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chloegrayportfolio · 3 years

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Module One - Creating Meaningful Relationships

Week 3 Peer Interaction Task 1 & 2

Task 1: Turn to the instant inventory on page 67 of the textbook “A Teacher’s Guide to Cognitive Type Theory & Learning Style” and determine your own type preferences.

I thought the Instant Insight Inventory was super fun and interesting to do. I was really looking forward to seeing if I would receive the same personality type I was given when I took the Myers-Briggs 16Personalities test—and I did! I would describe myself as someone who is quiet, sensitive, kind, and prefers to be alone. I focus on and remember lots of detail—even the smallest of things. Another thing I enjoy doing is getting away from reality either by daydreaming in my own head or consuming media (books, music, movies) revolving around lives I wish I could live. The results I received told me that my personality type is INFP—meaning I lean towards introversion, intuition, feeling, and perceiving. The INFP is imaginative, idealistic, reflective, independent, creative, stubborn, and easily hurt. My results did not surprise me at all (as I had predicted them and have received the same results every time I have done a personality test in the past), nor do I have much disagreement with any aspect of my results. The only part of the INFP description I feel as though I really do not fit is creativity. I have never really enjoyed creating art (in any form—stories, poetry, paintings, etc) as much as I enjoy consuming art. I appreciate creativity, I just don’t think of myself as a creator. Other than that, I really related to my results—especially the points about being imaginative as well as easily hurt.

Task 2: First, as a group decide who will be in the introvert group and who will be the extroverts. Then please do the following tasks:

As a teacher, what strategies would work for you to get the best energy you can?

With others of your type in your group, discuss what it feels like to be around a lot of folks who are “opposite” to you. (That is extroverts should say what it feels to like to be around a lot of introverts when you are the only extrovert. Introverts should say what it feels to like to be around a lot of extroverts when you are the only introvert.)

Introverts: make a list of how it feels and post it to the group. “Opposite types” in the group please read the list.

Extroverts: make a list of how it feels and post it to the group. “Opposite types” in the group please read the list.

Refer to your textbook to see how others have done this exercise

Come up with a list of how your type behaves in a classroom. “Opposite types” in the group please read the list.

If you have any questions to ask of your opposite type post them now.

As an introverted teacher, the strategies that would work for me to get the best energy I can would be from within, as introverts have a more internal focus of energy. A strategy I think I would use for this is having allocated in-class silent journaling time, for students to share their reflections of the school-day or school-week with me. Not only would this be a way for the students to internally reflect, benefitting themselves, but it would also help me as an educator to get a deeper understanding of my students’ needs as well as what works for them and what doesn’t. When I’m around a lot of extroverts as the lone introvert, I sometimes feel anxious because I’m worried they will take my silence as me being rude or judgmental—like I don’t want to be there (when that definitely isn’t the case). I can also feel quite awkward and uncomfortable as I usually end up doing things that are out of my comfort zone when I am with extroverts (simply following what they’re doing). I can also feel nervous as extroverts are the type to speak their honest truth rather than tread lightly around the subject, which can be a little stressful for an introvert—especially as an INFP, the personality type prone to sensitivity. However, at the same time I can even feel excited because of the new environments and new experiences I am pushed into.

In a classroom, my type behaves as

Cautious

Considerate

Quiet

Thoughtful

Respectful

Private

My question to any of the extroverts: Do you have any tips you would give to inspire the more introverted, quiet kids to participate openly in classroom discussions?

Week 2 Progress Log:

When do you feel…

Safe:

I feel safe when I can stand up and stretch in the morning without my health issues acting up and feeling pain in my chest or seeing stars in my eyes.

The actions I take to make sure I am feeling safe include keeping a glass of orange juice alongside my bottle of water on my nightstand, making sure I have antacids on me at all times, and keeping in close contact with my family doctor as we sort through the variety of blood-related issues I struggle with.

Some other actions I could take to help me feel safe would include being more consistent with taking my iron supplement pills for my anemia, purchasing a wireless blood pressure monitor, and eating a more nutrient-rich, consistent, filling diet.

Loved:

I feel loved when I can talk to someone about anything, such as my likes and dislikes, fears, and opinions, without worry that they will judge, belittle, or speak over me.

The actions I take to make sure I am feeling loved include talking to those near and dear to me often, even if all we really have is virtual communication at the moment.

A further action I could take, and need to take, is to cut off those who I even worry will judge, belittle, or speak over me. I cannot and will not truly feel loved if I am surrounding myself with people who make me feel bad about myself.

Powerful:

I feel powerful when I have had a good, long sleep and I feel well-rested, energetic, and eager to face the day.

The actions I take to make sure I am feeling powerful include reading before bed, taking melatonin supplements, and using a sleep tracker app.

An action I know I need to take to feel powerful in this sense is avoid all technology before heading to bed. My inconsistency with this makes it hard to become a habit, but

Free:

I feel free when I can take time to myself and temporarily tune out the real world by going on long, fast bike rides alone.

The biggest action I have taken to make sure I am able to feel free is bettering my time-management skills. Now that I spend less time procrastinating the schoolwork I need to get done and instead work on it as soon as it is due, I am able to have more free time to myself to actually do what I want to do, creating a nice school-life balance. Another action I could take in order to feel more free (or least in order to be able to do this more often, as I live in Vancouver) would be to invest in water-proof, weather-proof biking gear that will protect both myself and my bike for my own safety.

Pleasured:

I feel pleasured when I eat a good meal, especially when it is a meal I have cooked myself. The actions I take to make sure I feel pleasured include grocery shopping, looking up fun recipes online, and motivating myself to get in the kitchen by following cooking and food blogs onlines.Some other actions I could take to feel this pleasure would be making cooking a fun hobby to do with others, such my family or boyfriend, as well as meal-planning and deleting food-ordering apps, such as Skip The Dishes or UberEats off my phone.

Summary:

Although my answers themselves felt pretty typical to me and did not provide me with any shock or surprise, thinking about the further actions I could take did. While I definitely make a strong effort to make sure I am able to feel those adjectives mentioned above, I’ve realized that the reason I have yet to take those further actions must be out of self-sabotage. The further actions I mentioned were not hard, tedious tasks. They are simple acts of self-care that must be done. Writing this progress log has led me to realize I have been putting off extremely important things, such as taking important health supplements, cutting off people who make me feel bad about myself, and taking further biking safety precautions, as well as reflect on why I have been putting these things off.

Assignment 1: Students With Special Needs

The needs I have chosen to focus on for this assignment are the special needs of the Gifted students of the classroom. The reason why I chose the needs of Gifted students is because I have seen firsthand the neglect and mistreatment they [can] receive from their teachers and classmates due to their differences, as well as how this neglect and mistreatment affects their academic performance, behaviour, development of social skills, and overall well being. The specific needs I will be looking at are their Emotional needs, with a focus on their Social needs as a Gifted student. In “Knowing Your Students and their Special Needs” by Weinstein & Romano, they discuss struggles Gifted students face in the classroom, such as social alienation from peers and a lack of connection and engagement with material (Weinstein, C.S., & Romano, M., Knowing Your Students and their Special Needs, 2015), as well as how these struggles impact things in these students’ day-to-day lives, such as their ability to socialize, interact, and engage with others, their actions, behaviour, and behavioural development, and their level of success in school.

The first article I have chosen is titled “A Case for Affective Education: Addressing the Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Students” by Stephanie Ferguson. This article discusses the unique treatment Gifted students receive from their teachers and peers, and how this treatment can lead to things such as social isolation. The main points of this article are:

How being Gifted can lead to exclusion and alienation as well as the effects this exclusion and alienation can have on students.

The importance of developing a flexible, special curriculum and routine, leading to a more balanced school life for each student involved.

