Chapter 12

Alex's Statements
" Spending time teaching routines, having class meetings, and managing the environment in a supportive and caring manner are the best ways to demonstrate your commitment." 
In order to have a successful classroom environment you need to show that you care about your students. When you manage the class in an appropriate way then you show that you want your students to succeed. Having class meetings and creating a safe community helps make students feel welcome.

"Teach behavioral expectations as you would academic expectations."
If your students learn to behave appropriately then you will be able to teach them more effectively. Behavior expectations should be valued just as much as academic because to be successful with either, you must be successful with both.

"For something small, have a small reaction." 
I loved this line because I see so many teachers who freak out over small things. Doing this makes the students feel very insignificant even when they make a small mistake. Also, if you freak out over something small then your reaction for the big things can be no different. Students will not see the difference in the big and small things. 


Courtney's Statements

• Community is created through the physical space and the way people treat each other.
• Community is such an important part of the classroom. Once a good community is established the rest of the class begins to fall into place. Students learn the boundaries that are put into place in the classroom and begins to respect their fellow classmates. 
• Routines are good for everyone. Knowing what lies ahead helps everyone anticipate how the day will go and prepare for the day's lessons. 
• Routine is very important to how the classroom is ran. If everyone knows what the typical routine is then it is easier for the students to not get lost during the day and to always know what is going on. It is important so that the day goes as planned and everything is calm. 

• Teach behavioral expectations as you would academic expectations. remember that how how to act in the classroom may include skills that some students do not have. 
• Students do not all learn the same things at home so it is important that as a teacher I teach basic behavior skills so that all my students will equally know how to behave. They may not know exactly what to do in a given situation so I must be able to teach them appropriate responses.

Jenna's Statements

• For a student who struggles with social relationships, or task persistence, or conflict management, you need to do the same things: identify what skills are needed, decide how to teach those skills, and provide opportunities for practice.
• I think the chapter makes a great point by making the correlation between a student struggle with a social relationship and math. If a student is struggling with math, I would not send them out into the hall with nothing related to math to work on. The student would never get better at math. Likewise, a student with a social or task or conflict management struggle needs practice and help in these areas to improve. The student will not benefit from being removed from the situation.
• Some students have strong interests, and those interests can be seen in two ways: as a distraction from the academic work or as an entry point for academic work.
• I think this is important to remember. Why not use something that interest a student so much in order to help motivate them to learn? Otherwise, I will consistently be climbing an up hill battle to try to get the student to stop focusing on whatever interest and focus on the correct topic.
• Conflict is not something to fear; healthy conflict can lead to new learning.
• I think this is a great point, and a point that needs to also be taught to my students. Realizing that not everything will be perfect all the time; there will be conflicts. However, conflicts do not have to be negative. They are a chance to learn something each and every time. 

Tori's Statements

• "In this chapter, we explore how teachers manage their classrooms. Aa positive and supportive community helps classroom management, and mutual respect, clear routines, and clear expectations help a community flourish."
• This simple statement shows the clear outlines that are the basics of a easy-working community within a classroom. Although the ideas may seem simple, it is important to lay this ground work that does not come to all people naturally to ensure your classroom is a positive and supportive community.
• "Engagement with classroom management means communicating to students why a safe, supportive environment is better than the alternative."
• This quote began a paragraph that talked about laying the ground work for a supportive classroom. This involves: spending time teaching routines, having class meetings, managing a supportive and caring environment, etc.
• "The physical arrangement of the furniture and materials can have a major effect on how well the students are able to relax and learn."
• This is something I have never thought about. After reading about the physical features of a room that signifies community and the "student first" mentality, it makes sense that our classrooms should be inviting, relaxing, and show students open arms to learning.

