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Sally Gaul

EDFN 440

Final Project

My View of an Effective Teacher

My view of an effective teacher includes five different aspects. These aspects are the

ability to develop relationships with their students, knowledge of their learners, dedication to

teaching, the ability to reflect, and using a widespread variety of instructional methods. Being

able to develop relationships with their students is one of the most important things for teachers

to do because, if you develop healthy relationships a lot of the other things will fall into place

(Jones vii). A teacher also must be dedicated to teaching, which sounds simple enough, but if

you do not feel passionate about teaching then students will not want to listen to you nor will

they feel like they need to know what you are teaching them. Being able to reflect on your ways

of teaching is so very important as a teacher. Teaching is not only about teaching your students,

but it serves as a guide for you to learn from your past methods and learning how to better your

teaching methods. Reflecting on your own performance as a teacher allows you to take

responsibility of your task as an educator and helps you seek understanding of why something

worked or why something didn’t work. The last aspect is using a widespread variety of

instructional methods in your curriculum. This is just as important to your students as it is to you

as a teacher. By using a wide range of instructional methods, you are optimizing your students

learning by responding to the needs of your students. It also ensures that your students do not

get bored and are engaged and learning during every lesson that you teach. An effective teacher

must be able to recognize which of the many things they know how to do applies at a given

moment and be able to follow through by performing the method effectively (Jones vii).
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Students Psychological Needs

There are many factors that go into how students learn, and it all starts with how the brain

works. Teachers can’t fully understand how to teach children and help them retain information

until they study and understand how the brain processes information. As the student takes in

information, that information is briefly stored as sensory storage, then moves to working

memory, then it is either forgotten or is transferred to the long-term memory. This idea is called

the brain-processing model.

For learning to occur, it is important that information is transferred from the working

memory to the long-term memory because only 5-7 pieces of information can be stored in our

short-term memory at one time. If teachers prioritize the information that they give to students,

then they can help avoid cognitive overload in the short-term memory.

Another factor that plays into retention is keeping students’ attention. Studies show that

retention is only at 5 percent when the teacher chooses to lecture, and retention is only at 10

percent when the teacher tells the students to read from the textbook. This is because students

learn best when they are physically doing something to apply the information that they are

learning. The primacy-recency effect also shows that students remember stuff that occurs at the

beginning of the lesson and the end of the lesson; and the stuff in the middle is the hardest to

remember. In class, we talked about how as a teacher we should start class with a bell ringer to

get the students brains engaged and then always ask for a ticket out at the end of class. This will

ensure that the students have retained some information within the lesson, and it will hopefully

move to their long-term memory. Another thing we talked about was that we should have our

“down-time” in the middle of class rather than giving them five minutes at the end of the class.
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This is because of the primacy-recency effect and having the students get up and moving will

allow them to focus better the rest of class.

Students learn best by applying information. They can do so by discussion, practice, and

by teaching others. With these practices, they are more likely to retain information because they

are using ideas and examples from their own brains and applying them to real world problems

and situations. Giving students time to discuss a topic and develop a stance on the content and

backing it up with evidence helps a student process and learn the content.

Throughout this class and looking at how children learn, I have learned a lot about how I

am going to manage my classroom and create my lesson plans. All of this information is useful

when I think about my future as a teacher. As a teacher, I am going to establish a relationship

with each student, practice positive classroom behavior, and establish classroom rules. Having a

positive classroom environment affects students’ ability to learn. Students will learn to think

positively about themselves, their peers, and the material they are learning. Another huge thing

that helps a student learn is giving proper feedback. This is something I am going to try and do as

a teacher because feedback gives the student room to grow and shows them what they need to

improve on. Providing accurate and appropriate feedback gives the student clear standards and

expectations on how they should be performing in my class. Along with keeping a positive

classroom environment, I am going to provide opportunities for my students to work in

cooperative groups and teach others, so they get the most out of their learning experience.

Lecturing for 50 minutes will never be an effective way of teaching and for my Spanish classes. I

plan on having my students practice speaking and writing in Spanish so they retain the

information better and it goes into their long-term memory.