The second article I have chosen is titled “Putting the Well-Being of All Students (Including Gifted Students) First” by Tracy L. Cross. This article discusses the crucial role teachers play in the performance of Gifted students as well as examines the toxic side effects incessant praise and expectations from an educator has on a Gifted student. The main points of this article are:

In order to truly improve the schooling experience of students, the school board itself and teachers must have each and every student’s best interests in mind when planning school activities—even Gifted students. How teachers’ perception of Gifted students can lead to frustrating, strained, disconnected teacher-student relationships.

The third article I have chosen is titled “Social Emotional Needs: Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Students: A Psychosocial Bill or Rights for Students (Including Those with Gifts and Talents)” by Tracy L. Cross. This article discusses the importance of treating every student with equal respect as well as the rights each student has—no matter their academic capabilities. The main points of this article are:

Every student has the right to receive praise for their academic abilities without receiving excessive and uncalled for pressure or guilt.

Every student has the right to access to a challenging, rigorous curriculum and well-trained educators who are able to properly teach it.

Every student has the right to attend an institution they feel safe and welcome in—mentally, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and socially.

The main ideas and points in these articles go hand-in-hand with one another as well as with “Knowing your Students and their Special Needs” by Weinstein & Romano. The main ideas these articles have in common with one another are that Gifted students are often left behind by their teachers and their schools (thus being left behind by their peers, as well) and regarded as not needing any extra help or support due to their academic advancement. These factors lead to issues such as behavioural issues (classroom disruptions), social issues (unable to effectively or confidently communicate), and self-esteem issues (perfectionism, placing unhealthy amounts of pressure on self). Teachers need to do better and hold themselves more responsible and accountable regarding the level and quality of education Gifted students are receiving as well as the treatment these students receive from their classmates and staff.

The Letter to my Future Self:

Dear Chloe,

As a teacher, I hope you always remember the importance of getting to know your students and each of their special needs. No two students are the same, and what works for one may not work for another. I know that this career will get stressful, but if you start to follow and always remember to follow these rules from your first day of teaching, it will make your life and job not only much easier, but much more rewarding, as well.

Three things I WILL do regarding the Gifted students with Special Needs in my future classroom:

I will pay close attention to how they interact with the work they are given. I will make sure they remain intellectually stimulated and engaged, even if they are levels above other students in the class. I will achieve this through the creation of professional, open, trusting relationships with my students through personal, miniature check-ins to update me on how the student is doing and feeling both emotionally and academically.

I will create a social, safe class environment with students that are able to interact and work with those who are even most unlike them. I will create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable around each other regardless of their reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. There will be no levels of hierarchy in my classroom in any way, shape, or form. I will achieve this through the teaching of respect, kindness, and openness.

I will always make sure to leave an element of open-endedness in each assignment, project, and/or essay I assign. I will give my students this option of freedom and variety as to give them the opportunity to intellectually stimulate themselves in ways I may not have considered as a way to keep them interested and engaged with the material, especially if it is material they are advanced in comparison to or ahead of.

Three things I WILL NOT do regarding the Gifted students with Special Needs in my future classroom:

I will not single them out to discuss their work in front of the class without permission. I will not use them as an example to hold over their classmates heads.

I will not isolate or alienate Gifted students by giving them completely different work, allowing them to work with only each other, or sending them to another room or area of the classroom to do their work away from peers.

I will not place extra stress and/or work on them. I will not let them know of higher expectations or levels of disappointment unless I feel it is beneficial and crucial to their schoolwork.

Here is what I hope would be a poem from the perspective of a Gifted student with Special Needs in my future classroom:

everyday I walk into class

wanting to joyfully skip by the desks I pass

I wonder to myself, “Today what will we do?”

but who’s to say, with Ms. Gray it’s always something new

I feel excited,cheerful, comfortable, too

as I approach my seat, my friends exclaim “We were all waiting for you!

”the teacher asks a question I immediately knew

she calls on me and I say “The answer is two!”I used to fear raising my hand

now I’m no longer afraid to take that stand

my peers pat me on the back and give me praise

and suddenly I know I have reached better days.

References

"A Case for Affective Education: Addressing the Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Students in the Classroom « SENG.“ SENG. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2015. Cross, Tracy L. (2015). Social Emotional Needs. Gifted Child Today Magazine, 38(2), 128–129. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217515569278

Cross, T. L. (2002). Putting the Well-Being of All Students (Including Gifted Students) First. Gifted Child Today, 25(4), 14–17. https://doi.org/10.4219/gct-2002-84

“Knowing your Students and their Special Needs.” Weinstein, C.S., & Romano, M. (2015).

Reflection: I included the Peer Interaction Tasks of Week 3 in this portfolio because they reflect me coming out of my comfort zone. I tend to struggle with forming meaningful relationships and connecting with others on a deeper level, so these Tasks definitely pushed me to be more open. I also included these Tasks in my Portfolio as I believe they have taught me ways to connect with my future students, especially those who may be unable to communicate their needs otherwise. I can definitely see myself using Type indicator quizzes with my future classes in order to get a better understanding of their needs and goals as learners. These tasks also gave me a better understanding of extroverts both as teachers and as students, allowing me to explore a variety of learning and teaching styles I hadn’t considered before due to my introversion. I included the Week 2 Progress Log because it shows a moment of weakness early on in the course—it reflects the struggles I had with deep reflection as well as being able to articulate my needs. I was unable to effectively describe how the feelings and actions discussed were linked to my needs. Though it wasn’t my best piece of work, I believe it is important to include as it was a learning moment for me regarding my understanding of what it means to truly, deeply reflect and connect. I included Assignment 1: Students with Special Needs because it provided me with a deeper understanding of the variety of needs students have in the classroom, especially of those I had not considered prior to doing this assignment. For this assignment, the students with Special Needs I chose were Gifted Students—the reason for this being that prior to this course, I had never even considered Gifted Students as having “special needs” in the classroom. This assignment really opened my eyes on how narrow-minded my idea of Special Needs really was. I thought this assignment was really interesting because it forced us, the prospective teachers, to focus on an aspect of learning and the classroom that for too long the education system has swept under the rug. Overall, I chose the assignments I did for two main reasons. I believe they really helped me overcome the anxieties that originally rendered me unable to open up to others and effectively practice deep self-reflection. These assignments also opened me up to different perspectives I was unable to see otherwise—the perspectives of Extroverts; the perspectives of Special Needs students. As an educator, it will be my job to form meaningful relationships with all students—not solely the students who share learning or type characteristics with myself, and I cannot expect to be able to do so if I have a static idea of what students are like, and what students need. I had big learning moments regarding my understanding of what it means to get to know students as well as the realities of this career. Something that stood out to me is how many different ways there are to get to know and understand your students. One way to get to know your students that has really stuck with me is the use of writing narratives in the classroom, which allows you to get to know your students (and vice-versa), with more depth and understanding. After the completion of this Module, I feel much more informed, but I also know that I have much more to learn. Sometimes, I forget the intricacies of this career and what the job really entails, but this Module has made me excited and eager to learn much more in my coming years. I have also been introduced to the raw, real aspects of teaching, such as the inability to interfere with a students life—there will be students that are going through hardships in their lives that I have no control over, and I must accept I am not a psychologist or a Judge. It is a bit disheartening to think of that somewhat powerless aspect of the career, especially as I am very in tune with feelings and empathy, but I know these feelings will just inspire me to be even better at what I am doing and what I do have control over. Understanding and coming to terms with this was a huge learning moment for me. Though I have experienced some change in this aspect, something I am still in the process of learning and developing is the way I approach work. I tend to rely on my own narratives and ideas because that is what feels most comfortable to me. In fact, I used to feel fear and anxiety when I knew I would be completing an assignment on an experience or topic I was not familiar with. However, my experience completing the Students with Special Needs assignment really helped me understand the significance of doing so. This significance has motivated me to work harder, as I consider doing work like this inspiring, decentering myself and truly thinking about others, which I believe has made me less ignorant and oblivious in my work. The area where I saw the most growth was in stepping out my comfort zones. Throughout my entire academic career, I have really disliked personal writing, as I have always felt uncomfortable and awkward in talking about myself. Prior to this course, I did not notice this, but this disliking for personal writing took a toll on my ability to reflect. My inability to deeply reflect and link my feelings to my needs was evident in my Week 2 Progress Log. I definitely believe I have improved since throughout the course, with evidence being shown in my Progress Logs of Week 9 and 10. To aid with this process, I wrote journal-entries about my feelings and day-to-day life to get more more comfortable with the idea of reflection and sharing. Overall, this Module helped me immensely regarding my ability to reflect, communicate with others, and articulate my feelings and needs. I walk away from this Module reflecting on what I have learned about the power of Narrative, Choice & Type Theory, and what I now know about Introverted/Extroverted students, intuitive/sensing students, and students with Special Needs—as well as how to make the classroom a safe, accepting place of learning that will work for everyone.

