Jennifer Stanley

09/15/15
SCED 499
Dr. Edgar
InTASC Standard 4: Content Knowledge
As an educator, I am responsible for sharing my knowledge of the English field with my
students. While I understand that my expertise in this content area will never be unchallenged, I
remain confident that I will be able to impart what I know to my students and that I will actively
seek out answers to any uncertainties I may have. However, the transmission of central concepts
and disciplinary skills (tools of inquiry) which I will facilitate within my classrooms may be
hindered by my students unwillingness or inability to connect with a particular text or
assignment. In this case, I know that I must put forth my best effort to make my content
accessible and meaningful for each student in my classroom so that they will be able to become
disciplinary masters. In order to ensure that this can happen, I must make an effort to relate the
material to my students in a personal, culturally-relevant way. I must also ensure that my
students have the opportunity to learn the same material in a variety of ways to figure out what
works best for them as an individual. Specifically, incorporating the UDL principles of Multiple
Means of Representation, Multiple Means of Engagement and Action, and Multiple Means of
Expression can undoubtedly help my students to connect more effectively with classroom
material. By using supplementary resources and a variety of mediums (e.g. visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic), different learning styles can be represented in the classroom, helping students who
find these varied approaches more beneficial than lecture. Another means of increasing
accessibility in the classroom and relevance for learners is by drawing upon prior knowledge.
However, rather than simply asking students to recall information they might have learned in
another class, planning horizontal articulation with other teachers is the best way to reinforce the

importance of particular themes or events. For example, coordinating with a History teacher
could provide students with the opportunity to learn about Civil Rights and slavery in their
History class while they discuss Narrative in the Life of Frederick Douglass in their English
class. Additionally, drawing upon cultural relevance is vital in attempting to make the English
curriculum more meaningful for students. For example, allowing students to compare British
Romantic poetry to contemporary rap music or song lyrics may help them to become more
amenable to exploring the conventions of poetic verse. Due to my strong interests in cultural
studies and social justice, I also recognize the prevalence of bias within the contemporary
English literature canon and the value of multicultural texts. Ensuring that different cultures are
respectfully represented in a variety of texts is imperative if we want our diverse students to
succeed and feel engaged with the content. In order for students to become masters in the
English content area and to acquire higher-order skills and academic language, they must first be
able to connect with a text and be open to interpreting its meaning. It is only after this
accessibility is established that students can begin to interpret certain texts, question their own
lives, and, inevitably, analyze the world around them. Therefore, it is my duty as an English
educator to make learning a relatable experience for my students, so that they will have the
opportunity to actively engage with the content of the subject and become more capable and
informed global citizens. After all, it is vital for students to understand the basis of the English
language (especially communication skills and understanding various perspectives) in order to
succeed in the real world and forge lasting relationships.