Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CatherineGolitzin
Dr.FrancisLynch
TEC614
18November2017
ReflectionEssays:TheFirstDaysofSchool
1. WhyYouNeedtoSucceedontheFirstDaysofSchool
Thischapterisasoberingwelcometotheworldofteaching.Goodteachers,we
learn,donotstarttheclasswithafunactivity,butbyexplainingtherulesandprocedures
oftheclassroom.Thebackboneofgoodteachingisknowinghowtoteach.Thisis
reassuringforstudents,whowanttoknowthattheycantrustyou,ratherthanhavingfun
inyourclass.Thisincludeshavingaclassroommanagementplanandlessonplansfor
eachday.Manyteachersneverprogressbeyondthesurvivalstage,buttheonlywayto
reachmasteryandthenimpactaretohaveeffectiveteachingtoolssuchasa
classroommanagementplanandlessonplans.
2. WhatIsanEffectiveTeacher?
Thethreecharacteristicsofaneffectiveteacherare:(1)theymaintainpositive
expectationsforallstudents,meaningthattheybelieveintheabilityofallstudentsto
succeed;(2)theyemployeffectiveclassroommanagementtechniques;(3)theydesign
lessonsforstudentmastery.Theessenceofgoodteachingisproducingqualitystudent
output.Intheend,itdoesntmatterhowmucheffortyouputintosomething,butonly
whatthestudentsgainorproducefromit.Tobeagoodteacher,wemustallteach
ourselveswhatweneedtolearn.ThisisapowerfulconceptbecauseitimpliesthatIcan
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overcomethebarriersstandingbetweenmeasIamnowandmeasaneffectiveteacherin
thefuture,ifIsimplypayattentiontowhereIneedtoimprove,andfocuseffortsthere.
3. HowYouCanBeaHappyFirstYearTeacher
Thischapterischockfullofresourcesandadviceforfirstyearteachers.The
underlyingthemeseemstobe,Donotgoitalone.Firstyearteachersareadvisedto
seekoutamentorintheteachingfield;joinaprofessionalorganization;andlearnfrom
colleaguesandworkcooperatively.Thesecrettobecomingasuccessfulteacheristo
Beg,BorrowandStealfromyourcolleagues,otherwiseknownasresearch.Teachers
areacommunityofequals,notacommunityofexperts.Anotherprerequisitetofirstyear
teachersuccessistoparticipateinanorganizednewteacherinductionprogram(in
California,BTSA).Beforeacceptinganewjob,itisimperativethatfirstyearteachers
askifthedistricthasaninductionprogram,toreducetheintensityofthetransitioninto
teaching,andtoprovideeffectivetrainingandsupport.Ifthereisnosuchprogram,the
jobshouldnotbetaken.Furthermore,goodteacherscontinuallyimprovethemselvesand
haveagoalofstrivingforexcellence.IdidalittlebitofresearchonBTSAanditseems
tobeaveryhelpfulprogramthatputstheTPEsinperspective.Ialsoskimmedthe
ContinuumofTeachingPracticeandittooseemstobeaveryhelpfuldocumentthat
essentiallyprovidesarubricforteacherstoassessthemselvesinvariousaspectsoftheir
teachingabilities.