Tyler's Statements

• The first point we want to emphasize is that teachers are powerful forces in students' lives and how we think about our students affects how we treat them.
• Expectations count for a lot. If we expect our student to do well and perform up to par we need to expect it of them (as long as we give them the proper tools). This works both ways though. if we expect our students to fail then they will fail. We need to treat all of our students like they are capable of excelling in the classroom.
• In your own classroom arrangements, consider what kinds of work the arrangements would facilitate and what kinds of work would be more challenging in these arrangements.
• This is why teachers need to think ahead and place the desks in the right place before the lesson. if you are going to be doing a group activity then the desks all need to be in groups, not facing the whiteboard. Likewise, in a class that is heavily lecture base the desks do need to be facing the front. 
• Every student comes to the classroom with his or her own history, feelings, and ideas about school.
• It might be a shocker but some students don't like school, not because they simply think it is boring, but because of past experiences with teachers. because of this it is important for us to understand what their past experiences might have been while trying to change them for the better

Chapter 11

Jenna's Statements



Tori's Statements

• "Transition planning is extremely important, but there is often a risk that it will not be given in the time and attention it needs early enough."
• Planning for adult life cannot simply start when the student has arrived at adult life. I need to share the importance with them of thinking ahead and working towards their future by developing dreams at any age! It is so important that I am helping my students to avoid "missing the boat".
• "Not only should students be present for planning meetings, they should be active participants..."
• This is very true for all students. We should always let the child have a say in their education. This will help them be more involved, and in turn, be more excited about education and what they are doing all this work for. I need to be conscience in having a "nothing about them without them" attitude with my students.
• "One way that teachers can support inclusion is to serve as advocates and teacher advocacy skills to students with disability labels."
• This stood out to me because I want to do whatever I can to love these children and support them as their teacher, and I feel like this is the perfect way to do it. I always want to be known as an advocate for all the students!

Courtney's Statements



Alex's Statements
"It may take some students longer to master skills for independent living, so the earlier the preparation starts, the better."
Some students will have a hard time adjusting to the new lifestyle. The adjustment from middle school to high school can be really hard because there is a lot more freedom in high school and some students do not know how to react under that. Middle schools need to do a better job of preparing the students for the freedom, especially once they get in 8th grade.

"Teachers also need to study the school community and question their own practices to establish and sustain processes and systems that respect and value all students."
As a teacher, I will need to understand what works best for my students. Different students will respond differently to different situations. I will need to fully understand the school environment and the systems that make it up.

"Engaging students in discussions about their interests, strengths, and needs better prepares them to make decisions about their future."
When students have the opportunity to talk about things that they like and that they are interested in they are more likely to feel prepared about their future. It is important for students to realize what their passions are and what they want to do with their life. If they find their passions early then they will be more excited about their future.


Tyler's Statements
 

CH 11

“Planning for adult life cannot start at the beginning of the adult life. This is true for everyone.”

 1. The book uses the example that it would not be smart to start thinking about college on high school graduation day. Preparation is very important to being successful beyond school.

“Sometimes young adults with disabilities are held to an unreasonably high standard and that is not okay, because it is not equitable with the standard for the typically developing peers.

 1. Everyone has different limitations and it is important to realize those limitations. This is especially true for those with disabilities.

 “Even though they legally mandated starting at 16 years of age, transition planning may start earlier. The transition IEP may not be completed until the start of high school, but preparing students for adulthood goals begins many years earlier by giving students a wide range of experiences.”

 1. It is incredibly important to start thinking about transition. People with disabilities have a lot more options than they used to. People with disabilities can go to college and get jobs. With these great opportunities it is important to prepare.

Chapter 10

Alex's Statements:
“Only when everyone in your intended audience can access your message is your job of being a good communicator complete.” Pg. 183

            This is a very important concept to understand because making sure everyone knows what is going on is key to a successful classroom. I will have multiple kinds of audiences in my future class and I need to make sure all the information is accessible to them. If I leave a particular group out then I am not being an effective teacher. I want all of my students and parents to be fully aware of what is going on in my classroom at all times.

