Teaching has always been something to which I have aspired.

I have been
fortunate enough to do what I love for twelve years. As someone who from an
early age took every opportunity to read, aiding students in their literacy
development is something that I enjoy immensely. However, for some students
reading can be difficult. Understanding what makes reading an arduous task for
students and knowing how to meet their needs is an exciting challenge to me. Part
of the reason why I chose the Masters in Literacy Education program at UNE is
become a more effective teacher of literacy to my elementary students who differ
in their interests, familial and cultural backgrounds and reading readiness. A few
tools that I have acquired while at UNE have enhanced my teaching practice and
include knowledge of student motivation, classroom management strategies and
teaching methods that work and are relevant in an evolving, modern world.
Lack of motivation can be hindrance to learning and literacy development.
During my time at UNE, I had the opportunity to participate in a case study in
motivation. The focus of my study was a third grader who appeared to be
unmotivated in writing. Close observation and assessment of this student revealed
that peer modeling and direct teacher support greatly improved his performance.
Introduction of needed skills boosted his confidence and led to increased
production in writing. Taking the time to investigate what motivated this
particular student highlighted the importance of assessing the motivation of
students in my classroom. Brophy (1987) outlines thirty-three strategies that
increase student motivation. He suggests creating a safe classroom environment,
challenging students suitably, ensuring students attain success, providing extrinsic
incentives while taking advantage of intrinsic motivators, and modeling motivated
behavior by exhibiting enthusiasm for leaning as a teacher. I believe keeping this
in mind when crafting learning experiences can significantly influence the
motivation of my students.
As Brophy (1987) pointed out setting up a classroom climate conducive to
learning is essential to learning and motivating students. That includes classroom
management and setting expectations. I set high expectations for classroom work
and behavior. At the beginning of the year, students work with me to set those
expectations. Anderman and Anderman (2014) report that allowing students to
take part in writing the class rules gives students a feeling of ownership and
increases the chance that they will obey them. I also abide by the recommendations
of Wong (2009) in establishing classroom routines and procedures, practicing
those routines with my students so they can be successful, and thinking through
potential problems before they happen. In addition to including students in setting
classroom expectations and routines, I make every effort to build a rapport with
them. This is accomplished by inquiring about their lives outside of class and
taking the time to listen to them. Taking the time to build relationships with
students can make a difference to students who struggle in school (Anderman &
Anderman, 2014). I also think it demonstrates that I care about them.
My time at UNE has given me knowledge of how to implement strategies
that will benefit my students. I have learned the importance of assessing my
students with a variety of formative and summative assessments so that I can
design appropriate instruction that is suited to their needs and engages them.
Because students range in readiness, interests, language proficiencies, learning
preferences and styles, differentiating instruction is necessary. In order to
differentiate, I must vary my instructional delivery in the areas of content, process,
and product and continue to administer assessments before, during and after
instruction (Tomlinson, 2001). From Tomlinson (2001) and Brophy (1987), I also
understand how motivating choice in learning can be.
One way I can offer choice and engage students, is by implementing
technology into my instruction. The internet has countless resources that enable
teachers to enhance instruction by adding songs, games, videos, and interactives
that reach a range of student interests. Through my courses at UNE, I have built a
science live binder, created a Webquest on nutrition, learned how to use
VoiceThread, utilized digital storytelling, and much more. Not only does
technology widen the prospects for social collaboration through which students can
learn (Koch), I believe it makes instruction more appealing to my students.
Though my time at UNE is coming to an end, I know that my learning will
not. I still have much to learn about teaching. I value taking part in learning
communities where I can discuss topics in education and share ideas with other
professionals. I will continue to develop as a teacher by seeking out professional
development opportunities that will benefit my school and students.

References
Anderman, E. M., & Anderman L. H. (2014). Classroom motivation. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Brophy, J. (1987). Synthesis on research of strategies for motivating students to
learn. Educational Leadership.
Koch, C. (n.d.). Social cognition and social learning theories of education and
technology. Ed Tech, Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/boisestate.
edu/edtechtheories/social-cognition-and-social-learning-theories-of-
education-and-technology.
Tomlinson, C. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability
classrooms. (2 ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision &
Curriculum Development.
Wong, H. (2009). The well managed classroom. In H. Wong (Ed.), Retrieved from
http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_sc/gen/HSTPR034.PDF