What I Know and What I Believe About the Development and Learning Needs of Adolescents My mom was my All

Star, she was my world, she was everything I had when I was young. We did Girl Scouts, Softball, Pop Warner Cheer and church activities together. In fact, our whole family, I thought was a perfect model of a family. We were a Christian family living in a rural, drug infested, suburb of San Diego. In contrast to our environment, we were always at church, at home together, or participating in the community events. We even prayed together regularly and had Bible study together before we started our day. But that all changed. My mom turned away from our familys spiritual beliefs and values. She began using drugs and chose this alternative lifestyle over her spiritual values, her family, her hopes and her responsibilities. Yelling and fighting between my parents became a regular thing, so regular that my brother, he himself only in fifth grade, and I found ourselves huddled together wondering, should we should really call 911 this time? We constantly found ourselves in the back seat of our huge, aged, blue rusty van being whisked away by one or the other parent. Needless to say, I felt like I was in a loud hurricane with no one but my brother to hold close for safety. This is the story of a recent high school graduate from San Diego. This public school senior exemplifies the story of the many children Thompsons book, Up Where We Belong hopes to address. Students come from a variety of home environments which affect the way they interact with their peers and process information. Parents do what they can as they struggle with the tall orders society has placed upon them. Children, almost go unnoticed as they balance the environment that they find themselves in. These

children enter into the classroom balancing the dynamics of the world and not knowing what or how to address the issues. Thompson investigates into the school experience of not only the student, but also the teacher. In this process students and teachers both recognize these differences in relation to race, gender, culture, background, socioeconomic status, and responsibility. Through this investigation, Thompson proposes there are solutions to the problem. These solutions are not only the responsibility of the teachers, but the administrators, the parents, and the policy makers. Though the insight Thompson provides, I find that as a future educator, I can use her critique to impact and eliminate why students are often uninvested, uninterested, misinterpreted and uninvited into scholastic excellence. I believe it is my responsibility as a future educator to influence my students. I facilitate this physical, social and emotional development as I model and interact in healthy relationships with the students. I incorporate group work, accountability, and tutoring. Through such interactions students are required to develop relationships with one another. Students are accountable to one another to develop their understanding, to make educated decisions, and to build each other up in this development. I strive to structure assignments to ensure growth and perceptive. Students are encouraged to share their challenges and their joys. When students are informed about their peers, they are working together to benefit the classes development as a whole. These practices will help make students aware of their surroundings and in turn their role in society post high school. My teaching philosophy and classroom learning environment is derived from by belief in student success (Grant & Gillette, 2006). I believe that schools primary objective should be to preserve and inform the upcoming generations about the fundamentals of

humanity. I believe students have the skills to become successful when they apply themselves. Applying themselves means, taking advantage of the support systems that surround them. Students need to apply themselves to their educational development. The teacher plays a vital role in that development. The teacher is the students primary support system within the classroom. The teacher is there to articulate through the material and deliver the information to the students. A classroom environment must be calm and conducive to student development (Canter & Canter, 2001). Students must not be distracted by unnecessary misbehaviors or diversions. With such an environment, students are able to become intrigued by their studies and the application beyond. The classroom must be conducive to intellectual development. Students are able to develop when they have been able to develop the connection their studies with the world around them. Creating an academic environment forms the expectations for students to invest in their intellectual development as they determine their beliefs and ideals. Students can do this in a classroom that fosters healthy development through peer-to-peer interactions. Students are social beings. They need the opportunity to collaborate to develop intellectually. When students are able to engage in constructive discussion and interact with one another, they can determine areas of misunderstanding. It is vital students determine their misunderstandings before they can grasp more complex ideas. Students must be able to incorporate a variety of senses and develop holistically. When more sense are activated, they are more likely to participate in development. teachers know students learn best while engaged in rigorous and creative thinking (LaMorte, Sandra & Kathie , 2007). As an educator, I believe this thinking happens when students are able to