4. HowtoClosetheStudentAchievementGap
This chapter discusses why being an effective teacher is the best way to make a
difference for our students, closing the "achievement gap." Effective teachers plan,
manage their classrooms, think critically, and solve problems. Reading this chapter makes
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me want to learn about as many effective teaching strategies and practices as possible. It
is also encouraging to know that "a student who has an outstanding teacher will remain
ahead of her peers for at least the next few years" (26). While norm-referenced criteria is
not the only way to measure achievement, the message is clear: as an effective teacher,
you can make a difference for students. Lastly, I found the tips for closing the
achievement gap to be helpful: (a) Keep a laser focus on learning for all students; (b)
Maintain a "no excuses" attitude; (c) Use research and data to improve teacher practices;
(d) Involve everyone in improvement processes; (e) Persist through difficulties and
5. WhyYouShouldUseProven,ResearchBasedPractices
Teachers should teach according to what research proves is effective, given their
classrooms' populations and contexts. Richard Elmore of Harvard University says, "Most
decisions made in education, especially in urban schools, are made for the benefit of the
adultsnot the children" (30). Unfortunately, I noticed this personally during my time
working at a school for children with emotional disturbances. Teaching would be more
rewarding, and effective, if we put the interests of the children first in every case. The
main concern of effective teachers is student achievement, and they know that the best
classroom. These are aligned time on task, learning community, extensive reading, and
wait time. Aligned time on task refers to spending significant time studying, aided by
lesson objectives, learning activities, and tests that are appropriate to the grade level and
content area, and emphasized by the teacher. Learning community refers to collaboration
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and group work. Extensive reading is self-explanatory, while wait time refers to
extending the time between posing a question and calling on students for answers. Lastly,
teachers try to keep children "busy," while "Effective teachers talk more about the
research they constantly look for to improve the achievement of their students" (30).
5. WhyPositiveExpectationsAreImportant
Thekeyideaforthischapteristhat"yourexpectationsofyourstudentswill
greatlyinfluencetheirachievementinyourclassandintheirlives"(37).Theauthor
pointsoutthatitisimpossiblenottohaveexpectations,andthechoicewhethertheywill
bepositiveornegativeisyours.Itturnsoutthatbothpositiveandnegativeexpectations
carryaselffulfillingprophecy:"Ifyouexpecttobesuccessful,youareconstantlyalert
andawareofopportunitiestohelpyoubesuccessful"(38).Justreadingthelistof
positiveexpectationsthatteachershavemademefeelstrongerandmoreeffective:"Iam
agoodteacher,andIamproudthatIamaprofessionaleducator"(38).Likewise,the
positiveexpectationthateffectiveteacherscommunicatetotheirstudentshelpsmeto
relaxintoknowingthateverythingwillbeokayorrather,thatitwillbegreat,andthat
relaxationactuallycontributestotheendgoal."Thiswillbeanexcitingclass,andyouare
goingtohavethemostmemorableyearyouhaveeverhad;asaresult,youwilldovery
well"(39).Asastudent,Ihavealwayshadpositiveexpectationscommunicatedtome.It
isthisthatallowsmetotakeondifficulttaskswithacertaintythatIcanandwillsucceed.
Beingawareofmyownthinking,IknowthatthispositiveexpectationIhaveformyself
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isthebeginningofactualsuccess.TherewasquitealotinthischapterthatIwouldlike
tomemorize,butonekeyideawasthepowerofexpectations:
Peoplearemoldedmorebythedepthoftheirconvictionsorexpectationsthanby
theheightoftheirintelligence.Successinvolvesconvertingpeople,nottoyour
wayofknowing,buttoyourwayoffeeling.Peoplecanrefusewords,butthey
cannotrefuseanattitudeoranexpectation.(40)
Thisconceptdescribesourinterconnectednessashumanbeings.Ibelievethatinthis
conceptliesthekeytoteacherandstudentachievementandsatisfaction.Whoweareis
muchmorethanwhatweknoworcandoitiswhatwebelievein,orbelieveispossible;
dreamfor;andworktowards.IwishIcouldsaymoreaboutthis,butIthinkitjustneeds
tobelivedout.
Thisisalsoanethicaldirectiveforteachers,inthatourexpectationsdirectly
correlatewiththeirachievementand,byextension,futurecontributiontosociety.As
teachers,weshouldurgeyoungpeople"tobecomeleadersorheroes",counteractingthe
messagetheyusuallyreceive,whichisthat"it'snotcooltosucceedinschool"(43).As
teachers,weshouldbringourstudentsmindstoahigherlevelfromoperatinginthe
realmofappearances,tocontemplatingtheirvaluesandsettingthemselvesgoals.Wong
sumsthisup:"Whatparentsandteachersconveytoyoungpeopleintheirformativeyears
asexpectationswillinfluenceyoungpeopletoachieveaccordingly.Yourexpectationsof
yourstudentswillgreatlyinfluencetheirachievementinyourclass,intheirlives,and
ultimatelyintheworld"(44).
