GROUP 1 FIELD STUDY
"A Joyful Journey Towards the Center of Teaching"
DOMAIN 3:
DIVERSITY OF
LEARNERS
"Diversity: the art of thinking independently together"
Malcolm S. Forbes, American publisher
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DOMAIN 3:
Diversity of Learners
Domain 3 emphasizes the central role of teachers in establishing learning environments that are responsive to learner diversity. This domain has 5 strands: (1) Learners' gender, needs, strengths, interests and experiences, (2) Learners' linguistic, cultural, socio-economic and religious backgrounds, (3) Learners with disabilities, giftedness and talents, (4) Learners in difficult circumstances, and (5) Learners from indigenous groups. The importance of teachers’ knowledge and understanding of, as well as respect for, learners’ diverse characteristics and experiences as inputs to the planning and design of learning opportunities is what Domain 3 underscores.
INTRODUCTION
The teacher's role in classroom management is vital for establishing a positive learning environment. It involves setting clear expectations, using positive reinforcement, proactive planning, effective communication, and organizing the classroom layout. Additionally, it encompasses accommodating diverse learning styles, resolving conflicts, and ensuring fairness and consistency. Overall, effective classroom management is crucial for promoting engagement, minimizing disruptions, and creating a safe and productive learning space.
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Curriculum planning is closely linked to classroom management. A well-designed curriculum sets clear learning objectives and organizes content in a logical sequence. It considers diverse learning needs, provides necessary resources, and allocates time effectively. Additionally, it integrates classroom rules and assessment methods, fostering a positive learning environment. Overall, curriculum planning is instrumental in creating an environment conducive to effective teaching and learning.
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As future educators, understanding and developing effective classroom management skills is crucial for creating a positive and conducive learning environment. It directly effects your students ability to learn and your ability to teach. It impacts a teacher’s ability to be effective and actually enjoy teaching. Most importantly, a well-managed classroom highly impacts students’ academic success.
FIELD STUDY 1
ACTIVITY 3 – Distinctness of a Learner in a Diverse Classroom
LET'S ANALYZE!
Question #1
Identify the person who play the key roles in the relationships and interactions in a virtual classroom. What roles do they play? Is there somebody who appears to be the leader, a mascot/joker, an attention seeker, a little teacher, a doubter/ pessimist?
Answer
The primary responsibility of the teacher in a classroom is to guide and facilitate the learning process. Among the students, there are individuals who naturally assume leadership roles, showing qualities like initiative, organization of group activities, and encouragement of collaboration. In every classroom, there is someone who brings humor and fun to the room, creating a positive and enjoyable environment through jokes, anecdotes, and lighthearted banter. Moreover, certain students seek attention by frequently speaking up, sharing personal stories, or seeking validation from their peers, often aiming to be the focal point during discussions and contributing their thoughts on various topics. Occasionally, some students demonstrate a strong interest in the subject matter and possess a deep understanding of the concepts. Conversely, there may also be individuals who approach discussions with skepticism or doubt, questioning ideas, critically analyzing concepts, and offering alternative perspectives. The person/people who play(s) the key roles in the relationships and interactions in a classroom are the teacher and leaders of classroom groups per subject. In the grade 9 STE we observed, students that appear to be the leader and a little teacher are Andrea, Cassiopea, and Nathan. For a mascot/joker, these are RJ, Zander, and Emmanuel. For an attention seeker, these are Sheila, Kairo, Emmanuel, and Kaye. And for a doubter/ pessimist, she is Vanessa.
Question #2
How does the teacher influence the class interaction considering the individual differences of the students in a classroom?
Answer
The teacher has a big impact on how students interact in class, especially with their differences. Mr. Arenas, the Grade 9 math teacher of STE and Luna, effectively employed various teaching strategies to engage students in interactive discussions and variety of pedagogical approaches that accommodate individual differences. They went beyond simply posing questions and utilized motivational techniques that connected the topic to real-life applications, encouraging students to actively participate. Also, he created an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and understood and fostered a culture of respect and appreciation for differences, promoting collaborative learning among students. Ultimately, through personalized support and differentiated instruction he addressed diverse needs, ensuring all students had opportunities to engage and succeed. With these, all the interaction, communication and involvement circled the lesson.
Question #3
Write the most salient developmental characteristics of the learners you observed. Based on the characteristics, think of implications for teachers.
