Signature Assignment

Sarah Jones
TEL 311
 Philosophy of Education
I believe that as a teacher I have the opportunity to use my passion for knowledge of the
world around me to inspire young minds to be lifelong learners. By maintaining an enthusiastic
attitude regarding my subject area, I will be able to infect my students with a love for Biology. I,
for one, have always loved watching life as it moves around me, from the largest peaceful trees
to the smallest busy insects. The drive to understand how living things work and why they
behave in certain ways has made me an attentive student of the life sciences. And, through
education, I have the chance to explain to others the very things I love the most.
Education has always been an important part of my life. It has made me inquisitive and
creative, shaping who I am today. I want to aid in the educational process so that I can teach
critical thinking to students. In these times of fake news and widespread distrust of science, I
think it is especially important to help students understand the scientific process, so that they will
be able to draw their own conclusions as to what is and is not true. As such, I plan on teaching
through research based exploration in which students will learn where they can go to obtain
reliable information on scientific studies. I will focus on developing their critical thinking skill
by teaching them to analyze and critique articles published in scientific journals.
In addition to this, I plan to incorporate as many hands-on experiences as possible.
Students will learn by directly observing nature through activities such as dissections in lab,
microscope slides, petri dish experiments, and creating their own science experiments. I intend to
foster an atmosphere of fun and investigation where students will be able to learn without fearing
the stigma of being “a nerd”. Halfway through the semester, I will host a Parent/Student Night in
which parents can come in to see projects that their children are working on and I will be able to
give a lesson demonstration so that they can see how their children receive instruction. In this
way, I will be able to contribute to the community and to create connections with the families of
the students.
By fostering a love for science both inside and outside of the classroom, I hope to spread
throughout the community the curiosity for nature that has enthralled me since I was child.
 Classroom Layout

For my classroom, I chose smaller circular tables as a compromise between the stableness
of larger tables and the movability of individual desks. I think that the tables lend to teamwork
within the classroom, which is important because in science classes, students will be working
with their lab groups often. Lab groups will be made up of three students each, so that there is
less of a chance that students will be left alone in their group if a classmate is absent. The tables
are grouped together in pairs, so that trios can collaborate for projects or discussions that require
larger groups. The tables are arranged in only two rows to minimize the back-row’s distance
from the teacher. However, they are set in a semicircle to make it less intimidating for students to
sit in the first row. In addition, the semicircle will help facilitate whole classroom discussions.

In the hind left corner of the classroom is a science corner. It will have a few comfortable
chairs and shelves full of science related reading material, from science magazines to science
fiction. There is also a table in the back where I intend to keep class pets. Like an aquarium or
ant farm. This corner will be used by students who finish their work early. Free time in the
corner can also be won in student competitions. The science corner is next to the teacher’s desk
so that the teacher can keep an eye on the students.

The teacher’s desk is located to the side of the students so that she can see through the
rows and watch student’s behavior. The students who need the most teacher supervision will be
assigned tables near the upper left corner of the classroom. The teacher’s desk is next to a set of
shelves where she stores teaching materials that aren’t locked in her desk. The storage cabinets
throughout the room contain science equipment such as microscopes, dissection kits, beakers,
hot pads, etc. The shelves near the door will be where the students drop off their work and
receive handouts. The whiteboards take up a lot of the wall space so that students can draw
diagrams and participate in other class activities that require the groups to use whiteboards. The
projector will be hung on the ceiling and controlled by a remote.

The walls will feature posters of both content related material and also symbols that
create an inclusive classroom for students who come from minority and majority groups.
Including symbols and assurances of the possibility of success has been shown to improve the
grades of minority students (Cheryan, Ziegler and Plaut).

Works Cited
Cheryan, Sapna, et al. "Designing Classrooms to Maximize Student Achievement." Policy
Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences 1.1 (2014): 4-12.
Rules, Procedures, and Consequences

The rules and procedures in my room are all built in order to create classroom where
achievement and community are very highly valued.

