Facilitating Learning for All Students

Houston ISD

What strengths do you possess that support high academic expectations for all Houston ISD students?

One of my key strengths that support high academic expectations for all Houston Independent School District (ISD) students is an overarching commitment to balancing constructive criticism with encouragement for work well done, a strength that is congruent with the Houston ISD Effective Instructional Practice (EIP) guidelines. For instance, the ISD EIP clearly states, "Expect students to be what you want them to be. Observe your students doing well, and let them know how much you appreciate their efforts" (2015-2016, p. 2). In addition, setting and achieving high academic expectations also requires close collaboration with parents (Sanders & Field, 2009), a requirement that also represents another strength of mine. Finally, another important strength that helps me support high academic expectations for all Houston ISD students is my unwavering belief that all young learners can achieve their full potential if given the opportunity.

Alief ISD

Describe the classroom conditions that best facilitate student learning. Include strategies you would use to assure maximum learning for all students.

It is important to note that the student population in the Alief ISD is highly diverse. For example, the Alief ISD emphasizes that it is "the most ethnically diverse of school districts of comparable size in Texas. Virtually every culture of the modern world is represented in its 45,000 student enrollment; more than 80 languages and dialects are spoken" (About Alief ISD, 2016, p. 1). Consequently, in terms of student learning, irrespective of how educators perceive classroom conditions, it is the manner in which this diverse group of students perceives these conditions that matters. In this regard, Asiyai (2014) emphasizes that, "Students' impression about their classroom can have positive or negative impact on their learning. They are able to perceive the nature of their classroom environment and their perception affects their attitude towards learning" (p. 716). Therefore, first and foremost, students need a safe classroom environment that is conducive to learning and the extent to which this perception exists will likely be the extent to which learning is facilitated for all students.

Achieving this type of desirable outcome requires the use of effective relationship-building classroom management strategies. For instance, Ababneh (2014) reports that, "Teachers who adopt a relationship-building approach to classroom management by focusing on developing the whole person are more likely to help students develop positive, socially appropriate behaviors" (p. 301). In this context, effective classroom management strategies include (a) coordinating the manner in which student behave, move and interact during a class, (b) procedures for grouping students for different types of classroom activities, (c) the use of lesson plans, (d) handling of equipment and learning aids, and (e) the direction and management of student behavior and activity (Ababneh, 2014, p. 302).