EssentialBeliefStatement

Jodi S. Mathers EDU 583 Essential Beliefs Statement

When I was six years old and in Kindergarten, I made a book about myself. It included things I liked/disliked, members of my family, my pets, etc. Looking back at it now, I realize that some things have changed; yet some have stayed the same. I realize that I still like cowboy boots and donuts, although I’m not that keen on the color red anymore. I also still do not like rain or snow. My family has grown a bit, and my cat “Jr.” must’ve passed on shortly after I wrote the book, because I don’t even remember him. But the one thing that strikes me most about that book is the last statement, “I want to be a teacher.” I guess I always knew that, but tried to convince myself otherwise for a brief period of time. For a short while I wanted to be president of the United States (what was I thinking???), maybe a lawyer, or a chef. By the time I was a junior in high school, I had come full circle. Once again, I wanted to be a teacher, and I’m glad I made that decision. Choosing a grade level to teach was simple. I didn’t want to have to tie shoes, wipe noses, or zip jackets, so elementary school was out. It had to be secondary education. At first, I thought I wanted to teach high school, but after my two student-teaching experiences, I knew middle school was the right place for me. They were old enough to tie their own shoes, but young enough to still be curious about the world. I was one of those high school students who never took a book home, yet managed to get straight A’s. Things came easily to me, and I felt very fortunate. However, this made it very difficult to decide on a subject area to major in. I hated Science, so that was out immediately. I had taken every math class my high school offered by the time that I was a junior, but it really didn’t interest me. There was always one right answer, and several wrong ones, and that bothered me. SoProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 C I decided to major in English and minor in Social Studies. When I first started teaching, nine years ago, I taught both subjects, but due to restructuring of teams, I teach only Language Arts now. To be honest, I don’t miss teaching World Geography! However, I do wish that English and Reading were not taught separately. If I had the choice, I would like to see Language Arts team-taught in a 150-minute block, rather than two separate 75-minute blocks. It seems very disjointed to me, even after nine years, to teach Reading and Writing separately, when they are so inter-connected. I would also like to team-teach. Currently, there are two Language Arts teachers on each team in my building. I would like to see our classes double up so that we could break the students up into smaller groups to work on thematic units. With two teachers in the room, this would be much more manageable. I also think it would a great benefit to the students to have two different teachers with different ideas, methods, teaching styles, and learning styles. This way, the same themes and ideas could be presented in different ways to accommodate the students’ different learning styles. For instance, I am a verbal and social learner. Therefore, I have a tendency to talk students through directions (although I make a real effort and writing them down for them as well), and I have them do a lot of group work. It would really be a benefit to my students to have a teacher like Alison in the room as well, who is a very visual and aural learner. This would double the students’ chances of getting the information in a way that works best for them. In this class, I hope to have the opportunity to work with the other Language Arts teacher on my team, as well as the Art teacher in my building to develop a thematic unit on Poetry. Since the other Language Arts teacher and I share one group of students (she has them for English, and I have them for Reading), this would be the perfect opportunity to team-teach. I am also very excited to be working with the Art teacher, as I sometimes think other content teachers overlook the Unified Arts classes. I would also like to learn how to best use the technology that is available in my classroom. Every student has a laptop to use in class, but I tend to use them simply for word processing or research on the Internet. I would really like to know how to incorporate some of the other programs into my classes. I also have several thematic units that I created when doing professional development with Connie Manter. Two years ago, I was asked to be the content leader for the English/Language Arts department in my building. Part of that responsibility was to work one on one with Connie, and take what I learned back to my content team. Then, we worked together to create thematic units within our content area. I am hoping to have the opportunity revisit some of those and make some improvements to them. All of the units I currently have done are Language Arts units, but I would really like to integrate them with another subject area. I don’t think this would be terribly difficult to do, and it would give me an opportunity to work with more of my teammates. I am extremely excited about the work to be done in this class. It is practical and applicable. I really enjoy the fact that I will have a product that I can use in my classroom when I am through.

Beth W. Beth Whittle/EDU583 Essential Belief Statement

Teaching, as a profession, came relatively late in life for me. I have always been drawn to the energy and potential of teenagers, the possibilities life holds for them and the boundless impact they can have on life. My first teaching opportunity with adolescents came in 1990 when I taught in an adolescent hospital, essentially a jail. I was over whelmed not only by the sadness of the environment but also by the positive way the kids responded to the idea that, not only were they worth teaching, but that they could learn. My other disturbing observation was that the majority of the kids incarcerated were kids with disabilities. This realization encouraged me to pursue a degree in Special Education with the hope of reaching some of these young people before they self-destruct. My commitment and beliefs are shared with my students in a posted statement that reads, “My mission is to help students to reach their potential in an environment where compassion and guidance inspire dignity, learning, independence and hope.” I believe that statement is accurate. I have been teaching nine years and my philosophy has remained pretty consistent throughout that time. How I implement that philosophy with respect to curriculum has varied with persistent evaluation of what’s working and what is not. How I conduct myself and manage my classroom has stayed true to the basic values laid out in the mission statement. I have always believed in and strived for the highest potential of learning possible for my students. Unfortunately when we meet in 9th grade, many students do not share my vision of their potential. Too many disappointments with themselves or others or just not enough exposure and encouragement in the right learning environment has left many students with low self -esteem and expectations for themselves in school, and in life. Through compassionate leadership and a shared respect, students learn to trust my teaching style, our classroom and their learning abilities. My ideal teaching and learning environment is one where all students have equal access to a varied, rich curriculum, and physical access to the whole learning environment and its diverse population. The real struggle remains how to successfully include students with disabilities. In order for inclusion to work, teachers need to be flexible in the delivery of curriculum, focus on a student’s strengths and provide opportunities for collaborative learning. The whole principle of inclusion is based on students working together to share their specific abilities and talents. Educational communities need to take more ownership for all students regardless of their academic abilities, social background, disabilities or at-risk behaviors. Over time, I have seen first hand how the power of collaboration between people with diverse backgrounds and expertise can have a huge impact on student learning and education in general, particularly with respect to the students I work with in Special Education. We need to support teachers toward successful inclusion of all students, in the least restrictive environment that we can provide. Working together we can ensure that students acquire the essential academic, social and life skills needed to become productive members of their communities. Teachers need to be part of a “shared leadership” in order to support positive approaches to education in their schools and to support each other to implement them successfully. It is essential that each individual find and utilize their leadership strength because otherwise the leadership of a few will drive the educational policy and the climate for all. For my part I have chosen to be a member of the school Leadership Team, the Student Assistance Team, the Literacy Initiative and the Technology Committee. I find that not only are these groups instrumental in making important decisions about school functioning and student welfare, each is also made up of a very diverse group of professionals, with many of whom I would not ordinarily work. My learning style inventory seems to be representative of who I am. I have a very animated teaching style that relies on interaction and conversation. Although, math can be painful sometimes, I do believe, however, that I am quite logical for the most part. There is an old Chinese proverb that speaks volumes to me “ Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand.” I am looking forward to this class, and am already very pleased with the class resources. I am excited about designing a Unit Plan around the “big ideas” supported by lessons and appropriate assessments. I feel this will focus my instruction and better prepare me to deliver it successfully. I look forward to the creativity that comes from collaboration with colleagues. Ultimately, I want to inspire kids to think, to explore avenues of inquiry out of excitement and engagement in the topic they are studying. In the end I would love to see students as the experts, who can then confidently share knowledge they truly understand with their peers and families.

Thomas J. Plourde Essential Belief Statement Teaching as a Profession I selected teaching as my profession because of previous experiences in education. Many would think that this experience is related to the time I spent in public schools, which it doesn’t. If I used those experiences I would never have chosen teaching for my future. I look back at the experiences I had while serving in the United States Marine Corps and it reveilles the origin of my first thoughts of becoming an educator. When I obtained the enlisted rank of non-commissioned officer, I fulfilled the duties of teaching the marines that I was entrusted to train. While in charge of 27 marines I taught them many skills having to do with tactical warfare, urban warfare, security, weapons proficiency, and most importantly, life skills. Teaching marines is a very fulfilling and rewarding duty and is a requirement of all non-commissioned officers. I was commended by many of my superiors for the natural talent I had for teaching and they encouraged me to pursue it more. I was taught how to teach the marine corps-way, and I enjoyed it so much that I started taking college courses in order to prepare me for my future outside of the military. Level/Content Area When I fulfilled my enlistment I enrolled into the University of Maine at Farmington, health education undergraduate program. I selected this program because of my love of physical fitness and my understanding of the importance of teaching our youth, life skills. I chose to teach at the high school level because of the impact I can have on these students. They are eager to learn about so many issues related to health education. Many of the topics we discuss are relevant to what each individual student is experiencing. For example, all teenagers want to have healthy relationships with their peers and parents. Teenagers are more willing to have healthy and appropriate conversations during class. Ideal Teaching Environment My ideal teaching environment is being an active member of a learning community where teachers continuously have conversations about teaching methods that are focused on improving student achievement. The school that I am working at now has created a true sense of community through the use of professional learning communities. A PLC is small group of teachers, (Teaming model) which are focused on improving student learning through collaboration. I also feel that teachers must be willing to have peer observations while teaching in order to improve teaching methods. My door is always open to colleagues and I want feedback when they leave. I want to know what works for them, and I want to share what works for me. Educators should share everything regardless if it works or not. We can learn from one another. Leadership Roles in Education My military experience has prepared me to be a leader in education. Through the military I have learned to express my passion for many of the initiatives that I have had to lead. If a leader is unable to express passion for the task at hand, the task will fail. The troops will not follow and the important objective will not be obtained. I am passionate in everything that I commit to and my superiors in public education have delegated many leadership roles to me. I am a leading facilitator in the new professional learning community initiative at my school. I am a member of the principal advisory team and have been asked to facilitate many department head meetings in order to solve communication issues. I have also been a keynote speaker for many school functions. Learning Style Inventory While in public education I was not identified as a student with a learning disability and nearly failed to graduate because I didn’t have the appropriate tools to compensate for my disability. Before entering my undergraduate program I took the appropriate measures to get identified. Through hard work and perseverance I learned methods in order to be successful in my education. These methods helped me be a well-rounded learner, and my learning style inventory represents what I have been working on. If I would of taken this test twelve years ago the results would have been much different. I think that the test results would show that I was mostly a visual and auditory learner rather than being so well rounded. This inventory shows that I have been working extremely hard at compensating for my disability. What I Expect I expect to gain more knowledge of how to guide my colleagues through curriculum development and design. As a future principal I hope to have focus on improving student learning and teaching methods and with less focus on the managerial expectations of guiding a school community. As a principal of a school community I intend to help navigate my staff through proper curriculum design. I also hope to gain more knowledge in technology because it will enhance my ability to make my course more relevant to students.

