CREATING A MORE INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM
The field of education is one that is always changing, sometimes seemingly by the day. It is critical that as teachers, we are always adapting and expanding our learning in order to best serve students. I entered my graduate program in hopes of fine-tuning my skills as a teacher but quickly found myself with more questions and direction for my future professional learning. These goals are centered around improving the overall environment that I create in my classroom and its impact on improving student outcomes. These goals specifically include improving science and mathematics instruction for students with disabilities, obtaining my ESOL certification, and exploring online professional learning communities
Improving Science and Mathematics Outcomes for Students with Disabilities
I chose to pursue a concentration in Science and Mathematics Education in addition to a concentration in Special Education because I felt that these subjects were not thoroughly unpacked in my teacher preparation and district provided professional development. In the future, I wish to use opportunities online through my district’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) department to further my ability to develop student ideas in these content areas. My graduate program gave me the opportunity to take an in-depth look at the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, as well as the 21st Century Learner Framework. In addition to improving math and science outcomes, I believe that these frameworks lend themselves to building functional skills for students with disabilities such as social/communication skills, fine motor skills, daily living skills, and self-advocacy skills. I hope that learning more about these topics through online professional resources will help me to integrate these ideas into my classroom for my students.
Obtaining ESOL Certification
In addition to improving student academic outcomes, I would also like to obtain my English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) certification. The main reason for selecting this goal being that the majority of the students I teach are English Language Learners (ELLs). In one of my graduate courses, I was able to explore the impact of community engagement within the school, and this included inclusion and celebration of students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Obtaining my ESOL certification will help me to support my students on their journey to learn English, but it will also help me to create a pathway for my students that celebrates their first language, embraces their culture, and creates partnerships with families. I plan on utilizing a cohort program through my current school district that leads to certification as well as some of the online resources found here to further my learning about how to integrate ESOL principles into my teaching.
Improving and Expanding my Professional Network
My final professional goal moving forward stems from experiences that I had within my Online Master’s program at Michigan State University. Throughout the program, I was able to connect with teachers across the country and share resources and wisdom. My peers offered perspective on their unique experiences, and I was inspired and validated in my conversations with them. Moving forward, I would like to pursue different platforms and see if I can find an online community of teachers to connect with in order to further engage in the global teaching community. The world of teaching, especially small group special education, can be very isolating. In my experience in this role, I have not always had a team of peers to collaborate with inside of your building. Some of the platforms I would like to further explore are included in this blog post. Of the available platforms, Twitter seems to be the most engaging. I have noticed groups of peers sharing links to helpful blogposts, free webinars, and networking events both online and in person. Building my professional network online will also help to improve my technological literacy and stay up to date on the latest innovations within the field.
In Conclusion
My coursework within my master's program has helped me to realize that creating a classroom where students and their families feel valued, cared for, and part of an educational team is an attainable goal for my career. With these future learning goals, I hope to continue my path towards becoming an equitable educator within my school and professional community. I look forward to utilizing the knowledge and the resources I have gained to seek out and experience more professional development and learning in the future.