Kendra Newton EDU 406

Professional Plan

Learning to be a teacher is something that is dependent on experience. So many of the

views I will express in this paper have changed or become strengthened because of my
experiences in the classroom over the past nine years. Without a doubt, my junior internship
experience has made the biggest influence on the views I will share. Experimenting, trialing,
testing, examining, and observing these different tools and beliefs has given me an insight into
the world of teaching that I previously had not encountered, and I am sure this will only increase
as I go through my student teaching. Everything I share in this paper, and that I believe about
teaching in general, is at least acknowledged by data, if not supported. Children are unique and
no specific techniques or methods will work for every child; with that said, best practice is best.
There are many concepts that are tried and true, specifically with the diverse classrooms we work
with.
The purpose of schooling is to shape a child, using their interests and talents, to become a
life-long learner and a prepared citizen for our global society. Education has become a cultural
standard across the world because of its ability to change lives. Education is a symbol of equality
and equity in places where those words previously had no meaning. Whether education is taking
place within a school or somewhere else, it can change the outlook and aspirations of anyone.
Schooling, as a concept, is a way for us to shape our children to create the society we hope to
see; it is a way for us to prepare children for the world they are inheriting and instill in them the
belief that they are capable of making a difference. The physical school itself is a place where
educators have committed their lives to instilling these powerful beliefs into children. In my
ideal world, a school would be a place where every child is loved and consistently reminded of
his or her important place in this world. It would be alive with encouragement and failures and
people saying, “let’s try again.” And, most importantly, it would be full of people with a vision
of a better tomorrow.
Staying focused on what my “dream” school looks like, a vital component of it would be
the physical space. A classroom must be encouraging, exciting, engaging, and full of grace.
There should be a variety of learning areas around the room, making direct instruction, small
groups, and independent work all easy options. Students learn best when they are in an
environment they feel comfortable in, so a classroom must be welcoming and a safe space. To
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me, that means students need to know that there is respect and compassion fueling the teacher’s
behavior and actions. In addition to the physical space, the best way for students to learn is when
they are interested and engaged in the work. Typically, that doesn’t mean teaching solely through
direct instruction, but instead allowing the students to lead the conversation, ensuring there are
opportunities for all types of learners – logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal,
interpersonal – to thrive, and focusing on creating an environment that is welcoming of failure
and mistakes, allowing students to learn from them instead of being reprimanded; in other words,
embracing constructivism (Burden & Byrd, 2013, p. 13-15). Ensuring that content is relevant to
students is vital, which means incorporating authentic literature that is representative of students
in the class, whether that is regarding gender, race, ethnicity, or religion.
For any classroom to be successful, I truly believe love must be the center at it. Let me be
clear: I am perhaps the least affectionate person ever. I am not talking Hallmark love. I care
much more about the love that stems from a teacher’s passion for his or her job and that is shown
through high expectations, or helping a child find the right book for her, or putting in the extra
work needed to make sure a student gets the support he needs to thrive. A teacher must make the
effort to truly get to know his or her students. Not just their names and their favorite subjects, but
what their home lives are like and what they are passionate about and why they have certain
habits. If a teacher takes the time to better understand each student, that information will help to
guide instruction to ensure that the teacher is meeting the students where they are at (Burden &
Byrd, 2013, p. 50-51). A teacher needs to truly believe that every single student, regardless of
where they come from, how they behave, or what their IEP says, is capable of success. “Success”
can be broadly defined and is not the same for each student, but it is something that is achievable
for all students. If a student receives the needed support, he or she can meet and even exceed the
expectations set for the student. An educator is also responsible for acknowledging each
student’s background, home life, culture, etc. and ensuring that the support he or she is receiving
is what is needed. Each child is unique in many ways, and a teacher must see those differences
and ensure the support the student is receiving is tailored specifically to him or her. Equal is
never the goal; fair is. Fairness means that each student is getting what he or she requires for
success. That often means each student is not receiving the same treatment, and that is exactly
how it should be. For example, students who are English Language Learners require extra
Kendra Newton EDU 406

