Personal Development
Personal Development is a never-ending project for educators. I strive to learn as much as I can to be the most efficient teacher for my students. Learning is not limited to the classroom environment. I'm always on the lookout for new opportunities to expand my knowledge. I am constantly adapting my teaching style to best fit my students' needs. Below are listed a few of the different events I have attend which strengthened my teaching skills.
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STEDI
I completed an online program through STEDI. It was broken down into four different sections. Those sections are substitute teaching, advanced teaching strategies, advanced classroom management, and advanced special education. These courses were a great refresher on different teaching strategies. I loved the message of creating a positive classroom environment. These courses also taught that concept that teachers have ultimate control of the classroom through their own behavior. This is a concept that I wholeheartedly believe and apply to improve my own behavior.
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Literacy Symposum
The Literacy Symposium took place at the University of Central Florida. It focused on different aspects of language acquisition and classroom management. I learned new strategies such as S.M.A.R.T.R. I also learned about new online tools and resources that could benefit English language learners.
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Urban Education Summit
The Urban Education Summit’s key note speaker was David J. Johns. David J. Johns is the former executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. His speech put in perspective the active need for diverse material in the classroom. He also focused on the concept that students need the ability to express themselves to develop strong leadership roles. After his speech, I attended a workshop about engaging students in civic education. The concept focused on ways to engage students in their own local community to create a more involved citizen.
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Knights Ed Workshops
Knight Ed Talks are workshops provided by the University of Central Florida. They are design to help students consider different aspects of the education field that are not brought to light in traditional education courses. They also provide tips and practical information to help students who are working in the classroom environment for the first time.
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Diversity and Inclusion Training
The University of Central Florida offers training in diversity and inclusion. This training is design to help students and faculty to create a more welcoming classroom environment. I have taken multiple courses through the program. Courses such as ABCs of diversity, standards for cultural competencies, the rise and fall of Jim Crow law, understanding power & privilege, and secular & religious minority awareness. These courses help me to be more understanding of cultural differences and viewpoints. They have helped me create more individualized projects designed to reflect the culture of my classroom environments.
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Rotary Youth Leadership Conference
Rotary provided leadership conferences for participants. These conferences were designed to help students learn how to be proper international ambassadors. They taught us how to respectfully interact with other cultures. They also taught us ways to teach others about our own culture in a fun and inviting manner.