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Portfolio for Teacher Education Program Morgan Meyer Georgetown College

Know your stuff, know who youre stuffing and stuff them. Pete LaRue

Table of Contents: Pg. 3-9 Pg. 10-14 Philosophy of Education Lesson Plan

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Philosophy of Education Morgan Meyer Georgetown College

Know your stuff, know who youre stuffing and stuff them. I heard these wise words from Dr. Pete LaRue while in his Foundations and Principles of Music Education class. This quote applies to every type of teacher and should be one of their main goals

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in their classroom. As a teacher, I need to know my stuff. This means I need to be well versed in whatever I am teaching and be confident in teaching it. I must know the information I am teaching and as well as information beyond that so that when students ask questions or want to know more about a subject, I will be prepared to answer or know where to find the answer. One of the most, if not the most, important things a teacher must do is to know who they are stuffing. When I become a teacher, my main goal will be to teach students; but in order to effectively accomplish this, I must get to know my students. I will get to know them in many aspects of their life; some of these include their family life, religious background, ethnic background, disabilities, and learning styles. My goal as an educator will be to effectively and efficiently stuff my students so that they can be the best students they can be. The purpose of an education includes a number of things. An education enables someone to function better in society. For example, if I have a high school diploma, I am qualified for jobs that are not available to those who do not have a diploma. The same goes for those with a college degree they are qualified for jobs that are not available to those without a degree. That is not to say that there are not jobs available for those without a diploma or degree and that they cannot be successful, but their chances at success are much slimmer. I also understand that while college may be the right path for some people, it may not be for others. In the end, the main goal for students should be to find out what they enjoy doing and what profession they want to pursue in the future. Once they do this, they need to find out what type of education is required, whether it be high school diploma, technical school, college, or something else.

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An education should also have a common sense purpose as well. With it, one should be able to think creatively to solve problems, answer questions that arise, and deal with different scenarios that life brings. This means I need to demonstrate withitness, or , an awareness of classroom dynamics and the ability to intuitively respond (CF 1.5B (f)). If I cannot do these things, I have limited potential to work and survive like those who can. My ability to support my family and myself is considerably different. Educators take on many roles. I should provide students the skills they need to succeed at the next level. I should motivate and inspire my students to want to learn. I can do this by simply establishing a positive learning environment in my classroom where every student has high expectations, making them want to succeed (CF 1.5A (a&b)). I should also be a role model and mentor for my students while also fostering a mutual respect between teacher and students and among students (CF 1.5A (d)). Diversity in the classroom is an ever-changing area in education. I want to be an advocate for students and their families, promoting equity and justice in the learning community so that all students have an equal opportunity to reach their full potential (CF 2.2 (h)). I am planning on minoring in social sciences with an emphasis in sociology to help me deal with the diversity and the diverse needs of my students. Each and every student is unique, with a different socio-economic background, race, ethnicity, and family make-up. There is no such thing as a cookie cutter student. I am pursuing classes at Georgetown that deal with diversity in the classroom to learn how to deal with the diversity I will be facing in the future. My community of learners will include elementary and middle school students of varying mathematical abilities. In my own education, I have always done well in math

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classes. I can relate that to my community of learners and convey an understanding to them that I will put forth the effort to help them achieve as much as they possibly can in the area of mathematics. Again, diversity plays a part in that some of them may breeze through the subject with hardly any help. However, I know there will be others that not only need my help but the help of tutors or their parents or siblings. In the Conceptual Framework it states, . . . effective teachers believe in the educational potential of every child, and they act upon that belief by holding high expectations for all students (CF 2.2 (d)). Every teachers main goal should be to hold high expectations for each and every student they encounter (CF 1.5A (a)). I realize this may be hard at times, but this is something I will truly work towards as a teacher. I can control the classroom community but may not have much control over their home community. Teachers should always try to, work to form positive working partnerships with families so that they might learn how best to teach each student (Lynn, 1997, as cited in CF 2.2 (e)). Family and parental involvement may or may not be present in a students life. If it is not, the students classroom community may suffer and they may need extra help in order to succeed with their schoolwork. Children learn in a variety of ways. There are seven learning styles in which they learn (Accelerated Learning Online, n.d.). The styles are; visual, which a person prefers learning through the use of pictures and images; aural, which a person prefers learning through the use of music and sound; verbal, which a person prefers learning through the use of writing and speech; physical, which a person prefers learning through the use of their body or their sense of touch; logical, which a person prefers learning through the use of logic and mathematics; social, which a person prefers to work as a class or in a small

