Focus Point Four - Cultural Awareness and the Urban Community

Competency 002 - The teacher understands student diversity and knows how to plan learning experiences and design assessments that are responsive to differences among students and that promote all students’ learning.

Interpretation - The teacher utilizes her knowledge of the diverse culture and learning needs within her classroom to plan lessons and assessments which will encourage acceptance and provide learning experiences for all students.

Process - Special Needs Checklist - Hand-out (Mathematics-Dr. Connell)

Summary – This is a checklist to assist teachers who are teaching Math to students who have special learning needs.  These are invaluable suggestions for different actions to be taken depending on the area of difficulty the student may be having.  Although this is a checklist structured primarily for Mathematics, I feel there are certain suggestions which can be utilized or modified as necessary for guidelines in any subject. 

Rationale/Reflection – I chose this checklist as evidence for this competency as it relates to the issue of special learning needs students covered under this competency.  I feel certain guideline suggestions can be modified to help English as a second Language learner in the classroom as well.  I strongly feel all efforts are to be put forth in order to insure learning success for all students in the classroom.  This teaching competency is very important in our global world of today.  Every classroom is a global community within itself and it is up to me as a teacher to assist every student to the best of my ability.  I can do this by using special activities, checklists, and a wide strategy of teaching methods in my classrooms; in this way I give all students more than one opportunity for learning success.

Product - Assisting Diverse Learning Students in the Classroom (Reflection-Mrs. Cook’s 3^rd grade class)

Summary – This observation was written as documentation to cover on-going activities and discussions in the classroom throughout my first six weeks rotation in Mrs. Cook’s classroom.  I learned a great deal observing and talking with Mrs. Cook and Mr. Griggs in regards to teaching resource students and those with learning challenges.  I am especially grateful for the different websites and tools shared with me by Mr. Griggs.

Rationale/Reflection - I chose this observation due to its importance in the classrooms of today.  There are guidelines and requirements mandating students with special needs be included in public schools and be given the same level of learning opportunities.  I feel any assistance and guidance given to me as a beginning teacher to be critical to my future success in teaching students with diverse learning needs.  I feel not all information can be learned through college classroom instruction and the opportunity to learn in the classroom and with professional educators to be invaluable to me.  I am grateful for the time and energy Mrs. Cook and Mr. Griggs shared with me in furthering my hands-on knowledge regarding diverse learning needs students.    

Performance - Student “Reading Interest Inventory”  (Mrs. Cook’s 3^rd grade student)

Summary – The reading interest inventory is a tool used to evaluate different students’ personal hobbies and reading interests.  This is also used to obtain an idea of how much time is spent reading or watching movies and television.  The inventory gives the teacher insight into what level of reading the student may be at or if the student likes or dislikes reading in general.