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chloegrayportfolio · 3 years

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Module Two: Doing Worthy Work

Week 9 Progress Log

What do you believe it means to be educated?

To be educated is to be a well-rounded and well-verse member of society who is socially aware.

What are some of the personal concepts you have about how learning happens?

I believe there are many factors that can influence and alter an individual’s learning experience, such as their relationship with the teacher, their place in the classroom, and how they are taught. Learning only truly happens if it is occurring in a positive, supportive environment.

What is your understanding of what it means ‘to teach’?

To teach is to share my knowledge with each generation of young learners in a way that is both efficient and memorable.

What makes you think that you would be a good teacher?

I believe I will be a good teacher because of how passionate I am in everything I do. Everyday I will work to not only teach and inspire my students, but do so in a way that they appreciate and enjoy. I will also be a good teacher because I will be open and approachable—not at all a figure my students fear.

What do you feel are some of the issues facing schools and education today?

I believe some of the biggest issues facing schools and education today are the heavy dependence and reliance on standardized testing, a lack of access to qualified mental health professionals within schools, and an inequality in opportunities for students in lower-income schools.

What would an observer see in your classroom related to teaching, learning, and the community of learners?

An observer would also see an open learning environment where my students are given options on how to better their learning experience. They would see a variety of teaching and learning styles (verbal, visual (images), text). They would see an open community of learners that treat others with respect and are able to work together and help one another.

What would an observer in your classroom see you doing?

An observer in my classroom would see me forming bonds with my students in order to better understand them and their needs. An observer would also see me always looking to make education and teaching more unique and entertaining for my students through a variety of activities, experiments, and games.

What makes your classroom unique? Describe it.

I have always believed that a teacher’s classroom is also the students’ classroom, meaning students should be able to have a say in how their classroom is structured. What would really make my classroom unique is based on the feedback and ideas I receive from my students. However, my classroom would have tables set up in a way that makes the classroom feel like a large, open space (rather than rows of desks). It would be colourful without chaos and include things such as quiet corners, a wall displaying the hard work of each student, and as well as an anonymous question box regarding homework that will be answered by me to the entire class, as a way to inspire my students to ask more questions without nerves or anxiety.

How do your students engage in learning?

As a teacher, I would incorporate many different styles of teaching and learning into my classroom, as I believe and understand that each student learns differently and in order to ensure engagement in my students, I must provide them with a variety of things that will help them work towards success. I will incorporate things such as verbal lesson explanations, visual representation (examples(s) of work), and written instructions. My students will have always have the option to explore different learning styles in order to remain best engaged.

What do you want your legacy as a teacher to be?

As someone who is looking to become an elementary school teacher with a preference towards teaching in the primary grade levels, I believe there is a huge responsibility on myself in how I introduce and teach things such as reading and writing to my students—two things I am passionate about. I would like my legacy as a teacher to be the teacher my students will look back on and remember as the person who taught them the joys and excitements of reading—the person who inspired them to visit the library on their free time and appreciate books, especially as these students will still have many years of schooling to go.

I believe …

I believe that a classroom belongs to the students in the class just as much as it belongs to the teacher—therefore, the teacher should always make sure it is an environment their students feel welcome, comfortable, and ready to learn in through the creation of a floor plan and desk plan that works for the class and artwork/motivational images chosen by the students.

I believe that the use of standardized testing in schools is proven to be less of an accurate representation of a student’s knowledge each year and that education needs to move towards more open, community and group-based learning that does not rely solely on independence and memorization to measure understanding.

I believe that there is no logical explanation as to why we expect 25+ students to have the same learning style—each student has the right to be provided with a variety of options when listening to lessons as well as completing assignments, in order to find what works best for them.

I believe there are many factors that can influence and alter an individual’s learning experience, such as their relationship with the teacher, their place in the classroom, and how they are taught—learning only truly happens if it is occurring in a positive, supportive environment, and the responsibility of the creation and upholding of this environment is on the teacher.

Reflection: It was actually quite difficult to choose which sentences to reflect my main beliefs, as the thought of teaching in the future is very inspiring and exciting for me. I have such strong beliefs and opinions regarding how schools and classrooms are “traditionally” run—especially regarding standardized (memorization-based) testing as well as isolated seating plans and work settings. I truly believe that we need an education reform and my beliefs as a future teacher reflect what an education reform could look like, and would look like for myself, my classroom, and my students. These beliefs reflect the desire and hunger for change I have. These beliefs come from a plethora of reasons, but most notably because of recent reflections I have done by myself regarding my history of schooling and education. Despite having solely positive experiences myself in the classroom growing up, I am now well aware it was not like that for all of my classmates. Growing up, I never really noticed how poorly the students in my classes who required extra help or different teaching styles were treated, but as I grew older the biases teachers held in the classroom became clear and apparent. Teachers would talk to these students like they were absolute nuisances, and then get angry when those same students would act up in class or simply just not hand in the assignment. I am able to reflect on the education system and teachers that pushed these students away and punished them. I think about all the children who grew up hating school, when they were really just given adults who were unable to recognize the variety of needs in a single classroom. My beliefs stem from my desire for the next generations to enjoy school and learning much more than mine did.

Assignment 2: Grading and Motivation

Part I: Analysis of Eileen (Student)’s Learning

Student input. What did the student come to the learning with? (Discuss at least 2 dimensions in details)

Despite Eileen’s painful ailments of arthritis and diabetes that hindered and limited her general movements and physical activity, Eileen seemed to be a highly positive, optimistic, and uplifting presence—even prior to meeting Carolyn. Three things Eileen came to the learning with were her values and her aspirations. Whether or not Eileen realized it, she seemed extremely well-rounded in the classroom regarding the work she was doing and the relationships she was building and developing. This well-roundedness comes from who Eileen was a person—what her life values were and the person she aspired to be.

Eileen came to the learning with wholesome, selfless life values that were reflected in both how she spoke to others as well as her behaviour around her classmates: she put every single other person above herself. All Eileen wanted to do was encourage others, put a smile on peoples’ faces, and keep the peace and happiness. Despite the chronic pain she was in, she never wanted to inconvenience others by making a showing of it. Eileen could have easily expressed annoyance, frustration, and anger towards her limitations, but instead she expressed things such as happiness, patience, and strength. However, a negative side of these wholesome, selfless values is that Eileen often put herself last out of fear of inconveniencing others, such as her classmates, Carolyn, and the school Nurse when her swollen legs were in excruciating pain from an arthritis flare up. When Carolyn questions Eileen on why she did not let her pain be known, Eileen says that she cannot tell even her mother because “She was too sad already” (Mamchur, 1981), inferring that these values of Eileen’s may be a result of how she has always had to put her mother’s emotional pain above her own physical pain.