Sam Dunbar January 25, 2006 **Essential Belief Statement**

I will start off by saying that I truly enjoy teaching. Throughout my first three years I have changed numerous times, for the better. I hope to continue to advance and grow as a dynamic educator. Improvement: the major reason I am even enrolled in a Master’s program. This paper will give the reader a tour through my educational experiences and my ideal teaching environment. Back in the beginning, when I started at the University of Maine at Farmington in 2002, I knew that I wanted to be a high school social studies teacher. How did I get to this point at the tender age of eighteen? Well, this was essentially decided for me on September 11th, 2001. I was a senior in high school and just beginning to care about the world around me. Up until this point I had three college majors in mind: Pre-law, Sports Management, and Secondary Social Studies. The events and subsequent coverage by the major media outlets and my social studies teachers of 9/11 pushed me in this direction. The passion showed by my teachers towards this topic was contagious. I grew very excited about the prospect of being able to share my passion for learning and experiencing the world around me with a whole new generation of students. When I started at UMF my concentration was History; then I took a required Government course taught by the great Dr. James Melcher. His teaching style is a little bit stand-up comedy, a little bit acting, and a little bit of straight content. I was hooked and changed my concentration to Political Science the very next semester. I thought that if I have to take a million courses in my concentration I might as well be entertained along the way. I adopted a little bit of his style when I was finally entrusted with my own classroom of students. I did not choose to teach at the high school level; the job market chose for me. I did my student teaching at the high school and middle school levels. I truly enjoyed my time in both placements. This made applying for jobs easy as I could look in many different directions. However, my dream job opened up at Mt. Blue High School (where I did my student teaching) and I was gratefully offered the position. Now that I am gainfully employed as a grade nine social studies teacher, I have many opinions about my ideal teaching environment. There are some ideas from the middle level that I support, and some from the high school level that I agree with. For instance, I would love to form teams of teachers sharing students. This is much like what we see at the middle school level. Many teachers are against this because it goes against what they know and have done for numerous years. I have seen the value of teachers being able to meet together and figure out what works for particular students. I do really enjoy collaborating with other teachers. This can take on many forms. We currently have common planning time where we meet as departments and work on any common issues that we need to address. I support any time that is built into the schedule for teachers to work together toward a common goal. I do feel that even more can be done. This is where the aforementioned teaming comes in. As a new teacher I was not prepared to be the flag-bearer for such a controversial idea in my school. However, I now have a partner-in-crime to help champion such a cause. Next year, I hope to be working with a ninth grade English teacher on a humanities course for freshmen. This course will combine the standards from grade nine social studies and grade nine English. We will share forty students for two periods (instead of 20 for one period, as per usual). This is in the beginning stages and is supported by administration. In my school I have begun taking a leadership role in many areas. Specifically in my own department, I have become a leader in the area of new initiatives and curriculum work. I am the department representative on the Standards Based Systems (SBS) sub-committee. We work to ease the transition from grade based reporting to a dual system where we also report on standards. This has been a tough transition for our school. I see the value behind the standards and have helped this transition to be a smooth one. I am also a member of the Social Studies Subject Area Committee (SAC). We have been working diligently on standards and aligning the curriculum to the new Maine Learning Results that came out in 2007. This has been an awesome experience. I am glad that I have some control over what I teach, and how I assess it. This course will certainly help me with this experience. I hope to work on the integrated project and create a powerful unit that will re-invigorate my students’ interest in social studies. I am very happy to be taking this course at this time. The Curriculum and Assessment course is very timely for me as I am working on the curriculum as we speak. Once again, my sole reason for enrollment in the Master’s program is to better myself as a teacher. Finally, my learning styles inventory for the most part is well rounded. I like to think that I, too, am well rounded. Throughout my education I have been able to adapt to different courses easily. Even if teachers make little effort to differentiate I have been successful in most courses. In classes I do enjoy discussion and lecture. I do not enjoy lecture with no opportunity to ask questions and discuss. I have been in classes where questions and participation by students is unwelcome and appears to even bother the teacher.

Carlos Ochoa EDU 583 Development and Planning of Curriculum and Assessment I

__**Carlos’ Essential Belief Statement**__

There are some facts in my life that have pushed me toward choosing teaching as my professional career. Some of these facts are my upbringing, my high school educational experiences, and my college educational experiences. The 1970’s were a time of turmoil for educators in El Salvador. My parents were both teachers and this fact exposed me to the class struggle educators went through in order to achieve basic rights such as fair wages, health care and retirement benefits. I also witnessed how progressive teachers brought down an educational system that was plagued with backward educational practices, such as the imposition of a military style of instruction for the student body and teachers across all the educational institutions at all levels in the nation. For example, students were required to wear a form of military uniform and perform marching drills every day before regular school lessons started. If students refused to comply with such school rules, they received corporal punishment. Many educators joined in the struggle to tear down such dehumanizing system, and were successful in their efforts, but not without suffering retaliation for their actions. Thus, the exposure to these educational changes in my early childhood made me realize later on in life that educators can be agents of change. In my senior year in high school, as I struggled through a mathematics class where my teacher would be in a frantic rush to cover all the topics demanded by the curriculum, I promised to myself that if I ever became a teacher, I would rather have my students know one thing well than barely know several things poorly. Now that I’m an educator, I understand the pressures my old math teacher must have experienced. I’m positive that his teaching quality was measured by the amount of information he was able to cover. During my college years at the University of Maine at Orono, I had the opportunity of becoming friends with two international students from Japan. I unofficially became their tutor. Over coffee, we would talk about our experiences, and difficulties learning the English language. We would do our homework together, and they explained to me how difficult it was for them to put together written sentences in English. I would use analogies in order to explain to them how to build basic English sentences. I would say things such as, “Words are your building blocks. Grammar is your concrete. You’ve got a blue print. Follow the subject, the verb and the predicate as if you’re walking down a path. Follow the blueprint; and when in doubt, stick a period at the end of what you think is the end your sentence, and start a new sentence with a capital letter.” They mentioned to me several times that I had a clear way of explaining grammar, and that if I went to Japan I could easily become an E.S.L. teacher. They even gave me their business cards, and told me that if I ever made up my mind to go to Japan that I should look them up, and that they would help me in any way they could. I really did not take their idea of going to Japan seriously, but the idea of teaching E.S.L really appealed to me. One day as I was having a conversation with one of my teachers from the E.S.L. program, she mentioned to me that she thought I had talent for teaching. She had talked to my friends, and they described to her how I had been helping them with their grammar and compositions. She said that she had noticed how much they had improved since we had started hanging out together, and she thought I should consider becoming a teacher. I valued her opinion, and thought she might be onto something. I realized that I felt satisfaction in helping others accomplish their academic goals. Thus, I thought it would be great being in a profession where I felt I was serving others fulfill their dreams. Deciding to become an educator was a long journey for me. I went from point A to W, and from thereto G and finally back to point B. Luckily, once I was able to choose my career path, I was very proud I had become an educator. I had understood that a teacher could have a positive long-lasting impact on the growth of others. I do not have a particular age-level I enjoy teaching. Teaching Spanish requires me to be flexible and versatile about the age levels I teach. However, one of the things I enjoy and love about teaching at the elementary level is the implementation of Spanish teaching through songs and games. For example, if I have students sing a song such as “Cabeza, Hombros, Rodillas y Pies” (Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes) in Spanish, I’m applying a language technique called Total Physical response or T.P.R. Students love to learn through game techniques at this educational level. Teaching through T.P.R. is closer to the way children learn to speak their first language. Therefore in an artificial environment such as the classroom, the use of the T.P. R. method is the closest a teacher can get to help students acquire their second language. My ideal teaching environment in relation to teaming and collaborating is one in which the administration and teaching staff really see eye to eye with this type of educational planning. The ideal school for teaming and collaborating to integrate different subjects is one where parents, students, school board, administrators and teachers are keen on allowing teachers to have the time for weekly meetings across curricular disciplines in order to discuss activities that could integrate the different subjects in school. For example in my current teaching situation, I could coordinate with the first grade teachers to teach the names of Tropical Rain Forest animals in Spanish while they are covering that unit. The possibilities of integrating my subject with any other discipline are infinite because any information covered in core curricular lessons in English can be easily taught in Spanish. I feel that even before I started the Masters in Science of Education, I had already taken steps to take a leadership role in integrating digital technology. Even though I did not know at the time that I was using some of the concepts for “Project-Based learning”, I integrated a unit in Aztec culture, using such a method. We did an Internet research with the students. The goal of it was to prepare students for a craft-making workshop about the Aztec art of mask making by having them research information about Aztec culture. Therefore, it would easier for them to understand the information, and it would be presented to them through a virtual workshop. The teachers who presented the virtual workshop provided the lesson plans I implemented in the computer lab. The Internet research was key to help to the success of the whole activity because students had some background information about Aztec culture. Thus, they were familiar with the information given, and the activity did not end up just being about the mask making, but also about understanding the richness of other cultures. The professional lesson I drew from this teaching experience is that it is very challenging to coordinate well with colleagues because everyone has their teaching demands and priorities. It required lots of patience and flexibility from everyone to make the virtual workshop’s schedule work for every student’s group. I think I have a well-rounded learning style. As I look at my Memletics Learning Style graph, I realize my graph is very spread out; and if I merge it with the data I obtained for the seven categories, it leads me to believe that I do not have a specific learning style. I do realize that when experiences or knowledge are brand new to me I have an easier time understanding them if I figure them out by myself. I also feel more comfortable if the new information comes to me in logical sequence, and written. Based on what I have read about “Understanding by Design”, my expectation for the course is to become “the Dragon Warrior of UbD”. The use of “Backward design” would become second nature to me, and my teaching awesomeness will overpower the legions of the defenders of the traditional teaching to the test. My battle for UbD will enlighten me, aiding me to achieve total teaching nirvana and access to the corridors of the temple of knowledge. I will master the challenges of Backward design by forcing myself to read the textbook standing on empty egg shells while eating noodles, and using chopsticks.

