Reflection

Throughout my journey in the Stevenson MAT Program, I have learned many things that can help me succeed in the classroom and further ahead throughout my career. In my classroom, I try to create a safe and comfortable learning environment that is positive and inviting. I want students to feel that when they walk into my classroom that it is time to learn and have fun. In creating this environment, I work to leave no space uncovered. I used chalk to draw diagrams of different functions and attributes on the concrete walls, hang student posters that demonstrate perfect precision of a skill, and multiple posters that have helpful resources and encouraging messages for students. I want a student to look around my room and be able to find a piece of information that is beneficial to them, whether it is to help with a growth mindset or on a particular problem we are working through. In pushing the envelope on creating an even more engaging and encouraging environment, transforming their perception on how this math can benefit them in the long run.

To push the envelope on my career, this program has helped me realize that I cannot just teach for one kind of student and I need to remain flexible and adaptive. My plan for being able to reach all students is to have more tier structured lessons. This will allow students who are exceling to push their thinking and those who are struggling and get a little more scaffolded assistance. I also plan to have more collaborative activities that have students grouped by tier as well so everyone can have an equal chance in learning the concepts. I want to be able to create an equal playing field for each student to be successful. I hope in doing so I can become a more universal teacher and all students that enter my classroom can succeed.