Speaker Reflections

Dr. Newton Reflection

Dr. Newton talked about what it means to be a great teacher. I found her presentation to
be interesting and meaningful. It gave me insight as to what kind of teacher I will strive to be.
There were five factors that great teachers have in common.
The first factor was Knowing versus Doing. The great teachers would place emphasis
on learning, not on doing. In my experience, many of my teachers have been do-ers. They
would show the class how to do something, then expect us to imitate the process perfectly.
Those who did not understand were left behind because the teacher would move on without
checking the learning status of their students. There had been many times where I would
question whether I learned at all during a lesson. I can attest that great teachers are the ones who
promote learning, especially in a student centered environment; my 4th grade teacher was one
who motivated her students to learn. I remember having a lot of hands on activities, group work,
and open discussions. She created an environment that was conducive to learning. As a result, 4th
grade was where I felt like I grew the most as an elementary student.
The second factor was that great teachers have a Culture of Redemption in the
classroom. This means that they allow their students to make mistakes and learn from them.
These teachers take failure and turn it into a positive learning experience. Personally, I feel that
this is the most important factor of a great teacher. I embrace the idea that learning needs to be
personalized; some students take longer to learn things than others. I feel that is the only way for
students to grow in their education.
The third factor is planning constantly and tweaking frequently. I learned that it was
important to be observant and know your class. I also learned that great teachers are both

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tenacious and determined. I think that tenacity and determination are important qualities to have
in general. I believe that it is important to demonstrate these in the classroom so that students
will gain these qualities. As teachers, we should encourage our students to never give up.
The fourth factor is that great teachers ask the right questions and encourage students to
do the same. I think that this factor takes time to master. I think in my first year as a teacher it
will take a lot of learning on my part to know what questions to ask my students. However, I
think that encouraging students to think at high higher level will be easy. I just have to motivate
kids to be inquisitive. I think, if teachers have a positive classroom environment where kids love
learning, then students will ask questions.
The fifth and final factor is that great teachers set high expectations for students and have
strong relationships within the school community. Personally, I have set high expectations for
myself all of my life. I think that by setting high expectations for myself that I was motivated to
be the best I could be. I think teachers should do the same for their students. Students should be
encouraged to do their best. As for relationships, I think that when teachers have strong
relationships with the school community, i.e. administration, other teachers, and parents, that it
creates a strong environment in their classroom that is conducive to learning. Plus, it gives them
access to resources that can help enrich their students education.
Dr. Newtons presentation was beneficial and I took away many things. Now, I know
what it means to be a great teacher. I took all of the things Dr. Newton said to heart and I am
excited to work towards becoming the great teacher I know I can be.

Speaker Reflections

Dr. Underbakke Reflection

Dr. Underbakkes presentation on the importance of reading was informing. I enjoyed this
presentation because reading is something I am passionate about. In the future, I want to
encourage my students to read. I want my students to be excited about and love reading. As Dr.
Underbakke mentioned, there is no greater way to encourage students to love reading than by
reading to them often. He also said that teachers should read chapter books to their students. . A
reason Dr. Underbakke gave for reading chapter books to your students is that gives them access
to a world that they could not have otherwise accessed. This means that by reading chapter books
to your students, they are being exposed to higher level texts, even though they may not be able
to read them yet. Some of the chapter books Dr. Underbakke mentioned, like Hatchet and
Wringer, were ones that I had read to me in elementary school. As a student, this was my favorite
part of the day; I loved taking a break and being read to. It caused me to become interested in
reading chapter books. It motivated me to read higher level texts. Also, it gave me an
appreciation for reading. Before I knew it, I was a bookworm.
In my classroom, I plan to have a wide variety of chapter books. Also, I hope to read a
chapter book every couple of months. I know that it may be difficult to allot time for reading a
chapter book to my students. However, like Dr. Underbakke said, we must make time. I also plan
to use these chapter books in conjunction with activities. I think this is beneficial for students. I
believe that activities help support the text. For example, I remember making a diorama in 5th
grade for the book Hatchet, of what the main characters camp looked like. The diorama I made
helped me to visualize what was going on in the book. Thus, I got had a greater understanding of
what was going on.