Joyce Essential Belief statement

I chose to major in education because I thought I could make a difference in the lives of students. I wanted to be a teacher because I felt teachers have the opportunity to touch the lives of their students. I want to be a positive role model, so at the end of the day I will feel like I've truly accomplished something. With the exception of parents, nobody impacts children's lives as much as teachers. Teachers can positively affect their students by giving them the tools for future success. I feel that over these 25 years, I have evolved into a better educator. I know the first grade curriculum and all the skills taught at this level. I have a huge collection of games and activities to make learning fun. I have been adding software that extends my curriculum and encourages critical thinking skills. But what I see more and more are students who have so much going on at home that they are having difficulty staying focused. Since our school has proposed an “Anti-Bullying Action Plan” we have focused on the “Six Pillars of Character”. http://charactercounts.org/sixpillars.html Each month a grade level is assigned one of the character traits. Students learn many ways to apply the pillars of character to their everyday lives through classroom guidance and everyday incidences that require students to problem solve. (The six pillars of character are respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship and trustworthiness.) This month the first graders have their turn and the character trait is fairness. We have been learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and his nonviolent ways so this could easily be tied in. We did many activities including wearing stars on our bellies, a spin off of The Sneeches by Dr. Seuss. The star belly sneeches had all the privileges. I have thought a lot about fairness this month. I have one student who is struggling academically, she has already repeated. Why isn't she learning? Life hasn't been very fair to her. She has so many things on her mind that its not surprising she is struggling. How can I make a difference when, as I said, nobody impacts a child's life as much as their parents. Maybe I can be a positive role model and touch her life but can it really make a difference? I can make her feel loved and safe at school but I worry that school and teachers just can't do all that needs to be done. I think it is very important for young children to have teachers who are excited about learning. I chose elementary education as my major because I thought I could create an atmosphere of fun that would inspire a desire for learning. I thought that if a student at an early age thought learning was fun, they would be more likely to become lifelong learners. I want to help all children believe they can be successful in school. For that to happen, students need teachers who will go above and beyond and work to relate to their students and make them successful. We need to build curriculum that is responsive to the needs of the students. In order for students to be successful they need to apply what they have learned in one area to other areas of study. They need to be better problem solvers and effective communicators. In a perfect world all teachers would work together putting the students best interest first. Teachers would work together and share ideas to educate our future. Teachers would be interested in best practices for their classroom and broader issues facing educators today. In an ideal teaching environment teachers would be committed to the profession and eager to collaborate with colleagues to expand their knowledge. Every year I add more technology lessons to my units and to my curriculum. I try to learn more about technology by taking classes. I have become more knowledgeable about technology by taking technology classes at the summer institute and I'm not afraid to ask colleagues for help. I have been a table leader at our fall workshop scoring writing prompts for many years. I have led many after school activities – snowshoeing, writing club, learning lab and computer club. I have been the organizer of the yearly talent show at the elementary school for 15 years. I have been involved in SAT, Girls Talk(a mentor program for middle school girls). More recently I have been a member of the Design Team. I enjoyed taking the learning styles inventory but the results did not seem to describe me. Some of my higher numbers were in verbal and social AND solitary. That seems contradictory. Maybe I enjoy time by myself more than I think! My score on physicalwas lower than I had anticipated. Maybe I am misinterpreting the graph. I am very active. I belong to a hiking group, love to walk, kayak and feel like I would have scored higher in that area. I am hoping that this class will help me to improve my units of study. I think the backward design model will help me to put more thought into what students learn from each unit. I'm hoping it will help me to have clear goals and help my students to have a deep understanding of what is taught. I hope that understanding by design helps me to focus on the learning not the teaching. When I took Communication Tools last spring, we created a unit with the backward design. I really struggled with the essential question. I am hoping the class will give me more knowledge and a better understanding of how to come up with essential questions for my units.

Andrea York My Essential Beliefs My husband often says, “You can't change the world.” My reply is always the same “I am going to do my best to change my corner of it.” If something I do can change the life of just one student, how is that not changing the world? For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a teacher. My biggest influence was my second grade teacher, she was the kind of teacher who truly embodied the same ideals I do. I often spent time in her classroom helping and learning from her. The quote “They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.” is really the core of my beliefs not only as a teacher but also as a person. I believe it is important for all students to understand that the world is a diverse place and we should appreciate everyone's differences. I am a firm believer in mainstreaming students as much as possible. I think students learning from one another are some of the greatest lessons that can be taught at the early elementary level. When I was hired at MSAD #21 I was hired under the class size reduction program. I bounced around year to year grade level to grade level teaching everything from Kindergarten to third grade. I found I love to be motherly and love to see the amazement in their eyes when the learned something new. I love watching them grow and change. Teaching children the wonders of learning and that school can be a safe and wonderful place are genuine gifts. Kindergarten and first grade are the foundations of their entire schooling. It is where most children develop a love of school and learn how to interact with others. I believe one of the most important aspects of my job is to instill a feeling that school is a safe place and a love of learning in all of my students. I love to use rhyming, patterns and song to teach skills. I have a song for almost every first grade skill, everything from lining up and tying shoes to learning the presidents of the United States and when to use punctuation. I believe that exposing students to these concepts and skills early with help them connect to later learning. Learning should be fun and everyone can learn. Not every student learns the same way or even at the same pace but every single student can learn. Kindergarten and first grade are both loves of mine. I prefer first grade not only because of the academic content but also because of the team I work with. The other teachers I work with at my grade level have similar philosophies when it comes to the needs of the students we teach. This makes it very easy to work together. We are all working toward a common goal with common philosophies about how to get there. If I could describe my ideal teaching environment I would love to collaborate with the other teachers who work at my grade level, not only other first grade teachers but also the specialist such as music, phys ed, and art. I would love to make the learning a truly collaborative effort. Though while I believe collaboration is the way to go I would be cautious to insure that individuality that makes us the teachers we are is not lost. Also in my ideal classroom I would be able to strengthen the home-school connection. Often parents disconnect from their child's education. They do not realize the influence they have on their child. If a parent makes bad choices it affects their child more than they often realize. Over the last few years I have seen students come into my class with so much baggage, even at 6 or 7 years old, that it is amazing they can learn anything at all. It is very sad the burden some of these kids are dealing with. I believe we need to look at the needs of the whole child. If we can make the parents more aware of the ways they can help their child hopefully we can help kids be kids and hopefully have an easier time learning. I believe that sharing knowledge with each other is an important aspect of being an effective educator. I have led many work sessions to assist others with technology issues and education. I have also been a table leader and have participated in many committees, including the Student Assistance Team, language arts committee and the school technology committee. I have assisted the principal on various tasks such as creating the elementary report cards and analyzing the writing prompt scores. I try to help in anyway I can to make our school and our district a better place for all. My learning styles inventory is a lot like me. It is stretched all over the place with an emphasis on social, logical, verbal and aural. I like to use many different learning styles in both my learning and my teaching. I love to use cooperative and whole group learning and discussion. I think my teaching reflects who I am as a person, ever evolving and adapting to the needs of others to help everyone be successful. Through this course I would like to become more effective in planning my curriculum. I have used the backward design model before through the communication tools course. Though I understood the concept I often struggled with the essential question. I enjoy the challenge of looking at curriculum instruction in new ways. I hope through this course that I will begin to have an easier time to develop units using this model. The concept of collaborating with a colleague on a unit is something I can not wait to try. I think this is an amazing opportunity and I can not wait to begin.

