Photo by Megan Soule on Unsplash
1. Five images (you can take them or they can come from the Internet [provide proper credit]). These images should reflect, in some way, what you imagine your classroom will look like once you are a teacher. Please annotate your images by providing a description of the image and how it relates to your future classroom.
In high school, I had the privilege of participating in an education program where I helped in an elementary classroom for an hour a day four days a week and learned college curriculum regarding teacher during class on Mondays. The following pictures were taken during my time helping in a kindergarten classroom my senior year. I used these photos to reflect on what I hope for or anticipate in my future classroom.
In high school, I had the privilege of participating in an education program where I helped in an elementary classroom for an hour a day four days a week and learned college curriculum regarding teacher during class on Mondays. The following pictures were taken during my time helping in a kindergarten classroom my senior year. I used these photos to reflect on what I hope for or anticipate in my future classroom.
A white board and/or a Smart board may be available with which to teach the students. A projector, which is allowing me to show the picture book on the screen in this photo, will also be available. I do not plan to read books to my students in the way that this picture presents though. Instead, I hope to have a rocking chair which I can sit in while I read to my students, practicing the skills I have learned about reading to children. This picture also shows posters which the teacher made in class, similar to the way I hope to make and hang posters to show what my class is learning. I believe that the blue thing hanging on the wall next to the board may at one time been used as a calendar. This picture shows some of the technology I plan on having access to as well as some of the things I may want to hand on my classroom walls.
This picture shows some of the storage I hope to have access to in a future classroom. It also show the sink, which will be helpful for keeping things clean and sanitary as well as for doing art projects. There are tables instead of desks in this photo, and I do hope that my future classroom might have desks, but whether tables or desks, I like the idea of seating students in groups. Of course, the seating needs to be far enough back from the front of the classroom that students can sit criss-cross applesauce as a class, just as they are in this photo. I also anticipate thereto be an American flag. My students may finish tasks in different amounts of time, just as in this picture too.
Pictured here is the small group of students I worked with each day. I hope that parents or other volunteers will come to my classroom to help me as well. A table at the back of the classroom, like this one, would be really nice in that case. This table was also used by my mentor teaching when working with students in reading groups, another activity which I anticipate having in my future classroom. Another small table was also available in the back of this classroom and was used for working with students one on one or grading papers. I think one table, like this one, would be sufficient for all these jobs though.
As a teacher, I intend to walk around my classroom, helping students who may need it and simply checking in to see how work is going when I have told my students to work on a particular assignment (which may have been followed by a subsequent assignment for when the children finish). In addition to showing that, this picture is a good example of the classroom being filled with signs and posters as well as a good representations of the storage I imagine being available. This does not show how I anticipate students being able to hang their backpacks though. I image long cubbies or a long deep area in the storage with hooks on the wall inside.
This is an example of a cute bulletin display which I may have hanging outside my classroom. I absolutely loved this one and may very well do one quite similar to it when I have a class of my own. I also like how it shows each of the students in the class, helping them each to get a little recognition. While this picture was taken too close to capture the whole phrase or class, it says "College Starts in Kindergarten" and each picture that is up features a child in the classroom holding a sign up which says what they want to be when they grow up.
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2. Imagine the surrounding in your classroom. What does the room look like? What resources are available for students? How are the resources used during the lesson?
The class is surrounded by four walls and a roof, all in good condition. There are no leaks in the roof and the walls have good insulation. One wall of the classroom is mainly made up of cubbies and storage cabinets, which were built into the classroom at the time the school was constructed. There are enough cubbies for every student to have room to hang a backpack and there may even be room for a small tub or school box which students may keep additional school supplies for themselves. At the end of this wall, there is a sink with hot and cold water. Soap and a paper towel dispenser are both available nearby the sink. In the front of the classroom, there is a Smart Board and a whiteboard. On the ceiling in front of the smart board, there is a white projector mounted. Desks are set up in groups of four to six, facing the front of the classroom. In the desks, students could keep school supplies or books. This would mean that room would not be needed in the cubbies for anything but a backpack. However, if tables are available instead, as was the case in the kindergarten classroom I helped in, this room would likely be necessary. I would likely have my desk near the front of the classroom, to the side. A bookcase with many books from a variety of reading levels will be available for students to read. An additional table may or may not be available in the back of the classroom so that students can work in small groups with the teacher or another volunteer, or so that volunteers might be able to come in and help correct papers during class time. Along the walls, there are a variety of educational posters, some are laminated, easy to read, professional posters. Others are ones we made, with what we have been learning written in marker on butcher paper which I got from the office. The alphabet is posted along the top of one of the walls. A calendar is somewhere else, with numbers too. Student artwork may be posted on bulletin boards right outside the classroom, or even inside the classroom. Outside the classroom, where we walk in each day, there are pictures of each of the children with their name on a cute bulletin board. Student names are also available on their name tags on top of their desks/table.