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group; and solitary, which a person prefers working alone (Accelerated Learning Online, n.d.). Most students learn through one or more of these styles. I believe that the style or styles that they learn best through are the ones that they learn the earliest in life. Dr. Pete LaRue has said many times, What you learn first, you learn best, and I truly believe this is the case with most children (personal communication, 2012). Although attending preschool does not determine exactly what a childs learning style may be, but if a child goes to preschool, he or she may learn best through the social style while a child that did not go to preschool may learn best through the solitary style. This could be because the child who attended preschool learned how to interact and work in a classroom environment earlier than a child who did not have the privilege of attending preschool. When I think about beliefs, the first thing that comes to mind is my religious beliefs. When I think about other types of beliefs or views on various issues I can relate them back to my strong Christian beliefs, and base my beliefs off of what Christianity and the Bible says. Math does not focus as much on beliefs as other subjects; therefore, I do not think I will bring my beliefs into the classroom much if I teach at a public school. However, if a student comes to me with a personal issue and I feel it is appropriate to help the student, my beliefs may come into play. Conceptual Framework brings up the issue of beliefs and spiritual foundations stating: Teachers who have a strong spiritual foundation develop a reverence for life in all its forms and seek both to nurture human life and to preserve the natural world. Thus, moral and ethical values and dispositions such as

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respect for others and for the physical universe, honesty and responsibility, and high moral integrity emerge from the spiritual self. (CF, 2.3) Since I will most likely be teaching in a public school where I will not be able to be open about my faith, I hope that my students and colleagues see my faith through the way I treat others and my moral and ethical values and dispositions. But, I would love to have the privilege of teaching at a Christian school so that I could have the ability to share my Christian beliefs and be open about my faith with my students. My goals for students are that they achieve at the highest mathematic level they can. I would like for them to be above average in their level of math and for them to feel comfortable, secure and prepared for their next school year or math challenge, whatever that entails. I want them to be able to think logically and rationally with regard to math as well as other areas of their lives. In many cases, simple logical math helps adults in their daily life. I realize that I am not alone in teaching and that I can also rely on my community, parents, other teachers and my administration to help my students and me along the way. In the Conceptual Framework, Moll states: Research consistently shows that there is a positive correlation between family involvement and student achievement. To bridge the gap between home and school, teachers must be able to learn from the families they serve so that they can determine the funds of knowledge that students possess. (Moll, 2001, as cited in CF, 1.6) I especially like to think of parents as co-teachers in their childs education. I plan to communicate with parents about their students and not just when the student is doing

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poorly. The parents of students who do well also need recognition as well as their children. The Conceptual Framework also talks about teacher-teacher relationships as well. It says, Collaboration with other teachers is also important to professional growth and student learning; thus teachers must be able to demonstrate effective communication and team membership skills (Wolf, Borko, Elliot, & McIver, 2000, as cited in CF, 1.6). I will work with other teachers and my administration to help me deal with problems that arise, whether they are academic, social, or disciplinary. I once heard Dr. Pete LaRue say, You dont want to teach your first year 30 times; you want to teach for thirty years (personal communication, 2012). Particularly when I begin teaching, I will need to look toward other teachers and administration for advice to help me to be the best teacher I can be for my first year and every year to follow. I also believe I can pull local community members in to help with shadowing and demonstrating how they use math in their everyday lives. If students see that math is not just a subject to learn in school, they will see the value in it. No teacher is perfect and I realize that I have plenty to learn in the future in order to be the best teacher I can be. An education enables students to become the best person they can be in society. As an educator, it will be my job to help them see their value here in their lives. Just like no teacher is perfect, no student is perfect either. Children have their own learning styles, and as a teacher I need to take this into consideration when I am teaching. My goal is to help students strive to be the very best they can be. As I am encouraging my students to be great learners, I myself will be learning just as much. References Adapting your learning with learning styles helps you learn faster. (n.d.). Accelerated

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Learning Online.com - helping you learn faster. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://www.accelerated-learning-online.com/styles/ Georgetown College Conceptual Framework. Department of Education. Teacher Education Program. Lynn, L. (1997, July/August). Connecting home and school: A conversation with Catherine Snow. Harvard Education Letter: Research Online. Retrieved August 25, 2004 from http://www.edletter.org/past/issues/1997-ja/snow.shtml Moll, L.C. (2001). The diversity of schooling: A cultural-historical approach. In M.L. Reyes & J.J. Halcon (Eds.), The best for our children (pp. 12-28). New York: Teachers College Press. Wolf, S.A.; Borko, H.; Elliot, R.L.; & McIver, M.C. (2000). That dog wont hunt!: Exemplary school change efforts within the Kentucky reform. American Educational Research Journal, 37(2), pp. 349-393.

