Learner Development
“The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences”
One of the most difficult standards for me to wrap my head around is Learner Development. I do not know why, but it is complicated to me. I have always thought, and still do really, that if you teach, and you teach the way you are supposed to, with heart and a love for learning, this just happens naturally. I think that if you really care your students are going to develop, however, I understand why this is important and this at its most simple is the reason that we are here. We want to be teach students which is learner development. So, what have I done to show I have achieved this? The students’ test scores improved from my first test to the second so that was excellent.
One of the first assignments that I did the first spring of the program was to read a book called Educating Esme. It was the story of a new teacher who was trying all sorts of strategies to try and make her students succeed. I was tasked with finding strategies that she used to try and get kids to succeed. To understand how students will develop it is important to know where they are starting. I was tasked to interview two students and see what the typical student has already learned.
Below you will also find a reflection on literacy and comprehension in the classroom. This is how I plan to not use the textbook and instead use many different strategies and activities to ensure that all students develop not just the ones that enjoy reading a textbook and learn best that way. I also plan to do this by overusing primary sources.