Reflection Summation: Looking at the Whole

Step 1:

- Week 1: Our first assignment was over the 12 qualities of an effective teacher. Before I added four more qualities that I still agree with. Now, I would like to ass one more quality. 17) Including student choice & basing lessons off of students needs/wants. I have begun to let me students vote for what they want to learn about next and I feel that this has taught them and myself many things. My self-inventory is still pretty much the same except for 10-enough ego to survive the hard days (was 3, now 2).

- Week 2: I said that time was getting in the way of many things like helping every student, misbehavior, differentiating, and problem solving. I have begun to use my students more to help resolve these issues. They have to ask their table for help before they seek my assistance. Also, I am relating my projects more to student wants which is helping in many areas.

- Week 3: This assignment was all about reflection. I have learned so much about reflection this year! Before I provided a list of questions I was going to start asking myself. I should've printed this list off, because I forgot about some of these questions. One area I did reflect on often this term was behavior management and punishment (What else could I try?). There were days that I felt a class was being so bad that I told them we would be writing or practices procedures the next time instead of making art. At times this was needed, but other times I felt guilty that I let my emotions get out of hand. Instead of always sticking to my word, I would come up with another approach. I would apologize to students if necessary, explain my new idea, and explain to them why things were being done this way. Sometimes I would even ask the students what they thought I should do.

In week 3, I gave myself 3 areas from Marzano's checklist to focus on. Here are my goals and my reflection on how I did:
1. I will assess overall understanding by asking students to take notes,

summarize information learned, and identify critical information through the

use of exit slips/response cards. Also, I'm going to practice using response

chaining. (I improved, but I still need to work on this. I still rarely use exit slips, but I have asked more questions to assess overall understanding.)

2. I will engage the students in processing new information by establishing

routines and incorporating more cooperative learning/group discussion. (I feel like I definitely achieved this goal. I did a unit that used group work and in some projects I allowed students to chose if they wanted to work alone or with others. Also, I provided more opportunity for large group and/or small group discussion.)

3. I will take action to engage students by utilizing more physical movement

for all grades. ex. brain breaks, random class stretch, vote with your feet,

act out/model, give on-get one. (This goal was achieved as well. Not only did I utilize most of the examples above, but I also did a few projects that required physical movement. In addition, I began to use stations when appropriate.)

- Week 4: I decided what my teaching metaphor was. I am an explorer and my students are the environment. I learn new things every single day.

- Week 5: I reflected on my "teaching self" and learned that I am a mixture of progressive, spiritual-contemplative, and social justice styles. Teaching is not only my profession, but it is a part of my identity that leaks itself into my everyday life. A few weeks ago, I was at the park with my cousin and her daughter. There were two girls there who were carrying around a huge branch/mini tree. I persuaded them to stop by questioning them on what could happen and helping them find new solutions to have fun. My cousin remarked, "You are such a good teacher." Until her remark, I hadn't even thought about the fact that I was using my teaching strategies outside the classroom. I've began to notice just how often I "teach" in my life. Not only do I teach children in my life, but I also teach my friends and family.

- Week 6 & Week 12 (video reflections): Although my video reflections showed me minor issues I wanted to work on, overall they encouraged me and showed me that I was doing a better job than I thought. Before, I was very hard on myself and only focused on the areas I wanted to improve. Now, I am much more confident in myself and I share my glows before my grows.

Fun fact: I noticed that both of my reflections were with the same group of students and both these lessons were about one of their "table artists". I didn't focus a lot on these artists until after winter break. I have decided that I will start doing this earlier in the year next time, because the students really enjoyed learning about these artists and copying them. They verbally communicated the artists' inspirations and what the students were personally inspired by.

Week 7: discomfort in the classroom. Before, I felt that my students showed discomfort by fearing they would do something wrong. I have finally convinced most of them to try more and realize there is no right or wrong answer. I believe that my unit on real artists and group work, greatly assisted in bringing about this change. At the end of this unit, students worked together in groups of 4 to recreate a famous art work. They got to choose their supplies and were allowed to make their own "tweaks". They loved it! I feel like the fact that they were in a group persuaded them to really take risks that they may have been too afraid to do on their own for fear of being judged. Afterwards, these risks began showing up more and more in their individual work as well.

