Final Exam: An Agenda for Action

1. My vision for Secondary Schooling in the 21st century probably does not fit as well with what most would see in the coming decades. Though I find some of the newer practices in education to be very insightful, promising and useful, I do not see a wholesale restructuring in the near future. My vision is not to be so radical that I don't fit in anywhere, but to work with the existing systems to make my personal classroom more student and community centered. Technology will become appropriate for certain projects, but I don't feel is a fair reflection of many careers these students will enter when they exit high school. I want students to be capable young men and women, who know how to utilize technology, people, books, and their environment to make changes in the world. Personal interaction with other students, character development and relevant material I believe are three of my strongest values, and I hope to incorporate them into all of my classes, so that students know how to have meaningful and effective relationships with others, both in and out of career settings. I also want to hold high standards for their learning and behavior in my class, so that they too might believe that they are capable of great things.

2. I already have a lesson in mind to make the content they are learning in class real and valuable. I want to ask a guest speaker to come in and talk to us about what it was like to live in the 30s a few blocks from Al Capone. This lady is going to be 100 in July and has experienced a wealth of life. Making the content real, but using a real person to retell what it was like to actually live in that time would be a powerful statement to the students about the significance of their learning. In addition, I want to ask the students to write thank you notes to the speaker, practicing professional relationship skills, and giving back to community members. I feel that guest speakers really help to foster this kind of vision that I have for the future, and I'm excited about getting started on this in this semester's clinical practice. I fear that they might not take it very seriously, or ask questions that are unrelated, immature, or otherwise cause the speaker to feel unwelcome. My hope is that it will be a powerful lesson that will transform how they approach history and their education in general.

3. I think in order to see my vision through I will need to really work on providing a safe, fun and energetic learning environment. Students respond well to teachers who are engaging, passionate and have a good sense of humor. This might mean having a strong syllabus, managing the classroom well, preparing engaging and differentiated lessons, and learning about my students needs and interests. My goal in the first two years is to earn the reputation as a teacher who is reliable, caring, compassionate, energetic, fair, and holds high expectations for my students. I want my students to know that I am their advocate, and that no matter what else is going on in their lives they will know that my classroom is safe, much is learned, and they leave motivated and empowered to be more with themselves.

4. I think that one action I hope I never lose is my ability to reflect and be flexible with the changing times. I will get older, and maybe not have the same energy I had in my 20s, but I always want to be looking to see how I can make the material fun, engaging and relevant. This means asking colleagues to observe my instruction and providing me with constructive feedback, collaborating with all teachers on best practices, and most of all, really taking a valid interest in my students. I feel that the best way to continue enjoying my job, and staying focused on the students is to talk with them every class. Whether that be about sports, clubs, news, music, movies, ..etc. The point is to always realize that these students are persons first and foremost.

5. Three Plans of Action:
-#2 This Clinical Practice
Action: Guest Speaker
Category: Powerful Teaching
I believe that bringing the content to life and embodied in a person who's been through it all, really solidifies the relevance to students, makes the content "stick", and pulls in community members to justify the content's relevance outside of the classroom.

-#3 First Two Years Teaching
Action: Build Classroom Rapport and Community
Category: Comprehensive Support for All Students
I believe that the greatest way to support students is to know them, acknowledge them, and show them that you care. I want to establish this through really taking time each class to get to know my students on a more personal level, and always trying to relate to the things they struggle with as teenagers. This will be my greatest strength in getting students to work hard in class, participate, and become engaged in their own education and development as a future citizen.

-#4 Later in My Career
Action: Reflecting on Practices and Learning New Techniques
Category: Comprehensive Accountability and Assessment
I feel that continually reviewing how I am teaching, and its effectiveness will allow me to stay afloat as a teacher, manage positive and energetic classrooms, and develop as a professional. Asking other teachers to observe me and provide constructive criticisms, as well as listening to what the students need is important in continually shaping my success and achievement as a teacher.