"We believe that the novice teacher should be aware, of and have respect for human diversity."
The Big Ideas presented in this characteristic reflect how the novice teacher has a duty to understand human diversity that is present on a global, national, regional, and local level. This is an important characteristic as it relates to how well one knows his or her students. It is important to first, respect the traditions and differences between diverse cultures, ethnicity, etc so that the novice teacher can better serve the needs of each student. Understanding and learning about human diversity helps students feel included rather than excluded.
Artifacts that I have done which represent this ideal are lessons about diversity in culture and ethnicity. For instance, I recently completed a lesson that addressed geography and religious diversity, in which students were taught to practice tolerance and respect other cultures. It is critical for the novice teacher and the students to understand and respect diversity, so structuring lessons around this content is particularly effective.
"We believe that the novice teacher should have in-depth knowledge of pedagogy."
No surprise here, pedagogy is the bread and butter for any teacher -- novice teacher included. It is critical for novice teachers to come out of training programs with a high level of pedagogical knowledge. After all, how can one develop into a master teacher without knowing the basis for educational ideas? The better one understands educational psychology, classroom management, and how to teach in general, the more likely that teacher is to grow into an effective educator.
Good artifacts which are demonstrative of pedagogical knowledge will include things such as written papers and research essays for pedagogical classes, as well as test scores for the PLT (which I have not yet taken). However, these artifacts would give credibility to a novice teacher wishing to prove that he or she had a solid background in pedagogical knowledge.
McKinley, I think you have some great ideas about the artifacts that represent the characteristics you have chosen as well as the unpacking of each characteristic. Another artifact you could use to reflect your awareness of and respect for human diversity would be essays you have written that address some different culture or ethnicity. I probably haven’t taken nearly as many history or social classes as you, but I know that I have a few essays and papers that have been written highlighting aspects of other cultures and ethnicities. This would show that you understand the different ways in which diverse humans come together to “make the world go ‘round.”
ReplyDeleteAs for an in-depth knowledge of pedagogy, there are a multitude of artifacts one could use to document their understanding. Apart from written papers and PLT scores, I think you could include your philosophy of education with the changes that have occurred to it as you’ve grown as a novice teacher. This would show the application of not only new concepts and ideas learned, but also the flexibility of the novice teacher to apply pedagogical principles in new ways as thinking changes.