ConceptualFrameworkandDispositions

KnowledgeAsastudentmyselfIstrivetodevelopadeepunderstandingofcontent.Ibelieve
oneisabletoachieveadeepunderstandingofcontentthroughthepracticeofseeingthrough
multipleperspectives.Althoughthispracticeisnoteasilyachieveditprovidesthelearnergreat
satisfactionandpotentiallynewsolutionstosolveproblems.Afterall,isnttheveryreasonwe
learndirectlyrelatedtoproblemsolving.Therearefourbooksthathavesupportedmyjourney
inlearningtobecomeabetterlearner:
TheArtofThinking
byAllenF.HarrisonandRobertM.
Bramson,Ph.D.,
ThinkingForAChange
byJohnC.Maxwell,
HowToWinFriends&Influence
People
byDaleCarnegie,
TheSelfishGene
ByRichardDawkins.Thesefourbookshavegiven
mestrategiestothinkcreatively,criticallyandscientifically.Ibelievemyabilitytobeaflexible
thinkerwillenablemetofosterthesamegrowthanddevelopmentinalllearners.Although,
thesefourbookshaveprofoundlydevelopedmyowngrowth,Ihavelearnedstudentsarenot
alwaysreceptivetolearningforlearning'ssake.Managingaproductive,peacefulandsafe
learningenvironmentisvitalalearnersgrowth.Ihavefoundthatelementaryagedindividuals,
aswithadults,likeinformationtobedeliveredinanunderstandableandefficientfashion.
Elementaryagedstudentsalsoliketotryoutnewconceptsthroughmovement,smallandwhole
groupdiscussions,technologyandprojects.AsaneducatorIbelievestudentsrespondwelltoa
dynamicmatrixstyledclassroominwhichchaosmaybepresumedbuttowhichthereisorder
andpurpose.

InstructionalStrategiesIfeelmygreateststrengthwillbelookedatbyothersasmygreatest
weakness.Recently,aschoolprincipalreferredtoeducatorswithanythingbutadegreein
educationasquasieducators.MyundergraduatedegreeisinLiberalArtswithaminorin
education.Although,thecommenttuggedatmyheartandIwonderedhowIwouldsurvivethe
politicsofeducation,Ifinallycametotheconclusionthatmydiversebackgroundinacademia
hasonlyfacilitatedgreaterflexibilityandresponsiveclassroominstruction.Forexample,while
studyingthefineartsIlearnedtheartofownershipinacademicresponsibility.Additionally,I
learnedhowtoquicklyobserveandevaluateprogressandmeaninginworksofart.ThisIhave
translatedintoclassroomassessmentandinstruction.ForlearnersthataredevelopingIkeep
contentconcreteuntiltheyareconfidentenoughtomovetowardshigherlevelsofthinking.For
learnerswhoaredevelopingoradvancedIenjoyencouragingalternateperspectivesonproblem
solvingandpushinghigherlevelsoflanguageusage.Assessinglearnersisachallengehowever,
Ihavelearnedtransparentandtargetedlearninggoalsarevaluablepracticesinauthentic
assessing.InMiss.HemondsclassroomweuseTargetLearningMenusandrubricstohelp
learnersunderstandwhattheyarelearning.AsaneducatorIwouldalsolikelearnersto
understandhowtheirlearningappliestotheirlivesandtheirfutures.

DiversityDiversityexistseverywhereandaneducatorneedstobesensitivetothediverseneeds
ofhis/herlearners.DuringmysecondrotationinstudentteachingIhavelearnedmanylessons
inaddressingthediverseneedsoflearnersintheclassroom.Ibelievecreatingadynamic
classroomisasuperiormethodofaddressingthediverseneedsoflearners.Givingstudents
choices,alteringinstructionbasedonabilitiesandfindinguniqueconnectionstofosterlearner
understanding,facilitatefeelingsofcomfortandconfidenceinlearners.Comfortandconfidence
arekeytothelearnerspersonalandacademicgrowth.Beyondinstructionalstrategies,educators
mustcreateandmaintainaclassroomenvironmentthatispeacefulandrespectful.Simple
commoncourtesiesfosterthistypeofenvironment.Forinstance,simplevirtuessuchassaying
GoodMorningandThankYouhelplearnersdevelopasensethattheyarepartofaglobal
community.AsalearnerandfutureeducatorIbelievekeepingcurrentinworldeventsis
importanttounderstandingdiversityandtofacilitatemyownlearningIamaNational
GeographicSocietyMember.

ReflectionsOneofthemoreimportantlessonsIvelearnedduringmyyearsasan
undergraduatestudentwashowtobesupportiveandusepositivelanguagearoundotherlearners.
Atthetailendofmyundergraduatestudy,IhadthepleasureofgettingtoknowprofessorKatz,
whoalwaysencouragedhislearnerstobeapartofthecommunityconversation.ProfessorKatz
achievedthisbynotcorrectingunrelatedormisrepresentativecomments.Instead,hewould
makethelearnerfeelvaluedbycommentingthattheperspectivewasinterestingandwouldask
otherlearnersforalternativeperspectives.Onceasuitableresponsewasmade,hewouldthen
elaborateonthesubject.ProfessorKatz,understoodthehumanneedtofeelvaluedand
importantandcommunicatedaswellasdemonstratedasensitivitytohumanemotionandneed.I
learnedthroughprofessorKatzhowtoguidelearnersthroughthelearningprocesswitha
sensitiveenthusiasm.ThroughmyprofessionalexperienceIhavelearnedhowtobealeaderby
exampleinmultipleareas.Ibelievewellnessofbothmindandbodyarevitaltothelifelong
learningprocess.Furthermore,asaleaderbyexampleIfosterfairnessbothinandoutofthe
classroom.Ultimately,Ibelieveinorderforonetogrowoneneedstobeabletoauthentically
selfreflectaswellascontinuallyadjusttothoseselfreflections.