Reflecting on CSL
- hodginsjustin
- Nov 17, 2017
- 3 min read
Hello Readers!
For this week, we were asked to reflect upon our experiences and observations during our time at our CSL placements towards addressing the role of inquiry and culturally responsive pedagogy in today’s classrooms. Looking back at my time at Ridgemont, I have had the privilege of not only learning from an incredible AT, but also the benefit of a weekly reflection period. In observing my AT, I have had the opportunity to learn the strategies she has employed to better learn about her students and how her practices effects them, but as well as the iterative process that she has undertaken in her career to advance her to where she is at right now. As a result, I have had the opportunity to see what a professional who takes on new ideas and adapts them into her own, which is the end result of making inquiries and collecting information on their successes or shortcomings.
Image taken from https://www.drdewett.com/reflecting-listening-talking/
One of the other pleasures I have had with the design of the CSL placement was the week to reflect in between; whenever I felt that I was not addressing the needs of my students, or I was given new information, I had a solid week to digest the information and understand how I was going to put it into practice. By the time I came back to my CSL placement, I had enough time to have a related question for my AT and a develop a practical way of using it. Through both my experiences and my AT’s experiences, I can say that inquiry is almost essential if one is keep their practice relevant to the interests of the classroom.
One of the other benefits of being in the classroom is noticing how a culturally responsible pedagogy is not only a courtesy, but a requirement. We have the opportunity to live in one of the most diverse nations in the world and as a result we need to modify our approaches towards meeting the needs of our students, both in instruction and socially. Understanding how the universal design for learning can let students pick out what functions best for them can allow for students to organize and achieve in a stress-free zone, which is one of the main precipitators of conflict in the classroom. This is one of the things I have found to love in my AT’s lesson design, which is facilitated by Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces (VNPs) and 3 Act Math. ( Click here for a post regarding the use of these techniques!)
Being a part of some of Ridgemont’s extra-curriculars, I have also had the opportunity to get to know my students from a different perspective. By taking part in the Homework Club, I have had the opportunity to work with the students in an environment free of time restraints, as well as a “peer” rather than a “teacher”. Here, I was able to provide better individualized support and understand that struggles that the students have with their classes. In this way, I was better able to modify my approaches in the classroom during the next class. Thus, by taking the time to integrate myself in Ridgemont’s community, I was better able to learn about the types of learners present in my classroom as well better learn about my students as human beings.
Now that I’ve had the opportunity to better understand how inquiry and culturally responsive pedagogies take role in the classroom, I am excited to begin my practicum with renewed vigor. Stay tuned!
