Cheyenne's Writing Journey

The UDL approach requires teachers to use "flexible instruction with multiple options and choices" (Meyer, Rose, and Gordon, 2014; Ralabate and Nelson, 2017). The CCSS ELA speaking and listening standards for 9-10 2 and 5 best support the UDL approach. Standard 2 states, "Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source, " (RIDE). Standard 5 states, " Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest," (RIDE). These standards cater to the UDL approach as they both call for educators to use multiple formats to deliver lessons to provide for the different ways in which students learn and take in information.       The NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts caters to...

   During this first week of observations, I tried to look more closely at how the class was functioning beyond getting to know each other. At the start of every class, my cooperating teacher took attendance and then introduced the day's lesson. Depending on the lesson, the cooperating teacher would either have the prompt or directions on the board, pass out a physical copy of the prompt or directions, or both. He always had paper for writing assignments and the students seemed to always supply themselves with pens, pencils, and highlighters. When computers were needed for the lesson, students would either take a laptop from a mobile charging station or the cooperating teacher would have scheduled time in the computer lab.    I noticed that my cooperating teacher was always organized, even when he felt like he wasn't. He always had the assignments and lessons ready to go and was very good about making sure his classes had time in the computer lab when needed, even...

   In today's observations, I took notice of the classroom. The classroom that the freshman were in was very welcoming, fun, and silly. There was a row of ducks on the top of the cabinets, llama and frog cutouts randomly posted all over the room, a calendar with student birthdays and school events, and photographs of the teachers outside of school. There was also an LGBT+ flag hanging in this room. This gave the classroom a more comfortable feeling and allowed the students to see their teachers as people with lives outside of the classroom. It also showed the students that this was a safe space that accepted them.     I noticed that my cooperating teacher interacted with the freshman differently than with the juniors. With the freshman he worked more humor and exaggerated reactions. I took this to be him trying to build relationships with the students by showing them that he has feelings and thoughts and is just like anyone else. I have found in my own experien...