Running Head: DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS PROJECT

Developmental Standards Project

Rudi E. Schwerdle
EDPS 250
Swanson

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Introduction
As an aspiring music educator, I will be working with children who have a multitude of
backgrounds and skills sets. It is my duty as an educator to provide the highest standard of
education, while also fostering higher thought and creativity that comes with music education. I
am to provide an open and non-judgmental environment that fostering unity and teamwork
within an ensemble and within the classroom. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate my
understanding of InTASC 1, the All Grade Standards, and the Ball State Conceptual Framework.
InTASC 1 states:
The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning
and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional,
and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging
learning experiences.
Concepts in development:
1. Academic Achievement in Bullied Children
2. Self-Esteem Development in Bullied Children
3. Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children
4. Impact of Divorce on Young Children
5. Barriers for Juvenile Offenders
6. Motivating Gifted and Talented Children
7. Second Language Acquisition

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Developmental Research #1
Academic Achievement in Bullied Children
Peer victimization and bullying are hot topics on most of news channels and outlets. Every other
week the news reports of shootings where often it either is the result of troubled children or a
child who is asking for revenge against a school bully. Approximately 20% of children have been
bullied in the United States (Feldman et al., 2014). Since bullying effects so much of a childs
life, it is important to note the academic ramifications as a result of bullying. In the research
provided, middle school students aged 11-14 years of age were surveyed and placed in a
longitudinal study over the 5-year period of 2003-2007 (Feldman et al., 2014). It was found that
students victimized by peers did show lower academic standards, lower attendance and higher
disciplinary referrals (Feldman et al., 2014). The research also concluded that in order to combat
bullying there needs to be a separation of boys and girls programming (Feldman et al., 2014).
This was found because of the inherent differences in boys and girls personality tendencies and
physique changes that happen during this period (Feldman, et al., 2014). The important similarity
between both boys and girls is that they were equally affected negatively by bullying when it
came to academics. GPAs were reported lower than what was expected and found within
students who were not bullied and their likelihood to have positive associations with school to
succeed within middle school and beyond were also lower (Feldman, et. al, 2014). Further
research states that students who were bullied, but were engaged in social interaction and had
support groups were more likely to succeed at a higher rate than students who are bullied and
have little to no social interaction with others (Jenkins & Demaray, 2015). As a result, it is
important to combat bullying to see that students are achieving at higher standards, while also
maintaining an environment that promotes learning and engagement.

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Instructional Decision #1
As a music educator, it is imperative that I have the ability to create safe, healthy, supportive and
inclusive learning environments in all settings encouraging student engagement, collaboration
and sense of belonging (AG 5.1). In either an ensemble or classroom setting, I will make sure
that all my students can come to me with concerns, but also that I am aware of anything that
disturbs the trust and positivity that I instill. In a classroom, I would have my students neither
separated or to close together. According to the research, I will need to combat the problem this
way since little to no interaction did not show positive effects on the learning of bullied students.
In the situation where the bully is in my class with the student who is being bullied, that
interaction would be more limited, however, not removed entirely. As a teacher, I cannot always
disallow conversation and peer interaction. It is not feasibly possible to deny an instinctual and
pivotal form of development, however, I can make sure that my students conduct themselves in a
respectful and accountable manner. In the music field there is no room for isolating students
since it is often a team effort especially within ensembles settings, so it is even more necessary to
prevent my students from creating hostile and untrustworthy environments.
Developmental Research #2
Self-Esteem Development in Bullied Children
Bullying and peer victimization have been linked to low self-esteem (OMoore & Kirkham,
2001). When talking about bullying, it is often mentioned that the bully probably has lower selfesteem than the victim. Although research has shown otherwise and has said that the bullyvictims are more likely to have lower self-esteem than the bullies themselves (OMoore &
Kirkham, 2001). However, in a study done of 13, 112 school children ages 8-18-years old, it was

