Part One: The Learner and Learning

Description:

Education is a field that many are familiar with. Everyone has had the experience of

being taught something. This could be in a classroom, at home, on a field, or at work. As humans

we are continuously learning and with technology and great brains, we are learning that we have

to relearn some areas as well. Education is an evolving field. No day is the same and no student

is the same. When I chose to pursue my career in education, I looked at these facts as

invigorating and motivating. With more experience and knowledge, I see that these facts can also

be very daunting and overwhelming. Being a teacher is not only important, but it is a tremendous

responsibility to take on and I am so excited to do so.

Most people can think back on their years in school and recall certain teachers. The really

grumpy and strict teachers will stick with you and the teachers who checked in to see how you

were doing after a big loss or when you seem off will stick with you. Teachers impact lives in a

way that it is important academically. Teaching math, science, English, and social studies is

important. However, I have learned that how you teach is just important and impactful.

The students that I have had the opportunity to observe and teach so far in my career have

taught me that though the curriculum is important, it is more important to be able to reach each

and every student in your classroom. This can look very different for each classroom. I have

been able to observe special education teachers who will take certain students out of class to

assist with certain subjects. I have been able to observe paraprofessionals who will sit with a

student in the classroom to give that student extra support while being a part of the classroom.

There are other students in classrooms who may not be eligible for special accommodations but

academically or emotionally struggle so that responsibility goes on the teacher to be able to tailor
their lessons to reach that student and every other one. Being able to observe these different sides

of teaching has given me a greater appreciation for the depth of what a teacher needs to manage

in a classroom.

Learning is imperative in this world. It helps people to learn basic skills, safety,

vocational skills, adaptive skills, etc. Learning is something that everyone should continue to do

throughout their life. I want to create an environment in my future classroom that shows that I

am still learning and that I know how important the learner is. The information that we have to

teach used to be my main priority when taking classes but now I know how important the way

we teach affects the learner. I have already learned so much in my classes and observations and

now that this learning will continue throughout my career.

Standard 1: Learner Development

Performance Criterion 1.2: Candidates use an understanding of developmental theory

(in areas such as cognitive, linguistic, social emotional or physical) to design appropriate

learning experiences.

Analysis

Performance Criterion

When considering the development and the understanding on how learners grow and

develop, we have to consider the patterns of learning. When we look at the learners individually,

we know that they vary in cognitive, linguistic, social emotional, and physical abilities. When

looking at each student individually, it is important to meet them where they are and make the

learning experience challenging and appropriate. One theory that comes to mind, that I believe is

important is the social emotional theory. Social emotional learning is a process that helps

students comprehend their emotions, feel their emotions fully, and helps them demonstrate
empathy for others. Students that master these skills do better in school, get along with other

students, and this can help them in the future with their careers. Social emotional learning is

more than just academically understanding the information that is being given. Being able to

regulate socially and emotionally allows students to be successful in a classroom setting. This

theory expresses how important factors other than just cognitive abilities can impact a student’s

ability to learn and the ability for the teacher to successfully teach. I am currently working on a

special education endorsement, and this has given me the ability to see how important this theory

really is. I have observed numerous students who have major difficulties with being able to

maintain their emotions in a classroom setting. The classroom teacher, paraprofessionals, and

special education teachers work together and utilize this theory to ensure that students are able to

be as successful as they can be in the least restrictive environment.

Literature/Theoretical Framework

When researching about social emotional learning, I found an article written by Kelsey L.

Kaspar and Susan L. Massey (2022) about how beneficial social-emotional learning (SEL) is in

current education. According to Kaspar and Massey, SEL is essential for students. As mentioned

before SEL focuses on developing life skills such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and goal

setting. These skills are important for students to learn for the classroom setting but also are able

to translate to the rest of their life areas. Teaching has evolved in way we look at SEL and its

importance. We know now that students do better with academic learning when their social-

emotional needs are being met. Kaspar and Massey discuss how schools need to approach SEL

from the top. They stress that a SEL Leadership Team is important to ensure that there is

consistency amongst the expectations and approaches in each classroom. At a classroom level

