Students Learning and the Teacher’s Responsibilities

Students come in all shapes and sizes, vary in ages and with that comes a

diverse classroom. That being said, there is a lot of work to to be done for the teacher

that comes into each classroom. Each day a student walks into the room they either

come in with having dealt with challenges at home, and/or can walk into problems when

going through the curriculum. With all of these elements stacked against the students,

it’s imperative that the teacher is successful in finding a teaching style that benefits the

students. For students to find success in the classroom there are fundamental teaching

skills that a teacher must possess. A teacher must possess patience, extensive

knowledge of the material and a motivation to see the growth of each and every

student. With patience, no matter what grade level, a teacher will find difficult days in

the classroom. Whether it’s a student’s behavior or if its the process of learning, the

teacher must keep calm and understand the timing of academic progression cannot be

rushed. To teach something, a teacher must understand the material, so that the

teacher is prepared for any question that comes their way. Lastly, the student needs a

support system outside of who they come home to. A teacher along with educating the

youth should have a passion for seeing the student succeed and come closer to moving

forward in education and eventually in life.

Ensuring Student’s Learning Process

To be able to confirm a student understands the lesson plan of each day there

must be routine assessment. When hearing assessment many first think of tests ( often

multiple choice, matching, and true or false). Assessments do the same thing but can

come in various fashions. Going through school myself, I have found that the times I
have learned the most, have been through assessments like short essays,

presentations and reflections. By giving these options the teacher allows the student to

express the content of what has been learned in a broader scope. Now tests and exams

still do have a place for learning, but to find the perfect balance can be essential in a

student’s development. Like anything, a steady balance should be a part of the class

curriculum, but keeping a variety will widen the students abilities and further develop

critical thinking skills.

Managing And Leading For All Students

Each student has a unique set of personality traits that he or she will bring into

the classroom. With their being an assortment of student ideas, this will bring in tension

between different students. As a teacher, finding the balance to where students feel free

to express their thoughts and feelings in a safe space is not just encouraged, but is

actually necessary. This is not a bullet proof system, but as the teacher the rules need

to be set for what is and what is not accepted in the classroom and around each

student’s peers. By laying down a code of morals this will create equality in the

classroom by holding each student to the same set of rules no matter who the student

may be. By keeping a universal set of standards that are held to all students this not

only keeps the classroom consistent and fair, but prepares the students to an adjusting

set of rules and expectations that they would possibly have to abide by in a new job,

class or whatever other endeavor they may pursue.

Teacher Expectations and the Influence of Student Learning

Through education, students look to prove something, and with that they want to

prove it to someone. For many it is the family, but when you break down a school
schedule you come to find that a student spends a lot of time with their teacher(s). With

that time the teacher and the student begin to develop a relationship. Whether the

relationship be positive or negative, the student will be motivated directly due to the

relationship. With a positive relationship there’s not too much mystery to it. The student

will appreciate the teacher, and with that they will want to earn a high grade proving

both the teachers skills and to gain the teacher’s approval. With a negative relationship

the student will aim to prove the teacher wrong, or to show that the student feels the

teacher cannot hold him or her back from achieving academic success. For the student

to prove something, there must be expectations. Expectations should be clear and push

for each student to attain certain goals. Students achieve different goals and they do so

at different times. To hold each student to the same expectations is not only naive, but

can either hold students back, or on the contrary, it could set the bar to high for the

students. When setting these expectations, a teacher must be ready to adjust these.

Often the teacher should continue to raise the expectations, but at times a teacher will

need to lower expectations and this can be due to a number of circumstances that both

take place in the classroom, and those that come from beyond the classroom. By

continuing to raise the expectations this can be crucial for advanced students to seek

out achieving their best work. Elevating the expectations for the student gets them

motivated thus keeping them working for progress and avoids complacency to set in.

With maintaining the expectations this can allow a student to remain positive. Failure is

never easy, and when it comes into the classroom it can be difficult for the student to

take. By setting manageable expectations this can keep the student’s spirits up, and this
too will keep them motivated. Now the expectations need to raise over time, but the

timeline should be individualized for each student.

The Importance of Goals

Goals come into many different walks of lives and often play a key factor in

success; students having goals in school is no exception. When a teacher meets the

students, the teacher should go over how to set goals and how to imply a goal or set of

goals for the particular class. When doing the overview the teacher should have an

example and make clear for the students that goals must be measurable, attainable and

detailed. Goals keep students engaged and set a standard for the student. Instead of

going into a class aimlessly, the student knows what they need to reach and they will be

determined on how to achieve it. Lastly, when the goal is reached the student will

experience a sense of fulfillment. With that, the student will continue to set a goal for

another class, and this will create a steady, healthy routine producing a life skill.

Connecting Learning to Social Ecology

As a teacher and you move from one year to the next, each year brings in new

challenges, possibly new teaching methods, but above all each year brings in new

students. Students however similar they can seem at times, bring their homelife into

school. Their homelife may be extremely positive, it can be more negative and

oftentimes the students homelife will be somewhere in the middle. Being the teacher

you must connect ( for the student) the matters outside of the classroom with the factors

inside of the classroom.

If the teacher can make a direct personalization for the students that is pertaining

to the students ecology, this creates relevance for the student. The student will not
necessarily see the direct correlation, but by teaching in a specific fashion this will

enhance the engagement the student experiences with the material that is being taught.

