Reflective Analysis, November 11, 2019

Looking back on my thoughts as a shiny new teacher candidate I entered the program with a healthy mindset. My initial definitions of teaching and learning were compelling but after 9 weeks of class I think my answers were incomplete. Teachers need to ensure that the classroom considers the learner, the knowledge to be taught, the manner of assessment and the multiple communities in which the learning takes place (Donovan 1999). I’m starting to gain an appreciation for the breadth of responsibility we take on as educators and the levels of thought and planning that are required to be an effective teacher.

My initial definition of teaching was to mentor and guide students, to use my experiences to help prepare students to be productive members of society. (Waples 2019a, Waples 2019b). At the time I don’t think I had a full understanding of what that entailed. The purpose of schools has change dramatically from the location of knowledge to places were students learn to use knowledge (Laufenberg 2010). Anyone with internet can access fast amounts of information, but learners need to know how to find, organize and apply it. Teaching needs to be about fostering a growth-oriented mindset in learners (Dweck 2014). This means giving students the tools and more importantly, the confidence to be in control of their learning.

This starts with treating the classroom as a community, an inclusive space where learners feel comfortable enough to express themselves. They need to feel relatedness, where they feel cared about and they can care about others around them (Deci 2017,). As educators we need develop effective classroom management techniques like Tribes to achieve this. One personal misconception I have confronted is underestimating the amount of planning and thought I should invest in classroom management. I’m still not sure what the best technique is for me, but I know it is important to involve my students in the process (Garrett 2013). All students should feel they have a meaningful voice of influence in the classroom.

I enjoyed learning about the constructivist view of a classroom as a place where learning is developed through a shared experience of student knowledge and the knowledge we present as educators (Thayer-Bacon 2007). It stresses the importance of student engagement in the classroom and valuing what students can bring and contribute to the classroom community. These contributions can be an enriching source of knowledge, but they can also be detrimental to the learning environment as well. As educators we must learn to identify and challenge misconceptions when they are likely to interfere with learning. Before they can be challenged misconceptions must first be identified through some form of assessment.

The importance and variety of assessment is another area I dramatically underestimated. The Growing Success (2010) assessment policy documents taught me the three types of assessment, for, of and as learning. Assessment for learning involves feedback from student to teachers and can be used as a diagnostic or formative tool to determine student background knowledge and weather they are effectively learning the activity. In my limited experience teaching I think this is the most important form of assessment for me as an educator and I strive to find effective ways to use it with every lesson. I see assessment as learning as a self-reflective, with students learning to evaluate their learning progress and their progression towards a defined learning goal. Assessment of learning is a summative assessment and can take the form of a test, project, lab, presentation or assignment. It is primarily what will be used to determine student marks. Assessment is best practiced with everyone in the classroom having an ability to offer input (Black et. Al. 2004).

An important part of self-assessment is taking time to reflect upon your learning journey. The amount of reflection we were expected to conduct seemed excessive at the beginning of the year, but I now see it as serving a useful purpose. During the first week of class I made the following statement which I find even more apt after finishing the fist third of me classes. “It is difficult to accurately assess what you don’t know. How can I effectively address my misconceptions and assumptions if I don’t always know what they are? One way is to experience teaching with an open and questioning mindset:” (Waples 2019b paragraph 5). I still think there are many misconceptions and assumptions that I am making being an educator but I’m striving to find and confront them with an open mind.

Sources:

Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B. and Wiliam, D. (2004) Working inside the black box: Assessment for learning in the classroom. The phi delta kappa international 86(1), pp. 8-21. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/20441694

Deci, E. [The brainwaves video anthology. (2017, Oct. 17). Edward Deci – Self-determination theory [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6fm1gt5YAM

Donovan, M. S, Bransford, J. D and Pellegrino, J. W. (1999) Key Findings in eds. Donovan, M. S, Bransford, J. D and Pellegrino, J. W How people learn: Bridging research and practice. (pp. 10-24) Washington, DC: The National Academies Press

Dweck, C. (Nov. 2014). The power of believing that you can improve. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve/

Garrett, T. (2013). CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: It’s more that a bag of tricks. Education digest. 78(9),pp. 45-49. Retrieved from https://web-a-ebscohost-com.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=e71c07ab-78c3-4584-a558-0ece68df9a20%40sessionmgr4007

Growing Success (2010) Assessment, evaluation and reporting in Ontario schools. Toronto, Ont. Queens printer for Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growsuccess.pdf

Laufenberg, D. (Nov. 2010). How to learn? From mistakes. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/diana_laufenberg_3_ways_to_teach?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Thayer-Bacon, B. (2007). What is Constructivism?. in Hare, W and Portelli, P. (Eds.), Key questions for educators (pp. 61-64). San Francisco, CA: Caddo gap press.

Waples, W. G. (2019) Sept. 3, 2019. My initial thoughts as a shiny new teacher candidate. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://williamwaples.wixsite.com/mysite/copy-of-foundations-i-guided-reflec

Waples, W. G. (2019) Sept. 9, 2019. Week 1- September 9, 2019 [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://williamwaples.wixsite.com/mysite/copy-of-personal-statements-2

2020-03-27 Reflection II: What does great teaching look like?

Ontario College of Teachers standards of CT standards for the teaching profession.

Care – compassion, acceptance interest and insight into student well being and learning
Respect – honour human dignity, emotional wellness and cognitive development. Model respect for spiritual, cultural, social justice, confidentiality, freedom, democracy and the environment
Trust – fairness and openness with colleagues, parents and guardians, students and the public
Integrity – honesty and reliability. Exercising commitments and responsibilities

Beyond Curriculum Core Curriculum Documents

The use of assessment for the purpose of improving learning and helping students become independent learners requires a culture in which student and teacher learn together in a collaborative relationship, each playing an active role in setting learning goals, developing success criteria, giving and receiving feedback, monitoring progress, and adjusting learning strategies. The teacher acts as a “lead learner”, providing support while gradually releasing more and more responsibility to the student, as the student develops the knowledge and skills needed to become an independent learner. (Growing Success p. 30)