Speaker Reflections

Dr. Bluiett Reflection

Dr. Bluiett spoke to the class about reading assessments. All of the information
that Dr. Bluiett gave me will be helpful as I go into my clinicals. There are several things Dr.
Bluiett talked about that I found to be the most interesting in her presentation.
The first thing that was interesting was the background information that Dr. Bluiett
provided on assessments. The key idea is that knowing data drives instruction. I believe that it is
the teachers responsibility to know their students. Teachers must watch their students and collect
information about them, such as their strengths and weaknesses, to help them in their learning
process. By collecting information about each student, teachers can decide what they need to
teach. Teachers cannot just use one source of assessment to collect this information; they have to
gather the information through several assessments. This comprehensive data collection allows
teachers to adequately learn what their students know. Dr. Bluiett provided some of the many
assessments I can use in the classroom to collect reading data on my students.
One of the assessments Dr. Bluiett talked about and one that I found to be interesting is
the Concepts of Print, or CAP. This assessment should be used on younger students, about pre-k
to first grade. The main idea of this assessment is to measure what students know about reading a
book. For example, the teacher would hold the book out to the student and ask them, where is
the front of the book?, Where is the back?, and show me where the story begins. The CAP
assessment seems simple, but I think it is a great way for teachers to learn where their
preschoolers, Kindergarteners, or first graders are in their reading levels. I think the CAP
assessment provides teachers with a starting place, as far as reading instruction for younger
grades. I will definitely use the CAP assessment-if I am able to-in the future. I am glad that Dr.
Bluiett has taken the time to provide the pre-service teachers with assessment examples before I

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go into clinicals. Now, I feel more comfortable with assessment and have a basic understanding
of what reading assessment looks like.
A final thing that I found interesting in Dr. Bluietts presentation was the tactics used to
encourage early readers. There were three techniques to use in the classroom to encourage
reading: read-alouds, expository books, and appealing to students interests and choices. This
interested me because I am all about reading; I love to read. In the future even in my clinicals
I want to encourage students to read and to love reading. I plan to use the three techniques in the
classroom. I know these techniques work through personal experience. As a young student, I
enjoyed reading books about things that I was interested in. As a first grader, I loved to read
about animals- horses, puppies, etc. Then, around the 3rd and 4th grade I enjoyed fiction books
about adventure and fantasy. I also enjoyed read-alouds, especially when the teacher gathered the
class on the carpet and read a book. Through using the three techniques in the classroom,
hopefully I can motivate my students to be excited about reading.
Dr. Bluietts presentation was filled with valuable information, especially to pre-service
teachers. Dr. Bluiett was very in-depth about reading assessment. Since Dr. Bluietts
presentation, I feel like I have a clear understanding of what reading assessment is, what it looks
like, and why it is important.

Speaker Reflections

Dr. Cheshire Reflection

I thought Dr. Cheshires presentation on Assessment was interesting. I agree with her in
saying that something pre-service teachers worry about is grading their future students. It is
something I am personally concerned about. When I grade, I want to make sure that I do not just
put a letter on the assignment. I want to give constructive feedback so that students may improve.
I have been in the position where I was given a letter grade for an assignment, but no explanation
for why I was given that letter grade. It was a very frustrating situation and I felt discouraged. I
wanted no more than to understand what I did wrong, so that I could use that information and
improve. I do not want my students to feel this way.
There were three specific questions that Dr. Cheshire answered concerning assessment.
The first question was: Why do teachers assess students? In class, we have talked about this
subject. The purpose of assessment is to both improve instruction and give information on the
learning progress of a student. I think assessment is most important because it can tell teachers if
their instruction is benefiting their students. If a teacher gives an assessment and all of their
students struggle with it, then they know that they must reteach the material and present the
lesson differently. Teachers can also use assessments to identify the students who are in need of
more practice or re-teaching. Dr. Cheshire also talked about when we should give grades on
assessments. I personally think that most assessments should be treated like practice and not
graded. Perhaps give students a grade on completion, but still go through the assessment and
mark the wrong answers, and give explanations. I have seen this situation take place in my
classroom at Trace. The teacher graded on completion, but still marked the wrong answers and
gave explanations of why it was wrong. Dr. Cheshire explained that there should be a balance
between grading assessments based on answers and not grading them. I can see where there

