Teacher reflection form for Objective 9 – sample essay
(NOTE: I am sharing with all of you my answers to the Teacher Reflection Form or TRF that is part of the Results-based Performance Management System portfolio that public school teachers are required to accomplish now that school year 2021-2022 has ended.
This one covers Objective 9, which covers: “Designed, adapted and implemented teaching strategies that are responsive to learners with disabilities, giftedness, and talents.”)
PROMPT #1
Context: Clara is often seen restless or unfocused in class. She also has troubles following instructions and skips activities when left unsupervised.
Action Taken: You had a conference with her parents and found out from them that Clara was diagnosed with a learning disability.
How will you modify the instructions for Clara to keep her focus on classroom activities? Write your reflections in this form. Mention in your reflections a specific learning disability that you are familiar with or have researched on.
MY RESPONSE:
As teachers, we have the responsibility to know as much as possible about our students, especially in the context of things that affect their performance in class. However, this can be challenging for public school teachers who are handling as much as 300 or 400 students every school year.
Hence, from the start, teachers must be able to recognize “red flags” that are being exhibited by students who require special attention. It is also important to stress to students that they can reach out to us – that the communication lines are open – when they need to.
Even before the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been an increasing awareness about the importance of mental health. For way too long, these concerns had been unfortunately invalidated by people from older generations. It is real, and it affects people of all ages.
In one of the schools where I taught before, I had a Grade 12 student in my advisory class who used to be top-performing. Unfortunately, he began experiencing mental health issues that adversely affected his studies. Thankfully, he still managed to graduate from senior high school on time. That experience will serve as my guide in dealing with the situation of “Clara.”
I will give special attention to Clara during class discussions. Number one, I will ask her to sit near the front which will help in ensuring that she will not lose her attention. Number two, I will keep a closer look as regards her class performance to give regular updates for her parents. I will also keep in touch with her other teachers and classmates to determine other courses of action that we can take to make the activities as manageable as possible for her.
Of course, it is worth pointing out that there are limitations as to what us teachers can do as regards Clara’s situation because most of us do not have formal training when it comes to special education.
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