Michael Strange | Teaching Portfolio

Equity and Inclusive Design

The classroom is a diverse environment that offers both great challenge and great reward. Currently, in my student teaching assignment I have students that are gifted and talented, special education, English language learners, and everything in between. I have the wonderful opportunity of also teaching an inclusion class alongside a special education teacher. This semester's experience has made clear the fact that even though a classroom is filled with students of varied abilities I, as teacher, must make every effort possible to ensure that every child is learning up to and beyond what is expected of them.

When thinking about how I have used the ideas of equity and inclusion in my lesson design the concept that has guided my instruction is scaffolding. I begin most lessons with elementary examples which I work out as models. After a few examples I give the students two or three simple examples to work on. While they are working on the exercises I circulate through the classroom and stop when I see an error in the procedures to offer individual instruction. I pay particular attention to those students that normally demonstrate difficulty grasping new content. Once I have been through the room I call on a student to show their solution on the board. I do this through one of two means. I either ask for a volunteer or if I find a student that tends to be reluctant or who does not consider themselves as math competent as the other students but has the correct answer I ask them if they would like to show the class what they have done after I tell them it is correct. By getting student participation in this way, through individual instruction, positive reinforcement, and encouragement I have been able to get otherwise reluctant students to show their work. In this way I feel that I have helped them not only gain an understanding of the material, but have also supported them through something that they may not have tried of their own accord.

The results of this method have been promising. More and more I am getting low performing students who ask me to check their work so that they can present at the board. Of course, it hasn't worked one hundred percent, but the opportunity is there and I feel that progress is being made.