Speaker Reflections

needs to be a balance. I think that if you were to only grade assignments based on completion,
students would get used to the teacher grading it on completion, and answer the questions
superficially. On the other hand, if the teacher grades the assignments based on the answers, it
holds the students accountable to actually try to answer each problem.
The second question was: How do we assess? One way the most common way- of
assessment is through worksheets, quizzes, and tests. However, teachers shouldnt rely on using
just these for assessment. They should use other forms of assessment such as projects, papers,
and presentations. I have seen the latter used in my Trace classroom. Instead of giving a test for
the regions of the United States, the teacher had each table of students make a presentation on a
particular region of the United States. Then she had them present it. She used a rubric to score
each presentation. I think that using things like presentations, projects, and papers for assessment
is better than using quizzes, worksheets, and tests. I think it is more engaging for students to
research a topic and complete a project for an assessment. Further, I think it allows students to
practice researching, which will come in handy later in their academic and professional lives.
The third question was: What do we assess? Teachers need to assess a few major things:
daily objectives in content, behavior, and learning preferences. Assessing daily objectives is
important because teachers need to know if students reached their learning goal. Assessing
behavior is important because teachers need to set expectations, enforce these expectations, and
know if their expectations of behavior are being met. Learning preferences need to be assessed
because teachers need to know how to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each
students. As a pre-service teacher, I think that all 3 of these things are important to instruction. In
my classroom, I plan to assess all three of these things to give my students the best education.

Speaker Reflections

Dr. Cheshires presentation on assessment was interesting. All of what she said was
important. Much of the things that she talked about were a review, as weve discussed them in
class, like formative and summative assessments. The fact that certain topics are being seen time
and time again, means that they are important. Assessment is probably one of the most important
parts of teaching. Assessment gives you a lot of information. This information can and should be
used to better your students education.

Speaker Reflections

Dr. Hannah Reflection

Dr. Hannahs presentation was on assessment. She defined what assessment means in the
classroom. Then she outlined the change happening in Alabamas public school systems
concerning assessment. There are a couple of things that I want to reflect on from Dr. Hannahs
presentation.
The first thing is concerning the change that is taking place in Alabamas public school
system. Every aspect of the education system is being changed for the better. One of the changes
includes the way students are assessed. In my experience, many of the assessments I had as an
elementary student were summative, meaning I would take a test at the end of each section. The
problem was that there were hardly any checkpoints to make sure I understood what was being
taught. Both summative and formative assessments are necessary in a students learning process.
Alabama is now understanding that there needs to be a balance between summative and
formative assessments in the classroom. Teachers need to know if a student has learned all of the
material and they need to check on their students progress during the lesson. I wish that this type
of change happened a long time ago, as I feel that I would have benefited from it. There were
times in elementary school where I have felt left behind because I did not fully understand what
was being taught. I think this could have been remedied by formative assessment, such as doing
a few practice problems. The teacher would have noticed that I needed help and made sure that I
knew the material before going on with the lesson. I think that a balance of summative and
formative assessments should be a reality in every public education system of the US, not just
Alabamas.
The second thing that I want to reflect on is how important the student-teacher
relationship is in assessment. Dr. Hannah talked about the importance of teachers knowing their

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students. She said that knowing your students is the best form of assessment. Personally, I had
only one teacher in elementary school who took time to know me, as well as all of her students.
She would ask me how my day was and how I was doing. Since she took the time to know me as
her student, she could tell if I needed help in a certain area. As a result, I felt like I learned the
material better. In the future, I want to be the teacher who knows her students well enough to
know when they need to revisit the material.
Dr. Hannahs presentation about assessment was very informing. Throughout her
presentation, I could not help but to reflect back on my days in elementary school. I am happy
that the public school system is being overhauled and changed for the better. I feel like students
are better prepared to live in the real world, especially with the changes being implemented. I
think the public education system is finally headed in the right direction.

