T HE B IG I NTERVIEW Jeremy Golden EDU650: Teaching Learning and Leading in the 21st Century Richard Newman December 1, 2014

I NTRODUCTION My name is Jeremy Golden. I currently hold a Bachelors degree in elementary education and am working to obtain a Masters in education. I have been teaching for the last eight years and have taught pretty much all elementary grade levels. I am seeking a third grade teaching position. I feel that third grade is very crucial to each student’s future success and that my differentiated methods of teaching will benefit each and every student that I work with.

E DUCATIONAL P HILOSOPHY My general education philosophy is Progressivism. I believe that students should test ideas by active experimentation. This can be done in the classroom, as well as online. Learning is rooted in the questions of learners that arise through experiencing the world. It is active, not passive. When students ask questions they are better able to comprehend the information and to fully understand what is being taught. Students are also able to seek answers to their questions in non-experimental ways. By observing others and making their own deductions, students can also grasp the content of the lesson. My curriculum content is derived from student interests and questions. If students are interested in the information being provided, they are better able to understand and grasp the lesson. There are several things that students should expect from me as a teacher. They should expect that I am going to be a leader and a good role model for them. To be a good leader one must be able to direct others and influence them to better themselves. They should expect that I will always be honest with them and that I will help them to the best of my ability. They should expect that I am going to require them to make certain decisions and have a certain amount of autonomy, while maintaining a specific rigor within the classroom. They should also expect that they will always be learning from me in one form or another. Parents should expect complete communication from me. I will always ensure that they understand what their child is learning in the classroom, as well as how I am teaching it. They can also expect that I will give them advice on how they can better help and educate their child while at home. I also expect several things from myself as a teacher. I expect myself to always be understanding and patient with my students. I expect that I will always attempt to see things through their eyes to better understand where they are coming from.

E DUCATIONAL P HILOSOPHY C ONTINUED I think that the biggest responsibility of a teacher is to empower each and every student that I teach. While education or the subject of the lesson is important, it is crucial that I teach with the intentions of empowering my students. Students should know that they are capable of anything that they imagine or set out to do. I find education an important value in my personal and professional life. I am always wanting to learn, as well as, helping those around me learn. I feel education is the key to success. I rely on many methods when it comes to learning and/or educating others. I find that I often have to use several methods before I fully understand something, so I will keep that in mind when teaching my students. I often learn by listening, reading, but most frequently using my hands. I have always had a problem with comprehension, so I often over compensate for that when teaching. Students also learn differently from one another. This is why differentiated instruction is so very important. Everyone learns differently, therefore it is important that teachers teach using several different methods. My teaching can facilitate students learning by simply giving them the support they need. I feel that students are capable of such great things; they often just need the confidence, motivation, and encouragement to go for them. As a result of being in my class, I want students to have a love for education and a desire to be the best possible person at all times. I want students to realize that education is the best tool for their future endeavors. I would also like students to gain the knowledge that no one can determine their futures, they are the only ones. I love teaching and that shines through in everything I do.

C LASSROOM M ANAGEMENT P LAN Goal: The goal of a classroom management plan is to increase student motivation and participation in class. By increasing participation in the classroom, I also hope to increase the attention span of my students by including activities that are engage each and every student. When they are interested in the lesson and comprehend what is being taught, they should be more willing to partake and to pay attention while instruction is taking place. Rules: Students are to be creative and to always have their thinking caps on. The best ideas and solutions come when you least expect it. Students should be involved in each and every lesson. Students are to ask questions and to work with classmates when necessary. Students are to communicate with the teacher to ensure everyone comprehends the information being given in the lesson.

C LASSROOM M ANAGEMENT P LAN : R OLES Role of Students in the Classroom: There are several roles of a student in a classroom. First, they must be a self-learner. While a teacher can instruct students, they cannot force students to learn the information being given. Therefore, students must enter the classroom wanting to learn. Students must also be a team member as our class is a group, where everyone needs to work together and collaborate in order to accomplish things. Students should also come into the classroom with an open mind each and every day. They should be willing to learn and try new things. Role of a Teacher: Teachers also play a large role in the classroom. “Generally teachers retained many of their traditional roles (e.g. class leader or director, lecturer, information giver, discussion leader). They also negotiated multiple new roles in classrooms that utilized innovative technology-supported practices” (Murchu, 2014). Some of the more recent roles of teachers are being an instructional designer, a trainer, a coordinator, and a mentor. Using today’s technology, teachers must be able to design their instruction it. They must incorporate computers and other such devices in their lesson. They must also ensure students are being taught the skills to use the technology of today. Teachers must also be a trainer when in the classroom. “Trainers” give individual instruction to enable skilled development. This training or mentoring was accomplished through modelling the use of multimedia and technology, and helping the students see how they might use software tools to accomplish unique language learning tasks” (Murchu, 2014). The role of a coordinator and a mentor are also things a teacher must consider. While coordinating the learning that goes on in the classroom, teachers must also remember that they are always mentoring their students to help ensure they become the most productive citizens possible.

