Running Head: Teaching Platform

Teaching Platform
Madison Jolley
University of South Florida

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Introduction

When I was eight years old, I asked my parents for an overhead projector for Christmas,
and I got one. Through my years of schooling I collected all my favorite homework assignments
and class work assignments and kept them in a binder labeled "Lesson Plans." I also
unknowingly adopted many classroom management strategies from my own teachers and used
them in my own classroom of stuffed animal students. So, since I was eight years old, I knew
that it was my calling to become a teacher. At school, I tutored others and was very involved in
every opportunity in the classroom, always helping other students because I became addicted to
the feeling I got when someone I was teaching understood what I was teaching them. As I grew
older, the realities of the teaching world set in and I refused to work so hard for so little pay.
However, in my second semester of college, my fate became inevitable: teaching was my
passion, and I could not study anything but education. Since then, I have been a nanny, worked
as a substitute teacher, and taught piano lessons. Hospitality is another passion of mine, and I am
currently working as a server in a nice restaurant as I work my way through this incredible
program teaching me how to be the best teacher I can be.
Entering this internship, I wanted to learn as much as possible. As I walked into the
school on the first day, I was instantly comforted by the sense of community that I felt in the
school. The elementary school that I completed my field experience in is about 50% male and
50% female. The student population is predominantly White, with many Hispanic students as
well. The school is very large in that it serves over 1,100 students and has to have many co-teach
classrooms that can have larger numbers of students but have two teachers. The location is in a
developing area that used to be rural but is now developing into a more suburban area. Because
of this, there are many students of low socio-economic status, and many students of a high-

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middle class socio-economic status. The dress code for teachers is casual-professional, and
pretty lenient compared to many elementary schools I have substitute taught at. The
administration is friendly to the teachers, students, and interns and there is a sense of community
at the school.
The class that I had the opportunity of interning for is a first grade all boys singlegender classroom. Upon my entering of the classroom, I was concerned about the students'
social needs and had never heard of single-gender classrooms before. I wondered why a parent
would want his/her student in a single-gender classroom. In one conversation with an
administrator, I learned that when the school was first built, the area was still very rural and they
were not bringing in enough students. The administration decided that single-gender classrooms
were a way to bring in students because there were many benefits to that teaching strategy and
many parents would want their students to attend specifically for that reason. Sure enough, the
number of students at the school increased quickly. After this semester of talking to my CT
(Collaborating Teacher), I learned that male and female students typically learn very differently
from one another and have different needs in the classroom. My CT showed me this "Bingo"
chart that she had gained at a single-gender training conference, and it outlines the differences
between the way boys and girls learn, and I began to understand the benefits of this strategy. To
learn more, visit my blog post about teaching in an all boys single-gender classroom:
http://madisonjolley.weebly.com/blog/reflect-and-connect-calling-all-boys.

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My CT has had the boys in her class for going on two years now, because she moved up
to first grade with them. Most of the boys were in the same class last year, with only four of
them being new to the classroom community. The classroom has a subtle "Star Wars" theme and
when I spoke to my CT, she said she let the boys vote on the classroom theme at the end of last
year. The classroom was student-oriented, with almost no free space available on the walls. The
boys' desks were in pairs, all facing forward toward the whiteboard and projector. There was a
large, rainbow-colored area rug with a rocking chair and an easel in front of it. There was
student work hanging on the walls, and each student was greeted by name as they walked in the
room, and each student also knew exactly what to do. I appreciated that procedures were
established yet students were interacting and greeting each other. The feeling in the room was
warm and welcoming, and I felt as if there were very high expectations set by the teacher and
held by the students, and I felt that the students held those expectations of each other as well.

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Articulation of Beliefs About Teaching

Belief #1: Creating Community in the Classroom
After my first internship, I have come to believe that learning cannot occur without a
strong sense of community in the classroom. When there is community in the classroom,
students feel like they are allowed to make mistakes and take risks, and by doing these two
things, we are able to learn and grow. "All of us need to feel that we are valued for our
competencies, skills, and knowledge we bring to a group" (Kriete & Davis, 2014, pg.18). Why?
School is a place where children go to learn and grow academically. However, they spend thirty
hours a week at school, so their social and emotional needs are also, in part, our responsibility as
teachers. The students need to feel that their classroom is a safe place, and that feeling is given
to them through building a community.
Creating community in the classroom has everything to do with building positive
relationships between you and your students, and between your students themselves. "If teachers
can create positive relationships with all students... the need for interventions for chronic
discipline problems will be greatly reduced" (Levin & Nolan, 2014), which means that more