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found that not only does the level of self-esteem lower the more times a child is bullied, but also
that the more a bully bullies another child, the lower their self-esteem is too (OMoore &
Kirkham, 2001). Further research has found that the likelihood for learning disabilities, ADHD,
reading problems, and neurological issues increases and can become worse with the presence of
bullying (Blood, G. W et al., 2011). It is important to note this because students are hyper-aware
of what makes them different from the others and quickly become self-conscious about their
inabilities. Additionally, research done on students who stutter found that negative connotations
and stereotypes surrounded by stuttering were more likely to be negatively impacted by bullying
and have lower self-esteem and self-confidence (Blood et al., 2011). It is imperative then to have
environments where students cannot feel discriminated or shamed for the problems that they
have.
Instructional Decision #2
To help develop a students self-esteem in the face of bullying, I am required to know the role of
positive relationships and supportive interactions as a foundation for working with children all
with individual characteristics, needs, and interests (AG 2.4). In order to accomplish this, I
would frequently use discussion groups to have students interact with each other. Not only does
this promote further cognitive functioning through individual contribution, but it provides an
outlet for students to engage with their peers socially as well. In the face of bullying, students
need support systems as well as people who understand them or appreciate them. By
understanding that the peers of the students have greater impact than just the teacher alone, there
is more potential for the child to overcome the effects of bullying. However, as the teacher, I still
have to monitor the interactions between the students and be able to determine what students
work well together. I cannot limit completely the interactions between the bully and the bullied,

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but by walking around the room and watching what groups are doing and every so often
interjecting into the discussions to help, lead, or praise a particular group, I show my interest and
attention to what the students are accomplishing and increase the likelihood that students will
interact with one another.
Developmental Research #3
Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children
As our country has grown and aged, the more diverse we have become. Children from all over
the world come to the United States with their families in a pursuit for a new and better life.
However, international adoption rates have continuously increased since the 1970s with
approximately 250,000 adoptions occurring (Meacham, 2006). The interest in these children
language development is important to understanding how they adapt to their newfound
surroundings. As with all children, there is a pivotal point in their early life (between 0 months to
2 years) where their language acquisition is at its highest (Berk & Meyers, 2015). Research has
shown that if a child is adopted during toddler/pre-school age, that the child will have
comparable skills as native born children (Scott, Roberts & Glennen, 2011). However, if a child
is adopted near school age or older, they have a much higher chance of having poor language
skills (Scott, et al., 2011). Even though age is a very key factor on the brains ability to learn
language, it is still possible based on the research that internationally adopted children will have
the same learning capabilities of native born children.
Instructional Decision #3
As a music educator, it is vital for me to have knowledge on all types of student diversity and
have the ability to use that knowledge to promote learning and development for my students

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especially within an ensemble setting (AG 1.4). As the article states, age is a discriminating
factor on language development in internationally adopted students. The intrinsic part of music is
that it is a universal language and can bring consistency and commonality in the students day.
When students have reached me, the likelihood they were adopted after the period of high
language development is high if they are still behind. In order to help the student along, I need to
make sure that I continue what has already been established. Even after the point of high
language development, it is important to talk to the child because that is the only way a child
acquires language (Berk & Meyers, 2015). I would make sure I continuously engage with the
student and make sure that they know what the agenda for the day will be like. Whether or not
they understand every word I say is beside the point since I first and foremost want them to be
included in all activities and assignments, but also give them a set of vocabulary and ritual that
better acquaints them to the language.
Developmental Research #4
Impact of Divorce on Young Children
As of today, half of all marriages end in divorce (Weaver & Schofield, 2015). It has become an
increasingly more common occurrence and has increasingly been further associated with the
likelihood of mental health problems in children who experience it (Boring et al., 2015). One
study done looking at children aged 5-15-years old, found that children who had gone through a
divorce were more likely to have behavior problems than children from intact families (Boring,
et. al, 2015). It is also reported that when the post-divorce home life was described as lessstimulating and less-supportive, the chance of behavioral problems also increased (Boring, et al.,
2015). However, in most cases behavior problems subsided after 2 years if the divorce was
settled well (Boring, et al., 2015). Additionally, there is a possibility within the research that