Another strong thing Eileen brought to the learning were her aspirations—she aspired to succeed in whatever was being done, no matter how difficult it was for her to complete—and she did so without a single complaint leaving her lips, only words of encouragement and praise for her peers. The fact that Eileen never gave up on a task and was consistently working to be stronger than the poor health conditions that hindered her capabilities reflects the kind of person she was: hardworking, determined, and strong. She aspired to grow above her limitations, and this was shown in a variety of ways. Despite her own hardships, she always lent a helping hand to her classmates when it came to threading needles or organizing activities (Mamchur, 1981), Eileen came to the classroom with the aspiration to be a helpful, positive presence within the classroom—and she succeeded.

Environment. What did we do together in the school to learn life skills? (Discuss at least one experience that has impacted Eileen’s learning)

Despite the fact that the class Eileen was enrolled in of Carolyn’s was a class that specialized in traditional feminine behavior modification, tackling life skills such as sewing, I believe the most valuable life skill I witnessed Eileen learn in those three pages was how to speak up for herself without fears or anxiety regarding the potential of burdening, inconveniencing, or depressing someone.

This learning experience happened after the school Nurse questioned Eileen as to why she was silent about the intense, excruciating pain she was suffering through. Carolyn noticed that Eileen’s response to this question were her eyes filling with tears, which led to a deep and meaningful conversation between Carolyn and Eileen in which Carolyn assured Eileen that no one would be upset with her for being sick (Mamchur, 1981). This assurance led to Eileen confiding in Carolyn, inferring that her mother cannot support or help her due to sadness she feels. The supportive response she received from Carolyn upon the reveal of this information is probably one of the biggest learning experiences for Eileen—a learning experience that taught her to think about and care for herself.

Outcome. What was the outcome of the student in that environment? (Discuss changes in student in at least 2 dimensions)

Two changes Eileen underwent during her time in this environment were in her self-concept and in her abilities.

Regarding her self-concept, the time spent in this classroom positively impacted her for two main reasons, these reasons being both the helpful role she played to her peers in the classroom as well as being valued, respected, and truly known by Carolyn. The experience of being a helpful, positive figure within the classroom contributed to the changing of Eileen’s self concept because it gave her a sense of purpose and value within the class—even if she could not be entirely successful at a task, she knew she could still help others work towards their desired achievements. The presence of such a positive, trusting, and helpful adult in her life—Carolyn, positively contributed to the changing of Eileen’s self concept because Carolyn was able to let Eileen know that she is deserving of care and support, as well as allow Eileen to realize her worth—both in a classroom setting and on a personal level.

Eileen also experienced changes in her abilities as a result of this environment. One large change that is mentioned by Carolyn is Eileen’s involvement in organic teaching, in reference to Eileen helping a younger child count out their change correctly (Mamchur, 1981). Due to the group-like, non-traditional academic setting Carolyn designed that they had been learning in, the students, Eileen included, were able to initiate and participate in less traditional forms of learning and teaching.

Part II: Analysis of Carolyn (Teacher)’s Learning

Teacher input. What did the teacher come to the learning with? (Discuss at least 2 dimensions in details)

Carolyn came to the learning with many aspirations and values. In fact, the entire reason why Carolyn even found herself asking for volunteer work at that school was because of her aspirations and values.

Carolyn’s initial aspirations included going to Florida to obtain her Education Degree, but unplanned instances somewhat derailed her plan. This led her to develop different aspirations, eventually asking for volunteer work at a local school for Children with Special Needs. She then brought her aspirations within the school walls and let them show through a variety of creative, expressive ways—”In preparation for classes, I carefully braided my hair, weaving a bright scarlet ribbon through the strands. My nails matched my lipstick and I chose to wear a white dress splashed with small pink roses…” (Mamchur, 1981). Carolyn came to the learning with the aspiration of influencing this group of girls—not only through behavior modification, but on a personal level, as well. She was looking to be more than just the typical teacher and educator to this group and she succeeded through her usage of non-traditional teaching and learning styles, focusing more on experiencing what they were learning, rather than just reading and writing about it.

Carolyn’s values were reflected in what she taught and how she taught it. Yes, volunteered in a classroom setting where traditional, feminine behaviours were valued and taught, yet she did so in a non-traditional way that represented her own values and shared them with her students. For example, old-fashioned feminine activities were explored and completed, such as tea time, hair-braiding, and sewing. However, they were not explored in the typical, strict way we may imagine schools to run things. Carolyn’s values were brought in and really implemented through her non-traditional ways of teaching—such as letting the girls explore things such as sewing and hair-braiding, rather than forcing them to watch educational films or lessons on such activities.

Environment. What did we do together in the school to learn life skills? (Discuss at least one experience that has impacted Carolyn’s learning)

Carolyn may have taught Eileen and the rest of her students an abundance of useful life skills regarding etiquette throughout the year, but she did learning of her own, as well. Through the observing of and communication with Eileen, Carolyn learned important life skills, too. Despite being the student, Eileen was able to subconsciously teach Carolyn the key life skills of maintaining a positive and optimistic attitude even in the most difficult hardships. Carolyn’s way of learning was watching Eileen prevail through her pain, her illness, and her suffering. The experience that impacted Carolyn’s learning most was the watching of Eileen’s consistent smiling, laughing, and praise of her classmates, all while suffering from chronic pain without letting a single complaint slip. Eileen’s determined attitude deeply impacted and inspired Carolyn, which is shown through Carolyn’s sending of a Christmas gift to Eileen.

Outcome. What was the outcome of the teacher in that environment? (Discuss changes in teacher in at least 2 dimensions)

The outcome of the teacher, Carolyn, in this environment was a very positive one. This environment provided unique teaching and learning experiences for both Carolyn as well as her students. At the end of the school year, she left this school for Children with Special Needs with an abundance of new abilities and knowledge (on a demographic of students who are often left behind and forgotten, especially back then).

After this experience in this learning environment, her teaching abilities had evolved and grown to best fit the needs of her students, thus providing her with a high-level experience before even leaving for her Degree in Florida. She was able to form relationships and deep connections with her students, resulting in bonds of trust that allowed the students to explore a variety of learning and teaching styles. This led to Carolyn’s recognition of organic teaching within her classroom, as demonstrated by Eileen when she helps a younger student count their change.

Another area where Carolyn experiences growth due to this learning environment is in her knowledge, both in her better understanding of disabilities due to this experience as well as her knowledge of the individual life experience of Eileen. Due to the trusting bond the two of them have built, Carolyn is able to gain insight and knowledge on who Eileen is as a person, her ailments, and the factors that cause her to behave the way she does, such as her mother’s sadness.

References

Mamchur, C. (1981). Educational Leadership, 39(2), 152.

Reflection

I included the Progress Log of Week 9 in my portfolio because it allowed me to explore my personal philosophy regarding education and teaching. The questions required deep thinking and deep reflection, which was useful for me, as it allowed me to revisit and remember the reasons as to why I am so passionate about becoming a teacher. The credo I constructed for this Progress Log is something I believe in to the core. Every word written really reflects my principles, values, and beliefs regarding teaching, education, learning, and the classroom. One of the reasons why I have always wanted to be a teacher throughout my life is because alongside providing education, I would like to provide my students with support, positivity, and care needed in order to ensure their success, as well. I believe students deserve better than what they have been given (especially students in the extremely underfunded public school system). I believe students deserve change. I also chose to include this Progress Log because it includes critiques I have regarding the Education system, as it is important to recognize, remember, and understand the flaws in this system and how these flaws affect learning, productivity, and behaviour in the classroom. I included Assignment 2: Grading and Motivation, as I really enjoyed the exploration into Eileen’s personal relationship with Carolyn’s and vice-versa. I am very passionate about the wellbeing of students and making the classroom a happy place to be, so this Assignment was very educational, informative, and beneficial to me. It was extremely heart-warming to read the story of how they inspired and motivated each other and it was inspiring to read of the positive impact Carolyn clearly had not only on Eileen, but on the class as a whole. Additionally, I really enjoyed being able to go through the text and make connections between Carolyn and Eileen’s input, environment, and outcome.

