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Final Reflective Grade
This semester has been a phenomenal experience for me. I have experienced classroom situations
that have stretched my abilities as a teacher and intensified my passion for teaching. I have internalized many concepts,
ideas and strategies that will benefit me in the future of my career. I have experienced great days that were flawless and
also those days that were riddled with flaws. I have come from both of these situations with a better understanding of what
works and what does not. I have had the opportunity to know the amazing students of Ms. Finch’s classroom and they have
taught me more than they will ever know. I have put my heart into preparing our meetings and then reflective afterwards to
gain better insight to those meetings. I have come away from this semester more knowledgeable, more understanding and better
equipped for my future classroom. I have worked hard all semester to become the best teacher I can, and I believe I have worked
at an A+ level through out the semester.
Course Strands:
Communication:
The communication skills that have evolved throughout the semester has been nothing less than
amazing. At the beginning of the semester, I did not know any of the other students in our class, and now, new friendships
have merged through our literature rich life, collaboration through teaching and a shared passion for teaching. Communication
began with simple chats about the books we have read, which in turn began the sharing of books that each of us loved and yearned
to share. We have shared insights, opinions, and ideas with one another during our discussions. We have talked endlessly of
books, our experiences with our literacy circles, and giving of advice for situations we were facing in those circles. This
only encompasses the growing verbal aspect of communication I have experienced in this course.
I have also grown in my written communication throughout this semester as I have continually
reflected on each of my experiences with the literature circles and in planning for those circles. I have found that this
form of communication is vital for internalizing and thinking critically of those events to make each following encounter
better than the last. It has given me the opportunity to analyze which ideas benefit the students and those that do not. I
have also found that by looking through my previous entries, how the group I was working with influenced what worked for them
specifically. It is all dependent on those personalities that are involved for something to work. It does not all rely on
one good idea, because there are so many out there, it has to be good for the people who are contributing.
This insight is invaluable for my future career’s tool box. In addition to this, I know
that my personal insights that I form and post to this website is available for any and all to read and comment on. I have
always been a very private person, and having this experience has been difficult but also liberating. Having this form of
communication is one of the most vulnerable forms for me, and yet I have found a sense of comfort ability in it, as I know
I am surrounded by supporting colleges. I am hopeful that the future holds this growing sense of a supportive learning community.
With these experiences as tools in my tool box, I know I will continue to grow and become better and better with this form
of communication.
Research / Content:
Research is a fundamental key to learning and teaching I have found. As I walked in to this class,
I was lost with the various genres and literary components. I have performed enormous amounts of research throughout the semester
to understand all of it. Before this course, I believed that research was only done with the computer via the internet or
through books. I now understand that research is available through many other forms as well. I have found that individuals
with the knowledge I seek is the most readily available form, as well as most enjoyable. My instructors, co-operating teachers,
and peers are a wealth of knowledge as everyone has an area of expertise and are willing to share there wisdom with an unequaled
zest.
As this semester has submerged me into the world of children’s literature, I have found
that everyone has a favorite author an illustrator, and I have found mine. I have simply fallen in love with the works of
Robert Munsch and Eric Carle. In turn, I have sought out their books and have since acquired four Munsch books and two Carle
books for my personal library after researching these authors. Having this better understanding of who the author is has made
my connection to their works deeper and more meaningful.Before this semester, I paid minimal attention to authors and illustrators,
never less seeking out certain works. Now I scan the book shelves in the stores I enter looking for more to add to my library.
Having performed the research I did this semester has helped me to appreciate children’s
literature in a new way. I can not simply state that only my research has benefited me however, because my peers in this course
have also conducted their own research and have shared their new found knowledge with me as well. I would not have the deep
understanding of the various literature genres and concepts if my peers had not thoroughly conducted their research and shared
with me. I owe my classmates a big round of applause for teaching me and adding to my bank of knowledge. Thank you to all
of you in children’s literature this semester! Because of each of you, I am more knowledgeable and connected to children’s
literature.
Further more, I have conducted research on literature circles, strategies, and ideas to benefit
my students. With this research our literature circle has benefited through the good experiences and the poor experiences.
The students were also their own form of research for me. I was able to delve into their world to gain a better understanding
of the world they are living in, how they deal with that world and how their minds interpret the texts we have read. I was
also able to see the vast differences in each student and how they handle text and make connections. This first hand research
has been incredible with the reflections I have done. I have found that looking in a book is valuable, but having the personal
experience of research with the students, instructors, and my peers has been invaluable.