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shows that a childs display of behavioral problems are not inclusively caused by divorce, but
rather amplified or become more apparent when that adversity comes (Boring, et. al, 2015). In
another study of 146 11-16-year old children from 112 different families, it was found that when
using Children of Divorce-Coping with Divorce (CoD-CoD) online training, the likelihood that
children would be able to cope and feel more comfortable with the divorce was marginally
higher than children who did not. Resiliency has a high impact on whether a child comes out of
divorce or adversity better or for worse (Berk & Meyers, 2015). As a result, time must be
dedicated so children properly realize that divorce is always a possibility and that it can never be
there fault.
Developmental Research #5
Barriers for Juvenile Offenders
The importance of providing a full and comprehensive education to juvenile offenders is pivotal
to keeping them engaged in society. Over 80% of all juvenile and adult offenders either
experience school failure or dropout (Janay B. Sander et al., 2011). However, the likelihood that
these offenders will ever receive a quality education after they are released is low. Research from
Janay B. Sander, concludes that students who are considered juvenile offenders are less likely to
receive a quality education or any education after release based on a numbers of factors and
surveys they completed. The connotations and prejudice that follows students that have gone to
juvenile prisons limits what they can join and complete in school (Janay B. Sander et al., 2011).
In the study, a student who was interviewed said that based upon his record he was never able to
attend a class for typically developing children since teachers and administration assumed that he
would cause a scene (Janay B. Sander et al., 2011). Additionally, several teachers, principals and
administrators were quoted that programs in place to reintegrate and provide services for these

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kids do not do enough and sometimes even take away opportunities for children (Janay B.
Sander et al., 2011). Results of the research also put light on how fellow students, mothers and
probationary staff reacted to stipulations placed upon the students. These ranged from both ends
of the extremes with not enough regulation to too much regulation in areas of fairness, access
and respect (Janay B. Sander et al., 2011). Furthermore, research concluded that students who
identified with any other nationality or ethnicity other than Caucasian, stated that they were often
subject to racism, teasing and/or prejudice more so than students who had no previous offenses.
The researchers state that in future they would like to expand the study further by visiting more
schools and collecting more data, however, they predict that there will only be more data to
support their claim.
Instructional Decision #4
The primary instructional decision you can make for children who are juvenile offenders is being
an advocate for their right to an education. For me, I will always be the teacher that gives every
student as much of a chance as another. However, there are some things we as teachers can do
once those children have entered our classroom. As a future educator, I need to have the
knowledge of developmentally appropriate classroom management approaches and positive
guidance techniques that incorporate various skills and ideas to benefit all different types of
students to facilitate learning and keep students regulating their own education and lives (AG
5.3). By having structure and clear guidelines in my classroom, there is a higher chance that I can
avoid complications with a student in question and along with the other students in my class.
Even though there is variance from one student to the next, appropriate guidelines for the age
group Im teaching makes sure that all students have a moral foundation and a sense of
accountability for their actions. For example, making a rule in place for middle childhood

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students to say please and thank you when asking for something and after receiving the object in
question is pertinent to all students and can keep things civilized (Berk & Meyers, 2015).
Additionally knowing pertinent processes that impact a wide array of students allowing them to
construct meaning and promote critical and creative thinking is important (AG 2.2). As a future
music educator, every day I will be teaching my students how to be creative and think beyond
the material at hand. Especially for children that will be displaced because of their past, placing
them in one of my ensembles and potentially giving them an outlet to be creative and a chance to
forget about what they have done in the past while thinking in the moment is great for their
development. Furthermore, classes such as music survey are a great way to get students listening
to a wide variety of music and getting them thinking beyond just the repetition of a melodic line
or rhythm and appreciating the deeper levels of music.
Developmental Research #6
Motivating Gifted and Talented Children
Gifted and talented students have a large resource pool outside of their normal school day to
challenge and continue their growth, but, research has shown that motivation during the school
day is a big determinant of whether these students excel in and have future success (Rubenstein
& Siegle, 2012). Research from Kathryn Fletcher and Kristie Speirs Neumeister looked at how
perfectionism impacts these students motivation and Rubenstein shows how the lack of support
from the teacher will negatively impact the students desire to pursue aspirations and work within
the school day (Fletcher & Speirs Neumeister, 2012; Rubenstein & Siegle, 2012). A major
problem for gifted students is that they often never have curriculum that actively challenges or
meets the level they are at. Albeit, teachers around the country are told that in order to keep those
students engaged, they must differentiate the material for those students. However, over 50% of

