McDonald 1

Introduction
The

graduate

diploma

program,

Teaching

and

Learning

in

Todays

Classrooms, has had a profound effect on my teaching and classroom practice. I

have re-immersed myself in academic reading and conversation with peers about
different aspects of education. I started by examining my beliefs about education
and who I am as a teacher. From there, I completed a number of field studies to
better align my classroom practice with my beliefs. Through the program, I have
gained new understandings, impacted my classroom practice, participated in
educational communities, learned from others, and grown in the program
capacities.
New Understandings
During the first term in the program (Fall 2014), the main focus was learning
who you are as a teacher and what you believe about education.

Through

reflection, I realized I rely heavily on textbooks because I am most comfortable

using this method and it was the way I was taught1. Consequently, I decided to
complete my first field study on project based learning (PBL) and student
engagement2. Research shows that PBL is engaging (Lattimer & Riordan, 2011;
Buck Institute, 2015) and I wanted to see if my students thought so as well.

created a PBL unit about creating a government. Before starting, I asked students
if they found Social Studies interesting when learning from the textbook; thirtythree percent (33%) were interested. Upon completion, I asked the students again
1 Reflective Practitioner
2 Strategic and Responsive Teacher and Flexible Learner and Practitioner

McDonald 2

and sixty-three percent (63%) were interested in Social Studies. Thus, I learned
PBL is far more engaging for students and I should do more projects and less work
directly from textbooks. In my classroom now, I am doing at least one project per
term and not relying on the textbook as heavily.
In examining how I teach, I believe students learn what they live (Law Nolte,
1972) and if you want to develop the whole child you need to give them a range of
experiences (Noddings, 2005; Smith, 2013).

This is something I have always

believed, but I have not necessarily acknowledged until taking the diploma
program. In my classroom, I focus heavily on current events and global citizenship
by reading news articles weekly and having a yearly fundraiser for building water
wells in Africa. I also teach digital literacy in my class, where students learn how to
stay safe online, respond to bullying, and ensure they are following copyright laws.
I continue to provide my students with a variety of activities to help them develop
as an individual3.
From the learning described above, I continued to read about the
development of the child4.

Children who are more self-aware tend to be more

successful in life (Marzano and Heflebower, 2011). Marzano and Heflebower went
on to list skills each child should have: growth mindset, resiliency, and optimism. I
wanted to know why these particular skills were important, and began reading
about the brain. When one is angry or scared, one is unlikely to remember new
information (Willis, 2009a) and when students know how their brain works, they
3 Ethical and Caring Leader
4 Ethical and Caring Leader

McDonald 3

feel more ownership over their own learning (Willis, 2009b).

This new

understanding was very important to me because it changed my focus in the

classroom. While I do teach the curriculum, I wanted to also share with students
how their own brain operates and give them skills they can use for life 5. In fact,
students who learn about the brain experience more success in school (Yeager, D.
S., & Dweck, C. S., 2012). I had no idea teaching students about the brain could
have such a profound impact.

Thus, this became the topic of my second field

study6.
For my field study, I specifically wanted to see if teaching students about the
brain7 would change their beliefs about learning.

I began by conducting a pre-

survey of student beliefs about learning. Forty-one percent (41%) of students

believed they could learn new things and change their intelligence. Then, I taught
a series of lessons about the parts of the brain, how the brain learns, and the
synaptic gap. At the conclusion, I did a post-survey, asking the same questions
and seventy-five (75%) of students believed could change their intelligence. I was
encouraged to see a large change in their attitudes. Continuing to examine the
research, I learned students who learn about the brain and how to grow their
intelligence show increased success in school (Dweck, 2009) and greater belief
they can become smarter (Elwick & Center for British Teachers (CfBT), 2014). From
this short field study, I witnessed some students trying harder at subjects they
5 Ethical and caring leader and Strategic and Responsive teacher
6 Reflective Practitioner
7 Strategic and Responsive Teacher and Educational Leader

McDonald 4

previously disliked.