SEL relies on SMART goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and
timely. This ensures that goals that are being made for students, classrooms, or the administrators

are clear for everyone reading them and that there are realistic timelines for all involved. When

implementing SEL teachers and other professionals need to have a basic understanding of the

importance of SEL on a student’s academic achievement. Teachers will need to be able to have

empathy and understanding for trauma and adverse-childhood experiences. This empathy will

guide the teacher to be able to look at the student as a whole instead of just a student during

school hours. A big part of SEL is establishing positive relationships between teacher and

student. McKibben (2014) suggests a strategy called “two-minute-a-day” which has a teacher

focus on a student individually giving positive reinforcement and attention each day. This

strategy helps foster the relationship which will then lead to the teacher being able to

successfully implement SEL. SEL focuses on positives and tries to put forth language that is

positive in nature instead of negative. This positive communication continues to assist with

building the relationship between student and teacher. One way to test how students are utilizing

their social-emotional skills is getting feedback when there are group projects. This article shows

that this can show how students are able to absorb and then implement these skills in real life

situations. Another aspect of SEL that is stressed by Kaspar and Massey is the consistency

amongst the stakeholders. SEL is not as effective if it is only being used in the classroom. It is

helpful for students for this to be the culture of the school they are in, and it is important that the

school communicate with parent(s) and/or guardian(s) about the importance of SEL.

Salient Evidence

Social-emotional learning is becoming more and more common in elementary

classrooms. I have seen and participated in many examples of social-emotional learning. For

example, all the classrooms I have observed has had morning meetings to a certain extent. The
purpose for these morning meetings is to see how your students are, let them know what the

schedule is for the day, to greet each student every morning, etc. I have also seen the student get

certain jobs each week, which is extremely important. These jobs make the students more

independent, and students can work together to complete some jobs or help if a student is unsure

about their job. With my experience in special education, I have seen how important it is for the

team to be on the same page. When a child is dysregulated all members of the team should be

trying to help regulate the student in the same manner. This consistency is appreciated by the

student, and it helps to get them to be successful in their school day faster. I have observed

paraprofessionals who stay with a student throughout the day. These paraprofessionals help with

every aspect of the student’s day. For example, they can assist with tying their shoes, regulating

their emotions when upset, giving them ‘body breaks’, and communicating with the rest of the

staff how the student is doing. ‘Body breaks’ look different for each student. In my observation I

have seen ‘body breaks’ consist of swinging on a swing set, going for a walk, coloring, and

listening to music. These are ways that help students self-regulate so that they can ultimately be

successful in the classroom setting. Although classroom teachers are not always able to give

individual attention to each student, I have seen them check in with students when their behavior

seems different. They stress the importance of socialization between students. One classroom

had students greet each other each morning with a special handshake. I have been able to observe

the difference that social-emotional learning can have as I have observed teachers who do not

utilize this theory. I have seen teachers who are unable to address the social-emotional needs of

their students and only rely on paraprofessionals or special educators to deal with certain

behaviors. The stark difference that I have seen is the relationship between the teacher and

student. Social-emotional learning is definitely happening in the school settings, but I think it
could be more consistent. I will utilize this approach going forward in my career as I feel it is of

the utmost importance.

Critical Self-Evaluation

So far in my career I feel that I have utilized the social-emotional learning framework.

While observing I was able to connect with an array of students in different environments. I

worked on establishing a positive relationship with each student before expecting any progress in

lessons. My special education mentor noted that I utilized compassion and patience when

building relationships with students and that I was able to relationships where students felt

comfortable to engage with myself. In my own life experience, it has been hard for me to get

close to new people quickly. I appreciate the time and compassion that others have given me

throughout my life to foster healthy relationships. I feel that I will continue to take what I have

learned about social-emotional learning and bring it to the continued relationships that I will

make with students in my career. Having a student trust and feel comfortable with you as a

teacher is so important to be able to help them academically, especially if they struggle in other

areas.

Standard 2: Learner Differences

Performance Criterion 2.1: Candidates use an understanding of individual differences to

design inclusive learning experiences.

Analysis

Performance Criterion

As teachers we are going to be in contact with students that have many different

backgrounds and differences. It is our job as teachers to provide the least restrictive environment

for all of our students. It is important that all students have the chance to learn with their peers
unless it is absolutely impossible or unsafe to do so. I have had the pleasure of meeting many

different students with unique learning differences. It is important that all students get an

inclusive learning experience. An inclusive learning experience can be done in many ways. It

will depend on your student’s learning differences or challenges. Some practices that can be used

are Response to Intervention, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and Universal Design for

Learning. These research-based practices are being implemented more and more these days.

Response to Intervention focuses directly on academic instruction and interventions where

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) look at a student as a whole. MTSS looks at a

student’s academics but also their behaviors and social-emotional supports. The Universal

Design for Learning is an approach where a teacher adapts their lesson to accommodate the

needs of each of their students.

