Over the course of my teaching journey, I have grown significantly in my ability to create meaningful connections with students, design instruction that meets diverse learning needs, and implement strategies that foster both academic and social-emotional growth. My experiences as a student teacher in a high school resource room, my observation hours in a self-contained elementary classroom, and as an educational assistant in various special education settings have deepened my understanding of how to differentiate instruction and provide targeted support. I have also developed a greater awareness of the importance of building trust and establishing relationships with students to create a positive learning environment.
Through professional development and collaboration with experienced colleagues, I have refined my ability to plan engaging lessons, assess student progress effectively, and adapt my teaching to address individual strengths and challenges. These experiences have reinforced my commitment to creating equitable learning opportunities and helped me become a reflective, student-centered educator.
During my student teaching placement, I had the opportunity to have a professional conversation with a seasoned general education math teacher who shared insights from decades of teaching experience. He explained his approach to breaking down textbook units, structuring daily lessons, and designing assessments in a way that builds both student understanding and confidence. He emphasized starting each test with the simplest content—often from the earliest lessons in the unit—and progressively increasing difficulty. This progression typically involved adding more terms, steps, or operations, allowing students to see a logical path from foundational skills to complex applications.
This conversation significantly deepened my understanding of how to design math instruction and assessments in a way that supports student learning and reduces anxiety. I applied his strategies to the pre-test and post-test I developed for my Teacher Work Sample assessment. By mirroring his structured approach, I was able to scaffold problems for my students, helping them see how to tackle complex questions by connecting them to simpler, earlier concepts.
This approach was beneficial when students struggled with a difficult problem. I used the strategy of breaking the problem into smaller, manageable steps, and gradually increasing complexity until they could solve the original question. This not only decreased their anxiety but also empowered them to recognize their skills and build confidence in their abilities.
I completed a professional development course titled Relationship-Based Discipline: Creating Learning Spaces That Balance Accountability and Care, which introduced the Establish, Maintain, Restore (EMR) model. This model emphasizes building and sustaining positive relationships with students to create a foundation for effective teaching and learning. The EMR framework involves three key components:
Establishing relationships by showing genuine interest in students’ lives and creating a positive first impression.
Maintaining relationships through consistent positive interactions and clear communication to reinforce trust.
Restoring relationships after conflicts or misunderstandings by taking accountability, expressing care, and repairing any damage to the connection.
This professional development activity enhanced my content pedagogy by providing strategies to foster a safe and supportive learning environment, which is foundational to effective instruction. I applied the EMR principles during my student teaching placement, particularly in a resource room where students often exhibited high walls of distrust and reluctance to ask for help.
For example, as part of establishing relationships, I learned about students’ interests, such as discussing a favorite rap artist or engaging with their FFA livestock projects. This created a bridge for deeper engagement. When maintaining relationships, I made a conscious effort to provide positive interactions at a 5:1 ratio, such as celebrating small academic victories and checking in about their weekends. These practices helped build trust and set a tone of care and respect. Finally, the restore component proved invaluable when addressing sensitive issues. For instance, when a student faced a potential move that disrupted their focus, I conveyed understanding and offered extra support.
By implementing these strategies, I saw a notable improvement in classroom dynamics and individual student engagement. The students became more open to seeking help and participating in lessons, which allowed me to focus on scaffolding content and guiding them through challenging material. The EMR model directly enhanced my ability to create a learning space where students felt safe to take academic risks, ultimately improving their comprehension and confidence.
During my student teaching placement, I collaborated with the general education science teacher and instructional assistants to prepare a unit on speed, velocity, acceleration, and momentum. We began by reviewing student performance data from two previous summative assessments, which revealed that many students struggled to apply formulas correctly and were often distracted by unnecessary information in word problems. Additionally, we examined the format and content of the upcoming summative exam for this unit. The exam questions were not grouped by concept and consisted primarily of multiple-choice word problems, which compounded students' difficulties with both comprehension and test-taking strategies.