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Furthermore,readingthischapterremindedmeofthepowerofattitudeina
differentway.Itbothersmewhenteacherssendunfavorablemessagesaboutschoolor
specificsubjects.Today,Iheardsomeonesay,"Ms.Njustsavedyoufromdoingamath
worksheet."Asteachers,weshouldmodelloveforlearninginallsubjects,notjustour
favorites.WhatifthenextStephenHawkingisoneofyourstudents,andyou
communicatethatmathissomethingboringandunenjoyable?Thatattitudecouldrob
humanityofthatstudent'sgreatcontributionstoglobalknowledge.
5. HowtoHelpAllStudentsSucceed
Thischapterindicatestheimportanceofthefirstdayofschool,whichshouldbe
celebratedbyeveryoneintheschoolandalsothegreatercommunity.Thereshouldbea
sensethateveryoneisworkingtogethertoensurechildrenssuccess.Thispositive
atmospherewouldbuildonthenaturalpositiveexpectationschildrenhaveforthemselves
atschool.Thechapteroutlinessomeofthepracticalstrategiesthatteachersandthe
schoolcommunitycantaketowelcomestudents,suchashavingtheschoolbandplay
outside,andhangingapersonalwelcomegreetingonyourclassroomdoor.Thekey
conceptisthatschoolisaplacewherestudentsarewelcometolearnandenhancethe
qualityoftheirliveswithoutfearofintimidationorharm,guidedbyhospitableand
caringpeopleinacleanandorderlyenvironment(47).Toimplementtheseconceptsto
themaximumextent,itisnecessarytoworkaspartofaunifiedteam.Onanindividual
basis,however,ateachercanandshouldtakestepssuchastohelporganizeaFirstDay
ofSchoolcelebration,planaclassroomwelcomeforthefirstday,ensurethementaland
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physicalwellbeingofallstudents,andcreateanenvironmentforallstudentstosucceed
(49).
5. HowtoDressforSuccess
Inthischapter,Wongdiscussestheimportanceofprofessionalappearance.The
cruxofthisideaisthatdressingprofessionallyreflectsselfrespect,whichisnecessaryin
ordertogainstudentsrespect,sothatlearningcanhappen.Likeitornot,peopledo
actuallyjudgeoneanotherbasedonappearance;researchdemonstratesthatstudentsform
judgmentsontheirteachersbasedonappearance.Effectiveteachersmakethatfactwork
forratherthanagainstthem:Itisnotwhatisbutwhatisperceivedthatcounts(51).
Additionally,itistheteachersresponsibilitytodressprofessionally,asyouaresettingan
exampleforstudentstofollow:
Youngpeoplelearnwhatisappropriateinsocietybylookingattheiradultrole
models.Yourdress,youractions,andyourwordsarewhatyoungpeoplewilltake
tobeappropriate.Bytheendofthesecondweek,theentireclasswillhavetaken
signalsfromyouastohowtheyshouldbehavefortherestoftheschoolyear.(52)
Inshort,teachershavearesponsibilitytoencouragelearning,andlearningbeginsby
gainingandkeepingtherespectofstudents[throughappearance](54).Thisiseven
morecrucialinthecontextofglobalizationourstudentsaremorelikelythaneverto
workforinternationalcompanies,andtheyneedtoknowwhatisconsideredprofessional
attirearoundtheworld,notjustinthiscountry,whichisgenerallymoreinformalthanthe
globalnorm.Furthermore,Ifoundithelpfultoconsiderthelistoffourtraitsthatare
supportedbyprofessionaldress:respect,credibility,acceptance,andauthority.Ateacher
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whoembodiesthesetraitsthroughdressismuchmorelikelytobeeffectivevisvis
students.Ialsofoundithelpfultoconsidertheeffectsofdressingprofessionallyon
teacherstudentrelationships:Ifyouconsistentlycometoschoolinappropriately
dressed,[students]willnotsayawordbecausetheysurmisethatifyoudonotcareabout
yourself,theyneednotcareaboutyou.Dressappropriatelybecauseitisveryimportantto
knowthatpeoplecareaboutyou(56).
