Jessica Zappala

Patty Hicks
EDUC 901A
May 1, 2015!
!
Philosophy of Education Statement
Within the walls of an eighth grade English Learner classroom at Henry J.
McLaughlin Middle School in Manchester, N.H, students stared while I wrote the class
objectives on the board. The unit was on banking, and even though the students were too
young to have their own bank accounts, I chose the topic because I felt life skills like
balancing a checkbook and keeping track of a bank account should be at the top of a list
for all residents of the country, especially new ones. As I conducted the lessons, I
incorporated group work to assist with language acquisition, visual aids to give context to
new vocabulary, and hands-on activities to peak motivation. Through this unit, I thought I
was being of most help to my students by explaining how to properly write a check or use
a debit card, but while reading the exit poll, I learned that that was not the case. One
student wrote, Ms. Zappala teaches us a lot about banking and she say my name right. I
like this class cause she say my name. I had put abundant time into lesson planning, but
it was through reflection that I learned my personal values for teaching. This experience
helped me to realize that having high expectations for all students is not enough.
Teaching the way I learn, with the material I find important, is not enough to reach
students and actually help them learn. Instead, I realized that if my students are to meet
the high expectations I set for them, I must first understand their learning needs and
styles.

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Although that moment was pivotal, I originally became interested in teaching
English because of a great teacher I had in high school. I built a strong relationship with
my Spanish teacher whom I had for two years. This teacher instilled a love for language
and inspired me to further my studies in Spanish and also take courses in Italian. During
this time, I became dedicated to my studies and interested in the field of English
literature. I began to notice the value of using English language and literature to connect
with others and to think reflectively and critically. Meanwhile, I grew confident in my
linguistic abilities as well as empathetic towards those learning a new language. As I
struggled with learning new languages, I began to respect the challenge that refugees and
immigrants face while coming to America and adjusting to the culture. I became
interested in teaching mainstream English because of the life lessons that can be learned
through literature, as well as the feeling of freedom and relief that comes from expression
through writing. Looking back, I remember my Spanish teacher as a challenging teacher
who pushed me to do countless hours of homework and projects. She formed a
relationship with each of her students that was built upon respect. Although Ive lost
some of my Spanish language skills, I do remember the way this teacher fueled my
passion for learning, something I hope will ignite my future students. This is why I am
becoming certified to teach both K-12 ESOL and secondary mainstream English.
Originally, my core beliefs of teaching started with the idea that teachers should
hold high expectations of themselves and their students. Only after experience during my
internship at McLaughlin Middle School in an ELL pullout program during the fall
semester of 2014 and Manchester High School Central during the spring semester of
2015 did I realize that before setting what I consider high expectations, I must learn the

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needs of my students in order to help them learn effectively. By knowing my students
needs, I am able to adjust instruction to guide them to meet my high expectations. I
believe students who are challenged work hard to achieve their full potential. I also
believe that teachers are responsible for more than the class curriculum. It falls to them to
teach character, discipline, organization, and work ethic, but not necessarily overtly. They
must show students how to be positive, active members of society. By expecting students
to be respectful to others, work hard, and set high expectations, teachers can help their
students better learn knowledge and skills. Developing this type of classroom climate
results in a warm and welcoming environment where students can take risks and feel
comfortable with themselves and others. The classroom is a microcosm of society, and if
students can learn to be productive members of a classroom, they should be able to
transfer these life skills beyond its walls.
A study analyzing the expectations of teachers in high poverty schools and the
effect of expectations on classroom managements found that when students believe they
have the intellectual capacity to succeed and know their teachers hold high expectations
for them, they are more likely to be engaged in schoolwork (Brown, 2004, p. 269).
While teaching a level three College Composition course, I learned how significant the
effect of having high expectations can be for my own students. For example, a student
joined the class late, and as I caught him up with the make-up work, he seemed motivated
and interested in the course. As the course went on, this student passed in classwork on
time and worked to his potential. In an effort to know the entirety of each student, I made
an effort to check all of my students transcripts in order to understand their strengths and
weaknesses, as well as to learn about courses they have already taken so that I can adjust