“Collaborating includes knowing that more than one perspective is a good thing.” Pg. 183

            Listening to other people’s opinion is key to have a collaborative classroom. Sometimes it can be hard to understand that your opinion is not always the best one. Working with co-workers and peers will help you create more effective lessons and a better environment for your students.

“Families are the experts in the students they send to school.” Pg. 185

            This is super important because I have seen multiple families get pushed to the back burner in their child’s education. They are often seen as logical enough or not helpful enough, especially for low-income students. I need to understand and realize that the parents know the students much better than I do and they can be very helpful if I allow them to be.

Jenna's Statements

• "Both ways have value and we have to value the organization and creativity we each bring to our shared lesson."
• For me this is very important to remember! Earlier in the paragraph is it talking about how the teachers bring their ideas to the table, and I know personally I like to have things very organized. I can't stand being unorganized when working on various things. I can handle some disorganization and just roll with the pushes for a bit, but if I start seeing things go wrong I prefer organization to fix it. However, I have to remember not every one is like this. It is okay for others to not be organized but creative. As long as others are prepared I must keep an open mind.
• "While you shouldn't adopt every new idea you hear wholeheartedly without careful analysis of the possible benefit, neither should you reject something new simply because it is new."
• This falls back into having an open mind but not a careless mind that just does whatever. Keeping a good balance between the two, I think, will lead to good collaboration.
• "Taking risks might also include following your instincts when your administration asks something of you that does not feel right, or acts in ways that do not support what you believe is good practice."
• As a teacher, sometimes I will be the only advocate for my student. I have to remember sometimes that even when no one is backing me, I need to do what I believe is right. I want to be a teacher because I believe it is an awesome platform to share the love of Christ so if I am working for His Glory, I must believe that he will back me when I am the only one standing. I realize many situations I will not go against administration, but in the example given in the book I admire the teacher's courage. I hope to have the courage to stand up for my students when no one else is, regardless of the cost.

Tori's Statements

• "To work well with others, it is important to first know yourself."
• I think this is something that I forget a lot of the time. To be the best team worker I can be, I have to define myself: know my strengths, and deal with my weaknesses. This is super important because when you know yourself, you know what you can best contribute to the group you are working with, and what your limits are.
• "Receiving information with an open mind is one of the single biggest keys to collaboration."
• This is huge! Not only in the real world, but also in the world of the school you will be working for, you must have an open mind. One of the biggest crippling factors one could have is thinking that their way is always the best way. I want to be intentional in my classroom and school to always have an open mind with others.
• "The secret to good teaching is knowing that there is always more to learn, and there is always something new to try."
• This relates a lot with my view on the last quote. I think that one of the reasons many teachers are ruffled up about common core is simply because they have closed their minds to learning themselves. It is so important to remember that there is never an end to knowledge. To be a good teacher, means to take risks and be flexible!

Tyler's Statements

Chapter 10 Statements

“Sometimes teachers fall into the mistake of thinking that not knowing all the answers and they're not good teachers. This is not true. Good teachers are always learning new things and know that is not only okay to need help sometimes, it is an important skill to know when to ask for help when it is needed.”

 1. Teachers need to be able ask for help in the same way that their student need to be able to ask for help when they need help. If you do not ask for help you do not grow or get better.

“The secret to good teaching is knowing that there's always more to learn, and there's always something new to try. Trying something new, or something that you're not sure will work, is risky, but the best way to learn is to be open to new methods and ideas.”

 2. There is no better way to learn then through experience. Our job as teachers is to do the best by the children. Taking risks and trying new things is the best way to do this.

“Teachers have a long history working by themselves. Some teachers want to teach so that they can be the queen or king of their own kingdom.”

3. Teachers are secluded in their classrooms so often that they start the seclude themselves from the other teachers. Teachers need to consider themselves a team and work together.

