My name is Andrijana Dordjevic and this is my sixth year as a Special Education teacher at Davenport Ridge Elementary School. Being a resource teacher is a very rewarding job. I not only have the chance to work with wonderful students from different grade levels but I also have the opportunity to collaborate with many of the staff members in our building.
I love to learn from my students. I value and respect their experiences and always encourage them to share what they know. In the first few weeks of school I try to get to know my students as much as possible. I try to understand their needs, their strengths and weaknesses. Although I have a lot of background information on most of my students prior to beginning the new school year, that is only a tiny piece of information and does not define who the student truly is.
I feel that all students work best when there is a clear structure and routine within the classroom. It takes time to establish this routine especially when students are being pulled out of their general education classroom. However, most students will learn their schedules within the first few weeks and gradually become very independent.
I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about the Common Core State Standards in the past six years. The expectations dictated by the CCSS certainly seem very high; however, I believe that with the appropriate accommodations and modifications each student will come closer to meeting these standards. They will be exposed to complex texts and challenged to think critically with the appropriate amount of support that each student may need in order to avoid reaching a level of frustration. I want all of my students to go home each day feeling that they have made progress.
I believe in teamwork. I will encourage my students to always work with others. Some students may only be comfortable with one other person, others might like to work in a large group. In both cases, students are learning respect. They are learning to accept each others differences and embrace each others strengths. This is an important skill that will set them up for success in the school years to come and in their careers.
I love to learn from my students. I value and respect their experiences and always encourage them to share what they know. In the first few weeks of school I try to get to know my students as much as possible. I try to understand their needs, their strengths and weaknesses. Although I have a lot of background information on most of my students prior to beginning the new school year, that is only a tiny piece of information and does not define who the student truly is.
I feel that all students work best when there is a clear structure and routine within the classroom. It takes time to establish this routine especially when students are being pulled out of their general education classroom. However, most students will learn their schedules within the first few weeks and gradually become very independent.
I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about the Common Core State Standards in the past six years. The expectations dictated by the CCSS certainly seem very high; however, I believe that with the appropriate accommodations and modifications each student will come closer to meeting these standards. They will be exposed to complex texts and challenged to think critically with the appropriate amount of support that each student may need in order to avoid reaching a level of frustration. I want all of my students to go home each day feeling that they have made progress.
I believe in teamwork. I will encourage my students to always work with others. Some students may only be comfortable with one other person, others might like to work in a large group. In both cases, students are learning respect. They are learning to accept each others differences and embrace each others strengths. This is an important skill that will set them up for success in the school years to come and in their careers.