5. HowtoInviteStudentstoLearn
This chapter is about being inviting. I enjoyed the story of a successful Back to
School Night, in which the teacher planned to have students copy a letter, make a paper
crane, and write a personal letter to their parents, all of which were left on their desks for
my middle school teachers, who used parent volunteers to pull off all sorts of amazing
field trips, including backpacking in Yosemite, camping in Point Reyes and Monterey,
rock climbing trips, and visits to a trapeze arts center and ropes course. These parents
As always, I found the practical tips helpful: "See if your classroom is inviting....
Is the door clearly marked? Are welcome and information signs posted? Are signs written
in jargon? Is the first assignment clear and understandable? Are there clues that show you
care for young people?" (60) I plan to reflect on this further, as I develop my classroom
management plan.
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I love the traits of the effective teacher here outlined: "The effective teacher is
committed to seeing all people as able, valuable, responsible, and possessing untapped
potential in all worthwhile areas of human endeavor" (60). A sense of optimism bursts out
of every page of this book, and this passage is no exception. Just reading this sentence
5. HowtoIncreasePositiveStudentBehavior
Thischapterbasicallysaysthatbymodelingthetypeofbehavioryouwanttosee
inyourstudents,youwillgetitincludingapositiveattitudeandpolitemanners.Like
therestofthisbook,itisaverycommonsenseapproach.Uponreflection,thisconcept
willbeveryusefulformetoimplementinmyfutureclassroom.Itremindsmeofmy
experiencecanvassingforanonprofit:everyaspectofourinteractionwithpotential
membershadtobeperfectconstanteyecontact,afriendlyexpression,andperfect
speakingmanners.Ithinkkeepinginmindthatexperience,andthischapterofFirstDays
ofSchool,willservemewellinanyteachingsetting.
5. HowtoHaveaWellManagedClassroom
Thischaptergivespracticaltipsforhowtoorganizeyourclassroom;forexample,
sortingeverythingintoplastictubsandusingverticalfilessothatyoucanseetitlesrather
thanahorizontalstack.Itremindedmethattheclassroomisaverydifferentspacethan,
say,ourbedroomsorkitchens.Thereneedstobealotofoptionsforstoringeverykindof
littlethingteachersupplies,kidsupplies,worktograde,alreadygradedwork,and
more.ThesewereinvaluabletipsthatIwilldefinitelymakeuseofwhiledesigningmy
classroomstoragespaces.
5. HowtoHaveYourClassroomReady
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Inthischapter,WongandWongremindusthateffectivenessisdeterminedbefore
youevenleavehome.Thisisaveryempoweringconcept,becauseitshowsthatourlevel
ofsuccessreallyisuptousandtheextenttowhichweplanforit.Thus,ifwewanttobe
successful,there'snopointbeinganxiousorwonderingwhattodo:wesimplymustbegin
planning,asfarinadvanceaspossible,andkeepgoinguntilwehavearrivedatthelevel
ofpreparationweneedtobeeffective.It'sfunnyhowsuchabasicconceptoftengoes
ignoredbypeoplelikemyself.IalsoappreciatehowWongandWongareconstantly
tyingbackexpectationsforteacherbehaviortheoutsideor"real"worldofbusiness.A
hugepartofourroleasteachersistoprepareourstudentsforthisoutsideworld,andso
ourlevelofpreparation,manners,andbehaviorsetsastandardthatwillstickwiththem
foralongtime.
5. HowtoIntroduceYourselftoYourClass
Inthischapter,WongandWongemphasizetheimportanceofthefirstimpression
andsuggestthattheimpressionstudentsreceivefromyouandyourexpectationswillset
thetoneforthewholeyear.Intheory,it'spossibleto"lose"yourclass'srespectand
attentionfromDayOne;ontheotherhand,it'spossibletoensuretheirundying
cooperationandlovefromthatfirstdaytoo.Itwillbeveryhelpfulformetoremember
thisfactsothatIcanapproachthefirstdayaspreparedtofacemystudentsaspossible.
