My Philosophical Background
As a teacher, I identify as an existentialist. This means that I highly value the individual and the importance of living authentically. This is important when providing support for students because every student is unique and their supports should be unique also.
Strategies to Implement into the Classroom
1. Positive Behavior Support Plan
I will create a Positive Behavior Support Plan (PBS) for identified students. This plan will be collaboratively created with the student, parents, teachers, and if appropriate, resource specialists and/or Special Education teachers. The purpose of this plan is to identify behavior problems and then establish a proactive and positive action plan to support desired student behavior and thus, support the learning environment (Villa, Thousand, & Nevin, 2010).
2. Focus on Academic Goals for Individual Students
I will recognize that academic goals vary from student to student. My value in education may differ from others' (students, families) value of education. Student goals may vary as well. It is important that no matter what a student values in education, I will provide resources for any and all students to achieve their best. Academic goals are personal and their supports and resources should reflect that (Fries et al., 2012).
3. Be Collaborative
I will be collaborative with colleagues, administration, and families in order to provide the absolute best support for student success. This collaboration can be evidenced in PBS plans, IEP meetings, intervention meetings, etc. The goal of collaboration is to share effective resources and tools to achieve the highest academic and social goals (Kagan, Kyle, & Scott, 2004).
Resources
As a teacher, I identify as an existentialist. This means that I highly value the individual and the importance of living authentically. This is important when providing support for students because every student is unique and their supports should be unique also.
Strategies to Implement into the Classroom
1. Positive Behavior Support Plan
I will create a Positive Behavior Support Plan (PBS) for identified students. This plan will be collaboratively created with the student, parents, teachers, and if appropriate, resource specialists and/or Special Education teachers. The purpose of this plan is to identify behavior problems and then establish a proactive and positive action plan to support desired student behavior and thus, support the learning environment (Villa, Thousand, & Nevin, 2010).
2. Focus on Academic Goals for Individual Students
I will recognize that academic goals vary from student to student. My value in education may differ from others' (students, families) value of education. Student goals may vary as well. It is important that no matter what a student values in education, I will provide resources for any and all students to achieve their best. Academic goals are personal and their supports and resources should reflect that (Fries et al., 2012).
3. Be Collaborative
I will be collaborative with colleagues, administration, and families in order to provide the absolute best support for student success. This collaboration can be evidenced in PBS plans, IEP meetings, intervention meetings, etc. The goal of collaboration is to share effective resources and tools to achieve the highest academic and social goals (Kagan, Kyle, & Scott, 2004).
Resources
- Fries, D., Carney, K. J., Blackman-Urteaga, L., & Savas, S. (2012, April 26). Wraparound Services: Infusion into Secondary Schools as a Dropout Prevention Strategy. In SAGE Journals. Retrieved September 20, 2014, from SAGE Complete.
- Kagan, S., Kyle, P. B., & Scott, S. (2004). Win-Win Discipline. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing.
- Villa, R.A. Thousand, J.S. & Nevin, A.I. (2010). Chapter 9: Students as Collaborators in Responsibility. Collaborating with Students in Instruction and Decision Making, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin press, p. 171-188.