Classroom Motto:
Build Up, Don’t Tear Down

This is meant to create community in our classroom. It is a shared goal between

the students and the teachers to value academics and to value the other people in
our classroom

Rules:
1. Foster Curiosity and Community
Students are to actively work towards learning about science. They will do their
best to keep the class moving forward on its journey through learning about the
biology of world around them. They will also actively work to improve the
community of their classroom. They will do their best to create a supportive
environment where they can both grow as people and learn science.
2. Think Before You Speak
Students must consider the appropriateness of comments and questions that they
make in class. It is on the students to consider whether it is the right time to add
their comment: Will it interrupt someone? Is it negatively phrased and hurtful?
Does it further the discussion, or does it get off topic?
Students must consider whether their addition to the conversation or lecture will
build it up, or tear it down.
3. Cooperate and Be Ready
Students will be ready for class by bringing all of their class materials. They will
help their classmate remember to be on task during classwork. They will pay
attention and be ready to be engaged in discussion and lecture. The core to this
rule is that students are expected to do their best to ensure that the entire class is
cooperating.
4. Communicate with the Teacher
When students think that the help of the teacher is necessary, they are to let her
know. As a teacher, I will do my best to notice everything, but there will always
be times when things get past me. The students know that the teacher can be
approached for concerns relating not only to academic material, but also for
concerns related to the behavior of students and the physical and mental well-
being of students. This is how I will be able to stay on top of helping students
with both academic and personal/interpersonal problems.
Procedures:
Entering the Classroom:
Students will keep the volume level low
Students will check for and pick up any handouts/graded work in bins near the door.

Students will proceed to their desks and pull out the materials needed for the day (pencil,
notebook, assignments)

When the teacher lets the students know that class is beginning, they will be silent and
listen for further instruction.
During Lecture:
Students will listen to the lecture
Students will take notes

If students have a question or comment, they will refer to Rule 2: Think Before You
Speak. If it is appropriate they may ask it directly, but if it can wait, they should raise
their hands during a natural pause in the lecture.
During Class Discussions:

The teacher will frame the discussion that the class will be having, giving background
information and several suggestions as to the direction the discussion should take.

As a class, students will then have an opportunity to input their opinion, raising their
hands before speaking.
Then the class will be broken up into small discussion groups:
During the small group discussion stage, students will take turns expressing their
initial thoughts. Then the discussion will be open and can move without turns.
Upon the instruction of the teacher, they will have another round of turns of
closing remarks from each person in the group.

The class will then come back together, and the teacher will direct the conversation to
gather opinions and ideas from students and groups in the class. Students will again raise
their hands before speaking during this part of the discussion.
During Activities:

Students will follow directions: listen and take note of oral instructions, thoroughly read
written instructions
 Students will work independently during independent work and cooperatively during
group work.

When confused, they will first ask a neighbor for help, and if they still need to, they will
ask the teacher for further clarification
When Students Are Done with Work:

If any other students are still working, students who have completed their work must
remain silent.

They will be allowed to read, draw, write, or listen to music from their phones.
*Exception: Phones will not be allowed out at any time during or after major exams*
If the classroom has extra tables in the back, students may move to those tables to play
silent board games (etc.) with other students who are done.
Leaving the Classroom
Students will pack their bags no earlier than 3 minutes before the end of class.
Students will not crowd door, they will remain seated until released.

Students will leave any assignments that they have completed in the collection bin before
leaving class.
Students will move in an orderly fashion, so as not to trample their fellow classmates.

Consequences:
Consequences will start out small, but increase in harshness according to the amount of
times a student commits and infraction of the rules or procedures. If a student commits a
serious offence, then they will skip up through the consequence tiers to receive an
appropriate punishment.
Tiers of Undesirable Consequences

1. Indirect warning from teacher

2. Direct warning from teacher
3. Staying after class for three minutes and signing a form detailing what they did to
deserve a consequence
4. Coming in to work with the teacher during lunch or after school to create a plan of
improvement that they and their parents will sign.
5. Writing an essay reflecting on their behavior and attending a conference with the
parent/guardians and teacher
6. Referral to the principle
Other immediate consequences that may be employed by the teacher after bad behavior
from a student:
Changing desks
Confiscation of food, drink, phone, or other distracting materials.
Calling of parents
Calling of police
Send out of classroom to obtain appropriate resources