This aligns with my beliefs about the purpose of education

because teaching this has the potential to change the lives of students
(McDonald, 2015a)8. We need to be teaching students skills they can use not only
in school, but also outside as well (Eisner, 2002), which is why I firmly believe
students need know how their brains learn.
My final new understanding came from the work I did in my last field study,
combined with a try something assignment I did in the Fall 2015 semester. I
began doing number talks9 in my classroom as a result of learning that when
students preconceptions (Donovan, S., & Bransford, J. (2005). pg. 219) about a
topic are engaged, students will actually learn the new concept more readily
(Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, 1999).

Students began realizing there were

multiple ways to solve problems based on what they were experiencing during
number talks (McDonald, 2015b). After doing number talks, I completed a field
study to see if I could impact students use of the algorithm to solve math
questions by teaching them mental math strategies. Teaching them the strategies
had no impact on their use of the algorithm 10 (McDonald, 2016). Upon this result, I
delved deeper into why there was no change and came upon an interesting idea.
If all the math experiences children have involve simply answering questions, and
not talking about the math concepts and number sense involved in questions,
students learn they do not need to know why, they just need to answer the
8 Ethical and Caring Leader
9 Strategic and Responsive Teacher and Educational Leader
10 Flexible Learner and Practitioner

McDonald 5

question (Pearce, 2015). So in order to create change in how students solve math
questions, we need to change how students are taught.11
Educational Practice
This diploma program continues to have profound impact on my teaching. Above, I
described numerous changes I made in the classroom as a result of my new
understandings.

I feel the changes I made better align my beliefs with my

practice. I recognize there is a set curriculum that I must teach, but I also feel
more at liberty to use my professional judgement to teach other skills I deem
necessary. The new curriculum, specifically the core competencies, includes skills
that I believe in: social responsibility, and personal awareness and responsibility. I
am excited about being able to include my educational philosophy within the
curriculum. A second major impact is that I now have the knowledge of how to do a
field study. This is something I would like to continue. My past field studies have
helped me become a better teacher. Field studies give me valuable data when
trying something new in my classroom and help me determine if it is a practice I
should continue. Finally, the program as a whole has helped me become more
reflective. I am journaling regularly, keeping a record of what worked, what did
not, and how to improve lessons. Overall, I feel I am a better teacher due to the
experiences Ive had in this diploma program12.
Educational Communities

11 Educational leader, Reflective practitioner, and Flexible learner and practitioner

12 Reflective practitioner, Strategic and Responsive Teacher, Educational Leader, Ethical
and Caring Leader, Flexible Learner and Practitioner

McDonald 6

Being in the diploma program helped me gain confidence to share my ideas with
others. Consequently, I joined a few different teams last spring and this school
year.

First, I became the lead teacher for the launch of MyEdBC and provided

training for my staff on how to use the new program 13. Since September, I have
provided extra support for teachers when issues arise with MyEdBC.

Second, I

became part of the Learning Partners program where experienced teachers are
paired with first year/new-to-the-classroom teachers13. I provide support for a new
teacher by helping with scheduling subjects, marking, and report cards. I also help
my mentee to deal with challenging behaviors. Last, I am part of the curriculum
implementation team for grades four to six 13. I, with 5 others, have developed two
workshops and resources for teachers on the February 9 th and April 25th curriculum
days. Before entering into this diploma program, I would never have considered
joining any of these groups. I am more willing to openly participate on teams and
voice my thoughts and ideas.
Learning from Others
One of the best things about the diploma program is being able to have
discussions with my peers.

One of my favorite activities in class is reading an

article, and then having discussions about it whether we agree, disagree, or feel
the authors point is valid. For example, in the spring 2015 term, we were studying
curriculum and trying to define it. My own definition of curriculum changed as a
result of the conversations we had (McDonald, 2015c) and the time I took to think

13 Educational Leader

McDonald 7

about it14. Another example of this occurred during my second field study. I was
having trouble collecting data around time on-task. I spoke with a small group of
peers in the diploma program about my difficulty and learned from them that
measuring time on-task is hard to do as a classroom teacher with so many
different responsibilities15. I value the time Ive spent with my peers because they
have also helped me grow as an educator.
Beyond the Diploma Program
I have learned a great deal and had so many different learning experiences. I look
forward to continuing my learning through completing more field studies.