From this Module, I have learned of how personal beliefs impact your approach to teaching, education, and the classroom, as well as the importance of creating meaningful relationships with your students and what these relationships entail. Something this Module has done is allow me to explore my beliefs regarding education. This exploration has led me to a deeper understanding of my thoughts and feelings in relation to my personal philosophy towards teaching. This deeper understanding has been a huge learning moment in my understanding of why I want to teach. After the completion of this Module, I revisited the reasons why I want to teach, and I realize my reasons align perfectly with my credo. The focus of my credo is on improving the education system, understanding students and learning, and being an overall positive person and educator in their life. As someone who grew up in an underfunded inner-city public school, an environment that was unable to entirely align with this credo, I feel as though my experiences allowed me to see flaws and holes in the system from a young age. Revisiting these reasons and truly understanding the role they play in my beliefs as a prospective teacher has been a learning experience for me.

Something that challenged me in this Module was reading Carolyn’s story of Eileen. This challenged me because it forced me to consider and think about the physical ailments of students that may require them to have Special Needs within the classroom. Typically, when I think of accommodating students to make them comfortable in the class, I think about things that will accommodate and comfort them emotionally and mentally. Physical special needs of my students really are something I have failed to consider in the past, which also challenges me to analyze and reflect on how my privilege as an able-bodied person could lead me to be ignorant to the needs of others. However, after being presented with this text, I think about physical needs and what I will be able to do to satisfy these needs for my students. This Module challenged me because it forces me to challenge and change the image of a student in my head and allows us to see how our privilege affects our mindset. I consider myself an open person with little biases and little assumptions, yet the realization of how static the image of what a student is like both mentally and physically has challenged me to work harder in the unlearning of these assumptions, as I must be prepared for every type of student as a teacher.

I see growth in my passions and aspirations regarding the education system. After the completion of this Module, I have learned my goals extend beyond the classroom and school. I have always known that I wanted to teach because I wanted to create positive learning experiences and be a positive role model in students’ lives, but through the completion of this Module, I realize these goals and desires exist because of problems in the bigger picture. These goals and desires did not come out of nowhere, they exist because of things in the school system I disagree with, such as my disapproval of standardized testing and my first-hand experiences watching the education system fail students who I know deserved better. Another thing I see growth in is the way I think of my future students and classroom. Prior to the completion of this Module, I did not consider the possibility of having students with physical limitations in class. However, I now consider it with every aspect of the classroom, such as the classroom layout and group activities.

Overall, this Module taught me the importance of my credo, the role my beliefs will play in my classroom, and what it means to create safe, supportive, and accessible environments for all students. This Module has helped me to recognize the important role these factors play in the creation and upholding of a positive learning environment with little problems.

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chloegrayportfolio · 3 years

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Module Three: The Classroom As A Place To Be

For this progress log task, I used personal instances from a wide range of grade levels, from K-12. I did this because I thought it would be more meaningful and reflective when thinking of these classroom rules to consider perspectives and experiences from students of all age groups.

Jointly Established: On the first day of Grade 4, we were called to sit on the carpet and give introductions about ourselves. After the introductions were given, my teacher brought forward a large sheet of paper and used magnets to stick it to the whiteboard. In the middle, there was a large bubble that said “Classroom Rules”. My classmates and myself looked at each other with confusion as to why the rest of the paper was entirely blank, with one of my peers even raising their hand and jokingly asking if there were no rules. This brought our teacher to laughter, and then she explained to us that as a class together, us students would work with her to come up with set rules and expectations of the classroom to follow. For about thirty-sixty minutes, we worked as a class to discuss certain rules, write expectations down, and decorate the sheet of paper before deciding on its wall for the year. This experience was super memorable and rewarding because it is the first instance I can remember where an Educator trusted myself and my classmates as independent people, mature enough to recognize and create rules on our own, rather than relying on a teacher to do so for us. I also think this was extremely beneficial to the creation and establishment of the teacher-student relationship in the classroom, as she immediately took the time to speak with us, get to know us, and allow us a sense of freedom, rather than spending her first day lecturing us and establishing her superiority. I think this first day set a very positive, open premise in our classroom, as I hardly remember much conflict and tension (both between classmates as well as between the teacher with students) that year.

Reasonable: By my final years of elementary school, the rules seemed to become more fair and open, rather than limiting and constricting. My seventh grade teacher understood that we soon would be making the transition into secondary school, which was a much more independent environment. He understood that some of the school rules were much more applicable to the younger children and were ultimately unfair on the older students. For example, having to play on the playground at recess. He thought the constant berating of us with rules such as that downplayed the significance of much more important rules, such as handing in homework on time/academic honesty, acting appropriately in the classroom, and treating others with kindness. His ability to give us space and let us breathe regarding “smaller” rules, and in turn prioritizing rules that lead to student success was very logical and sensible.

Clearly Defined: I remember an experience from Grade 1 in which the rules were not clearly defined and explained to us, leading to confusion in the classroom. One of the big rules we had was that we were not allowed to speak to our peers during class time—that was quiet work time. However, one day we were expected to work on a writing and colouring project with a partner she had assigned to us, and upon sitting with our partners, none of us spoke to one another. We initially did our work independently, saying very little. At first, she was confused, as to why we were silent, but slowly picked up on our confusion and explained to us what that specific rule meant. This wasn’t necessarily a negative experience, but it is an experience I can learn as a teaching experience to always be as specific as possible with my students, especially if they are that young.

Observable: In Kindergarten, I remember many of the rules being things such as: keep your hands to yourself, no talking while someone else is talking, and treat belongings gently. They were very easy for me to follow and that was probably because of the specific, descriptive, action-based words used. Having observable rules is good for many reasons, and these reasons can apply to any age group, but I believe it is especially important and beneficial for rules to be observable in a classroom filled with such young children—especially as this is most likely one of their earliest exposures to rules an authority outside of their family. Having observable rules lessens the chance of confusion, which contributes to a more effective classroom.

Positive: My eleventh grade French teacher was a very fiery, passionate, positive presence within our lives as well as within the school. She was not strict at all and everyone liked her. However, this did not mean she had no rules within the classroom. She did have many rules—just as many rules as the average teacher throughout my years of schooling had. Rather, the difference was how these rules were presented to us. Rather than framing and wording them in a negative way that emphasized the wrongdoing and its following punishments and consequences, she framed all rules without negative language, such a “no”, “stop”, and “never”. At the time, I never really realized, noticed, or appreciated it, but upon looking back and reflecting, the modification of her language to be less hostile and controlling really did have a positive impact on us students in her classroom. Students were less likely to “challenge” her, because there was not much to challenge, which led to more efficient and effective use of classroom time overall.

Succinct: My fifth-grade teacher was a very no-nonsense woman who did not spend even a minute of extra time on something she deemed unworthy of it. Sometimes this short attitude was frustrating, but when it came to her explaining the rules, it was a blessing. I have had far too many teachers spend an excessive amount of time going over rules, leaving us students restless for the rest of class time. This teacher definitely spent no more than ten minutes on the rules, and we were able to spend more time on things that she felt mattered more, like our first homework assignment. If anything, the little time spent on rules left a positive first-impression on us, as we weren’t immediately restless and annoyed due to first-day redundancy.

Few in number: By the final year of high school, you have had every rule in the book read to you in every possible way. At that point, it feels so redundant and repetitive that the constant reminder of these rules almost makes you want to break them out of annoyance. I think a lot of teachers at a Grade 12 level understand this annoyance and frustration their students can feel, especially when they have heard these same rules for the last 13 years and want nothing more than to move on to the freedoms of Post Secondary and/or life. One teacher who expressed their understanding regarding our general annoyance was my History teacher in Grade 12. On the first day of class, rather than being met with a sheet of paper explaining each classroom expectation he had, he told us “You have been hearing this since you were five years old. All I will say is do your work on time, do not be loud and disruptive, respect your classmates, and cell-phone use is permitted once work is complete. I think you all know how to act in a classroom”. His briefness regarding classroom expectations not only showed his immediate trust, belief, and faith in his students, but it also removed a barrier of superiority many Educators tend to be walled behind. We knew we could be open with him, and we did not have to spend three months trying to judge his character. Additionally, the short amount of time spent on rules on that first day allowed him to give us a more in-depth course description and a chance to read through the textbook, while most other teachers ended up keeping us in for a extra few minutes so they could rush through extremely important course information after the spending the majority of their time on basic rules.

