Kassidy Riportella

1/14/18
InTASC Reflection: Standard 3 Learning Environments

InTASC Standard 3: Learning Environments - The teacher works with others to create
environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive
social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

While doing initial observations, I was able to see a very unique learning environment
that accommodates the needs of the students in the class. Some of the ways this environment was
unique was through the staff support (paras, Title 1 teachers, Special Education teachers),
individual behavior plans, and routines of the classroom. This connects to InTASC standard 3
because I am experiencing a new learning environment and am preparing to assimilate to the
expectations and routines of this environment to best provide individualized learning for all of
the students.
While making these observations, I have done some reflecting and thinking about how I
will consider these factors into my future instruction and role in this classroom. These elements
are somewhat new for me as a future educator, so I think they will provide great learning
opportunities for me. I have reflected on some variables such as how I plan to get to know each
student and find the best ways to motivate and engage them in my instruction. This is important
because these relationships will be crucial for a successful transition into my future teaching.
Another reason that this is important is for successfully gaining the trust and respect of the
students. I anticipate this to also have a large impact on classroom management as well.
A specific event that has triggered much of my reflections was an experience I had
working with two students who had been absent in my initial days in the classroom, where one
struggled with the concepts we were practicing and demonstrated aggressive, frustrated behavior.
This is something that I have not encountered in much of my previous experience, and from my
observations, the environment at Audubon is structured to support students who demonstrate this
type of behavior. In processing and analyzing my interactions with this student, I began thinking
about how I could have handled the situation differently, and wondering if this would have
changed the result of his behavior. In discussing the incident with my cooperating teacher, she
mentioned a few alternative ways I could have approached the situation and mentioned some
additional factors that were influencing the behaviors of this student.
My perspective on the incident with that student began to change after our discussion. I
realized that I really had to try to get to know the students on a more individual level prior to
being able to fully have their trust and build a stronger relationship with them. I began thinking
about the students in the class and was able to identify that there were many students where
relationship building came more naturally, and they were open and eager to seek attention from a
new person in their class. On the other hand, there were also quite a few students who had the
exact opposite reaction. Some of the students were much more reluctant to me being in their
classroom and working with them.
 Another important aspect of this learning environment will be the experience I will get to
work with a variety of different staff members while teaching. It will be crucial for me to reach
out and get to know the teachers and staff that come in and support the students in Ms. Riniker’s
room. This will be helpful because they have relationships established with the students and
experience working with them as learners. I anticipate these teachers and staff members being a
great resource for me throughout this experience!
With all of this in mind, I now plan to have a different mindset going into the first week
of student teaching. I plan to continue learning about and adjusting to the environment created in
Ms. Riniker’s classroom at Audubon. It will be beneficial for me to keep in mind that I should
focus on developing relationships with the other staff members and teachers in the room, since
they are also a large part of creating the classroom environment. At the same time, I also plan to
reach out to the students who are more reluctant to getting to know me. I will do so sporadically
and give them the time and space to adjust to me and open up on their own terms. I think that in
doing this, it will demonstrate respect toward the students and their classroom environment that I
am joining. I think a great opportunity that I will have this week to do this will be getting to
know the students better at Morning Meeting.