TeachingReflection

WhenIthinkaboutteaching,Ithinkaboutstudentengagementandrelevance.Theseto
ideasareattheforefrontofmymindwhenIamputtingtogetheralessonoractivityforstudents.
Whyisthisimportantforstudents,oranyone,tounderstand?Howdoesthisrelatetome?Tomy
students?HowcanImakethismaterialmorerelatable?Theseareimportantcriticalquestions
thatshouldbeaskedwhendevelopinglessons.Toillustratemycommitmenttodoingthebestfor
studentlearningIveincludedthreepiecesofevidence.ThefirstiswhatIcalledthepumpkin
activity.Teachingdivisionoflaborandspecializationtohighschoolerscanbechallenging,
especiallyiftheyseenobenefitorrelevancetotheirownlives.Thepumpkinactivitywasa
precursortoaclassdiscussionondivisionoflabor.Startingtheactivitythestudentsdidntknow
theintendedresultsasIwantedthemtocometotheirownconclusionsaboutnotonlyabout
whetherornotspecializationandthedivisionoflaborwasinfactmoreefficient,butalsothe
experiencethatgoesalongwithworkinginanassemblylinelikesetting.Mysecondpiecewas
fortheAPHumanGeographyclassthatImteaching.WhilestudyingmapsandcartogramsI
wantedtobeabletorelateittomystudentsbetter,soIdevelopedaprojectinwhichstudents
wouldcreateacartogramoftheGreaterGrandRapidsareabasedonage(whichcouldbe
substitutedforclass,race,ethnicity,religion,etc.).Ifeltthatbyincorporatingstudents
immediatesurroundingsitcouldbetterillustratetheuseofcartogramsandmapsofthesesorts.
ThelastpieceIincludedwasasupplementalquizthatIcreatedafterfindingthatstudentswere
consistantlystrugglingwithcertainconcepts.ThereforeIstrovetoreteachthematerialand
adjustedtheansweringmethodsothatstudentscouldarguetheiropinionsaboutthemarket
structureofcertaingoodsandservicesiftheyincludedproofintheformofthethecharacteristics
ofdifferentmarketstructuresthatwelearnedaboutinclass.This,Ifelt,appealedonamuch
broaderspectrumasitbuildsstudentsabilitiestomakeinformedargumentsaboutthecontent,
andoverallliteracyskills.

InTASCStandard1:LearnerDevelopment
Theteacherunderstandshowlearnersgrowanddevelop,recognizingthatpatternsoflearninganddevelopmentvary
individuallywithinandacrossthecognitive,linguistic,social,emotional,andphysicalareas,anddesignsand
implementsdevelopmentallyappropriateandchallenginglearningexperiences.
InTASCStandard2:LearningDifferences
Theteacherusesunderstandingofindividualdifferencesanddiverseculturesandcommunitiestoensureinclusive
learningenvironmentsthatenableeachlearnertomeethighstandards.
InTASCStandard3:LearningEnvironments
Theteacherworkswithotherstocreateenvironmentsthatsupportindividualandcollaborativelearning,andthat
encouragepositivesocialinteraction,activeengagementinlearning,andselfmotivation.
InTASCStandard4:ContentKnowledge
Theteacherunderstandsthecentralconcepts,toolsofinquiry,andstructuresofthediscipline(s)heorsheteachesand
createslearningexperiencesthatmaketheseaspectsofthedisciplineaccessibleandmeaningfulforlearnerstoassure
masteryofthecontent.
InTASCStandard5:ApplicationofContent
Theteacherunderstandshowtoconnectconceptsandusedifferingperspectivestoengagelearnersincriticalthinking,
creativity,andcollaborativeproblemsolvingrelatedtoauthenticlocalandglobalissues.
InTASCStandard8:InstructionalStrategies
Theteacherunderstandsandusesavarietyofinstructionalstrategiestoencouragelearnerstodevelopdeep
understandingofcontentareasandtheirconnections,andtobuildskillstoapplyknowledgeinmeaningfulways.