Hello!
My name is Alexandra Briggs and I have many loves in life. These include the usual things - friends and family, my black labrador, reading, crafting, and laughing - but all of these passions do not compare to my love of teaching. Early on I understood the importance of life-long learning, what it means to be a responsible citizen, and how to be a successful problem solver. What better way to pass these notions on to young students than through teaching? I am a proud Central Michigan University alum where I graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's in Elementary Education with a focus in Social Studies, Mathematics, and Middle Level Education. This website is to display my qualifications, experiences, and passions that would help your learning community grow. |
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Classroom Set UpIn order for students to maximize learning and growth, the learning environment needs to be exceptional. This begins with the classroom set up. A highly efficient classroom is well organized. Students are have multiple materials accessible to them and are able to find and utilize these tools within the classroom. There are places around the classroom where students can find missing assignments, homework, and where they turn in assignments to the teacher. Desk organization is also key in a successful classroom. Students are grouped together so they are easily able to form partners or groups of three/four. This enables engagement throughout lessons. Around the room there is student work displayed to recognize achievement, there are informational posters regarding the subject being taught, and there are decorations that embrace the personality of the teacher. Overall, the classroom set up needs to be welcoming to students and their learning.
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Teaching MethodsIn order to be a highly effective teacher, one’s teaching methods need to change and adapt over time. A teacher is a lifelong learner and with that comes constant reflection - did that lesson go well? Did I reach all of the students? What could I do differently? How would I change what did not work as planned? In order to reach all students you need to teach to all students. This means incorporating multiple intelligences. Get kids moving that may learn kinesthetically. Tie in a song for those who learn better orally. Teach using visuals for students who are visual learners. This will also keep students engaged with the lesson which will overall increase learning. In every lesson, the teacher needs students to be aware of why this content relevant and see the connections to past knowledge. Students who see the meaning to why they are learning a certain objective, it will be retained.
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Classroom ManagementManaging a classroom is completely different than managing a business. A teacher cannot project the outcomes of that day’s lesson or the what the ‘hiccups’ will be throughout the day. The best thing teachers can do is understand that more often than not, you will be ‘going with the flow’. However, there still needs to be a sense of structure. At the beginning of the school-year, I want my students to understand that this classroom is OUR classroom. Classroom rules will be come up with as a class, but covering respect of oneself, others, and the environment. Along with rules come procedures. These are established by the teacher in order to have a well-flowing school day. These include how to turn in papers, how to ask to use the restroom, hallway behavior, how to line-up, etc. These expectations will be upheld throughout the year and practiced if needed. If broken, students will understand that there will be a consequence followed depending on the action.
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DiveristyFrom the beginning, my students will understand that this classroom is our classroom. Those individuals that enter this classroom are a team. I will embrace the notion that, you do not pick who is on your team and you do not have to be best friends with them, but you support them no matter what. If someone is hurting your teammate, you stand up for them. When you earn achievements it is because together you worked as a team and not by yourself. Students also need to learn to accept differences amongst people. Students will also be aware that differences range much farther than looks. Each and every student is different which can greatly affect learning. As a teacher, one must be socially aware of students who may not be able to afford required school supplies, students who may not have a place to complete homework, students who have a culture that prohibits topics discussed in class. There will even be some students who find the safest environment they have is the one at school. It is our job as educators to make our classrooms that safe environment. In order to do so, addressing diverse issues and creating a wholesome classroom community is the most important role a teacher plays.
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AssessmentAssessment is often tied to the concept of taking quizzes, tests, and exams. However, it is much more than that. When assessing students a teacher’s focus should not be on the grade, but to see what students know and where they need support. A problem with assessment is that it scares students when it should be worry-free. This can be done by giving students choices. Have them decide how they can prove they learned the material. This can be a summative assessment report, poster project, a story, an essay, or a question/answer format, etc. Assessment also is a phenomenal opportunity for feedback. Using formative assessment throughout a unit, teachers can easily address students’ needs with feedback to get them back on track. A teacher should not wait for the end of the unit to realize a student was struggling from the very beginning. Constant feedback is key with assessment to improve student success.
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TechnologyThe 21st century has brought technology and integrated it into all forms of our daily lives, including the classroom. This makes becoming aware and utilizing the tools of technology in everyday lessons crucial. There are so many educational tools that technology offers that have increased student success. This has touched the way teachers assess students’ knowledge, how to instruct students, how information is displayed. Though there are endless ways technology is beneficial in the classroom, a highly effective teacher knows when technology is helping or hindering learning. For example, if it is more effort to display things on a virtual whiteboard than it is to write things on a dry-erase board, students are losing effective learning time. A teacher does not use technology to simply say they used technology in the classroom. Technology should only be used in a classroom as a beneficial tool. If the meaning has been lost, students have nothing to gain.
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