supports, like added time or alternative instructional methods, to improve both their English
acquisition and their academic performance (Herrell & Jordan, 2016, p. 2).
A teacher’s role in a classroom should be that of a facilitator. While the teacher should be
the sole authoritative influence in the classroom, that influence should only be used when
necessary. In general, a teacher should be the obvious leader of the class, and, like all true
leaders, encourage his or her students to take leadership roles and have a say in the things that
affect them. A teacher is an organizer, a provider, a guide. He or she is there to assist the students
in their acquisition of knowledge, not to tell them the “right” way of thinking – especially since
there is no such thing. Additionally, something that I think is too often overlooked, a teacher
needs to be a role model for his or her students. Students will learn more from a teacher’s
behaviors, reactions, and mannerisms than they will from the lectures he or she gives. A
teacher’s role in this day and age does include preparing students to achieve academic success,
including on standardized assessments, but that is not his or her most important job. Instead, the
teacher should be instilling the skills that will truly benefit his or her students throughout their
lives, focusing on work ethic, tenacity, organization, logical reasoning, and being able to utilize
resources properly.
The role of the student is not to do whatever the teacher says with no complaint. Just
yesterday, I heard someone say that children are supposed to behave essentially like adults,
sitting and waiting quietly for long periods. What has not been considered with a view like that is
the developmental state of these little humans. A child does not have the same reasoning skills or
emotional management as an adult. They should not be expected to act perfect all the time. I
have gotten up to stretch or take a break a number of times while writing this paper, but many
teachers do not allow their students to move around until their work is done. As a past fitness
coach and a fan of research, I know the benefits that movement can have for brain function.
While my students will not jump around all the time, I expect them to behave like children and
will do what I can to help them reach their potential, movement and all. With that said – no one,
child or adult, should do what people say without contemplating it or being allowed to ask
questions. In college, we are pushed to question authority, to challenge societal norms, and to
promote democratic principles. Why, then, would we be encouraging children to sit by
complacently? That would be counterproductive. A student’s role in the classroom is
multifaceted. They are expected to do their share – meet teachers and staff halfway when they
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are working together, ask questions when they are confused, be willing to make mistakes and try
again. Students should have a say in some decisions made about the class, such as what class
expectations there should be and how certain things should be handled. Of course, as I
mentioned previously, the teacher is the sole authority in the classroom – he or she gets the final
say, always, and students should respect that. But for that respect to happen, the students also
need to feel respect from their teacher. Students should be the guiding force in instruction and
the reasoning for nearly all instructional decisions made by the teacher (Gage, Scott, Hirn, &
Macsuga-Gage, 2017, p. 312).
Assessments and evaluations are a keystone part of a career in education. Assessments
can, and often should, provide you with much of the data used to make instructional decisions
(Newton, Class notes from November 28, 2018). While the term “assessment” has recently
obtained a negative connotation, it is perhaps the most important thing that teachers require of
their students. Teacher-created assessments are often ignored in a conversation that focuses on
standardized assessments, but they are extremely beneficial. The purpose of assessment,
particularly within the classroom and not at a higher level, is to determine how much students
have learned and what the next step in instruction needs to be. It was not until I started this
degree program that I realized that the purpose of assessment was not to tell students how
“smart” they are – which is how it was often treated by my teachers growing up. In my opinion,
there are a number of assessment types that are beneficial, depending on the topic and the goal.
Writing is the best indicator of ELA comprehension, but it was (and still is) my least favorite
way of being assessed, so there must be a wide variety of assessment types. Some students
naturally perform better on specific types of assessments, and that’s also something that has to be
considered. In general, though, anything that requires a higher level of thinking is going to give
the teacher the best data to work with. A rubric for scoring, on a written piece or a presentation
for example, is far more beneficial both for the teacher and the student when the scores are
evaluated. Instead of a strict number grade, it can show what certain students struggled with,
which areas were strong among most students, and what the next step should be. Evaluating
assessments properly can show a teacher which methods of his or her teaching are most
effective, what concepts should be taught in a different way, and how the class is progressing.
Both formative and summative assessments are beneficial for different purposes and at different
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times, but formative is likely to give the teacher much better qualitative data to work with to
design instruction (Newton, Class Notes “Why teachers ask questions,” 2018).
My beliefs about being an educator are constantly transforming as I experience new
things and open new books. I am still growing and learning, and these viewpoints of mine are not
set in stone. Instead, they’re open to modification, alterations, erasures and additions. The
process of becoming an educator has perhaps been the most eye-opening experience of my life,
and I look forward to seeing how my knowledge grows and my practices become more natural.
This “plan” is not all-encompassing of my views on education – I think I could write an entire
book on that. What it does is provide to the reader, in a nutshell, what type of educator I hope to
be and how I view my role as the leader of a classroom. While I think my views will always be
firmly rooted in constructivism, I am open to new ideas and look forward to seeing what data
comes out of the research that will be conducted throughout my time as an educator. I am not too
proud to second-guess myself, and I think being willing to be vulnerable and open to the idea of
failing before succeeding is something that will benefit me as I go through the “trial and error”
process that is teaching. With the solid foundation that I have been provided through my
experiences, I know I have what I need at this point to go into student teaching confidently and
humbly, ready to try my best and well-aware that I will fail plenty along the way.
Kendra Newton EDU 406

References

Brooks, J. G., & Brooks, M. G. (1993). In search of understanding: The case for constructivist
classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Burden, P. R., & Byrd, D. M. (2013). Methods for effective teaching: Promoting K-12 student
understanding(6th ed.). Pearson.
Gage, N. A., Scott, T., Hirn, R., & Macsuga-Gage, A. S. (2017). The relationship between
teachers’ implementation of classroom management practices and student behavior in
elementary school. Behavioral Disorders,43(2), 302-315.
Herrell, A. L., & Jordan, M. (2016). Fifty strategies for teaching English language learners(5th
ed.). Pearson.
Newton, K. (2018). Class notes from November 28.
Newton, K. (2018) Class notes: “Why do teachers ask questions?”