Reflective Statement for PTS 3 Brittany Granquist

Artifact: Inquiry #1

PTS 3. Diversity: The competent teacher understands how students differ in their
approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse
learners.

1. Write a paragraph explaining your knowledge and understanding of the

standard-put the

standard in your own words.

I think that this standard wants me to recognize the importance of recognizing how each

individual student differs in experience, prior learning, language, culture, family and community

values, and how these factors influence their individual learning styles, strengths, needs, stages

of development, and perspectives. This standard addresses the need for educators to design

instruction and make provisions for the varying needs represented in their classrooms.

Understanding and incorporating individual students’ needs into instruction allows teachers to

make learning meaningful for students – in terms of cultural representation, and appropriate

provisions to aid in the students’ performance and success in school.

2. Explain how the artifact you chose demonstrates your understanding and
application of the

standard.

The artifact I chose that demonstrates my understanding and application of the standard is a

community study I did for my Social Studies class. “Inquiry #1” required the student teachers at

each particular school placement to collaborate in a study of the school community in which

students live and learn. Myself and my two fellow student teachers took an educational
standpoint in thinking of our school community in terms of the wealth of people, things, services,

and resources that exist there and created a short video presentation to share with our classmates

information about our community that would help them understand its areas of wealth and its

areas of need – and what can be done to address the areas of need in instruction. In going

throughout the community and talking with its members, including students, teachers, EMT

personnel, and librarians, my fellow group members and I were able to apply our

“understand[ing of] cultural and community diversity through a well-grounded framework and

[our understanding of] how to learn about and incorporate students’ experiences, cultures, and

community resources into instruction.” Following our study of the community, we used our

knowledge to make suggestions to our cooperating teachers of how to effectively utilize the

community’s assets and address the community’s needs. In doing so, we “use[d] information

about students’ families, cultures and communities as a basis for connecting instruction to

students’ experiences.”

3. A If the artifact has been used in your practice, reflect on how your
teaching will change in

the future to further meet the standard.

B. If the artifact has not been used in your practice, i.e., a class
assignment, reflect upon how

your teaching will be impacted by the assignment.

Although the artifact was a performative assessment, and therefore a simulation of a meeting

between my fellow student teachers and our cooperating teachers, my teaching has been

impacted by the assignment, and will continue to be impacted in my future classrooms. In my

future practice I will participate in similar community studies so to learn where my students live
and learn and how this affects their learning. From my experience with this assignment, I now

know the ways in which to “use cultural diversity and individual student experiences to enrich

instruction” and am familiar with the processes for implement[ing] strategies and interventions

within the classroom and access[ing] appropriate services or resources to assist students with

exceptional learning needs.” Throughout my career as an educator I will get to know my students

on an individual level and connect instruction to their lives in significant ways.

4. Conclude with a paragraph discussing how you are more prepared to

Teach and Learn in a

Diverse Society as a result of satisfactorily meeting the standard.

From having studied in the community in which I was placed, and making conclusions and

proposed instructional revisions based on what I learned, I feel that I am more prepared to teach

and continue to learn in a diverse society. This community is very small, and for the most part,

racially homogeneous – which differs vastly from the school district I attended as a child and

adolescent. Therefore, putting myself into uncomfortable situations in order to learn about the

community and the culture has allowed me to become familiar with “crossing borders” in the

name of making for the best education possible for all students.