Ithaca College teaching professionals foster positive relationships with a variety of target groups (e.g. students, families, colleagues, local community members, etc.) in order to promote and enhance the teaching and learning environment.
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
― Helen Keller
In my classroom, I believe in peer-collaboration, peer-mentorship, the importance of involving community and stakeholders, and the need to create interdisciplinary connections for and with students.
In my own practice, I like to keep the lines of communication open with students such that they feel safe sharing with me when they understand and when they do not. I encourage students to harness their confusion and their mistakes into opportunities to learn.
I also believe in building relationships with all parents and caregivers, especially those who are often unable to attend parent-teacher conferences and other actives for various reasons. According to Gorski, may these parents are very involved in their student’s education at home, but are unable to physically be involved in school. To open up the lines of communication, I send introduction letters home via email, telling the parents a little about myself and asking them to help me in best supporting their student. I make sure to use inclusive language, understanding that the people responsible for my students are not always moms and dads.
Finally, I believe in the importance of collaborating with other teachers, both in my school and outside of it. I am a member of the Ithaca College Noyce Professional Learning Community, which meets biweekly via Skype. This allows me to share ideas, successes, and struggles with STEM teachers across New York State and the country. In my placement at Horseheads, I have greatly enjoyed my time on the White Team, allowing me to better serve my students by getting to know them through their other teachers. These teachers have provided me with insight, advice, and support. I look forward to bringing a team mindset into my teaching career, as I believe students are served best when their teachers communicate with each other.
Artifacts:
Artifact 1 – Letter_to_Parents_-_Hallock
I sent this letter home to introduce myself at the start of my placement in Horseheads Middle School. I received responses from parents and caregivers welcoming me, offering words of support and encouragement, and also important information about students that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. Parents responded well, sharing with me their concerns, their joys, and their advice. I will continue to engage parents and benefit from their knowledge and insight.
Artifact 2 – PLC Document
I read this before a recent NOYCE PLC meeting, preparing myself for what I would learn over the course of an hour and how that would help me serve my students. My reflective practice extends outside my teaching, and when engaging with professional development, it is important to think about how your learning will effect your teaching.
Artifact 3 – Team Picture
This picture is my team at HMS. We met every other day for 40 minutes, allowing us to talk about students who needed additional support, students who were excelling, and our strategies for challenging and supporting those students. The team consists of core teachers, of whom we all share 95 students. In a large school especially, it was refreshing to be able to take multiple perspectives into consideration when planning how to best support an individual student.