ASTL PORTFOLIO REFLECTION POINT 2

Leyla Jordan
GMU 2013
EDUC 613 AND 614 have been formative to my development as a professional
educator through the ASTL program. I share the philosophy put forth in the ASTL
Learning Objectives. I discovered that by applying what I have learned through the
ASTL coursework that I have created a stronger foundation from which to establish my
own teaching philosophy. I have thought systematically about my practice and learned
from my experiences. I have become a teacher that is better versed in new dimensions
that help me to be a well-rounded reflective practitioner. I truly care for my students and
want to uphold a high standard in the teaching profession. I want to be a change agent, a
leader in my classroom, my department, and my school, and the surrounding community.
The formative and summative video analyses were eye-opening experiences in which I
was able to evaluate myself as a teacher and the product of my lesson. These
assignments allowed me to analyze my practice multi-dimensionally and consider my
audience and their experience more carefully. I will continue to evaluate my teaching
and lessons in an objective manner with consideration for the students needs.
A great benefit of my coursework has been the exposure to various issues that are
relevant to education today, such differentiation. I have become more aware of the
learning process. It has become paramount in my mind differentiation is required for
successful learning. Journaling on differentiation was an effective way to define my
beliefs regarding what different learners need to be successful. Its not about how well a
student learns its about how a student learns well, meaning that all students deserve the
conditions that allow them to be successful. Those elements are different for each
student and it requires that the teacher be sensitive and in tune with student needs.
Teachers are members of learning communities, with opportunities to question, seek
answers, make improvements, and collaborate in the best interests of their students.
Teachers also attend to the needs of culturally, linguistically, and cognitively diverse
learners which makes differentiation a key skill for a teacher. In the case study of a
learner I was able to see a very detailed profile of a student and respond to her needs.
The experience heightened my awareness about the needs of other learners as well. I
have also come to view the teacher as the designer of the curriculum, a professional
developing a craft. Lessons are designed with the end in mind, and assessments provide
feedback and guide learning along the way. Teachers are masters of their content area
and share their knowledge and enthusiasm with students. They can clearly communicate
with students and can explain a concept in a variety of ways. Teachers have developed
an educational philosophy that explains the decisions they make in their lesson planning,
assessment design, and daily in the classroom. The Educational Theorist Group Project
helped me to define my beliefs regarding how students learn. As we collaborated with
other groups, we gained exposure to other theorists, all of which contributed to our
perspectives on education.
Through my coursework I have enjoyed doing new things for the first time, such as
examining my assessments. I have learned to carefully manage and monitor student
learning by purposefully designing lessons aligned with state standards. The assessment
design analysis was a great opportunity to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a
specific assessment by applying a rubric. Creating the rubric allowed me to better
communicate student expectations, objectively analyze data, and reflect upon the results
of the assessment. Technology was also an exciting element to learn more about and to
apply in my classroom in a variety of ways, through journaling about it or doing try-its. I
was able to use technology effectively to facilitate student learning and my own
professional development. Students created online portfolios using the Weebly website,
visited many vocabulary and grammar conjugation practice websites, and conducted
research online. These are all elements I had never used in the classroom before, and
they are relevant to 21
st
century learning and the modes of communication that students
are most comfortable using.
I continue to learn, collaborate, and question in my ever-evolving journey toward
becoming a better educator. I find that with more experience from my studies that I can
find answers to questions, articulate my beliefs, and take initiative with greater ease. I
am coming into my own voice and acting as a contributing member of the school
community. Both courses helped me to relate to and understand the ASTL Learning
Objectives and to adopt some of them into my teaching philosophy.