Kelly Gilbert 1/21/09 EDU 583 Essential Belief Statement Since I was three years old I've always wanted to be a teacher. I remember my favorite thing to do with my mom and dad was to play “school.” I'd dress up in my mother's dresses, put on her high-heeled shoes, and apply her lipstick because that made me feel like a “real” teacher. I would play the teacher role and they were my dutiful students. I've always been curious in the way people learn and how their interests play into their learning styles. I love witnessing students discovering new things because they have a special glow about them. It's fascinating being a part of their world and watching them explore it from the front row. Seeing students excited about learning and knowing that they'll bring that knowledge with them in the future is very rewarding. I selected teaching as a profession because I am a nurturer and knew that being a teacher could fulfill that role. It's my charge to steer young people in a direction that leads them to their highest potential. It certainly isn't an easy job, but challenges are what keep me sharp. I did not enter the teaching field for the yearly income, but the rewards and success stories that come out of each class from year to year are priceless. Making a difference in the life of one child is enough motivation to bring you back each year to greet a new set of faces. It's my ultimate goal as a teacher to work collaboratively with families and invest in their children to become lifelong learners. I strongly feel that children are molded by life experiences and must be taught how to use this knowledge to become responsible and productive citizens. I had an urge to be a lower level elementary teacher because I think children between the ages of five and eight are so full of life, honest, and just plain fun to be around. Most are enthusiastic about learning and exhibit positive attitudes towards school. Children within this age group are passionate about their interests and as the teacher I can be the person to influence and guide them through their learning process. It's my responsibility to find the learning style that works best for each student and continue to find ways to tap into that particular style. I have taught grades kindergarten through third, but have spent most of my teaching career at the second grade level and that's where I feel most comfortable. I do enjoy the curriculum and the units that I'm responsible for teaching and find myself adding on to them each year. Being with second graders has positively influenced me as well because they remind me each day that I have many things to be thankful for. I am not the only one who teaches, we're all learning from each other. Day after day I do my best to instill respect in every student by modeling behaviors that are polite and courteous. I'm a firm believer that respect is a crucial component for learning. My ideal teaching environment would consist of a classroom full of eager students with an exuberant desire to learn. I would hope to be valued, respected, and looked to as leader by both my students and colleagues. A healthy relationship must be solid with grade level co-workers so the atmosphere created is instrumental to effective teaching and learning. The lines of communication have to be strong between all teachers in the building. Perfect surroundings would include having various resources readily available, supportive administrators that provide professional learning communities along with numerous opportunities for staff development, and most importantly being part of a team that does everything they can do to help one another in a non-threatening or competitive way. Throughout my teaching career, thus far, I've worked hard to be an active member within the school community and have served in several leadership roles. I represented our elementary school by being on the Design Team whose focus was to guide the district. Some of the major functions of the Design Team were to set goals, identify professional development, and evaluate the effectiveness of district wide initiatives for improving our schools. I served as the building representative for our local union acting as a sounding board for any contractual issues. Any building concerns I was made aware of were brought to executive board meetings for their deliberation. I also have had the opportunity to be a mentor to beginning teachers and to practicum students. This leadership role allowed me to reflect upon my own teaching philosophy and current practices. I served as a Destination Imagination coach for our school and was responsible for guiding students as they worked through various challenges. For four years I had the title of Head Teacher and was in charge when the principal was out of the building. This was a challenging hat to wear because I still had a classroom to run and a hefty curriculum to cover. Currently, once a year, I serve as a table leader when we commonly score our writing prompts. Finally I have been a member of various committees and teams which have enabled me to be involved and a positive contributor to our school district. I feel the results of my learning styles inventory is a good representation of who I am because it showed me using all seven different learning styles. I believe this is true to my character as I consider myself a well-rounded individual. My highest score was displayed in the social learning style which does disclose valuable information about me. I am a good communicator as well as a trustworthy listener that is compassionate to others feelings. I do put in the effort to understand peoples' ideas or problems. I was pleased to see that I was represented in all seven styles. I'm hoping this course provides me with new strategies and techniques that I can use to improve my instruction. I would love to learn how to make the curriculum we're driven to deliver meaningful and relevant to children’s lives not only inside the classroom walls, but outside as well. I believe teachers must make personal connections with their students, but students also must make connections with what they're learning. I want to know how to verbalize to students why they're learning, what they're learning, and how it will be useful to them beyond the classroom. I'm looking forward to using this class as a vehicle to assist me in developing units that are rich, creative, and motivating for my students. I am anxious to hear more about essential questions and see concrete examples of them. I want to be able to write essential questions and share them with my colleagues for our common units. Picking a unit that we currently teach and using different models to enhance the unit is appealing to me because we will be focusing on best practices in the area of curriculum development. It's exciting to think about myself as a curriculum designer and I'm motivated to read all I can and to get my hands dirty to understand this integral part of teaching. I'm also hoping to acquire constructive ways to integrate technology into any curriculum. The various technologies used will meet the different learning styles of my students, but success depends on choosing what will work best for them. It's a need of mine that this class provide me with the essential tools necessary for creating a classroom abundant in technology that helps support all learners. I believe the use of technology has a strong impact on students when integrated appropriately. My focus on technology is to use it when it supports and enriches the content that I'm teaching. I still want to have teachable moments in my classroom and facilitate students' learning. I'm counting on this course to assist me in consistently planning meaningful lessons that actively engage my students in the learning process.

Stacey Holman Essential Belief Statement

Teaching is more than a career, it has always been an embedded instinct, a passion deep in my soul. I truly believe that I was born with the purpose of being a teacher and guiding young ones during the influential times in their lives. As a child I was always drawn to children and them to me. Having that nurturing desire I always wanted to help them in any way I could. At three years of age, I would set up my dolls and stuffed animals and pretend to play school. As time went on and I grew into my high school years, I still had that yearning desire to teach young children. Senior year began and I had to make a decision on where I wanted to go to college and for what! I wanted to be a teacher, but felt that I would never make any money. In that time of my life, what I would make for money seemed far more important than what I really wanted to do in life. I ended up enrolling in Occupational Therapy and my goal was going to focus in pediatrics. As I began my freshman year at University of New England, I still felt that “emptiness” like something was missing. I did very well in my classes and loved the experience of college life, but still felt like I was missing something. I decided that I really needed to do some soul searching. I came home for break and began journaling and reflecting on what my heart really wanted to do. I kept coming back to the same thing, teaching! I finally realized that it wasn't about the money, it was far more important to do what was embedded in me. My purpose in life was to teach! I finished out that first year and applied to UMF for Elementary Education. As soon as I began my courses and was involved in my practicum I knew that I had made the right choice. My heart felt whole, I was so overjoyed. Through my courses, practicums, volunteering I knew I wanted to focus more on the younger grades. I wasn't interested in the middle school level. When I was in my last year of college, Peru School has a seventh-eighth grade teachers that was ill and needed a long-term substitute. I had substituted there often, so I was approached with this opportunity. Even though I knew this was not the level I wanted to teach, I welcomed the opportunity to try something new. It was a challenge I wanted to face. The experience was fun and very enlightening for me personally, but my feeling remained, I wanted to teach younger grades. That summer, I was told that the second grade teacher at that school wasn't coming back. I applied for the position even though I still had my student teaching to do. I felt I needed to try. I applied, interviewed and was offered the job. Obviously, I was ecstatic, but I still had some hurdles to get over, I was suppose to be doing my student teaching. After meeting with Ann Lynche, the Peru principal and creating a plan, I was approved to do a parallel student teaching. I could take the position as the second grade teacher, but would need to do all of the workload of student teaching (assignments, seminars, portfolio etc). It was a huge responsibility, (I wouldn't recommend this to many people, it was a lot of work), but I just couldn't pass it up. I agreed to all of the terms and conditions and was on my way to my first teaching position, second grade! Years passed, I loved my job. I enjoyed teaching second graders and interacting with all K-3 students (those where who I really only saw in a day). There were definitely years that were tough and I would question, “Am I really doing the right thing? Am I suppose to be a teacher?” but I still loved it. All of a sudden one day, it seemed like my world came tumbling down. Peru had just merged with SAD21 and we had two second grade teachers. The following year they would only need one second grade (the other teacher had more seniority) and they would need another 1st grade teacher and a 4/5 teacher. I was approached by the administration and told that they wanted me to moved to teach a 4/5 combination class and a teacher that was brand new to the school would go to the 1st grade position. I was very upset. I wanted the first grade job and didn't want to move to the older grades. It was a long and stressful end of the year, but in the end I was pretty much told that I had to do the move or the following year I probably wouldn't have a position. Needless to say, I was mortified and felt that I was being pushed into something that I didn't want to do and I hated it. They kept telling me to give it a chance. They really felt that I would be great at the higher level and would bring a lot to the team. It was lacking leadership and was falling behind in structure, curriculum and many other ways. Unhappily at the time, I took it on and vowed to do the best that I could. It was more important to do the best for the students. The year was a challenge, but I was getting through it. Then another blow came. I was being sent over to the middle school to teach a straight fifth grade. We were no longer going to have the fifth grade in Peru and they “needed” me over there. Again, I was devastated. I felt that I was being ripped away from my comfort zone. The people that I had leaned on for seven years. The year was even more of a challenge. It was a brand new team with completely different beliefs on education and learning styles. I felt that I was always picking up everyones slack and I hated it. I couldn't do everyone's job for them. Administration wasn't doing much about it even though they were well aware of the shortfall of the other two members. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to imply that I am perfect and did everything right, but I worked hard to do what was best for the students and I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist. At the end of the year, I had come back to that point that I was at my freshman year of college, I needed to do some soul searching. Why was I here? Was I really doing what I wanted to do? I spent the summer packing again to move to the newly built elementary school, and doing a lot of soul searching. As I reflected on the previous two years there was a lot of sadness and disappointment, but I kept coming back to the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed the students. I loved our conversations and the interactions that I had with students of this level that I couldn't have with second graders. Through all of this soul searching I realized that I loved my “job” again. I needed to let go of the fifth grade team issues and focus on the children because that was why I was there. Now, in looking back, I can say that the administration was right when they said I would love this and it would be good for me. I have grown as a leader in far more ways then I ever thought possible. I tend to be a laid back individual, but I have had to step up to being a leader and I have enjoyed that. I feel strongly that I have grown as an individual, leader and teacher. “There is no 'I' in team,” is a statement I have worked hard to live by in my life in regards to athletics, jobs and my teaching career. In teaching I feel it is imperative for colleagues to work collaboratively. A team needs to share ideas and thoughts. Curriculum's should be developed together to effectively integrate all contents in a given unit. Ideally my classroom would be filled with respectful, responsible students who are willing to try and give their best effort. We would work together in hands-on, excited activities that would involve lots of technology. To have this “perfect” classroom, it would be best if our school had only of the technology needed at their disposal. Administration would treat us as professionals and would be confident that what we are doing with our students would be beneficial to helping them reach the needed curriculum even if the activities may not seem it to them. Administration would be open to our ideas and would realized that we are doing the best that we can with the students we are given. As I have mentioned previously, I have been put in situations in the recent years where I have had to grow as a leader. I feel that I have taken those situations and responsibilities and grown as a person and leader. When our school merged with SAD21 and I was moved to a new grade level there were many gaps in the curriculum and aligning to the learning results from the elementary school to the middle school. At the time the fifth grade was part of the middle school, but with the building of the new school, fifth grade would be moving to the elementary level. To prepare for this transition the fifth grade team had a lot of work on their hands to revamp their curriculum, units, goals etc. I accepted the challenge and helped to lead this team and prepare them for the new school. During my career, I have also been apart of the district Wellness Team where I have helped implement healthy eating and regular exercise for our students and staff. Currently, I am on the Design Team which looks at strengths and weaknesses of our district and help to plan workshops and trainings for our staff. I feel that the learning style strongly represents who I am as an individual. I scored high in both Aural (auditory-musical-rhythmic) and Social (interpersonal) learning. I wasn't very surprised that I scored high in both of these areas. Learning comes so much easier to me when I learn chants or songs to remember something. I can hear a song once or twice and know the entire thing, but don't ask me who the artist is or what else they have written because I may not be able to tell you that (especially if that is not part of the song). I was a bit surprised that I didn't score even higher in the social learning. I become energized and excited when I am working with another colleague and we are bouncing ideas off one another. We work together to brainstorm and talk out an idea, lesson, unit and curriculum. I am the person who likes to plan the social activities and would much rather be with others than alone. This course is going to be exciting and jam packed with inspiring ideas and new ways of planning. I hope that from this course I am able to look at curriculum, planning, integration and implementation in a different way. This course has just begun and already I feel that this is going to give me exactly what I feel that I have been missing in my teaching. I work so hard to plan my units, but feel that I have not always reached the actual goal and met what the curriculum needs me to meet. I am sure there is a lot of things that I have done because it is “fun” and not because it would help meet the goal. I look forward to this class helping to teach me how to create a well developed and focused integrated unit. I would also like to feel more comfortable with the backward design format.

