Rationale
This child observation of “Alexander” was the culminating project of EDU 549, Educational Psychology & Classroom Management. It has been chosen as an artifact for proposition 1 because it demonstrates the depth of understanding about a single student that is required to design success in the classroom for every student.
Reflection
Every student is unique, but all students can learn. Tailoring instruction to make learning equitable as opposed to equal requires that teachers understand each learner’s constellation of needs. To arrive at this understanding, a teacher should be familiar with each student’s sphere of actuality--their background, plight, and perspective, as well as their strengths and weaknesses as a learner.
My mentor teacher and many of the other members of the faculty at Berwick Academy made a point to tell me what a golden opportunity this observational study was. At the time, I was under a bit of pressure to simply keep up with the workload, but I now see more clearly the rare nature of this opportunity to ponder one student so intently. It will be my aim as an educator to be familiar with the details of my students’ lives and their individual situations as learners so that I can be responsive to their needs.
This child observation of “Alexander” was the culminating project of EDU 549, Educational Psychology & Classroom Management. It has been chosen as an artifact for proposition 1 because it demonstrates the depth of understanding about a single student that is required to design success in the classroom for every student.
Reflection
Every student is unique, but all students can learn. Tailoring instruction to make learning equitable as opposed to equal requires that teachers understand each learner’s constellation of needs. To arrive at this understanding, a teacher should be familiar with each student’s sphere of actuality--their background, plight, and perspective, as well as their strengths and weaknesses as a learner.
My mentor teacher and many of the other members of the faculty at Berwick Academy made a point to tell me what a golden opportunity this observational study was. At the time, I was under a bit of pressure to simply keep up with the workload, but I now see more clearly the rare nature of this opportunity to ponder one student so intently. It will be my aim as an educator to be familiar with the details of my students’ lives and their individual situations as learners so that I can be responsive to their needs.