Chapter 2 UbD

            A good teacher must learn the backgrounds of their students in order to properly understand them. Community life, family life, socio-economic standing, and other influences that could affect a student’s learning. Students also come to class with the quadruple A’s. Affirmation gives students the necessary support. Affiliation with the rest of the class gives the student a sense of belonging. Accomplishment gives students the feeling of success. Autonomy allows students to learn on their own. Regardless of the students’ societal standings, they should be able to achieve the quadruple A’s. The best way to address a broad array of issues is to develop patterns that cover many students. Refinements can be made based on the student, but a broad pattern provides a strong base.

            The environment students grow up in will inevitable affect them. An example of this comes from my hometown. My home town of Jay is a dying mill town. Most parents have been put out of work or work minimum wage jobs. Most students live at or below the poverty line. On top of that, the drug trade serves as the only viable way for some families to survive. This type of environment severely effects a students’ ability and drive to learn. Some teachers realize that most live in poverty and do not have family support. These teachers do what they can to provide and educate them. Others write them off as bad kids and ignore the problem.

            In my classroom, I will do everything I can to get the students to trust me. If they trust me they will more likely talk about their personal lives. The more I understand about the students, the better I can accommodate for them.