Record- For Teaching Elementary Science 371 a big focus over the semester was not just

science but about racial inequity and how we as educators need to reach all learners. This
theme was demonstrated in the midterm and final papers where I dug into what external
factors could be holding students back from learning. My midterm paper Eliciting Students
Thinking and Reflection for Racism I reflected on how to help all students from all backgrounds,
ethnicities, ability and socioeconomic status to have equitable opportunities for learning in my
classroom. Specifically, I talked about how important it is to be prepared and equipped to
teach students of all backgrounds by getting to know them, keeping an open mind and always
being willing to grow. By incorporating their backgrounds into the classroom then students can
learn from one another through their differences and similarities. For my Tch and Lrn 371 Final
Equity in Science Teaching I focused on my teaching being exploration based and full of hands
on learning opportunities to reach all different kinds of learners from all backgrounds.
Specifically, in this paper when I focused on the prior knowledge all students bring into the
classroom and how that can influence their learning in science and even across all other
subjects.
Reflect- These assignments really allowed me to reflect on how to include all learners in the
classroom by recognizing their pasts and external factors that they have been subjected to that
can influence their prior knowledge and life experiences that they will bring into the classroom
with them. Prior knowledge relates to ELL students because if a student comes into my
classroom from another part of the world, their funds of knowledge, experiences and customs
could be similar to that of the United States but there is a good chance that there are many
differences that I will need to be accommodating and understanding of. If I were to re-do these
assignments now a few months later after having new life experiences and being more familiar
with these topics, I would be sure to include more about the student’s families. I focused a lot
on students regarding their backgrounds and prior knowledge, both of which include their
families which I did not specifically mention which I should have. Each student based on their
circumstances may have more that I as an educator need to advocate for and I feel prepared
and willing to do so.
Analyze- These assignments are great examples of how I as an educator plan to always grow
with my students to include everyone and advocate for ELL students. To make these papers
more relevant and inclusive of ELL students I could elaborate even more about student’s prior
knowledge and how that is influenced from their background and other external factors as this
applies to ELL students and is something we as educators always need to be conscious of with
all students. Specifically, these papers relate to competency 3.I and advocating for families
because I as an educator understand that I will not always have the answers, so it is my job to
learn and grow with my students to best serve them. This might look like training days at
school, getting to know students and families and their unique needs or conversations with
other educators. Advocating for students and their families might look like including families in
the classroom and having them share something with the class, fighting for all students to have
supports that fit their needs and programs that are well maintained, community outreach and
attending school board meetings to discuss important topics.
Act- Going forward I as an educator need to be ready to continue my learning and growth in
order to properly serve all students who walk through my classroom door. I will need to always
think of what students are bringing into the classroom to be inclusive and a good advocate for
my students and their learning experiences. Anticipating their needs and adapting when new
information is presented or when things change is crucial as a teacher as things so often can
change in the blink of an eye.