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teachers when surveyed said they did not need to change anything for their students that were
considered gifted (Rubenstein & Siegle, 2012). Students are then given limited material to be
motivated by resulting in a varied amount of responses. Although, perfectionism has a large part
to play in the motivation of the student either positively or negatively. Research shows that
students who were labeled as dysfunctional perfectionists meaning they were students who as
result of needing impossibly high goals for themselves, became less motivated when they missed
points on assignments or answered questions wrong (Fletcher & Speirs Neumeister, 2012).
Besides focusing on gifted children, the research of Fletcher concluded that students who were
labeled as non-gifted non-perfectionists had the lowest overall scores in personal standards,
parental expectations and organization were the least motivated, while students who were
considered healthy perfectionists had scores that reflected non-neurotic and forgiving demeanors
resulting in more extroverted and happy students (Fletcher & Speirs Neumeister, 2012).
Instructional Decision #5
Strategies are needed for gifted and talented students that promote more opportunities for
independent thinking and learning along with times for reflection and higher-order thinking in
order to be challenged and room for growth (AG 2.7). As a future teacher, I need to be able to
keep all students engaged with the material at hand, but also find ways to challenge the students
who are ahead of the curve. By requiring my students that are gifted as well as my non-gifted
students to think beyond the material and make connections to other subjects and their personal
experiences, I am giving simple yet justifiable reasons to differentiate their education. In relation
to music, I can ask my gifted and more developed students to provide recitals, participate in
outside ensembles, work on composition, etc. to further their skills in performance and writing
music to enhance and have implementation for the skills they are learning. Furthermore, having

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the ability to create a culture of learning that promotes high expectations for all students and selfmotivation, can greatly impact the learning of gifted and talented children (AG 5.2). By having a
high standard of education and expectation for all my students, not only to help differentiate for
those gifted students, but also increase the strength and development of my non-gifted students.
In particular, having tiered assignments or classes that require a certain amount of work to be
done to earn a particular grade are ways to give students a barometer of where they want to go
with their education. This will be harder to implement in Pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, however,
the more personal ownership the students have on their education, the more likely they will be
well-adjusted outside of the classroom.
Developmental Research #7
Second Language Acquisition
Throughout the world, the chance that a student will come into the care of teacher without any
concept of the native language spoken is consistently increasing (Berk & Meyers, 2015). More
and more students are considered bilingual and many students are currently engaged in
coursework that has bilingualism in mind. In a study from Samuel S. Larraza and company, they
observed the effects of learning a second language at different ages of acquisition and the effect
dialects have on acquisition (Larraza, Samuel, & Oederra, 2016). Participants were either native
Spanish speakers or native French speakers and were all 18 years or older. The research found
that participants that spoke Spanish had a much harder time answering questions and speaking
phrasing cohesively the older they were when they began learning English than the French
speakers (Larraza, Samuel, & Oederra, 2016). However, the research found that even if the
adult had started English later or earlier, they still were quite adept and keeping both languages
separate (Larraza, Samuel, & Oederra, 2016). The research did find that more research would

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need to be done to find more conclusive evidence on the effect of regional dialects on language
acquisition based upon the variance in their study.
Instructional Decision #6
Mastery of major concepts, theories, and process related to the key parts of development most
specifically linguistics along with identifying factors found in the home, school, community and
other present environments, are vital to promoting English as a second language (AG 1.1). As
stated previously, the primary way to learn and understand language is to have auditory stimuli
from another human being (Berk & Meyers, 2015). Even during later stages of development,
where the likelihood to master the language as quick as children in the beginning stages of
development is not as high, always talking to them and engaging them in activities that promote
speaking is vastly important to their ability to learn English. Group-oriented questions and
answers where all students answer simple questions at once is a great way for the student to feel
comfortable and provides them with the opportunity to part of a whole. This is especially
important for students who are shy or nervous when it comes to one on one interaction and
makes them feel part of the whole and included. Additionally, when working with non-English
speakers, understanding the processes of second-language acquisition and knowing different
strategies to help facilitate learning is important (AG 1.6). By understanding that many young
learners code-switch between languages depending on the context of the conversation or out of
respect for a native speaker of one of the two languages, I can also switch my demeanor based
upon those clues and experiences (Berk & Meyers, 2015). Having the ability to interact
appropriately with any student successfully and intelligently without the language barrier
interfering, would make me a stronger teacher and show my deep respect and understanding of
the student.

