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my journey as a learner, teacher and teacher researcher

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When you are first confronted with a puzzle theres excitement, frustration, confusion and then somehow after trial and error and some strategy, everything comes together. This study brings together pieces of my life that have all fit together thus far. Although, my puzzle remains incomplete, my journey as a learner, teacher and a teacher researcher is one that continues to excite me, challenge me and remind me that eventually, it will all come together..

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Growing up, I was always putting pieces together and trying to find where I fit best. The first, and most important piece of my puzzle is my family. My family is from Puerto Rico. My parents met at the University of Puerto Rico and are very proud of their culture. I am the youngest of three amazing siblings. My brother and sister were also born in Puerto Rico, but I wasnt. I was born right outside Boston, Massachusetts. The second piece of the puzzle has to do with why I was born so far away from where my family was from. I am the daughter of a retired Colonel in the United States Army. These two pieces influence many different areas of my life and serve as the foundation for who I am a learner, teacher and teacher researcher.

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I realized that my upbringing was different from my peers in Kindergarten. In Kindergarten, we had moved off a military base into a suburban community in Texas. All my neighbors were from Texas, their immediate and extended families were in Texas and they were all Caucasian. I was none of those things. It was then that I came to really understand and feel the effects of military life. It was when I was 5 that I realized that going on a plane to visit family two or three times a year wasn't that normal. All my friends had their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins within driving distance but my all my extended family lived in Puerto Rico. Going to Puerto Rico was always fun, but it was completely different from the life I knew in the United States. Everyone spoke Spanish, including my grandparents and I did not really understand why they didn't speak English.

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Being raised in the United States, no one really spoke Spanish yet- at least the people I can remember associating with and I remember refusing to embrace the language. My teachers spoke only English and I idolized them. My friends only spoke English and all I wanted to do was be apart of the group until we moved again. As I grew up, my parents continued speaking to us, children in Spanish, but it got to the point where we would only answer back in English. My older brother and sister were both born in Puerto Rico, so they had more inclusive experience with the language and perhaps felt more connected to it, but I was born in Boston, Massachusetts and prided myself on being an American. By late elementary and middle school, trips to Puerto Rico became a little uncomfortable. My expressive skills were seriously impaired, although I took the language in school and did very well. I had a hard time communicating with my family, which was a terrible feeling but I got around it by having my mom or sister speak for me.

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There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle. There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle. -Deepak ChopraDeepak Chopra EXERT FROM JOURNAL ENTRY My parents are the most important pieces in my puzzle. As I grew up they stressed the importance of education and working hard. My mother and father both worked very hard in their lives and have shown me how a strong work ethic can not only change your life, but other around you. Throughout my life they have provided me with everything I needed, and most importantly they supported my decision to be a teacher. When I decided on being a teacher, my parents were ready to help in any way they could. Both of my parents have come to my classroom every year and meet my students, and I couldnt be prouder to have them in my life. I am who I am, because they are who they are.

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According to Silver, Strong & Perini ( 2000) my strongest multiple intelligences are spatial, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal. EXERT FROM JOURNAL ENTRY: As a reflective teacher and learner I will push myself to not just stay at the surface of the problem but to delve deeper into the why and why not. I will also be more conscious of my ability to reflect in action, as Schon would say, and make decisions based upon my observations. I will continue to be what Dewey called purposeful, in my reflection and always know that there is a stopping point and an action plan that must follow for reflection to be systematic and critical. Another dimension that I will include in my practice is the use of lenses. Prior to this class, I thought reflection was something that was done in solidarity and a more private discussion with yourself. But its more than the autobiography of me as learner and teacher- it's taking into consideration how my students feel, my colleagues and what research supports my position to avoid, what Fendler calls the hall of mirrors). My musical intelligence is a major influence on both me as a learner and myself as a teacher. Through music, song and dance I am able to use my creative nature to synthesize and process information. As a Kindergarten teacher I use this intelligence frequently when lesson planning to address many different MIs in my classroom. As an intrapersonal learner, I am very reflective and enjoy journaling and seek out self- understanding. This intelligence enables me to set realistic and attainable goals for myself.

