Brody’s Pedagogy of Teaching

There are many things that go into being a good teacher and creating situations where students
can learn well. At Geneva College I was evaluated using the four domains of the Danielson
Framework(Planning and preparation, learning environment, instruction, and professional
responsibilities), so I deemed it appropriate to explain my teaching pedagogy off the same framework.
Before I do that, I would like to preface this paper by saying, to be an affective teacher one must know
their students, their town’s culture, and must learn how to best interact with those things in order to
make a classroom based on mutual respect.

It is important to plan with consideration for the needs of the students, but also the resources
being used. A good teacher needs to consider things like students that have poor eyesight, and different
disabilities and how to include and instruct people accordingly. With those things in mind a teacher
should use resources that allow student engagement and promote thought for each student in the
room. In addition to accommodations and engagement a teacher needs to know that not everything will
go according to plan and needs to be willing to be flexible and explain things in different ways or maybe
to change activities based on the classroom dynamic that day. Regardless, it is important to plan ahead
of time and know how to plan according to what students’ need.

I hope to create a classroom environment that inspires curiosity and encourages questions. To
inspire curiosity I will be sure to put posters and papers on the walls that talk about spaces in chemistry
that are just slightly above the level that the students know. That way if they want a challenge or if they
want to think about something new then they can just look at the wall. This allows for acceptable
distractions while creating room for more engagement. However, curiosity doesn’t last long without an
ability to ask questions and many chemistry students are afraid to question because they don’t want to
show what they don’t know. One way I will combat this, is by making a general classroom rule that no
on related question is a dumb question. To encourage deeper questions I would also like to make a wall
that I can hang questions that students have asked and then I can answer those at different random
times throughout lessons.

If I expect to try and make a classroom dynamic of curiosity, then my instruction needs to reflect
that same drive for curiosity. I know that I will have to Lecture in order to get through all of the topics
that I need to cover, but when I get the chance, I would like to provide forms guided inquiry for my
students, to engage more of their brain then what it takes to write notes. Whether that involves labs,
discussions, or just unexpected demonstrations, there are many things that can spark curiosity.

Teachers have been huge role models for me in the past, so the ways that I interact outside of
the classroom are just as important as the ways that I interact inside the classroom. So, when it comes
to professional responsibilities, it is important to reflect on the effectiveness of different teaching
methods, how up to date the parents are about what their kids are learning, and trying to support the
other teachers that I am working with. On top of that, it is respectful to students to grade their work
soon after they turn things in.

In conclusion, I would like my class room to be a place of wonder and curiosity where students
can examine the world and it’s functions in an environment of mutual respect and engagement.