Standard #1- Demonstrate a solid foundation in the art and sciences
According to the SUNY Cortland ELA Portfolio Rubric, “Through modeling, advisement, instruction, field experiences, assessment of performance, and involvement in professional organization, candidates adopt and strengthen professional attitudes needed by English Language Arts teachers.” Besides teaching reading, writing, listening, speaking and thinking, English Language Arts teachers are to teach students how to question the society in which they live, and to think critically about the world around them. In order to have students think critically and question the world in which they function, ELA
teachers must be well versed in the arts and sciences. Ultimately, English is the subject where students learn transferable knowledge that will last them a lifetime. It is through English that students learn how to infer, make predictions, and think critically. Overall, teachers should be working toward the goal of preparing students to think independently across multiple subjects, academically or socially, in order to become lifelong literacy learners. In his famous text The English Teacher’s Companion, Jim Burke explains that students should be learning information, as well as methods, that will last them a lifetime. Furthermore, he states that all teachers should work collaboratively to foster and empower student’s learning through authentic projects, assignments, and lessons.
During my second semester student teaching experience at Whitney Point Middle School, I worked as part of a team to promote learning across subjects. For example, the students started the year learning about the concept of
conflict in their Social Studies class. They addressed conflict in a more generic sense, mostly in the context of different wars that have taken place throughout history. I enhanced their knowledge of conflict by drawing upon a number of texts and discussing the conflicts that existed in each. One day I had them work in groups, reading a variety of soldiers’ letters and identifying a conflict OTHER than the obvious war. This activity enabled students to recognize that there are many different
types of conflicts, not necessarily man vs. man. We discussed examples of man vs. nature and man vs. self-conflicts, discovering that we face internal struggles daily. This gave students the chance to connect their learning back to their own lives, questioning: ‘why is this a conflict for me? Is it a conflict for others? Is it fair? Why is it like this?’
When the students were learning about The Cold War in social studies, I provided them with the text Countdown by Deborah Wiles. This documentary novel involves a child’s experience with this dangerous time in both her history and our history. The students were able to see the other conflicts that the Cold War caused, and from the perspective of Franny, who is a child about the same age as my students. The students were able to relate to the protagonist as well as well as the relevant subject matter. To speak intelligently about the subject, I relied on my knowledge of other courses that I have taken during my four years at SUNY Cortland. During my time at this institution, I had a commitment to a wide range of courses that were deeply committed to providing me knowledge as well as the ability to think critically about that knowledge.
As a future educator, I hope to be a part of a team- teaching program. This type of learning promotes a healthy learning environment for all subjects. English teachers do not teach just one genre and therefore need to be able to teach various types of texts with a range of diverse topics. With this solid foundation in the arts and sciences, I will be a valuable asset to this type of core-teaching.
The English Teacher's Companion- Scholarly Writing by Jim Burke
Lesson plan on soldiers' letters
Lesson plan on Countdown
CAPP Report of Arts & Science courses
According to the SUNY Cortland ELA Portfolio Rubric, “Through modeling, advisement, instruction, field experiences, assessment of performance, and involvement in professional organization, candidates adopt and strengthen professional attitudes needed by English Language Arts teachers.” Besides teaching reading, writing, listening, speaking and thinking, English Language Arts teachers are to teach students how to question the society in which they live, and to think critically about the world around them. In order to have students think critically and question the world in which they function, ELA
teachers must be well versed in the arts and sciences. Ultimately, English is the subject where students learn transferable knowledge that will last them a lifetime. It is through English that students learn how to infer, make predictions, and think critically. Overall, teachers should be working toward the goal of preparing students to think independently across multiple subjects, academically or socially, in order to become lifelong literacy learners. In his famous text The English Teacher’s Companion, Jim Burke explains that students should be learning information, as well as methods, that will last them a lifetime. Furthermore, he states that all teachers should work collaboratively to foster and empower student’s learning through authentic projects, assignments, and lessons.
During my second semester student teaching experience at Whitney Point Middle School, I worked as part of a team to promote learning across subjects. For example, the students started the year learning about the concept of
conflict in their Social Studies class. They addressed conflict in a more generic sense, mostly in the context of different wars that have taken place throughout history. I enhanced their knowledge of conflict by drawing upon a number of texts and discussing the conflicts that existed in each. One day I had them work in groups, reading a variety of soldiers’ letters and identifying a conflict OTHER than the obvious war. This activity enabled students to recognize that there are many different
types of conflicts, not necessarily man vs. man. We discussed examples of man vs. nature and man vs. self-conflicts, discovering that we face internal struggles daily. This gave students the chance to connect their learning back to their own lives, questioning: ‘why is this a conflict for me? Is it a conflict for others? Is it fair? Why is it like this?’
When the students were learning about The Cold War in social studies, I provided them with the text Countdown by Deborah Wiles. This documentary novel involves a child’s experience with this dangerous time in both her history and our history. The students were able to see the other conflicts that the Cold War caused, and from the perspective of Franny, who is a child about the same age as my students. The students were able to relate to the protagonist as well as well as the relevant subject matter. To speak intelligently about the subject, I relied on my knowledge of other courses that I have taken during my four years at SUNY Cortland. During my time at this institution, I had a commitment to a wide range of courses that were deeply committed to providing me knowledge as well as the ability to think critically about that knowledge.
As a future educator, I hope to be a part of a team- teaching program. This type of learning promotes a healthy learning environment for all subjects. English teachers do not teach just one genre and therefore need to be able to teach various types of texts with a range of diverse topics. With this solid foundation in the arts and sciences, I will be a valuable asset to this type of core-teaching.
The English Teacher's Companion- Scholarly Writing by Jim Burke
Lesson plan on soldiers' letters
Lesson plan on Countdown
CAPP Report of Arts & Science courses