Ptasienski 1

Reflective Statement

Artifact: Discussion about Racism

Professional STANDARD 7 - Communication

The competent teacher uses knowledge of effective written, verbal, non-verbal, and visual
communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive
interaction in the classroom.
7B. understands how cultural and gender differences can affect communication in the
classroom.
7H. communicates with and challenges students in a supportive manner and provides
students with constructive feedback.
7I. uses a variety of communication modes to effectively communicate with a diverse
student population.
7J. practices effective listening, conflict resolution, and group-facilitation skills as a team
member.
7F. uses effective questioning techniques and stimulates discussion in different ways for
specific instructional purposes.

1. Fully state the standard in bold text. Then write a paragraph explaining your knowledge and
understanding of the standard—put the standard into your own words.

This standard is about how I, as a teacher, communicate with and encourage communication

among my classroom of students. This means that I support the conversation through being

sensitive to differences in gender and culture, and being aware of ways that this can affect the

class as a whole. In classroom discussions, I challenge the students and provide them with

constructive criticism on their work. I use many different forms of communication so that I can

effectively lead a diverse student population. I demonstrate for the students effective listening,

conflict resolution, and group collaboration. I use different techniques to foster discussion in

specific instructional situations. The classroom contract demonstrates that I practice effective

listening, conflict resolution and group-facilitation skills as a team member. I foster a

democratic classroom by encouraging the students to take control of their own learning

experiences.
 Ptasienski 2

2. Explain how the artifact you chose demonstrates your understanding and application of the
standard.

The artifact that I chose for this standard is a discussion that I had with my students about the

hard topic of racism. After hearing that the students had been experiencing racism among their

peers inside and outside of school, I thought it appropriate to discuss, as a class, how to

appropriately handle racism. This artifact fits the standard because in it I realize that differences

in race and culture could affect the conversation, and therefore, I asked specific questions of the

students. In order to provide the students with effective feedback, I had them work in class on a

worksheet, then we worked as a class on a classroom contract, and then, finally, we were ready

to discuss in class. The classroom contract demonstrates that the class set a standard for

listening, conflict resolution, and group-facilitation. The questionnaire was an opportunity for

me to ask questions about a touchy subject in a cautious and confidential way before beginning

the classroom discussion.

3. A If the artifact has been used in your practice, reflect on how your teaching will change in
the future to further meet the standard.
B If the artifact has not been used in your practice, i.e., a class assignment, reflect upon how
your teaching will be impacted by the assignment.

This artifact has been used in my practice. In the future, I would definitely ask the students to

complete the personal questionnaire before discussing in class, because it gave me, as a teacher,

a chance to buffer and monitor the discussion in a responsible way. In the future, I would have

created the classroom contract before even handing out the “Talking About the Hard Things”

worksheet so that the students could not exchange inappropriate stories with one another while

completing it. To further my group-facilitation skills, I would also try to facilitate more of a

student-student interaction rather than a teacher-lead discussion. This is a topic that I think

students could really become a part of if they were given the chance to really do so.
 Ptasienski 3

4. Conclude with a paragraph discussing how you are more prepared to Teach and Learn in a
Diverse Society as a result of satisfactorily meeting the standard.

This activity was the perfect way for me to create a democratic classroom that is open and

accepting to different races, sexes, cultures, and statuses. The students recognized the

importance of learning in a diverse classroom while being sure that all students are given an

equal opportunity to perform well and to feel accepted into the community of students as well.

After using this lesson with my 6th grade students, I am more comfortable communicating with

students about hard subjects and subjects that can so easily become heated. I learned a lot about

how to manage a classroom discussion, how to prevent outbursts or frustrations, and how to

facilitate group discussion.