AmandaRake

Ihavewhatittakespaper
Whatdoctor,lawyer,teacher,orengineer,thatyouknow,didn'tpassschooltobecome
whattheyaretoday?Youguessedit;noneofthem.Withoutteachersnoneofthemcould
pursuethoseprofessionsquiteliketheydotoday.Everyteacher'sphilosophyisdifferent
becauseoftheworldwelivein;itchangesovertimebecausewehavetomoveourideas
withit.Withitness,engagingeveryone,promotingeverychildtolearn,creatingapositive
environmentandbeingareflectivepractitionerarejustahandfulofphilosophiesthatI
feelarenecessaryformeasateachertocarryalongwithmeinmyjourney.Everyonehas
theirownimageofwhatateacherisanddoeswhichcanchangeovertime.
ThereareacouplequalitiesthatIfinditnecessarytohavetobeasuccessful
teacherandrolemodel.First,asateacheronehastobeagoodexample.Bybeingagood
rolemodelforyourstudentsyoucaninspirethemandinspireyourselfwhiledoingso.
Beingeccentricandhavingenthusiasmaremust.Byhavingoutstandinglessons,plans,
andprojectsyouandyourclasscanstandoutbymovingawayfromtheoriginalwayof
teaching,inagoodwayofcourse.Agreatteacheriscaringandloyal.Asateacher(in
anygrade)Ifeelasthoughyouaresigninguptobeamomtoallofyourstudents.I
havemanyyoungerbrothersandsistersandnowbeingamommyself,whenmydaughter
goestoschoolIexpectherteachertoworkhardtomakesuresheunderstandsconcepts
andispatientwhilegivingheracaringattitude.
AlthoughIcouldgoonandontotalkingaboutthedifferenceofcomparingwhat
makesagoodteachertoagreatteacherandthedifferentqualitiesthatmakeateacher,I
wanttotalkabouthowIknowIhavewhatittakestoguidemetobecomethatgreat
teacher!FromthefirstdayinED201tomylastfieldexperience,Icanseeachangein
myself.Icarrymyselfdifferentlyandcatchmyselfthinkingoutsideofthebox.Justby
comparingmylessonsthatIhaveaccomplishedthispastsemesterisamazing.Ihave
improvedandhavebecomeconfidentinwhatIdoandsay.IhavefoundwhatIwantto
dofortherestofmylife.Oneimportantcharacteristicthathasbeenrepeatedoverand
overagainiswithitness.Withitnessiswhenyouhavethecapabilitytoknowwhatis
goingonintheclassroomatalltimes.Ihavegainedthisthroughhavingsixyounger
brothersandsisters,aswellas,frombeinginaclassroomandhavingtopayattentionto
twentyfiveotherstudents.IwillneverforgettheexperiencefromwhenmyCTaskedme
toreadasectionfromasocialstudies.Inervouslygrabbedthebookandstartingreading,
butsawthatjustreadingthissectionwasntjustenoughtowanttohavetheclassto
actuallylistenactively.IstartedtoaskquestionsandengagetheminthereadingandI
walkedaroundtheroomshowingthemthepicturesinthebook.AsIwasdoingthisI
noticedthatwhilemybackwasturnedstudentsstartedtochatandbecomedistracted
whiletheywerewaitingfortheirturntolookatthepictures.Noticingthisbyusingmy
withitnesscharacteristicthathasbeengrowing,Istartedengagingthemevenmoreand
askingquestionsaboutthereadingandthefivegreatlakes.Thiswasthefirstexperience
wherethewholeentireclasses,alltwentyfivestudents,werefocusedonme.Afterwards,
IfeltamazingthatIenjoyedtalkingandknowingthattheylearnedsomethingandI
learnedsomethingaboutmyself.Goingthroughthemanydispositionsunderthe

