As my student-teaching experience comes to a close,
I reflect on my ability to recognize aspects of Danielson’s Framework for Teaching in all of my interactions with students, colleagues, and families. Several aspects of each domain are apparent in my implementation of instruction and establishment of a culture for learning, but I seem to focus and reflect on my ability to meet the expectations of some components more so than others. I believe I do so because I cherish the ability to influence students through positive interactions that have favorable emotional connections. As I have learned through participating in this program, life-long learning occurs when positive emotions and real-world scenarios are connected to instructional outcomes. The components that I focused on most evidently were component 1b
of domain 1, demonstrating knowledge of students, establishing an environment of respect and rapport, component 2a of domain 2, component 3e of domain 3, demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness, and communicating with families, component 4c of domain 4.
Looking back on the daily interactions in the classroom, a few students have made an immense impression on me and empowered me to truly synthesize each component, especially the components I mentioned above. I have written about Mac in a previous post, but I would like to elaborate on how he assisted me in realizing that teaching is not just about instruction, but knowing how to reach students in a manner that only speaks to his or her specific needs. Mac has autism, he is very bright, but unable to communicate his opinions, thoughts, and intelligences as other students are able. Mac literally gets trapped in his head and physically repeats the episodes he replays in his head, causing him to become distracted and distract his classmates. Mac helped me dig deep and see beyond the distraction to find strategies to help him relate to instructional concepts as well as make connections with his classmates. Through the use of manipulatives like Legos, Play Doh, and texturized, colorful objects, Mac was able to focus on instruction (for short intervals) and take his attention away from the episodes in his head. Furthermore, Mac found an outlet to communicate his knowledge creatively and constructively. As a bonus, these manipulatives also helped me to foster better communication and collaboration among all students in the classroom, enabled me to encourage the students to be active participants in the learning process, while making instruction dynamic and engaging.
I reflect on my ability to recognize aspects of Danielson’s Framework for Teaching in all of my interactions with students, colleagues, and families. Several aspects of each domain are apparent in my implementation of instruction and establishment of a culture for learning, but I seem to focus and reflect on my ability to meet the expectations of some components more so than others. I believe I do so because I cherish the ability to influence students through positive interactions that have favorable emotional connections. As I have learned through participating in this program, life-long learning occurs when positive emotions and real-world scenarios are connected to instructional outcomes. The components that I focused on most evidently were component 1b
of domain 1, demonstrating knowledge of students, establishing an environment of respect and rapport, component 2a of domain 2, component 3e of domain 3, demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness, and communicating with families, component 4c of domain 4.
Looking back on the daily interactions in the classroom, a few students have made an immense impression on me and empowered me to truly synthesize each component, especially the components I mentioned above. I have written about Mac in a previous post, but I would like to elaborate on how he assisted me in realizing that teaching is not just about instruction, but knowing how to reach students in a manner that only speaks to his or her specific needs. Mac has autism, he is very bright, but unable to communicate his opinions, thoughts, and intelligences as other students are able. Mac literally gets trapped in his head and physically repeats the episodes he replays in his head, causing him to become distracted and distract his classmates. Mac helped me dig deep and see beyond the distraction to find strategies to help him relate to instructional concepts as well as make connections with his classmates. Through the use of manipulatives like Legos, Play Doh, and texturized, colorful objects, Mac was able to focus on instruction (for short intervals) and take his attention away from the episodes in his head. Furthermore, Mac found an outlet to communicate his knowledge creatively and constructively. As a bonus, these manipulatives also helped me to foster better communication and collaboration among all students in the classroom, enabled me to encourage the students to be active participants in the learning process, while making instruction dynamic and engaging.