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Reflections
Expertise is a skill that no single person can max out. There is no field or task that any one
person can do perfectly since in my experience, there is no field or task that stays the same day in
and day out. True expertise is the understanding that this is the case and knowing that everything
you want to accomplish needs to continue to be improved upon and enhanced. This means that it
is incredibly important for us as teachers to understand as much about our current and future
students as possible. The ability to adapt to a new or unfamiliar situation based upon the research
and training you have done, greatly impacts not only your interactions with your students, but
also increases their chances to learn. If a teacher understands the limitations to how people with
mental incapacities take in new information and retrieve already learned information as well as a
typically developing child, they will greatly improve the quality of education of all the students
and not just the ones that need special attention or no attention. The most important role of the
teacher is to provide resources and skills to their students that they did not have and enhance the
ones that they do. Without expertise or its pursuit, the chance that children will learn simple
arithmetic in math class or grammatical structure in a writing class are slim if the teacher does
not constantly keep learning themselves on how to engage new and old students. The bain of a
teacher's existence is that your classes normally do not stay the same year to year and as a
teacher moves to higher grade levels, you may not even have the same students within the same
year. By being able to know how different types of students work, engage with one another and
you, and what strategies work for different students (audio, visual, tactile), it provides more time
for the teacher in all aspects of their lives in and out of the classroom. The more work you do
earlier and the more work you retain as you age and work throughout the profession, the easier it
is to have a treasure trove of ideas and skills to pull from. Additionally, for a teacher to

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understand the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of their students, is
common sense in my mind. If you are studying different methods on how to teach theory topics
by example, the thought of never looking into how different people grow in these areas, would
greatly hinder your ability to apply the new things you have learned in the first place. Especially
with the climate that we have today where more and more people (children especially) are
talking about mental illnesses, obesity, lack of language development, etc., it is imperative that
we keep up with this in all fields because it affects everything we do. (AG 2)
It is incredibly easy to pinpoint weaknesses in the areas provided above, however, that is because
of the lack of experience that I have within the educational field. Albeit, I know that my goals for
my own personal education will greatly help me continue to make those weaknesses into
strengths and assets. I plan to attend graduate school immediately after my undergraduate is
complete, however, at the latest one year after graduating. I have not been able to pinpoint where
I wish to attend graduate school, but based on the music education degree I am pursuing, my
heart and mind lead heavily towards schools in Texas. Texas could easily be labeled as the music
education capital of the country based upon the strengths of their universities and public school
systems. The amount of experience and talent that flocks to Texas for music is immense and it
seems the best move for me to learn with leaders in the field as well as be in a place with a vast
array of opportunity to learn from. Additionally, in most states, there is required continuing
education coursing while teaching which I will always take apart of, but attending
conventions/clinics that further my understanding in the areas I am weak in and further
enhancing the ones I feel incredibly confident in, are outside events that I will attend regularly.
As a side note, I am very lucky that I have already started that process so I feel extra prepared to
do that as often as possible.

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Engagement is the ability and knowledge of keeping your students yearning for more. As a future
music educator, engagement is our number one priority in retention of information, students and
an audience. We are always in the process of performing for someone and even though that may
seem easy to do, it is by far the most difficult and challenging. For a teacher, to not be engaging
is to not be a teacher. Without being able to hold the attention of our students for any length of
time, we do not have a class or a subject to teach. However, this does not mean every task we
give or every area of study we give has to be interesting to everyone. We will always encounter
the remedial ends of our expertise, but it is up to us to find different ways to keep our students in
the seats and listening attentively. Whether it be giving a lecture, showing video footage, tactile
projects or written assignments, the more we vary the way we teach the more likely we will get
material to matter and stick to all of our students. (AG 5)
As a future music educator, everything is about connecting one concept to another. We are
continuously adding one idea onto another onto another. We are taught to gradually expose
students to the basics of music (rhythm and pitch) until the fundamentals are incredibly solid so
that higher concepts become more manageable to understand like tone quality. If we lump all the
information into a brief time we are dooming are students to never have a strong understanding
of any one of those ideas. However, our students are constantly refining and expanding on ideas
they already know. Where their individual ownership of their learning comes in is in their
practice time. At some point concepts they learned when they started like simple rhythms and
how to play certain pitches cannot be constant reminders when we need to move further.

