FEAP 2: The Learning Environment

Developing Professional Identity through Participation

- My participation throughout the course has been displayed in my completion of a morning
meeting, and online participation. The morning meeting was completed with a small group of
peers in the class and the meeting was based on childhood experiences. We asked the students in
the class to submit childhood images and other students had to guess who the image was of.
Students were also asked to share their favorite childhood memory with the class which helped
us get to know one another on a more personal level. I also have participated in class discussions
held online (through Canvas) and participated in discussions throughout blog posts.

Connecting Theory and Practice through Reflection

- I completed a self assessment half way through the semester in which I was able to assess my
personal performance based on completion of work, participation, and other various aspects. The
self assessment was based on attendance, connections to field experience, completing and
summarizing readings, and participation.

Inquiry into Student Learning

- I have been collecting data throughout the school year based on student interests, academics,
and behavior. I have been compiling data within a data notebook based on individual work
samples and whole class data. I have information based on a student spelling inventory that was
taken in the beginning of the school year. I have individual assessment based on sight words for
students that was taken in the beginning of the school year. Students also took a interest survey in
the beginning of the year that has assisted the engagement component of my lesson plans as I
know more about student interests.

FEAP 2-- The Learning Environment: To maintain a student-centered learning

environment that is safe, organized, equitable, flexible, inclusive, and collaborative, the
effective educator consistently.
2a. Organizes, allocates, and manages the resources of time, space, and attention.
- Throughout the school day I use a call to attention signal (Hocus Pocus-Everybody Focus) and
utilize the behavior clip chart. I circulate the classroom while students "turn and talk" to their
partners on the carpet. After noticing a student that is not participating with their partner, I
personally engage the student into the conversation. By acknowledging the student and
encouraging her to participate, she was able to share her thinking with her partner and with the
class. As noted in a formal observation with my collaborating teacher, this specific instance is
expressed.

2b. Manages individuals and class behaviors through a well-planned management system.
- Throughout the school day, my collaborating teacher and I utilize a class clip chart. This chart
has five levels that each indicate levels of behavior. Every student begins the day on green
('setting sail-in search of good behavior') and they can move up and down throughout the day
depending on each situation. When students reach the lowest level on the chip chart ('lost my
way-search for a new direction), a letter is sent home to the parents describing the behaviors and
reason that the child was moved down for each behavior. This system allows for students to
move up and down throughout the day which is a well-planned system because students must
always maintain their best behavior if they want to remain on green or higher.

2c. Conveys high expectations to all students.

- Throughout a formal observation with my collaborating teacher, she noted that I express a
balance between instruction and students' individual needs. While holding all students
accountable for their individual thought process and assignments, I recognize specific needs of
each student in the class. For example, as stated in FEAP2b. (above) I recognize that specific
students need extra attention before actively participating in the class discussion. This
recognition is displayed in the anchor chart artifact. By engaging this student into the
conversation, she was an active participant in the following lesson by sharing a fact with the
class ("Macy plays with Ella").

2d. Respects students' cultural, linguistic, and family background.

- In a formal observation with my collaborating teacher, she states that I show "excellent rapport
with the students" and that I am "very familiar with and accepting of the students' backgrounds."
My collaborating teacher and I talk every week about students in relation to their home life,
parents, siblings, etc. We also read parent notes and emails together to maintain an understanding
between both of us on any updates with the students. On my personal blog, I express an

understanding of differing 'appropriate' behaviors depending on cultural beliefs and showing

respect and understanding for parental beliefs and values.

Blog 2-Behavior Management: Managing Diverse Classrooms Chapter 3

2e. Models clear, acceptable oral communication skills.

- By creating an environment with clear and acceptable oral communication, I model writing and
speaking throughout lessons. With the use of anchor charts, I am able to clearly communicate
information with students while recording the information on a visual representation chart. This

serves as a reference for students as we continue though the lesson in order to ensure full
comprehension of each term. For example, during a lesson, I recorded the definitions of text
feature terminology on an anchor chart for students to utilize. Throughout another lesson (also
using an anchor chart), I provided students with a personal example of a 'fact' before having
students share their own personal fact (i.e. "I go to school at USF"). I exhibit that I am at ease
with the students and I am able to use clear and acceptable communication skills throughout
lessons (formal CT observation). My collaborating teacher also noted that by using students
names throughout the lesson, I am able to redirect attention by communicating with the students
orally and briefly. This occurs periodically throughout lessons in order for students to recognize
that they need to be redirected through the clear use of brief and personal communication.