WisconsinTeachingStandards,Ihavefoundquiteafewthatrepresentme.
ThefirstdispositionthatIfeelrepresentsmeis,theteachertakesresponsibility
forestablishingapositiveclimateintheclassroomandparticipatesinmaintainingsucha
climateintheschoolaswhole.Whileinmyfield,althoughitflewby,ImadesurethatI
knewthestudents'names.KnowingandstudyingtheirnamesIfoundmyselfmaking
moreofapersonalconnectiontothem.Ibelievethatcallingthestudentsbytheirnames
createdapositiverelationshipinwhichtheyfeltindividualized;bycreatingapositive
senseofcommunityallowedthestudentstofeelcomfortablesharingresponsesand
listeningtome.InmyfirstdaysatManitobaImadesuretoaskthemtheirnamesand
encouragedthemtocorrectmeifIgotthemwrong.WhileobservingintheclassroomI
wasabletoseewhatstudentsweremoreindependentworkersandthosewhoneeded
instructionsandexpectationsrepeatedmoreoftentoclarify.AnotherwaythatIcreateda
positiveenvironmentwasgreetingthechildrenandImadeeyecontactwhentalkingto
thestudentstoensurethattheywereawareIwasbeingattentiveandlisteningclosely.
WhiledoingmyobservedlessonIcreatedapositiveenvironmentandencouragedthe
studentstoengageinthelesson.Iwasorganizedwhiledoingmylessonwhichallowed
metofocusonobservingtheminformally.Isawwhowantedtochallengethemselves
andwhodidn'twantto"think".Imovedaroundoneachsideofthegrouptoquietlymake
suretheyweredoingwhattheyweresupposedtobedoingandletthemaskquestions.
Beingquietandcalmallowedthemtofocusandmetotalktooneindividualwhowas
strugglingwithunderstandingthecontent.AcharacteristicthatIportrayedwasbeing
confidentespeciallywhendoingmyobservedlesson.IknewthatifIwasconfidentand
sternwithcreatingahealthyatmospherethestudentswouldaswellinwhichtheywerea
fabulousgrouptoworkwith.Lastly,Iencouragedstudentswithpositivefeedback.Ifeel
thatitisverycrucialthatyourecognizestudentswhethertheyarefullygivingittheirbest
effortorlaggingbehindbecausealittlepositivereinforcementcangoalongway.A
positiveattitudeisnecessary!
Whenobservingmycorrespondingteacher(CT)Inoticedmanywaysthatshe
establishedapositiveenvironment.Sheunderstoodthestudentsandknewtheirlearning
capabilitieswhichallowedhertobesensitivetoindividualdifferences.Beingan
effectiveteacherisonejustoneofthemanyessentialcharacteristicsofbeingagreat
teacherratheragoodteacher.Sheaccommodatedtothedifferenttypesoflearnersby
havingakidneybeanshapedtableinthebackforthestudentswhostruggledsothey
couldhaveextrahelpwhiledoingmath,andshemadeherselfavailableatthebackofthe
roomwhenastudentneededassistance.Thedeskswerealignedinfourrowswithtwo
desksfacingeachothersothestudentscouldworkindependentlyandaskquestionsto
their"neighbors"aroundthem.Theroomwasfilledwithpostersanddifferentbaskets
containingworksheets,absentfoldersandinandoutbaskets.MyCThadhigh
expectationsforstudentsinherclassroom.Mostimportantlytheclassroomwas
respectfultowardstheirteacher,theirpeers,themselves,theclassroomandpeopleoutside
oftheclassroom.Havingarespectableclassroomresultedinhavingasafeenvironment
wheremanyfriendshipscouldbeestablished.
Anotherdispositionthatreflectsmeistheteacherrecognizesthepowerof
languageforfosteringselfexpression,identitydevelopmentandlearningwhichcanbe

