interventions in the classroom that are relevant and meaningful to my students and their needs. I plan to not only utilize the interventions that have been successful thus far, but I will also continue to research new and interesting ways for students to achieve their learning goals and meet grade level expectations.
5. Reflect on your accomplishments during the program.
I have seen student success in a variety of ways simply by changing the way we do something in the classroom or by giving them intervention tools. It is amazing! I like trying new things with students and I have taken on a trial and error approach. If something works, stick with it, but if something does not work it is okay to move on. It has been said “If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.” Sometimes stepping out on a limb and trying something new is a great way to reach students and to get out of a teaching rut. I feel that I have become willing to do whatever it takes in order to help my students; including reflecting on my role or responsibility if a student is struggling. I have become a better version of myself with the help of USM and this program. I have always had the heart for teaching, and now I have a great and always growing toolbox of interventions, research skills, and brain based strategies that will only enhance my teaching and student learning.
References
Connell, D. J.(2009). The global aspects of brain based learning. Educational Horizons,
28-39.
How can research on the brain inform education? (n.d.). retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/scimath/compass/v03n02/brain.html
Madrazo, G. M. & Motz, L. L. (2005). Brain research: Implications to diverse learners. Science Educator, 14(1), 56-60.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (n.d.) Retrieved April 8, 2010
from http://www.nbpts.org