Reflection for TE 823
I have come to LOVE this project. (My only hope now is that it fulfills the requirements of the paper!) I didn't expect to reflect so deeply upon my own beliefs about education, community, and teaching with love as I have during the research and compilation of this website. I believe that the site truly shows my stance on community, leadership, the role of the teacher, special education, and more. This course and experience has motivated me to rethink what I want my own classroom to look like, and has empowered me to create more of my kind of community in my classroom than just what I thought people wanted to see. Just recently, a teacher I work with e-mailed our staff about how her day was changed by one of my students who came up to her, introduced herself, and then asked if she could give her a hug before walking away. I love that my kids have that kind of caring and compassionate attitude and that they aren’t afraid to show it. I am moved and reaffirmed when one of my students, in self contained special education, tells me that she wants to grow up to be a teacher so she can take care of students like I do. That’s telling me I’m doing something right. This course has made me realize that I’m not the only one out there who feels this way! That there are entire alternative modes of community and schools available where it is okay for students to care, love, and trust in one another and it is okay for teachers to foster these attributes.
Further, I’m motivated in my own personal goals. I never thought that I’d want to go into administration but after creating the website and really envisioning a school community based on what I believe, I could see myself following that path. The research and course readings have solidified my beliefs about community and what I think is best for students. It is incredibly unfortunate to me that so many of our youth are robbed of rich educational opportunities, which includes a sense of community at school. It is my intention to change that someday, sooner rather than later.
Further, I’m motivated in my own personal goals. I never thought that I’d want to go into administration but after creating the website and really envisioning a school community based on what I believe, I could see myself following that path. The research and course readings have solidified my beliefs about community and what I think is best for students. It is incredibly unfortunate to me that so many of our youth are robbed of rich educational opportunities, which includes a sense of community at school. It is my intention to change that someday, sooner rather than later.
Citations
Cline, Foster, and Jim Fay. Parenting With Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility. 2nd ed. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 1990. Print.
Forlin, Chris. Teacher education for inclusion: changing paradigms and innovative approaches. London: Routledge, 2010. Print.
Frederickson, Norah, and Tony Cline. Special educational needs, inclusion and diversity. 2nd ed. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill/Open University Press, 2009. Print.
hooks, bell. All About Love: New Visions. First Edition. New York, N.Y.: William Morrow and Company, 2000. Print.
hooks, bell. Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope. 1st Ed. New York, N.Y.: Routledge, 2003. Print.
Kozol, Jonathan. The shame of the nation: the restoration of apartheid schooling in America. New York: Crown Publishers, 2005. Print.
Sergiovanni, Thomas J.. Building community in schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1994. Print.
Tomlinson, Carol A. The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999. Internet resource.