TEACHING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY

EDUC 511
MARY JO PLUCHINO
OCTOBER 22, 2013

In todays society, educators are faced with many difficulties in

regard to what and how they teach our children. There is a pressing
need to keep up with the times and advance along with society.
Educators are often challenged with whether to evolve our curriculum
with the world, or continue to teach our students with the same
standards and techniques used 20 years ago. The answer is vividly
clear, as our civilization progresses, we as a culture need to prepare
our children to be able to become successful and effective citizens of
society. Therefore, it is important that we infuse modern skills with the
core subjects and common core standards.
An effective educator can be composed of many different
qualities. Educators all have to same bottom line in regards to
teaching; this is to reach our students and create effective life long
learners. I believe an effective educator should acquire characteristics
such as, patience, kindness, knowledge of effective pedagogy, and
appropriate classroom management techniques and strategies. As
well as being able to think on their feet and differentiate instruction
accordingly to each childs individual needs.
Through out my education at APU, I have me an abundance of
amazing influences. My professors have been so inspiring, and the
teachers I have observed have really opened my eyes to what makes a
great educator. Last semester I observed in a classroom at Condit
elementary school in Claremont, CA. The teacher I observed has

inspired me in so many ways. Her natural love for children and

effortless approach was refreshing. She was able to speak to her 2nd
graders in a way that they understood and still felt respected. She
never talked down to her kids or raised her voice. This teacher had
such amazing control over her class, where she never had to discipline
her students! They genuinely loved her and never wanted to
disappoint her. I was absolutely blown away with this teacher. I spent
plenty of time with her and tried to soak up as much as I could from
her amazing teaching style. She always would tell me that she loves
her kids and treats them as if they were her own. This unspoken love
was felt throughout the classroom and it emanated out of her lessons
and overall teaching approach. I fell so grateful to have has such an
inspiring teacher cross my path. When I become a teacher, I will
always remember what I learned from this teacher and hope to have as
much encouragement within me to share with my students.
Measuring student success cannot be limited to one variable
unfortunately. There are many facets one needs to take into account
when measuring the success of students. Students can simply
improve by their test scores, or it can be more complicated and be
something like maturity level. I believe that teachers should embrace
their children and all their needs. Effective teachers should take into
account their students individual needs and differentiate instruction as
needed in order to measure success. Once all the necessary variables

are taking into consideration, then one can sit down and analyze the
data to see if any growth has been made. Also, facets like attitude,
personality, and friendliness are also essential components in student
success.
As a Christian educator, our main goal is to create a positive
classroom environment. Promoting a positive classroom climate, I
believe is one of the most important aspects of being an educator.
Classrooms in which teachers can assists students growth as
individuals have life long benefits. Students feel a sense warm, love,
and security that provide confidence to develop a love of learning.
Christians in general try to posses these qualities; therefore as a
Christian educator, it is only natural that these loving characteristics
will roll over into their classroom.
Technology is extremely important in todays education.
Students have a new world to adapt to, and they need to be equipped
with not only subject matter, but also technology skills, and
professional leadership skills. In todays economy, it is extremely
important for our children to learn to apply innovative solutions to
problems, communicate effective and professionally, and become
global leaders. Embedded in this fresh approach to teaching, are our
current common core standards, and the use of technology to better
the learning experience. Using both teaching methods and

technology, we as educators can ensure our students are

knowledgeable and equipped with techniques to have a bright future.
I have many aspirations for the masters program I am attending.
I am extremely excited to know that I have a cutting edge advantage.
I am learning incredibly valuable lessons about teaching and
technology. I hope to be able to integrate technology into my
everyday classroom life. I hope to gain the knowledge to use creative
and tech savvy ways to teach students. Im happy to be taking these
courses and am excited for the benefits this knowledge will bring to me
in the future. I am really interested in learning more about teacher
apps and or websites. I want to learn more about classroom
management sites, lesson planning sites, and definitely organizational
apps.
On a personal level, this degree means I will be an expert in
educational technology. I will be able to have an advantage in the job
market and be one step ahead of many teachers who are just
beginning to incorporate technology into their classroom. I have
always been a digitally progressive person, therefore Im excited to
know that my future career really needs people will this knowledge and
skills.