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my instruction. Because this student was doing so well in my course, I was shocked to
see this student had previously only taken level one classes and barely passed them.
During a writing conference with my student, I asked about his progress in his other
classes. This student, a senior, told me that my class was the first class in which he had
ever applied himself. He told me he had never had a teacher expect anything longer than
a three-page paper from him or respect him as a student and writer. Therefore, as a result
of holding all students to high expectations and providing the means by which each
student can meet those expectations, I was able to watch this student rise to the occasion
and meet my high standards by completing papers and developing into a more proficient
writer, a skill that will benefit him as he enters his college career.
In the classroom, I believe it is best to implement methods that promote
productive learning experiences. I have incorporated group work into my classroom to
enable students to build social skills as well as academic knowledge and skills. Also,
during group work, both EL students and mainstream English students benefit because
they have the opportunity to practice both social and academic language. A collaborative
learning model is effective because it gives me the opportunity to construct groups based
on ability, strengths, and needs. Regarding group work, in the article Meeting the Needs
of All Students through Differentiated Instruction: Helping Every Child Reach and
Exceed Standards, Holli Levy, Ed.D, notes, Grouping should be based on different
criteria regarding the needs of the students and the short-term goals of the teacher in an
effort to meet the desired standard (2008, p. 164). I have incorporated this concept in
my own classroom while working on the writing process. In my Writing Workshop
course at Manchester Central High School, I dedicate time weekly to critiquing, editing,

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and sharing student writing. Students work to make each other better writers in a team
based atmosphere. As a result, this communication and collaboration gives students the
ability to practice their reading and editing skills, but also practice orally sharing and
discussing academic content. A collaborative approach shifts the responsibility of
learning onto the student and proves useful in both an EL and mainstream settings.
Teachers should also practice a collaborative learning model with their peers.
Meeting the needs of my learners starts by getting to know them outside of my
classroom. I have learned this is valid in both mainstream and pull-out classroom
settings. It is especially important in a school with culturally diverse students who need
their teachers to be aware of their living situations and life history in order to better
understand their needs in the classroom. Teachers should be conversant with other
teachers about best practices and successes in their classroom as well as feel comfortable
going to their peers for support when they are challenged. By reaching out to my
mainstream colleagues while interning in the EL pullout program at McLaughlin, I was
able to construct lessons that were rich in academic language directly related to their
mainstream curriculum. As a result, the students comprehension of ideas and material
was strengthened, their mainstream grades increased, and their appreciation for my
efforts led to greater respect for and engagement in my lessons.
While interning at Manchester High School Central, I have maintained open
communication with special education resource teachers, guidance counselors, and EL
teachers in order to understand my students need. For example, while working on
reading a text, I noticed one of my students was missing class often and missing many
assignments. I decided to reach out to the students guidance counselor to find out if there

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was anything I should know about the students current home life. I eventually learned
the student was taking on most of the responsibility of the household and caring for their
aging grandmother. This affected my teaching because I was able to differentiate
instruction for this student by adjusting her deadlines and giving her more time to work
on assignments in class, since home was probably not an educationally productive
atmosphere. In return, she became a more clear and concise writer despite hardships she
was experiencing at home. This shows how important communication with staff is to
knowing each student and their situation. This concept is also true for the relationship
between teachers, parents, and administrators. There should always be a collaborative
model throughout the school to ensure communication between all staff and parents so
that everyone works together in the best interest of the student in order to meet the high
expectations set in my classroom.
I see myself as an advocate for my students. In order to be an effective advocate, I
need be aware of each students background, history, experiences, home life, and home
language. In An Ethic of Caring and Its Implications for Instructional Arrangements,
Nel Noddings (1988) argues the significance of moral development in education.
Noddings (1988) notes that, time to model, dialogue, and practice( p. 222) are all the
essential steps to teaching to the student as a whole. By doing so, Noddings explains that
students become better questioners and learn real life skills. It has been my experience
that some students see school as the enemy, and it is my job to show students that their
teachers truly care about them and their success. I have worked towards getting to know
the learners in my classroom. For example, through one-on-one work, I am able to get to
know students learning and organizational habits. In addition, through personal writing