Lookingahead,Ianticipatethatanareaofgrowthformewillbelearningtomanage
disciplineissues,whilemaintainingpositiveexpectations,andhopefullycrafting
effectiveassignments,willbeamongmystrengths.HowIpresentmyselfineachofthese
threecategorieswillaffectstudents'overallimpressionofmeonthatfirstday.
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5. HowtoArrangeandAssignSeating
Inthischapter,WongandWongdiscusshelpfulwaystoseatstudents.They
suggestthatyouwillmaintainmorecontrolovertheclassbyassigningseatsratherthan
allowingstudentstoselfselectseats.Theyalsosuggestthatdesksshouldallbefacing
thefrontoftheroom.IamnotsurethatIwillfollowalloftheirrulestoaT,atleastafter
afewyearsofteachingexperience,buttheyarecertainlyveryhelpfulforbeginnersto
startoutwith.
5. HowtoStartaClassEffectively
Thischapterwasveryhelpfulformetoread.Elsewhereinthebook,Wongand
Wongnotethat"effectiveteachingisinvisible"thatanobservershouldnotparticularly
noticeproceduresbecausetheyallowtheclasstorunsmoothlybuttheabsenceof
proceduresishugelyvisible,sinceitresultsinadisruptive,unrulyclass.Lookingback,I
hardlyrememberanyproceduresinmypublicschoolclasses,exceptforspecificones
thatIthinktheteachersmayhavetakendirectlyfromWongandWongforexample,a
certainwayofpassingmathpapersacrosstherowsthatisdescribedhere. Anyhow,itis
difficultformetorememberproceduresfrommyownexperience,andsotheconcrete
suggestionshereonhowtostartaclasseffectivelyusingprocedureswasveryhelpful.
5. WhenandHowtoTakeRoll
Thischapterisaboutfindinganalternatemethodtotakingrollsothatitdoesnot
takeawayfrominstructionaltime.Itofferssomegoodsuggestionsandtheargumentisa
goodone.Idontrememberanyofmyteachersevertakingrollafterthefirstdayof
school,exceptwhenwehadsubstitutes.Inmyfutureclassroom,Iwillmakesuretotake
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careofrollbydoingitwhilestudentsareengagedinanothertask.Ipreferthemethods
whereImtakingrollbymyself,becauseImaynotalwaystruststudentstobecompletely
honestwithasystemsuchasmovingapopsiclestickorothertokenintoanenvelope.
5. HowtoMaintainanEffectiveGradeRecordSystem
WongandWongoutlinethethreecriteriaforgrades:attendance,scoresand
runningtotal.Itwasveryhelpfulinbreakingdownconcretestrategiesforstaying
organizedforreportcardsandparentconferences.However,movingbeyondtheconcrete
strategies,thischapterwasacatalystformetoreflectonthesignificanceofgradesinmy
futureclassroom.Gradesareachallengingsubject,sinceaseducators,wewantto
discouragea"fixed"mindsetinstudents,andgradescanseemtorewardorpunish
studentsfortheirinnateabilitiesratherthantheireffort.Ideally,Iwouldinvolvemy
studentsintheirownassessmentbyconferencingwiththemmoreanddoingmore
formativeassessmentsthatIbaseinstructionon.Additionally,Iwouldliketohavethe
"scores"portionofgradesreflecteffortaswellasachievement;forexample,by
rewardingexceptionaleffortand/orimprovementoverthecourseofthesemesterinthe
overallgrade,notjusttheinitialorminimumeffort.Rubricsandapolicyofrevisioncan
behelpfulinthisregard.
5. HowtoHaveanEffectiveDisciplinePlan
Inthischapter,WongandWongdiscusselementsofadisciplineplanthatfoster
responsibilityinstudents.Iverymuchsupportthismodel,sinceourgoalistobuild
effectivecitizensinsociety,andcitizensshouldberesponsiblefortheirownactions.
