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Alex Boswell 12/5/2012 Category: Advocacy for Students and Democratic Citizenship Cultivating Agency in the Classroom The artifacts provided below are from an activity that I presented to a group of 11 th graders while I was student teaching. The activity asks students to (1) read a section of text from The Absolutely True Diary of a PartTime Indian by Sherman Alexie, to (2) use a note taking method while reading, and then to (3) reflect on their note taking, as well as some of their thoughts and feelings about reading. This artifact is meant to serve as evidence of my advocacy for students and democratic citizenship. In the hopes of creating a classroom atmosphere in which all students feel welcome and able to participate, I presented the activity by first communicating to students that the purpose of the activity was to assess, for themselves, what might work or not work for them as developing readers. As a teacher, this activity served three main purposes. First, it was one way for me to assess the reading and writing skills of my students. Secondly, it was my first attempt to reach some of the students who planned on not reading the novel at all, by asking them to read the first few pages and to give the book a chance before they chose to try to get by in class without reading. Thirdly, the note taking system that the students were asked to use was meant to help develop active and close reading skills, as well as to encourage students to own their specific process. The note taking system was merely one way that students might be able to achieve and develop literacy skills. The activity embraced the notion that (1) all students do not need to be or feel the same, (2) they are able to have an opinion in their learning process, (3) they have a right to experience agency and personal discovery in the classroom, and (4) they are able to make choices for themselves when it comes to learn the most effectively. Most importantly students were able to try out a method that was new to many of them and discover or develop skills, in order to be responsible representatives of their own learning. This activity worked well in my 11 th grade classroom as a student teacher. The more resistant learners responded positively to having a personal say in their learning process. They became more invested, through this activity, in finding out how to become better readers, if they weren’t already invested. The more enthusiastic learners in the room were able to share with the class what works and does not work for them on an individual basis as readers. Other students would then light up with excitement because they could relate, or because they were the complete opposite with their learning process. In addition, everyone was given the opportunity to feel extremely capable and to take pride in their participation, since all answers to the activity were valid and could be taken seriously. As the students shared their reactions to the note taking activity, I asked questions, sometimes to an individual student, and sometimes to the class. For instance, at one point I asked, “How many of you remember more of what you read than usual?” or “How many of you hated this activity because you found the note taking to be very distracting?” This artifact reflects my development as a teacher who advocates for students and democratic citizenship. Everyone has a right to an equal educational opportunity, to feel welcome, able to participate, and invested in one’s learning through a sense of agency. Agency and an understanding of oneself is important in how I teach so that my students are able to use what I teach in creative ways and outside of the classroom.

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Alex Boswell12/5/2012Category: Advocacy for Students and Democratic Citizenship

Cultivating Agency in the Classroom

The artifacts provided below are from an activity that I presented to a group of 11th graders whileI was student teaching. The activity asks students to (1) read a section of text from The Absolutely TrueDiary of a PartTime Indian by Sherman Alexie, to (2) use a note taking method while reading, and thento (3) reflect on their note taking, as well as some of their thoughts and feelings about reading.

This artifact is meant to serve as evidence of my advocacy for students and democraticcitizenship. In the hopes of creating a classroom atmosphere in which all students feel welcome and ableto participate, I presented the activity by first communicating to students that the purpose of the activitywas to assess, for themselves, what might work or not work for them as developing readers. As a teacher,this activity served three main purposes. First, it was one way for me to assess the reading and writingskills of my students. Secondly, it was my first attempt to reach some of the students who planned on notreading the novel at all, by asking them to read the first few pages and to give the book a chance beforethey chose to try to get by in class without reading. Thirdly, the note taking system that the students wereasked to use was meant to help develop active and close reading skills, as well as to encourage students toown their specific process. The note taking system was merely one way that students might be able toachieve and develop literacy skills. The activity embraced the notion that (1) all students do not need to beor feel the same, (2) they are able to have an opinion in their learning process, (3) they have a right toexperience agency and personal discovery in the classroom, and (4) they are able to make choices forthemselves when it comes to learn the most effectively. Most importantly students were able to try out amethod that was new to many of them and discover or develop skills, in order to be responsiblerepresentatives of their own learning.

This activity worked well in my 11th grade classroom as a student teacher. The more resistantlearners responded positively to having a personal say in their learning process. They became moreinvested, through this activity, in finding out how to become better readers, if they weren’t alreadyinvested. The more enthusiastic learners in the room were able to share with the class what works anddoes not work for them on an individual basis as readers. Other students would then light up withexcitement because they could relate, or because they were the complete opposite with their learningprocess. In addition, everyone was given the opportunity to feel extremely capable and to take pride intheir participation, since all answers to the activity were valid and could be taken seriously. As the studentsshared their reactions to the note taking activity, I asked questions, sometimes to an individual student, andsometimes to the class. For instance, at one point I asked, “How many of you remember more of whatyou read than usual?” or “How many of you hated this activity because you found the note taking to bevery distracting?”

This artifact reflects my development as a teacher who advocates for students and democraticcitizenship. Everyone has a right to an equal educational opportunity, to feel welcome, able to participate,and invested in one’s learning through a sense of agency. Agency and an understanding of oneself isimportant in how I teach so that my students are able to use what I teach in creative ways and outside ofthe classroom.