Final Assignment - Learning Letter

           After completing my English class about teaching literature to adolescences I have learned a lot of helpful tools for my future classroom as well as a lot about my personal teaching style. I found this class to be extremely beneficial to all secondary English majors because of the theories and tools learned as well as it gave a hands-on approach to teaching literature through book talks, mini lessons and unit plans.  After speaking to my peers we also found that the professor had a major influence on the success of the class because of his own teaching approach and enthusiasm for the subject and students.
          When reflecting back on the course and the work I have completed I found that through all the stress and hard work it was all worth it. Although I was not always 100% interested in the reading material, after completing it I found it always to be beneficial. I really enjoyed the book talk assignment because we were introduced to a variety of literature for students in and out of the classroom. I also was able to think more in-depth about my own book talk choice, which is a book my cooperating teacher uses in her classroom, which will prepare me for the opportunity to one day teach it. I was nervous to begin the mini lesson assignment, but after completion I am a big fan of this assignment! I enjoyed viewing my peer’s lessons and being introduced to a variety of teaching strategies. This lesson also gave me the opportunity to think outside the box with pop culture to teach a play, Romeo and Juliet, that I know I will be teaching in the spring. My lesson started out rough when my Prezi PowerPoint was not working, but I learned firsthand that things happen and you must always have a backup plan. No worries though, my PowerPoint eventually worked and my lesson went well! The unit plan was a stressful and time consuming assignment that I felt ended successful and was worth the countless hours and lack of sleep! The unit plan gave me a chance to expand my usual one lesson plan to a three week lesson plan. I started off my unit plan based from my cooperating classrooms work with Lord of the Flies, but was able to put my own twist and teaching style into creating a fun and educational experience for a ninth grade classroom. Reflecting on my unit plan as a whole I felt it was successfully organized, well thought out, and educational for students. Each activity and assignment that I encountered in this classroom was beneficial to my current cooperating classroom as well as my future solo classroom!
          When we first started this class and was given our first reading assignment about oppression I felt I was doomed when it came to understanding the reading on theories on concepts. After completing the first few reading assignments and working with peers and classroom discussions I found that everything began to make sense. Throughout the classroom we explored the concept of differentiated instruction, which I had been taught throughout all other education classrooms as well. Yet, in the particular classroom differentiated instruction really clicked in a more in depth idea aside from just different learning styles. As a class we listed a variety of examples of differentiated instructions: reading levels, IEP’s/504’s, artistic abilities, family, culture, work ethic, preferences, etc. Some types that I would not have even though to consider. I really enjoyed reading our classroom text book, and took a lot away when completing the quarter. I was able to use the reading tools in the back of the textbook for my unit plan as well as my cooperating classroom.
          Throughout this course I have learned a lot about myself as a teacher and my teaching style. The mini lesson assignment was a beneficial experience because I was able to teach my peers and receive immediate feedback on what I was successful at as well as what needed work. Feedback my peers provided me with on components I can work on were being authoritative in the classroom as well clearer instruction at all times. I found that this was common feedback that my cooperating teacher gave me in my high school classroom as well. Feedback on what I did well ranged from my differentiated instruction to my worksheets and lesson development. This feedback again has been given to me by both my cooperating teacher and my supervisors have given me. Aside from my mini lesson I found that when participating with reading assignment discussion, I only spoke during subjects I felt I fully understood. This can create an obstacle with my future teaching career because being unclear/uncomfortable with a subject can cause me to miss out on an important theory or concept that can benefit my classroom.