3. Describe the students in your classroom. What are their backgrounds? What are their interests? What are they doing during the lesson?
The majority of my students will likely be middle-class Christian Caucasians. Their families will likely care about sports and perhaps politics. Whether the majority of students will have parents with Democratic or Republican parents will depend on where I live. Where I to stay in Utah, they would likely be Republics. If I returned to Washington, most would be democrats. Not all of my students will fit in with these majority statements though, and I would hope not. I look forward to having students from diverse backgrounds in my classroom. Some may be white, others African American or Hispanic or Asian or Pacific Islander or Middle Eastern. While some may come from Christian homes, others will probably have parents who are atheist or agnostic. Still others may be from Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu or some other religious background. Some parents may read with their child every day and take them to museums and to the library and to the park and help them with their homework every night. Others may not check in with their child about school or read books with them. Children may miss out on the opportunity which other students have when it comes to homework help or chances to improve their literacy not because their parents do not care or do not want to provide their children with those experiences, but simply because they themselves may struggle with English and may not know how to help.
During the lesson, some students will try to pay very good attention. However, others may be thinking about something else, perhaps stresses at home or perhaps something more exciting like play time or recess. Some students may interact in ways which distract from the lesson, whether talking to a neighboring student, disagreeing with another student, or simply trying to engage with the learning at an inappropriate time. This will distract more students who will then also become distracting, shushing or complaining.
4. Describe your classroom policies. What are your classroom rules? What is your discipline plan? What are your homework policies?
My number one rule: respect. Every individual has worth. Every individual matters. Even when people may get on our nerves, we should do our best to respond calmly and treat them with respect. We should take into account how the other person might feel or why they might feel that way. There may very well be something else going on in their lives which makes things difficult. No matter what, bullying is never acceptable though. As a teacher, I should do what I can to prevent bullying and do what I can to bring it to a close and protect students at risk of being hurt, emotionally or physically. In these cases, I will worry about all students involved, wondering in the back of my mind if a student who may be struggling to be nice to other students is being treated nicely at home or if the student's parents treat each other with respect. I will recognize too that while these sort of things may factor in, I cannot assume that anything like that is going on unless I have more reason to believe so.
I may choose to take this rule (respect) or a similar rule that might come off a little warmer, and use it for a base in explaining my expectations. Students do better when there are less rules to keep track of, to the best of my understanding. Respect can include listening when the teacher or another student is talking, being nice to one another, treating the items in the classroom properly. While I have heard that red, yellow, green cards are not the best, until I discover a better option, I may use these for this sort of misbehavior. Though, I may try and talk to the student during a quieter time to explain why it is so important and to explain that I care about their learning and other students' learning and that misbehavior like that interferes with that learning. Recess time may be deducted for misbehavior or mistreatment in the classroom. This may help allow me the time to talk with the student(s) one on one as discussed above.
Homework assignments will be due on the day that they are due. However, since I will be working with little kids and grades do not work as they do in middle school, high school, or college, I do not know if I will penalize late work. I may accept it later. I recognize that sometimes students will choose not to turn an assignment in at all and that working on past assignments when present ones are due can be overwhelming. It can be a lesson in itself to simply get behind. I will likely only pres getting the assignments done before the due date arrives and then when it does arrive asking the students to bring it tomorrow if they have not yet turned it in and that I will accept it then. Maybe a week later I may tell a student that they still have not turned in a spelling packet or something like that, but otherwise I believe I will leave it up to them to remember what they have yet to complete.
5. Describe a typical lesson you will teach in your classroom. What will you teach? What is the topic? Why did you choose this topic? How will you teach it? What is the main thing you want students to learn during this lesson?
