1.

Describe the skills or attributes you believe are necessary to be an outstanding

teacher.
First and foremost, I believe an outstanding teacher must have a passion and love
for teaching children and a commitment to ensuring all students succeed at their highest
potential in all subject areas. I also believe an outstanding teacher should create a safe
learning community within their classroom and ensure each student knows that they are
valuable, cared for, and have a purpose in life. I also believe an outstanding teacher
should be a facilitator in the classroom and promote self-directed learning that will
prepare students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. As Karl Fisch once stated, we are
currently preparing students for jobs and technologies that dont yet exist, in order to
solve problems that we dont even know are problems yet. As an outstanding teacher in
the 21st century, it is crucial to foster creativity and innovation within the classroom
through the use of meaningful lessons that require critical thinking, problem solving,
communication, and collaboration skills. An outstanding teacher must also possess
effectual classroom management skills, and strong collaboration skills to be able to
successfully work within a professional learning community. They should continually
reflect upon the effectiveness of their own teaching strategies and analyze student
progress to make necessary changes to their own instruction. Lastly, an outstanding
teacher should know how to effectively integrate technology into the classroom and carry
out instruction based upon the Common Core State Standards.
2. How would you address a wide range of skills and abilities in your classroom?
I would address a wide range of skills and abilities in my classroom through the
utilization of differentiation. I would differentiate my core instruction in order to meet the
needs of all my students by modifying the pace of instruction, incorporating flexible
grouping, and changing the products of learning to reflect the ways in which my students
learn best. For example, if I were beginning a math unit, I would first deliver a preassessment to determine students prior knowledge about the subject along with their
instructional needs. Next, I would begin grouping my students according to the
instructional objectives and also in response to their individual learning needs. Through
small-group instruction, I would provide multiple kinds of learning materials that meet
the needs of different types of learners (visual, kinesthetic, and auditory). Throughout the
unit, I would continue implementing multi-faceted assessment to guide my instructional
decisions, striving to customize my instruction in order to help all students succeed in
learning.
3. Briefly describe how you would use technology in your classroom.
I would use technology in my classroom in order to heighten students interest,
simplify difficult concepts, and equip students to use common technological resources.
First and foremost, I would use a Smart Board or other projecting device in my classroom
to visually display information including maps, photographs, graphic organizers, or
videos that would enhance students understanding of a topic. I would also integrate a
classroom blog as a resource for students to reflect upon their own learning and utilize a
variety of technological applications in order to cultivate student engagement. For
example, I would implement QR Codes into the classroom when having students practice
mathematical problems in order to provide a learning experience that is engaging, unique,
and relevant to students everyday lives.