Standard 4 - Uses strategies to deliver instruction that meet the multiple learning needs of students.
As a Career teacher I use knowledge of students' academic readiness, language proficiency, cultural background, and individual development to plan instruction. I establish and articulate goals for student learning. I develop and sequence long-term and short-term instructional plans to support student learning. I plan instruction that incorporates appropriate strategies to meet the diverse learning needs of all students. I modify and adapt instructional plans to meet the assessed learning needs of all students.
I believe technology provides today’s classroom teacher with new opportunities to engage students in authentic learning experiences. The world we live in is constantly being “updated.” The old is replaced with the new at breakneck speeds. In order to become successful lifelong learners, leaders, and global citizens my students must be able to appropriately navigate this ever-changing world. I believe that their eventual successes begin in my classroom. As global citizens, it is important that my students are consistently exposed to diverse perspectives on teaching and learning.
Addressing my students’ engagement with learning beyond the classroom, I have infused software across multiple platforms including laptops, ipads, and personal cellular devices. This infusion of technology provides within my classroom allows me to differentiate my instruction around my students’ needs. My students who are already intrinsically motivated and want to exceed expectations are able to do so in and out of the classroom. My students who are still discovering their own passions will have the opportunity to access learning in a fresh way. In my classroom, technology is used as a platform for continued enlightenment and differentiation.
As I develop my lesson plans, I am meticulous about aligning my content with school, district, state, and national standards and performance expectations. My students must be held accountable for the mastery of the content I present but I understand that there are a multitude of potential barriers that stand in their way. My students come from diverse social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Instructional content that is simply presented without an opportunity for student connection and ownership fails to breakdown the barriers between my students and their learning.
I believe in empowering my students with skills and strategies that allow them to play an active role in their own individual learning processes. I approach my instruction and view student learning through a constructivist lens: Actively involving my students in the learning process is essential because an intrinsic motivation and love for learning transcends the classroom. While my students will spend the majority of their year within the walls of my room, they will spend the majority of their lives outside the classroom. As an educator, my ultimate goal is to instill a sense of intrinsic motivation and passion for learning within the souls of every one of my students. I believe they should leave my classroom with an inspiration to contribute to our global society.