Experience Summary
I have taught a range of curricula from a Sixth Grade Intensive Reading (FCAT Level 1) class that followed a script to an Eighth Grade Advanced Reading course for which I completely designed the syllabus. Such diverse learning groups provided ample challenge in my first year of teaching; I learned to instruct and connect ideas and concepts to different age groups, with students of varied skill levels who often possessed complex views about classroom participation. I modified my performance expectations to allow for the individual’s pursuit of understanding.
Though I believe that a student who chooses his/ her medium of expression is a happy student, I also learned from my experience that I can not always facilitate such self-designed academic training. A large part of teaching middle grades Language Arts is the responsibility to prepare your students for the FCAT Writes exam. As one can imagine, the typical 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student does not approach said test with much imagination or zest. As the school held twelve simulated FCAT Writes exams throughout the year, many students began to feel as though they were professionals because of just going through the motions of examination. It took my extreme dedication to diverse and interesting learning to keep the classes on their academic toes, to break down the writing process and, step-by-step, demonstrate how much there is to improve and lend to one’s writing.
As a middle school teacher, I had approximately 140 students. And even knowing them all as the wonderfully developing individuals that they were, I still felt at the end of the day that I wanted to do more than I had time, resources, and ability to do. It just wasn’t feasible to connect with every student each day. And though I might be a person who will always feel as though I could do more, I also think that my skills in recognizing strengths and improving weaknesses in people, particularly in terms of approaching concepts and meting understanding, will be amplified teaching the same, smaller group of students all day.
I also had experience in classroom instruction from my job as a teaching assistant. I was responsible for advising, critiquing, and ultimately grading all written work the students (approximately 25 per class) produced. The job required an understanding and analysis of relevant historical nuance as well as an ability to offer concise but discernible clarification. I brought this attention to detail and versatility of instruction to my work in the classroom, and I will again.
Teaching Style
My teaching strategies became wholly adaptive, tailored to fit the dynamic needs of each grade-level, class, and student. It was common in my classroom to listen to a topical audio excerpt, add to a daily journal geared toward personal contemplation, work in small groups on assignments that enriched the day’s lesson, and participate in whole group, collaborative exercises that reinforced models and worked out unanswered questions. My philosophy followed a strategy of shared learning, and I incorporated choice into my curriculum as an important tool to aide in developing an independently-minded, academically invested student.