Enforceable: In grade ten, I had a Social Studies teacher who absolutely despised cellphones. Her hatred was justified, however, it caused her to act in impulsive, negative ways that ultimately led to the creation of rules she did not know how to handle or enforce. Once specific instance was her idea of having a “Cellphone Jail”, which was a basket you placed your cellphone in upon entry to the classroom. The idea itself wasn’t bad, and I know it has been correctly implemented in many classroom settings, but she soon realized was unable to enforce this Cellphone Jail for two main reasons:

Due to very little available Computer Lab/IPad time, she often had us use our cellphones for research purposes, such as for the research and discussion of current events. How could she have expected us to research with no resources? The situation that actually led to her stopping the use of a Cellphone Jail altogether was a situation that reflected her inability to effectively monitor it. A student in the classroom had their cellphone stolen out of the basket and we were stuck in class fifteen minutes into the lunch break until whoever had it came forward. The situation was resolved in less than an hour, but it reflected the disastrous events that could come out of it. This also led to a breaking of trust between the student who had their phone taken and the teacher, as the teacher was consistently dismissive of theft-related points.This was a negative experience because this teacher should not have expected us to adhere to rules she had not fully planned the enforcing, executing, and monitoring of. Rather, she made an impulsive decision using her anger that led to consequences both for her students and herself.

Enforced: I remember my first year of high school as extremely hectic. My grade 8 year had an abundance of students who were rowdy, classroom clowns who did not follow the rules. However, even the rowdiest of students seemed to follow rules in the classroom of just one teacher: the eighth-grade Science teacher. She was very strict with high expectations—she made to drill the rules into us more than any other Educator I met. However, along with her strictness and high expectations, she was an amazing teacher who was passionate about what she did and never lost her temper with us. Although, she did not give second chances and did not hesitate to make a point out of your wrongdoings when discussing them afterwards. She never once let something happen without consequences, but in doing so she never went overboard. This created probably one of the healthiest, most productive classroom environments I have ever been in.

Constantly Evaluated: In Grade 6, I had a teacher who was quite strict with high expectations and little tolerance. This description may make her sound cold and harsh, but she was probably one of my most eye-opening, trustworthy, and memorable Educators. Yes, she spent a lot of time enforcing rules and laying laws down throughout the year, but she was also constantly working with us and let it be known that these rules were more for our benefit than her own. Whenever an incident happened where a rule was broken, whether that rule was related to respecting ourselves, each other, or our environment/classroom, she would stand in front of us and revisit the rule that was broken. She would explain the rule and discuss her intentions and reasons behind implementing it, then open the floor to us to have an open discussion about it. In that open discussion, we would talk about what was working/not working, ideas for change, and suggested minor improvements. She always took our suggestions, concerns, and ideas seriously—we knew we were heard. She would make appropriate changes and often revisit the class as a whole for a reevaluation, as so to prevent whatever incident from happening again. I think what she did was extremely positive because it showed that she cared about each student individually as well as her class as a whole—she wanted happiness, success, and support for each one of her students, and took extra steps to ensure that conflicts were avoided through the reevaluation of rules upon incidents.

Week 11 Peer Interaction Task

Take a minute to reflect on the relationship between the environment and your behaviour. Identify some settings where you feel comfortable. What is there about the setting that makes you feel comfortable? What things about a setting attract you to it? How do you feel when you are in settings that are cluttered or ugly? What type of setting do you think is most appropriate for learning? What do you think can be done to improve classroom environments to prevent problems and enhance learning? Have any of you put energy into creating positive environments for some one else? A baby? A loved one? A grandparent? Students? What did you do? What made you choose those things? Share these experiences. The idea here is to become aware of the importance of putting energy into physical space beyond merely putting up a poster. Answer this question. Would you permit students to sit where they want in your classroom? Why? When?

The settings where I feel most comfortable are my bedroom, the forest, and near-empty grocery stores with poor lighting. What makes me feel comfortable in these settings is how familiar they are to me. If I spend enough time in one place, it ends up feeling like part of a routine, which really comforts me. I am attracted to quiet, dimly-lit settings. Settings that I can be alone in and settings that are familiar to me. I don’t like being in brightly-lit, loud, unfamiliar settings. They make me uncomfortable, unable to relax. However, quiet settings allow me to focus on my thoughts, dimly-lit settings don’t irritate and distract my eyes, and familiar settings ease feelings of anxiety. I like clutter if it’s familiar clutter. I like the clutter of my bedroom and my friends bedrooms, but I have always hated being in cluttered classrooms, vehicles, or workplaces. It makes me feel distracted and uncomfortable. Ugly settings also make me feel distracted and uncomfortable. unable to focus or relax. The setting I consider to be most appropriate for learning is quiet but not completely silent, open (non-cramped), and finds a balance between boring and overpowering. The reasons for this are: Quiet settings allow students to listen to themselves think and focus, but I have found (from my own experience and the experiences of my peers) that completely silent settings can feel stressful and uncomfortable. Additionally, I know many students were less likely to ask for help in a completely silent classroom, as it felt much more “obvious” and embarrassing. I believe in an open classroom layout because it’s beneficial for the teacher and student to see each other. Also, this layout would encourage classroom interaction and discussion. The balance between boring and overpowering is in referral to how I have seen classrooms decorated throughout the year. I believe it’s important to have posters reminding students of grammar rules and their potential, but I have seen classrooms with far too many of these posters—leading the classroom to appear as cluttered or busy, distracting the students. A strong opinion I have is that I believe the setup of a “typical” classroom does more negative than positive for the classroom. When I say “typical classroom”, I am envisioning a brightly lit classroom with single-file desks. The reason why I believe this setup does more negative to a class/student is because it makes the classroom feel more cramped/pack and less open, and it can also feel very lonely that way. I have always preferred looking at the faces of my classmates and teachers, as well as the open space of the classroom—when students are staring at the back of another child’s head for over an hour, it can get pretty boring. Additionally, as a teacher I would not like single-file desks as I would not be able to see all my students clearly throughout the lesson/day. Yes, I would allow my students to sit where they want in my classroom. Of course, this privilege would be taken away with the presence of bad or off-task behavior, or issues such as exclusion or alienation, but at the beginning of the year, I would place trust in all my students to make the right decision and be able to self-regulate. I want them to have freedom and fun in the classroom—not feel controlled and constricted. No, I wasn’t surprised by any of my answers as I have given a lot of thought to this before and am firm on my beliefs about healthy, effective learning environments.

