Fulfilled: Goal 14

In Spring 2020, I student taught in an elementary and high school in Augusta County. Considering my time was split between 1st Grade and High School 9-12 with Covid-19 striking over the transition, my experience was anything but typical. During this time of upheaval and constant changes, I leaned on my flexibility to find unique ways of meeting student needs. I rewrote one lesson plan three times to make new accommodations and manage the usual issues like chronic absences and typical illness. While I adjusted to new ways of instructing, my cooperating teacher (CT) graciously gave me room to implement new ideas and make adjustments on the spot. It was the first time in a long time where I felt truly free of fear of failure. It was not until discussing my experience with my CT that I realized I still had this pressure on my shoulders, that I had been carrying it around for so many years.

Upon feeling this freedom, I found myself better able to experiment with well-researched practices, make adjustments to the type of work completed by students, and run the room as I thought would be best. I was not always very successful, but I improved and will be a better teacher because of it. This is the same experience I wish to create in my classroom for my students. I want my students to attempt difficult tasks and reach to learn about the unknown without fear of performing poorly. In my classroom, I plan to continue the trend of emphasizing growth over that of present performance, allowing every student to learn at their own pace slowly working towards fulfilling their potential.

When I switched to my high school placement, I took these lessons and incorporated them into my plans for online lessons. I used consistent and clear feedback, establishing clear goals and expectations, as well as, creating channels for open communication, so my students would know that although we are not physically together, they are not alone. The students are also given multiple opportunities for feedback and revision so that they are graded on a truly finished final product and growth not just how quickly they can learn the material. The lesson plan below is specifically focussed on interview and job skills. The plan includes accommodations for a variety of students with different disabilities. In addition, for every activity utilizing technology, there is an accompanying low-technology solution for students who do not have access to the internet or other technology.