I am

particularly interested in furthering my knowledge about growth mindsets related

to mathematics.

My hope is to also create a learning team with others in the

district so we can work together. During the program, I also became an educational
leader through the different teams and programs I joined. I am continuing to be
involved in the mentoring program and I hope to share my learning with others in
the school district, possibly via workshops.
Conclusion
Learning from others, participating in educational communities, and my new
understandings have all helped me to become a better teacher. The experiences
are significant because I would not have had them if it were not for the diploma
program.

I have learned a great deal about myself as an educator and am

teaching in a way that better aligns with my philosophy. I feel re-energized and am
14 Reflective Practitioner
15 Reflective Practitioner and Strategic and Responsive Teacher

McDonald 8

looking forward to continuing my journey by doing more field studies, academic

reading, and conversing with my peers about teaching. Graduate studies feed my
soul.
Works Cited
Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., and Cocking, R.R. (1999). Learning for transfer. In How
people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school, (pp.51-78). Washington, DC:
National Academies Press.
Donovan, S., & Bransford, J. (2005). How students learn history, mathematics, and
science in
the classroom. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
Buck Institute. (2015). Why Project Based Learning (PBL)? Retrieved February 7,
2015, from http://bie.org/about/why_pbl
Dweck, C. S. (2009). Can We Make Our Students Smarter?. Education Canada,
49(4), 56-57,.
Elwick, A., & CfBT Education Trust United, K. (2014). An Awareness of Neuroscience
in Education: Can Learning about the Brain Transform Pupils' Motivation to Learn?.
Cfbt
Education Trust.
Eisner, E.W. (2002). The kind of Schools we need. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(8), 576583.
Lattimer, H., & Riordan, R. (2011). Project-based learning engages students in
meaningful work. Middle School Journal, 42(2), 18-23.
Law Nolte, D. (1972). Children Learn What They Live -- Complete version. Retrieved
November
2, 2014, from http://www.empowermentresources.com/info2/childrenlearnlong_version.html
Marzano, R. and Heflebower, T. (2011). Understanding and controlling oneself in
Teaching & Assessing 21st Century Skills (Loc. 3024-3874). Bloomington, Indiana:
Marzano Research
McDonald, M. (2015a). Fall 2015 - Learning Statement 1. Retrieved July 9, 2016,
from http://maureenkm.weebly.com/learning-statement-1.html

McDonald 9

McDonald, M. (2015a). Fall 2015 - Learning Statement 4. Retrieved July 9, 2016,

from http://maureenkm.weebly.com/learning-statement-4.html
McDonald, M. (2015c). Spring 2015 - Learning Statement 1. Retrieved July 9, 2016,
from http://maureenkm.weebly.com/learning-statement-12.html
McDonald, M. (2016). Spring 2016 Learning Statement 1. Retrieved July 9, 2016,
from http://maureenkm.weebly.com/learning-statement-11.html
Noddings, N. (2005). What does it mean to educate the whole child? Educational
Leadership, 63(1), 8-13.
Pearce, K. (2015, October 03). Tips Moving From Math Procedures to
Understanding. Retrieved March 22, 2016, from https://tapintoteenminds.com/tipsmoving-from-math-procedures-to-understanding/
Smith, N. (2013). Educated Guesses: What is the purpose of education? Stimulus:
The New Zealand Journal of Christian Thought and Practice, 20(3), 32-35.
Willis, J. (2009a). What you should know about your brain. Educational Leadership,
67(4), 1-3.
Willis, J. (2009b). How to teach students about the brain. Retrieved July 7, 2015,
from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/dec09/vol67/num04/How-to-Teach-Students-About-the-Brain.aspx
Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets That Promote Resilience: When
Students Believe that Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed. Educational
Psychologist, 47(4), 302-314.