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prompts, such as memoirs or personal narratives, I have been able to learn about students
backgrounds and previous struggles. By being aware of the prior experiences of my
students, I have created a closer bond with them. By creating lessons that reinforce and
mirror the mainstream curriculum, as well as teaching skills and strategies, such as
learning how to use text features, that can be transferred to other disciplines, students
have come to see that I am working for their benefit and learning has become more
engaging.
As I teach students foundational skills, I must also remember that students learn
best when teachers access different modalities in the classroom such as visual, kinesthetic
and auditory, according to Howard Gardners (1983) Theory of Multiple Intelligences.
By getting to know my students and their needs, I am able to create lessons that
specifically cater to the way my students learn. Gardner defines intelligence as, the
capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural
setting, and it will depend on me to access various intelligences so my students can get
the most out of their classroom time (p. 170). I started to notice many of my middle
school students were unmotivated to write when I put writing prompts on the board.
Therefore, I tried something new to cater to my auditory and visual learners while I was
teaching at McLaughlin Middle School. I decided to present the class with a short
YouTube clip, and then asked them to respond to the video. One of the most successful
prompts occurred after showing a Nike commercial to students which involved Michael
Jordan and various NBA players discussing hard work and dedication on the basketball
court but also in life. My prompt was: Michael Jordan says its not about the shoes. So,
what is it about? Students quickly picked up their pencils and began writing for fifteen

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minutes straight, even though I said they only had to write for 10 minutes. They also
produced quality , thoughtful work . Since all learners are unique with different learning
styles, teachers must recognize this and be willing to change lessons depending on the
students in front of them. I often incorporate lessons that involve students getting out of
their seat to write on the board as a way to cater to my visual and kinesthetic learners. We
also have used a chalk talk technique, in which I gave students a prompt and asked
them to come to the board to share their answers and draw arrows to make connections.
We did this after watching a video about kindness. The prompt was: How can one kind
act change the world? Students took a few minutes to write a quick answer and then
came to the board and wrote their thoughts while making connections with others
thoughts. In the end, students were able to see how their ideas about kindness related to
others as a starting point for a successful essay on paying it forward.
While learning my students needs during my internship, I noticed that students
were most engaged in reading material that was relevant to themselves. This idea is
verified by literacy author Kyleene Beers (2012), who notes that, The most rigorous
reading is to find what those words on that page mean in our own lives (p.42). I noticed
when I instructed students to read challenging material they could relate to that students
got the most out of the material. For example, while reading the poem Life Doesnt
Frighten Me by Maya Angelou, my middle school students were asked to underline
something in the poem that also frightened them, and then explain how the poem shows
that we should not be intimated by the small things in life. Students were actively
participating and enjoyed sharing what they were afraid of at the beginning of the
discussion, and by the end of class had written a reflection that demonstrated how they

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could turn their challenges into accomplishments in their own lives incorporating
figurative language as in the poem.
I intend to build trust with my students not only by showing them that I value
them and their ideas, but also by showing my students that I am also a student myself.
Within my personal pedagogy lies the belief that I must hold high expectations for
myself. As an ongoing learner, I model learning through my teaching. I learned about
this approach from Paulo Freire (1993), who believes the teachers efforts must coincide
with those of the students to engage in critical thinking... efforts must be imbued with a
profound trust of the people and their creative power (p.75). He insists teachers become
aware that both teachers and students learn from each other. I modeled being an ongoing
learner while using a think-aloud strategy in my 7th grade EL classroom. While reading a
story about facing challenges, I read the text out loud while also inserting comments
regarding connections I was making or questions I had about the text. Students were
intrigued that, like them, I have questions when I read. As Louise Rosenblatt (2004),
literary theorist, notes, No two readings, even by the same person are identical. Still,
someone else can read a text differently and paraphrase it for us in such a way as to
satisfy our efferent purpose. But no one else can read aesthetically- that is, experience
the evocation of a literary work of art for us (p. 1375). The read aloud is an example of
Rosenblatts theory in action. By showing students my own interpretation of a text, it
shows them the process of reading as an ongoing skill that develops over time and differs
from person to person. I see my role as the teacher as a collaborative effort in learning
with my students.