Name Morgan Meyer # Students 28

Date February 25, 2011 # IEP Students 0

Age/Grade Level 8th Grade

# GSSP Students 0 # LEP Students 0

Portfolio for Teacher Education Program Subject Pre-Algebra minutes Unit Title Two-Dimensional Figures

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Lesson Number and Title Lesson 4: Quadrilaterals

Context Students have prior knowledge of the properties of a triangle. This lesson is the starting point of learning about areas of parallelograms, triangles, and trapezoids. A few students may have trouble comprehending and paying attention, but breaking down the lesson in simpler terms and making connections using their prior knowledge should help.

Objectives 1. Students will be able to find the missing angle measurements of a quadrilateral. 2. Students will be able to classify quadrilaterals by examining angles, parallelism, and length of sides into: quadrilateral, trapezoid, parallelogram, rectangle, rhombus, and square.

Procedures

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1. Review within class discussion the properties of a triangle from the previous lesson, and explain that a quadrilateral can be split into two triangles by drawing examples. 2. Work through some examples as a class. Example 1 pg. 514 (attached): find angle measures Example 2 pg. 515 (attached): classify quadrilaterals 3. Give some problems for each student to work on individually in class to check for understanding. Concept Check: pg. 515 #1-2 (attached) Guided Practice: pg. 515 #3-6 (attached) Application: pg. 515 #7 (attached) 4. Open the class for questions on the given problems or any questions in general. 5. Work through each problem above in #3 and answer any questions the students may have. 6. Assign homework to be completed by the next day of class. Practice and apply: pg. 516 (attached) #8-12, 16-20, 24-28 (only even numbered problems)

Assessment Formative: See how well prior knowledge is remembered based on reviewing the properties of triangles by discussing the topic as a class.

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Walk around the class and observe how well the students understand the in-class problems.

Assess based on questions the students asked when class is open for discussion.

Summative: Assign homework to be completed by the next day of class in order to further assess the students understanding of quadrilaterals. Practice and apply: pg. 516 (attached) #8-12, 16-20, 24-28 (only even numbered problems)

Reflection: Overall, I was very pleased with how this lesson went. I enjoyed teaching it, and I think the students really learned the concepts to their fullest potential. At first, there were 3 students who couldnt realize that a quadrilateral cut in half diagonally was two triangles, creating 180 degrees twice, adding up to 360 degrees altogether. To try to help them better understand this, I drew a square and a trapezoid and split them into two triangles. I then broke the triangles apart and had the students come to the board and measure each angle in the separate triangles. They added them up to see that each triangle had 180 degrees, and once they put the appropriate triangles back together to create the quadrilateral, all of the angles added up to 360 degrees. This class is one of the more advanced 8th grade math class, so once everyone understood why quadrilaterals have 360 degrees, it wasnt a problem for them to use algebra to find the missing angle measure in a quadrilateral in Example 1.

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One thing that was a little confusing for about 1/3 of the students was classifying quadrilaterals in Example 2. This was because there are so many different classifications and characteristics for quadrilaterals. Many of the students told me that they simply have trouble with memorization, so hopefully once they look over the definitions a few times and the definitions are reinforced they will be able to better comprehend classifying quadrilaterals. For the Concept Check 1 and 2, none of the students had trouble finding a real world example of a quadrilateral or drawing and describing a rectangle. For the Guided Practice, everyone seemed to comprehend pretty easily. Once they did these individually, I let them compare with the person beside them to be sure that they got the right answer. I also ended up letting them work with their partner on the Application problem, and they seemed to have no trouble with this. I asked if anyone had any questions, and no one spoke up. Sometimes if this happens, the students are scared to ask questions or simply dont care to ask questions. But, seeing everyones reactions to this lesson, I truly believe that most everyone was on the same page and understood the objectives of the lesson to their fullest capability. At the end of class, I assigned the homework. I only assigned the even problems because all of the odd answers are in the back of the book. I also thought they understood the lesson pretty well so I didnt see the need to overwhelm them with too much homework. They turned the homework in to Mr. Sledd the next day, and he had already returned the homework to the students before I got a chance to see it the next time I was in his classroom. I asked him about it, and he praised me for teaching that lesson so well because for the most part everyone did well on his or her homework.

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I am so glad I succeeded in teaching the students about quadrilaterals. This was my first time teaching a lesson to a whole class, so it was a great feeling knowing that Mr. Sledd was pleased with my teaching. It also boosted my confidence and helped to confirm me wanting to continue teaching math.

Works Cited: Malloy, C. E. (2005). Pre-algebra. New York, N.Y.: Glencoe/McGraw Hill.