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I also decided to further investigate Abraham Maslow’s Personal Needs theory. Abraham

Maslow created a hierarchy of needs which is a theory in psychology that is organized in a five-

tiered pyramid. The needs on the bottom tiers must be satisfied before the next level needs can

be met. The bottom level is basic physiological needs such as food, water, warmth, and rest. If

these needs are not satisfied, then the human body cannot function to the best of its ability. The

next level of needs are the needs for safety and security. Students need to feel safe and secure so

that they can feel some control in their lives. The next tier is the need for love and a sense of

belonging. A student must feel loved and have a sense of belonging to be able to learn properly

as well. Some examples for a student to feel love are friendship, trust, and acceptance. The fourth

level in Maslow’s pyramid is esteem needs. Maslow showed that the need for respect and

reputation is most important for children and goes before self-esteem or dignity (Applying). The

fifth and highest level in his hierarchy is self-actualization needs. This refers to the realization of

one’s potential, self-fulfillment, and seeking personal growth. Maslow describes this tier as one’s

need to become the best person they can be. Maslow then noted that the structure of his

hierarchy was not as strict as it seems and that it’s based on the individual. For some, the need

for self-esteem may be more important than the need for love (McLeod).

As a teacher, it may be hard to apply this theory to actual practices in a real-life

classroom. This is because I have limited influence on the home lives of our students, however,

once they enter my classroom, I have the opportunity to assess their needs and work on meeting

their needs by adjusting my instructional methods. After investigating Maslow’s theory further,

I have found some ways to apply this theory to my classroom. This starts by allowing students

to have water bottles in my classroom and by providing sustaining nutritious snacks so students

can maintain energy levels throughout the day. To fulfill my student’s safety needs, I will create
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a safe, positive, and inclusive environment in my classroom. Love and belonging is one of the

big levels for me personally because it resonated with me as an elementary student. It is

important to me that my students feel loved by their teacher, their family, and their peers. In my

classroom, I will focus on making my classroom feel like a family. I can do this by making

seating arrangements where they feel supported and put students in groups that encourage

positive behavior and actions. Esteem needs includes the ability of students to genuinely feel a

sense of achievement. As a teacher, I will make sure to consistently provide students with

affirmative compliments and feedback and provide the opportunity for their peers to do the same.

The final stage of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is when the individual is reaching their

full potential and utilizing their strengths. This stage is tricky because in theory, once students

achieve the rest of their prior needs, students will be able to perform at their fullest potential.

However, we shouldn’t expect children to perform at their best if students’ needs aren’t being

met. It is hard to identify if a student’s needs are being met because you only see the things that

are happening in your classroom and sometimes even those things slip through the cracks. It is

important to me that when I become a teacher, I can identify when a students’ needs aren’t being

met and that I do something to make sure that they can get to that final stage of self-

actualization. As they reach that fifth stage, I won’t give up on their other needs; it is important

to stay consistent and keep helping them fulfill all of their needs and reach their fullest potential.

Adult and Peer Relationships

Healthy relationships with teachers and peers in the classroom form the foundation for

students to be able to achieve academically and socially, and to stay motivated. This is one of the
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most important aspects when it comes to teaching. It is not only important for students to feel

respected and welcomed by their teachers but by their peers as well. After a study done on inner

city high school and middle school students, they concluded that students value three skills from

their teachers. These three skills are establishing caring relationships with students, setting limits

and creating a safe environment without being rigid, and making learning fun (Jones 49).

Teacher-student relationships always begin with the teacher and must be established at

the beginning of the school year. When I am a teacher, I plan on sending out a greeting card to

all students and their families on back to school night. This introductory letter is a good way for

initial communication with families and students. Within the letter will be a brief introduction of

myself as their teach and as an individual, my contact information, and I will ask the caregivers

if there is any information that I need to know about their child before the school year begins.

This will allow me to get to know my students better so I can best serve them as their teacher.

Another way that I would establish healthy relationships with my students is getting to

know what their interests include, such as hobbies, sports, what they like to watch on tv, etc. In

order to do so, I will have the students fill out an introduction sheet, so they are able to tell me a

little bit about themselves. This will provide me with information that I can use in my lesson

plans to relate lessons to my students so they can feel like what they are learning is important and

relevant to their lives.