Assignment 3: Gender Equity in the Classroom

Part 1: Summary of Observations

I chose to observe a classroom lesson off YouTube for this assignment. The video is titled “Jean Cole 4th Grade Frontier Elementary Classroom Discussion”. The instrument I used to assist me in my findings consisted of paper and a pen. On my sheet of paper, I wrote down each of the discussion questions given to assist us in our observations and findings. Underneath each question, I created two columns—one titled “Female Students”, and one titled “Male Students”. Throughout the video, I tracked the answers to each question. The first time I watched the video, I wrote under each column for each question. I then watched the video a second time to double check my findings and create any interesting notations I thought would contribute to my completion of the assignments. One of the reasons why I believe this tool aided me in my findings is its simplicity and accuracy. Its simplicity was helpful to me because I tend to get distracted and overwhelmed during assignments that require you to watch videos, leading me to lose focus on the task at hand. Using a simple tally system let me keep all my attention and focus on the lesson, preventing me from getting caught up writing anything while there was more going on in the video. Double-checking this system by watching the video twice and then creating notes on what I saw also helped me be as accurate in my observations as possible. In my group’s discussion on our shared findings, I noticed that at least 3 of us used a very similar, if not the same system, in tracking our results: using tallies based on the assigned questions of the course. It seemed we all went for something that was simple, ensured accuracy, and non-distracting, allowing us to focus more on what was occurring in the classroom real time, rather than what was on our paper. Something really interesting I learned from the group discussion on the shared findings was that despite male students, on average, seeming to be more “involved” in classrooms and the displayal of knowledge (answering and asking more questions, called upon more often, blurting out answers), the female students were more attentive and on-task. I find this extremely interesting as I believe it speaks to the difference in socialization of male and female children, primarily in their contrasting confidence and voice—boys are constantly seeing their achievements and power and being told how powerful they are in society, while girls are encouraged to be modest and humble regarding their achievements, with a society that silences them. Another thing I learned is the importance of noting how many boys and girls there were in each class—I hadn’t even thought about that until a discussion group member included it in their post. This is an important thing to consider and remember as it can really impact the results—for example, my observations found the girls to be more involved in the class, contrasting what we read prior, but the classroom I observed had many more female students—contributing to the results. My findings did not shock me, despite them being a stark contrast to what we are told in Mary Pipher’s Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls”, written in 1994. However, I understand that there are many factors that come into play with these things. The teacher I observed may have turned her classroom into a space where female students feel comfortable to openly participate in classroom discussions without fear of ridicule or judgement—but I recognize that there are many female students throughout the world that do not receive this same treatment. In the classroom I observed, the female students were more active, contributing members of the classroom. They simultaneously answered more questions, were called upon more often, talked with the teacher more often, raised their hands more, called out answers frequently, and seemed to be more on-task (and engaged with the lesson) than their male classmates. The boys of the classroom, however, required more individual assistance and guidance from the teacher, asked more questions, and seemed to be more off-task.

Part 2: Personal Reflection

I went to school in East Vancouver in a generally accepting, progressive, leftist community—at least in comparison to other communities and neighborhoods I’ve heard of in Metro Vancouver. Throughout my years of schooling, both in Elementary school as well as Secondary school, I believed I was extremely lucky to have teachers who cared enough to educate us on many sensitive topics, including topics of sexism, feminism, and misogyny. I was also lucky enough to go to schools with strong female leads and presence in clubs and sports teams, and I grew up with many female members of school administration. I still do believe I am lucky in a sense, as I know things could be much worse, but it seems as though the older I grow, the more I realize how prevalent gender inequality and inequity within the school really was. Although I learned of this oppression from a young age and knew gender inequality and inequity existed, I didn’t quite understand that it could manifest in ways that weren’t so overt. I didn’t start understanding microaggressions and subconscious behaviors of men and boys in the classroom until I grew older, and if I am being completely honest, I am unsure if I am even able to completely recognize and pick up on these harmful behaviours today, due to factors such as socialization. However, looking back on my experiences throughout school, especially Secondary School, I realize how gender inequity has impacted me and my education in ways I have not given much thought to in the past.An experience that has really stuck in my memory and resonated with me as time has passed by is the experience of being one of six female students in my Biology 12 block—a class that was also taught by a male teacher. This experience is almost hard for me to discuss, because I now realize it’s an experience where I was complacent, accepting even, of misogyny unknowingly. It’s an instance that I allowed to happen and laughed along as if I weren’t the target. This is the instance of the “offended” reaction I got from the boys, and potentially even the teacher, of my Biology 12 class when I received a higher grade. Some background information (that does not justify their behavior whatsoever) is that I was an extremely stereotypical “girly girl”, and I was quite close to a group of male students in the class. Sometimes I wonder if these are reasons that contributed to this treatment, however I recognize that women are belittled for simply existing. In class, I sat at their table, I studied with them, and we worked on our assignments and labs together. I was generally weaker in the Sciences and Math in secondary school, which led me to somewhat lean on others for support as well as ask many questions. Despite my understanding of Biology being on a “lower” level in comparison, I worked extremely hard throughout the course, putting what felt like more effort into that one course than all my other courses combined. This effort really paid off, especially in the third term, as we got results for a test back and had found I had done better than the rest of them. However, it was like this threatened them. Immediately, they started making jokes about how it was because of the help they gave me and about how I “needed” them in Biology. Even the teacher made a comment ,jokingly asking me which one of the boys helped me study for the test. This especially offended me, as this spoke to how he gauged my intelligence as a student. I laughed along and even made a couple jokes of my own, but I knew it felt wrong. I felt hurt and offended. The initial excitement of the high grade faded to anxiety and feelings of unworthiness. I questioned my own intelligence—Was I smart? Did I really need those boys? Did I come off as unintelligent in class? I was dwelling on these classes for the entire period and for quite some time following. It did not help that throughout the class, they volunteered me to answer questions I did not know and participate in classroom demonstrations I did not fully understand. After that class, I felt very anxious and on-edge sitting there. I tried to avoid the spotlight at all costs. I never let these boys know how this behaviour and treatment made me feel, because I considered them my friends and I’m unsure if there was any actual malicious intent behind their treatment of me. However, this is a situation that really highlights how normalized the belittling and minimizing of women is in society—it is so normalized that men, including the newer generation of men, can hardly recognize when they are the ones perpetuating this.

Reflection:

I included the Week 10 Progress Log because it really helped me understand what makes a classroom run smoothly and successfully while allowing me to reflect back on how the classrooms I grew up in were run. I was able to point out positives and negatives, what worked and what didn’t. This is an effective skill to have, because as a teacher, the sooner you find out something will not work or is not working, the better. If classroom rules are effective, more time can be spent on real teaching, learning, and educational conversations. I think about the time wasted in my classrooms growing up for scolding's and lectures, and I think about how time invested into the creation of effective classroom rules could have saved us time. I included this in my portfolio because I think this Progress Log activity was extremely educational and useful, as I was able to apply real-life experiences to the effective classroom rules discussed. I included the Week 11 Peer Interaction task because I think ensuring the comfort of my students in the class is something I have learned a lot about throughout this Module. I am a strong believer that the classroom belongs to the students just as much as it belongs to the teacher, therefore the teacher should put effort into making sure it is an environment that each student feels comfortable, both physically and emotionally, in. However, I was unsure how I would be able to effectively ensure comfort for students. Luckily, doing this Peer Interaction Task as well as reading the responses from my group members really helped me in understanding how to make the classroom a place of comfort for my students. Lastly, I included Assignment 3: Observation on Gender Equity in The Classroom. I included this assignment because I think it was interesting to read about and explore modes of observation that I could potentially use in the future to observe gender equity in my classroom. I also found this assignment extremely useful and necessary, as I have seen and experienced instances of gender inequity in the classroom and how these instances affect how students learn.

I think the Week 10 Progress Log task was one of the most helpful, eye-opening activities I did in this course. I believe that using past classroom experiences to reflect on the Effective Classroom Rules allowed me to create a deeper understanding of why certain rules work out more than others. I really enjoyed reflecting back on my past classroom experiences with a bit of a more critical lens as it allowed me to also reflect on things such as classroom dynamics, student behaviour, and student-teacher relationships. It is very interesting to be able to look back on past Educators, both ones I found amazing and ones I found average, and have my view of my experience in their classroom changes. Because I have developed an understanding as to why and how certain classroom environments were either positive or negative, I now know better ways to approach rule-making in the classroom. This Peer Interaction Task of Week 11 was very useful to me, as it opened my eyes to how I approach work. I tend to look at things on a “big picture” scale, when I know I should be focusing on more important, fine details. This was evident in that I struggled a bit with envisioning the fine details of my future classroom. I have always had much more general, vague ideas regarding the layout, look, and design of my classroom. Though my response to the Peer Interaction task does not reflect this, after having some time to look back on my response, it has really opened my eyes and made me realize that I need to be much more specific when thinking of things such as comfort in the classroom. As the comfort of my students will be of utmost importance, I must put sufficient time into the cultivation of this space. For example, a deeper, more reflective answer could talk about my classroom ideas such as the inclusion of quiet, separate work spaces, an art (self expression through drawing, writing, painting) corner, and the option of stools as well as a carpet. After reflecting on this response, I recognize the need for a change in how specific I am when addressing topics that require creative and critical thinking and am working on that.