foundunderstandardsix.Communicationisakeywhenbeinganeffectiveteacher.Asa
teacheryouhavetobeabletocommunicatewithstudents,parentsandotherfaculty
AlthoughIdidnothavetotalkwithparents,IhadtotalkwithstudentsandmyCToften
whilediscussingideasandinformationaboutmylesson(s).Ifoundthataskingquestions
wascriticalwhenhelpingoutthestudentsbecauseitforcedthemtoanalyzeandthink
abouthowtheygottothatanswer.Askingstudentsquestionsaboutcertainproblems
promptedthemtoproblemsolveandstimulatecuriosity.IfIweretojusttellthemthe
answersinsteadofhavingthemthinkaboutthemtheywouldhavereliedonmeand
wouldlearnnothingaboutwhattheyknoworwanttoknow.Imodeledeffective
communicationstrategiesinmyobservedlessonandwhileworkingwithotherstudent
groupsbyengagingthemtousetheirvoicetodevelopmentthoughtsandusewhatthey
havelearnedtoworkthroughproblems.Whenallowingstudentstohavediscussionsthey
wereabletobounceideasoffofeachotherbycollaboratingdifferentwaystoreachthe
answer.Forexample,oneofmylessonswasaboutfindingareaandperimeter,andthe
studentswereaskedtoworkonaworksheetandcreatedifferentproblemsusingcheezits
ortheirgeoboard.Afterwards,theywereaskedtosharethewaytheysolvedtheproblem
andgottheiranswer.Ifastudentgotstucktheyhelpedeachotheroutandfoundmultiple
waystofindthecorrectanswer.Ididnothavetostepintoreinforcethisactionbetween
thegroupsbecausetheyrecognizedthepowerofcommunicationthemselves.Iallowed
thestudentstokeepworkingandmonitoredtheeffects(whichweremostlypositive)on
howtheyworkedtogethercollaboratively.HavingsaidthisIcanconcludethatmy
cooperatingteacherhasrecognizedthepoweroflanguageinherclassroom!
ThelastdispositionthatIfeelrepresentsmeistheteachervaluesthedevelopment
ofstudentscriticalthinking,independentproblemsolving,andperformancecapabilities
thatislocatedunderstandardfour.IchosethisdispositionbecauseIfeelthatstudents
whocanthinkcriticallycansolveproblemseasierandmoreefficiently.Promoting
independentthinkingintheclassroomisveryimportantbecauseasyoubecomeolder
yourteachersarenotnecessarilythereholdingyourhandeverystepoftheway.By
valuingflexibilitywhilehelpingstudentslearn,Ihavelearnedtoadaptinstructionsby
monitoringstudentresponses,needs,andideas.Thisdispositionworksverycloselyto
theteachervaluesflexibilityandreciprocityintheteachingprocessasnecessaryfor
adaptinginstructiontostudentresponses,ideasandneeds.Bycritiquingbothofmy
lessonsthissemester,Ihavecometotheconclusionthatsomelessonsworkbetterwith
onegroupwhileothersworkbetterwithanother.Myfirstandsecondlessondealtwith
food.Althoughusingfoodthefirsttimearoundwasgreat,Iknewthatusingfoodcould
eithermakeorbreakalessonbecauseitcandistractthestudentstothinkaboutthefood
ratherthanthelessonitself.MyobservedlessonwentwellandImadesurethatfoodwas
nottheonlyoptiontorelyonwhenthestudentswerepracticingwhatcontentIhadtaught
them.
Ibelievethatplanningandhavinganideaofwhatyournextweekwillentailasa
teacherisareality.Preplanningmonthsaheadisgreattoo,however,youhavetobe
flexiblebecausesomelessonsmaytakelongerdependingontheneedsofthestudents.
Asateacheryouhavetocatertoyourstudentsneedsandfigureouthowyoucanhelp
themachievetheiracademicgoals.Beingflexibleisamajorcomponentwhiledoingso.I

seemyCTalwayswritinginherplannerandonlywritinginpencilbecausesheisknown
forchangingthingsandtweakingwithwhatshehasplannedforthatday.
Everysteppingstoneisagoalwehaveaccomplishedtogetacrossthepond.We
jumpontoeachstonetogettoourmaingoal,minebecomingateacher,inwhichwefind
outmoreaboutourselvesandwhatwecanhandlebeforegivingup.Wehaveto
maneuverandshapeourselvestogettothenextstonebecausethenextonemaybe
unpredictableinwhichyoumayhavetojumpabitfarthertogetthere.Havingsaidthat,
eachstonerepresentsadispositionIhave,adispositionIwanttoimproveon,time,
effort,patienceandthelistcouldgoon.However,IcantruthfullysayIhavejumped
manystonesandcanseetheothersideofthepond.Ienjoyedgoingthroughthemany
dispositionsbecauseIcanfocusontheonesthatrepresentmeandtheonesthatIwould
liketoimproveon.Althoughourparentsandfriendshaveshapedusfromwhoweare
today,everyteacherhasimpactedwhoweareaswell.IknowIhavewhatittakesto
becomethatteacher;thatteacherwhohaskidscomingbacktomeforadvice,keepingin
touchwithmeandhavingtheirparentsrealizethatIhavemadeapositiveimpactontheir
lives;butmostofall,IhavenoticedtheimpactIwillhavehad.

Attheendoftheday,I,AmandaRake,cansaywithpride,thatIknowIhave
whatittakestobecomeasuccessfulempoweringteacherthatwillimpactallstudents
thatwalkthroughmydoor.