By now, you have been interning for three months. How would you finish this sentence? The best strategies and resources I currently use in my classroom … Reflect on the implications of your response. (adapted from York-Barr et al., p. 95)
The best strategies and resources I currently use in my classroom are knowing my students and utilizing a variety of instructional methods. One of the things that the principal at school discussed during in-services this year was how having positive teacher-student relationships, with the teacher knowing each student, helps to improve the quality of learning in the classroom. I talk with my students and try to learn about their lives, whether it is hearing about their part-time jobs, the results of their team’s game the night before, or what they are planning on doing after graduation. It is important that students know that their teacher cares about them, not only as a collective class, but also as individual human beings. This helps to maintain respect from the students. I also think it is important that high school students learn how to interact with adults. They need to know how to have real conversations with adults that do not revolve around a question they have on the content. This is a life skill that all students will need.
I also try to utilize a variety of the instructional methods that I have learned about in my courses at Seattle Pacific University. The more instructional methods that are utilized the better the students will learn. As I use more instructional methods, I incorporate more learning styles into the classroom, which benefits more students in the classroom. Since students learn best in different ways, a variety of instructional strategies acknowledges everyone and does not favor one group of students over another. I want to do whatever I can to help every student learn, that means using a variety. In addition, more instructional methods means the students see more variety in the classroom. This variety may include bringing in a guest speaker, using the department netbooks, looking at magazine articles, or listening to a podcast. Finally, all of this variety keeps the students engaged in their education because they get to share in new learning experiences, which is often exciting.