Theirapproachesremindedmeofthe"restorativejustice"approachthatwehavebeen
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learningaboutinotherclasses.Ithinkthatthebackboneofaneffectivedisciplineplanis
havingwarm,caringrelationshipswithstudentstothegreatestextentpossible.Wongand
Wongmentionthatstudentsmust"buyin"totheclassandschoolrules,andIthinkthe
strongestwaytoencouragethisbuyinistoencouragethestudentstobepartofaclose
knitclassroomcommunity.Theheartofthiscommunityistheteacherandhisorher
relationshipswithindividualstudents,aswellastherelationshipsbetweenstudents,
whichteachersfacilitatethroughthewarm,safeclimateoftheclassroom.
5. HowtoTeachStudentstoFollowClassroomProcedures
Thischapterisallaboutprocedures:howtoteachthem,howtorehearsethem,
andsomespecificexamples.WhatIappreciateaboutthischapteristhefactthatkids,
especiallyatriskyouth,thriveinthepresenceofstructure.Implementingthiskindof
consistentstructuremaybechallengingatfirst,sinceeveryonelovesfreedom,butthe
benefits,especiallylongterm,willoutweightheinitialdiscomfort.Asaneducator,I
mustrememberthateverythingIdoissupposedtohavethebestinterestsofmystudents
inmind.
5. HowProceduresImprovetheOpportunitytoLearn
Thischaptercontinuestodiscussproceduresandgivesmoreexamplesofonesto
use.Init,Mr.Wongnotesthateveryeffectiveclassroomhasprocedurestomovethe
actionalong.Overthesummer,whenIsubstitutetaughtExtendedSchoolYearata
nonpublicschoolforfiveweeks,Ihadnotyetexperiencedthevalueofprocedures.Idid
notteachreallyanyproceduresatall(forSpecialEdstudents!)andasaresult,my
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classroomwaschaoticandunpredictable.So,afterreadingthischapter,Iamdefinitely
lookingforwardtoseeinghowtheuseofprocedureswillbenefitmyfutureclassroom!
5. HowtoCreateanEffectiveAssignment
Inthischapter,WongandWongdescribehowaneffectiveassignmentisbuilt
aroundobjectives.Ononehand,thisisquitecommonsense,butontheother,our
readingsfromtheCurriculumStudiesReader,particularlyfromEisner,remindmethat
notalllearningcanorevenshouldbemeasuredandstandardized.However,Iknowthat
throughCCSSandtheNGSS,itisstillpossibletodesignhighlyengagingandauthentic,
inquiryorprojectbasedassignmentsthatstilladdressaparticularstandardorsetof
standards.ItisthistypeoflearningthatIwouldliketofacilitateinmyfutureclassroom.
IappreciatethetechniquesthatWongandWongofferhere,especiallyBackwards
Design.It'slikeascaffoldforteacherstocreateaneffectiveassignment.Additionally,I
appreciatethequipinthisbook,TheroleofateacherisnottoCOVER.Theroleofa
teacheristoUNCOVER(227).Thisremindsmeofthesubjectcenteredclassroomin
CouragetoTeach,inwhichstudentsinteractdirectlywiththesubjectofknowledge,
whiletheteacherfacilitatesthisinteraction.
5. HowtoTestforStudentLearning
Ireallylikedhow,asthischapterwasfocusingonhowtogivetests,Mr.Wong
mentionedthatweneedtochangefromatestingculturetoanassessmentculture.
Throughoutthechapter,hementionstheneedtowritetestsforthesakeofstudentsand
theirachievement,nototherinvalidreasonssuchaspassageoftime,materialcovered,
curvegrading,periodtokill.Iabsolutelyagreethattestingshouldalwaysbeforthesake
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ofthestudent,notforanyotherreason.Asintheanalogywiththedoctorandpatient,
testsareusedtodeterminewhetherastudentneedscorrectivehelp.Asteacher,itisour
responsibilitytoremediatethestudent,sothatlearningcanimproveandthestudent
doesntfallfurtherbehind.Additionally,Iappreciatethetipsforwritingtestssothatthey
trulymeasurestudentachievement.Oneoftheseistowritethetestatthesametimeas
youarewritingtheassignment,whichmakessensebecauseyouarebeginningwiththe
endinmindandcanthereforeguidestudentlearningtowardsthedesiredoutcome.The
otherhelpfultipistocomposethetestsimplyofaseriesofquestionsforeachofthe
assignmentsobjectives.Withthesetipsandapproachinmind,testingcanbecome
actuallyenjoyable,asstudentsseektodemonstratetheircontentmastery.
