The goal for my future classroom is to keep students engaged in my class and to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment. Teaching students can be challenging and frustrating at times while also being full of joy and excitement. I believe that every student is capable of learning with the right motivation from teachers, parents, and others in the community. It is my responsibility, as a teacher, to be aware of the learning theories and motivational techniques in order for students to succeed in my classroom. My students deserve my time and full attention while I am at school so they can reach their full potential. A few ways I will keep my students engaged is through group work, classroom discussions, and integrating technology. When students are able to work collaboratively with others to solve a problem, that is a success. Group work creates a way for students to talk about what they are learning which will help each student learn better. (What are the benefits of group work? - Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation - Carnegie Mellon University) A lot of the group work will include real-world problems so my students can apply the learning in my class outside class. Classroom discussions are another way to keep students engaged in the classroom. At the beginning of the year, I realize I will have to lead a lot of the discussions. However, by the end of the year, my hope is that students will be able to lead classroom discussions by asking their own questions and answering them on their own. I will help them get to this point by asking open-ended questions and also by encouraging the student to seek answers that may, at first, seem impossible. The last way students will stay engaged in my classroom is through technology. I believe technology will help my students succeed in the highly technological-based economy in which we live. Using technology will allow me, as a teacher, to reach all different types of learners and assess student understanding in many different ways. A key component for a classroom is also to create a safe and comfortable learning environment. If students don’t feel safe in my classroom, they won’t be able to learn effectively. One way to create a safe learning environment is to use preventative and supportive behavior techniques instead of only corrective behavior techniques. I will do this, for instance, by reinforcing and celebrating good behavior with classroom rewards. It is also important to me that the students, as well as their parents, feel comfortable approaching me with any problems they might be having in the classroom. I also believe parental involvement is key in creating a safe and comfortable learning environment. To promote this, I will stay in contact with parents on a regular basis. I will also encourage parents to contact me concerning any problems their student might be having so I can address the problem as soon as possible. From my educational experiences, I have seen how crucial motivation from peers and role models is for personal growth. I believe personal motivation is an important thing to have to be successful in this world. As a math teacher, my hope is that my students will develop an appreciation for education in general while also developing an appreciation for math. In addition to that, I hope to prepare my students for their future math classes while also preparing them for life outside the classroom through the use of real-world applications. As a future educator, I understand that my philosophy on teaching and education will change throughout the years but I am definitely open to suggestions and always looking for ways to improve.
What are the benefits of group work? - Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation - Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2015, from https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/benefits.html