Course I Reflection

A few of the expectations I had coming into this class were that I would receive information or resources on how to conduct my research for my project. Additionally, I expected that I would have to articulate my thoughts and be able to write and discuss my thinking.

One main reason I enrolled in this program was to expand my knowledge on teaching. I am very intrigued by learning all that I can about my profession, which I believe is important in properly educating my students. After finishing my credential program in the Spring of 2010, I had a thirst for more knowledge and was impacted a great deal by the teachings in my credential program.

One of my strengths as a teacher, I believe, is that I have strong classroom management skills, which I hope to continue to have throughout my teaching career. Additionally, I believe my passion for learning and expanding on curriculum helps to motivate my students to be more eager learners. I believe if you have passion, the students will in turn respond in a similar manner, with passion and an eagerness to learn. Lastly, I believe I have the ability to integrate subject matter in a way that is useful and meaningful for the learners in my classroom.

Areas, in particular, which I would like to improve my skills, include parent-teacher partnerships and assessments. I am a true believer that parent-teacher partnerships are of high importance in contributing to classroom success, I want to learn better ways in which to deal with parents. Throughout the first two years of my teaching, like most, I have experienced some ups and downs with parents. Although we touched on the topic in my credential program, I feel as though this skill is something that comes with experience, which takes time. In regards to assessments, I have so much information on what type of assessments are out there, I would like to understand which are most effective in my current grade level, Kindergarten.

During this course I learned a good amount of knowledge to help me make informed decisions about the research I will be conducting. Through the class readings I was able to acquire new information on teacher reform, specifically through readings from Shulman. This has led me to be even more motivated to continue the program to see what new and deeper information I can attain. So far, all of the questions I have had have been answered. As I proceed through this program, the most helpful thing to me would be to have faculty support, which is something I know happens at St. Mary’s College. I am the type who, as they are working through the research, will have questions. I believe it is important to feel as though my instructors are available, especially if I hit a roadblock.