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While showing my students I am learning with them is helpful, it is also the key
to being an effective practitioner. Teachers who are constantly researching in their field
about methods and best practices are clearly best prepared. It is essential for teachers to
be reflective individuals who are willing to adjust their instructions and assessments
based on the needs of their learners because the students in front of them, as well as the
field of education, is always changing. After each lesson I make sure to jot down notes
about what worked well and what I may change or adjust for the next class. Specifically,
while conducting a review bingo game, I adjusted my instructions in order to make the
game more productive for students. During one period, I noticed students were shouting
out answers, and I was unable to individually assess them. After reflection, I decided it
would be best to ask students to answer individually in order around the room. As a
result, I was able to assess students one by one and notice patterns to adjust my
instruction for the next class. The next day, I went over the prefixes and suffixes that
students struggled with most. Overall, I have found that even a few minutes of reflection
helps me remain focused on the students and their needs.
Within a culturally diverse classroom, fairness demands I adjust assessments in
order to remove bias from test material. In addition, my assessments need to be adjusted
depending on the focus of the course, as well as the learning styles of each individual
student. Different technology, new research, and student diversity are all factors when
considering the importance of adjusting lesson plans, lesson delivery, and assessments.
All of my assessments have been explicit, which is a best practice for EL students but
also mainstream students. For example, I used a rubric while teaching writing units in
my classes at both the middle school and high school level. I made sure to introduce my

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rubric before students started working, as well as gave a model for students to use as an
example. I ensured all students had the rubric out while working and peer conferencing.
By referencing the rubric often and having it out in front of them, students had a clear
expectation and guideline to work from. As a result, students were able to complete a unit
through clear and explicit expectations.
I also believe that no method of instruction or assessment can be effective unless
it takes place within a welcoming and respectful environment. Stephen Krashen (1981),
an expert linguist, concludes that the most important affective variables favoring second
language acquisition are a low anxiety learning environment, students motivation to
learn the language, self-confidence, and self esteem (p. 65). I have noticed in my own
classroom that if students are uncomfortable, they are unwilling to participate in class.
For example, in my 8th grade pull out classroom at McLaughlin Middle School, we
worked on writing narratives that explained a challenge the students had encountered.
Many of the students were reluctant to share because their challenges were very personal
and revolved around coming to America and adjusting to American culture. Out of
respect, I did not make students share their writing with anyone other than me if they did
not want to. As the school year continued and the students got to know each other, more
students started to become confident enough to share their writing. One day after class, I
asked a student why she wanted to share that day but not the first time. She replied,
Because I know you now! At this moment I realized that I should not ask my students
to share and be open with me until an environment of mutual respect has been
established. I have experienced learning first hand in many styles and have found that I
learn best when I know my ideas and voice are respected and valued by my teachers and

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peers. Without a feeling of mutual respect, it is impossible to learn because the anxiety of
the situation becomes a barrier.
Next, I believe students learn best when they are given hands-on activities and
projects that connect to the outside, larger world and community. John Dewey (1922) is
well known and cited in numerous articles and educational psychology textbooks as
being the advocate of learning while doing and playing. Dewey explains, Experience
has shown that when children have a chance at physical activities which bring their
natural impulses into play, going to school is a joy, management is less of a burden and
learning is easier (p. 228). Therefore, students become more invested when they learn
by doing, rather than just reading and listening. For this reason, I like to incorporate
hands on activities in my own classroom. While working on a unit based on exploring the
American Dream in a sophomore mainstream English class, students read A Raisin in the
Sun. As a pre-reading activity, the class analyzed Langston Hughes poem Harlem. In
order to cater to my kinesthetic learners, I implemented an art project into the analysis.
Students worked in groups and were assigned a line from the poem. They were instructed
to draw a picture of what their line was saying after discussing the poem in a whole class
and partner setting. As a result of this project, students drew visual descriptions of each
line that were then hung up on the classroom walls before we started reading the play.
They worked diligently to create their own art that represented what they believe the line
meant. This gave students the opportunity to produce something tangible while analyzing
the text. When teaching, I want the learning to stick with my students, and I believe the
best way to do this is to give students the opportunity to interact with the material in a
hands-on way.

