Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development.
EDUC 491, my 10 week practicum, was my first extended opportunity to really engage with tracking, assessing, and adapting to student growth and individuality. With three unique groups of students between two major subjects, I had considerable room to develop in these areas. I was also able to observe and discuss a variety of methods which other professionals use in their day to day careers, which both informed my development throughout my practicum as well as remain as tangible relics of reflection which I may return to now that 491 has been completed.
The concept of scaffolding was very easy to observe with the length of time I had with each group; I think in reflection, scaffolding is likely the general area which I experienced the most growth and new understanding of. Taking the time to adjust and use some of my initial activities as pre-assessment in order to take stock of the variety of skill-sets, strengths and stretches present in my classes allowed me to consider and plan for more fluid activities in the future. One specific example I can think of is when I began to draw on video content for information gathering activities.
My initial expectations which I had adopted based on my memory of participating in similar activities in my own high school experience, included roughly 30 minute portions of content to be discussed afterwards. Through ongoing feedback and discussion during the first viewing, it quickly became clear that the students I was working with would respond more positively with smaller segments of video with the opportunity to discuss in between. I saw this as a fork in the road which any new educator likely faces at some point or another, and thus the question is raised; Do I take this personally, dig in my feet, and hold students to my expectations or do I look at the bigger picture and adapt for their needs?
Obviously, we adapt. This feedback was not meant to reflect on me personally (despite some choice comments from a select few who were always eager to color dialogue with interesting language). It was meant to inform me on how to better connect with the groups of students I was working with, and this is how I chose to respond. Encouraging discussion as ongoing and reflective, I was able to cultivate a respectful atmosphere where my students felt comfortable informing me on how they might receive my lessons better. Further still, I found that barring the obvious and sometimes intentionally humorous segments of feedback, my students took this opportunity very seriously and honestly.
I think for myself, I will always favor an equal emphasis on professional learning i.e. the learning which results from intentional study or coursework, as well as interpersonal learning i.e. the learning which represents the fluidity and collegial atmosphere present in my classrooms. Continuing to focus on and develop my ability to foster and generate an open and honest dialogue between myself and my students presents to me as an irreplaceable potential for a wealth of knowledge I would otherwise struggle to find. Moving forward, defining myself by my open-mindedness to content delivery and student engagement is going to be something I continue to develop and be proud of.