Speaker Reflections

Dr. Rogers Reflection

Dr. Rogerss presentation was about disposition. Disposition is the attitude someone has.
Just as Dr. Rogers, I consider disposition to be extremely important in the school setting.
To start, Dr. Rogers asked us, Can anyone be a teacher? Personally, I do not believe
anyone can be a teacher. I think that there are qualities that a person must possess to be a teacher.
One of these qualities is patience. I think patience is important to have as a teacher because there
are times where students are going to take longer to learn something. As teachers, we have to
stick with the students who need extra help. This requires patience. In my experience, I have had
teachers that have had little patience. I have had one that had even told the class, I do not have
patience for this. As a student, it prevented me from saying, I have a question or Can we
revisit this area? Impatient teachers cause students to fall behind because students feel afraid to
ask questions. Students who have not successfully learned the material are pushed aside and left
behind, not mastering the material that they will need in the future.
Another quality I think a teacher must possess is dedication. A teacher must be dedicated
to their students, their school, and their community. They have to work hard to ensure that their
students receive a quality education. If teachers are not dedicated to teaching their students, their
students will be discouraged. Their students will feel unimportant and wonder, Why do I need
to learn anything anyways? It obviously does not matter to the teacher, so it should not matter to
me.
The qualities teachers need to possess, such as patience and dedication, all support a
positive disposition. If teachers expect students to learn, then teachers need to promote an
environment that encourages learning. As a teacher, this means acting and talking positively.

Speaker Reflections

Teachers need to have an open environment, where students are not afraid to ask questions and
have a discussion. If teachers have a positive attitude in the classroom, then their students will
have a positive attitude in the classroom. Teachers are role models to their students and as such
they need to be careful with how they act and what they say. In my experience, I remember my
favorite teacher in elementary school always having a positive attitude and creating an energetic
learning environment. In turn, it made me have a positive attitude and feel excited about each
school day. Her disposition made a difference my life; it made me excited to learn.
Dr. Rogers gave a great presentation on disposition. I feel like disposition is one of the
most important things to consider while teaching. I feel that you have to approach every day in
the classroom with a positive attitude. In my classroom, I want to have a positive environment
where students are encouraged in their learning process. I want to do just as my 4th grade teacher
did; I want to motivate my students to love learning.

Speaker Reflections

Gifted Learner Reflection

Dr. Woods presentation was on gifted learners. I thought that this was the most
interesting presentation I have heard so far. This is the first time I have thought about gifted
students. Dr. Wood presented many important aspects of teaching gifted students. There are
several that stood out to me.
One of the aspects Dr. Wood talked about was the difference between a high achiever and
a gifted learner. The summary of the difference is that high achievers are model students: good
grades, respectful, and punctual, while a gifted learner may not be a model student. In fact, a
gifted learner may be the opposite of a model student: bad grades, underachiever, and
impertinent. Honestly, I did not think that there was a difference between a high achiever and a
gifted learner; I thought that they were associated with one another. However, this is not the case;
there are differences between a high achiever and a gifted learner. I think that teachers should be
aware of these differences. With an understanding of the differences between a high achiever and
a gifted learner, teachers will be able to identify their gifted students. Then, teachers can help
these students reach their full potential.
Another aspect Dr. Wood talked about was how to teach a gifted learner. Sometimes,
gifted students can be accelerated by being placed into a higher grade, or by being placed in a
higher subject level (like moving a gifted 3rd grader into 4th grade Language Arts). Then there is
enrichment, where the gifted student is provided with a variety of higher-level materials and
activities that effectively challenge them. The only way for a gifted student to learn is to present
them with a challenge to work through. Personally, I am not sure that acceleration would be
beneficial to a gifted learner. While they would benefit academically from acceleration, I think it
may be harmful on a social level. While a gifted student may be academically accelerated, they

Speaker Reflections

may not be socially accelerated. Gifted students are most likely on the same social level as their
classmates. They need to be able to develop their social skills amongst their friends and in a
familiar environment. I think it would be tough for any student to have to leave behind their
friends. I feel it is best to leave a gifted student in their own grade-in some cases-and present
them with higher-level materials and activities. By this, the gifted student would still be able to
socialize with their own peers while moving at an accelerated level academically.
A final aspect that stood out to me in Dr. Woods presentation was the fact that gifted
children should be encouraged to direct their own learning. I find it interesting that gifted
students can teach themselves. Some people may question why a gifted student who can teach
themselves needs a teacher. To answer this, I would say that a teacher is not just a dictator in the
classroom. Most teachers are facilitators in their students education. They help keep students on
the right path in their learning. Even gifted students need to be encouraged to learn. Teachers still
have to give gifted students the resources and challenges that they need in order to learn.
Dr. Woods presentation was very beneficial to my growing teacher knowledge. All of the
information that was presented is going to help me in the future. If I happen to have a gifted
learner in my class, I now have the resources and knowledge needed to both identify them and
facilitate their learning.