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Students only truly learn material if they can internalize it and make connections
to other disciplines, and therefore students should be taught foundational skills that are
transferable to other subject areas. I decided to do a lesson on text features with my ELL
students in the 6th grade EL pull out classroom at McLaughlin Middle School because I
had noticed my students were unable to use their textbook productively. A successful
strategy to introduce the unit involved adapting a K-W-L chart, which is usually used,
As an instructional reading strategy to guide students through a text (Ogle, 1986
p.570). In my class, we used a K-W-L chart to define what students already knew about
text features and to find out what students wanted to learn about text features. When
completing the L section of the lesson, the class created visual evidence of their
learning in the learned section. Examples from this section included Students
understand the purpose and how to use a glossary, as well as, Students understand how
subheadings can be used to find answers to questions regarding the text. These showed
that students learned skills that could be transferred to other disciplines.
I have found that teaching across the disciplines, such as using writing in core
content areas, makes learning more effective and benefits all students. An example would
be when I noticed that students were struggling with multiplication facts while teaching
in the ELL Pullout Program at McLaughlin Middle School. I decided to do a lesson on
multiplication tables in which I visually taught what multiplication means using the
whiteboard. At the end of the instruction, one of the students remarked, So, it is more
than just memorizing the numbers? I realized my students did not understand the
concepts behind multiplication in addition to not knowing the products .We worked for
some time to come to an understanding of the principles behind multiplication. After the

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lesson, I asked students write a paragraph explaining what multiplication means. Though
they struggled for a while to get their ideas down on paper, the clarity with which they
were eventually able to express the complex concepts of multiplication in their writing
helped them see that using writing was an aid in helping them think clearly, an
understanding that will stand them in good stead as they go forward in their learning.
As I consider my role in the classroom, I view my beliefs of teaching and learning
also support the need to be an active member of the department, staff, school and
community. I think it is important to make myself heard, and therefore have asserted my
voice on committees in order to make a difference for my students. I have been doing this
by actively attending PLC meetings, ELL meetings, IEP meetings and by joining the 21st
Century after school program. I noticed that having my students from my classroom in
my clubs after school strengthened our relationship. For example, one of my students was
very quiet during class and reluctant to participate during the first few weeks of school.
As time went on, this student and I came together once a week after school at the 21st
Century program and worked together in journalism club. She was an active contributor,
and I was able to get to know her very well. As a result during class, her effort became
more prominent and her willingness to learn increased. This resulted in more
participation in class lessons which helped her to reinforce the academic language she
needed to learn.
Overall, my pedagogy statement reflects the type of learner I am, but also the
types of learners I anticipate my students to be. In my opinion, teaching needs to be
about the students, and that is why my beliefs are student centered. It is irrelevant to
create lesson plans that cater to my own learning styles, and as a teacher it is my

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responsibility to find, assess, and accommodate the needs of my learners in order to reach
them on both an academic and personal level. Through this internship experience, I have
learned that in order for my students to reach my high expectations, which I see as the
key to success in education, I must first learn their needs and learning styles.

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References
Beers, K. & Probst, R (2012). Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading.
Portsmouth, NH: Hienmann.
Brown, D.F. (2004). Urban Teachers Professed Classroom Management Strategies:
Reflections of Culturally Responsive Teaching. Urban Education. 39(3), 266-289.
Dewey, J. (1922). Democracy and Education. New York: Macmillan
Freire, P. (1993). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum.
Gardner, H. (1983) Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. NY: Basic
Books.
Krashen, S. (1981), Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning,
Pergamon
Levy, H.M. (2008). Meeting the Needs of All Students through Differenciated
Instruction: Helping Every Child Reach and Exceed Standards. Clearing House:
A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues And Ideas, 81(4), 161-164.
Noddings, N. (1988). An Ethic of Caring and its Implications for Instructional
Arrangements. American Journal of Education, 96(2), 215-230
Ogle, D.M. (1986). K-W-L: A teaching model that develops active reading of expository
text. Reading Teacher, 39, 564-570
Rosenblatt, L.M. (2004). The Transactional Theory of Reading and Writing. In R.B.
Ruddel and N.J. Unrau (Eds.), Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading (pp.
1363-1398). Newward, D.E: International Reading Association.

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