My brother made fun of me when I was in middle school because I wanted to be a police officer in New York City. In high school I wanted to be a marine biologist and my English teacher took me to visit the Department of Marine Resources in Boothbay. When I entered college I wanted to do environmental studies. So why did I end up in the teaching profession? Two reasons: my mother was a teacher, and I needed some kind of qualification when I graduated from college. After all, I had the real life experience with my mother; putting up bulletin boards in August, correcting first grade papers at the kitchen table, and going to the landfill on a field trip as a chaperone when I was a high school student. As I pondered through the education field in college, I saw connections to the things I like – people, learning, and outdoors. I received my B.A. in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic along with my K-8 teaching certificate. It was the dynamics of the human ecology focus and the education practices that “placed” me in the teaching profession. I hated middle school, really, really hated middle school. My teaching practicums were focused on the 3 – 5 grade levels because of my own learning experience. I wanted to teach the kids that still liked their teachers, still liked their classmates, and thought school was an exciting place. Then the job search began – Title One Ed Tech III, one year first grade teacher position, fourth grade teacher position only to be cut because of budget after one year – I asked myself if teaching was the thing for me. I went and worked for L.L. Bean. Then in September of the first year that I said teaching was not for me, I received a phone call to tutor a student who couldn’t be in school any more. That experience tested me to one of my limits. At the same time I was hired as a special education ed tech at the middle school level! This was a turning point in my profession. I learned to like middle school, as a teacher, and this is where I have chosen to stay. I am a teacher/curriculum integration specialist at The Leadership School at Kieve and I am here because of the time I spent in the middle school classroom and because one day I asked myself what would be the ideal education profession for me. I want to work with adults, incorporate middle school into it, and be outside. I work with middle school students and their teachers in classrooms that are designed around the experiential education model and on a campus that is described as a “camp.” Aside from the physical ideal placement, the ideal teaming and collaborating environment is perhaps where I am. We meet at the end of every teaching day to “check in” – student progress, discipline issues, partner teacher feedback, and plans for the next day. In addition to this, I would like to incorporate a more formal professional learning community (PLC) into the professional development of the teachers at The Leadership School where teachers have a chance to learn from others thus practicing an essential element of experiential education. Currently I am in a leadership role, which is a goal I hoped to reach upon completion of my Masters degree. I have always “worked” at being a leader – being involved in organizations that help others and provide leadership. Leadership is something that I am learning to be better at. I have been involved in the Maine Education Association as a student member in college and as a teacher. In both positions I “volunteered” myself to committees and attended governance initiatives. I am currently a school board member for MSAD #11, which has provided a different dynamic to looking at education. My learning styles inventory identifies me as a “well rounded” individual. I have always thought of myself as this type of person. I make the effort to be involved in numerous groups that relate to my interests and benefit my community. I enjoy being around people and those who know me well describe me as someone who can relate to people. I know myself well as a learner and therefore when I “teach” others I can explain myself in a way that is clear. This I know from the feedback I have gotten from students, colleagues, and community members. My expectations for this course relate much to what I do in my profession, as it should. I was excited to see that this course was a part of my degree program as I believe that knowing what and how is important in working with people and delivering a message. My role is to develop graduate, as well as undergraduate, courses and programs that will sustain The Leadership School’s mission. Students who attend The Leadership School will benefit from the professional development and make the learning of character education more relevant to school and goals of the future. My ultimate goal this semester is to develop a graduate course that the University of Maine Farmington Education Outreach Program will support and accept. The focus of the course will be integration character education into the curriculum and methods of a teacher’s classroom. I am not patrolling the streets of New York City or donning scuba gear in Frenchman’s Bay but rather working with students and exploring the learning possibilities. My brother was right to “encourage” me not to carry a badge, he knew that responding to the problem was not my skill but rather finding solutions and encouraging people as they learn. My English teacher gave me a chance to see what exploration of the ocean would be like. I am now exploring the possibilities that are possible in education. This is right where I need to be.
 * Sarah Ricker **
 * Essential Belief Statement **

Meadow J. Sheldon January 27, 2009 Essential Belief Statement

I would like to say that I didn’t select teaching as my profession, but that it selected me. Alas, my true reasons for becoming a teacher are much more simple. I grew up in a rural Maine town of about five hundred. When I was in high school I viewed my town as trap. My mother had lived there her entire life, except a short stint in New York City at the age of eighteen. My father had left Moscow for fourteen years, but it pulled him back as well. Family, the natural beauty of the area, and a bucolic life drew them to the area, but in my estimation they had settled. Our family struggled financially as my father worked as a master Maine guide and a selective cut logger and my mother was a housewife. It was the same for most of the families from Moscow and the surrounding towns. We had no money, but few did have financially stable households. Most of the people who drove nice vehicles and had health insurance that I knew were teachers. I somehow saw teaching as my way to financial security (ha ha). I earned stellar grades in high school and won a full tuition scholarship to UMF. College was expected of all of us, but free college was definitely a bonus. English was my passion in high school. I loved reading and writing and found that, while I enjoyed other subjects, they weren’t as stimulating as English. The reason I chose to teach high school is that I thought I could relate to high school students. It didn’t really occur to me that I was eighteen, and of course I could relate to high school students. While I enjoyed lectures and discussions on the American Dream, I knew that my classmates hated it. I frequently thought about how I would teach the material presented to us in a manner that would engage more students. I was excited to delve into important subject matter with my students and make learning fun. I wanted to introduce students to new literature and allow them to write about and discuss this literature. I feel that though my rationale for becoming a teacher may not be the one people would like to hear, it is, nevertheless, the truth. Luckily, I have found that I still can relate to high school students though I am certainly no longer eighteen. My compassion, empathy, and sense of humor help me each day. It also helps that I try to take a positive and honest approach with each one of my classes. My ideal teaching environment no matter what the situation, is one filled with positive energy. I enjoy collaborating with colleagues, but hate having to prod others into trying new things. I sometimes feel that people get so bogged down in personal agendas, life, grading, being negative, et cetera, that they miss out on great opportunities to learn from others (even their students). I have students that I lure toward literature via the use of technology, games, and enticing activities; I shouldn’t need to do the same with colleagues. I love collaborating with teachers within my own discipline, with like-minded individuals, with my friends, and with students. As long as someone is excited to work, I can get it done. This is probably the most difficult aspect of being English Department Coordinator at Mt. Blue High School. I find it exhausting trying to steer people to be positive when they can’t or won’t do so. I see people who have been teaching for years get bogged down and refuse to try something new, but I also see veteran teachers who lead the way with technology and new initiatives. I hope that I have other career options available to me if I ever get to the point where teaching doesn’t excite me, but I don’t think this will ever happen. I think my learning inventory reflects me as a person fairly well. I learn in multiple ways, but usually appreciate working with others and with words. I like to hear, view, and discuss the written word. When working with technology, I need to see it being used, but I also need to have a “help” area to go to where I can read directions. The visual of my learning inventory is fairly circular. Even the ways I would rather not learn (solitary and logical) still have some positive attributes and some value to me. With four siblings and many pets, I was not born to a family that allowed one to be solitary. We even had to go so far as to sit in the closet for a private phone conversation. That being said, I did stay up late many nights to get alone time so I could study. I do appreciate any alone time I can get. This technology, curriculum, and assessment course is intriguing to me. I consider myself a really engaged teacher; I seek out technology and resources to enhance students’ learning. I can’t wait to learn more and see what else is out there for me to use. I’d also really like to become an “expert” on a few programs on our fancy new computers. I feel like I can do a little bit with most of the programs, but it’s difficult to find the time to really delve completely. Doing this for a class would give me the external motivation to do so. I also feel like I have lots of tricks up my sleeve for active learning and participation, but I’d like a few tips on engaging students with “boring” topics such as grammar. I also want to make sure I’m not just throwing activities and technology at students, but also actually teaching them the curriculum.

