“Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development.”
Every year, a teacher welcomes hundreds of students into their classrooms. Overwhelming as if may feel sometimes, it can also be one of the best parts of the job. Acknowledging our pupils as individuals not only serves as a foundational part of our relationship with them, it also provides insight into how each of them processes and internalizes the information we present them on a daily basis.
In my practicum, I learned to make small adjustments in order to be more inclusive to my class’s various needs and learning styles. One such instance included remembering to up-size the font on any and all notes for students who have visual impairments. Another was my discovery of the hidden value of fill-in-the-blank notes, in spite of the considerably mixed opinions I’ve heard in that regard.
For students who have issues writing quickly or taking their own notes, this form of learning can relieve quite a bit of the stress they may feel in a school setting. Not to mention, students who have been absent (especially for long periods) don’t lose out as much because they will largely get the same main ideas taught as everyone else.
For an exemplar, I’ve listed links to the documents I would typically give students on a note-taking day.
Another facet of this standard is the establishment of a positive and safe environment in our schools and classrooms. To this end, I also kept a close ear on what kind of language the kids were using when speaking about others. It’s an unfortunate truth that many children do not understand the true connotations of the words that we consider quite objectionable. On a couple of occasions, I had to talk to my coaching teacher regarding what I overheard so the behaviours could be corrected quickly and appropriately.
It is my hope that, by modeling a positive attitude towards all of my students, I can help them see themselves and others in a brighter light. However, this is not to say that we should all be looking through rose-tinted lenses all the time – that can be just as problematic in the opposite direction. Rather, the aim here would be for students to be able to envision their best selves during a time of great change in their lives. That way, we can help them plot the roadmap to becoming that best self.