InTASC Standard #2
Learning Differences
The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards (InTASC, 2013).
Rationale:
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Brief Description of Evidence: In the spring of 2023, in SPED 240-Culturally Appropriate Practices for Managing Behavior, I created a Behavior Plan for a fictional student. The fictional student was assessed and it was determined that he had a low score in social and emotional development. This student felt that he did not have any friends and that everyone hated him. Most importantly, this student had inappropriate behaviors following the lunch period. The purpose of creating this behavior plan was to gain practice on identifying patterns of behavior and functions of behavior as well as recommending multiple interventions that I would implement in order for the student to receive education in a least restrictive environment. My second artifact that I included in this standard was an assignment where I was given examples of various behaviors and was asked to decipher whether the behavior was a behavioral issue or a cultural difference.
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Artifacts:
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Reflection:
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Analysis of What I Learned: Having the opportunity to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan for a fictional student with various triggers and behaviors, was a great learning experience. It gave me the opportunity to identify patterns of behavior as well as the functions of behavior. I was able to practice applying interventions that I believe would best help this student’s triggers and behaviors. I was also able to think about the positive reinforcement I would apply to a behavior plan as well as the consequences that I deemed appropriate. I also learned how important it is to collect data and apply the data to the behavior plan. I was able to learn a lot from this assignment because it gave me “hands-on experience” as I was able to create a real behavior plan for a fictional scenario and put what I have learned into practice. I am a firm believer in John Dewey’s Hands On Learning Approach. “We learn by doing”, are some of the words of John Dewey, and this artifact is a great example of my learning by doing (2022). By completing the Behavioral Issue or Cultural Differences Assignment, I gained some knowledge and experience in determining whether a behavior is an issue for the student and classroom or if it is simply a cultural difference that needs to be recognized as such.
How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the InTASC Standard: By completing this Behavior Intervention Plan and the Behavioral Issue or Cultural Difference Assignment, I was able to work towards my competency of InTASC Standard 2 because I was able to grow my knowledge and understanding of what it takes to have students with individual differences and students who come from diverse cultures and communities, but still provide them with inclusive learning environments and ensure that each learner meets high standards. Within my Behavior Intervention Plan for a fictional student, I was able to identify which behaviors were behavioral issues and which could be identified as cultural differences and then apply appropriate interventions that I felt would help this student decrease the inappropriate behaviors and increase the desired behaviors and allow the student to still remain in the least restrictive environment.
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Resources:
Council of Chief State School Officers. (2013, April). Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers 1.0: A Resource for Ongoing Teacher Development. Washington, DC: Author.
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Great pedagogical thinkers: John Dewey. Pedagogy4Change. (2022, May 3). Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.pedagogy4change.org/john-dewey/
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