Courtney's Statements

• "take opportunities to connect with your colleagues when you are a new teacher, and continue to do so once you are a veteran. You will continue to learn throughout your career. Having colleagues to share with and learn from will support your professional growth and help you be the best teacher you can be. 
• This is a great reminder to use your fellow teacher's knowledge. Ask for their advice because they have great experiences to share. 
• ". . . be supportive and aware of your teaching assistant's strengths and preferences.
• If I have a teaching assistant I need to keep in mind that he or she has needs in the classroom and I need to learn from her experiences as well.
• "Staying open minded might include coteaching, learning a course to teach to teach in your content area, or implementing a different way to teach with your content.
• As a teacher I need to be open to trying new things. I have to learn to adapt to different situations.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Assessment

Alex's Statements: 
“Many teachers, principals, and districts make the mistake of thinking that learning how to complete a standardized test is the most important part of learning.” Pg. 163

            This statement really stood out to me because it shows that teaching to a test can be a bad thing. If our focus as a teacher is specifically on completing a test then we are putting a lot of pressure on the students as well as a lot of pressure on a test. This is not the best way to serve and teach our students.

“The IEP meeting will include the assessment team and the parents, and ideally the student will attend as well.” Pg. 173

            This statement stood out to me because I have never thought about the student attending the IEP meeting. This would really help the child because they could have a say in their education process. They would also be able to understand exactly what is going on and feel included.

“If the student has a need in one of the areas, the team must decide what goals are reasonable to achieve in one year.” Pg. 175

            This was really interesting to me because I learned how important it was to make goals achievable within a year. Sometimes it is easy to dream big and set goals that are very difficult to reach, but setting achievable goals is more beneficial for the student because they can feel accomplished when they reach it.  

Courtney's Statements:

• ". . .it is acceptable- and even essential- that you give students a range of ways to show their understanding and progress."
• As a teacher is so important that every child is given the chance to show what they know. Some children do not show their full potential on a certain type of test but they can show what they know by using other ways of assessment.. Teachers have to give a varied amount of assessment in order for the child to fully succeed. 
• "students should be facilitating their own IEP meetings as early as middle school, because the student is the one most affected by what the IEP includes."
• This is a good reminder that students need to be the center of the meeting. Sometimes people forget that the student's opinion matters also instead they opt to let the parents make every decision. Parent input is vital also but the child definitely needs to tell what he or she wants out of the IEP.
• "RTI helps teachers support students by monitoring their progress carefully and changing how they teach based on the results of frequent assessments."
• Response to Intervention or RTI is important so that the student gets the help they need in what subject they  need it in. As a teacher I will need to monitor the students progress and be able to tell if they need more or less help in a certain area. I have to be able to adapt the way I teach in order to reach all the children in my classroom.

Jenna's Statements:

1. "But the focus of good teaching should be on good instruction informed by frequent assessments, and adjusting the teaching methods, processes, and products to meet students' needs."
1. This cycle of frequent assessments is related to the process of RTI's. The cycle of assessment-instruction need to be used everyday as an educator so that I can better teach my students. This is the best test preparation I can give my students for all the high-stakes tests they must take.
2. "The teacher will try strategies to improve student learning and change factors that she believes may have a role in the student's performance."
1. Continuing to improve teaching strategies all the time is very important to remember so that my students and I can both continually learn better. I also think receiving feedback from the students how how I can improve instructions and learning experiences can be very beneficial.
3. "Evaluation is designed to answer three questions: Does the child have a disability that requires the provision of special education and related services? What are the child's specific educational needs? What special education services and related services are appropriate to address those needs?"
1. I think remembering these questions when assessing is important so you know the purpose of the assessment. If these questions are not kept in mind, I think the evaluation can loss majority of its value and not as effectively serve its purpose.