2f. Maintains a climate of openness, inquiry, fairness, and support.

- The behavior clip chart represents a climate of fairness in the classroom as students are all held
to the same expectations and rules. All students are given the same amount of warnings before

moving their clip downward on the clip chart. The classroom environment expresses fairness as
my collaborating teacher and I differentiate lessons to meet students individual needs (academic
or behavioral). This gives each student an equal opportunity for being successful in each subject
area. By adapting lessons to individual students, student interests, student cultural backgrounds,
and students that need language support, I am able to reach all of my students with the
information being presented. I plan for students that will need an additional challenge, additional
language support, and behavioral support.

2g. Integrates current information & communication technologies.

- I have been able to integrate the current information that is being presented within the class to
parents through email. This specific parent requested for my assistance with providing additional

math resources after the parent-teacher conference that I attended. Her son was absent from
school for an entire week and I was asked to tutor him and provide additional work in order to
keep him on the same learning pace as the remainder of the class. Through the use of email (via
computer of iPhone) I am able to use current communication technology to connect with parents
as needed. This use of technology has allowed us to stay in contact on a weekly basis as I
continue to find additional resources (related to the students interest) to send home for additional
practice. My CT and I have also integrated the use of iStation into our daily schedule with
students. We have two students that are in Tier 3 of RtI that need to spend 30 minutes a day on
iStation. These students arrive to school early to get started on this computer program and they
also attend computer lab on Thursday's for 45 minutes in which they continue to work on
iStation. This computer program assists students in reading comprehension, word recognition,
spelling, semantics, and in other content areas.

2h. Adapts the learning environment to accommodate the needs of diverse students.
- I have adapter the learning environment to accommodate the needs of diverse learners through
the use of strategically arranging the students desks (i.e. seating chart). The students are seated in

groups in order to increase social interactions, peer assistance, and the ease of group work.
Students seating locations have be moved throughout the school year depending on behavioral
problems, parent requests, academic levels, and social skills. For example, a parent requested
that their child didn't sit at the same table group as another child due to previous experiences in a
Kindergarten classroom. The seating chart shows that this request was approved and the students
sit on opposite sides of the room to decrease potential behavioral issues from arising during
group work. The diversity of the students is also represented in the seating chart, as students
from various backgrounds can benefit from one another by sharing experiences and making
connections with each other. Each table group includes at least one student from a different
cultural background than the other students at the group. These students are able to become
socially included with the other students and the other students are able to learn about differences
that other students may express. For example, one student comes from a family that speaks
Spanish at home, he sits at a table group with 2 students that only speak English and another
student that has both English and Spanish spoken at home. Students are also grouped depending
on individual needs such as socialization and behavior. For example, one student sits towards the
back of the classroom to prevent distractions for other students when this child chooses to
misbehave and move around the room. By placing this child in the back of the classroom, she is
able to move around and 'cool down' without being a distraction to others. Another student is
placed in a group with socially inclined students to assist in his communication skills. This child
has been diagnosed with ADHD and has difficulty with socialization. By grouping him with
positive role models, he has become more interactive with his classmates in the classroom and on
the playground.

2i. Utilizes current and emerging assistive technologies that enable students to participate in
high-quality communication interactions and achieve their education goals.

- I have utilized assistive technology throughout lessons with the use of sticky notes for students
to document their thinking within reading passages. This use of assistive technology helps
students record their thinking throughout the lesson by labeling certain aspects while working
through activities. For example, in a lesson based on text features, the students were asked to
label photographs that included 'labels' with a sticky note. Students were able to work in groups
to participate in high-quality communication interactions to achieve the educational goals of the
lesson. Through group work, engaging conversations were documented and the use of sticky
notes helped students organize, locate, and share their ideas with the class. This also allowed
students to walk around the room to look at other groups work by locating the sticky note and
reading the label that indicated what the sticky note was directing towards.