My Educational Statement

Todd Russell Beard

This is the most valuable profession in all of the history of the world, and I am proud to be a contributor to its goals and achievements…

• Educators support learning in every aspect of life

• It is my opinion that we are all educators in one way or another, but a dedicated educator is a scholar, a learner, and so much more.

• Trust, equality, adventure, sharing, love, respect, friendship, braveness, knowledge, perspective, and devotion are the foundations from which my educational pedagogies are based on.

• My teaching focus is on ideas and showing the many sides to any argument, not beliefs because an idea supports learning whereas beliefs support hostility (as we’ve seen throughout the world)

Educational Beliefs• Every person is capable of learning

• There are many forms of intelligence. My goal is to help every student see their strengths and work on their weaknesses.

• I work with all of the students individually to find and further their Zone of Proximal Developments’ during student centered time.

• Scaffolding though mediation will occur during teacher-centered time.

• If we can’t pursue our own learning and creating, then can we ever be said to really be learning or are we just memorizing?

• The classroom environment is not a closed system, everything the students and staff bring to the school becomes a part of the school.

• The classroom needs to be a safe environment for the expression of ideas and learning.

• There is a dynamic interaction, conditioned from the first day of school and there after, that is the foundation for learning and behavior.

• Accountability

• Teacher Quality

• Options and Choices for ParentsOptions and Choices for Parents

• Instructional Methods

• Language Development

• Technology Resources

• Diversity

• Exceptionalities

• Multicultural Education

KEY POINTS

Accountability• There are certain developmental risks you will

encounter when working with children in upper elementary. As they are going though puberty, it is a very awkward time for everyone. It is important that these children understand and empathize with what is happening to them and to their peers. As teachers, we must watch out for and discourage teasing, sexual touching, sexism and discrimination.

Accountability• I will model, encourage, and reward the

creativity of my students. And in rewarding them, I mean with praise or public display.

• I believe intelligence in creativity is taking risks, being persistent, asking questions, and challenging ideas.

• Creativity is also trying alternate viewpoints, practicing divergent thinking, and exploring new ideas.

Accountability

• Standardized testing has become a necessity for analysis, improvement, governments, other agencies, and the comparison of multinational educational systems, but issues of cultural, economical, and practical biases have been called into question

• As teachers, we must realize the need to help our students succeed without directly teaching to the tests.

• Standardized testing has formats and concepts that we must teach to the students. Also, objectives are taught and retaught though engagement in interesting lessons.

• A good teacher will find ways to incorporate their curriculum, testing practice, current events, and objectives into every lesson.

Teacher Quality• The behavior approaches that I will use in the class will be

centered in rewards and punishments because both exist in our lives, so should both be present in a good school atmosphere.

• The key is to analyze a target behavior, choose reinforcers, continuous shaping and reinforcement, then switch to variable reinforcement. Model these target behaviors to the class, and point to others that are modeling the behavior to encourage it in others.

• Classroom assessment is a very valuable tool for students and teachers alike. Teachers and students should view the curriculum data and class atmosphere for analysis. The next step is to develop a plan of action. This is done through discussion about different problems and what works.

• Keep the class plan of action on display, as a reminder of what you all are working towards.

OptionsOptions and and ChoicesChoices for for ParentsParents• Parental involvement is crucial.

• I will have a weekly calendar of events to be taken home and signed.

• I work at having a protected website of the class activities, progress, events, educational links, online community, and comments.

• I understand that parents work at all different times and will make myself available to meet individually with everyone at differing times.

• I will have many available avenues for parental involvement, monitoring, mentoring, communication, participation, and interaction

Instructional Methods– An effective classroom environment incorporates all the tools of learning.

– I keep posters and displays on what the kids are learning and examples of art or creativity. I post the class rules, and maintain a flexible yet rehearsed schedule of events.

– Mnemonic devices increase retention. I will work with students individually to help them find what works for them.

– These visual and rehearsal techniques will increase memory retention and show the students and others what is expected of them.