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learning can occur. After my observations and practice in the classroom, I believe that teacher
behaviors that produce positive student-teacher relationships are greeting each student by name,
showing each student respect, being sincerely interested in the students, and seeks understanding
of the student, even while disciplining. Each one of these teacher behaviors enables students to
feel a sense of warmth and community in their learning environment. Teachers can also help the
students in the class have positive relationships by teaching students manners through literature
or other examples, holding students accountable for their actions, and teaching students how
their actions affect others. Each of these can help students be aware of the other students around
them, which in turn will make students accountable for their actions and aware of others'
feelings. This thought process of service and love will foster student-student relationships and
increase the amount of community in the classroom. This semester, my CT was a great example
to me of building community in her classroom.
This is an excerpt from one of my blog posts where I observed community in the
classroom, and the positive effects it has on students: "Last week, a boy was switched into the
classroom because of behavior problems. As a young boy, being moved into a new community,
knowing that it was because he behaves badly, he must have been very intimidated. While I was
there last Thursday, this boy's Popsicle stick was picked to go up and participate in a science
experiment. As he was walking up to the front of the classroom, Student 1 cheered, "Yay
Student 2!" then the rest of the boys joined in. Once he got to the front of the classroom, the
teacher stated, "Student 2, did you hear that? Everyone in this room loves you and cannot wait
to see you throw this ball." We learn in Levin & Nolan (2014) that "belonging is a primary
motivator for the in-school behavior of most boys" (pg. 55). After witnessing Marcus's behavior

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for the rest of the day, this sense of belonging in the class definitely motivated him to work
harder, and participate in class." To learn more about my belief, visit my blog post:
http://madisonjolley.weebly.com/blog/reflect-and-connect-3-importance-of-community
Belief #2: Hold Every Student to High Expectations
I believe that students that are held to higher expectations will flourish academically and
behaviorally in the classroom. "Conveys high expectations to all students" is actually "2c" on
the list of Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAP). I am grateful that is was on our list
of required tasks so that I was able to practice this in the classroom and ultimately gain such a
strong belief. When high expectations are conveyed to students, I believe that it creates a
confidence and trust between the teacher and the student. In Levin & Nolan (2014), we read
about the "self-fulfilling prophecy effect" (pg. 129) by which the expectation leads to behavior
that makes the expectation come true. When someone says, "I expect you to finish this
assignment in a timely manner," that student is automatically more confident in their abilities to
finish that assignment on time, and they know that someone trusts them to do that. This creates
accountability within the student, they know that they CAN do that task, and that they are
accountable if they do not.
One thing that I believe to be important, is that as a teacher, my expectations must be
realistic, and genuine. I must sincerely believe that my students can accomplish the expectations
I hold them to. A non-example of holding students to high expectations would be when teachers
might tell a student to do something, but they do not actually believe that student is capable of
completing that task. The insincerity can be communicated to the student through tone of voice,
facial expression, body language, and the teacher can experience a negative self-fulfilling
prophesy. Since the teacher did not genuinely believe the student can meet his/her expectations,

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the student will not meet them. This is not an equitable way of teaching. The expectations given
should be high, but also realistic. Maybe one student will not be able to finish an entire project
in one day, so you encourage him to get half way done by the time the timer runs out, and you
convey those expectations (which are high for that student) to the student. If students are given
high expectations, and you truly believe that they can accomplish the task you have given them,
that is when they will become motivated to do their best.
Belief #3: Referent Authority is the Most Effective Power Base in the Classroom
I believe that referent authority is the most effective authority in the classroom. Through
my inquiry this semester, I was able to observe my CT as she demonstrated referent authority
and reward/coercive authority, and I was also able to enact my beliefs and practice referent
authority. When a teacher has referent authority in the classroom, "students behave as the
teacher wishes because they enjoy a positive relationship with the teacher and like the teacher as
a person" (Levin &Nolan, 2014, pg. 90). Teachers who have referent authority focus on the
positive, and even in their "reprimanding" they tend to engage in more positive interactions with
students than negative. Students should know that their teacher is a good person, has good
morals and values, is accepting of them, and cares about each one of them and their learning. I
always believe in focusing on the positive rather than the negative, and that translates into the
teaching style and authority that I would like to have in my classroom. I want my students to
know that I am empathetic, respectful, and understanding toward them. In Levin and Nolan
(2014), it is mentioned that some may confuse a teacher with referent authority with a teacher
who wants to be friends with their students. If a teacher wants to be friends with the students, it
is to fulfill some kind of personal need instead of to do what is best for the students. My
classroom will be student-centered, and I believe that a teacher should not be the student's

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"friend" while the student is in that classroom. As a teacher with referent authority, I will simply
be a "warm demander" (Levin & Nolan, 2014, pg. 91) whose authoritative style is effective for
all students and demands that I, as the teacher, get to know my students individually. To be
successful at referent authority, I believe you need to genuinely care about each student's life
outside of the school. I will get to know my students' families, their cultures and backgrounds, to
make sure that my willingness to help my students and my reinforcing, reminding, and
redirecting is real and genuine. I have used referent authority in the classroom:
http://madisonjolley.weebly.com/blog/blog-inquiry-cycle-2
http://madisonjolley.weebly.com/blog/supervisor-observation-2-blog-inquiry-5
Shifts and Expansions of My Beliefs [FEAP 5e]
I expanded on my belief regarding attention getting strategies. At the beginning of this
field experience, I knew that there were many fun ways to retrieve student attention, such as
when the teacher says "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" and the students enthusiastically
say, "Sponge-bob Square-pants!" I always liked to learn new ways to obtain students' attention
and wanted them to be fun and interactive. However, I learned that not all attention getting
strategies have to be verbal, and that students are very capable of picking up on body language
and facial expressions. There were many times throughout my field experience that my CT
stood in front of the classroom and gave the students a strict look that signaled, "I am waiting for
you to be quiet and look at me, so that I can start talking." Magically, the students all turned and
eventually were quiet, ready, and willing to listen. Also, attention getting strategies are used for
individual students as well as the entire class. IF there are one or two students talking/not paying
attention, then the teacher can give them "the eye" or a hand motion that signals, "stop," and
those students will pick up on the signal and realize their wrongdoing. My belief shifted

