PRQ#3

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Rosie Castillo
Vanguard University
Module 506: PRQ #3
February 15, 2016

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PRQ# 3 In what ways can I take ownership of the subject matter and make the subject
accessible and memorable for my students?
Teaching encompasses two key factors, which are making content accessible for students
and teaching the content in such a way that students are engaged. Furthermore as an effective
teacher it is important that I teach the content in such a way that is meaningful to students, to
ease learning. There are so many teaching strategies that can be implemented to help students
with a variety of content subject area. As a future educator is I want to be an effective teacher
that takes ownership of the subject matter and make it accessible and memorable for my
students. For this to be possible the following strategies will set up me up for success, get to
know my students well, plan well, and keep my students engaged as well as motivated.
In a classroom there is a variety of students and learning abilities as well as strengths and
shortcomings. As a future educator I need to take all that information into consideration. The first
step is to assess my students to get to know their abilities well, this is necessary in any content
that is being taught. In fact TPE 8 supports the notion, of learning about students, know what
their background knowledge is. The RICA text states that in order to meet the needs of all
learners it is necessary that the teacher gest to know them well in form of assessment. More
specifically this means that assessing my students is a good way to know their strengths and
areas when they need support. For example if I am teaching a lesson a history lesson, more
specifically on the Civil Rights movement, it is important to know how much students know
about this time period. Knowing where my students knowledge is a good foundation to start a
lesson plan because it will be a balanced lesson plan according to students needs. In essence I
am taking the information the students already know and I am building on it. Getting to know my
students well will help me set my students up for success. The ELD framework supports the idea

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of setting up students for success so they can have the tools to be successful in life. In order for
me to help my students to build strong content knowledge, respond to various demands, have
purpose and discipline I must first know my students well.
The subject matter that I am no comfortable with is history, it is not easy for me to
remember all the dates and facts that happened. Before making any kind of plan it is imperative
that there is clear goal that supports the educational standard. The teacher and the students need
to know the purpose and what will be gained after any given lesson, this should be clear from the
beginning. A good way to overcome this is to plan, and plan well. The Burden & Bird texts
mentions a strategy called backward planning and this is a technique that allows for teachers to
plan according to then end goal in mind. For example a teacher would have standard as a target,
and then they would plan accordingly to help students achieve that standard. The text Methods
for Effective Teaching talks about the importance of planning ahead because it gives educators
the confidence they need in a given subject matter. The book states the following about planning:
When making planning decisions, you need to consider who is to do what, when and in what
ordered instructional events will occur, where the events will take place, the amount of
instructional time to be used and the resources and materials to be used. (Burden & Bird, p.23)
The reason that planning is important is that it allows for the teacher to plan for scaffolding and
accommodations needed to support all students. Planning also allows for the use of technology
and media in a lesson which will accommodate students with different learning modalities. As
well as supporting the 21st century notion of supporting students to :use technology to
efficiently and effectively to achieve specific goals. The fact that the teacher is able to have all
their materials, time and activities well thought out will make the lesson effective and the
students will gain full benefit. The fact of the matter is that it is the teachers responsibility to

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plan for her students to be successful. Teachers can help their students gain the tools they need to
be critical thinkers, college and career ready if they invest the time and planning needed. As a
future educator it is important to have clear goals, plan well, and offer students a variety of
learning tools.
A key predictor that I can make subject matter memorable for my students is by keeping
my students engaged. TPE 5 talks more in detail about students engagement, in fact it
emphasizes on the importance of planning and how stating instructional objectives to students is
important. This is true because if students have an understanding of the purpose of what they are
learning they will be engaged in what they are learning. In order for a teacher to have a good
grasp of this they must have a well thought out lesson, so they can set clear goals for their
students. It is important that in order to keep student engagement, teachers challenge their critical
thinking skills at a level they are comfortable with. Such notion is supported by the DoK, which
is taking students into a deeper depth of knowledge. As a future educator I can help my students
achieve the next level of cognition if I plan and prepare well. Students will be engaged and they
will have meaningful connections with the content they are being taught. Another strategy that I
can use to keep my students engaged and motivated is by exposing them to different kinds of
texts, just as the ELD frameworks tells us. It is important that students to be broadly literate,
which means that I am to provide what is beyond text such as, dramas, radio programs, poetry.
Since the subject matter I struggle with is history there are so many ways I can engage my
students in history lessons outside a book or a written text. This is very exciting as an educator,
to think that the sky is the limit.

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To conclude, when as a future teacher I read the following expectation from TPE 4 that in

essence states that I am to use specific strategies and focus on the standards while at the same
time have a balanced curriculum, it sounds overwhelming. However on top of this I must also
keep my students engaged and motivated, then the task seems un-reachable. However, that is not
so, because if I know my students well, plan ahead and have strategies to keep my students
engaged and motivated, then it does not seem so bad. As a matter of fact although, it is a
challenge, it seems like a great opportunity for phenomenal teaching.

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References
Burden, P. R., & Byrd, D. M. (2010). Methods for effective teaching: Meeting the needs
of all students (6th ed.). San Francisco: Pearson Education, Inc.
ELD Framework: Chapter Two: English Language Arts/English Language Development .
retrieved from: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/cf/documents/elaeldfwchapter2.pdf on 02/10/2016
Karin K. Hess: (2009) Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrix. Retrieved from: www.nciea.org
TPEs (Teaching Performance Expectations) retrieved from:
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/TPA-files/TPEs-Full-Version.pdf on: 02/10/2016

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Zarrillo, J. J. (2011). Ready for Revised RICA: A Test Preparation Guide For Californias

Reading Instruction Competence Assessment Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.