A teacher must have a strong foundation in subject matter pedagogy in order to make learning accessible to their students. A teacher’s foundation must include experience, fresh ideas, technology, subject matter terminology, and various teaching models. My work within CalStateTEACH has given me that foundation.

During Stage Four, I had the responsibility of teaching 20 fourth graders all subjects for 15 weeks. For me, experience was the most powerful teacher. Math units covered included the following: geometry, division, probability and statistics, graphing, and algebra. I planned daily class work, quizzes, and tests. I prepared my students for tests with different versions of jeopardy, and by having them create their own test questions. I worked with parents to ensure individual student success by sending notes home, informing them of student progress. I lead small, non-threatening math groups for students that were struggling. I put together math enrichment projects. Additionally, I planned and managed classroom work and collection. Within Stage Four, I also incorporated "Two-Minute Math" reviews into my daily routine. Oftentimes, an entire lesson would spark from a single math problem. I learned to seize those teachable moments as they presented themselves in the classroom.

From my previous stages and substituting, I learned various strategies for teaching division, geometry, measurement, fractions, and multiplication. I incorporated pneumonic devices, imagery, and kinesthetic movement to different concepts in order to help students remember complex concepts.

Attending a CalStateTEACH math seminar in Stage Two, I learned creative, new methods for enriching a basic math program. We learned about academic decathlons, math competitions, tangrams, and pattern block fractions. I learned that math, or any subject matter, must be taught from the concrete, to the representational, to the abstract levels. As I have followed this pattern in my teaching, I have seen a much greater degree of success. The “Fact Families” lesson I taught my 1st graders (Artifact #2), successfully incorporated concrete, representational, and abstract theories at a developmentally appropriate pacing.

Additionally, throughout my coursework, I studied different models of teaching. I was especially intrigued by the inquiry method. We studied the inquiry method amidst our 28 activities, participated in inquiry lessons at the CalStateTEACH science seminar, and analyzed videos of teachers using the inquiry method. I have noted that students from lower socioeconomic areas would especially benefit from the inquiry method as I have noted a great deal of apathy in these areas. This teaching method would help them feel more ownership towards their own learning and require their own inspiration and innovation in order to learn. I have found many practical ways of integrating this method into the curriculum. In my last stage, I had the opportunity to teach a rocks and minerals unit which was based on the inquiry model. The lesson “Observing Rocks”(Artifact #1) is the first in a series of inquiry lessons I taught. Students especially enjoyed the “hands on” aspect of this activity. They naturally and curiously made connections within their own knowledge schemas. Throughout the process, we had many wonderful discussions as they reflected on their learning.

To further my ability to teach science, I attended field trips such as the Water Festival and an OCDE (Orange County Department of Education) field trip to the Newport Back Bay. At the Newport Back Bay field trip, I learned how to teach children using exciting activities such as excavations and nature scavenger hunts. At the Water Festival, I saw how students could learn practical conservation tips while delving into challenging scientific topics. I have continued to compile science ideas in electronic and hard copy forms for later use. As I have taught science and math, I have regularly incorporated Power Point and the Internet into my teaching for more effective and exciting lessons.

In my last stage, we constantly had visitors come into our classroom. I would like to pattern and build upon that in my own classroom, encouraging positive roles models such as med students, business owners, and community leaders to visit my classroom. I will invite them to share how they use these subjects in their professions, if only for a few minutes. I will also use the Internet to invite virtual or long distance guests to be a part of our classroom.

I have learned to lead students in stimulating and academic discussions. Using the language of each subject area, I have repeatedly encouraged students to build on each other’s answers. This has reinforced vocabulary and academic language structure. I have consistently striven to teach students to think on higher levels, by asking them to evaluate, synthesize, and analyze information.

As students systematically and extensively engage in interesting and stimulating subject matter, they will mature in vocabulary, subject matter knowledge, and in thinking skills. They will begin to see countless connections of this subject matter to their own lives. Miracles will truly unfold.