Reading. If I was teaching a kindergarten class, students would be at various levels of understanding. I would want to help students progress no matter their current level of understanding, so I would teach some of the basics and also teach new concepts. For example, when I am having a daily talk about the day and week, I may also have other patterns to follow. For example, focusing on a specific letter each day. I would go over the sound the letter makes in different words and how to properly draw the letter on three-lined paper. I would also go over words that start with the letter, probably letting students share their ideas. I may give examples of words that start with a certain letter by using different categories like animals or toys or activities. I chose this topic because I want the students to learn in depth about each letter, to really gain an understanding and be able to work with and understand the sound that the letter makes when they come across it in different words when reading. The main thing I want them to learn is the sound the letter makes and to become familiar with words which have that sound so that they will be able to figure out words which they have not yet come across in their reading.
6. Imagine your work as a teacher during this lesson. What are you doing during the lesson?
As a teacher, there will be a lot of work for me to do. During a lesson, I will be giving instruction. At least, that is the main part. However, I will also be needing to keep an eye on the clock and helping students to stay on task. It will also be important for me to gauge how much they are understanding so that I might be able to help them if they struggle. Lesson plans include more than just instruction though, so the word lesson may denote more than that, reaching forth to include the activity or assessment which may follow. When students are working on completing an assignment, I will likely walk around the classroom, as I mentioned above, helping them to stay on task and to answer any questions they may have, as well as simply telling them that they are doing a good job. While I may be able to go back to my desk and answer emails or grade assignments during this time, I think it would be worth my time to do that later and spend more time interacting with and helping the students.
7. Imagine your students again, what are they doing during the lesson?
Students will be sitting criss-cross applesauce on the floor in the front while I read a book to them or teach a lesson which involves the projector or whiteboard or Smart board. Students will be trying to pay attention, commenting on what I am teaching and sharing their own thoughts and ideas. Others may be sharing with students sitting next to them or simply telling a friend about something completely off topic. Others may be getting annoyed with other students, particularly ones who appear to be off task. Students may be mindlessly distracted, looking around the classroom or playing with their hair or a toy or something they should not have out. Some students, who may have come from homes where English is not the primary language, may be trying to understand what is going on or may give up because they do not understand. While students may get off task, I hope that I will be able to help them get back on task. At times, it may be easier to keep the kids on task, like when we are singing a song together or doing a dance. When the students are involves, I feel that they will have an easier time not getting distracted or bored. Other times, students will be sitting at their seats while we go over an assignment together. I may have a little less control of how well they are behaved during this time, but they may also be more on task having something to work on right in front of them.
8. Imagine how you will assess your students' learning and achievement. How will you know they have learned?
There are a number of ways to asses learning and achievement. Of course, there are the traditional tests, and I will probably have some simple ones of those. Since I will be working with young kids (preschool through third grade), the tests probably will not be too intense. Some short math and reading or spelling tests may be part of my curriculum. Attention spans are only so long. However, I do not intend for this to be the only form of assessment used in my classroom or even the most common one. Worksheets will be used a lot more than tests. However, I still hope that this is not the main form of assessment in my classroom. While this sort of work may be enjoyable to certain students, other students would much rather get up and move around or express their learning in some other way. I hope to incorporate a number of the activities discussed in Drama for the Elementary Classroom (TMA 352) since they seemed to encourage depth of thought in an engaging way. Art may be another medium through which to have students show their thoughts. My goal is to help my future students learn to love learning.
I will know they have learned when I see them answer the problems correctly or when I see them using correct strategies to figure the problems out. When I see them talking about what they are learning or see the progress in what they are able to do, I will recognize this too. I readily admit that assessment is something I have more to learn about and I feel grateful knowing I have many more college courses left in my study which will hopefully help me to figure that out a little bit more before go into teaching and learn even more still.