Week 8: This assignment focused on my teaching self portrait. At first my reflection was vague, but I later revised it and noticed symbols I had unknowingly used. This project helped me to become more aware of thing like: my own process, what works and/or doesn't work for me, and how my teacher self is seen. In addition, I truly enjoyed doing this project, because I lost myself in painting again. I have not taken the time to create much this year and this assignment reminded me just how important it is for me to remain an artists and create pieces that I enjoy and want to make. Just because I am a teacher now, does not mean I should stop being an artist too. If I want to persuade my students to love art, I have to take the time to enjoy creating in my own life.

Week 9: Teacher goals and mission statement. Goals I made for myself during this assignment were: 1. not crippling labeling any individual, 2. think with a more WE mindset, 3. provide my students' more specific praise, 4. make a point not to avoid or cast aside problem students, and 5. take more responsibility when I feel wronged. I still have work to do, but overall I am very pleased with the progress I have made in these areas. I focus on student attributes now more than what displeases me, this had made my outlook much more positive. I give my students more options and include them in decision making. I have worked hard to tell them specifically what they did well, not just say "it looks great" and ask them what they think needs more work. I have made a point to ask problem students what is bothering them. Lastly, I have made it a point to ask myself what I am doing that is contributing to problems.

Week 10 & 11: Encouraging questioning. Before, I egotistically thought that I always provided questioning, because it has always been important to me to teach students how to think. After this assignment and the techniques it provided, I took a closer look at my teaching and realized that I could be doing a much better job at this. Becoming aware of this fact, has forced me to think and wait when students ask me a question. Now I rarely answer them, but instead ask them a question in return. It's fun to see their minds working. Now I just need to work on, persuading my excelled learners to refrain from helping too much and to let their classmates problem solve themselves.

Conclusion: During this course, I have begun to be easier on myself. I acknowledge what I am doing well and make it a point to only focus on a few areas of improvement at one time. My reflections no longer focus on mainly negatives and self blame. Instead, they look at multiple angles and attempt to problem solve in a variety of ways. I am aware of what kind of a teacher I want to be, how I am fulfilling this identity, and what I need to work on more to better achieve my goal. I now refrain from trying to fix everything all at once, and instead force myself to focus on a few goals at a time.

Teacher Lineage:

Overall, I still agree with my original lineage. I would like to add "attitudes of current educators." It saddens me to witness the amount of teachers who have given up. When I try to express positive outlooks or defend students, I am often told that I just feel that way cause I'm new and it will eventually ware off. These remarks make it difficult to keep trying to give it my all and do my best. This has persuaded me to make it my personal goal to never personally give up and never discourage new teachers' ideas.

How has this course influenced the way I now "read" my lineage?

When I look at the teachers on my lineage now, I find myself comparing their attributes to my own teaching and assessing myself.

- Am I exhibiting the positive aspects like allowing students to explore and find their own voice, providing student choice, inspiring their future, making class fun and memorable, persuading students to want to learn, showing that I care, and allowing them to become their own artists and learn from their own mistakes?

- Am I working hard to refrain from using negative aspects like becoming easily upset, discouraging questioning, making their art a version of my own style, and scaring students away from coming to me for support? 

 

Step 2/Proposal:
I started with some of Amy's suggestions & I added some of my own. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Myself as a teacher:

- constructivist approach/student-centered classroom

- positive reflection

- honesty
- teacher self/identity

Influenced from the past:

- reminders of what to do/positive attributes

- reminders of what not to do/negative attributes
Implications for the future:

- what will my students remember about me?
- what will I do the same next year?
- what will I change?

Influences from this class:

- how to properly promote questioning

- focus on 3 goals at a time from Marzano self-rating check list

- remember to always be an artist

- avoid labeling

- reflection/teacher self and changes
- specific feedback
Influences from my students:
- attitude
- lesson planning
- group/individual work
Goals/development: 
- current goals
- future goals/plans
- plan for future development