S CHOOL M ODELS Schools have different models for which they run their school by and educate their students. Schools incorporate different models in order to accomplish different things within their schools and in relation to the way each student learns. Some school models are aimed at decreasing class size, with the hopes of improving teacher-to- student ratios. Other school models attempt to improve leadership with in the classrooms. A school model is basically a plan that is implemented in hopes of changing or bettering something.

S CHOOL M ODEL T HAT S HOULD B E I MPLEMENTED Since this school has previously has a poor performance rate, I would implement an innovative school model. The Schoolwide Enrichment Model would be a great model to help improve performance school wide and to help engage students. When students are engaged they are more apt to learn and comprehend what is being taught With this school model, student performance will increase while also helping students to develop a sense of self.

S CHOOLWIDE E NRICHMENT M ODEL “The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) provides enriched learning experiences and higher learning standards for all children through three goals; developing talents in all children, providing a broad range of advanced-level enrichment experiences for all students, and providing advanced follow-up opportunities for young people based on their strengths and interests. The SEM focuses on enrichment for all students through high levels of engagement and the use of enjoyable and challenging learning experiences that are constructed around students' interests, learning styles, and preferred modes of expression. Separate studies on the SEM have demonstrated its effectiveness in schools with widely differing socioeconomic levels and patterns of program organization” (Schoolwide, 2014).

E FFECTIVE L ESSON P LANNING Effective lesson planning is important. Teachers must ensure they plan properly in order to ensure students are learning the necessary information. One of the most important things in a lesson plan is the objective. This must be clearly stated so that the students, as well as the teacher, fully understand what the purpose of the lesson is and what information should have be retained at the conclusion of the lesson.

E FFECTIVE L ESSON P LANS There are several aspects that should be included in all lesson plans. These include: Purpose Input (from students) Modeling Guided Practice Check for Understanding Independent Practice Closure

S TUDENT ’ S R OLE I N L ESSON P LANNING Students play an important role in lesson planning. Their first role is to ensure that they fully understand the objective of the lesson. If they do not fully understand the objective they should ask the instructor questions to ensure they are able to get the most out of the lesson. It is also the role of the students to give feedback to the instructor. Every bit of feedback will help the instructor to know how they can improve or change the lesson to increase overall success.

A SSESSMENT M ATTERS Assessing students after a lesson is one of the most important parts of a lesson plan. Assessing students after a lesson will allow the teacher to understand if the objective was met. The questions that should be answered by an assessment: Did students learn the objective of the lesson? Are there any students that are struggling or need more assistance? Are there changes that need to be made to the lesson plan so that is it more effective?

P ROFESSIONAL L EARNING C OMMUNITIES “The role of the teacher has evolved through the years from being responsible for one's own class to being part of a professional learning community where everyone shares responsibility for ensuring student success” (Newman, 2013). It is important that teachers realize that they hold the future of their students in their hands. It is also important that teachers continue to build on each and ever students knowledge as if it were building blocks, placing one on top of the other.

M Y A SSETS I have many assets that I can bring to this school. I understand that this is a very prestigious positions and I am honored that I was given the opportunity to present my skills and philosophy to you. If given the position I will work diligently to ensure that I positively touch each student that I come into contact with. I am often able to see things from the students point of view while guiding them towards success. I feel this is a great asset and will definitely help to improve performance throughout the school.

R EFERENCES Murchu, D. (2014). New Teacher and Student Roles in the Technology-Supported, Language Classroom. Retrieved from Newman, R. (2013). Teaching and learning in the 21st century: Connecting the dots. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Schoolwide Enrichment Model. (2014). University of Connecticut. Retrieved from