take responsibility for their learning and work responsibly with others. My classroom management provides students with structure to develop to the best of their potential. Preventative, supportive, and corrective actions must occur to ensure order in the classroom. Through the preventative approach, students acquire the foreknowledge to succeed in the classroom. When students know the classroom expectations, they are more likely to live up to those expectations. To prevent students lack of performance, an environment of self-discipline must be implemented. Students must find dignity and self-worth in their academic performance(Richard & Allen, 2008). In encouraging dignity and self-worth, students are learning the attributes to succeed in their educational development. The supportive approach provides students with the ongoing guidance they need within the classroom. This is difficult, as a teacher, because all students have different needs. Robyn Jackson recognizes this as an exchange of currencies that happens all the time. This exchange that affects the way students acquire curriculum (Jackson, 2010). A teacher must value each student to develop their individual understandings. The corrective approach is the last resort. This approach to classroom management must be used when students have not taken advantage of the previously communicated expectations. Giving students time to explain themselves provides opportunity for the teacher to provide constructive criticism. Students need this opportunity to develop reasoning for why their actions are inappropriate and develop the desire to disregard that behavior in the future. Each of these approaches to classroom management forms students into individuals who can positively influence their society. All students are different. Educators who view classrooms as whole entities and do not account for the variances in the levels of readiness with which students enter the

room may either over-challenge or under-challenge the learners(Koeze, 2007). My classroom structure is designed to enable all students to develop. I am only able to meet the needs of all students because I learn about who each student is, what their background is and who they want to become. I develop intentional relationships with my students. I research various resources to become informed about my students. I structure lessons to meet the needs of all students. My lesson plans incorporate differentiation for all learners. I provide translated material, intriguing assignments, graphic organizers, assignment extensions and remedial material for the students within my classroom. These resources enable me to incorporate tasks that scaffold material for all learning levels. As I deliver material, I provide verbal and visual explanations. All students are given opportunities to execute their understanding kinesthetically. Students are encouraged interact with one another. This interaction allows students to learn about their peers as I learn more about them. Students come from a variety of backgrounds into the classroom. The classroom provides structured a learning environment. Students have to learning the teachers expectations and classroom management structure. The senior public school graduate described at the introduction had to balance all the turmoil at home, and live up to the expectations in the classroom. It is important teachers demonstrate care and concern for students development inside the classroom. When students know that others are aware of their well being, they are more likely to live up to the expectations and structure set out before them. The student senior public school graduate described at the introduction was myself. As a student from a background of difficulties, I understand the diversity that exists within the classroom. In this understanding, I know there are students who struggle

through a lot more than I had to or will ever have to. With the struggles my family experienced, I am enabled to relate to others challenges and experiences. With that ability, I plan to enter into relationships with my students that enable them to impact the educational system and society as a whole.

Works Cited Canter, L., & Canter, M. (2001). Assertive discipline: Positive behavior management for todays classroom. (3rd ed.). Canter & Associates. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=759lPwAACAAJ&dq=lee and marlene canter 20thcentury pioneers in classroomdiscipline&source=bl&ots=Ip_IK4Op_w&sig= KzVSzzI7JEqUpZS5dKgch-G5H80&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NitaUOveFYTvyg HVtYDYBg&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAQ Grant, C., & Gillette, M. (2006). Learning to teach everyone's children. Thomson: Wadsworth. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5qgd WNJfUFiQXlGQjVKOW5ZYTA/edit Jackson, R. (2010, Feburary). Start where your students are. Educational Leadership, 67(5), Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/feb10/vol67/num05/Start-Where-Your-Students-Are.aspx Koeze, P. (2007). Differentiated instruction: The effect on student achievement in an elementary school. Digital Commons @ EMU, Retrieved from http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1030&context=theses LaMorte, K., Sandra, S., & Kathie , R. (2007). Ignite student intellect and imagination in language arts. Westerville, Ohio: National Middle School Association. Retrieved from http://www.teacherleaders.org/node/144 Richard, C., & Allen , M. (2008). Discipline with dignity. Alexandria: Virginia. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=4TGkTCyHGaQC&printsec= frontcover&dq=Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler Discipline through

dignity&source=bl&ots=_1uWpT8iof&sig=OJ5umEcypwce6lLZxVQPmeHS_yk &hl=en&sa=X&ei=fzRaUNjlO-m6yAHH8YGoDA&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA Thompson, G. L. (2007). Up Where We Belong (First ed., pp. 1-307). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.