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Consistent and structured practice is the only way to combat this which we must instill in our
students for them to continue progressing.
When we are first learning to speak and get a more sophisticated vocabulary, we have to speak
and hear others speak. The same applies to solidifying concepts and understanding recently
discussed information. Often teachers get caught up in a vernacular that is more suitable for
colleagues and other experts in the field and it becomes confusing or misunderstood by students.
However, there are still students that understand more than others and may be more creative in
finding new ways to explain something. Since we all learn differently and perceive things
differently, there is a high chance that something another student says in a discussion better
explains something to a another student. Additionally non-pressure intensive quizzes and
evaluations can help students get a rough outline for what they know and do not know or
understand. By switching up the method the student takes the quiz, we provide students with
different avenues for recollection and solidification of information. For example having a student
write down the name of a piece during a short listening quiz and then having the students sing
back the main melody of that piece, it gives them both visual and auditory recollections to help
them later. Especially in a written test, if a student ends up missing a question, they also have a
specific question to ask instead of trying to come up with one on their own. This is incredibly
important since it gives students something to latch onto and also gives them a filter for
important versus non-important information.
My major weakness in engagement is keeping the students wanting more. As I teach, I will
constantly be researching more into fields that I do not know as much about and trying to find
bits of information that create questions for my students. Albeit, the majority of the time that

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information is hard to come by without talking to scholars of a particular composer. That is why
it will be extra important to surround myself with many different resources that are incredibly
expansive and continuously being updated. As a student of Ball State I am a part of the National
Association for Music Educators (NAfME) as well as the College National Association for
Music Educators (CNAfME). This organization is not only an advocate for music educations
across the United States, but also is a vast pool of resource and direction for our field.
Additionally at the state level, organizations based on the designated state Music Educators
Association (IMEA for Indiana) or Bandmasters Association (TBA or Texas Bandmasters
Association) are also great resources to all teachers. Additionally, I have decided to join Phi Mu
Alpha Sinfonia here at Ball State which is one of the premier and most well-known fraternities in
the nation. This brings on a number of resources for me including access to the Red & Black
which is our fraternal magazine. Often articles on music and music education are found from
brothers as well as plenty of recommendations of helpful literature and music. Additionally the
journal of the International Society of Music Education (ISME) is a very reliable and wonderful
resource for music educators everywhere.
As for conferences or workshops available, these organizations have yearly conventions with a
number of different clinics, concerts and a combination of the two as well. I have been fortunate
to attend the Midwest Clinic in Chicago 5 of the past 6 years which is an international
convention for music and more specifically music education. I have been able to attend a
numerous amount of clinics ranging from understanding how to teach for elementary school
music to the inner workings of a particular composers piece. It is an incredible event with only
the best of the best leading the field across the world providing clinics and remarkably talented
young and old musicians in concerts.