Technology:
Technology has played a very important role in my education this
semester. I have found myself using technology frequently for research, communicating, collaborating, and reflecting on my
experiences. I have found tripod to be a wonderful tool for all of these purposes. As I have maintained this website over
the course of the semester, I have become very fond of the structure and will use this in the future. The interactive features
are very beneficial for both the creator and the observer of the website. I have enjoyed using the comments section of the
interactive feature because I was able to ask for feedback and receive exactly that. The technology I have used in this course
has been supplemented from the microcomputers course I am currently in. Through that class I have had the opportunity to grasp
how much technology is available, how it is rapidly evolving, how to use such technology, and the potential of using technology
in the classroom.
With the knowledge and experience of using technology for the classroom
as well as in the classroom, I have experimented with technology with our literature circle. The students have laptops that
are ready at all times and having the opportunity of this, we conducted web quests, research and simple searches about the
texts we have read. In addition to the students using technology, I made information available to them via tripod of plenty
of interesting facts, photos and other tidbits that were simply a link away. The feedback I have received from the students
about having this information accessible has been wonderful. The students love having it at their fingertips, and they know
they can talk about it with understanding from the rest of the group because everyone has access to the exact same links.
Collaboration:
Before this semester, I had never had a truly equal collaboration with a partner or
group like I have experienced. Collaborating with Rebekah and Tammie for our literature circle has been a wonderful experience.
Each one of us possesses unique ideas and has found a sounding board in one another. I love hearing their ideas and opinions
on how we should continue our circles. They share their insights and introduce avenues that I have not considered. I know
our collaboration has had an equal amount of contribution from each member and for this our students have had a successful
and distinctive literature circle experience. The support from my peers in this course has made a tremendous impact on my
learning experience in collaborating. I know if there is an issue that arises from our circle, we can sit down and work through
it and make it work. We have had to do this and coming together to create a resolution only made our teamwork more solid.
As I stated in my midterm reflection, I believe that collaboration
has been the single most important aspect of my learning during this semester. Having the skills to collaborate with my classmates,
instructors, and co-operating teachers is a very effective and essential element in becoming a successful teacher. I have
found through collaborating that it is unnecessary to recreate the wheel when those who have had the experiences I am now
walking into are more than willing to lend a hand or an insight that will benefit me. I am grateful to walk away from this
course with the experience of collaborating effectively and efficiently. I know this will help me tremendously in the future
as well as benefit my students. I am extremely grateful and feel very blessed that I was fortunate to have these experiences
and walk into my future with the skills and tools I have gathered from these collaborations.
Five Dimensions of Learning:
Confidence
and Independence:
Throughout the course of the semester I have grown in many ways as a student
and teacher. I have experienced working with small students and big students. I now have firsthand knowledge of which strategies
work for me and my style and those that do not. I have also learned that the experiences I have had were greatly influenced
by those people around me. I have been very blessed to have had these experiences with positive eager students, peers and
teachers. Due to this richly supportive learning community my confidence and independence has grown significantly.
In the beginning I was scared in the most basic way, the students
were terrifying! I was sure the eighth graders would see right through my façade of confidence and eat me alive. Those students
may have seen through it but they didn’t even growl. They were patient and eager to join the group which helped me plan
for our meetings. Having their enthusiasm was like a breath of fresh air and with each meeting my confidence grew. I have
had the ability to look at my confidence and independence mature by simply looking over my lesson plans and reflections. I
am inspired by the fact that I have come so far in only one semester. From this I believe that my future courses will continue
to foster this and I will be well prepared when I obtain my own classroom.
I believe the most effective
tool in my box is confidence and the only way to gain this is by having the experience of working with the students. Even
though I have had a few days that was difficult, I walked away thinking “how could I get us back on track? What went
wrong? What did work? Why didn’t this work?” Reflecting on these
experiences and brainstorming on resolving the issues have been more educational than the days that went flawlessly. Being
capable of working through the rough days have been more of a confidence booster than any other day.
The literature circles have developed my sense of independence
throughout the semester as well. In our group, we split up into three smaller groups and created a deep sense of a learning
community in a personal setting. Having three to four students in my group gave me the opportunity to work with students one
on one and learn how to take charge when needed or to let them go at other times. The balance of give and take in the classroom
is a delicate art and I feel as though I have had a good introduction to finding that balance. Rebekah, Tammie and I were
able to have a sense of independence in our groups as well as collaborating with one another as we kept each other abreast
of what we were doing, how it worked and staying on the same page, literally. Having the support to work independently has
greatly increased my confidence in teaching and learning.
