Final Exam/Essay

Kara Suckow
EDUP-550
When a new teacher is preparing a classroom and putting
together a successful learning environment, one of the first things he
or she should consider is, What kind of teacher do I want to be? The
textbook for this course provided great information on various theories
a teacher can model their personal philosophies after. I found the
existentialism theory interesting and I like the idea of establishing
responsibility in each student. I agree with this theory that students
should be able to choose what they want to learn and hold a large
amount of responsibility for their academic progress. This theory
presents a non-traditional teaching method, but this could allow
students to find value in their education and how it will help them
personally.
Another main component of being a quality of teacher is to
remain ethical in all situations. Using ethical behavior helps develop
trust with students and creates a positive learning environment.
Behaving ethically in the classroom means that the teacher always
takes the high road and behaves in a professional manner at all times.
Ethical behavior should not only be use in front of students, but also
with work colleagues like other teachers, school employees, and
administrators. Ethics are not laws, but rather what we feel we should
or shouldn't do and based on our personal belief system. The NEA

provides a list of ethical behaviors, labeling what things a teacher

should and should not do. From the course textbook, there are 5 main
ethical behaviors a teacher should always demonstrate: 1) Serve as a
positive role model, 2) Put students best interests ahead of other
interests, 3) Collaborate with and support colleagues, 4)
Create/maintain a productive learning environment for students, 5)
Diversify instruction to address differences between students. Showing
these behaviors every day in the classroom will allow our students to
learn how to behave ethically and create a close learning community.
A third important component to consider when creating a
learning environment is how you want to manage your classroom.
When considering classroom management, a teacher should always be
up to date on school/district policies. It's very important to make sure
you understand rules and consequences the school has designed, and
you can build how you want your individual classroom style around
that. Teachers need to consider how their classroom management
style is going to directly impact the particular group of students who
spend the most time in that room. The textbook had great suggestions
of things to keep in mind when planning a classroom: 1) Physical
Space- It's important to create a space that is welcoming and student
friendly. Kids want to come to school and feel at home with a space
they will spend the majority of their day in. Rooms should be arranged
and decorated appropriately. 2) Building Community- A classroom is a

place where students can share a set of common beliefs, and develop
a sense of "like-mindedness". It's important for teachers and their
students to share trust, care, unconditional support, and use social
media in the classroom. 3) Withitness- Teachers need to be "with it"
at all times and aware of what is going on in their classrooms. It is true
that teachers need to have "eyes in the back of their head". 4) Use
Time Wisely- Teachers have a lot of curriculum to cover in a short
amount of time. It's important to maximize the amount of
teaching/learning time. 5) Practice Routines- The first few weeks of
school should follow a predictable routine, so students can get used to
a teachers management style. This allows teachers to be more
productive. It also allows them to capture the students' attention,
respond to interruptions to the routine, and be able to transition
smoothly.
Once a teacher has determined how they want their classroom
run, and what is most important to them as an educator, he or she
should carefully consider the type of students in the classroom. This is
essential when writing lesson plans and preparing learning objectives.
A teacher needs to start by determining what the objective of the
assignment is, and then plan what materials are needed and how to
introduce the topic to the class. Plans for how to carry out the activity
should be plotted out, and a teacher should also consider how they
could check the class and/or individual students for understanding. A

timeline of how long the lesson will take should be determined, and
differentiated strategies should be documented in the event the class
needs more time to understand the concepts or tasks. Combining the
appropriate lesson planning strategies with they way a teacher wants
to run their classroom will lead to a successful school year.

Powell, S. D. (2015). Your Introduction to Education:

Explorations in Teaching, 3rd Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Education, Inc.