Ms. Reslan is an ....
Effective Innovative Urban Educator
There are many ways that an educator can be innovative in classrooms. As a teacher, I find myself making modifications throughout lesson planning with students and adaptations in mind. I usually make the most modifications for ESL students. When modifying the lessons, I use strategies such as activating prior knowledge and using visuals for modeling and elaborating instruction for the ESL students to better understand. For underachieving students, I usually buddy them up with someone that can assist them. Sometimes students need reassurance when partaking in an activity and having their peers help is actually stated to be one of the best methods of learning. It also helps the other student that is assisting. To the right ------------>
I incorporated dancing with counting by twos!
Effective Reflective Urban Educator
When taking into consideration whether a teacher is effective or not, there are many factors that play a role in this determination. For starters, one way that I assess myself when teaching is not only the outcome of the student comprehension and grading but also the engagement. I believe if students are engaged and they can actually understand why the material that is being taught is relevant to their everyday lives, and then I am doing my job correctly and effectively. When speaking of student engagement, classroom management plays a role as well. I find myself, as a teacher, very efficient at managing my own classroom. Within the community that my classroom becomes, everyone is aware of their role in the community in order for learning to be maintained.
Effective Urban Educator who is Committed to Diversity
The one thing that I pride myself most with as an educator is being able to accommodate to all diverse learners. I believe that every teacher should be committed to diversity especially taking into consideration the completely diverse world we live in. As an adult, I am very aware that all students do not come from the same cultural background, which includes factors such as socioeconomic status or even religion and abilities, so when I enter a classroom I not only accommodate to all these factors for students but I also treat them respectfully and allow them to see one another as equals. Constantly showing students that they are all equals in the world is very important. When students begin to respect one another, things such as bullying are eliminated. The most important thing a teacher can do for students is spread the awareness of all the diversities in the world so students are not ignorant to them. Incorporating diversity in lessons and teaching students about the different ways of life around the world can be a life changing experience for both the teacher and student. I attempt to intertwine this concept in most of my lessons. Also, with the knowledge of the cultural background of my students, I would not only allow them to see other cultures, but I would also make them feel at home in our classroom. I have in many cases hung up images and pictures of each student’s family in a picture frame in the classroom so that it could be a home atmosphere and that they can see this as a place that is safe for expression as one feels at their own home. I also do this to show all the students that not every family has two parents and children but that there are some families that have one mother or one father or two mothers and two fathers. This allows students to accept others and feel accepted as well.
