T R A N S F O R M A T I O N

The first year of teaching is inundated with classroom observations, formal and informal, offering a myriad of opportunities for self-evaluation. In the first two months of teaching, I have undergone self-evaluation of classroom management processes, differentiation practices, and many more attributes of my teaching style and philosophy. Teaching is a constant state of re-evaluation in my opinion, from how I present difficult concepts to how I assess students about those concepts. 

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Student Focus Tools

One way I have re-evaluated whether I am providing the best learning experiences for my students is the inclusion of focus tools after determining them to be a beneficial response to student distractability and hyperactivity. I outlined the expectations surrounding the tools, informing students that they would be restricted access to the tools if they transformed into toys. The implementation and use of the tools during assessments and daily classwork has become apparently beneficial, as students who exhibited hyperactivity and distractability in the classroom exhibited a focused demeanor during their time using the tools to assist them.

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Providing Student Feedback

In re-evaluating how I build relationships with students, I have changed my feedback style regarding student writing and assignments. Previously, I have limited feedback on paper assignments to only things that needed work, while I strive now to highlight both positive aspects of classwork and aspects that need more growth. I have also implemented positive student feedback within the online Amplify activities, highlighting moments of strength students exhibited and their abilities to apply the writing skills of Focus and Showing in their responses when required.

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Demonstrating Assessment Requirements

I have also worked to support students further by re-evaluating how I present assessment requirements within the classroom. I spend additional time in the classroom reviewing assessments and what the deliverables require from students to eliminate any confusion prior to the assessment. This is in the form of explicitly outlining assessment directions as well as providing student examples that adequately complete the assessment and receive a grade aligned with the excellence in the response.​

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While these are just three areas of transformation I have made in my short time as a first-year teacher, I am consistently adapting my teaching style to become a better instructor and leader for my students.