Speaker Reflections

ELL Training Reflection

I learned a lot on my first day of ELL Training. Before these two days of ELL training, I
felt a bit overwhelmed by the reality that I would one day have a student (or students) who may
be an English Language Learner. These two days of ELL training helped me to understand
English Language Learners, how they learn, and effective ELL instructional strategies. On the
first day, there were many important things that I learned.
One of the important things I learned was that there are four language domains: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. All children go through this process when learning language. It is
important for teachers to be familiar with these domains, so they can understand the English
Language Learners language learning process. Learning about these four domains will help me
in the future to be sensitive to a language learners needs. It helps me to understand that when a
student is learning English they must go through a process. I cannot expect the student to start
speaking fluent English right away.
These four domains relates to the stages of learning a language. This is another important
aspect of students learning the English language. The stages are: Preproduction, Early
Production, Speech emergence, and Intermediate Fluency. I can relate to these stages; I went
through these stages myself while learning Spanish. I started out in the Preproduction phase,
being afraid to use any Spanish. Then, I moved onto Early Production, where I could say words,
form simple sentences. Next, I moved to the Speech Emergence stage, where I could use fluent
sentences and answer what and how questions. I never got to the intermediate fluency stage. It
took me quite some time to move from stage to stage. I think this own personal experience can
help me identify and relate with any future ELL students in my classroom. I just have to think

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about what it was like being a Spanish language learner. This can help me to understand my
ELLs better, especially with realizing that learning a language is a process and takes time.
A final important thing to note is the analogy: Language is like an iceberg. You have the
language thats on the surface, which makes up 10 % of the iceberg. Then, there is language
below the surface, which makes up 90% of the iceberg. BICS is the surface language, or the
everyday, playground language. CALP is below the surface and its academic language. The
analogy was interesting to me. I never thought about how important it is to develop academic
language. I think it is important to expose all students, not just ELLs, to higher level words, such
as the tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary words. The iceberg made me realize how important it is to
equip students with a strong academic language foundation, so that they are prepared for the
futurehigh school, college, professional life, etc.
On my second day of ELL training we talked a lot about the instructional strategies used
to teach ELL students. This is known as SIOPSheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. One
strategy of SIOP is Preparation. This means that the teacher makes the content and language
objectives clearly defined. In this strategy, the teacher can use simplified text and graphic
organizers to teach ELLs. Another strategy deals with lesson delivery. In lesson delivery to ELLs
the teacher must do things like make sure that their instruction supports the content and that there
is differentiation. Some useful activities for ELLs in instruction include manipulatives and
thinking maps. In learning SIOP, I have learned how to instruct ELLs adequately. In the future, if
I have a ELLs in my classroom, I am going to go back to SIOP and use the effective instructional
strategies and activities to guide instruction with my ELLs. I think it is important to note that
many of these strategies and activities are beneficial in instructing ALL students, not just ELLs.
Many of the SIOP strategies and activities remind me of the MCREL strategies.

Speaker Reflections

The two ELL training days were beneficial to me as a pre-service teacher. Much of what I
learned helped to fill in some blanks I had when it came to ELL instruction. Now, I do not feel as
overwhelmed as I did before. I really appreciate Mrs. Valtierra taking time out of her schedule to
train us.