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The mastery of context only can be attained through the mastery of child development and a
constant sense of community. Context is fundamentally the ability to be engrossed in all aspects
of growth and development. For a professional, they must be able to engage with their students,
other students, and the family of those students at any given moment at any given location while
taking in every situation as a learning experience. As a future educator, I must notice and assess
methods of learning from not only the material at hand, but how to teach life skills that will be
more beneficial to kids than direct dictation from the textbook. A professional who understands
this can create an infinite number of resources for their students as well as troubleshoot any
scenarios that come up during class time. This level of dedication and awareness is the only way
for a teacher to reach loftier goals and give a comprehensive experience for their students.
Whether it is talking about diversity after a child is questioned for the color of their skin or
explaining the importance of manners to rowdy high school students who just want the day to
end, if the situation warrants the information, you create well received and understand points of
discussion and learning. Additionally, it is imperative for me to have interactions outside of my
classroom to help better the community and my students. However, I do not have to always seek
out these scenarios since they may occur randomly and without planning. Simple interactions
outside the classroom like seeing students at the store or at a park are integral to the child's
understanding that you are still an active member of society. (AG 1)
In a classroom setting, there can often be times when everyone is fending for themselves and no
interaction with other classmates is required. However, a teacher that understands context knows
that this does not create learning. We know that children in order to learn a language need to
speak it and be talked too. Similarly for a child to gain confidence with others and learn how to

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be an advocate for themselves, they need a combination of structured and unstructured

interaction. As students work with others they begin to notice what does not work for them and
what works for others. As a future educator, this is also an opportunity for me to notice these
tendencies as well and offer advice to the students as a whole and individually. Especially within
areas or demographics I am not familiar with, this interaction gives me a better idea of where
students come from and their current and potential abilities. Often times the mistakes
or tendencies made by one person are similar or the same as another. By finding clear examples
of often made mistakes and showing the whole class how to fix and address them, not only am I
creating less work for myself, but it creates a bond and a sense of community within my
classroom when in some areas that cannot be possible with the adults. Students that have similar
or the same issue may find the courage to work together to overcome them. By putting context to
every situation, as an educator I will be able to provide key information and skills to my students
quickly and efficiently.
In relation to context, I am incredibly weak in my understanding of diversity and the under
privileged. Even though I feel very confident in providing everyone with an equal opportunity
and equal support, my knowledge of how to work with students of the inner cities or of different
ethnicities and ideologies is limited. Living in a predominantly white neighbor and middle to
upper class area, outside of the school day I did not get much interaction with the families,
experiences and culture that was rich or lacking in some of my peers. I always had a mixed
collection of friends, but children of are day are more oblivious and frankly do not put as much
thought into ethnicity or religion. In order for me to have a greater understanding of the
disparages in our society, I am looking at various mentoring programs such as Big Brother Big
Sister, social services such as Soup Kitchens and Food Pantries to volunteer at and further

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explore the many areas within the United States and the world meeting different cultures,
nationalities, financial backgrounds, etc. either through service work, teaching or immersive
visits. By actively engaging myself throughout our own society here in the United States to the
societies of the rest of the world, I will better prepare myself to acknowledge and understand the
differences between my own personal life and billions of people around me.

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References
Berk, L. E., & Meyers, A. B. (2015). Infants, Children, and Adolescents (8th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson.
Blood, G. W., Blood, I. M., Tramontana, M. G., Sylvia, A. J., Boyle, M. P., & Motzko, G. R.
(2011). Self-reported experience of bullying of students who stutter: Relations with life
satisfaction, life orientation, and self-esteem. Perceptual And Motor Skills, 113(2), 353364. doi:10.2466/07.10.15.17.PMS.113.5.353-364
Boring, J. L., Sandler, I. N., Tein, J., Horan, J. J., & Vlez, C. E. (2015). Children of divorce
coping with divorce: A randomized control trial of an online prevention program for youth
experiencing parental divorce. Journal Of Consulting And Clinical Psychology, 83(5),
999-1005. doi:10.1037/a0039567
Feldman, M. A., Ojanen, T., Gesten, E. L., SmithSchrandt, H., Brannick, M., Totura, C. W., & ...
Brown, K. (2014). The effects of middle school bullying and victimization on adjustment
through high school: Growth modeling of achievement, school attendance, and
disciplinary trajectories. Psychology In The Schools, 51(10), 1046-1062.
Fletcher, K. L., & Neumeister, K. S. (2012). Research on perfectionism and achievement
motivation: Implications for gifted students. Psychology In The Schools, 49(7), 668-677.
doi:10.1002/pits.21623
Jenkins, L. N., & Demaray, M. K. (2015). Indirect effects in the peer victimizationacademic
achievement relation: The role of academic selfconcept and gender. Psychology In The
Schools, 52(3), 235-247. doi:10.1002/pits.21824

