Espoused Platform Questions
Nolan & Hoover (2010)
1. Think back and share some of the most important reasons why you entered the teaching profession. Have your feelings change in any way? Explain.
Answer: I entered the teaching profession for several reasons. The challenge of presenting lessons in a way that is engaging and intriguing to children is exciting to me. Problem solving is a daily occurrence in the classroom- a teacher must figure out how his/her students learn best, what strategies are effective for each lesson and what must be done when students struggle to grasp a lesson.
My feelings have changed a bit only because the classroom has changed so much. Due to testing demands, there isn’t a lot of room for teacher thinking. Many lessons are planned out… right down to the very words that the teacher should say as well as what to do if a student struggles. It seems as though we are moving toward a “one size fits all” classroom and the knowledge that teachers have isn’t always called upon.
2. Five years after your students have left your classroom, what would you like them to be saying about you? About your teaching? About their learning in your classroom?
Answer: I would hope that students would see me as a knowledgeable teacher who respected and cared for each of her students. I would want them to believe that I made learning fun and engaging and that learning in my classroom was always happening.
3. Why should students learn the content that you teach? How does that content relate to the world outside the classroom?
Answer: Students need to learn the content that I teach because each year it continues to build upon the previous year. If students are learning the content that I teach, they are setting themselves up for success the following year. Without the content knowledge, they will have to struggle to learn what they missed as well as new content the following year. We relate much of what we teach to the real world, so students can understand the value of what they are being taught.
4. How do you handle the constant tension between covering the content and exploring topics in-depth to promote deep understanding?
Answer: This is difficult considering the district has a calendar that we are asked to follow. The calendar informs the teacher of the order and length of time in which concepts are taught. This takes away from the in-depth exploration of topics because you are being observed to ensure you are keeping to the calendar.
5. What indicators tell you that you have taught a successful lesson? How do you know when your students have learned what you hoped to convey?
Answer: When students can have academic conversations about the topic that was taught, I know that they have learned. These conversations inform me that the lesson was successful and that my students learned what I hoped they would.
6. If I were a new student moving into your classroom, what would you say if I asked, “What will you expect from me?”
Answer: I would tell a student that I expected their very best. This doesn’t mean that a student should get As on everything. Sometimes the very best produces a C- and if it is truly the “very best” then I am pleased.
7. If I were a parent of a new student, how would you respond if I asked you to describe the classroom climate or learning environment?
Answer: I would respond to a parent the way that I would respond to a student- with care and respect. I believe in building community in a classroom. We spend many hours with one another and it is important that we treat each other with love and respect. I would probably invite the parent to my classroom to observe.
8. Think about the colleagues who you most respect. Which of their strengths would you most like to integrate into your own teaching style?
Answer: Using more precise and specific language as well as building my content knowledge in science.
9. What questions do you have about you instructional practices?
Answer: What are my most effective instructional practices? What impact do my instructional practices have on my students beyond my classroom?
10. What questions do you have about your students’ learning?
Answer:
Nolan & Hoover (2010)
1. Think back and share some of the most important reasons why you entered the teaching profession. Have your feelings change in any way? Explain.
Answer: I entered the teaching profession for several reasons. The challenge of presenting lessons in a way that is engaging and intriguing to children is exciting to me. Problem solving is a daily occurrence in the classroom- a teacher must figure out how his/her students learn best, what strategies are effective for each lesson and what must be done when students struggle to grasp a lesson.
My feelings have changed a bit only because the classroom has changed so much. Due to testing demands, there isn’t a lot of room for teacher thinking. Many lessons are planned out… right down to the very words that the teacher should say as well as what to do if a student struggles. It seems as though we are moving toward a “one size fits all” classroom and the knowledge that teachers have isn’t always called upon.
2. Five years after your students have left your classroom, what would you like them to be saying about you? About your teaching? About their learning in your classroom?
Answer: I would hope that students would see me as a knowledgeable teacher who respected and cared for each of her students. I would want them to believe that I made learning fun and engaging and that learning in my classroom was always happening.
3. Why should students learn the content that you teach? How does that content relate to the world outside the classroom?
Answer: Students need to learn the content that I teach because each year it continues to build upon the previous year. If students are learning the content that I teach, they are setting themselves up for success the following year. Without the content knowledge, they will have to struggle to learn what they missed as well as new content the following year. We relate much of what we teach to the real world, so students can understand the value of what they are being taught.
4. How do you handle the constant tension between covering the content and exploring topics in-depth to promote deep understanding?
Answer: This is difficult considering the district has a calendar that we are asked to follow. The calendar informs the teacher of the order and length of time in which concepts are taught. This takes away from the in-depth exploration of topics because you are being observed to ensure you are keeping to the calendar.
5. What indicators tell you that you have taught a successful lesson? How do you know when your students have learned what you hoped to convey?
Answer: When students can have academic conversations about the topic that was taught, I know that they have learned. These conversations inform me that the lesson was successful and that my students learned what I hoped they would.
6. If I were a new student moving into your classroom, what would you say if I asked, “What will you expect from me?”
Answer: I would tell a student that I expected their very best. This doesn’t mean that a student should get As on everything. Sometimes the very best produces a C- and if it is truly the “very best” then I am pleased.
7. If I were a parent of a new student, how would you respond if I asked you to describe the classroom climate or learning environment?
Answer: I would respond to a parent the way that I would respond to a student- with care and respect. I believe in building community in a classroom. We spend many hours with one another and it is important that we treat each other with love and respect. I would probably invite the parent to my classroom to observe.
8. Think about the colleagues who you most respect. Which of their strengths would you most like to integrate into your own teaching style?
Answer: Using more precise and specific language as well as building my content knowledge in science.
9. What questions do you have about you instructional practices?
Answer: What are my most effective instructional practices? What impact do my instructional practices have on my students beyond my classroom?
10. What questions do you have about your students’ learning?
Answer:
Nolan, J., & Hoover, L.A. (2010). Teacher supervision and evaluation: Theory into practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. (3rd edition)