A caring, reflective and lifelong learner with a passion to instill these characteristics in others – that is what I believe makes an effective teacher. Change is constant; our students and our world is rapidly evolving, which is why I feel it is necessary to create a safe, comfortable environment in which my students feel confident to take risks. My process of caring begins with trust and communication on the very first day, including them in making classroom rules and expectations, and continues each day to ensure the success of our learning community. In my experience, when students are included in such tasks, they take more ownership of them and hold each other accountable.

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I feel reflection is another important aspect of a successful teacher. Because much of a teacher’s daily operations are independent, reflective practice ensures that I am being effective. Reflecting on each year, on each lesson, even each day is crucial but that is just the start. I then utilize those thoughts/notes to mold the next year, lesson, or day. Reaching out to different colleagues is also a part of that process and I love to collaborate with other teachers. I feel this reflection process is an important skill to teach our students, to me, it is the foundation of becoming a lifelong learner.

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I feel it is important to ask myself, “why do I teach?” To answer this question, I began another academic journey of pursuing a Master of Arts in Education at MSU. My inquiry throughout the program has led me to the conclusion that I approach teaching as a mix of a humanistic and progressive approaches. I strive to model best practices, use scaffolding when appropriate, but mainly act as a guide for my students, their interests, and goals. Being a World Language and Visual Arts teacher, I also seek to broaden the horizons of my students, inspiring them to be inquisitive and respectful citizens.  As a coach, the courses at MSU for the Sport Leadership and Coaching certificate helped me to think of coaching as co-curricular. I find it essential to explain goal setting to my student athletes: how to create a realistic goal that is measurable and then asking questions (and keep asking throughout the season) to set a solid plan in motion to achieve those goals. This also applies in the classroom setting as well, again allowing students (and student athletes) to have autonomy in their own educational pursuits while acting as a guide.

 

In order to give all students equal opportunity to be successful, I use multiple ways presenting, such as, Total Physical Response as well as multiple means of assessing students. I feel World Language and Visual Arts lends well to differentiated instruction as students are learning the cultures (music, food, holidays, etc.) of and how to listen, read, speak, write in the target language and appreciate and create a multitude of artworks. Some of the projects students have found most engaging are a fashion show in the target language of Spanish. My students work in groups to brainstorm the structure, write a script, and then act out the performance. I use a rubric to grade such projects and allow students to perform live or pre-recorded. Another project that I use is the creation of a family tree and presenting it. Students can draw, use photographs, or just use the written target language to present their project. A Visual Arts project that was well received by both students and parents was a Family History Collage. Students were encouraged to learn about themselves and/or their family history and backgrounds. Then take that researched knowledge and put it into a collage.

The goal is to provide students with different ways to show they can use the language or create art, that they can do it. My first Spanish professor in college, Dr. Hernandez, shared with us this ancient quote that I feel is quite applicable to my teaching methods and beliefs, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”