Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Using the space provided below, briefly summarize todays classroom experience.
Standard 1 - Teaching Diverse Students: The competent teacher
understands the diverse characteristics and abilities of each student and
Identify the Illinois
how individuals develop and learn within the context of their social,
Professional Teaching
economic, cultural, linguistic, and academic experiences.
Standard(s) targeted in
todays experience.
Standard 2 - Content Area and Pedagogical Knowledge: The teacher
creates meaningful learning experiences for each student based upon
interactions among content area and pedagogical knowledge, and
evidence-based practice.
Standard 3 - Planning for Differentiated Instruction: The teacher
plans for ongoing student growth and achievement.
Standard 4 - Learning Environment: The competent teacher structures
a safe and healthy learning environment that facilitates emotional wellbeing, positive social interaction, mutual respect, active engagement,
-motivation, and personal goal-setting.
Standard 5 - Instructional Delivery: This teacher understands that the
classroom is a dynamic environment requiring ongoing modification of
instruction to enhance learning for each student.
At 8 am, we open the doors and greet every student inside. We get nearly
30 different buses since the kids come from different parts of Illinois.
Childs Voice is a popular all deaf school for kids to learn to speak and
hear. That takes us about 20 minutes to do so since we have most of the
staff helping out. 9 am, we do some games that involve the students
working on their words (each child has their own lists of words to work
on since theyre each on a different level in terms of how early they
received their cochlear implants/hearing aids) and we use the Smart
Board to have the kids learn about technology as well. Every Thursday,
the students go to music class around 10 am. We practice on instruments
and their speaking/singing skills usually for their monthly
plays/musicals. Deaf kids dont exactly sing on tune but of course we
still courage them to have fun. After an hour passes by, we do one on one
time with each student to see their progress in their listening skills. We
go over vowels and pronunciations. 30 minutes later, we bring all the
kids together according to their age group and we do cooperative group
activities which again involves a lot of discussions and repetitive
lessons. Another hour passed by, we moved onto recess and lunch. For
recess, we would have them do two or three laps around the playground
and do some exercises before sending them off to play. We feel that if we
do that, we know theyre putting in a few gym minutes into their daily
routine which keeps them healthy and fit since most preschoolers dont
have a gym class so why not start a bit early for them to get used to the
process. Lunchtime comes around and we have a teacher observing each
table, keeping an eye on each student making sure they eat most of their
lunch as well as not having a student feel left out of their group talk. I
mean were working on their speaking skills after all. 12:30 is the time
where they clean up their tables and stack away their chairs as well as
sweeping the floors. We give them one ticket towards their piggy bank to
cash in for a small prize at the end of the week to reward good behavior.
We, then, gather up the students into small group and work on their
writing and have them say it as they write in their binders consisting of
pages of work that covers up the year so you can see their progress. We
wrap up the day by sending the students on their corresponding buses
back home.
I observed the students behaviors and they seem to listen fairly well to
their teachers and I can definitely tell that they want to be there. They
enjoy learning since they are amongst their peers who are going through
the same things. Since they dont have to stress too much, their social
skills are through the roof. Every single student is talking to one another
because of the comfortable state theyre in.
Every Thursday will most likely be the same schedule except in 5 weeks
we have a musical celebrating Thanksgiving early since the following
Thursday is Thanksgivings so they had no school. Parent/Teacher
conferences is the same week as the musical.
When I first came in and introduced myself, the kids were very curious
about who I was. I had told them I am deaf just like they are. Most of the
teachers there were my teachers from when I was 3. They were telling
the students how I went there when I was little and now Im all grown
up. They couldnt believe it and immediately felt comfortable around
me. I honestly fell in love with the volunteer job and hope to work there
one day and be in my teachers shoes. The teachers admired how far I
went and they believe the students see us alumnis as role models to
them.