Tori's Statements:

1. "Preassessment begins the cycle. Preassessing knowledge and skills that students already have helps the teacher plan a lesson that meets the students exactly where they are as a group."
1. I think this is something really vital to remember so that students begin and end with success. If we, as teachers, are not paying attention to the students and building our lessons around them and their needs, and less on the curriculum, we will then find success of all sorts in our classrooms.
2. "A few teachers believe that they way they teach is not open for revision, and if a student cannot learn that way, it is the student's responsibility to adjust how they learn to be successful in the classroom."
1. This is alarming to see on paper. We have all had this type of teacher, and the only people that have a successful rate in these classes are the type that respond well with the type of teaching the teacher uses. I will not be this teacher! I will adapt MY lessons to my students, and always be a student-based classroom.
3. "If a student struggles with some academic, social, physical, or behavioral area, the teacher will devote some time and attention to developing hypotheses about what is happening and why."
1. I think this goes back to the student-based classroom idea. I need to have a personal relationship with each of my students and make sure that they are all successful, even if that means differentiation within lesson planning with some of them, or spending extra time with them. It is part of the job, or should be.

Tyler's Statements:

Chapter 9 Statements

“We believe that the important issue is that the student receives what supports he or she needs to be successful in school, and the labeling process can be a tool for getting those supports.”

 1. Labels make it easier to determine what someone needs to be successful. It is important to use caution when labeling though as certain labels are hard to reverse if they turn out to be inaccurate.

“At least once a year, the IEP is reviewed, any goals that were set are discussed and new goals are developed.”

2. This is an important step because it makes sure the child is being helped appropriately. It also helps to make sure every aspect of the IEP really helped the child.

“Once the team has determined that a student has a disability and will receive special education services, the individualized education program, or IEP, is written. The process should not take place without the input of the student and should be very student centered.”

3. It is important to include the child in the making of the IEP because after all, it is their life. Even if they do not get to make the decisions it is important that they are there while the administrators decide their fate.

 

 

Chapter 8 Statements

Tori's Statements:

• "The key to comprehension is to connect, connect, connect."
• This quote stands out to me because it is a reminder that my classroom is not the only classroom the students will learn from. According to this, in order for me to have the students truly learn, it is important for me to help them understand new things by tieing in the knowledge they already have: experiences, other classroom knowledge, etc.
• "The second principle to follow when designing a curriculum is to provide multiple ways for "output"- ways for students to show what they know.
• This is important to remember because not all students are going to be able to be assessed the same way effectively. This is something I need to remember when I get in the classroom so that I will help all of my students succeed. It is important to remember that just because a student fails a traditional assessment, it does not mean they do not know.
• "There are three primary principles to UDL."
• The three primary principles to universal design for learning are to provide multiple means of representation, to provide multiple means of action and expression, and to provide multiple means of engagement. These all build on the idea that all classrooms should be highly differentiated for maximum learning for all students.

Tyler's Statements:

Chapter 8 Statements

“The first principle to follow when designing a curriculum is to provide multiple ways to represent the contents to be learned-the "input."”

1. The input can be a variety of things such as lectures, assigned reading, instructional videos, and activity centers. I will incorporate as many of these as I can into each lesson.

“Perception is needed to learn new information. It teachers present information or early, for instants by lecturing, there are students who will be able to hear the information, but may not be able to make sense of it because they do not perceive auditory input very well.”

2. Some students will be better a perceiving what the teachers say, some will be better at perceiving what they read. I, as a teacher, will provide an array of ways students can get a hold of the information

“The second principle to follow when designing a curriculum is to provide multiple ways for "output"-ways for students show what they know. The two most common ways that we have students demonstrate their knowledge is through writing or oral response to teacher post questions in class.”

3. Not all students can show what the know on a test. They get nervous and then cannot perform as well. In some cases this needs to be accounted for.