Students’ relationships with their peers are just as important as teacher-student

relationships. Research indicates that students who are accepted by their classmates have more

positive attitudes toward school and are more likely to achieve closer to their potential than

students who feel rejected and isolated (Jones 95). According to Maslow’s Personal Needs

Theory, a student must feel a sense of love and belonging to be able to be successful in the
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classroom. This process starts with the teacher. As a teacher, I will establish a cohesive and

supportive group environment for my students. I will do this by creating a list of expectations,

rules, and routines with the help of my students. By doing so, the students will feel like they have

some control in the classroom and will be more inclined to behave and follow the expectations

because they created them. I will also consistently give feedback and praise to students with

every opportunity that I have and provide the opportunity for my students to do so with their

classmates as well.

Relationships is one of the most important factors when it comes to student achievement.

In order to be an effective teacher, students must trust you and they also must trust that you will

do everything in your power to make them feel loves and safe in your classroom. Building that

trust will be a process but, in the end, it is so worth it to be able to see your students grow and be

excited to share their education journey with you and their classmates. I will make sure that my

students know that I am there for them no matter what, whether it be to help with homework,

give them advice outside of their schoolwork, or even just to give them a high-five or a smile

when they need it. For me, as a student in high school and middle school, I know that some days

all I needed was a smile from my favorite teacher.

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Introductory Letter to Families Example:

Dear parents and guardians,

Welcome to a new year of school! I am so excited

to have your child in my class. My name is Ms.
Sarah Gaul and I am super excited to begin teaching
Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 at Aberdeen Central High
School. A little bit about me is that I am from Des
Moines, Iowa and come from a very large family. I
graduated from Northern State University, in
Aberdeen, South Dakota, with a degree in K-12
Spanish Education. I absolutely love everything
about the Spanish language and culture, and I can’t
wait to share my passion with your child.
I am looking forward to working with you and
getting to know you and your child. I am going to
do everything in my power to help your child
succeed in their education and participate in the
school day. In order to best serve your child, I would
like to ask you if there is any information about your student that may help me guide them in
their education journey. Please feel free to email/call me if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Ms. Sarah Gaul
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Standards and Behavior Expectations

Expectations

1. Ask permission to leave your seat.

2. Pay attention and follow all directions and procedures the first time.

3. Actively listen, make good eye contact, and participate in class.

4. Be on time to class and prepared with all materials.

5. Use appropriate voice, volume, and language.

Standards:

1. Listen quietly when others are talking.

2. Respect your classmates, teachers, and the school and its property.

3. Be on time and ready to learn and have all required materials.

4. Contribute to whole-class and small-group discussions.

5. Give your best effort every day and ask for help if you need it.

Procedures for High School

Teacher:

1. Set a timer for activities so the students know exactly how much time is allowed and

so I can stay on schedule to fit my whole lesson for the day.

2. Write out my expectations and display them in my classroom so students know what

to expect every single day.

3. Monitor students during silent work time and answer questions that any student might

have.
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4. Have the daily bell ringer activity ready for the students to complete before they walk

in the classroom.

5. Return graded homework and papers promptly with effective and consistent

feedback.

Students:

1. Do warm-up activity quietly at your seat when you first enter the classroom.

2. Raise your hand to answer or respond to a question.

3. When you finish your classwork and homework, you may quietly work on any

activities from my “Vocabulary Words” box on my desk for the remainder of class

time.

4. If you miss a test or quiz day, you will have one week to reschedule and complete that

test or quiz.

5. Class ends when the bell rings and you can leave the room when I dismiss you.

Classroom:

1. You must be in the room when the bell rings or you will be marked as tardy.

2. Bathroom breaks are permitted but you must ask in Spanish: “¿Me permite ir al baño

por favor?”

3. You must stay in your seat during independent work time unless you are specifically

told that you could work with your classmates.

4. Participation in pronouncing new vocabulary words will be tracked using stickers in

your notebook when you choose to be brave and speak in class. If you have 5 stickers
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at the end of a unit, these will translate into one point back on the test. (10 stickers

equal 2 points, and so on…)

5. When we use the school’s computers in class, I will call you up by group to put them

back. Remember, they must be put back exactly how they were before.

Motivation and Maximizing On-task Behavior

One challenge that teachers face is keeping students on-task and motivated. This is

especially true for secondary teachers. It is important to know your students when it comes

keeping them motivated; many students meet their personal needs by successfully completing

classroom activities and assignments, however, other students find school to be frustrating and

triggers anxiety. Understanding how to keep students motivated and its relationship to student

achievement enable teachers to implement instruction that results in all of their students feeling

comfortable and successful at school (Jones 200).

