The 2 Characteristics of the Novice Teacher that I would like to focus on today are #2- Effective Communicator and #4- Learning for all students. I decided to pick these characteristics because I feel that they are both very important (not that the others aren't). I sometimes feel that the communication between co-workers, parents, students, etc. is lost. I also feel that we need to remember we are teaching to each individual, not just a particular set of students, so we must address all learners in our lessons.
The first characteristic I am reflecting on is #2- Effective Communicator. I feel that we must remember the importance of communicating, especially with the families/guardians of the students. Since I am going to be in Elementary grade levels, it is important to keep in contact with the families of my students. Informing guardians of every aspect of the child's time at the school is very important. Although communication is not/should not be limited to parents and guardians of the student, I chose to focus on that with my artifact. One artifact that I could use in my portfolio pertaining to being an effective communicator would be the parent letters I sent home at the beginning of this semester to my Kindergarten families. My welcome letter addressed the guardians of the students and let them know who I was, why I was now in their child's class, and what I intended to do throughout the semester with their children. I also left a message stating if they had any questions to contact me in their children's folders. I feel that this relates to being an effective communicator because it allows a connection to the parents/guardians of the students that might not have been there otherwise. It shows that I value their comments/concerns and I am willing to work with them in any way that I can.
The second characteristic I am reflecting on is #4- Learning for all students. I feel that sometimes teachers lose sight (not purposefully) that every child is unique and not all of them learn the same way. We, as teachers, must remember that each child deserves a chance at learning, even if that means we go above and beyond to cater to their needs. Learning for all students demonstrates just that. We must allow all students to learn in the class. One artifact that I would use to demonstrate learning for all students would be my Differentiated Lesson Plan from Sped 460. This was a great way to learn how to adjust the lesson to meet the needs of all students. By differentiating a lesson plan, we become more aware of the importance for all students to learn. This fits characteristic #4, as we create an environment where students are comfortable to learn and understand what they are learning.