The class is surrounded by four walls and a roof, all in good condition. There are no leaks in the roof and the walls have good insulation. One wall of the classroom is mainly made up of cubbies and storage cabinets, which were built into the classroom at the time the school was constructed. There are enough cubbies for every student to have room to hang a backpack and there may even be room for a small tub or school box which students may keep additional school supplies for themselves. At the end of this wall, there is a sink with hot and cold water. Soap and a paper towel dispenser are both available nearby the sink. In the front of the classroom, there is a Smart Board and a whiteboard. On the ceiling in front of the smart board, there is a white projector mounted. Desks are set up in groups of four to six, facing the front of the classroom. In the desks, students could keep school supplies or books. This would mean that room would not be needed in the cubbies for anything but a backpack. However, if tables are available instead, as was the case in the kindergarten classroom I helped in, this room would likely be necessary. I would likely have my desk near the front of the classroom, to the side. A bookcase with many books from a variety of reading levels will be available for students to read. An additional table may or may not be available in the back of the classroom so that students can work in small groups with the teacher or another volunteer, or so that volunteers might be able to come in and help correct papers during class time. Along the walls, there are a variety of educational posters, some are laminated, easy to read, professional posters. Others are ones we made, with what we have been learning written in marker on butcher paper which I got from the office. The alphabet is posted along the top of one of the walls. A calendar is somewhere else, with numbers too. Student artwork may be posted on bulletin boards right outside the classroom, or even inside the classroom. Outside the classroom, where we walk in each day, there are pictures of each of the children with their name on a cute bulletin board. Student names are also available on their name tags on top of their desks/table.
3. Describe the students in your classroom. What are their backgrounds? What are their interests? What are they doing during the lesson?
The majority of my students will likely be middle-class Christian Caucasians. Their families will likely care about sports and perhaps politics. Whether the majority of students will have parents with Democratic or Republican parents will depend on where I live. Where I to stay in Utah, they would likely be Republics. If I returned to Washington, most would be democrats. Not all of my students will fit in with these majority statements though, and I would hope not. I look forward to having students from diverse backgrounds in my classroom. Some may be white, others African American or Hispanic or Asian or Pacific Islander or Middle Eastern. While some may come from Christian homes, others will probably have parents who are atheist or agnostic. Still others may be from Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu or some other religious background. Some parents may read with their child every day and take them to museums and to the library and to the park and help them with their homework every night. Others may not check in with their child about school or read books with them. Children may miss out on the opportunity which other students have when it comes to homework help or chances to improve their literacy not because their parents do not care or do not want to provide their children with those experiences, but simply because they themselves may struggle with English and may not know how to help.
During the lesson, some students will try to pay very good attention. However, others may be thinking about something else, perhaps stresses at home or perhaps something more exciting like play time or recess. Some students may interact in ways which distract from the lesson, whether talking to a neighboring student, disagreeing with another student, or simply trying to engage with the learning at an inappropriate time. This will distract more students who will then also become distracting, shushing or complaining.
4. Describe your classroom policies. What are your classroom rules? What is your discipline plan? What are your homework policies?
My number one rule: respect. Every individual has worth. Every individual matters. Even when people may get on our nerves, we should do our best to respond calmly and treat them with respect. We should take into account how the other person might feel or why they might feel that way. There may very well be something else going on in their lives which makes things difficult. No matter what, bullying is never acceptable though. As a teacher, I should do what I can to prevent bullying and do what I can to bring it to a close and protect students at risk of being hurt, emotionally or physically. In these cases, I will worry about all students involved, wondering in the back of my mind if a student who may be struggling to be nice to other students is being treated nicely at home or if the student's parents treat each other with respect. I will recognize too that while these sort of things may factor in, I cannot assume that anything like that is going on unless I have more reason to believe so.
I may choose to take this rule (respect) or a similar rule that might come off a little warmer, and use it for a base in explaining my expectations. Students do better when there are less rules to keep track of, to the best of my understanding. Respect can include listening when the teacher or another student is talking, being nice to one another, treating the items in the classroom properly. While I have heard that red, yellow, green cards are not the best, until I discover a better option, I may use these for this sort of misbehavior. Though, I may try and talk to the student during a quieter time to explain why it is so important and to explain that I care about their learning and other students' learning and that misbehavior like that interferes with that learning. Recess time may be deducted for misbehavior or mistreatment in the classroom. This may help allow me the time to talk with the student(s) one on one as discussed above.
Homework assignments will be due on the day that they are due. However, since I will be working with little kids and grades do not work as they do in middle school, high school, or college, I do not know if I will penalize late work. I may accept it later. I recognize that sometimes students will choose not to turn an assignment in at all and that working on past assignments when present ones are due can be overwhelming. It can be a lesson in itself to simply get behind. I will likely only pres getting the assignments done before the due date arrives and then when it does arrive asking the students to bring it tomorrow if they have not yet turned it in and that I will accept it then. Maybe a week later I may tell a student that they still have not turned in a spelling packet or something like that, but otherwise I believe I will leave it up to them to remember what they have yet to complete.
