I believe in student-centered instruction, that incorporates student needs and interests into the curriculum. In the classroom, I practice this by providing student-centered learning experiences, engaging students in a gradual learning process, and by constantly utilizing reflective and collaborative teaching practices.

 

I believe that effective teachers tailor instruction to each class' needs. No child learns in the same way, and each class will respond to a single lesson differently. As such, I utilize interest inventories, morning meeting, and discussion during non-academic times to increase my knowledge of students interests and instructional format preferences and to inform my instructional decisions. From this foundation, I then plan units of instruction that incorporate the guided release model of instruction so that students can explore concepts in guided, independent, and collaborative settings. By providing these different experiences with the same learning objectives in mind, I find that my students are better able to incorporate abstract concepts, like the story elements of literature, into their schema. Furthermore, by engaging students in this model of instruction, they have something to do in every phase of instruction! They are actively constructing knowledge through discussion, analysis, and the application of skills and prior knowledge. 

 

Finally, and most importantly, I think that students learn best when their teacher is reflective in the classroom. As the school year - and even a single school day - progresses I evaluate how successful a lesson or unit has been in engaging learners, and in providing students access points to content knowledge. From there, I modify instruction and call on resources within my teaching team, to ensure success for all learners in my learning community. I feel that by consistently evaluating how successful students and teachers are in reaching their objectives, teachers can push themselves to discover new and exciting ways to teach.