Standard 2 - Demonstrates competence in content knowledge appropriate to the teaching position.
As a career teacher it is important for me to exhibit in-depth working knowledge of subject matter, academic content standards, and curriculum frameworks. I have to be able to apply knowledge of student development and proficiencies to ensure students are understanding the content that is being presented to them. I have to organize curriculum to facilitate my students' understanding of the subject matter. I have to utilize instructional strategies that are appropriate to the subject matter. I use and adapt resources, technologies, and standards-aligned to instructional materials, to make subject matter accessible to all students that I work with. I address the needs of English learners and students with special needs to provide equitable access to the content.
As an elementary teacher, teaching multiple subjects areas, it is difficult to be an expert in everything I teach. However, I have quickly discovered that there is no need to re-invent the wheel and there are numerous resources out there that I can utilize. I strive to continue to broaden my knowledge in my content areas by collaborating with other educators online and through classes. I also continuously search for many online resources that I can use in my classroom. I have found that students are very motivated by the use of computers and ipads, and anything to deal with technology, they can be a great resource to teach and reinforce concepts. I share several of these resources on my classroom website, so parents and students can utilize them at home as well. You can find a link to many of the resources I have found under the student/parent resource tab.
I have found graphic organizers to be extremely useful in my classroom, especially in the area of reading comprehension. I have used several forms of graphic organizers that align to the Iowa Common Core. These graphic organizers have proven very helpful for visual learners and all students in organizing their thoughts. I will continue to strive to expand my content knowledge in order to provide students with the best education possible.
Within every classroom, there are students across the academic and social spectrums. Although there may only be a handful of students with required accommodations, this does not mean that all students need appropriate scaffolding. As the main classroom facilitator towards student learning, I must differentiate my instruction to encourage all students to grow and succeed. Over the course of a given day, I am constantly assessing my students’ development and achievement. Based on the information I gather through formal and informal assessment, I establish an academic baseline for every student to help guide my instruction and insure my lessons include appropriate challenges.
I believe that learning should be accessible to all students. As an educator, I am continuously stretching myself and modifying my instruction to meet the needs of my students. I have an innate ability to view the world with a growth mindset and I view successful teaching as my ability to guide my students down a path towards learning. Flexibility and an understanding of differentiation are essential skills I possess. Differentiating instruction is vital because it allows for me to challenge my students regardless of their academic strengths or growth areas. Providing appropriate challenges during my lessons allows me to personalize my instruction.
However, I also believe that students should take ownership of their learning. Therefore, I utilize student strengths to help address growth areas. I provide opportunities for students to work independently, in partnerships, small groups, and as a whole class. Encouraging student engagement and collaboration in these different learning environments allows for student-driven guidance to occur. In order to meet the needs of my diverse group of learners, students need to be involved in the learning process.