5. HowtoAssessforStudentLearning
Thissectionofferswaystocommunicatelearningexpectationstochildren,such
asrubrics.Inmypersonalexperience,Ihavefoundthatrubricsarehighlyhelpfulwhen
workingonagroupproject,becauseyoucanassignonecategorytoeachpersonto
reducetheworkloadforall.Thebasicprincipleinthischapteristhatstudentsshould
haveanexample,oratleastaclearidea,ofwhatisexpectedofthem.Ihopethatinmy
futureclassroom,Iwouldalsoencouragethemtocustomizetheirfinalproducttotheir
interestsorpersonality,ortogo"aboveandbeyond"therubric,justbecausetheyenjoyed
theproject.
5. HowtoEnhanceStudentLearning
Inthischapter,WongandWongdescribetheimportanceofteachercollegiality
andcollaboration.Whenteacherscollaborate,studentsachievemorehighly.Weread
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aboutthisdirectlyinMissionHigh,whichdescribesaschoolinSanFranciscowhereall
teachersdiscussspecificstudentsindepthandintegrateacrosssubjectstohelpthem
achieve.Thisishighlyinspiringandremindsmeofthetruereasonwhyweshould
becomeeducators:tohelpstudentsachieveandgrowaspeople.Iamlookingforwardto
theopportunitytoworkingalongsidemyfuturecolleaguesintheinterestofourstudents.
5. HowtoBeaTeacherLeader
ReadingMr.Wongsdescriptionoftheteacherleaderatfirstledmetoactually
questionmypotentialasaneducator,sincecertainaspectsofitwillbeverychallenging!
Yetthesectionon"choice"renewedmycertainty:Iammakingachoicetogointo
education!Ideally,Iwouldliketoteachatanaschoolwithanontraditionalapproach
(Montessori,Waldorf,orclassical),althoughIverymuchlookforwardtotheopportunity
toworkataregularpublicschoolaswell.Inacertainsense,itistheseschoolsthatare
themostimportanttoworkat,becausetheyaretheplacesthateveryonegoes,especially
thosewho,socioeconomically,havetheleast.Sointheseschools,thereismoreofan
opportunitytomakeabigdifference.Additionally,Ihopetomakeautismadvocacya
partofmyeducationalphilosophy:Ithinkthatadvocatingforthepreferencesofautistic
childrenclear,consistentrules,anottoostimulatingenvironment,differentiated
education,andmaybeevenfacilitatedsocialinteractioncanbehelpfulforallstudents!
Ialsoappreciatedthisbook'sfinal,partingadvice:toaskoneselfcontinually,
WhatdoIneedtoknowinordertodowhatIneedtodo?Ireallyresonatedwiththis
andknowthat,whileteachingwillbeadifficultjourneyforme,asforanyone,itwill
certainlybeworthwhile.Ihavealwaysenjoyedleadership,andIhavebecomesomeone
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whoperseveresandisdeterminedtoachievegoalsandworkthedirectionofmypersonal
values,nomatterwhat.WongandWongindicatethatkeytraitsofasuccessfulteacher
arecommitment,dedicationandhardwork,andabeliefthatallchildrenarecapableof
success.Theyremindus,Youarethedeterminerofsuccessinyourclassroom,and,
Whatyouchoosetobelieveiswhatyouchoosetobecome.Thesearenotonly
encouragingwords,butalsotrueconcepts,andIwilltakethemasencouragementalong
myownpersonalandcommunalteachingjourney.Overall,thisbookwasveryhelpful,
helpingmereconsidermyownorientationtowardallelementsofteaching.
References
1.Wong,H.K.,&Wong,R.T.(1998).TheFirstDaysofSchool:HowtoBeanEffective
Teacher.