PromotingtheSuccessofAllStudents

AlexVanDusen

VanguardUniversity
AssessingSocio/CulturalDiversity
EDUG501

09/08/2016

Inwhatwaysthroughtheclassroomenvironment,studentmotivation,andinstructioncanI
engageandsupportALLstudentsinlearning?

WhileIwasinhighschool,Iwasoneofthosestudentswhodidnotfeelmotivatedto
performwellinmyclasses.Ididntperceiveamotivationalpurposetoearngoodgradesorto
learnthecontentofwhatwasbeingtaught.Iwasntsure,atthetime,ifIevenwantedtogoto
college.Ididntenjoyschool,soIdidnthaveadesiretoputmyselfthroughmoreofitafterhigh
school.Ofcourse,therewereotherfactorsinmylifethataffectedmyattitudetowardseducation.
Thus,mynegativeattitudedidnotmerelystemfrommyeducationalexperiencehowever,my
educationalexperiencedidntchangemyattitude,either.
Manystudentswhoentermyclassroommayhaveasimilarperspective.Thestudents
whoIteachwillhaveperspectivesthatvarydrasticallyfromoneanother.Somestudentsmay
havepositiveattitudesregardinglearning,whereasotherswillhavenegativeones.Nonetheless,
itwillbemyresponsibilitytoengage,motivate,andtosupportthemallsothattheyareprepared
tosucceedinmyclassand,moreimportantly,intheiroverallfutures.
Ibelievethataveryimportantprerequisiteforstudentsuccessisapositive
teacherstudentrelationship.JustasitisemphasizedinTPE2:CreatingandMaintaining
EffectiveEnvironmentsforStudentLearning(2016),itscriticalforteacherstoenhance
studentssocialemotionalgrowth,development,andindividualresponsibility.Without
developingapositiveteacherstudentrelationship,thisexpectationwouldbeimpossibletomeet.
Iwouldaimtomeetthisexpectationthroughavarietyofstrategies.OnewaythatIwould
dothiswillbetoutilizejournalwritingasadailyactivity.Eachdaywouldprovideadifferent
prompt,sotheroutinewouldgivestudentsopportunitiestowriteaboutreallifescenarioswhile
alsoallowingmetogetanideaofmystudentspriorknowledge.AnothersimplewaythatI
wouldenhancestudentssocialemotionalgrowthwouldbetoallowstudentstoregularly
participateinsmallgroupactivitiesandinclassdiscussions.Myvisionformyclassistolimit
lecturesandtopromotepeerparticipationandinteraction.ConsideringGardnersIntelligence
Reframed(1999),Ivealsorecentlythoughtoftheusefulnessoftappingintomystudents
sevenintelligencestoplanmylessonsinaccordancewithhowmystudentslearnmost
effectively.Asascienceteacher,mygoalwouldbetopromotestudentslogicalmathematical

intelligencewhichinvolvesthecapacitytoanalyzeproblemslogicallyandtoinvestigate
issuesscientifically.Thatisthewholebasisofthescientificmethod,whichissomethingthatI
willneedtoteachinanylifescienceclass.
Throughoutmyeducationalandjobexperience,Ivedevelopedanideaofmyown
personalteachingstyle.Oneaspectofthatisthequalityofgentleness.Myfavoriteteachers
coincidentallysharedthatquality,anditwasntcleartomeuntilrecently.Onasidenote,Iknow
someteachersthataregreatandwhoarentalwayseasyontheirstudents,andIdefinitelyseethe
benefitofthat.I,however,needtohavemyownteachingstyle,andgentlenesswillbean
importantqualityofit.
EriksondiscussedtheproblemofpublicshaminginChildhoodandSociety(1963),and
thatissomethingIveseenmanyteachersdototheirstudents.Imalmostsurethatnearly
everyonehasexperiencedbeingshamedbyateacherinfrontofaclassroom.Itissomethingthat
mostcommonlyoccurs,unfortunately,withproblemstudents.Problemstudentsarethose
whohavecaughtattentionbytheirteachersduetobehavioraland/oracademicvariance.These
studentsneedteacherswhoarepatientandwhowontgiveuponthem.IlovehowErikson
describesthenegativeimpactoftoomuchshamingonastudent.Hesays,thereisalimittoa
childsandanadultsenduranceinthefaceofdemandstoconsiderhimself,hisbody,andhis
wishesasevilanddirty,andtohisbeliefintheinfallibilityofthosewhopasssuchjudgment.
Giventhegoalsofstudentengagement,motivation,andachievement,IbelieveIhave
describedabroad,yeteffective,ideaofhowIwillachievethem.Therewillbemanyspecific
thingsthatIwilldotoengage,motivate,andsupportmystudentsbutIbelievethatitsjustas
importanttocreateavisionofclassroomnormsthatwillalsoyieldthedesiredgoals.Theywill
bemetthroughthepositiveteacherstudentrelationships,aswellasthestudentstudent
relationships,thatwilldevelopthroughoutthetimeofmyclassthroughtheroutinesthatallow
studentstoreflectontheirliveswhileenhancingtheirwritingandlanguageskillsandthrougha
curriculumgeareddirectlytowardstheirspecificlearningstrengthsandneeds.Asateacher,it
willbemyjobtomeetmystudentswheretheyreatnotwhereIwantthemtobe.