Jessica James 1/27/09

Essential Belief Statement

==== The most influential factor in my decision to become a teacher is my own experience as a student. I am one of six children and a first generation college graduate. As the first to go to college in my family, I believe that I serve as a model for my younger family members as well as the students in my own classroom. I appreciated my teachers because their daily routine offered stability and structure that I enjoyed. I want to offer my students the same chance and feeling of security that I was given. I believe that everything we know we learned from others who took the time to teach us. I did not have a good Kindergarten experience and knew that I would work hard to be sure that all of my students would feel cared about and valued. I had a wonderful first grade year with a wonderful teacher "Ms. Freema" who made me feel like I was important and loved. She encouraged me and made me feel like I could do anything that I put my mind to. I can remember sitting in her big rocking chair and reading //Miss Nelson is Missing// to my first grade peers. I also wrote a story about aliens coming to my school to try to take the principal. At the end of that story I tell the aliens that they can't take my principal, and so I saved the day. Ms. Freema asked the principal, Mrs. Shardlow to come into our class so that I could read my story to her. I felt so smart that year! Those are the fond memories that I hope my students will take away from their experience in my classroom. ==== ==== I try to ensure that students know that they do have the potential to learn and to reach their goals if they strive for success. I encourage my students to think of education as empowering because it is something that can never be taken away. When students are intrinsically motivated, assignments are no longer chores, but windows of opportunity. I have insight into helping parents get involved in their child’s education as I grew up in a family that could not always put education first. My ability to empathize with students allows me to easily motivate them to learn and a love of learning is one of the most powerful values we can teach the generations to come. It is my plan to inform parents of their child’s accomplishments and to involve them in my planning in order to bridge the disconnection between school and home. ==== ==== I have always known that I should teach at the primary grade levels. I know that my personality and caring nature are suitable for working with young children. I understand where students at the second grade level are developmentally in their academics and I know how to encourage them and make certain that they make gains throughout the school year. My first instinct when working with any child is to take a positive approach, and that, I have found always works best. ==== ==== My ideal teaching environment is one in which I work closely with my colleagues on unit ideas and lesson planning. In my current teaching position I work very closely with my K-2 team as we are a very small school. In my building there is one teacher for every grade level, so unlike some schools that do a lot of grade level teaming, we do a lot of grade span teaming. For example in science the three primary grades all cover the same topic. Our science curriculum is on a three year rotation so students who studied space in Kindergarten will not cover that topic again until they are older. ==== ==== Some of the leadership roles that I have taken as an educator have been to help make our report card more user-friendly. I, with the assistance of my fiancé, converted the old report card which was in Microsoft Word into Excel instead so that we could enter grades into it without the cells moving all over the page. Another way that I have taken on leadership in my building is to be on our school’s Leadership Team, which tries to meet once a month to talk about how teacher’s are feeling and what changes need to be made in the school. I represent the K-2 team of teachers which consists of four educators’ total. I am also the only teacher in my building to take initiative in creating a class web page as a way to connect with parents. I post my weekly newsletter there and inform parents of curriculum expectations as well as reminders for the up coming weeks. ==== ==== The learning styles inventory suggests that I am a social learner. I was not surprised by the results of this because I know that I am a social person. I enjoy working with people on a team and like to talk with others about my plans and thoughts. I feel that in my profession being a social learner is appropriate and fitting as I am constantly in a setting that requires me to work with others collaboratively as well as in a leadership role as a teacher. ==== ==== My expectation for this course is that I will come away with a deeper knowledge of curriculum and how to integrate technology into my daily schedule and plans. I would also like to be able to look at assessments and gain a broader understanding of them as a means for informing my instruction more thoroughly. I hope to take away information/resources that I can apply directly to my classroom. ====

Beth Cl As I walk onto the grounds of my ideal school, parents are digging up gladiola bulbs in our community garden to store for next year’s plantings. Upon entering the lobby at the start of the day, colorful student-centered artwork jumps out at me. The principal is on one knee, greeting a kindergartener with a hug and a smile. A group of fifth grade students are shepherding hungry youngsters into the cafeteria for a free breakfast. A collection of teachers from various grade levels is meeting in the glass-enclosed conference room as part of a bi-weekly book talk on __So You Have to Teach Math?__ by Marilyn Burns. The environment strikes me as one rich in community, in relationships, and in collegiality. Parents are extremely involved in supporting teachers and students. Their expertise is apparent in the abundance of fall root vegetables grown in the after-school garden project. Computer labs have become rich in curriculum-based lessons as a result of parent support and training. Parents help run a writing workshop lab, conferencing with students of all ages on their works in progress. The importance of tapping into what others know and finding ways of making it accessible is the key to developing a community of learners and a community of leaders. Students have many leadership roles in my ideal school. Fifth graders are trained to take care of the accounting associated with lunch and milk money. A group of fourth graders, along with the principal, attended a full-day workshop on recycling and are implementing a school-wide program. Struggling third grade readers are beginning to develop confidence as they read to kindergarteners in cozy chairs each morning in the Title I room. Being entrusted with important roles within a school allows for student growth and leadership. Trust among colleagues is visibly apparent in my school. Mrs. Smith is having lunch with Mr. Jones today so she can get feedback on a new science lesson she had asked him to observe. Mr. Wight has asked Ms. Birch to stay late and eat dinner together so they can discuss why so many fifth graders are having difficulty remembering multiplication facts. The faculty meeting I observe takes place in Mrs. Green’s first grade classroom. We sit in her students’ itsy-bitsy chairs while listening to her describe Responsive Classroom techniques for positive discipline strategies. The agenda for this month’s staff development early release Wednesday is discussed and established. Teachers truly seem to enjoy working with and learning from one another. There is a genuine sense of collegiality. I walk out of the faculty meeting with Ms. Benny, the principal, and ask for a few minutes of her time. We sit down on a cushioned window seat overlooking the playing fields. I inquire about her role as an administrator in this rural 300-student elementary school. “Well, I don’t define myself as an administrator. I am one of the many leaders of this school. I believe in my staff, in my students, and in my parents. They share in the leadership right along with me. As the principal, however, I must be thoughtful and aware of what it takes to encourage a community of learners and of leaders. I articulate our school’s vision very clearly in just about everything I do. I relinquish some of the decision-making to my teachers, my students, and my parents. I am more than willing to share in the failures of decisions that have been made. I give credit where credit is due. Finally, I honestly believe that every one of my teachers has the capacity to lead. As part of my evaluation procedure, I have conversations with staff about individual goals. I ask each teacher to think about a component of the school for which he or she would like to take some responsibility.” I thank Ms. Benny for sharing with me a school in which I would be proud to have my own young children attend.