Each time the student learns something new, and can reconnect it with their own

personal life ( or homelife), the material locks in for the students. Doing this takes a

special teacher, the teacher must understand and really know the students they are

teaching. But by putting in the extra effort for the student, this allows the student to

further his/her learning experience.

When the student comes into the classroom there are certain qualities that they

possess, that are not seen but are just as important. A student has ties to their culture,

family and community. All three of these elements have different factors that create the

weight they carry into the classroom.The students culture can determine the expectation

for the approach that the student takes towards teaching and it can determine students

educational background. With family, this can decide how the students' approach to

school and education is determined; the family putting a low priority on the importance

of gaining an education. That being said, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the student

will share the same view for education. Occasionally the family norm can push the

student away from what the family desires, creating a new passion for education, but

still formed by the family life. Community can keep the student grounded. Seeing what

other students do in school that share the same living environment can teach the

student how school should be taken ( like as a privilege).

Students come into school with numerous traits, personalities, families, cultures

and communities. To be able to figure out how all these elements create the shape of

the student is essential for the teacher, when teaching at school. The better you know
your student, the better you will know how to make each student successful. This

method takes time, but when handled correctly the outcome can be life changing for the

student.

Building Upon Student Backgrounds

A teacher in a short amount of time has to get to know the student, and

understand the students background. The teacher must evaluate how the student

learns, what motivates the student and understand the students past life and figure how

that shaped the student sitting in the very classroom. To have a connection with the

students, the teacher must demonstrate a respect and genuine interest for all ethnic

backgrounds. Just because the background of a student is different from the teacher’s,

does not take away from the past experiences that the student has experienced. Simple

actions, like a quick check in, or a personal journal entry ( one excluding class material)

can be the first step to learning more about the students that come to your class. By

giving this opportunity to the student, the teacher shows that there is a genuine care for

how the student’s life is outside of the common core. The student could share a lot of

information, they could also share little to no information, but by initially giving an

opportunity to the student this sends the message that the teacher is not only

concerned about the gradebook. If the first check in or journal entry goes nowhere that’s

ok, but continue to give out this assignment and soon enough the student will find this to

be routine. Students tend to be open with their teachers. They see the teacher often,

and in most cases the see the teacher in a positive context. If the student doesn’t see

school as a positive the odds are their background could have more adversity. But if the
teacher can get this student to open up, what seemed to be distant ( in terms of

connecting to the student) can become closer and closer.

The difference between cultural pluralism and cultural assimilation is that a family

takes on a majority cultural group’s characteristics being assimilation but when it is

pluralism the people blend both their own culture with the culture that they are

surrounded by. Cultural assimilation can come in many different fashions, and is very

common here in the states because there are so many different cultural backgrounds

throughout the nation. Because of the depth of diversity when people move they pick up

cultural routines or traditions that perhaps are more common in their new hometown.

Holidays and hobbies are popular cultural traits that can be picked up, but it is not

limited to just these two. Personally I have never been put in this position ( being white

and christian), but I have many friends that had a different culture from my own and

picked up new cultural traits. Seeing both cultural assimilation and cultural pluralism I

definitely favor the idea of cultural pluralism because it keeps variety, but at the same

time preserves identity.

Teaching to all Students

As a teacher it is crucial to be flexible and adjust all elements of teaching when

necessary. Different years or classes, will present different challenges and obstacles a

teacher must overcome. With obstacles from year to year there may also be parts of the

job that are easier from year to year. Keeping an open mind is not just a strength to

have as a teacher, but arguably it is a necessity.

A teacher must learn to adjust a number of characteristics, but planning, delivery

and assessment could be of the utmost importance. Planning can seem fundamental,
but the timetable for lesson plans, assignments and class discussions can all be subject

to change. Whether there’s a particular assignment that the class as whole struggles

with, or a discussion that seems to be mutually beneficial to the level of critical thinking

or something of the sort, this will have a direct impact on the planning that you as a

teacher face. Delivery comes in many shapes and sizes. Each class will learn best from

a certain delivery of the material some classes could be similar, yet others could be on

opposite sides of the spectrum, being able to recognize that is key. Assessment is not

purely just multiple choice exams. There can be verbal assessments, or essays that can

still assess the student. Finding what is best for the students will be up to the teacher,

and adjusting the variety of assessments is a major factor in the learning process.

From the start of each section, the teacher should make a point of emphasizing

the style of the assessment for the particular section they are learning. This will

organize the students thinking process and will better prepare the student for the

assessment. Once the fashion of the assessment is determined, the teacher must plan

accordingly. The lesson plans should fit with the assessment and have direct

correlation. Lastly the teacher will need to deliver the lesson similar to how the

assessment will look. If it is collaborative, have the lesson be the same, or if its

individualized the lesson should do no different. To understand what is best for the

student the teacher must understand the student. Having a check-in or a reflection that

involves communication between the teacher and student must be present. Seeing what

is successful, or what should be avoided can create a system for each student and set

them on a path for success.

 Through planning, delivery and assessment it is crucial for the teacher to allow

some space for change. This will come with some mistakes, or reorganizing but once

the successful formula is found it can be pivotal for the student and how they learn.

Each student will bring on new challenges or obstacles, but by being a flexible teacher

you open yourself up to variety. By having variety, the teacher can learn to be flexible

and to avoid locking into one specific style of learning.