Assignment 3: Observation on Gender Equity in the classroom was extremely useful, educating, and interesting. I feel as though it also made me experience growth and development. I have experienced growth in how I notice inequity. Prior to answering the questions given to me for this assignment, I always thought of instances of inequity in the classroom as very obvious—if there is inequity in the classroom, the teacher will notice it quickly (ex: a male student calling a female student stupid). However, I now realize this is not the case. As a teacher, I need to go beyond and ask the questions and make the observations that will lead me to noticing gender disparities regarding participation and performance. As a teacher, I need to make sure the oppressed group (female students) feel comfortable and as though their experience in my classroom has been fair. Something I am in the processing of developing is other modes of observation I could use. Yes, the tallying system I used did give me accurate results, but as gender equity is something I plan to definitely measure multiple times throughout the school year with my classes, I need to have other ways of observation. Additionally, all students are different, so one mode that provides me with accurate findings for one class one year may not work with another in a different year. I think another interesting tool that could be used to observe gender equity is the pairing/grouping of male and female students to observe their dynamics in how they work with one another (how they approach work, how they speak to each other, etc).

Overall, this Module provided me a lot of insight into the hard work and effort it takes to truly make your classroom a comfortable, safe space. It taught me the importance of these spaces and the impact one’s environment has on their learning experiences and I like that we used some of our own thoughts, feelings, and experiences to come to an understanding of this importance.

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chloegrayportfolio · 3 years

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Week 4: Important Peer Editing Task

Assignment Questions for Intuitive Students:

How did the tone of the opening affect how you read this story?

How did you feel towards the Old Man? Did your view of him change at all throughout the story?

What did you think of the unnamed narrator? How did his actions make you feel? Did your opinion of him remain constant throughout the story?

How did the narrator’s hatred of the eye make you feel?

How did you feel when you finished the story? Was the ending what you expected it to be? Discuss why or why not.

Assignment Questions for Sensing Students:

Discuss what information is given to the reader in the opening.

What is the reason for the narrator’s hatred of the old man?

Create a detailed description of the unnamed narrator based on what we have read. A minimum of five adjectives required.

Create a detailed description of the Old Man based on what we have read. A minimum of five adjectives required.

In three to five sentences, explain what happened at the end of the story.

Feedback

“Hi Chloe! Your assignment looks very detailed and well organized! I noticed there are a few more questions for the intuitive students, maybe it would be better to have the assignments be equal in terms of questions being asked. I like the fourth question for the intuitive students because they can use their imagination to come up with a completely different ending. For question one on the sensing student’s assignments, maybe instead of saying “discuss what information is given to the reader in the opening,” you could say, “give me 2-3 examples from the text regarding the information the reader is given in the opening. Discuss your ideas.” Personally as a sensing student, it would allow me to first find the examples and then discuss it. Rather than being stuck on what I should be looking for. Just a thought though!”

Revision

Assignment Questions for Intuitive Students:

How did the tone of the opening affect how you read this story?

Did your opinion of the Old Man remain static or change throughout the story? Explain.

How did the unnamed Narrator’s actions make you feel?

How did the narrator’s hatred of the eye make you feel?

Was the ending what you expected it to be? Discuss why or why not.

Assignment Questions for Sensing Students:

Using a minimum of 3 pieces of evidence from the text, what information is the reader given in the opening paragraph?

What is the reason for the narrator’s hatred of the old man?

Create a detailed description of the unnamed narrator based on what we have read. A minimum of five adjectives required.

Create a detailed description of the Old Man based on what we have read. A minimum of five adjectives required.

In three to five sentences, explain what happened at the end of the story.

Reflection

This was honestly a very interesting and refreshing activity. Growing up, I do not remember receiving any options regarding the analysis of text. All students in class received the exact same assignment and questions. This reflects a positive change in our education system—the accommodation of different learning types in school.

The feedback I got from my peers also helped me. As an intuitive student myself, I did not see much of an issue with the questions or the amount of questions. However, it was important that the inequality between the questions for intuitive and sensing students was pointed out to me, as I know it would be unfair to expect the intuitive students to do more, and disrespectful to give the sensing students less. This assignment really helped me to acknowledge potential learning and/or teaching biases I carry, develop a deeper understanding of how sensing students work, and helped me understand perspectives while teaching and creating assignments. I have to remember that my students are not me, and assignments, lessons, and questions that I would be okay with and would work for may not have the same effect on my students.

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chloegrayportfolio · 3 years

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Module Three - The Classroom As A Place To Be

Week 10 Progress Log

Week 11 Peer Interaction Task

The settings where I feel most comfortable are my bedroom, the forest, and near-empty grocery stores with poor lighting. What makes me feel comfortable in these settings is how familiar they are to me. If I spend enough time in one place, it ends up feeling like part of a routine, which really comforts me. I am attracted to quiet, dimly-lit settings. Settings that I can be alone in and settings that are familiar to me. I don't like being in brightly-lit, loud, unfamiliar settings. They make me uncomfortable, unable to relax. However, quiet settings allow me to focus on my thoughts, dimly-lit settings don't irritate and distract my eyes, and familiar settings ease feelings of anxiety. I like clutter if it's familiar clutter. I like the clutter of my bedroom and my friends bedrooms, but I have always hated being in cluttered classrooms, vehicles, or workplaces. It makes me feel distracted and uncomfortable. Ugly settings also make me feel distracted and uncomfortable. unable to focus or relax. The setting I consider to be most appropriate for learning is quiet but not completely silent, open (non-cramped), and finds a balance between boring and overpowering. The reasons for this are: Quiet settings allow students to listen to themselves think and focus, but I have found (from my own experience and the experiences of my peers) that completely silent settings can feel stressful and uncomfortable. Additionally, I know many students were less likely to ask for help in a completely silent classroom, as it felt much more "obvious" and embarrassing. I believe in an open classroom layout because it's beneficial for the teacher and student to see each other. Also, this layout would encourage classroom interaction and discussion. The balance between boring and overpowering is in referral to how I have seen classrooms decorated throughout the year. I believe it's important to have posters reminding students of grammar rules and their potential, but I have seen classrooms with far too many of these posters—leading the classroom to appear as cluttered or busy, distracting the students. A strong opinion I have is that I believe the setup of a "typical" classroom does more negative than positive for the classroom. When I say "typical classroom", I am envisioning a brightly lit classroom with single-file desks. The reason why I believe this setup does more negative to a class/student is because it makes the classroom feel more cramped/pack and less open, and it can also feel very lonely that way. I have always preferred looking at the faces of my classmates and teachers, as well as the open space of the classroom—when students are staring at the back of another child's head for over an hour, it can get pretty boring. Additionally, as a teacher I would not like single-file desks as I would not be able to see all my students clearly throughout the lesson/day. Yes, I would allow my students to sit where they want in my classroom. Of course, this privilege would be taken away with the presence of bad or off-task behavior, or issues such as exclusion or alienation, but at the beginning of the year, I would place trust in all my students to make the right decision and be able to self-regulate. I want them to have freedom and fun in the classroom—not feel controlled and constricted. No, I wasn't surprised by any of my answers as I have given a lot of thought to this before and am firm on my beliefs about healthy, effective learning environments.

Assignment 3: Gender Equity in the Classroom

Part 1: Summary of Observations

Part 2: Personal Reflection

Reflection:

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