Taylor Gilbert

Application to Student Teaching

March 15th, 2022
Professional Statement

Content/ Pedagogy

Developing a culturally relevant curriculum is also essential when creating a relationship

between real-world concepts. Nasir's (2002) study of middle and high school basketball players

shows compelling results about the impact of culture on students' problem-solving ability. The

study showed that when you use a problem involving interests, the performance is better in both

contextualized and no contextualized problems. The study also highlighted that some students

had mathematics skills teachers didn't know about. "[T]he basketball players possessed

knowledge about averages and percentages that were inaccessible in the math classroom and that

their teachers likely did not know they had" (Nasir et al., 2008, p. 189). You can also tie

mathematic concepts to other concept areas as an educator. As mentioned in class, you could

integrate math into other subject areas. For a kindergarten activity, you could count letters of

spelling words. There are many ways to incorporate mathematics into the real world and other

concepts. As a teacher, you have to be creative in integration.

As a minority educator, I will be more closely connected to my students' culture. In doing

so, I can design a culturally relevant curriculum. This curriculum can link back to the student's

culture, enhancing the learning process. My goal as a teacher is centered on support and

connection with my students. I know teaching the curriculum is essential. However, I feel like

that takes a back seat to supporting my students. I think it's also vital to recognize the needs of

individual students and realize which students need more attention than others. Each student's

needs are different. What one student may need, the other would not. You have to get to know

your students, who can connect to the relationship between the teacher and student. With the
growing increase of dual-income families, children see teachers more than their parents when

working 9-5 jobs. Future and current educators must know the importance of taking parents

taking, especially young children.

As an educator, I will also set expectations for my students that they are all capable of

learning. I think when educators have these high expectations for their students, students feel like

students also feel they are qualified. If a student is struggling with a concept and is questioning if

they are "smart enough to learn" this challenging topic, reaffirm that I believe in them and they

can learn this. As a teacher, I help guide and teach them in whatever possible way. Students

deserve to know that their teacher believes in them and will do my best to help them learn. Not

all students learn the same; having an individualized learning plan for each student is a good idea

for a classroom full of diversity of learners. There are different styles of learning. One student

may be a visual learner and may learn best by seeing/reading charts and diagrams, while the

student sitting at the following table would be a kinesthetic learner. The student learns best

through carrying out activities and using tactile manipulatives. As a successful, I will design a

curriculum that appeals to these learners. No matter what types of learners, all students deserve

and can learn and will learn in my classroom.

As an educator, I will also set expectations for my students that they are all capable of

learning. I think when educators have these high expectations for their students, students feel like

students also feel they are qualified. If a student is struggling with a concept and is questioning if

they are "smart enough to learn" this challenging topic, reaffirm that I believe in them and they

can learn this. As a teacher, I help, guide, and teach them in whatever way possible. Students

deserve to know that their teacher believes in them and will do my best to help them learn. Not

all students learn the same; having an individualized learning plan for each student is a good idea
for a classroom full of diversity of learners. There are different styles of learning. One student

may be a visual learner and may learn best by seeing/reading charts and diagrams, while the

student sitting at the following table would be a kinesthetic learner. The student learns best

through carrying out activities and using tactile manipulatives. As a successful, I will design a

curriculum that appeals to these learners. No matter what types of learners, all students deserve

and can learn and will learn in my classroom.

Critical Thought and Application are the Purposes of Education. Florea & Hurjui, in

"Critical thinking in elementary school children," define critical thinking as "learning to interact

with information actively to bring pros and cons, evaluate them to determine the truth, transform

information and generate new ideas" (2014 p.2). Critical thinking is an important skill to have

when there is incorrect or biased information everywhere. With media today, a child could turn

on the television, open an internet browser, or even skim outdated textbooks and get biased

information.

Classroom Environment

I hope to create an inclusive, caring classroom culture where differences are celebrated.

As a teacher, I would encourage my students to care about their language and each other. This

classroom culture will help students feel included and welcomed. This sense of community also

bonds the students in a typical relationship among all my students. Students should feel like they

belong within my classroom. As a teacher, you can do much to support that sense of belonging.

From field experience, morning meetings can be helpful. You can meet as a classroom

community during this meeting to discuss classroom rules and culture.

As a teacher, I think it's also necessary to make every student feel like they belong in my

classroom. I think it's also crucial for minority students to see representation in their school
system among teachers and administrators. Minority students deserve to feel like they belong in

the classroom just as much as most students. As a future biracial teacher, I will have the

opportunity to connect with my students in a different than some other teachers. Growing up in a

small town in Kentucky, I've only had white teachers. As a young child, my teachers were one of

the first people that I viewed as professional and intelligent. Unconsciously, I, like many

minority students, connected the aspect of intelligence to being white—representation matters.

