Kathleen Konar

EDTE 501

Frame of Reference

Not only do I want to teach my students how to succeed in the classroom, but also I

want to teach them skills that they will need to succeed in life. It is important to me to

make an impact on students that I have the opportunity to teach. I want to be a strong

influential leader for my students, and develop meaningful connections in my classroom.

The relationships that I form with my students are important to me because I want to gain

an understanding of how my learners will best succeed in the classroom. I believe that

being a role model for my students is crucial in order to become a successful teacher. In my

personal experience, having teachers that I looked up to and respected were always the

most successful ones. They all had great relationships with their students and I felt

comfortable talking to them. I believe that having an unapproachable teacher inhibits the

student’s ability to succeed. I commit to being a person that all my students feel

comfortable talking to, and can look up to as a role model. Maya Angelou once said, “People

will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how

you made them feel.”

Throughout my teaching practice I want to remain passionate about my career. I

want to be a life long learner by continuously researching, and engaging in conversation

with my colleagues and students. I want to strive to improve in all aspects of my profession

everyday. I will create a safe space in my classroom where students feel supported and
comfortable being themselves. As a class we will create a strong community by deciding on

ways to make the learning environment fit their needs.

I will strive to build an inclusive classroom by recognizing the diversity of my

learners. I will include various strategies of teaching in my classroom such as technology,

performing arts techniques, and incorporate curriculum from other subject areas into each

lesson. I want all lessons and subjects to interweave and flow. I will build a “home team

advantage” dynamic in my classroom, where students feel as if they are all on the same

team and are working together to reach a common goal.

I will weave the core competencies into every lesson, and use a learning intention at

the beginning. I want my students to be involved in their learning, and understand the

point of the lessons that they are being taught. I want them to walk out of the classroom

and be able to make connections between what they learned and their lives. I will

incorporate their interests and ideas into my lessons as much as I can so that their learning

becomes more relevant and significant. I want my students to explore their own identity in

my classroom, which is outlined in the First People’s Principles of Learning.

In my classroom, I will weave the First People’s Principals of Learning into all my

lessons and classroom environment. I believe that these principles are extremely

important for the students to understand and practice such as: learning ultimately

supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, and learning is

holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational. In addition to the First People’s

Principles of Learning, I also want to constantly refer to the OECD Principles of Effective

Learning Environments, and the 7 Principles of Learning throughout my practice. By

incorporating these principles, I will ensure that I am setting up the most positive and

affective learning environment for my students.

I will assess my class in numerous ways throughout the year. I will incorporate exit

slips or a talking circle as much as I can at the end of every lesson. I will have the students

keep writing journals, and math notebooks. As a class we will create lots of criteria

together so that they feel responsible for their learning. I will also have my students do lots

of self-assessment so that their voice is being heard. We will do presentations,

performances, videos, posters, and lots of other creative forms of expression. I will make

sure to hold celebrations of learning so that parents feel welcomed into the classroom, and

use ongoing communication for learning throughout the year.

I will establish classroom routines at the beginning of the year and clearly outline

my expectations to the students. I want my students to be aware of their boundaries and

how to behave as a member of the classroom community.

Outside of the classroom, I would like to contribute to the school community. I want

parents and caregivers around the school to feel comfortable approaching and talking to

me. I will build connections with the staff members of my school and collaborate with as

many teachers as I can. I will volunteer my time outside of the classroom to help with

sports teams or anywhere that extra hands are needed. I commit to doing everything that I

can to be a passionate teacher that tries every day to make a difference.