INTASC+Standard+02

The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.
 * INTASC Standard 2

Specific Category of Standard 2 INTASC.2.D D: The teacher appreciates individual variation within each area of development, shows respect for the diverse talents of all learners, and is committed to help them develop self-confidence and competence. INTASC.2.E D: The teacher is disposed to use students' strengths as a basis for growth, and their errors as an opportunity for learning.

Understanding Sentence The teacher accommodates for each student's learning style and preference. The teacher builds on a student's strengths and reinforces learning from a student's errors.

Artifacts**
 * Differentiation Reflection [[file:Differentiation.doc]]
 * Writing Analysis [[file:Writing Analysis.doc]]

The reflection on differentiation is a summary and personal response about the use and importance of differentiating instruction. It discusses specific examples of how to use effectively differentiate in the classroom. For example, it stresses the importance of ability grouping. I had previously disliked the idea of ability grouping, but now I know how to competently do so while avoiding self-esteem issues. The writing analysis is a project where I was given a sample of an English language learner's writing. I had to analyze the sample and come up with two mini lessons to help the student with their writing. The sample I was given is from a seventh grade Thai student. I discussed their strengths and weaknesses then laid out two mini lessons. One was on singular and plural nouns and the other was on homonyms.
 * Reflect

Project The differentiation reflection really made me consider everything about differentiating instruction. I quickly came to realize the benefits of this practice. I will definitely make use of this learning in my career. I don't think I will use it every single day, but I will use differentiation on a regular basis. I have learned to trust my professors' advice even when I disagree at first. The writing analysis made me realize that I need to constantly assess my students and monitor their progress and aid them with their struggles. I need to help students individually sometimes, and I need to learn a way to incorporate this individual instruction time into the day. I also need to make sure it does not cause a social problem. My goal is to make sure everyone acquires the material I cover; I don't want to move on if someone is still not sure about the material. However, I also need to ensure that I do not bore other students who do fully grasp the material. Mini lessons are a great way to achieve this goal. I can have a time each week when students have time to work on their homework while I am present t answer questions. In this time, I can do a mini lesson with one or a few students who still need help. This way everyone benefits. **