What can you add to your knowledge of you and of your knowledge of teaching in your content area?

After teaching my first class, and taking this class, I have learned how important differentiated instruction is. With teaching math, some students understand a concept of teaching it one way, but by showing them how to solve the problem another way, some students understand it better. The school I teach at is also full inclusion, so differentiated instruction is so important to fit the needs of every student. By incorporating technology into the instruction gets students more focused and involved in wanting to learn. I have noticed that incorporating videos get students engaged, and if they are songs with formulas, it helps students remember the information.

Based off of the personality test, there are several things that I have noticed about my personality that match. One being how much I care about my students and wanting them to succeed. Although is a great trait as a teacher, it can also be exhausting when you put so much effort in, and some of the students do not try. Although this is not all students, I am learning that there will always be students like this, and I will just have to keep trying.

With having full inclusion, I have a mixed set of students where some are really emotional. As I am sensitive to student’s feelings I have realized this more than ever when working with so many different types of students. Some of my special needs students have bad days, where they have break downs. As I have yet to experience this in my class, I hear about how it happens in other classes. I feel like part of this is because I am sensitive to student’s feelings, and I make sure that students are in a peaceful environment where they feel safe.

From this class, and from teaching I have learned some valuable things just within a month that I will continue to implement into my classroom. One thing that I have learned, is there will be a lot of trial and error, and with some students, one thing will work, and with others it will not. I will just need to keep working to find what works for the students that I have at the time.

TED 633 Week one Blog

Hello my name is Jessica Pierce, I am from Riverside, CA and I am currently teaching 8th grade mathematics through an internship. Before getting this position, I was a resident substitute teacher at a Continuation High School in Jurupa Valley. Once becoming a substitute, and working with the same students every day, I realized how much I enjoyed helping children, and making a difference in their lives. I then decided to join the credentialing program through National University and it has led me to this point. 

After taking the personality test, I found out that I am more of am both extrovert and introvert, but more on the extrovert side. Based off of this test, I find it great for my content area of mathematics and teaching. With being an Extrovert, I was categorized as ESFJ where I promote corporation and teamwork. I believe that everyone can succeed, but I do not push so hard that there is conflict. With math this is so important to push students to their full potential, but also limit it at times as students can break down if pushed too hard. Extroversion directs energy towards people and things, which affects my teaching especially in mathematics. It takes a lot of energy to not only teach students about math, but also make it fun and enjoyable so that students want to learn.  Another great aspect that I learned from my personality test is that I lean towards feeling and the more important things in life. Being a teacher we must be sensitive to student’s thoughts and feelings, and be there to help them. I found several aspects of my personality test may have been a reason of why I chose to become a teacher.

As I like to get to know my students, and I am sensitive to their feelings, I feel like my personality will affect my students in a positive manner. I am able to be tough in a sense to push my students, but they also know that I believe in them, and I am pushing them to be successful. Once students know that there is someone that believes in them, they try so much harder to be successful.

My teaching and learning styles will affect my student’s abilities to be successful in a positive way. As my personality test said, I direct my energy towards people and things, and that my mode of perception is realism. By working to create activities for students to understand and see math in a different way, will help my students to be successful. I am one to work and change things until I find the right fit for my students. By being flexible and working to find what works best for my students will help them find success.

Overall, I think that my personality will help push my students to be successful, but also being sensitive shows my students that I care about them and that I want them to do well. With this, my personality will have a positive impact on my students.