Alexis Teasdell EDP 304 My philosophy of learning is that although it is important to teach information it is equally important to teach views

of self that lead to resilience. Resilient students can function in all environments and still be successful. A teacher may have an outstanding year with their students but if they dont instill resilience in students then they may not be successful in future classrooms. Teachers can teach resilience by using the same factors that can hurt a student, but in a positive way. For example, a student may learn vicariously through another student that bad behavior makes one cool in school. A student can also learn through another student that working hard can lead to success. In my classroom in the future I plan to focus on building resilience as well as teaching information.

Alexis Teasdell EDP 304

Our ultimate goal as educators is for our students to reach their full potential and to become productive citizens in society. As educators it is perceived that this is just a job of academics but it is so much more. Even for a student to reach his or her full academic potential, they must reach a level of adaptability to circumstances and environments that can hinder learning, resilience. It is equally, if not more important to teach students skills and build positive view of self in students eyes that build resilience. For many students before they are able to attempt success academically, they have many hurdles that may harm their success. One significant factor in a students academic success is stereotype threat. If a student is apart of a demographic that is viewed as inferior in certain categories, they may not perform as well or even lose interest. This normally harms women in Maths and Sciences and African-Americans and Hispanics on standardized tests. Although, those are some of the more highlighted demographics, stereotype threat may affect males in the humanities, or other races in what may be viewed as something they wont do well in. By teachers building resilience in students by building a high self-efficacy, they are giving these students more of a chance to succeed. Outside of the demographics students represent, there is also the high level of influence a students environment plays on their ability to learn. According to the theory of Social Constructivism, learning can not be separate from its social context. The environment that a student is can set them up for success or failure. According to Vygotsky, each environment has systems and tools that help them communicate and work together. The most valuable tool is language. As our classrooms become more

Alexis Teasdell EDP 304 global, students may enter the classroom speaking another language. If a teacher first instills resilience, it will be easier for these students to succeed in the classroom. The environment that a student is in also affects what information the student takes in during sensory memory. Students learn a lot of information through observational learning, rather it be vicariously, or from a model. A teacher may do an amazing job giving a student all of the information they need to learn in a class, but in American classrooms, each year students have new teachers. Many classrooms are ran by the Master/Apprenticeship Model, in which there is a teacher in charge and the students learn from that individual. If your student encounters a teacher who does not encourage them to be their best, or puts students into categories, they wont be able to succeed in that classroom without resilience. Some teachers teach based off of the theory of multiple intelligences, and although this theory was not meant to be used in the classroom, teachers sometimes place students in categories due to this view. Learning preferences, formally known as learning styles can affect how a student grows in a classroom. If a teacher labels a child as a kinesthetic learner, that student may believe that if an activity isnt hands on then they wont be able to learn the information. The case may actually be that that student prefers to learn using hands on activities but is still able to learn visually, or even auditory. In order to build resilience teachers must build a strong self-efficacy amongst students. Students must believe that they can be successful in whatever their task is. This would help weaken the effects of stereotype threat on students because they wont feel as if the task they are approaching is something they wont be good at. The best way to build resilience in a classroom is to use the same tools we use to teach information,

Alexis Teasdell EDP 304 scaffolding, and assisted learning. First give students small tasks and activities to show that they are smart and have the ability to be successful. Soon, after a student has seen that they are capable of success, you are able to let go and watch them succeed. Students may even learn vicariously through a student that struggles in the classroom and soon succeeds on a test or a problem that they normally would struggle in. That may establish a sense of hope in other students. Overall, it is just as important that a student leaves a teachers classroom with resilience, through a strong self-efficacy and self-concept, as it is for a student to leave with information in order for that student to succeed in a world full of obstacles. Resilient students can overcome the obstacles of stereotype threat, unsatisfactory teaching and difficult environments and still reach success, which I feel is the ultimate goal of teaching.