- Educators value the success of all students. Educators care for students and act in their best interests.
This standard is difficult to sum up through examples (as there are too many to recount), yet it is the core of each lesson I create. My approach to this standard begins with setting fair yet firm expectations with my class. It is important to me that students know I see the absolute best in them and one of the ways I like to show this is by explaining to them how I know they are capable of learning challenging things. Stopping at this point would not encapsulate the standard though. It is my duty as a teacher to provide the differentiation in my instruction necessary for 20 – 30 students, with individual learning styles, needs, and starting points, to achieve the goals I set for them. Valuing the success of all students means pushing myself out of my comfort zone and designing the lessons my students need, not just the ones I find easy to teach.
Differentiation in the classroom varies from lesson to lesson. At the base, I believe it is important to include tools such as differentiated seating options, fidgets, and movement opportunities in the structure of the classroom. It will take time for students to learn self-regulation with these tools, but as long as expectations are set and stuck to, I have seen them do wonders for student learning.
Many aspects of this standard are covered in the ones which follow, such as understanding child development and teaching accordingly. This includes allowing and understanding the importance of both learning-related and social conversations within a classroom and the inclusion of students in the creation of positive class culture.
Valuing the success of all students is, at my core, the reason I choose to teach.