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throughout the semester and I am grateful to have learned that attention getting strategies are
something that can become habitual, and there is a reason for variation of these strategies in the
classroom.
http://madisonjolley.weebly.com/blog/blog-inquiry-3-attention-getting-strategy
I used to believe that reinforcement would not work, and that students' actions needed to
be corrected by pointing out the negative, but my beliefs have shifted and I have now learned
that and many times my CT will use reinforcement in the classroom to make sure that everyone
is behaving correctly. I was able to follow her lead in saying things such as, "I love the way that
some students have their eyes on the speaker!" At one point, a student was still not paying
attention, and she explicitly taught him how to use reinforcement to correct his behavior by
saying sternly, "When I point out things that other students are doing right, that is a hint, or a
clue, that you should do that too." This way, the student was aware what the reinforcement
meant, and if he already knew what it meant, he was aware that the teacher noticed his ignoring
of it and that he needs to correct his behavior because it is displeasing to the teacher. Throughout
the semester I have had many opportunities to practice reinforcement, and gradually shift my
belief about reinforcement as a management strategy in the classroom.
http://madisonjolley.weebly.com/blog/collaborating-teacher-observation-1-reflection
http://madisonjolley.weebly.com/blog/blog-inquiry-cycle-2
Felt Tensions/Ongoing Wonderings [FEAP 5a; 5e]
As I finished up my field experience and have reflected on my experiences so far, my
concern is mostly rooted in my ability to connect with the students. I am in a class with all boys
and it has always been easier for me to connect with my girl students because growing up I was a

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"girly-girl." I am not, and never have been interested in Pokmon, Star Wars, or Captain
Underpants, and that is all these students like to read about. I know it is stereotypical for me to
assume that all the boys like these few things, however, getting to know my students this
semester, my assumption has been proven mostly true. Some of the students will venture out and
read books such as "Pinkalicious" but that is only every once in a while. I have a wonderful
example from my CT of connecting with the students, however, she has had them for two years
now, and comparing my teacher-relationship with hers is sometimes disheartening. I
know that I am only in the classroom one day a week, but after about eight weeks I still only
connect with a handful of the students. Since my beliefs are so centered on teacher-student
relationships and building that sense of trust in the classroom, this is my main concern. How do
I make connections with students that are so different from me? As I move into my Level 2 field
experience, I continue to wonder about how I can better connect with my students.
Conclusion
Developing these beliefs through the inquiry research and field experience that I was able
to perform, I have started forming my "teacher-self" and becoming the best form of teacher that I
can be. I will continue my inquiry process by continuing to try out different methods of building
community in the classroom. As I enter into my Level 2 internship, I will research ways to
obtain a strong teacher-student relationship with students, by researching literature, observing
specific ways that my CT makes connections with her students, and interviewing her about how
she establishes a climate of trust with each individual student. These specific activities that I
perform in my inquiry process will help me facilitate my continued growth in becoming an
educator. Community is essential in the classroom for me to feel at home in my own classroom
and create the warm environment that I, as an educator, can thrive in. It is also necessary for my

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students to come with open minds and open hearts and really learn and retain the academic
information as well as be emotionally and mentally uplifted and taught, that they may retain the
information and values that they learn. When every student is held to high expectations, the
students are treated equitably and a safe learning environment is fostered. Students are held to
high expectations that are differentiated for each student so that every student receives the
instruction that he/she needs. Referent authority is the most effective use of authority for all ages
and ethnicities. This, in turn, makes my platform one that represents social justice because no
dominant, majority group will be favored or valued more than any other group of students.
Students will have the freedom to act independently and be taught autonomy as they assume
responsibility for their own actions, no matter the socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or culture of
the student. Therefore, referent authority is morally supporting the students through empathy and
enables teachers to treat them with respect, and allows for a relationship that will teach them
much more than just the academic curriculum. As an educator, I will continue to practice having
referent authority, reinforcing students' good behavior, building community and trying to make
individual connections and relationships with my students.

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References
Kriete, R., & Davie, C. (2016). The Morning Meeting Book K-8 (3rd ed.). Turner Falls, MA:
Center for Responsive Schools.
Levin, J., & Nolan, J. F. (2014). Principles of classroom management: A professional decisionmaking model (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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