Reflection to ETE 655- Instructional Theory

Chris Vergatos

My instructional theory is something that I worked very hard on, but I have to admit that

it isnt perfect, nor is it anywhere close to being solidified, in my personal opinion. Though it is

rather extensive, it will no doubt change as I begin my teaching career and as I progress through

my career as a life-long educator. The instructional theory was challenging to develop because of

my limited exposure in a classroom, and never truly being an autonomous teacher within a

classroom. My novice- and student-teaching experiences were very informative and provided me

a lot of initial experience to feel confident and excited to join the teaching field. However, I

dont feel that my understanding or exposure to the classroom has been nearly enough to create

an instructional theory that is as detailed and developed as a teacher who might have several

years teaching under their belt.

I am content with the work, and I am glad that I was given the opportunity to receive my

Masters degree at such an early age and not have to worry about the financial burden of paying

for it. The downside to that is my lack of exposure and full understanding of what it takes every

day to be an effective and impactful teacher. My instructional theory thus far is, at best, an

outline for future development of the theory that I will work to implement in my classroom. My

understanding of educational concepts and principles is not deep enough to create a work that

would classify as a theory, but nonetheless, I have created an instructional theory that reflects my

understanding of education and teaching to this point. I know that when I pursue future degrees

relating to education, I will be able to use this instructional theory and fine tune it so that it is
more encompassing, detailed and reflective of my matured understanding of education,

schooling and instruction strategies.

A theory is something that takes time, trial and error and an extensive knowledge and

understanding of the topic. To have any credibility, the author of a theory needs to possess

certain characteristics such as experience, rationale backed by research and an encompassing

view of various methods, strategies and techniques that relate to the concept being theorized. The

task of creating an instructional theory for this class was one that I feel will prepare me for

courses I will eventually take in other graduate programs, especially due to the nature of the

assignment. Having to develop an instructional theory required me to reflect back on my

experiences as a student and teacher within different schools. Being removed from the traditional

classroom for the past year ultimately stifled some of my understanding of instructional theories

in general, but by completing it and receiving insight and criticisms from my professor was

extremely helpful in determining what I need to alter and change to align with a more advanced

instructional theory.