Answer
Salient characteristics we observed from students aged 14-15 are:
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demonstration of a growing sense of independence,
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prominence of social interactions and peer relationships,
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emotional volatility and sensitivity,
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heightened curiosity and a desire for exploration are prevalent,
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strong affinity for technology and digital platforms, and
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ongoing development of self-identity and personal values.
The implication of these is the teacher should encourage inquiry-based learning, maximize the use of technology as an educational tool, promote cooperative learning strategies, offer diverse learning opportunities, and possess a great sense of humor because this can create a positive and enjoyable classroom atmosphere.
FIELD STUDY 1
ACTIVITY 3 – Distinctness of a Learner in a Diverse Classroom
LET'S REFLECT!
Question #1
How did you feel as you observed in the classroom? Did you feel a sense of oneness or unity among the learners, and between the teacher and the learners?
Answer
Observing in the classroom made us feel excited and curious, and we experienced a strong sense of unity and cohesion among the learners, as well as between the teacher and the students. The classroom environment was characterized by collaboration, support, and mutual respect, with students valuing and respecting each other's perspectives even during academic disagreements. This harmonious atmosphere extended beyond the class discussions, as they would still come together after class despite their differing views and opinions. This atmosphere of camaraderie fostered a positive learning environment where students felt at ease expressing their thoughts and actively engaging in discussions. The teacher played a pivotal role in nurturing this sense of unity by promoting inclusivity, acknowledging individual strengths, and facilitating meaningful interactions. Overall, the classroom demonstrated a strong bond, with both the teacher and students working together towards a shared objective of learning and personal growth.
Question #2
In the future, how would you want the learners in your classroom to interact? How will you make it happen?
Answer
In our ideal classroom, we envision the same learners as in Mr. Arenas class, where everyone engages in collaborative discussions, respects diverse perspectives, and supports each other's growth.
In realizing it, we would create a supportive and inclusive environment where students feel comfortable expressing their ideas, asking questions, and challenging themselves and establish clear guidelines for respectful communication and collaboration, emphasizing the importance of listening to and valuing each other's perspectives. We would also incorporate interactive activities, group discussions, and collaborative projects that encourage teamwork and foster a sense of shared responsibility and promote a growth mindset, encouraging students to embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and celebrate their achievements. By modeling positive interactions, providing constructive feedback, and facilitating meaningful discussions, we would cultivate an atmosphere of trust, collaboration, and mutual support, enabling learners to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Question #3
While you were observing the learners, did you recall your experiences when you were at their age? What similarities or differences do you have with the learners you observed?
Answer
Yes, we had recalled some of our experiences when we were at their age. Our similarities with them are willingness to learn, being excited to do fun things like playing, reviewing lessons and being active during class, having curiosity and eagerness to learn, experience of academic challenges and wise management of time, desire for success and encountering pressure in exams, and setting as target the acquiring knowledge and learning new concepts. For our differences with them, this is the development of technology or availability of tools. Technology has advanced significantly, offering new ways of learning that were not present during our time.
Question #4
Think of a teacher you cannot forget for positive or negative reasons. How did she/he or not help you with your needs (physical, emotional, social, and cognitive? How did it affect you?
Answer
Christine: This memorable teacher exhibited a keen awareness of my physical needs, creating a classroom environment that was both comfortable and safe. He provided suitable seating options and encouraged regular breaks for movement, ensuring my physical well-being was prioritized. On an emotional level, he cultivated a supportive atmosphere where I felt comfortable approaching her. Her empathetic and understanding nature allowed me to openly communicate my emotions. This created a sense of trust and contributed to a positive emotional state within the classroom. In terms of social development, the teacher fostered a strong sense of community among the students. Through engaging group activities, he encouraged collaboration and teamwork. Additionally, he promptly and fairly resolved conflicts, promoting healthy social interactions and a positive classroom environment. Cognitively, this teacher employed effective teaching strategies that catered to my individual learning needs. With her personalized assistance, he nurtured my intellectual curiosity, fostering a love for learning. Her guidance and support played a crucial role in my academic progress and overall cognitive development.
Merryl: There was a teacher who made a big impact on me. She was always there to listen when I needed help, not just with studies but also with personal stuff. Her support boosted my confidence and made me feel valued in class. She encouraged discussions and made learning exciting, which helped me understand things better. Her care made me feel safe and motivated to do my best. Overall, she showed me how a teacher's kindness and understanding can truly make a difference in a student's life.