Motivation is shown by three different things. These three things are effort, interest, and

engagement. If students are showing effort then they are likely to have an interest in the activity

or what they are learning, this increases student achievement because students learn best when

they are actively involved in the learning process. This is why participation is so important when

it comes to students. You can easily tell if a student is unmotivated because they do not seem

engaged in class and do not want to participate in any activities. A way to get your students

motivated is by giving them breaks and providing activities that involve movement and

adrenaline-pumping activities. For example, in my Pre-Student Teaching Experience, I had a

class that was super quiet and would rather study their vocabulary instead of playing a game to

practice their vocabulary. To solve this problem, I decided to not give them a choice to study on
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their own. I decided that the class would play Pictionary and the results were amazing. My most

quiet students were up out of their seats yelling out the answers and getting super excited when

they guessed the right answer. This was so awesome to see because I had never seen them so

excited to be speaking and learning Spanish. Motivation is something that the teacher can control

and it is important for teachers to do everything that they can to get students engaged in class and

motivated to learn because, student achievement will follow along when these methods are

applied.

Responding to Inappropriate or Off-task Behavior

Prevention Techniques:

 Teacher will communicate classroom expectations and rules to students in a clear and

concise manner.

 Teacher will frequently refer to the school and classroom rules to the class.

 Teacher will avoid addressing the disruptive student in front of the other students.

 Student will give the student a nonverbal cue by standing next to his or her desk.

Praising Positive Behavior:

 Teacher will acknowledge other students’ positive behavior to direct the disruptive

student.

 Teacher will praise the disruptive student when he or she is exhibiting positive behavior.

 Teacher will praise the student when they are being cooperative and when they are on

task.

Breaks:
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 Teacher will send student on an errand

 Teacher will have the students get up and move or do an activity to get them refocused in

class.

 Teacher will send the student to get a drink and return to class ready to learn.

Positive Reinforcement:

 When a student exhibits positive behavior, they will earn a sticker which they can use to

buy or earn a reward (such as a free jeans day, teacher’s assistant for day, line leader,

etc.)

 Teacher will call home with a positive note from the teacher

 Teacher will write a “proud parent” card that the student can take home to show that they

had good behavior that day.

Consequences for Non-compliance:

 Student will get a verbal warning from the teacher.

 Teacher will ask the student to meet with her after class to respectfully ask the student to

end the behavior.

 Student will complete a “think sheet” with the teacher to reflect on his behavior in class

and why it was disruptive. The student will also think of ways to avoid that behavior in

the future.

Philosophy of Management and Discipline

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My philosophy about managing the behavior of children and youth is similar to the

book’s basic assumptions about classroom management. I believe the most important part of

managing a classroom effectively is by creating a safe environment. This is done by building

relationships with your students and making them feel comfortable and valued. On page seven

of our book, it states “when teachers and students create these types of classroom settings,

students make a high percentage of good choices and their learning is enhanced” (Jones). I also

believe that teachers must have an understanding of their students’ cultural backgrounds and all

of the factors that affect their learning experience. Doing so, enhances students’ sense of

responsibility and ownership of their own learning experience. Effective classroom management

also includes teachers using methods of instruction that encourage and promote learning by

responding to the academic needs of each students and the classroom as a whole. On page eight

of our textbook, it states that “active student engagement in meaningful work at which students

are successful plays a major role in increasing students’ motivation to learn and stay on task

(Jones).

The ability to respond as a teacher is also an important factor of managing children.

Teachers must have the ability to respond effectively when students are behaving in a way that

takes away from their learning and their classmates’ learning. This idea ties into the argument of

classroom management and classroom discipline. Classroom discipline focuses more on teacher

control and the consequences given to students for inappropriate behavior. Classroom

management describes a more general set of rules and procedure in order to avoid issues rather

than respond to them. Classroom management is more effective than classroom discipline

because students learn how to behave in the classroom rather than getting consequences for

every bad behavior they enact.

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References

Applying Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs In Our Classrooms. (n.d.). Retrieved from

[Link]

Jones, V. F., & Jones, L. S. (2021). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating

communities of support and solving problems. Hoboken: Pearson.

McLeod, S. A. (2020, March 20). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Simply Psychology.

[Link]