Running head: Beliefs about teaching

Inquiry into Beliefs About Teaching

Candace R. Howell
University of South Florida

Beliefs about teaching

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Inquiry into Beliefs About Teaching
Learning Environment

In Fall semester of 2016 I interned at an Elementary school in Hillsborough County. My

Collaborating Teacher was a Fifth-grade math and science teacher. In this Fifth-grade class my
Collaborating Teacher used all four types of authority bases in his classroom. His main authority
base is referent authority which means, students behave as the teacher wishes because they
enjoy a positive relationship with the teacher and like the teacher as a person. Students view the
teacher as a good person who is concerned about them, cares about their learning, and demands a
certain type of behavior because it is in their best interest (Clayton & Forton, 2001, page 90).
My Collaborating Teacher this semester always showed concern and care for his students.
He could tell when the students were having a bad day and would inquire to why they were
either upset or mad. For example, on September 15, 2016 a little boy came into the class upset
and had a very sad look on his face. My Collaborating Teacher talked to the little boy and he
found out that his cat died and the boy was very sad about this. I could tell all day that the little
boy was off and was not participating in the classroom activities but my CT did not force these
activities on him. He cared for the little boy and allowed him time to grieve in his classroom.
I feel that my CT did the right thing by not forcing any classroom activities on the little boy. He
did expect him to complete his work but he did not call on him during the assignments or ask
him to demonstrate mathematics skills on the board. He allowed him to sit in his desk and focus
on his assignment. I think that there are days students feel like participating and there are days
they do not feel like participating. This little boy was going through a rough time losing his cat
and I agree with my CT that he does not have to participate in group discussions or classroom
activities. He did the right thing by letting the boy grieve in his own way. My textbook states,

Beliefs about teaching

There are two requirements for the effective use of referent authority: (1) the teacher must
perceive that the students have a good relationship with him, and (2) the teacher must
communicate that he cares about and likes the students (Clayton & Forton, 2001, pg. 90).
I agree with the textbook and my CT on his choice of authority base and the management
style he demonstrates in his classroom.
Needs of Learners
The needs of the learners in this fifth-grade class is differentiate instruction, which is
broken down into several principles.
1. Good Curriculum comes first. If the curriculum is poorly designed and unengaging,
differentiation will make little difference (Clayton & Forton, 2001, pg 143). I designed
my Science Lesson plan and Math Lesson plan using the state adopted standards and
engaging them in the learning material.
2. When in doubt, teach up. Ask students to stretch rather than tach at a lower level
(Clayton & Forton, 2001, pg 143). I had an extra worksheet for critical thinking on
Forces and Motions for the students to complete once they were done with all their group
activities.
3. Ongoing assessment is crucial. Both informal and formal assessment tools should be
used to assess student learning as well as to adjust the differentiation strategies (Clayton
& Forton, 2001, pg 143). During my math lesson, I gathered data using the Kahoot.it
game module to see how well the students were answering the different types of
questions on their practice test I created for them. They had a formal assessment on Unit
3 Math which they did good on. Some did not retain small steps in their math procedures
but I had them correct their work for half credit, which I think is fair.

Beliefs about teaching

4. Flexible grouping is critical factor. Students must have the opportunity to move easily
from one group to another to better meet their needs (Clayton & Forton, 2001, pg 143).
In my science lesson plan on Forces and Motions I had four centers that the students
moved to every 12 minutes. The students that needed more time I gave them at the end
of the lesson. Each center had a different worksheet that helped the students learn what
Force and what motion means. I know every student learns differently and I gave them
five different worksheets: critical thinking, vocabulary, visual aid differentiation of push
and pull forces, application of the three laws of motions using an illustration and
description of their illustration, and PQ4R reading comprehension worksheet.
5. The emphasis should be on student strengths. Make sure that students have multiple
opportunities to learn in preferred ways and to demonstrate their understanding in ways
that are comfortable for them (Clayton & Forton, 2001, pg 143). Creating four different
centers gave my students ample amount of opportunities to demonstrate their
understanding of Forces and Motions. The fourth center which was a hands-on center
making ice cream in a bag really helped some students understand the application of
Forces and Motions.
6. Make your expectations for student learning clear. Students should have a clear picture
of what they are supposed to learn as well as an understanding of the criteria that will
guide assessment of their understanding (Clayton & Forton, 2001, pg 143). Before the
class started their science, lesson plan I had them take a quick break to relax their minds,
use the bathroom, and collect their utensils they need. I gave them clear instructions of
each center and my expectations of them as students. I also told them they do not have to
memorize Newtons three laws they just have to understand what each law means and

Beliefs about teaching

represents because that is what they will be tested on. I told them that on their science test
I will give them Newtons three laws they have to be able to explain each law. I explained
that these worksheets will help them better understand forces and motions and that
making ice cream will allow them to see first-hand Newtons First Law of Motion.
I have explained my first-hand experience with these principles of differentiate instruction
and I feel that the learners in this classroom need this type of instruction. These learners need to
be engaged in learning and have the ability to learn using their strengths in groups.
Needs of Learning Environment
In this Fifth-grade class the students need a flexible instructional learning environment.
With this type of learning environment, the students need to be setup into cooperative learning
groups. I feel that during my Science Lesson plan they learned so much in their group seating
arrangement that they begged their teacher to keep their desk in this seating arrangement. I was
so happy they liked how I had them setup in the classroom. In general, face-to-face seating
(such as clusters) leads to higher student distraction; however, this seating arrangement is ideal to
facilitate collaboration during small-group activities (Bohlin, Durwin, & Reese-Weber, 2009,
p.329). This prevented any distraction and helped the students stay on task.
In the textbook Principles of Classroom Management, it states, face-to-face interaction,
positive interdependence, and individual accountability, the Johnsons believed two more
elements-teaching social skills and processing group functioning-are crucial for the creation of
cooperative learning activities. These two elements have a positive impact on student motivation
and behavior at the secondary level (Clayton & Forton, 2001, pg. 138). When creating
cooperative learning activities this enhances the learning environment which empower the
learners to create a positive learning environment.

Beliefs about teaching

When the learning environment is, positive this is when I can create flexible instructional
learning. This means I can teach to the needs of the learners and creates a student center learning
environment. The goal of establishing a learning environment is to develop a well-organized
classroom in which students are; engaged in learning activities, usually successful, respectful of
the teacher and fellow students, and cooperative in following classroom guidelines because they
understand the rationale for the guidelines and see them as appropriate for the learning situation
(Clayton & Forton, 2001, pg. 104).
FEAPs Portfolio
http://candacehowell.weebly.com/feaps-portfolio.html
Teaching Platform
http://candacehowell.weebly.com/teaching-platform.html

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References

1. Clayton, M. K., & Forton, M. B. (2001). Classroom spaces that work. Greenfield, MA:
Northeast Foundation for Children.
2. Bohlin, L., Durwin, C. C., & Reese-Weber, M. (2009). EdPsych: Modules. New York,
NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.