ENVIRONMENT
" Every person needs a place that is furnished with hope. "
- Maya Angelou
A classroom is not a stagnant concrete territory filled with rows of desks and blackboards, but a community environment of shared space. The classroom I teach in is not just "my" classroom, but "our" classroom: a shared environment of co-ownership between teacher and student of the physical and metaphorical space. Through co-ownership, the traditional classroom transcends to an intellectually stimulating learning community: an area of trust, pride, and mutual respect. In shaping the classroom atmosphere, my goal is to provide an engaging, inclusive environment that fosters cooperation and acceptance amongst all students. The classroom should be welcoming and supportive for all students, and I strive to instill a sense of pride and belonging within the classroom community. In order to accomplish this, instructional and environmental choices are planned on an individual level with extensive student input to allow for an engaging learning community and effective learning environment. A classroom should be a place for learning filled with warmth, safety, caring, and furnished with hope.
Engaging all learners: Personalized CAN DO Descriptors for English Learners
In response to the rising population of English Learners within my classroom, I developed a matrix from research based language standards in order to incorporate language instruction into the English curriculum. Using the World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) CAN DO descriptor guidelines, I developed a personalized CAN DO descriptor matrices for my classroom in the domains of the language of language arts and the language of social language.
Personalized CAN DO Descriptors for English Learners | |
File Size: | 108 kb |
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Differentiating Instruction for Digital Natives
Using technology in the classroom is no new concept in the realm of education, yet technology is always changing, and there are always new digital educational resources and tools for teachers to implement within their class. In order to branch technology with the instruction of a diverse set of learners, I created a resource bibliography of web resources for differentiating instruction for students with disabilities. This resource profiles a range of online tools that can be used to differentiate and individualize instruction within the age of digital literacy.
Web Resources to Differentiate Instruction | |
File Size: | 113 kb |
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Creating Accommodations & Modifications in the Inclusive Classroom
As a general education classroom teacher, creating an inclusive classroom environment is my top priority. In order to create an accepting, tolerant, and inclusive classroom community, I created an Accommodation Menu in order to fully include all types of students. This Accommodation Menu profiles specific disabilities, the IDEA disability definition, major characteristics of disabilities, and corresponding accommodations and modifications for classroom use. As an educator, this Accommodation Menu is a stepping stone to creating a progressive inclusive classroom where all students can flourish and achieve.
Accommodation Menu | |
File Size: | 200 kb |
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