Erica Vander Velde Your Future English Teacher

This is me…. – Lead teacher position for high school English – Hotel management for seven years – Classroom teacher for eight years – Seven in high school – One in middle school – Illinois teaching certification – Middle School and Language Arts Endorsements – Hobbies include drama and photography

Philosophy of Education – Students should expect someone who is open to new ideas, who is warm, and who listens – Need to meet students where they are – “…educators need to develop a classroom setting that accepts and respects [students’] individuality and uniqueness” (Newman, 2013, c.1) – Make students feel safe and secure – Must ensure students feel included and that their thoughts are validated – Students are part of a community and should have “experiences that show them they are valued members of a community” (Bun, 2000). – Collaboration is a must and there will be group projects - Promotes 21 st Century Skill of collaboration – Students should look at life from many angles – They are not islands and actions have consequences – Each student is bound for greatness – maybe not college, but greatness

Classroom Management Plan – Students need to know they are safe and valued, and be sure that their opinions will be heard and accounted for – Gives them responsibilities and some decision-making abilities – One rule: You may do whatever you wish in your classroom as long as it does not interrupt any teacher’s instruction or any student’s learning – “…[offer] children a choice, a degree of control rather than commands telling them what to do” (Buttner, C. & Friedly, W.L., 2007, p.132). – Walk through different scenarios on 1 st day and on-going for learning opportunities – Class will design some class-specific rules – IE: speech class and code of conduct – Daily policies and procedures – IE: homework, turned-in papers, extra pens/pencils, paper collection – Students are to do their best at all times – Desks not in rows, but in clusters

Different School Models Montessori – Lower teacher/student ration – Encourages self-direction – Doesn’t require all core subjects – Assess students as individuals and do not use traditional grades – Technology rarely used – Focus is on child’s self – Students makes most of their educational decisions – Teaching techniques rarely change Public – Class size about 21 – Needs to figure out how to further challenge students – Assessment drives instruction – Technology is a priority – Focus on collaboration – Teacher makes many decisions – Flipped classroom puts student in charge a bit more – Teaching techniques seem to change a lot

Effective Lesson Planning – Elements of effective lesson design: – Research, Clear objectives, Be complete and specific, Begin with end in mind – Learning objectives are critical – Must be specific and measurable – Would you leave on a road trip without knowing where you’re going? – Common pitfalls – Accidental learning, Coverage, Not planning at all – These can be avoided by planning, planning, and planning – Backwards Design – Begin with assessment “followed by carefully crafted lessons to achieve [the] objectives” (Jones, K.A., Vermette, P.J., & Jones, J.L, 2009, p. 357). – Common Core Standards – Standards have already been written with the students’ ending result – Student’s role in the learning process – Be as active as possible and take responsibility

Assessment – “Schools and districts [are] expected to meet specific targets for student achievement or face possible consequences” (Newman, 2013, c. 12). – Assessments are personal and can cause tremendous anxiety for teacher and student – Teaching to the test – Lowering testing standards – Educate the entire child (Stecher, TEDxSoCal, 2011) – Mind = study all subjects including art, science, and social studies – Body = diet, nutrition, and exercise, and play with each other – Spirit = exposure to art and showing how to become good citizens – Add peer and self-assessment – Develop 21 st Century Skills of teamwork and collaboration – “…since [the] main goal of … education is to promote independent, and lifelong learning … the traditional assessment practices that provide a grade at the end of the learning process are no longer practical to help students learn” (Siow, 2015, p. 21). – Use data immediately – cannot wait until next year – Focus on formative assessment for immediate feedback (Wormelli, 2010) – this will increase testing scores

Professional Learning Communities – Teachers “are not given authority, but earn it through their work with students and colleagues” (Newman, 2013, c. 14). – Largest impact on teachers because they are sharing with one another – Look at practices in their own classrooms and together determine if what they’re doing is working – PLC may increase teacher retention – “teacher retention is directly correlated to feelings about work” (Newman, 2013, c. 14) – Just like students who will be more engaged if they are involved in decision-making, so will the teachers. – Teachers do not need to be able to do it all; just need to fall into one of the following categories: – Resource Provider, Instructional Specialist, Curriculum Specialist, Classroom Supporter, Learning Facilitator, Mentor, School Leader, Data Coach, Catalyst for Change, Learner – Teachers also need to be learners – be the example for the students

Works Cited Buttner, C. & Fridley, W.L. (2007). WWJD – What would Jim do? A comparison of James Dobson’s and Jim Fay’s philosophies of Parenting. Philosophical Studies in Education, v. 38. Retrieved from files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ pdf Bunn, S. (2000). Keeping kids connected: How schools and teachers can help all students feel good about school…and why that matters. Retrieved from Oregon Department of Education website: Jones, K. A., Vermette, P.J., & Jones, J.L. (2009). An integration of “backwards planning” unit design with the “two-step” lesson planning framework. Education, 130(2), Retrieved from htttp://wb.b.ebscohost.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=94e25411-ef aafe d9861b0%40sessionmgr110&vid=9&hid=102 Newman, R. (2013). Teaching and learning in the21st century: Connecting the dots. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Siow, L. (2015). Students’ perceptions on self- and peer-assessment in enhancing learning experience. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Sciences 3(2) Retrieved from files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ pdf Stenhousepublishers. (2010, November 30). Rick Wormeli: Formative and summative assessment [Video file]. Retrieved from TEDxTalks. (2011, August 14). TEDxSoCal – Dr. Brian Stecher – Cultivating thriving schools [Video file]. Retrieved from