The aforementioned vignette illustrates the most important aspects of my philosophy of successful school leadership. They include the relevance of fostering collegial relationships, the creation of a school environment in which everyone has opportunities to lead, and the development of a learning community supported by parents. The significance of my ideas, how they are philosophically grounded in educational theory, and how I can apply my theory ethically into practice will be the focus of this essay. Although I am just beginning to develop a philosophy of technology’s ethical place in elementary schools, I will also provide suggestions of ways to integrate technology into my leadership so that there is equal access for all members of the school community. Collegiality exists in a school when the following behaviors can be observed; adults are talking with one another about teaching, adults are observing each other’s teaching and leading, adults are actively engaged in working on curriculum, and adults are teaching each other what they know about their own craft. Providing equal opportunities for staff members to learn from one another is important if growth is to occur at any level. John Dewey believes that in education there must be an emphasis on interaction. In his writings on democracy in schools, he describes the need for community members to communicate and inquire in order to construct knowledge (Noddings, 2007, p. 36). As Dewey writes, experience is educative if it produces more growth (p. 26). However, to ensure that growth is meaningful, teachers must develop clear objectives and aims. To help facilitate collegial educative interactions, I would incorporate his model of thinking and problem solving into the process. First, Dewey believes that a problem must be defined. What needs to be improved? Second, a hypothesis is developed. Third, a plan of action is devised in order to test the hypothesis. The plan is enacted and then a reflection on the process occurs (p. 30). The reflective piece is extremely important and I worry that this step could be omitted, most likely due to time constraints. As Socrates believed, self-knowledge is basic to all knowledge (p.7). Understanding our own role in a process is important to our own development and growth. A school cannot hope to tackle every problem identified by members of its community. Issues would be identified through a variety of means – grade level meetings, staff meetings, informal conversations. If teachers are to be provided opportunities to collaborate, the experiences must be thoughtful and purposeful, with clear aims. In order for this to happen, the school administrator must ask and answer the following questions. How can I afford groups enough time to delve deeply into the problem? Scheduling release time during the day is difficult, but often the best solution. How can I provide teachers with the materials they need in order to problem solve? The Parent/Teacher Organization has monies available for small projects. What if teachers don’t want to participate? Collegiality cannot be forced upon anyone. However, knowing the staff’s strengths and passions is a starting point. Having conversations with individual teachers about concerns or asking for suggestions is sometimes enough to empower a teacher so that he or she wants to help affect change, whether it be on an issue such as scheduling or assisting a colleague in developing a lesson on measuring one’s carbon footprint. Froebel’s emphasis on nurturance and growth as the kindergarten level lends itself well to the development of collegiality (p.21). As a leader, I would use his metaphor of learners being like flowers, needing to unfold and grow to create a strong climate of trust and sharing among my staff (p.21). Understanding that teachers are in need of support and reassurance so that they begin to feel capable of supporting one other is extremely important if healthy school communities are to unfold and children are to learn. To encourage open communication, I would create a faculty blog that would be accessible to teachers and other support staff. On the blog, teachers would be encouraged to share ideas, suggestions and concerns with me. I would follow up to posts either by responding to the school community as a whole on the blog or to have a more intimate conversation with one or more staff members. I would also model healthy examples of posts, making sure that teachers understood the importance of being respectful of all members of the school community. In a community rich in learning and collegiality, leadership opportunities will arise naturally among members of a school community. Taking charge provides for endless prospects in terms of learning. Dewey believes that the greater the involvement of students in their own schooling, the more powerful and rewarding the outcomes (p. 25). I believe that teachers and students must be afforded opportunities to take responsibility within their own learning environment and that everyone has the potential to lead. As a teacher leader in my district, I am continually looking for opportunities for staff and students alike to take on responsibilities. In his own school, Pestalozzi “demonstrated that poor children, well cared for and skillfully taught, could learn as much as wealthier children” (p. 19). I agree with this philosophy and take it one step further by believing that all students, regardless of academic ability, have the potential to take on leadership roles. I created a Book Swap Shop to allow for more access to books in households. This was my sole intended outcome. However, after staffing the shop with trained 4th and 5th grade Title I students, I soon realized that an unintended outcome existed that was just as, if not more, powerful. My Title I students thrive in their role as employees. At first, faculty was concerned that this population of students may not be reliable or that certain individuals may not follow through with their obligations to me. However, teachers have come to view these children as being capable of taking on more responsible roles in their own classrooms. Although Title I children are not as stigmatized as the special education population, there is a certain stigma attached to needing extra math and reading support. The Book Swap Shop experience provides for social acceptance among peer groups. It fits with Dewey’s push for mutual support and the encouragement of associated living (p. 38). Providing leadership opportunities for a population of students that is not always recognized as having leadership potential is important if there is to be equal access to these roles. Like Dewey, I believe that teachers must be afforded opportunities to work together in order to solve common problems so that schools continue to improve. As a member of the Language Arts Committee, I struggled over the lack of a strong spelling component in our literacy curriculum at the elementary level. As a lifelong learner myself, I chose to delve into possible solutions to the problem, searching out resources and possible solutions. I came across a program that incorporated word studies, vocabulary development, and editing skills that seemed like a perfect fit for what our students needed in spelling instruction. A workshop outlining the program happened to be scheduled in Portland. After meeting with all teachers about the potential impact of the curriculum, a group of us attended the conference. The group of teachers who were present felt so strongly about the potential benefits that they asked to bring their new knowledge back to colleagues. By providing them with time to inform other staff members about the spelling philosophy and instruction, these teachers began to take on a leadership role. They took their enthusiasm into their own classrooms and piloted the program. Other teachers became interested and wanted to observe lessons. Time was provided for staff to discuss these lessons so that questions could be answered and concerns addressed. The intended outcome of this endeavor was for our district to look closely at spelling curricula. The unintended outcome was that teachers, some of whom taught spelling through a very antiquated approach, began to see themselves as spelling specialists – to whom others could come for suggestions and guidance. No one was forced to attend the initial conference. No one was forced to pilot the program. No one was forced to observe teaching or engage in pedagogic discussion. However, all teachers did choose to sign on to adopt the curriculum brought to the district by a small group of leaders. Dewey believed that enlarging social connections must play a significant role in education (p. 39). There are many important relationships within a school, including parent-teacher, parent-principal, and parent-parent. “Having parents involved in schools can narrow cultural gaps that arise when parents are held at arm’s length or feel apathetic toward a school or their children’s learning” (Deal and Peterson, 1999, page 132). Schools need parent connections in order to flourish. Parents must see the importance of schools and convey this to their children and schools must understand different parent perspectives. Educators must be aware that a parent’s hesitation to get involved may be because they are unsure of what their roles could potentially involve. Parents may also have difficulty trusting schools if their experiences as students were negative. Cultivating relationships while keeping in mind that all parents have the ability to support the learning community is vital. When Dewey spoke of the development of democracy in schools, he argued that schools must encourage community members to communicate and inquire and to assist in the construction of knowledge (Noddings, 2007, p. 36). To help develop relationships with parents so that they want to become involved in the community, I invite them to observe my lessons with their children. They spend thirty minutes observing how I interact with their child, the language I use to foster independence, the strategies used to teach new information, and the materials I integrate into lessons. We then spend time talking about what the parent noticed and answer any questions that he or she may have. It is during this visit that I explain the importance of the home/school journal that I use to further cultivate my connection with them. As these observations happen with one parent at a time, the climate is safe for the parent to ask questions and voice concerns. This meeting marks the beginning of a relationship that more often than not, develops into a long-term partnership. Most of my parents begin to volunteer for opportunities that have little to do with their child’s academics. Last year, families helped support a 4th grade talent show and walked with students during recess as a part of our school-wide exercise program. It is the responsibility of teachers and administrators to create efforts to involve parents: parent handbooks, back-to-school nights, principal chats, school advisory committees, and parent centers. In order for a successful connection to be made, the efforts must be meaningful and purposeful and consistent quality communication is essential. Parent/teacher communication is vital in order for connections to form. Kathy Cassidy, a Canadian first grade teacher, created a classroom blog ( [] ). Mrs. Cassidy uses technology such as YouTube, journal writing, classroom links, and digital photographs in order to communicate classroom happenings with families. Families are invited to make comments to the blog, thus fostering more communication. I would make this technology available to parents who may not have access to computers in the home by inviting them in once a week so that their children can log on at a classroom computer and help them navigate through the technology. When a school community consists of diverse cultures, it is even more important to find ways to help families feel comfortable enough to want to participate in the education of their children. Using on-line resources, faculty and staff could learn to speak some key phrases in various languages spoken in the homes of students. Developing welcoming parent centers in schools where parents can come meet with teachers over a cup of coffee, share concerns with other parents, or borrow resources could also work to develop parent involvement. Parents who are uncomfortable or unwilling to volunteer should not be pushed to get involved. However, schools have a responsibility to help cultivate relationships among all of its members. Again, I agree with Dewey’s belief that mutual support within in a community is healthy (p.37). In schools, as in life, people must have every opportunity “ to communicate freely across the lines of class, religion, race and region. Whenever groups withdraw from connection, isolate themselves, and become exclusive, democracy is endangered” (p. 37). The active involvement of all members of a school is a responsibility that an administrator must take seriously. The parents of my students helped create the Book Swap Shop. They weeded through the donated titles, sorted books into categories, stocked shelves, made posters and became strong supporters of the project. Parents who may not have the resources to stock their home libraries, began to feel comfortable asking to take a book or two home to share with their child. A strong leader has many responsibilities if a school is to meet and exceed expectations at all levels. I believe that far too much emphasis has been given to reforming schools from the outside. Policies and mandates are often detached from the real goings-on in schools. We must rely on the members of an existing school community to facilitate change. Change emanating from within is more powerful, more meaningful, and I believe, more permanent. Relying on students, staff and parents to make important decisions, question accepted practices, and work together to create a culture accepting of all of its members will produce a place of experiences that will foster growth. As Dewey believed, “education is synonymous with growth. Growth leads to further growth” (p. 26). Relationships within a school have an incredible impact on student and adult learning. Community leadership and learning are essential to the development of all students. As an administrator, I would work to; foster collegial relationships, create a school environment in which everyone has opportunities to lead, and develop a learning community supported by parents.

Essential Belief Statement Roxanne Davis January 24, 2009

Being the oldest of four, my job on the farm was to care for my siblings, work in the kitchen making meals and cleaning the house, while helping to manage the chores on the ever-changing growing farm. This instilled a pattern for life that was a building block for my future. We were taught to care for others and to work hard for the future with growth and challenges to teach us each and every day. It was a philosophy that we lived by at that time and still do to this day. As I grew on the farm and learned in our local school, I became a person people could confide in and count on for help. This became a dance between their needs and mine. In my own way my needs were being met by feeling important while helping and teaching others. With time, this well rehearsed dance led me to my current vocation. My first career was my own children, while learning about myself and the world around me. I have a strong belief that teaching starts at home. While raising my children, I went back to school. In venturing on this path, I taught my children that going back to school was enlightening, challenging and that learning was forever. The lesson I portrayed was of goal setting, hard work and a strong belief that you can accomplish anything when you set your mind to it. This lesson is reflected in my children’s lives to this day. I guess you can say the tradition of family values has been passed on. I chose K-3 because of the innocence, the wonder of the world, and the sparkle in the children’s eyes when there’s an Ha-ha. What a joy when you can say, I helped a child to wonder about their surroundings and question the world looking for answers succeeding in their endeavors. That is why I teach. It’s for the Ha-ha. I believe my goals in life have been a series of steps to better myself as an educator. Throughout my many years of teaching, I have been involved with committees, leader of school based projects and assemblies and an active member in the building and implementing of the Reading First Literacy Grant at our school. Along with this grant, I am one of the model classrooms for other districts to visit and watch the latest techniques of teaching. I feel a desire to better myself, improve the school district, and to gain as much knowledge as I can to be the best I can be as a professional. This is a drive that compels me forward to the next step. My ideal teaching situation probably would be one where all children have a desire to learn, behaviors are well managed, and parents have a good understanding of how to parent and how to help their children in the school setting. How do we accomplish this? Our community supports multifamily differences, which can be extremely complicated at best. It is a complex type of teaching, parenting and childhood that needs a different style of education for all. We must look at these facets and work for the betterment of the child’s upbringing. Starting in the home is the first step. Building a trust, which I don’t think many parent have about education, is the second step. Can you imagine if we all worked together what a difference it would make for the child? I have an enthusiastic energy about education. Being a social energetic person, one of my goals has been to work with parents building their knowledge of their growing child socially and academically. As I stated before, I think learning starts in the home. I feel there is a great need to work with parents; building their skills as facilitators of their child’s growth. Parents need an understanding of what a child needs, such as, to become independent, nurturing, confident, social and active citizens with a desire to be life long learners. Not all parents understand these needs but should have an opportunity to learn how to teach these important life skills to their growing children. I believe if we were able to teach parents how to help their children, we would be teaching the parents life long skills as well. As a teacher, I build my classroom around community and the excitement of learning new things about life. I keep an open line of communication with parents, hoping to capitalize on their child’s learning experience. By understanding a child’s learning style, I can make the learning meaningful. Hopefully, I also help the parents feel comfortable about the school setting. My hope for this class, Curriculum Building and Assessments, is to build on this idea of meaningful learning. I want to focus on the big ideas rather then just teaching from the book. What I need from this course is how do I do that in a timely manner with so many expectations and demands from the district administration. They seem to adopt a program without truly understanding the whole concept and expect you to teach it without looking at the whole picture. There are times when I feel that we have a hodge podge of curriculum programs that don’t fit together and we take pieces of each to formulate a daily schedule. It would be great to have one method, one program one way of teaching. I feel so unorganized at times trying to satisfy my administration, the needs of my students and my sanity. I feel I am loosing my edge and my energy. I need a vision to believe in, to fight for and to dance to. Teach me how to read the music, to dance the dance and the strength to convince my superiors and peers that this is the way of the future.