Benjie: The teacher that I will never forget is Ma’am Elisa Q. Alingal; she was my teacher way back when I was an elementary fourth grader. She inspired me to be a teacher, and she’s been one of the reasons why I fell in love with teaching. She’s the kind of teacher who is very supportive in every aspect of her students’ needs. In her instructions, it is still vivid in my memory of how she cracked jokes in our class for us to stay engaged and make the learning more fun and positive. Moreover, she was like a mother to us, as she treated us like her kids, which contributed to our growth and development.
Pamela Yvonne: I remember one of my strict Math teacher in my high school times, he helps me to become more responsible and knowing my priorities. He helps me also to become prepared every time I go to his class. Socially, I was able to become sociable and more cooperative because his activities are engaging.
Wilthone: For teachers that I cannot forget because of positive reason, they help me form imaginably the ideal teacher that I want to be in the future. In physical needs, they help me to be hardworking and always to put my best effort in doing something. In emotional needs, they help me to be honest, polite, kind, and to empathize always. In social needs, they help me to learn to fight my stage fright and to speak in a calm way to anyone. They also guide me to always observe something if it is alien to me. In cognitive needs, they help me to see and understand how valuable something is if it is a product of your hard work or if you put a lot of effort on its creation. For teachers that I cannot forget because of negative reasons they help me to understand one of the truths about human, this is there are not perfect. They may do wrong actions, and it is just destined that to me to whom they do that. In physical needs, they help me to be cautious and distant to people that I know will do something bad to me and to do my best not to create a bad impression and pray for bad luck to them to the best that I can do. In emotional needs, they indirectly help me to counter negative thoughts and feelings I am suffering. It just happened for me to know it as I do my best to move on and forget the hateful actions they did and showed to me. In social need, they help me to learn not to humiliate someone in public even if they deserve it because of doing bad on me and to play with them just to make sure that something bad will not happen in the best that I can do. In cognitive, they indirectly help me to improve my metacognition by doing my best to see the good reason why they showed such behavior to me. I think I am quite abnormal or special because this positive and negative experience with teachers just made me happy and sad or cry, respectively, but made me think of a very good way on improving myself as student. As I do and adopt the practices I think will make these people see the effect of positive things they did to me and think that the negative things they did to me has positive effect, I figured out that my physical, emotional, social, and cognitive aspect improved. Also, this experience or these people made me easy to understand someone, though not always, that he/she might leave something good and bad memories. To appreciate our bond (for teachers that I cannot forget and I) and to see the fruitful learning that I can get to these unpleasant experiences with teachers are essential to consider.
Question #5
Share your other insights here.
Answer
These are salient insights:
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When observing high school students, particularly in Grade 9, it is common to encounter a mix of highly participative and quiet students during class discussions.
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Observing learners offers valuable perspectives on their distinct strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, and preferences. This enables pre-service teachers, like us, to customize instruction according to individual needs, fostering a personalized learning environment.
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By observing, pre-service educators can assess learners' levels of engagement and motivation, pinpointing activities and methods that captivate their interest and fuel their enthusiasm for learning.
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Teachers are more than just knowledge givers; they shape our lives and growth. Their care, support, and patience create a positive learning environment.
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Inclusive classrooms, where diversity is respected, make everyone feel accepted.
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As future educators, acknowledging and valuing the diversity among students is essential, ensuring fairness and equal opportunities regardless of differences. The journey from uncertainty to pursuing teaching as a career is a testament to resilience and determination. Though recognition may not always come readily, the focus remains on personal growth and dedication, driven not by external validation but by the aspiration to surpass one's own potential.
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Observing the distinctness of learners made us come to several realizations that will help us become a better person and a better educator in the future.
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For a teacher to handle his/her classroom well s/he must know and understand his/her students’ diversity. Considering the number of students in a classroom, teacher must condition herself/himself to love their profession and master the pedagogy and their subject matter because understanding diversity of students takes time, especially for building trust of and harmonious relationship with students.
Group Video Presentation
You can watch our group video presentation about Activity 3 – Distinctness of a Learner in a Diverse Classroom
Click here!
Classroom management refers to the strategies and techniques that teachers employ in their classrooms to develop and maintain a productive and orderly learning environment. successful classroom management is critical for increasing student involvement, reducing disturbances, and encouraging successful teaching and learning. Keep in mind that successful classroom management is a skill that requires practice. Because every class and group of students is different, teachers must tailor their tactics to meet the specific requirements of their pupils while maintaining a good and productive learning environment.