portfolio

Michaela

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Elementary SChool Teacher

BS in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6)

Email Me

michaelago.teach@gmail.com

Teaching Philosophy

Growing up, it was emphasized to me that grades are what define the outcome of my academic career. If I have high grades, I will be accepted into the “good” schools. When I do well in the “good” schools, I am going to get a high-paying job. With a high-paying job, I can save up a lot of money to provide for myself and my family. A successful future, I was taught, started with 100’s on tests and straight A’s on the report card. This is not what I wish to pass on to my students. I believe that true success comes from those who try and put effort into their work. Even in times of failure, there is success. It is achieved through working on themselves not only academically, but also mentally, emotionally and socially. Childrens’ development in these categories are what they will be able to take with them as they further their education. I believe that this can be done with a safe learning environment that fosters student-led discussions and teaching.

Incorporating some type of social emotional learning in my lessons is one way I allow students to have time to reflect and think about who they are and how they feel. Social emotional learning ot SEL is not tied down to one particular subject which makes it easier to incorporate. SEL increases a students’ self-awareness helping them develop healthy coping strategies and problem solving skills. This benefits both the teacher and the students .I always feel encouraged when teachers conduct read-alouds with books that portray a culture that the students can either connect with or are not familiar with. This exposes the children to different traditions and cultures that they may not learn about on a day to day basis. I also conduct read-alouds with books that speak on matters like bullying to see how the students empathize with the characters and imagine themselves in the

characters shoes. For example, in my class for Respect for All week we read the book The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. It taught the kids about empathy, bullying, and cultures different from theirs. There was a boy who brought food from his Korean culture, which other characters made fun of. I had the students reflect on how they would feel if someone had teased them about their culture. If there is not enough time for a SEL lesson, I include it in the students’ morning routine. For example, we would do an emotional check-in where students are able to move their assigned sticker to a blue (tired, worried, sad), green (happy, energetic, glad), yellow (hyper, distracted), or red (angry, frustrated) zone. SEL serves as a foundation for the students' behavior. By teaching them about self-awareness, self-management, and responsible decision making, students develop healthy social schools they may use in and outside the classroom.

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself”. This quote from John Dewey is one that I think about often. It reflects my views on education. I believe that we prepare children for life through the content that we teach them. It is the experiences in the classroom that can prepare students for their life outside the classroom. John Dewey’s theory of learning by doing is something I have always connected with. High student engagement and participation can increase student learning. In my classroom, I do not just hand the student a paper and tell them to answer questions 1, 2, 3. I allow students to explore the material with the help of manipulatives, technology and more. Group projects are a great way to improve student camaraderie. In my current classroom, we allowed the students to explore the concept of area and perimeter by having them create their own robots. They all measured on their own and cut out the pieces of their robots. At the end of it they all had beautiful area/perimeter robots to display. Instead of sitting down and giving them problems to solve, we got creative and allowed their personalities to shine through.

Sources:

Great pedagogical thinkers: John Dewey. Pedagogy4Change. (2022, May 3). Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.pedagogy4change.org/john-dewey/

Jiang, K., Liu, J., Liu, C., Guo, X., Zhou, H., Lv, B., Liu, Z., & Luo, L. (2019, May 10). The discrepancy of parents' theories of intelligence and parental involvement. Frontiers. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01231/full#B54

Tstokes. (2021, September 14). Learning by doing: What you need to know. The Learning Agency Lab. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.the-learning-agency-lab.com/the-learning-curve/learning-by-doing/#:~:text=The%20American%20philosopher%2C%20John%20Dewey,through%20lectures%20and%20rote%20memorization

What is social and emotional learning? What is SEL? - Casel Schoolguide. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://schoolguide.casel.org/what-is-sel/what-is-sel/

What is social emotional learning (SEL): Why it matters. National University. (2022, August 17). Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.nu.edu/blog/social-emotional-learning-sel-why-it-matters-for-educators/#:~:text=years%20and%20beyond.-,What%20is%20Social%20Emotional%20Learning%20Theory%3F,values%20that%20help%20direct%20students

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Lesson Plans

Below are lesson plans that I have been able to produce and conduct. Click on the boxes to open the lesson plan.

Visuals

Statement From my Supervisor

Glows:

1. Fostered a strong bond between myself and the students.
   
2. Was able to make the lessons fun and engaging.
3. Energy is up when teaching, creates n exciting environment for learning.

Grows:

1. Allow the students to lead the lesson more. See where it takes us.
   
2. Work on behavior management. How can we help students turn it around?
3. Try to help foster more partner work, encourage more interaction between students.
   

REFLECTION:

During my student teaching I prioritized forming strong bonds with the students and I am so happy that it showed in my teaching. It was a great privilege to teach Class 303. I definitely recognize the importance of having my energy up during the lessons. The energy radiates from the teacher to each student. In the future, I want to allow my students to guide the discussions more. I feel that during my observations I was hesitant to have them do group work in case they are reluctant to work with each other. I would definitely take the risk next time.When I comes to classroom management, I agree that I have so much work to do. I want to find the balance between firm and fun. I do not want to be too strict or too lax. I am so grateful for my student teaching experience and have learned so much about it.

Letters of Recommendations From Students

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