Throughout my field experience, I have had to interact with my colleagues and teachers within my placement school, in a context that I never previously had. I feel that I have always operated quite kindly and professionally with those who I interacted with, whether that be my peers or otherwise, but I found that this semester, I was working a lot more closely with others than I ever had to previously. This has presented some challenges for me as I navigated working with more people at a much more professional level on a more regular basis, as I had previously been able to interact with others on a much more casual level. I struggle sometimes to keep up interactions, especially in a professional context, as I often feel uncomfortable and unsure in new or less familiar social situations. Speaking confidently is something that I have found that I need to continue to work on, both with my colleagues and with the students that I am interacting with on a regular basis. I feel that I have demonstrated the ability to work alongside my colleagues in a professional manner. I feel that I have been reliable and as prepared as possible throughout the course of this semester. I also feel that I have succeeded in communicating with my colleagues and the teachers that I have had reason to interact with, although that is something that could always continue to be worked on.
In terms of the adaptive dimension and differentiation, I feel that my understanding has grown tremendously over the course of this semester. I have learned and been able to implement many different strategies in various lessons in order to better support all of the learners within the classroom. One strategy that I have implemented throughout all of my lessons is the strategy of modelling or Gradual Release of Responsibility. I have found that walking through each assignment and lesson step by step with the students has been the most effective way of supporting everyone in the class. I have also just in general learned about how to identify students who may be struggling, but in less obvious ways. We were able to observe and interact with all of the students, one-on-one, and I was able to begin to recognize when the typically “stronger” students needed a little extra help or support.