– I have subject or skill based areas separate and distinct.

– Concepts, or mental abstractions of categories, objects, people, events, or ideas, are formed everyday. It is important that we as teacher see this and understand how students are forming concepts individually and as groups.

– Concept forming leads to reasoning, knowledge transfer and problem solving skills

– I will encourage my students to challenge or reinforce the concepts they’ve formed though valid argument, experimentation, and reasoning.

Instructional Methods

•Motivation is what keeps a good classroom moving smoothly, and makes education fun. I hope to display my ability to direct, arouse, and maintain behaviors and learning.

•I will offer incentives for going beyond normal classroom obligations.

• Even though I hope that my students are intrinsically motivated, I will offer extrinsic motivation in the form of rewards, but not for doing what is expected, only when they have gone beyond the basics of the curriculum.

• I hope to spark their curiosity and I hope that knowledge can become their intrinsic motivation to achieve in my class.

Instructional Methods• I want to know their opinions,

learning styles, situations, strengths, and weaknesses.

• In this social world we must work together to achieve more.

• I am open to unstructured discovery, I want the students to have as much time on their own as group time.

• I want them to ask questions, make hypothesis, test those hypothesis and form ideas that lead to conclusions.

• Teacher-centered and Student-centered learning will be of equal allocated time, with flexibility for lessons that encourage more engaged time.

• Language development is critical for continuing education.

• I do not promote Basil Readers. Instead, I encourage discovery and vocabulary in the context of the original books.

• Children from cultures outside of what has become the U.S. model may be inhibited by learning and interacting styles that differ from their cultures approach to communication.

• Teachers need to build on concepts of learning that children have been exposed to by their parents.

• I understand that non-native speakers of English will need time to adjust and be unfamiliar with the language. I know this from my experiences with learning French.

Language Development

Technology Resources

•There are a plethora of sites, information, lesson plans, educational resources, dynamic manipulatives, and strategies available on the World Wide Web.

Technology Resources• I make it part of my job to keep informed and

research websites, technology, and educational techniques in the field of technology.

• My purposes for being technology based: I’m training the future for the future, efficient assessment, and bringing the outside world into the classroom.

Diversity

• I will work to disband gender, ethnic, religious, and class stereotypes in my class.

• Public education should value the diversity of our students and our nation. It should also stress the importance of American democratic values, which include justice, equality, and human rights including freedom of expression and freedom of choice.

• Cultural stereotyping or any other form of discrimination will not be tolerated.

Exceptionalities• Physical, psychological, emotional, and

social handicapped children can excel in an environment that supports their styles of learning.

• I understand and have worked with children with exceptionalities. I know that I must adjust my techniques for them to encourage and enforce learning, memory, and other skills.

• Patience, understanding, and accommodation are my foci.

Multicultural Education• Teachers need to be careful not to perpetuate stereotypes though the

reading of ethnic literature

– I watch out that in exposing one aspect of a culture you don’t make that aspect the underlying example of everyone from that culture. Such as, if you are studying Caesar Chavez make sure that you study other non-farming oriented Mexican-Americans.

– Also, the best examples of culture come from the people themselves. Get the culture presented by someone from the culture, it will hold more meaning and validity.

– Let children choose their own examples and point out others from the same ethnic group and how their ideas were the same and/or different.

– Look at the type and source of multicultural literature, make sure that it is accurate, up-to-date, and good literature.

– Teach multiculturally, not multiculturalism.

More about Mr. Beard

• I have affiliated myself with many organizations, dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and extending a helping hand, such as;

• Boy Scouts of America, Key Club, SADD, McLaren Hospice, Red Cross, Carriage Town Renaissance, Theta Chi International Fraternity, North End Soup Kitchen, Bridges to the Future, Century 21 Education, Center for Service Learning and School Partnerships, Students for Social Change, International Students Organization, Anti-Defamation League, Students Promoting Literature, Flint Community Schools, Beecher Community Schools, Grand Blanc Community Schools, and Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools. And, I hope to add your organization to my list of achievements.