Skills
and Strategies:
The skills and strategies
I have acquired during the semester are vast. I have learned how to effectively create lesson plans, construct literature
circles that foster making connections, and reflecting on those experiences. As I learned strategies to implement in our circles
and planned them in the lessons, our experiences became better. These literary
circle strategies will be of great use for the future; however it is not those strategies that have made the largest impact
on me this semester. My group required having spontaneity mixed in with the discussion and we found how to make it work for
us. Having the ability to create a predictable situation that offers the flexibility they need is the best skill I have obtained.
I believe, in order to have an enthusiastic, high energy, learning classroom, the teacher must be aware of the students needs
and meet those needs.
It is well known that children
and teenagers thrive in stable, predictable schedules; however they also need to have the opportunity to throw a twist in
to the routine. This strategy keeps them on their toes and helps the flow of fresh ideas, new perspectives and deeper thinking
along with taking the ownership of their learning experience. I have strived hard to give the students this opportunity. I
am pleased that they embraced having this learning community at their fingertips and flourished beyond any expectations. We
have a scaffolding environment that supports their connections of the text to their lives, the world and within the text as
well as making personal connections between each member of the group.
Bonding with the students is also crucial to the success
of the classroom environment I have found. Allowing yourself to be someone they are able to trust is important. This is done
by letting them know they are important to you, that you believe in them and helping them broaden their limits. It is vital
to know their names and know a fact about them. Having this connection with the
student is not an easy task, however it is the first task that has to be accomplished, I have found. I had to reflect a lot
on this task as I was trying to establish relationships with the students and I found that the teachers who really made an
impact on my life were those who listened to me when I spoke and those that pushed me to be better. Having thought about those experiences helped me in creating a connection with the students.
At the beginning of the semester I felt inadequate with
any skills or strategies for my future career, however; only four months later I have gained an enormous amount of knowledge
that have turned into both skills and strategies. The students were a wonderful asset to learn how to make a learning environment
beneficial and rewarding. Not only did the students gain from this experience, I believe I came out on top! I have a wealth
of knowledge that I did not have before and I am grateful for these experiences. Thank you for allowing us the access to the
students and giving us the freedom to learn from them as well as teach them a thing or two.
Knowledge Content:
I have gained so much knowledge this semester! I am now familiar with the literary genres
and components due to my research, my fellow classmate’s presentations and from reading children’s books. At the
beginning of the semester I was uncomfortable having book talks with my peers and students alike, however as the semester
progressed I have found my self constantly talking about books with everyone and anyone. In the second grade class I have
been working in, I check their reading journals and have made numerous comments on their book choices. From those comments
made, they seek me out during free time to read to me from their favorite books and their own stories. This has made my heart
very happy because I know they can tell that they know we are sharing something special.
The eighth graders we are working with have also helped me become very comfortable with
these book talks. We began with the book we read as a group, and then we have progressed to other book we have read for our
own personal enjoyment and have recommended books to each other. The students who do not read for enjoyment listen intently
and have picked up a book we have discussed. Impacting other student’s literature lives is an amazing feeling. Having
those conversation in their presence has changed how they think about reading because they hear how animated and passionately
we talk about these books. They want to join the discussion; therefore they read more and join us. The students have also
heard me having book talks with the other UNM students and they are eager to hear our choices and let us know which books
they have also read. Having a literature rich world is a door opener like I could never have imagined.
I am very fortunate to live in a world where literature is available to everyone, I have always
understood this has not always been the case. I am empowered through literature and gaining understanding though it. I have
the knowledge that allows me to help others by explaining different genres, elements, components and concepts. Although the
questions I am asked are not in the formal name, having the understanding of each of these allows me to know what the student
is actually asking. I have cleared some of the same misconceptions that I had at the beginning of the semester for the students
I work with and my fellow peers.
Use of Prior Knowledge:
Tapping into one’s prior knowledge is essential to building strong connections of material.
This is the foundation on which a student scaffolds their growing wealth of information, as I have consistently done through
out the last four months. As I started out, I felt as though my prior knowledge was limited as I connected it to teaching.
I have found this to be completely wrong. The best prior knowledge I could bring to this course was being a student myself.
I have reflected more on being a student than any other time in my life.
