Manhattan College's Special Education program has provided me with experience with the Charlotte Danielson Rubric for evaluating teacher effectiveness. Taking apart each domain and evaluating what makes an effective teacher has also shaped the way I view my role as an educator. I believe this rubric strongly supports a classroom structured to support learning in the CCLS way. Students should have ownership of their learning. They should have the language and the knowledge of what they are doing, why they are doing it, how to assess themselves, and how to set goals. This is something that needs to be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Initially, I doubted that my students would be able to have such responsibility for their learning, but given the proper language and practice, my students have continued to go beyond my expectations. I have also learned how to assess myself using the rubric, which has forced me to embody what an effective teacher is. As a result of this program, my view of what an effective teacher is has not only changed but the way I teach has changed as well.
The special education program has also changed my perspective of teaching a population from an area of poverty. Due to my study of Ruby Payne, I have developed great insight into the way people in different conditions perceive the world and education. I have learned various specific strategies to close the gap and support students and their parents achieve a higher level of thinking and access to the world. I have learned that this needs to be a school wide effort and have the confidence to approach my administration with a school wide plan to support this population.
Through my experience, I have not only learned how new approaches to education but have also matured in the way I encounter my experiences in school. I have learned to speak up when I am not certain, seek out professional support, understand my students’ behavior from a new perspective, have gained confidence in all areas of education, and grown more mature and professional. Learning about the CCLS, shifts in the standards, and Danielson Rubric have greatly enhanced my understanding of my job as an educator and my students’ jobs as learners. It has helped me understand how to be an effective teacher, facilitate higher order thinking skills, and create access to grade level material for a variety of learners. I firmly believe in that my students have the ability to learn concepts, take ownership of their learning, seek ways to solve problems, ask questions, and improve their learning and it is my job to show them how. I am excited to see the success students continue to sky rocket as more teachers adopt this view and more cohesive curriculum and resources are made available.
The special education program has also changed my perspective of teaching a population from an area of poverty. Due to my study of Ruby Payne, I have developed great insight into the way people in different conditions perceive the world and education. I have learned various specific strategies to close the gap and support students and their parents achieve a higher level of thinking and access to the world. I have learned that this needs to be a school wide effort and have the confidence to approach my administration with a school wide plan to support this population.
Through my experience, I have not only learned how new approaches to education but have also matured in the way I encounter my experiences in school. I have learned to speak up when I am not certain, seek out professional support, understand my students’ behavior from a new perspective, have gained confidence in all areas of education, and grown more mature and professional. Learning about the CCLS, shifts in the standards, and Danielson Rubric have greatly enhanced my understanding of my job as an educator and my students’ jobs as learners. It has helped me understand how to be an effective teacher, facilitate higher order thinking skills, and create access to grade level material for a variety of learners. I firmly believe in that my students have the ability to learn concepts, take ownership of their learning, seek ways to solve problems, ask questions, and improve their learning and it is my job to show them how. I am excited to see the success students continue to sky rocket as more teachers adopt this view and more cohesive curriculum and resources are made available.