Alison Prescott – Cohort 2 Essential Beliefs My college career began at a school for the arts. I wanted to become a designer. I graduated with a degree in 1981 and began the quest for my ultimate job. What I found was that here in the state of Maine, there were no “design” jobs that truly interested me and Maine was where I wanted to live. So, I settled for some rather mindless jobs, the last being an eleven year position as a manager for a furniture company. During this time, I had been married, divorced, and had two children. When my oldest (J.D.) went to kindergarten I spent most of my time volunteering in his classroom. I loved being there and his teacher, Mrs. Morin, loved me. Living alone with two young boys was taking its toll, so in March of that year I made the decision to move my family closer to my parents. We said our good-byes to the kindergarten class and on a cool spring weekend began the task of moving. Mrs. Morin called that Saturday and asked if she could drop by that evening. As we sat drinking coffee, she told me that I needed to do something with my life and that working with children was a gift that I seemed to possess. It came naturally to me and she felt that students really needed more teachers with perspectives and attitudes like mine. Well, five years later (at a much older age than the average student) I decided to listen to those words. I applied to the University of Maine at Farmington and graduated in 1997 with a BA in education. Since that time, I have never regretted the decision to go back to school. I knew right away that I wanted to work with younger students. It wasn’t that I didn’t like older students; it was just that I had always found school difficult and I didn’t think that I would be able to teach at the high school level because **I** had failed so miserably at it. Right or wrong, it was the decision I made, and I am happy that I did so. I have taught first through sixth grade and have loved every level I taught “the best”. The fact is I just like teaching, learning, and kids! I like to teach in the same manner in which I learn. I like hands on activities and lots of visuals. I like to get messy and jump in with both feet! I like to have fun and most of the time my lessons are successful. Sometimes my attention deficit and hyper activity (ADHD) can make learning and teaching lack fluidity. I often find my mind jumping from one thought to another and get off course quite easily. I do have strategies in place that usually help me stay on task but can find (when looking back over my day) that I have swerved from my set goals at times. There is a plus to this deficit; it gives me the ability to relate to others who are ADD or ADHD and lets me share learning strategies that can help them “keep on track”. Learning styles and teaching are intertwined. They both are strengthened when looked at objectively; meaning for both their assets and deficits. One thing that I feel helps me to be a better teacher is working with other teachers. Not particularly “teaching” with them, but getting creative juices flowing and sharing ideas and energies! Some of my best thinking about education has taken place while ride-sharing. I ride to school each day with another first grade teacher. We have done lots of “outside the box” planning and have had lively and thought provoking conversations about the ways we teach. It has been extremely fulfilling! I believe that sharing thoughts and ideas with other teachers has added to my growth as a teacher. It gives me different perspectives and keeps my teaching fresh and alive. Without the sharing of ideas, I believe teaching would lose its meaning. Being a leader in my profession means you need to be willing to give of your time. I have done workshops at the grade school, middle school, and high school on learning styles and differentiated learning. I have been asked to serve on various curriculum committees, and have volunteered to be part of those that I take a particular interest in such as the Wellness Committee and Celebrations Committee. I have gone to several training workshops on Service Learning and am now the representative at the grade school. I help teachers distinguish between service learning and community service projects, and once a project meets the criteria of service learning, I help them apply for grants. Leadership roles make you continually assess the role of a good teacher. I hope that I will be able to look at the various curricula we are using at the grade school and honestly assess how I teach them. Am I just scratching the surface, or do I dig deeper into understandings? I want to adjust the way I approach teaching and make it more meaningful to my students. Although I teach at a younger level, students can transfer what they are learning in school to other areas in their lives in meaningful ways. They can take basic concepts and scaffold to higher understandings. This will take a lot of hard work and planning but the beginning is the very best place to start! There will be things that will work, and things that will fail. However, if I continue to assess how my students learn and how I teach, there will be great rewards for all.

Mandy Fontaine For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a teacher. Working with children is the most rewarding job in the world. When I was a child I spent all my free time at school helping in other classrooms. I wanted to know all the inside information on teaching, even spending time working with the secretary. I love children and there has never been a question of what I should spend my life doing. The excitement of each new day is irreplaceable. Teaching feels comfortable to me, and I could not imagine having any other job. As graduation from UMF grew closer and I began to fill out job applications I knew that I should probably take the first job that becomes available. The jobs that I had the most interest in were fourth grade and younger. My first year teaching was in a third grade classroom. I enjoyed that age level because students were independent yet eager to learn at the same time. They were also still young and innocent enough to not argue back. Now I am in my third year of second grade and I cannot imagine myself anywhere else. I always have a sense of pride as I walk into my classroom and think about all the exciting possibilities that will happen in the course of the day. Second graders still have the eagerness and need to constantly please the classroom teacher. Each day brings something new with the students. Students change vastly each year, always leaving me on my toes. At the primary level I am responsible for teaching all the content areas. My favorite time of the day is literacy. I enjoy listening to students read and seeing their excitement as they work their way through particularly difficult books. I love to go to the extremes to get my students excited about learning. Last year I had a few students that were considered to have very high needs. I danced for them when they achieved great accomplishments such as getting all their spelling words correct, or reading a new level book. It was so rewarding to see the students smile as they reached such accomplishments and knew that I was going to break out in a dance. There is no limit to a teacher’s actions when it helps a student gain confidence. This is why I teach and look forward to each new passing day and year. When I was asked to move from third grade to second one thing that really sparked my interest was that I was going to be able to share a moveable wall with another second grade teacher. We had the intent of opening the wall and team teaching, but we soon found out the wall was no longer able to open. This was a great disappointment to me because I was looking forward to the idea of team teaching. Due to our classroom sizes it is not feasible to put our students together for lessons. I did have the opportunity to see team teaching when I was doing my student teaching and found it challenging, but fun, at the same time. Students really enjoyed working with students of another class. I feel this is a strong way to teach because it allows students to work with peers and make discoveries together. Collaborating ideas helps to strengthen lessons and brings in ideas that I may not have ever thought about. I am fortunate to have two other teachers in my team so we are able to frequently discuss ideas and discuss what is working or not working in our classrooms. Having teachers to discuss these things with helps relieve anxiety and stress with always wondering if we are doing the right thing. A team makes the year go by as smooth as possible just knowing you have someone to talk with. During the past four years of teaching at Sabattus we have been looking at a variety of curriculums, unit designs, and programs. My first two years teaching I was involved in creating units under the advisement of Connie Manter. I worked within the third and second grade teams to complete the assigned tasks. As of this year I am the second grade facilitator for the school union. When we have workshops I am responsible for the meetings and producing the work to give the assistant superintendent. We have about five workshops a year where it is necessary for me to facilitate the meeting. In the future, I would like to explore more areas of leadership. My learning styles inventory explained me to a tee. I am a very social person and would rather be able to talk about things than write them down. I am a visual learning and like to see things to be able to fully understand how they work. While taking this class, I hope to gain a greater knowledge of curriculums. Within my school we have looked at many programs and have adopted a few, but there are still so many more aspects of education to look at. I also hope to find more ways to integrate technology in my classroom. This is a great area of interest for me and I think it will help students grow as learners. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Jocelyn Webb EDU 583 Cohort 2 Belief Statement I grew up in a home where you had responsibilities and you didn’t complain about them. Our job as kids was to do our best in school, complete our chores at home, and behave appropriately because it was the right thing to do. When my son was around 4 or 5 and I began thinking about him going to school, I really started paying attention to the types of kids he would be hanging around. It was scary! It seemed to me many kids didn’t have the morals or values that I had grown up with and taught to my boy. I’m not saying I expected everyone to be perfect, but I think it is important for kids to have empathy for others, a conscience to aid decision making, motivation to do a job well, and enthusiasm about what life may have to offer. As I thought about what I could do to help, teaching came to mind. I like kids, I have always liked numbers, and I figured if one is not part of the solution then one is part of the problem. I chose high school mathematics because I thought it would pose a greater challenge as I am easily bored. So back to college I went, a short time later here I am, and low and behold I love my job. My dad used to say “once a task has once begun, never leave it ‘till it’s done, be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all”. This saying rings in my head from time to time. I try and concentrate on being a great math teacher (if there is such a thing), but the powers that be have fifteen other things they would like me to be doing as well. It becomes overwhelming and frustrating very fast. Life would be great if the computers always worked when we tried to use them; If there were enough time to actually learn topics instead of skimming over them because there is too much to cover; if workshops were actually about helping you become a better teacher in your concentration; if more students actually cared about their education. The list goes on but you get the idea. In a perfect world all my students would have their own computer at school and home. Every home would have high speed internet. This would allow us to explore the world of mathematics in various ways which you cannot bring physically to the classroom. Perhaps much of student homework could be done on the computer or at least be an option. This might even engage those students which are put off by math. It would also be wonderful if there were more time to plan a lesson properly and actually dive into a topic with students instead of brushing over it. At the moment it seems I rush through everything because there is so much I am supposed to teach them in a year. It leaves many students feeling lost much of the time and me feeling as though I have failed them. I am sure this also reaffirms their dislike of mathematics in many cases. This brings me to my last wish, motivated students. School used to be a privilege for many now it is seen as a chore. I believe students who truly do not want to be in high school should be allowed to go to work or an alternate vocational school. Perhaps later in life they will see an education as meaningful and return to academics. Unless they see some purpose in their own learning I believe it nearly impossible to teach some students. I do not see myself as a leader among my peers. I do encourage teachers within my department to introduce technology when possible and share any ideas or labs I have used with my students. I figure the easier the leap is for them the greater probability they will try it. I also have discussions with science teachers to find overlaps in our curriculum. Looking for concepts we can reinforce for each other and insure consistency in vocabulary and such. My learning styles inventory describes me pretty well. I tend be logical and intrapersonal. I do a lot of thinking in my head as opposed to out loud. I don’t mind working in groups but will only take charge if no one else does. I don’t like a lot of fluff or chit-chat that is not relevant. I like goals clearly defined, plans laid out, roles determined, and everyone working on accomplishing their job. I am hoping I will walk away from this course with a usable unit. I see it as an opportunity for me to actually create something correctly. It is rather exciting. I like the idea of getting other peoples input before I actually implement it. I do not generally get to do that with the math department very often as there is always an agenda and everyone is busy keeping their head above water. Anyway, I see this class as being rather time consuming but in the end worthwhile. Since I am believer that most great things take lots of work, I am looking forward to the end result.