Speaker Reflections

ARA Conference Reflection

***Statement of Professional Integrity: I, Kaylee Neubacher, attended the ARA Conference
on November 19th and 20th, staying from 8am to 12 pm on each of these dates. ***
The ARA conference was a great experience. I am glad that I had the opportunity to
attend. At the end of the conference, I walked away with a greater knowledge of reading and
writing. I got to hear a variety of speakers. I am going to touch on a couple of my favorite break
away sessions.
One of the speakers I enjoyed was Jeff Anderson, author of Zack Delacruz. His session
was about encouraging and motivating students to write. He gave a lot of good advice. One piece
of advice that stood out, was to lift students up and recognize their effort in writing. I think this
will give student confidence and a positive experience with righting. Thus, encouraging them to
write more. In my classroom, I will always lift my students up and recognize their efforts in all
subjects. There were many things that he talked about that I could use in my future classroom.
One of the writing exercises he talked about was having students write as much as they can for
x number of minutes. Then, recording the number of words each time. I could see myself doing
this in my classroom. I think this exercise not only motivates students, but also gives them a
great opportunity to practice their writing.
Another speaker I enjoyed was Dr. Underbakke. He gave a lot of good recommendations
for quality childrens books. Many of which I will be putting in my future classroom library. Dr.
Underbakke seems to be very passionate about reading, which I can relate to. Similarly, Diane
Barone, the President of the International Literacy Association, has a great passion for reading.
She was very knowledgeable and gave great recommendations for quality childrens books. I
have no doubt, with Dr. Underbakke and Mrs. Barones recommendations, that I will have a high
quality library classroom in the future.

Speaker Reflections

Trace Speakers Reflection

Speaker Reflections

The first speaker was Mrs. Drake, the bookkeeper at Trace Crossings. She gave us a lot of
information about the financial aspect of being a teacher. As a bookkeeper, Mrs. Drake has a
great impact on student achievement. The financial resources she disburses to teachers, allow
teachers to purchase necessary materials for their classroom. Consequently, teachers buy things
that appeal to different learning styles of students. Also, teachers can buy things that support
classroom instruction. It allows the classroom to be accessible to all students. Student
achievement would suffer if there were not materials available to facilitate their learning style.
For example, some students may need manipulatives to learn best. Without teachers being able to
buy manipulatives for their classroom, these students would not be able to learn their best. Thus,
the bookkeeper is vital to student achievement. She gives the teachers money, they buy materials
that facilitate all types of learning, and students have these materials to boost their learning and
achievement.
Mrs. Drake also showed us the Alabama Educators handbook/book of ethics and the
Trace handbook. There were many rules to follow in these handbooks concerning finances. For
example, teachers cannot do any fundraising, donating, enter into contracts without the
principals signature first. As Mrs. Drake said, Theres a form for that. I also learned that the
Teachers are only allotted $373.00 per school year to buy things for their students/classroom. I
was surprised. 373.00 per school year is not a lot of money. Teachers must have to spend their
money wisely. I learned a lot about the financial-side of public education from Mrs. Drake.
The second speakers we had were the Title I teachers: Mrs. Houston, Mrs. Norris, and
Mrs. Pfieffer. A school can only be considered a Title I school, if a certain percentage of students
are on free/reduced lunches. Trace Crossings meets this criteria, so they are a Title I school. The
Title I triads responsibility includes identifying students who are behind and helping them reach

Speaker Reflections

where they are supposed to be academically. When students take the Global Scholar standardized
test at the beginning of the school year, the Triad takes this data and identifies the students who
need additional instruction to meet their academic level. The Title I triads role in student
achievement is that they provide additional, specialized instruction to students who are
struggling to meet their academic goals. If struggling students did not have the specialized and
additional instruction that the Title I triad provides, then they would fall behind and get lost in
the public education system. Having a triad that helps struggling students, sends the message to
those students, We care about you. We know you can do it. You might need help, and thats
okay. Students are motivated to improve because they acknowledge that the Title I team is
trying to help them reach their academic goals.
The Title I team supports instruction because they give students support. They give
students specialized help, meaning that if a student needs help in a certain area/aspect, the Title I
team gives additional instruction until the student masters the material. For example, if a student
is struggling with adding and subtracting numbers, the math coach (title I team member) will
work with that student until he/she can add and subtract number successfully. Then, when this
student is back in class and their instruction requires them to add/subtract, they understand how
to do so.
The third speakers were the specials teachers: Mrs. Robuck (music) and Mrs. Northcutt
(art). Their roles support student achievement and supports instruction because they work in
conjunction with the teachers. The specials teachers are additional resources for teachers. They
can give teachers materials to help instruction. The specials teachers can also take what you are
teaching in the classroom and extend it into other areas. For example, if you are teaching

