Alyssa Supple

Professor Suk
Educational Field Experience EDUC 230-13
Spring 2015
Rationale Statement Ice Breaker NJPTS Number Two
Statement of Standard Two:
Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual differences
and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that
enable each learner to meet high standards (NJPTS, 2014, p. 15).
Name of Artifact: Ice Breaker
Date of Artifact: February 17, 2015
Course: Education Field Experience EDUC 230-13
Rationale Statement:
The artifact that I am addressing is the Ice Breaker: an assignment that is designed
by a teacher for the first day of class, which students will complete so as to establish a
rapport between themselves and the teacher. This relates to Standard Two involving
Learning Differences, in that, by beginning the year with an exercise that allows students
to introduce themselves, a teacher can best gauge the composition of the classroom, and
begin to formulate how this will affect the curriculum for that year. I addressed both the
diversity and cognitive learning aspects of this standard in my ice breaker by having
students both briefly describe their background and aspirations, as well as communicate
their particular learning styles and preferences. As Standard Two states: The teacher
understands that learners bring assets for learning based on their individual experiences,
abilities, talents, prior learning, and peer and social group interactions, as well as
language, culture, family, and community values, (NJPTS, 2014, p. 19). In this way, I
designed my ice breaker to give the opportunity to students to explain their particular

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backgrounds, so as to provide the students, and the teacher, with a deeper understanding
of the individuals in the classroom. Furthermore, with the second part of my ice breaker
focusing on the learning styles of the student, based on which class they deem his or her
favorite, and for what reason, I related my artifact to the Standards Essential Knowledge
point number two: The teacher understands and identifies differences in approaches to
learning and performance and knows how to design instruction that uses each learners
strengths to promote growth, (NJPTS, 2014, p. 19).
Completing this exercise exposed me to how difficult it is to create a
comprehensive exercise that is appropriate for the classroom setting, especially one that
is to be administered on the first day. It is very important to establish the mood of the
classroom on the first day, and how one wants to be perceived based on one exercise
requires a lot of thought. Remembering my past experiences as a student, I realized that,
even though I did not like ice breaker exercises, they are beneficial to the start of a
course. Ice breakers set the tone for the class, as well as establish the relationship
between students and the teacher. As a teacher, I want to connect to my students in a way
that is tuned to their specific needs and preferences so as to enable them to perform their
best work, and the ice breaker is the first step to establishing this relationship. I feel by
letting students express themselves, through an exercise such as this, you are opening the
doors to a classroom that promotes free expression. This is essential for creating the type
of classroom that I imagine myself having, as the flow of ideas aids in comprehension of
material. I understand that not all students come from the same backgrounds
academically and personally and this needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

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Classes rely on the student, and the information that we can learn on the first day is that
which will shape the remainder of the year.
I plan to use this exercise, or one similar to it, in my future career as an educator. I
feel that what I have constructed thus far will allow for me to meet all of the expectations
provided by the NJPTS Standard Two, and allow me to create a classroom that promotes
the well being and growth of my students. Knowing that not all of my students will want
to participate in ice breaker activities, I want to find a way to make this experience
beneficial and meaningful. In this way I will use this type of exercise to establish a
learning community in the classroom that will continue to grow and change as the year
progresses.
References
Professional Development in New Jersey. (2014, August 4). Retrieved from New Jersey
State Department of Education: http://www.state.nj.us/education/code/current/
title6a/chap9c.pdf