 

 

Courtney's Statements:

• The purpose of UDL (universal design for learnig) is to meet the needs of all students in an inclusive classroom.
• It is my goal as a teacher to meet the needs of any child that is in my classroom. I have to figure out in what way in which I can teach a child so that they reach their fullest potential. Every child learns in different ways so I have to teach in different ways so that the children may learn. 
• If you just provide the content in one way, only the students who can access it that way are going to benefit from it.
• It is important to differentiate my instruction so that all the children in my classes may learn. 
• The more connections you can make from what students already know to new information that is learned, the more opportunities you open up for students to comprehend it. 
• It is important that individuals can make connections with what they are learning. It creates ways that people can think and remember vast amounts of information. 

Jenna's Statements:

• In summary, if teachers present information in only one way or assume there is only one way to perceive it, they are excluding many students with differing perceptual abilities.
• With the universal design for learning, it is not developed so that there is one way to best teach the "average" student. It, in my opinion, is a starting point. It is an injustice to not differentiate curriculum for students. Every student have unique ways of learning and perception, and it is my job to try my best to meet as many students where they are at that I can. Otherwise if a student never grasps any perception of knowledge that is presented then he/she won't be able to bring meaning to it and comprehend it.
• Comprehension can be improved when teachers utilize many different ways to activate existing knowledge. The more connections you can make from what students already know to new information that is learned, the more opportunities you open up for students to comprehend it.
• This is important to remember because learning is more than just rote memorization. In order for students to truly learn and understand something there must be connections to something else. Therefore, I can not just present information with no sort of connection to something that my students already know. This is a good way of reviewing old information if presented with new information that is similar, that way students do not just forget old information.
• For students to self-regulate their learning behaviors, they need to know what those behaviors are and how they can be improved.
• I remember from one of the previous chapters that is important to allow students to learn how to self-regulate their learning. Another way to increase their ability to do it, is by the feedback I give my students. I need to remember to give back more than just number grades for feedback. Students can not learn about ways to improve their ways of learning with just a number or letter grade. My feedback has to be helpful for my students.

Alex's Statements:

“Some people are more comfortable with words, while others are more adept at understanding numbers and mathematical symbols.”

            This statement stood out to me because it showed how different students have different ways of learning. When it comes to teaching, I will need to make sure that I understand each of my students needs. I want them to be as successful as possible, therefore I will need to know what it takes to make them succeed.

“The more students know about their strengths, needs, and best strategies, the more they will be able to take charge of their own learning, including self-regulating their performance and progress.”

            I really liked this point because it is all about positive reinforcement. When you tell your students what they are good at, then they will continue to focus on their positives and have self-worth. I want my students to feel important and know that they can always contribute positively to the classroom. The more I tell them about their positives, the more they will contribute to their own learning.

“Assistive technology can be a wonderful support if it allows a student to perform a task that he or she would otherwise not be able to do.”

            Technology can be a really good thing, but it can also be a very distracting thing. If it is not helping the student learn and challenging them, then it can take away from the learning process. Technology is really cool, but sometimes it can be more of a hazard than a help. However, if done correctly then it can be very beneficial to the learning process. 

Chapter 7 Statements

Jenna's Statements:

• It is restricting to value only the type of thinking that is measured on standardized or traditional classroom assessments. Teachers need to broaden their minds to value many types of intellect and thinking.
• I need to remember that a child is more than a test score. I realize there is a lot of emphasis put on test scores because it is not only how students are held accountable, but me as a teacher as well. However, I am failing as a teacher if all I care about is thinking in order to ace a test. 
• Many teachers believe that children will not understand and will become upset if they see another student getting accommodations. We believe that children are capable, and often more willing than adults, of understanding that fair is not always equal.
• Explaining this concept that fair is not always equal to students, I believe, is greatly important because with understanding comes more acceptance. I think it still will be difficult to remember this idea, but is a good one to implement into the classroom.
• In other words, [when differentiating to lead to independence], a strategy is only as good as the context and purpose in which it is applied.
• As a teacher I need to remember the purpose in differentiating and scaffolds is to help students become more independent learners, not more reliant on me. I am going to have to use many strategies because there is no magic formula. Each student and classroom is different. One strategy may work amazing one year and then terrible the next. I need to be used to change. 

