Standard #7: Planning for Instruction
Artifact #1
My Student Memories of a Special Teacher
My favorite memories of school come from the A.P. Biology classroom of Mr. Karl Swenson in Gardiner Area High School. I remember that his classroom was always a fun and informative environment. He made the lectures both easy to follow and fun to learn. Homework went hand in hand with lectures and reinforced the concepts well. Transitions between concepts were almost seamless. Mr. Swenson was very easy to talk to and fun to be around. He was very understanding and listened to what students had to say. He was fair when grading homework and tests. His tests were almost always multiple choice and he gave the opportunity to increase your grade by fixing your mistakes and giving the context you found the answer in. The only other big grading item were lab notebooks in which Mr. Swenson would help in any way he could to make sure the write up was to its fullest understanding. The classroom was arranged in a box fashion with the teacher’s bench in the front of the room and the long lab tables arranged around the perimeter. The only class trip we ever took was to Reid State Park for a marine life classification and ecosystem lab.
My Student Memories of a Special Teacher
My favorite memories of school come from the A.P. Biology classroom of Mr. Karl Swenson in Gardiner Area High School. I remember that his classroom was always a fun and informative environment. He made the lectures both easy to follow and fun to learn. Homework went hand in hand with lectures and reinforced the concepts well. Transitions between concepts were almost seamless. Mr. Swenson was very easy to talk to and fun to be around. He was very understanding and listened to what students had to say. He was fair when grading homework and tests. His tests were almost always multiple choice and he gave the opportunity to increase your grade by fixing your mistakes and giving the context you found the answer in. The only other big grading item were lab notebooks in which Mr. Swenson would help in any way he could to make sure the write up was to its fullest understanding. The classroom was arranged in a box fashion with the teacher’s bench in the front of the room and the long lab tables arranged around the perimeter. The only class trip we ever took was to Reid State Park for a marine life classification and ecosystem lab.
Artifact #2
Dear Mr. Swenson
I have an assignment in my Intro to Education course at the University of Maine and in this assignment I was asked to pick my favorite teacher and look back on the memories of that class. For this assignment I chose your A.P. Biology class that I took as a sophomore. The reason I chose this course was mainly because of you and your teaching styles. You made the class fun and informative. I didn’t have an issue following the material and if I ever had a problem you would make sure to help me work through any and all complications I was having. I enjoyed the hands on labs and the field trip to Reid State Park for the classification and ecosystem lab at the end of the school year. I am a very hands on learner and your approach to this teaching style made it easier for me to follow the material. I wanted to thank you for making my Biology experience a pleasant and fun one. It is also because of you and your teaching that I have decided to major in Biology and minor in Secondary Education so I can give future students the same learning experience you gave me. Again I thank you and I hope you continue to inspire more students like me.
Sincerely,
Alysha M. Jackson
(formerly Alysha Lord)
I have an assignment in my Intro to Education course at the University of Maine and in this assignment I was asked to pick my favorite teacher and look back on the memories of that class. For this assignment I chose your A.P. Biology class that I took as a sophomore. The reason I chose this course was mainly because of you and your teaching styles. You made the class fun and informative. I didn’t have an issue following the material and if I ever had a problem you would make sure to help me work through any and all complications I was having. I enjoyed the hands on labs and the field trip to Reid State Park for the classification and ecosystem lab at the end of the school year. I am a very hands on learner and your approach to this teaching style made it easier for me to follow the material. I wanted to thank you for making my Biology experience a pleasant and fun one. It is also because of you and your teaching that I have decided to major in Biology and minor in Secondary Education so I can give future students the same learning experience you gave me. Again I thank you and I hope you continue to inspire more students like me.
Sincerely,
Alysha M. Jackson
(formerly Alysha Lord)
Reflection
After looking back at Chapter 11 “Teaching Effectiveness” I can see many places where Mr. Swenson was able to effectively manage the classroom. Right from the start by making lecture detailed and fun he was able to cut back on the nit-picking smaller questions that would have otherwise taken up some very critical learning and lecturing time that any advanced placement class requires. He demonstrated very precise clarity and academic structure in every lecture and lab he conducted. He was also fair and very patient with any and all student questions. Every student got a chance to answer questions based on the material and no one student was singled out or pressured. Every lecture was a model of direct teaching in which he lectured the class and then stopped to let the students practice the information and sent them home with work that was directly related to what was taught that day. During labs he broke the class into smaller, more focused groups for better understanding. This cooperative learning made it easier to reinforce the topic of the lab.
This artifact shows an understanding of Learning Standard 7: Planning for Instruction. The artifact shows a more direct focus on performance indicator 7(b) in which the teacher plans how to achieve each student’s learning goals, choosing appropriate strategies and accommodations, resources, and materials to differentiate instruction for individuals and groups or learners. I feel that this indicator is shown through the remembrance of the teaching styles and aspects I was shown in the classroom as a student. By looking back on these styles in regards to teaching effectiveness I can draw on what works for certain learning styles and what may not work as well. Through this exercise I have a better idea of what strategies and resources I can use to make sure my students have a positive learning experience that will help them achieve their specific learning goals. It also gave me an understanding of the difference between individual and group learning after being shown both aspects in the classroom.
After looking back at Chapter 11 “Teaching Effectiveness” I can see many places where Mr. Swenson was able to effectively manage the classroom. Right from the start by making lecture detailed and fun he was able to cut back on the nit-picking smaller questions that would have otherwise taken up some very critical learning and lecturing time that any advanced placement class requires. He demonstrated very precise clarity and academic structure in every lecture and lab he conducted. He was also fair and very patient with any and all student questions. Every student got a chance to answer questions based on the material and no one student was singled out or pressured. Every lecture was a model of direct teaching in which he lectured the class and then stopped to let the students practice the information and sent them home with work that was directly related to what was taught that day. During labs he broke the class into smaller, more focused groups for better understanding. This cooperative learning made it easier to reinforce the topic of the lab.
This artifact shows an understanding of Learning Standard 7: Planning for Instruction. The artifact shows a more direct focus on performance indicator 7(b) in which the teacher plans how to achieve each student’s learning goals, choosing appropriate strategies and accommodations, resources, and materials to differentiate instruction for individuals and groups or learners. I feel that this indicator is shown through the remembrance of the teaching styles and aspects I was shown in the classroom as a student. By looking back on these styles in regards to teaching effectiveness I can draw on what works for certain learning styles and what may not work as well. Through this exercise I have a better idea of what strategies and resources I can use to make sure my students have a positive learning experience that will help them achieve their specific learning goals. It also gave me an understanding of the difference between individual and group learning after being shown both aspects in the classroom.