Literature/Theoretical Framework

Donnelly et al (2019) discuss the importance of inclusion in classrooms all around the

world. They look at positive learning outcomes and put them into what they call the “six facets

of equity”. These include: (1) selecting worthwhile content and designing and implementing

learning opportunities aligned to valued outcomes, (2) connecting to students as learners, and to

their lives and experiences, (3) creating learning-focused, respectful and supportive learning

environments, (4) using evidence to scaffold learning and improve teaching, (5) adopting an

inquiry stance and taking responsibility for professional engagement and learning, and (6)

recognizing and seeking to address, classroom, school and societal practices that reproduce

inequity (Donnelly et al, Table 1). All six of these factors are important in obtaining an inclusive

classroom environment. Connecting to students as learners and to their lives and experiences is

such a theme that I have found in teaching. This goes off of the importance of building a positive
relationship with your students and understanding the factors outside of the classroom that could

be affecting their ability to learn. Recognizing and seeking to address inequity in the school

system is another good point that I will bring forward in my career. If you see something, you

must say something, and this practice ensures that we are making our educators accountable.

Donnelly et al (2019) go on to show that inclusivity is necessary in the classroom and that as

educators we have a responsibility to enact this standard of learning. As educators we need to

meet students where they are at, create the least restrictive learning environment, and support

them in every way that we can. We want our students to reach their full potential and we must be

able to show them that-that can happen regardless of how they get there.

Salient Evidence

During my observations I have seen an array of systems put in place to help students. I

have seen adapted lesson plans, alternative seating for students, WIN programs, and

interventionists who work individually or in small group settings with students. In each

experience these have been attempts at the least restrictive environment for the student involved.

Some classroom teachers would adapt their lesson to provide more time for individual students

or would have fill in note options for students who struggle with notetaking. There would be

shorter tests or assessments for certain students. Students who struggle with focus or behaviors

could be sat in a seat closer to the teacher or the board, they could sit in a rocker, or be given

bands to attach to their seats so they could kick to help with focus. WIN programs consisted of

dividing up students based on their abilities in certain subjects. These programs give teachers the

ability to work more one-on-one based on where the students are at academically. Some students

would have interventionists pull them out of the general classroom to get certain instruction. This
could be an individual session or in small groups. This was able to give students who needed

additional instruction the ability to get it without disturbing the progress of other students.

Critical Self-Evaluation

Currently my experience with these interventions and strategies is limited but I have been

able to work with some of them. I have experiencing making Universal Design for Learning

lesson plans where I was able, if needed, to adjust the curriculum for certain students as needed. I

have only observed the other strategies. My goal as a future educator is to implement these

strategies and learn more about them.

Standard 3: Learning Environment

Performance Criterion 3.2: Candidates design learning environments that support

collaborative learning marked by positive social interaction.

Analysis

Performance Criterion

Students want and need to feel safe, welcomed, and ready to learn when they enter into

their classroom. An educator’s job is to create this kind of environment. However, safe,

welcomed, and ready to learn can look different for each student. It is important for schools to

help students learn in a way that is meaningful for that student. To make a positive environment

for students we must look at many different aspects of a student’s life. We have to take their

academic ability into account however there are other factors as we have discussed so far that are

just as imperative. A student’s environment can have a huge impact the student’s ability to be

successful in school. There was a time where if a child needed additional support they could not

be in the general classroom. This would stop them from being able to socialize with their peers

which we have seen is very important for students to do. Thankfully there are opportunities now
where students who may need extra support can still be a part of the general classroom. Inclusion

and having students in the least restrictive environment should be the goal for all educators.

There are times when these options are not possible but that is what we continue to strive for

with each student. Environment is key in being able to provide a positive learning space for a

student to really absorb and practice what they are learning.

Literature/Theoretical Framework

Lacour et al (2016) look at creating a positive classroom environment. They look

specifically at how to do this for foster children; however, I feel that a lot of what they say can be

used for every student. They discuss ways to make the classroom positive for students and to do

this you can do various things. They look specifically at proactive classroom management, praise

and encouragement, and homework implementation techniques. They show that all three of these

techniques assist with fostering a positive relationship with a student and their family. By

utilizing praise and encouragement the teacher is making the classroom a safe and comfortable

place for each student. It is important to ensure that you are doing the individual praise and

encouragement for all of your students. Homework implementation came into effect when

working on the relationship between the teacher and/or school and the student’s family.

