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Final Reflection
Throughout this course I have learned many things. One of the most useful ideas
that I have learned, and that I will take with me as I continue my educational training, is
the importance of recognizing learner differences. As I went into the classroom the first
my student, cautiously trying to avoid my own basis and make fair judgments of my
student based on evidence. But those first two or three times in the classroom I did not
really know what I was looking for. It was not until learning about the different
that I felt like I went into the classroom feeling confident about what I was doing there.
It was useful to learn about things like Bronfenbrenners framework to describe the
ecological contexts that influence child development, but I was also interested in looking
at what was going on inside my learners head in addition to what was all around him
(Psychology Notes HQ, 2013). It was important for me to recognize that both a childs
external environment and their personal learning abilities affect their education. I
wanted to evaluate my student in the best way possible, and until learning this tool for
identifying various constructs within learners, I did not feel equipped to identify areas in
which I could help my student succeed. Learning about the different constructs that
affect learners taught me how important it is to recognize learner differences and gave
helped me to see the strengths of my learner. The teacher in the classroom I was
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observing had identified a certain boy to me as being an at-risk student on the first
day I was there, but early on I was struggling to see why she identified this particular
student this way. The student I saw came into school every day with his red monster t-
shirt on eager to learn and try his best. Once I was able to identify certain constructs of
learning within my student, I was able to see some of the things that the teacher saw.
For example, I saw that my student struggled with attention, and that he would run low
for me to get an in-depth look at my learner, but learning about the functions of each
construct was especially helpful. Knowing that within each construct a learner may have
both strengths and weaknesses in different functions of that construct gave me the
understanding of the different functions, I was able to see that my learner also showed
strength in the construct of attention, as he started each task readily and only gave up
when it became too much for him. Being able to point out specific functions gave me
the knowledge I needed to be able to see the uniqueness of my learner and how his
the diversity among learners and to recognize that each student is created with unique
gifts and talents. Every strength AND every weakness is designed by an intentional
Creator with a grand design. I went into my classroom not knowing what to look for
within my student that would help him succeed, but left with the knowledge I needed to
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begin to create strategies and interventions to help him be successful. After gaining this
new lens through which to see learners, I am excited for the rest of my education here
at Calvin, eager to learn more about education. I hope to keep expanding my knowledge
about learners as I continue my education, striving to help each and every learner in my
Sources:
Barringer, M., Polhman, C., & Robinson, M. (2010). Schools for All Kinds of Minds (pp.
https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/bronfenbrenner-ecological-theory/