Being able to connect my experiences in the classroom as a student has benefited me in teaching
students in the classroom. I have drawn on the emotions I felt when similar situations have arose that I have experienced
in the past and made the best I could. I have connected to students in a personal sense because I value their thoughts, opinions
and feelings as I wished an elder would have for me at their age. By drawing on my prior experiences, my students work together
more effectively and openly. Collaborating with my fellow classmates has brought us all closer and sharing our experiences
and prior knowledge. We are a very close group, and tapping into each others knowledge banks has been very supporting. I have
found that teachers and those to be teachers are eager to share advice and tricks. I have said this before and I will say
it again, there is no need to re-create the wheel when support and guidance is readily available. I feel blessed to be part
of this class, and group where we are so ready to lend a hand if one of us needs it.
My prior knowledge of children’s literature was not as scarce as I thought it to be either.
I felt as though I was treading murky water as I entered this class, however, as I trudged deeper into those waters I found
they were clearer than I could have imagined. Instead of finding that I had no idea about children’s literature, I discovered
my passion of reading had given me a wonderful base to build upon. I have rediscovered my favorite authors from my childhood
with a brighter passion and zest. This has led me to grow a better and much fuller home library. Not only did I find authors
within that library, I discovered authors I never knew of that were already there!
Unknowingly I have brought one of the most valuable tools with me into this program, the tool
of drawing on personal experiences and prior knowledge. Reflecting on all the experiences I have had throughout the semester
has allowed me the opportunity to tap into this tool and appreciate it for all that it is worth. I now understand that in
order to be an effective teacher, I must remember how it was to be a student. I have to give them all the opportunities I
was given and those that I was not. Thank you for making the reflections a mandatory aspect of this course. Without reflecting
on the details I feel as though I would have missed out on so many learning opportunities.
Critical Reflection:
I have grown tremendously as a reflective person through out this semester. As I have previously
stated, I am a private person, therefore my reflections was my own personal activity that was not on display for others. As
I was required to post my reflections as a component of maintaining this website, I have grown comfortable sharing my experiences
with others, whether the experience is good, bad or indifferent. I have received feedback that has been beneficial from my
reflections as well. More importantly however, is how I have gained from documenting my experiences through reflecting. Having
this stored and easily accessible to review has been an extraordinary tool for my growth as a future teacher.
Reflecting has allowed me to look critically at the details of each situation, dissect each event
and discover the magic I have felt. I have learned through reflecting how I was able to create a safe, comfortable learning
community with students. I have been able to vent when the meeting went poorly and find the truth behind what upset me when
it went awry. Reading my reflections allowed me to make a game plan to make it work, and because of this tool, I did make
it work. I was able to calm down and learn from the experience and start fresh with a clear head to get the group back on
track. I honestly believe I would have simply beat myself up over my meeting that was a failure if I was not reflecting on
each experience and making lesson plans based on those reflections.
I know in the future I will reflect on my experiences, as I now understand how crucial reflecting
is to being an effective teacher. I am striving to be the best teacher and person that I can be. I want to help guide children
through their learning journey and give them an unparallel experience in my classroom. I believe I can do this with all the
skills, strategies and tools I am gathering during my time as a student in the UNM program. With each passing week I feel
more confident in my devour and passion for teaching. I know life is a learning experience and the journey is never complete,
I have plenty to learn and I look forward to continuing my journey. I have plenty of mentors I have not yet met and people
who are willing to share their wisdom with me. Thank you for all your support, guidance and sharing your great wealth of knowledge
and tools with me through out this semester. I look forward to learning from you in the future!
Suggestions for Future Classes:
For the Students:
Get busy reading early in the semester! My best advice is to start with the genres you tend to
shy away from because of two reasons. The first is you will find genres you never knew you loved and the second, you will
get it out of the way to enjoy your favorites! Also, learn to go with the flow, step out of your comfort zone and simply have
fun! France's is fond of expanding your comfort levels and in the end you will find yourself thanking her! She knows what
she is doing and you will learn a great deal from her. We all hear the key to being a teacher is to be FLEXIBLE, well this
is a wonderful introduction to that. Enjoy the ride, it is extremly entertaining!
For Frances:
Frances...Frances...Frances! How I love your energy and spirit! You are a wonderful teacher and
your enthusiasm is captivating! My only suggesstion for future classes is more feedback. I am the kind of person who likes
to know where I stand. I loved the note with my grade for the midterm. I really enjoyed having an insight of what you
thought of my website, my work with the literature circles and class time with you. It felt very personal and I would
have liked to have more conversations one on one with you.
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