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- understand schools as organizations within the larger community context and understand the operations of the relevant aspects of the systems within which the teacher works;
- understand how factors in a student's environment outside of school, including family circumstances, community environments, health and economic conditions, may influence student life and learning
- understand student rights and teacher responsibilities to equal education, appropriate education for students with disabilities, confidentiality, privacy, appropriate treatment of students, and reporting in situations of known or suspected abuse or neglect;
- understand the concept of addressing the needs of the whole learner;
- collaborate with other professionals to improve the overall learning environment for students;
Name of Artifact: | Educating Students in Poverty |
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| Original Date of Artifact: | 11/20/2012 |
| Course/Field Experience: | EDU4415 Educational Ethics |
| Rationale Statement: Provide a description of why the artifact was selected to demonstrate success with the indicated standard and subparts. | This research and reflection paper shows the depth of research into and reflection upon issues of poverty and its relevance to many students I have worked with in field placements. This paper was part of a collaborative presentation on the topic. We chose to research and present on poverty because it is a major issue affecting many students. It is my responsibility as a teacher to understand how various factors from students’ environments outside of school impact not only their learning, but their entire lives. A significant focus of my research and writing for this paper concerns different ethical views that may come into play in regard to educating students who live in poverty. This project has given me a greater frame of reference for and understanding of the multitude of influences upon students’ lives and learning, in regard to poverty and in respect to ethical issues surrounding students and public education. |
Reflection: Reflect on the submission. Why does it demonstrate ability with the specified standard(s)? Let the reviewer know why it provides evidence of your growth as a teacher. | This ethics paper gave me the opportunity to consider at far greater depth the impacts that a background of poverty often has and may potentially have upon students and their learning. Equally as important, I entered into a higher, more critical level of thinking in regards to how students, families, teachers, administrators, and school board members react to issues related to students in poverty and the impact—for better or worse—these mindsets, decisions, and actions have upon students and their right to learn. One of my goals as a teacher, formulated as a result of this paper, is to impart a sense of hope and confidence in each student and to help equip them to overcome any difficult circumstances or obstacles they may face. Understanding poverty and its potential impact on students. Another significant aspect of this paper was to reflect and respond from a biblical standpoint. I fully understand and acknowledge the place personal religion and faith have in a public school, but I also recognize how my beliefs strongly shape how I view and respond to the issue of educating students in poverty. I believe wholeheartedly that all students—regardless of economic conditions and family circumstances—have the right to fair treatment, equal access to education and learning, respect, appropriate treatment from all related to the school system. My personal beliefs strongly influence the value I place on all students, regardless of their socio-economic circumstances, and this project has motivated me to help all students meet their highest potential. |
| Attached Documents: | Research and Reflection Paper.doc |
SAMPLE PORTFOLIO ARTIFACT #3
Standard 3, diverse learners. A teacher must understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to students with diverse backgrounds and exceptionalities.
Subparts: The teacher must:
- understand and identify differences in approaches to learning and performance, including varied learning styles and performance modes and multiple intelligences; and know how to design instruction that uses a student's strengths as the basis for continued learning;
- understand how a student's learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family, and community values;
- understand the cultural content, world view, and concepts that comprise Minnesota-based American Indian tribal government, history, language, and culture;
Name of Artifact: | Student Interviews |
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| Original Date of Artifact: | 11/04/2013 |
| Course/Field Experience: | Teaching Secondary Reading and Literature |
| Rationale Statement: Provide a description of why the artifact was selected to demonstrate success with the indicated standard and subparts. | This artifact demonstrates my ability to work with students of diverse needs and talents. I interviewed three students of different academic achievement, and I used this information to guide my planning for a lesson on pronouns for my sixth grade placement. Of these students, one student was autistic, one student was an ELL student, and one student was a low achieving student. This artifact encompasses subparts A, E, and G. |
Reflection: Reflect on the submission. Why does it demonstrate ability with the specified standard(s)? Let the reviewer know why it provides evidence of your growth as a teacher. | My cooperating teacher guided me in my selection of three students to interview. She specifically chose students who did not fit the stereotype of the “normal” high-, middle-, and low- achieving students. I really enjoyed the process of specifically talking to each of these students to learn what ways they enjoy learning best and what kinds of activities really motivate them. Interviewing students really helped me to remember that individual students would be coming away from the lesson I was teaching with specific knowledge about the subject matter; my lesson wasn’t being planned for a general sixth grade class. Interviewing these students helped me to understand and appreciate the differences between students’ learning processes, and I attempted to plan my lesson so that students would learn through a variety of instructional strategies. Before doing this assignment, I had a vague idea that students learned differently, but I really had no idea of what the unique needs were in my own cooperating classroom. My cooperating teacher is really good at building relationships with the students, and because she has those relationships to guide her planning, it assisted me in my own planning. In the future, I will want to capitalize on those relationships and use them not only to be an influence in a student’s life but also to plan my instruction in such a way that student learning is maximized. |
| Attached Documents: | Student Interviews.doc |