Communication between the educator and the family is important to foster a healthy, working

relationship and to ensure that they are working on things at home that could benefit them at

school as well. Transparency with families shows that everyone is on the same team and that the

comfortability of the family with the education system is important to the student’s ability to be a

learner. The last technique of proactive classroom management entails addressing behaviors or

reactions in a way that avoids disciplinary actions. One of the examples they discuss in the

article are peer shares where an issue can be generalized and discussed with the whole
classroom. This can take the punitive nature away from responding to a behavior but will still

educate the student(s) in question and it also establishes expectations for any future behaviors or

reactions. Positive learning environments come down to being genuine in your concern for how

your students are, encouraging and praising them as often as possible, and ensuring that they feel

comfortable and safe in your classroom because you have been able to establish a positive

relationship and rapport with them.

Salient Evidence

In my observations I have been able to witness a spectrum of learning environments.

There are some students who can be successful in the general classroom with no adaptations or

needs for support. There are other students who are only able to push into the general classroom

for certain subjects. Although these learning environments look very different the importance of

making these environments safe and positive are the same. At the school I have been observing

there are many different options to strive for the least restrictive and inclusive environment. They

have services that can be pushed into the classroom to help certain students be successful with

additional support. There are pull out services where students will have to receive services

individually or in a small group because they are unable to be successful during that time in the

general classroom. There are also times when a student may not be able to keep safe or positive

in their current environment and to ensure that environment stays safe for the rest of the students,

they will be pulled to help regulate their emotions. Unfortunately, I have also observed negative

learning environments during my observation time. There are some staff or educators who may

not see the significance or importance of a positive environment. An example of this is what they

call a ‘calming room’. This is a room that they will take a student to if they are unable to be safe

with their body. The room consists of one bean bag, a floor mat, and calming posters. I have
observed students who are brought there by staff and shut in there by themselves. This in my

opinion is not the least restrictive environment for a student especially when they are struggling.

I definitely think that the premise of having a specific room for students struggling to regulate is

a good idea but by enforcing this, students are feeling more restricted and out of control.

Critical Self-Evaluation

At this time in my career, I have not been in the position to be at the forefront of these

protocols. I have only been able to observe what the school districts do at this time for different

students. There is a lot I feel that I will carry with me in a positive way. I feel that I will see the

importance of the least restrictive environment and the value of keeping all students safe. I feel

that I will be able to advocate for my students when I feel that they may need more than what I

am providing in the general classroom. I have observed numerous skills by other educators that I

will take with me in my future jobs. Some of the crucial skills that I have observed to helps keep

a positive, safe environment is de-escalation, breathing techniques, meeting the student where

they are at, giving space when needed, and asking how I can help. There is a lot more for me to

learn regarding additional techniques to keep the learning environment safe and positive, but I

feel that I have a good foundation at this time.

Reflection:

When looking into these three standards I have found myself confident in the skills that I

have learned thus far. I feel that I whole-heartedly agree that learning environments need to

positive, safe, and inclusive. I believe that by understanding individual needs I will be able to

better serve the students that I am working with. To better understand individual needs, I need to

be looking at their academic capabilities, their social-emotional abilities, and their physical

abilities. I think it can be easy to focus on the curriculum at hand and get overwhelmed with the
number of extraneous factors that can come into play each day in the classroom. It will be

important to remember that these children are still developing and that I am there to help guide

them and help them gain skills to live a successful life within the school walls and outside of

them. I feel that with my experience so far, I have had a well-rounded exposure to different

systems within a school district. I have been able to see the special education side, the general

education side, and all the in between. I feel that having this knowledge will help me be

successful with upholding the standards discussed earlier. I think it is important that I continue to

see myself as the learner throughout my career. The education world is ever evolving, and no

student’s needs are the same as the next ones. Compassion, patience, and adaptability will have

to be in my toolbox. This career will be challenging but also so rewarding and for that I am

excited.
 References

Donnelly, A., Holland, E. P., King, F., Clasborn, A. K. M. T., Lunney, E., Higgins, J. C.,

Gormley, L., Harford, L., & McElvaney, M. (2019). Inspiring Inclusion in Your

Classroom and Beyond. International Journal of Teacher

Leadership, 10(2). http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1245095.pdf

Kaspar, K. L., & Massey, S. L. (2023). Implementing Social-Emotional Learning in the

Elementary Classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(4), 641-650.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01324-3

LaCour, M., McGlawn, P., & Dees, L. (2016). Creating a positive classroom environment to

meet the needs of the foster child. Education 3-13, 137(2), 141– 148.

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1121514

McKibben, S. (2014). The two-minute relationship builder. ASCD Education Update, 56(7).