Tyler's Statements:

Chapter 7 Statements

“Even though a person may belong to a certain group, it does not mean that he or she is exactly like everyone else in the group.”

1.       It is important for teachers to not stereotype students. This is harmful for the students and looks bad on the teacher.

“The definition of fairness in the classroom, however, is not "everyone gets the same." It is "everyone gets what he or she needs." Because everyone has different needs.””

2. Every child is different with their own individual needs. What one student would get a lot of benefit from another might get little benefit. We need to give each student what they NEED.

“The challenge is that there is not a best strategy. The absolute best thing you come up with for one student may not be very helpful for another, even if they had very similar learning needs and styles.”

 3. Like said above, no student is the same so we need to find the best strategy for each individual student.

  

Tori's Statements:

• "The idea of a shared place brings together all of the concepts of citizenship."
• I want my classroom to be a shared social place. In the chapter, it talks about the value in a classroom where the students feel valued and feeling as if they can take risks without fear of failure. I think the fear of failure cripples so many students and I want to make sure to eliminate that in my classroom.
• "There is another concept that is important to add to your conceptual framework before you are fully prepared to learn about differentiation of instruction. That is the misunderstood concept of fairness."
• The thought that the definition of "fairness" changes when it comes to a school setting is really hard for me. I realize the importance of the shift of the meaning, but I think that it is going to be something that is a concept I will have to remind myself daily to ensure that all my student's needs are met.
• "Differentiation means knowing each of your students well."
• Although this is a very basic quote, it really is packed with a punch. I find that when I think about differentiation, like this quote, it all boils down to each student and their needs. I am challenged by this quote to ensure I know all of my students very well when I have my own class.

Courtney's Statements:

• ". . . all people are better off when together, otherwise we are all deprived of experiences and opportunities to learn, make new friends, and grow as people ourselves." 
• This statement really stands out because it shows that in my classroom I need to strive to include everyone because everyone benefits from being in a classroom together with everyone included. 
• "The definition of fairness in the classroom, however, is not 'everyone gets the same.' It is everyone gets what he or she needs."
• This is such a neat statement because it is so important that the children do not just get everything the same but that the child gets what they need in order to be successful in the classroom.
• "Your role is to make sure you are providing supports in a way that scaffolds a student towards independence rather than supporting them in a way that makes them rely on you more and more. If you are doing it right, they will grow to not need you."
• As a teacher I need to help students reach their fullest potential by helping them to not rely on me so much as teaching them to think for themselves and create their own opinions. 

Alex's Statements:

“A belief in one’s ability to think simply means to believe that everyone is capable of thinking-thinking deeply, thinking creatively, thinking for themselves.” Pg. 129

            This is an attitude that I will have to have for my future students. I want to believe that they are all able capable of thinking in different ways. If I empower them to think in new ways than I have taught them one of the most important life strategies. The next line in the book says you “must broaden the way you think about thinking.” Therefore, my ability to think must also get deeper. If I think more then my students will in turn think more.

“The definition of fairness in the classroom, however, is not everyone gets the same. It is, everyone gets what he or she needs.” Pg. 133

            This is such a good point because fairness is not giving everyone the same thing. That concept does not align with differentiated learning at all.  If I gave every student the same thing, then I would not be meeting the individual needs of the student. Fair and equal are not the same thing.

“ The purpose of differentiating for each student is to ensure that students are each being challenged with work that is challenging but not too difficult, and to help each student become an independent learner.” Pg. 134

            I really liked this statement because it goes along with the point that I made earlier. Having differentiated instruction helps to challenge each student to the point where his or her learning is benefited. Differentiation gives each student a unique challenge. In order to have differentiated instruction, you need to really know your students. You cannot help your students specifically if you do not know what they need specifically.