Interview Catrena Hawkins EDU 650 Teaching, Learning and Leading in the 21 st Century Prof. Angela Stephens May 18, 2015

My philosophy on education is to simply be the best teacher that I can be. Teaching is a profession that requires people with a passion for learning. A teacher should have a desire to want others to learn no matter what their background is. Teachers must understand that all children can learn; it just takes one with a compassionate heart and a dedication to the craft. According to Richard Newman (2013), To be successful in helping all students in their classroom achieve their potential, teachers must be able to connect with and challenge each individual. Teachers must also believe that every child can learn, and that they all have the ability to succeed. Teaching and Learning in the 21 st Century: Connecting the dots, p. 23) I know that as a teacher my students would not only enjoy learning but be inspired to one day teach others themselves. Teaching is important in our children’s lives. It opens doors that students did not know existed. It is vital that students enter the class and know that they are there to learn. As a teacher, I would use every minute of class time to teach. I would make sure that I allow time for my students to ask questions about what was discussed so that no one leaves my class confused. Parents should expect me to be fair, observant and knowledgeable of the subject I’m teaching. They should also look for weekly reports about their children’s progress. Communication is the key to success with any given relationship. Kate Taylor states, “Parents and teachers both want what is best for their children and by learning to communicate effectively with one another, they can ensure that their students are getting the most out of their education” (para. 2).

Goal and Plan I plan to be a 6 th grade language arts teacher. The goal of this class is to produce students with more knowledge of the language arts. By year’s end each student will be fluent in the areas of grammar, punctuation and sentence structure. I feel that it is important for students to be able to communicate properly in order to function in a world where there are different cultural and language barriers. Klein & Chen (2001) state, “As an early childhood professional working with young children, you will find that language and communication skills are not only crucial to children’s development but also are vulnerable to environmental influences” (p.134). I feel that a classroom management plan is necessary for organizing a productive and peaceful classroom. Students should be in a class where they feel comfortable in order to learn. I think that if students feel less stress then they will be more inclined to learn. I know that there may be some behavioral issues but I will have rules in place that I hope will minimize the amount of disciplinary problems. Rules and Expectations I believe that having rules in place for children to follow cuts down on the amount of disruptions in the classroom. I also feel that children cooperate better when there is order. The following are some rules I expect the students to obey: 1. Students should be prepared to learn. 2. Students should bring all their material to class. 3. Students are expected to respect other’s space. 4. Students should raise their hands to be recognized. 5. Students should expect to participate in class. In addition to these rules, students are expected to be courteous and kind to one another. Everyone in my class will be treated equally and no one is exempt from punishment if rules are broken.

Leflore County School Greenwood City School Differences identified between schools Similarities identified between schools Type of School ► High School ► Career & Technical Center ► Leflore is a high school ► Greenwood is a Vocational School ► Both use some type of standardize test to assess students. Total Population/Demo graphics ► 500 ► 110 ► Leflore has larger number of students to work with ► Both use registration cards to determine number of students. Student to Teacher Ratio ► 25 to 1 ► 10 to 1 ► Leflore has larger number of students to work with ► Both are Public Schools Key Issues Facing ► Reading comprehens ion ► U. S. History ► Learning gap ► Reading comprehension; ► Vocabulary ► Leflore has issues with U. S. History and Career center has issues in vocabulary ► Both need improvement in reading comprehension. Role of Technology ► Teaching instrument ► Grade book ► Customize instruction ► Career center is set up for technology ► Leflore has limited technology ► Both teachers said that technology plays a major role because of the lack of textbooks. 21 st Century Skills ► Smart boards ► Online tutorials ► Virtual tools ► Open source software ► Different approaches to technical learning ► Both use technology to teach in a traditional classroom. I would be able to teach at either school. I could easily apply the ideas of my educational philosophy into my classroom. This also goes back to the standard that teachers should facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity.

With the backward design, teachers assess where the students are and then figure out what activities are best for the students.

Professional Learning Communities Newton (2013) states, “A Professional learning community is a group of educators who collaborate in such process as collective inquiry and action research in order to achieve better results for students.” Professional learning community consists of four view points that are as follow:  Shared beliefs, values and vision  Shared & supportive leadership  Collective learning & its application  Supportive conditions Professional learning communities helps educators work together to accomplish their personal or individual goal.

References Klein, M. D., & Chen, D. (2001). Working with Children from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds. Albany, NY: Delmar, division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Newman, R., (2013). Teaching and Learning in the 21 st Century: Connecting the Dots. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Stiggins, R., & Chappuis, J. (2006). What a difference a word makes: Assessment for learning rather than assessment of learning helps students succeed. Journal of Staff Development, 27(1), Retrieved from -a-difference-a-word-makes.pdf -a-difference-a-word-makes.pdf Taylor, K. (2013). Importance of Good Communication Skills in School. Retrieved from TEDx Talks. (2011, August 14). TEDxSoCal - Dr. Brian Stecher - Cultivating thriving schools [Video file]. Retrieved from