Teaching as a Profession

Introduction

As a teacher, I have the role to ensure my learners are well equipped with relevant skills at specific educational levels. I am mandated to assess learners work and determine their ability to comprehend classroom work. Assessment of learner`s ability is broad since it requires consideration of holistic aspect of the classroom activities. I assessed Clemintina who is my student using the evaluation level in bloom`s taxonomy. The evaluation method aims at assessing learner`s ability to make judgments about a material presented to them. Therefore the assessment aims at identifying the strengths and weaknesses of Clementina on writing.

Analysis of the Writing Sample

KOKO writing sample reveals strengths and weaknesses in Clementina`s writing skills. Clementina writing sample shows various things she can do without requiring assistance for instance; she can copy a sketch of the assignment.  She can separate one word from the other in a sentence. She can also write both small and capital letters in a sentence. Moreover, Clementina knows to end a sentence with a full stop. However, she needs assistance to write the letters properly in a legible manner. Her work shows that she could not comprehend what she was writing thus she need assistance in reading written materials. She needs assistance to follow the provided guidelines and write all letters as required in the instructions. Moreover, she needs to be assisted in writing full sentences and make letter clear without them overriding on one another. Her performance shows that she has potential for improvement but needs to add some effort towards the necessary skills. Therefore, the learner require the teacher`s intervention to improve what she already knows and introduce new concepts that she seems not to understand. Clementina`s zone of proximal development is learning to read and write. 

Instructional Plan

As a teacher, there are various theories that I can apply to develop instructional pan to teach Clementina the writing skills she needs to write with correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. The instructional plan uses the Banks theory in consideration of the cultural, linguistic and ethnic difference of the learner. Clemintina was born to parents who speak Spanish at home to communicate thus English is not her first language. I will teach the learner from what she already knows using the basic terms in Spanish to help her connect into English. The learners should view other cultures from a point of their culture (Banks 151). The learner should understand her own culture fully to see its uniqueness and differences from others. Teaching her from the Spanish point of view will assist her understand how it relates with English. The classroom culture should reflect to her own to motivate her to have the urge to learn about others.  Therefore, I should consider integrating her culture in the instruction to help her relate to the new concepts. I would include the psychomotor domain of blooms taxonomy to assist Clementina to write. The domain would assist her to improve her performance of motor task. I would integrate assisting her to hold a pen and the writing material in the right manner to enhance accuracy and smoothness in her writing skills. The learner will be able to copy the written material while observing the prepared sample. Psychomotor domain aims at assisting the learner to co-ordinate her muscular movements especially the fine motor skills to control the hands and the fingers to make intricate movements. Therefore, i would I would include psychomotor in the instructional plan to improve her handwriting.  

The instructional plan would also include a concept from Bronfenbrenner`s theory of ecological systems. I would request the parents to take charge and expose him to the language by applying it as they communicate. The mesosystem describe how various parts of children`s microsystem work in collaboration for the sake for the child (Bridges 1). The parents should take active role in Clementina`s school, such as continuing with the classroom work at home by helping her relate the skills from the Spanish perspective. I would encourage them to communicate with her in English and expose her to interact with her peers at home to learn new words. This will be most effective if the parents or peers understand both Spanish and English. Therefore, the instructional planning would focus on the child`s environment that affects how one grows and develops.

I would also include internalization of language to assist Clementina to develop her cognitive ability and apply writing skills to construct a clear sentence. Adults have a crucial role in language internalization in children since they transmit their culture to assist them in adaptation (McLeod, 3). Clementina require to be exposed to social interactions where others are using the language. As a teacher I would ensure that I always give her homework assignment to engage her parents in assisting her to write. Moreover, as a teacher, I will focus on tools of intellectual adaptation such as memory mnemonics to enhance the child to easily remember words. Learning would integrate a system like a pattern of letters which will assist the learner to remember.

Placement Suggestion

The analysis shows that Clementina require intensive relearning process to ensure she comprehends the writing skills. Looking at her sample writing, I believe she should be placed in grade one where basics linguistics are taught. She should be taught afresh with an aim of trying to make her like the language and mitigate the negative attitude towards learning. She should know the basics and from what she already knows from her culture. Clementina lacks the necessary foundation and cannot continue to the next grades with such a performance in writing skills. Therefore, her parents should support her as she starts over again to improve her skills.

After her special education placement, Clementina interacted with her peers whom had similar culture. She started learning in Spanish with peers. Parents at home got active in her learning and helped her to connect Spanish and English. Clementina was lucky because she learnt both Spanish and English and could communicate with the efficiently.  She developed better motor skills and could copy letters, words and sentences which could be read clearly. Her handwriting became legible since she could easily read and write. Moreover, she understood the language and could easily copy meaningful sentences.As a teacher, I understand that learning is a process and includes more than teaching in classroom. Learning should be learner centered thus should begin from what the learners know or what is in their immediate environment before introducing new concepts. The environment of a learner is an important factor to consider in learning process to ensure that they connect with their culture, beliefs and attitude towards certain concepts. Therefore, a teacher has the mandate to understand a learner and determine the effective learning approach to use considering learners differences.  

Works Cited

Banks, J. A “Multicultural Education: Issue and Perspectives (9^th ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2016)

McLeod Saul “Lev Vygotsky” Simply Psychology (2020)

Ruby Bridges “Bronfenbrenner`s Ecological Systems Theory” Project Cornerstone: A YMCA of Silicon Valley Initiative