5. Describe a typical lesson you will teach in your classroom. What will you teach? What is the topic? Why did you choose this topic? How will you teach it? What is the main thing you want students to learn during this lesson?
Reading. If I was teaching a kindergarten class, students would be at various levels of understanding. I would want to help students progress no matter their current level of understanding, so I would teach some of the basics and also teach new concepts. For example, when I am having a daily talk about the day and week, I may also have other patterns to follow. For example, focusing on a specific letter each day. I would go over the sound the letter makes in different words and how to properly draw the letter on three-lined paper. I would also go over words that start with the letter, probably letting students share their ideas. I may give examples of words that start with a certain letter by using different categories like animals or toys or activities. I chose this topic because I want the students to learn in depth about each letter, to really gain an understanding and be able to work with and understand the sound that the letter makes when they come across it in different words when reading. The main thing I want them to learn is the sound the letter makes and to become familiar with words which have that sound so that they will be able to figure out words which they have not yet come across in their reading.
6. Imagine your work as a teacher during this lesson. What are you doing during the lesson?
As a teacher, there will be a lot of work for me to do. During a lesson, I will be giving instruction. At least, that is the main part. However, I will also be needing to keep an eye on the clock and helping students to stay on task. It will also be important for me to gauge how much they are understanding so that I might be able to help them if they struggle. Lesson plans include more than just instruction though, so the word lesson may denote more than that, reaching forth to include the activity or assessment which may follow. When students are working on completing an assignment, I will likely walk around the classroom, as I mentioned above, helping them to stay on task and to answer any questions they may have, as well as simply telling them that they are doing a good job. While I may be able to go back to my desk and answer emails or grade assignments during this time, I think it would be worth my time to do that later and spend more time interacting with and helping the students.
7. Imagine your students again, what are they doing during the lesson?
Students will be sitting criss-cross applesauce on the floor in the front while I read a book to them or teach a lesson which involves the projector or whiteboard or Smart board. Students will be trying to pay attention, commenting on what I am teaching and sharing their own thoughts and ideas. Others may be sharing with students sitting next to them or simply telling a friend about something completely off topic. Others may be getting annoyed with other students, particularly ones who appear to be off task. Students may be mindlessly distracted, looking around the classroom or playing with their hair or a toy or something they should not have out. Some students, who may have come from homes where English is not the primary language, may be trying to understand what is going on or may give up because they do not understand. While students may get off task, I hope that I will be able to help them get back on task. At times, it may be easier to keep the kids on task, like when we are singing a song together or doing a dance. When the students are involves, I feel that they will have an easier time not getting distracted or bored. Other times, students will be sitting at their seats while we go over an assignment together. I may have a little less control of how well they are behaved during this time, but they may also be more on task having something to work on right in front of them.
8. Imagine how you will assess your students' learning and achievement. How will you know they have learned?
There are a number of ways to asses learning and achievement. Of course, there are the traditional tests, and I will probably have some simple ones of those. Since I will be working with young kids (preschool through third grade), the tests probably will not be too intense. Some short math and reading or spelling tests may be part of my curriculum. Attention spans are only so long. However, I do not intend for this to be the only form of assessment used in my classroom or even the most common one. Worksheets will be used a lot more than tests. However, I still hope that this is not the main form of assessment in my classroom. While this sort of work may be enjoyable to certain students, other students would much rather get up and move around or express their learning in some other way. I hope to incorporate a number of the activities discussed in Drama for the Elementary Classroom (TMA 352) since they seemed to encourage depth of thought in an engaging way. Art may be another medium through which to have students show their thoughts. My goal is to help my future students learn to love learning.
I will know they have learned when I see them answer the problems correctly or when I see them using correct strategies to figure the problems out. When I see them talking about what they are learning or see the progress in what they are able to do, I will recognize this too. I readily admit that assessment is something I have more to learn about and I feel grateful knowing I have many more college courses left in my study which will hopefully help me to figure that out a little bit more before go into teaching and learn even more still.