Frutchey 1

Matthew Frutchey
Professor Reilly
Field II
9 February, 2016
Personal Theory of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment I
Although my training to become an educator has lasted a mere semester to this point,
various field experiences, a variety of interconnected education classes, and my own intuition
and opinions have formed three factors that I believe are crucial to effective teaching, learning,
and assessment. These three factors include: being relatable to one's students, the importance of a
mix of formative and summative assessments, and encouraging students to use self-regulation
strategies. Through the effective use of these factors, you are reaching your students,
differentiating lessons and reviews based on their abilities, and providing them the tools to
succeed at any level throughout their lives.
As a future social studies teacher, I fully accept that I will be educating students who
could care less for the field. Often times, it is the most disliked of all the major academic areas
with students claiming, "It's too boring!" or "This happened hundreds of years ago, why should I
care?" Being a teacher they can relate to will ease this notion and allow them to find further
meaning in their work. Having a sense of humor, getting to know your students' interests, and
conveying information in a positive, energetic manner is key to being relatable. Through field
experience last semester, I witnessed two different but effective social studies teachers. While
their personalities were quite opposite, they shared the quality of being relatable to their students

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which helped students to enjoy their learning more. Being relatable, however, is not only applies
to yourself as a teacher, but also to the content you are teaching. Sure, World War II occurred
over seventy years ago, but the ripple effect of that event can still be seen and felt today. Often
times, this is what is left out of discussions in traditional history classes, yet it is likely a key
component in making students become interested in the subject and seeing the effects of it in
their present, modern-day world.
Next, I would like to talk about the importance I have seen in both summative and
formative assessment. Naturally, summative assessments at the end of a unit, chapter, or section
are essential to determine if students learned what they were taught. However, prior to beginning
my pursuit of this degree, I was never consciously aware of formative assessment and how big of
a role it plays in the classroom almost every day. Perhaps as a student I simply saw review
sessions or going back to former material as a built-in part of the unit's lesson and not necessarily
a decision made by the teacher for our benefit as students. Formative assessments allow teachers
to change lessons, highlight areas, or re-visit previous material to review it for a deeper
understanding if needed. Not only does it help students achieve a greater comprehension of the
material, it shows that you care about their well-being in the classroom. Another benefit of this is
that is allows you, as an educator, to return to the lesson that students struggled with, make
modifications, and use it as a learning experience for yourself for subsequent years.
Finally, a factor I had learned and began to appreciate after my studies last semester is the
importance of self-regulation strategies. In many instances, self-regulation strategies are used to
improve a behavior, maintain focus, or limit impulsive decisions in the classroom. Strategies
within the broad umbrella of self-regulation, such as self-monitoring, managing, and goalsetting, can be appropriate for many, if not all students. These skills, after some development,

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planning, and guidelines, are not only useful in the classroom but are something students can
take with them for life. In many instances, being a good student is indicative of becoming a wellrounded adult. To teach and implement these skills further ensures that you, through your
teaching, are contributing to society by putting forth students armed with the tools to become
successful after they move on from your class, graduate high school, and seek high education or
a professional job. Through learning and researching self-regulation strategies, I have become
acutely aware of what I do every day in regards to course work and planning, further
highlighting the importance of goal-setting and self-management that had been instilled in me
from an early age by my teachers and family.
As previously stated, I am still alarmingly fresh in the field of education and eagerly look
forward to seeing how my perceptions of what is most important changes as I become more
acquainted with the field. However, at this point of time, I would place a heavy emphasis on
being relatable, not only in regards to one's personality but also with respect to relatable content
which connects with students' preexisting knowledge and interests. I would also stress the
importance of assessment, both summative and formative to gauge the level of understanding,
make revisions as needed, and use it for a tool not only for the students but also for yourself as
an educator. Finally, I would highlight the importance of teaching self-regulation in the
classroom to prepare students to be successful throughout their educational experience as well as
in whatever endeavors they will engage as adults.