Running head: PART I

PART I
SED 322: Classroom Leadership
Arizona State University
April 25, 2016
Nancy Avelar

PART I

2
A teachers job goes far beyond that of just being able to teach content, and great teachers

have this mastered. The art of teaching is difficult to fully master because of the different
elements you can encounter when being in any given classroom. Not only do you want to be
knowledgeable in your content area but you also want to be able to present it in a way that is
learnable, which entails many different styles. Two areas which I believe make the greatest
impact on student learning is when a teacher has a constructivist approach to learning and when
they have a sociocultural consciousness.
Coming from internships which have all been at Title I schools, you are able to see the
struggles of students who come from little and who have homes where their parents are not as
fortunate as others. I have witnessed kids in the classroom feel left behind because the current
teaching does not value or acknowledge a students previous knowledge to the content. You are
expected to be coming into the classroom with previous knowledge to math and all students
should be at the same level because we have state standards, but we all know this is not a reality.
Students end up being left far behind, lose interest in their grades because they are left hopeless.
Instead a teacher should evaluate the starting knowledge of every student to understand if
students need further assistance before beginning lessons of the year or if they need more
challenging content to prevent a student from feeling bored and uninterested. Many teachers treat
students as empty vessels but instead we should be acknowledging what knowledge they enter
the classroom with and work to build on it throughout the year.
Secondly, when a teacher values and is sociocultural conscious, the classroom becomes
unified. Again, previously coming from Title I schools, there is a disconnect between
sociocultural knowledge between students and teacher and also teacher and student (Berliner,
2013). Students tend to think that the teacher comes from a status of opportunity because of their

PART I

race and educational background which causes them to feel as though even if they succeed they
will never have such opportunities and choose to let their academic grades fall through the
cracks. Also teachers are disconnected from students cultures and struggles, unaware of their
hardships and at times place and push students further away from their academics. It is when a
teacher takes the opportunity to get to know a students culture that community begins to be
built. Not only will the teacher get to know the students, but the students will be able to know
their teacher on a deeper level as well which will allow motivation emerge.
For my own personal classroom, I will initially try and focus on building classroom
community with my students. For the first week I want to have my classes do get to know each
other activities. I believe this will be a nontraditional style they are unaware of because this
typically does not occur in math classroom. Math curriculum is difficult to cover and math
teachers typically do not waste any days since they have so much to cover but for me it becomes
important to get to know my students interest, hobbies, family, culture, and traditions so they are
aware of the classroom style that I want to run. I want to invest in getting to know my students so
that I can push each individual student to succeed as much as their potential allows. I also want
my students to feel as though my message is personalized and not as though I tell everyone the
same thing. Overall I feel as though I want to get across the fact that ultimately I care, and I will
do anything in my power to help a student succeed but they also have to be willing to put in
effort, but each persons effort is different and to not compare oneself to another.
Being a teacher soon I feel as though I have to have all professional competencies
perfected but that most likely will not be the reality. When it comes to students I want to be very
skilled at time management so that I have opportunities to continually improve my lessons and
also reflect on how lessons were conducted. Not only will time management be key to success,

PART I

but it will be a trait that my students will also need to master. Following is communication skills
with parents, but yet communication skills are also needed for students and colleagues. It
becomes critical to have good communication skills with parents so that both teachers and
parents can work together when a student is struggling or excelling. If good communication
skills are not established, the end of the year it typically when upset parents are trying to help
students be able to graduate to the next grade, and this is something I do not want to encounter.
Lastly communication and crisis management is needed for colleagues. I want to be able to find
a mentor to help with my first year teaching so that I can have a successful year. I hope to be able
to communicate with my colleagues my struggles and also reach out for help is needed.
In a math classroom, the first couple days are super important when a teacher can develop
the basis for culturally responsive teaching. Not only will it be fun activities for students in the
start of the year, but it will be opportunities for them to get to know one another, gain interest in
each others lives, and hopefully motivate and keep each other on track. Secondly in my
internship, I always have notes which end with a section where students can talk about anything
they would like. I do persist that it must remain appropriate but students are welcome to share
weekend activities, family activities, something they learned outside of school, or even if they
enjoyed the lesson, or if they struggled with the lesson. The point of this section is to allow
students to voice what they are feeling and wish to share, even if they do not wish to do so
publically.
Education is a unique experience for every student who enters the classroom. And in
order for all children to truly benefit from education, teachers must fully understand the
importance of their job. You are not just a teacher, you are a friend, a discipliner, you are a role
model. From the moment you step in front of those students, many of them look up to you. It is a

PART I
job that goes beyond the classroom, because when you encounter students and their families
outside of school. Your role is to remain a teacher in their eyes but to also acknowledge them as
unique individuals who have their own story to share with the world, and as a teacher we should
listen to each student individually and learn about their unique background.

References
Berliner, D. C. (2013) Effects of inequality and poverty vs teachers and schooling on Americas
youth. Teachers College Record, 115(12), 1-22