Speaker Reflections

students about the different shapes, the art teacher could extend this subject by having the
students create an art project using different shapes.
The fourth speaker was the ELL teacher, Mr. Pitts. Mr.Pitts role supports student
achievement because he works with students who do not speak English. He teaches his ELL
students how to speak and read English. This helps tremendously with student achievement
because it helps Students to learn English so they can read, speak, and comprehend what is being
taught in the classroom. Mr. Pitts role helps with instruction because his ELL services allow
students to learn English and comprehend the instruction that goes on in the classroom. Mr. Pitts
also talked a bit about the WIDA standards for ELL students. These are the academic goals that
ELL students work toward achieving.
The fifth speaker was the Lunchroom Manager, Mrs. Collins. She was such a sweet
person and really cares about students. As a Lunchroom Manager, Mrs. Collins supports student
achievement because she makes sure that every student gets breakfast and lunch. Students will
not learn if they are hungry (Maslows Hierarchy of Needs). Thus, Mrs. Collins role also
supports instruction.
The sixth speaker was Mrs. Barber, the Principal. She gave us a lot of good information
on the interviewing process for a prospective teacher. Mrs. Barbers role supports student
achievement because she helps select teachers who are great educators and care about the
students. Her role supports instruction because she selects teachers who are quality educators and
provide students with quality instruction.
The final speaker was the Special Education teacher. She tests students when necessary
and identifies IEP students who need support. During her presentation, she provided us with the

Speaker Reflections

form she uses to determine students who need an IEP. The special education teachers role
supports student achievement because she helps IEP students achieve their academic goals. Her
role supports instruction because she provides IEP students with specialized instruction so that
they can learn better in the classroom.

Speaker Reflections

The Art and Science of Teaching Reflection

The video we watched in class titled, The Art and Science of Teaching Reflection,
presented many strategies to use in the classroom. The first category in the video was, Engaging
Students in Learning. The main idea in this section was that it is important to get all students
engaged in learning. All of the strategies were invaluable, but there were a couple that I feel were
most important. First, I think using physical movement is important. I remember many times in
elementary school when I would become disengaged whenever the teacher would spend the
entire time talking while we wrote down notes. Honestly, it was boring and I would not learn
much because my mind was wandering, thinking about what I was going to do during recess.
However, when my teacher had us moving, doing an activity or working in a group, I was more
engaged and I felt like I was learning. In the future, I want my students to be active learners. I
think that the most effective way to learn is through doing. Second, I feel that giving students
time to think (wait time) after asking a question is important. I have always required more time
to think. In elementary school, I felt like I gave better answers when I could think about the
question. When I become a teacher, I want my students to feel confident in their answers to
questions and the only way I feel like that can happen is by giving them time to think.
The second and third category go hand in hand. The second category was, Establishing
and maintaining classroom rules and procedures. The strategy that I felt was most important
was to interact with students about rules and procedures. Similarly, the third category is,
Recognizing and acknowledging students adherence and lack of adherence to classroom rules
and procedures. Personally, I was a good kid in elementary school and always followed the
rules, so I was never reprimanded by my teacher. However, many times I was rewarded for my
positive behavior, through prizes or acknowledgement. I think that it is important to

Speaker Reflections

acknowledge students who respect the rules of the class. It will encourage them to keep
following the rules. I also think it is important to reprimand students who do not follow the rules.
I feel this should be done by talking to the student after class. I think it would make the student
act out more if the teacher called him or her out in front of their peers. Through recognizing
student behavior concerning the rules and procedures and interacting with them accordingly, I
think that it will promote a positive classroom environment.
The fourth category was Establishing and Maintaining Effective Relationships with All
Students. I had one teacher in elementary school who practiced the strategies in this category.
She would ask all of her students about how their day was, how their family was, etc. She would
give us high fives and encouraged us every step of the way in our learning experience. As a
result, she was my favorite teacher. I felt like she cared. I think that this is important in the
student and teacher relationship. When I become a teacher, I want to be caring and encouraging,
just as my teacher was. I want students to know that I care about them and their education. I want
them to know that they are important and can do anything they set their minds to.
The fifth and final category was communicating high expectations for all students. I
feel that this is the most important category. I think that all students need to be encouraged to do
their best. I have always been held to a high expectations by my parents and some of my
teachers. Always having someone to cheer me on and believing in me has motivated me to be the
best I can be. All students need to have someone to cheer them on in their education. I want to be
the teacher that is a cheerleader for her students and pushes them to be their best.