Standard

2: Development, learning and motivation

Understand how human development affects learning and apply that understanding to practice.
Observing a foraging bird for a few moments can give me hints about its life and
behavior, but one observation alone will not provide an understanding of the ecological and
biological needs of the creature. In the same way that a single observation will not help me to
understand a bird’s ecology, I have come to deeper understanding of how no single observation
can help me to understand the development of my students as readers. To understand my
students, I must have context with which to compare their progression, and critical eyes to
observe and understand the development of individual students. When I undertook the Reader
Portfolio project in the Fall of 2015, I did not fully understand how much more I could and
would learn about the development of students as readers through experience in the classroom
and careful observation. The Reader Portfolio provided a reference point and evaluation tools,
such as miscue analysis, that I have used while working with 5th grade students over the last
two years. However, I have grown in my understanding of how learning and development can
and should influence both my instruction and the expectations that I have for students in my
classroom, and the expectations they have for themselves. In the same way that a few brief
moments can not paint a full picture of the the life of a bird in my yard, this Reader Portfolio
provided only snapshots of this child’s life as a reader.
Educators are tasked with the dynamic work of meeting the needs of diverse students in
the classroom who vary in cultural backgrounds, needs, levels of development and motivation.
This involves the design of instructional programs that challenge students while at the same
time meeting each individual at a level in which they can succeed and grow. It requires
scaffolding of instruction to provide for the release of responsibility for learning to the student
(Strickland, 2002). In the fast-paced classroom environment, it is also up to educators to work
in the moment, identify opportunities, and be flexible to change plans to address the needs of
students. According to Ertmer & Newby (2013), educators must be able to both understand
and analyze an instructional problem, and also “bridge” or “link” this analysis with research and
educational application. The importance of this dual challenge is compared to the importance
of a doctor’s ability to both analyze and diagnose a medical problem and prescribe an effective
remedy. If an educator can identify an educational need, they must persevere to understand

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the theoretical underpinnings and how to “prescribe” learning opportunities or interventions
that will address the need, based on theory and best practices.
This is not meant to suggest that teachers alone hold the key to a child’s learning.
Instead, it highlights the importance of understanding the conditions of learning so that I can
adapt my actions to foster an environment that supports learning. According to Cambourne
(1995), these conditions of learning involve engaging students to evaluate “their own
performance as they engage discuss/reflect, transform and apply what is to be learned (p.
189).” In my classroom today I engage students as collaborators in evaluation of their own
learning and development, an important factor that I have personally grown and developed my
own understanding of. I regularly provide students with opportunities to record discussions
about literature and listen to the recordings to better understand how they are developing
their own ideas about literature, and the ideas of others. Students set goals for their own
independent reading, and evaluate their progress. Students regularly self-assess and get
feedback from peers on their understandings and levels of success using criteria that they have
developed using exemplars, and develop their understanding across content areas by teaching
their peers in and out of our classroom.
While I strive to provide conditions that are optimal for learning to occur, I recognize
that students must take part in this endeavor as well, if they are to develop as self-regulated
learners (Butler, Schnellert & Perry, 2017). They must understand what learning objectives are,
whether they are social, behavioral or academic, and they must be provided with ample
opportunity to construct their own understanding. With responsibility for learning, students
must recognize that they themselves are as critical to the learning environment for both
themselves and their peers. Providing students with opportunities to take responsibility for
learning through self-regulation provides them with opportunities to develop lifelong learning
skills (Zimmerman, 2002), which is arguably a primary goal of a school education.
I have also worked to develop my own understanding of the development of literacy so
that I can better apply my understanding in the moment during instruction. In the spring of
2018 I worked on a project with five other Tri-Valley elementary teachers to observe and
evaluate student writing across grade levels using a standardized protocol and prompt so that

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we could understand the progression of writing throughout the grades. This effort was focused
on the development of writing in students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. Our discussion of
student writing included consideration of student motivation (interest and investment in the
topic of water conservation and perceived relevance of this topic in Alaska). We also
considered how or whether student writing showed different levels of understanding and
background knowledge in students, and the implications of context, and equal opportunities to
background knowledge to provide equal opportunities to express ideas. While not a focus of
our project, we considered fine motor and spelling development, as well as language and
orthographic knowledge related to the expression of ideas, and to discuss the prerequisite skills
to effectively communicate ideas in writing (e.g. use of terms to transition, show sequence,
signify cause and effect, etc.). We wanted to better understand the growth of students over
time, within their grade level and throughout their elementary education. Our motivation to
complete this project was based on John Hattie’s analysis of high-impact strategies (2012)
related to student and teacher expectations, and the need for both teachers and students to
establish challenging yet realistic expectations. In order to understand how and where the
students can grow, both the students and myself must understand the progression and
development of learning, so we can work together to accurately evaluate learning, and set
goals for future growth.
Should I take an interest in taking actions that will benefit the bird in my yard, and allow
it to survive and thrive in our shared space, I must develop a deeper understanding of what it
needs to develop and grow. In the same way, in order to be effective as a teacher and provide
an environment that fosters learning and growth, my own understanding of the development
and learning of children must continue to evolve through observation, research and
collaboration with my peers. This is a process that is ongoing, and will continue throughout my
career as a teacher.

References
Butler, D. L., Schnellert, L., & Perry, N.E. (2017). Developing self-regulated learners. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

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Cambourne, B. (1995). Toward an educationally relevant theory of literacy learning: Twenty
years of inquiry. The Reading Teacher, 49(3), 182-190.
Ertmer, P.A., & Newby, T.J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical
features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly,
26(2), 43–71.
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. New York, NY:
Routledge.
Strickland, D., Ganske, K., Monroe, J. K. (2002). Supporting struggling readers and writers:
Strategies for classroom intervention 3 – 6. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice,
41(2), 64-70