To address these challenges, I designed lessons that explicitly targeted the areas of need identified through the data. My instruction emphasized test-taking skills, including strategies for identifying relevant information in word problems and selecting the correct formula based on context clues. During practice activities, I incorporated a variety of question types and included a spinner-based review activity to mirror the random nature of the exam layout. This approach helped students practice transitioning between different concepts seamlessly, building their confidence and reducing exam-related anxiety.
This collaboration directly influenced my planning by highlighting the importance of aligning my instruction with the specific needs of students and the structure of their assessments. By focusing on the skills and concepts where students showed the most difficulty—such as recognizing irrelevant information and applying formulas—I was able to design targeted, differentiated lessons that addressed their learning gaps. It also guided me in planning supplementary supports for students during independent work time in the general education classroom. I collaborated with the instructional assistants to ensure they used reflective questioning techniques to promote higher-order thinking rather than providing direct answers, fostering deeper comprehension among students. This experience reinforced the value of using data to inform instructional decisions and demonstrated the importance of integrating test-taking strategies into content instruction.
This collaboration helped me grow as an educator by providing hands-on experience in using student data to inform instructional practices and in designing differentiated lessons that meet diverse learner needs. It also deepened my understanding of how to balance respecting the expertise of my colleagues while tailoring instruction for students in the resource room. Taking time to compare how students performed on assessments relative to their typical peers allowed me to evaluate the effectiveness of my strategies and refine my approach. Additionally, coordinating with instructional assistants strengthened my skills in leading a team to provide consistent, meaningful support for students, emphasizing the importance of reflective questions to develop critical thinking. These experiences have enhanced my ability to work collaboratively and reinforced my commitment to providing equitable, data-driven instruction.
As a member of the Oregon Education Association (OEA), I had the opportunity to attend the "New and Aspiring Educator Winter Recharge Retreat" in February 2024. This event provided an invaluable experience for my professional growth as an educator. The retreat offered a combination of networking opportunities, professional development workshops, and sessions on mindfulness and self-regulation strategies.
One of the most impactful aspects of the retreat was connecting with other new and aspiring educators. Through these conversations, I gained insight into best practices for managing classroom challenges and supporting students with diverse needs. Additionally, the professional development classes deepened my understanding of instructional strategies and classroom management techniques. The mindfulness and regulation strategies I learned have been particularly transformative. I implemented these approaches in my student teaching placement, incorporating techniques such as guided breathing exercises and mindful transitions to help students—and myself—manage stress and maintain focus during lessons.
By attending this retreat, I not only expanded my teaching toolkit but also developed strategies to support my own well-being, enabling me to be a more present and effective educator for my students. The resources and connections gained through OEA have been instrumental in shaping my approach to teaching and fostering a positive classroom environment.
As an educator, I aim to deepen my ability to provide culturally responsive instruction that supports the diverse needs of all students. My professional growth goal is to better understand how cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic differences influence student learning and to create a classroom environment that affirms and celebrates these differences. I also want to strengthen my ability to engage families from diverse backgrounds in the learning process, fostering a collaborative approach that enhances student success.
This goal is particularly relevant given that I live in Washington County, Oregon, the most diverse county in the state. Working in such a diverse community requires a strong foundation in culturally responsive teaching practices to ensure all students feel seen, valued, and supported in their learning.
To achieve this goal, I plan to participate in professional development courses offered through the IRIS Center. Two specific courses that align with my objective are:
Cultural and Linguistic Differences: What Teachers Should Know
This module will help me reflect on how my own culture influences my teaching practices and give me strategies to provide culturally responsive instruction. I will learn how to recognize the impact of linguistic diversity on school outcomes and understand the importance of involving families from diverse backgrounds in their children’s education.
Classroom Diversity: An Introduction to Student Differences
This module offers a comprehensive overview of how various aspects of diversity—such as culture, language, exceptionality, and socioeconomic status—affect student learning. By completing this course, I will gain insight into five ways diversity influences learning and learn considerations for teaching effectively in diverse classrooms.