Learn+About+Students

Conferences with previous teachers-

Observations-
 * Observations are important an important aspect in getting to know students: helps teacher understand where students are in their learning, development, and personal interests
 * Knowledge about students utilized for differentiated instruction
 * Important to note student responses to different activities and lesson content - "read" the students
 * Not a one time event...DAILY observations necessary for teachers
 * Monitor school studies, personal interactions with other students, and student interests through activities, lessons, and conversation topics/stories

Parent Conferences-

CUM Folder-
 * Located in the front office in a locked room
 * Contains confidential information: school records, report cards, behavior reports, work samples, etc.
 * Can be useful in determining previous school experiences or where a student may be struggling in the classroom
 * This should not be totally relied on - it may take months for the CUM folder to transfer between schools!

Activities-

Home Language Survey-
 * Survey given to any new student in the first two weeks of school
 * Asks the parents if English is the first language in the home or if another language was taught first
 * If classified as an English Language Learner, a C.E.L.D.T. test will be given
 * After C.E.L.D.T. test is taken, students are labeled as Levels 1-5
 * Level 1: silent/active listening
 * Level 2: simple sentences, beginning to learn English vocabulary
 * Level 3: ability to summarize, make comparisons, write simple sentences
 * Level 4: almost orally fluent, comprehends grade level text with help, writes fluently but many grammar mistakes
 * Level 5: socially comfortable, reads/writes at grade level
 * This is NECESSARY: as you cannot wait for the CUM folder to arrive.

Assessments (Formative and Summative)-

Key in on the importance of:
 * Cultural background**- (how will you gather information? why is this important? how do you use what you learn in your instruction?)
 * Cultural background has a great impact on how the student was shaped and formed before arriving to your classroom. A student's culture can include a set of shared values, attitudes, practices, and goals that a particular group of people in a place and time. More specifically, culture can include race/ethnicity, worldview, religion, and experiences. If we, as teachers, understand cultural background to be foundational in what our students identify with, then we must be able to tap into that background as a means of better providing our students with the tools they need to succeed.
 * A teacher can gather this information in a variety of ways, including: Asking past teachers what their experience was with a particular student's cultural background, meeting with parents to assess what the home structure/dynamic is and how that experience has affected the student's culture, looking into the CUM folder, observing the student, or providing ways by which a student can in his or her own words describe their cultural background (i.e. Culture Bag day, Cultural projects, etc.).
 * By gaining a better understanding of the bits and pieces that make up your students, you as a teacher can then gauge as to how that student can best learn, taking into consideration how they understand and view the world around them. For example, my Intro to Teaching professor shared that her experience with many Latino students was that when she was talking to them specifically, she expected them to look her in the eyes. Not knowing that in their particular culture it was a sign of respect to NOT look someone in the position of authority in the eyes, it took her a long time to understand this cultural aspect. In this way, we realize that a student's cultural background may influence everything from how they learn, to how they interact with others.

Language background- (how will you gather information? why is this important? how do you use what you learn in your instruction?)

Content knowledge- (how will you gather information? why is this important? how do you use what you learn in your instruction?)

Health Considerations- (how will you gather information? why is this important? how do you use what you learn in your instruction?)

Interests and Aspirations- (how will you gather information? why is this important? how do you use what you learn in your instruction?)
 * How:**
 * "Interest Inventories": Students can fill them out for themselves or interview a classmate and fill out those answers. It is essentially a list of various activities and the students can mark the activities the like, the ones they don't like, the ones they want to get better at, and activities they are already good at. There should be room at the end for the students to add their own interests. There can also be specific shows or movies they can fill out by the general topic.
 * Have students write autobiographies and include what they want to be when they grow up
 * Observations: What do the students talk about, what celebrities or sports teams do they have on their backpacks, shirts, folders, etc.,what do they share in class, etc.


 * Why is this important**:
 * When students feel the teacher cares about them as people, they are more motivated to learn.
 * When their interests are utilized in instruction, the students will respond positively and will be more interested in learning the material because it has become relatable.


 * How to use the information:**
 * Connect the curriculum to their interests. For example, if students are interested in sports, it can be connected to math, writing, science, and even geography (where is the team from and where are they traveling to play?).
 * If students are interested in music, the teacher can find songs to teach concepts, or even have students write a rap song.