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Larraza, S., Samuel, A. G., & Oederra, M. L. (2016). Listening to Accented Speech in a Second
Language: First Language and Age of Acquisition Effects. Journal Of Experimental
Psychology: Learning, Memory, And Cognition, doi:10.1037/xlm0000252
Meacham, A. N. (2006). Language Learning and the Internationally Adopted Child. Early
Childhood Education Journal, 34(1), 73-79. doi:10.1007/s10643-006-0105-z
O'Moore, M., & Kirkham, C. (2001). Self-esteem and its relationship to bullying behaviour.
Aggressive Behavior, 27(4), 269-283. doi:10.1002/ab.1010
Rajan, V., Cuevas, K., & Bell, M. A. (2014). The contribution of executive function to source
memory development in early childhood. Journal Of Cognition And Development, 15(2),
304-324. doi:10.1080/15248372.2013.763809
Rubenstein, L. D., & Siegle, D. (2012). Introduction to the special issue: Understanding and
promoting motivation in gifted students. Psychology In The Schools, 49(7), 619-621.
doi:10.1002/pits.21625
Sander, J. B., Sharkey, J. D., Groomes, A. N., Krumholz, L., Walker, K., & Hsu, J. Y. (2011).
Social justice and juvenile offenders: Examples of fairness, respect, and access in
education settings. Journal Of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 21(4), 309-337.
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Scott, K. A., Roberts, J. A., & Glennen, S. (2011). How well do children who are internationally
adopted acquire language? A meta-analysis. Journal Of Speech, Language, And Hearing
Research, 54(4), 1153-1169. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2010/10-0075)

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Weaver, J. M., & Schofield, T. J. (2015). Mediation and moderation of divorce effects on
childrens behavior problems. Journal Of Family Psychology, 29(1), 39-48.
doi:10.1037/fam0000043

All Grade Standards and Sub-Standards References

Standard 1: Student Development and Diversity

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Teachers of grades P-12 have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student

development and diversity and demonstrate the ability to provide instruction that is
responsive to student differences and that promotes development and learning for all
students.
1.1

Major concepts, theories, and processes related to the cognitive, linguistic, social,
emotional, physical, and moral development of students in grades P12, and factors in the
home, school, community, and broader environment that influence student development.

1.4

Knowledge of types of student diversity (e.g., cultural, economic, and linguistic

background; gender; religion; family structure), and the ability to use this knowledge to
promote learning and development for students with diverse backgrounds, characteristics,
and needs.

1.6

Processes of second-language acquisition and the ability to use differentiated strategies

based on assessment data to support learning for English Learners.

Standard 2: Learning Processes

Teachers of grades P-12 have a broad and comprehensive understanding of learning
processes and demonstrate the ability to facilitate student achievement.
2.2

Processes by which students construct meaning and acquire skills, including critical- and
creative-thinking skills, and the ability to facilitate these processes for students with
diverse characteristics and needs.

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Knowledge of the role of positive relationships and supportive interactions as a crucial

foundation for working with children, with a focus on childrens individual
characteristics, needs, and interests.

2.7

Strategies for promoting students' independent thinking and learning, reflection, and
higher-order thinking, and the ability to use these strategies to promote students' growth
as learners.

Standard 5: Learning Environment

Teachers of grades P-12 have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student
learning environments and demonstrate the ability to establish positive, productive, wellmanaged, and safe learning environments for all students.
5.1

The ability to create safe, healthy, supportive, and inclusive learning environments,
including indoor and outdoor environments that encourage all students engagement,
collaboration, and sense of belonging.

5.2

The ability to apply skills and strategies for establishing a culture of learning that
emphasizes high expectations for all students, promotes self-motivation, and encourages
students' sense of responsibility for their own learning.

5.5

Knowledge of developmentally appropriate classroom management approaches and positive

guidance techniques, including relationships between specific practices and student learning,
attitudes, and behaviors, and the ability to use this knowledge to create an organized, positive,
and productive learning environment that maximizes students' time on task; facilitates learning;
and encourages student self- regulation, responsibility, and accountability.