Representation is why we vote in elections. We want to see the leaders representing us, our

views, and our cultures. Students deserve to know the leader of their classroom that represents

them. Cherng & Halpin (2016) draws on the importance of minority teachers and student

perceptions. The. This article addresses the growing divide between teachers and students,

predominantly minority students and teachers. The study focuses on students' views, particularly

minority students' views of minority vs. white teachers. Utilizing the MET, or Measure of

Effective Teacher, the findings concluded that students generally favor minority teachers over

white teachers. These findings allocate support for minority teachers' recruitment and retention.

Every student should feel like they belong in school. Representation for students of color is not a

privilege or exception. It should be a rule.

Partnerships

In my future classroom, family involvement will be critical. I also believe it is vital to

realize the diversity within families. No two families look precisely the same, so I should

celebrate every family's uniqueness as a teacher. I think it's something that teachers have to be

sensitive to that. I also think it is intentional of the language I use regarding families. Like many

children nowadays, I grew up with my grandparents as my parent, and it was hard hearing

teachers says things like "bring that home to your mom" or "your dad wouldn't be proud." I know
I will be a teacher who is conscientious of that. I also see the importance of asking for help when

needed and being open and transparent with parents about classroom needs. I hope my family

feels welcome and involved when coming into my classroom. Families can bring so much to a

classroom, including valuable information about their child, support, and culture. Families play a

crucial role in the school. I think strong relationships with a family are essential to maximizing

the child's success. I also believe it is vital to realize the diversity within families. As a teacher,

you also have to recognize that you serve parents and the communities. It is crucial to

acknowledge the community that we do as teachers.

Partners are critical when working with parents with children with special needs.

Communication is vital as students work towards getting services. Man (2006) outlined strength-

oriented accommodations and student-centered learning when working with gifted and lean. Man

thought that teachers could create strength-oriented accommodations like looking for growth

when it comes to assessment to be an arbitrary standard. Students would be assessed in terms of

growth, not state standards. However, these are important for guiding lessons. Standards can be

broad, vague, and misleading.

Advocacy

One aspect of advocacy is trying my students how to think critically about the world and

advocate for themselves. As a teacher, I would like to encourage critical thinking skills and apply

those skills. Elementary school students are naturally trying to figure and how they fit into it.

"The child is trying to find meaning to the events and the world around him. The adult has the

task of creating opportunities for research and exploration, providing emotional. The security,

and encouraging knowledge." (Florea & Hurjui, 2014, p. 2). As a providing would look at

concepts, my students encourage by allowing time for research and exploration of these topics
while also being a resource to them and encouraging their learning. One way to implement

critical thought into education is to encourage your students to continue challenging and

questioning aspects of society. It's important to teach children that they are indeed the future of

society. Teaching critical thinking and applying those skills is important because students will

soon grow up and become active members of society. As a teacher, I would like to educate my

students about how it is okay to quest community members should do that. It would also be

essential to facilitate strategies to teach students to advocate for themselves. Creating a

democratic classroom where students feel like their voices are heard is vital. They have to feel

like their voice matters when it comes to advocating.

Professionalism

As a teacher, you have to recognize you ate getting into a profession where good teaching

is learning is student-centered, in which students are the center of the approach to education. To

achieve this student-centered learning, it is also essential for teachers to also be open to learning.

In a student-centered approach, educators can teach each student in the way in which they learn

best. To achieve student-center teaching, teachers have to get to know their students as an

individual. Student-centered teaching is a part of the humanistic education philosophy. "The role

of the teacher in a humanistic education setting is that of facilitator, helper, and partner in the

learning process" (Elias and Merriam, 1984, p. 125). In many ways, teachers have to be life-long

learners and flexible. We meet children where they are at. As a teacher, it is crucial to be

responsive to my students and their learning styles. Every student in my class is going to be

different. They will have a variety of types of learning styles. It's also imperative for a teacher to

have self-awareness as a teacher. Bell hooks, in her article, teaching to transgress, highlighted the

importance of self-actualization. You have to

know yourself because you try to connect with your students. Hooks also illuminated how it's

essential to see yourself as equal to the student. The student learns from the teacher, and the

teacher knows from the student. There is an added level of respect for teachers in society, which

goes hand and hand with professionalism.

Confidentiality is another important aspect. As a teacher, you are often given very

sensitive information about a group of children annually. You have to maintain that sense of

confidentiality throughout the profession. Although it is essential to learn the content and get to

know the students, understanding the procedures of the school district in terms of confidentially

and mandated reporting is also crucial for teachers. Teachers are often the first line of defense in

reporting neglect and abuse; it is imperative to take the duty seriously as a teacher. We have a

professional, moral and ethical to protect children.