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While I was pursuing my degree in elementary education, my concentration was in Studio Art. My spatial intelligence gives me an artistic lens to create visual representations. The photo (to the right) is a floor to ceiling instillation piece I exhibited after being inspired by a protest for human rights. As someone who displays strong interpersonal intelligence, I often enjoy working with others to solve problems and feel a sense of teamwork. In the photo (to the left) I am helping to teach a small girl, who I had never met before, the tree pose.

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Intuitive Thinkers prefer to be challenged intellectually and to think things through for themselves (Silver, Strong & Perini, 2000). Intuitive Feelers are the ones who dare to dream, are committed to their values, are open to alternatives, and are constantly searching for new and unusual ways to express (Silver, Strong & Perini, 2000).

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EXERT FROM TEACHER BELIEFS STATEMENT One major belief that lays the foundation for student learning is the creation of a safe place. As a classroom teacher I am granted a four walled room and students to go in it. It is my task to reform that space into a space where students want to be. It is central to my beliefs that safety-- both physical and emotional are basic needs for not just survival, but essential in a classroom where all students can be a part of a meaningful experience. I believe that creating a classroom that is aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and conducive to relationship building is my first responsibility even before meeting the students who walk through my door A culture of respect, shared responsibility and cooperative learning are all at the heart of creating a classroom culture that promotes good teaching and productive learning. Students need to be able to feel like educational taking risks without weighing the consequences of their answers. By encouraging students and building on both their strengths and weaknesses, I believe a classroom with an open door policy will set the climate for optimal learning. As a teacher, I need to know my students. Not just academically, but what their experiences were like before they entered my classroom, what they do when they leave my classroom and what they hope to do after they leave my classroom. By tapping into my students multiple intelligences, exceptionalities, interests, cultures and aspirations I am better equipped to facilitate lessons that create meaningful connections for each student and long term learning. To be a change agent, I need to be immersed in a learning community that promotes reflection and inquiry. Engaging in reflective discussions with colleagues can provide insight that I may not be able to see alone.I am aware that reflective inquiry begins with myself, but to make it meaningful, I believe in seeking out the perspectives of my students, colleagues, and theory. Viewing what we do through these lenses alerts us to distorted or incomplete aspects of our assumptions that need further investigation(Brookfield, 1995).

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Ms. Arroyo's 21st Century Learners EXERT FROM JOURNAL ENTRY I recreated the lesson I saw in my classroom and my students were so highly engaged and productive I was amazed. Thinking it was just a good day, we tried it again with an extension the next day and my students demonstrated their ability to be in control of their bodies and use them in meaningful ways in small groups while maintaining space and order. What I learned from this experience was that being a new teacher, I felt like I had to maintain a controlled environment and by allowing my students to move freely around the room without anything other than verbal directions was never going to work. But I wasn't just giving them verbal directions alone, I was using non-verbal gestures as I modeled the lesson which gave my ELL students more visual support and they were able to recreate their own successful patterns with a partner. And the partners were so engaged by having the responsibility of "being the teacher" and assessing their partner, they were giving constructive criticism-- either by showing their partner what might work better with their body or telling them. Watching my students engage in this experience was a huge learning experience for me. I was shocked by how well it went, even with a hyperactive class-- we were still able to accomplish our goals and I had never seen them so excited about their discoveries that they wanted to perform every day. Technology has been a tremendous influence in on my teaching and the learning that occurs in my classroom. My students demonstrate their ability to enhance the curriculum by using the latest technology. Link: http://msarroyos21stcenturylearners.weebly.com/

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National Board Entry #2 Link: Building a Learning EnvironmentBuilding a Learning Environment http://darroyo.edu.glogster.com/national- board-2/ Family Language and Literacy Blog Link: Language and LiteracyLanguage and Literacy http://familylanguageandliteracy.wordpress.com/ EXERTS FROM JOURNAL ENTRY Now, I am able to understand and contribute valuable information about my students needs and use theories to name what I am witnessing in the classroom. Many of the families that I serve are the first generation to leave their countries and are experiencing the public school system for the first time. After deepening my knowledge base and gaining an appreciation of how English language learners adapt to the public school system I am more aware of potential situations that could cause confusion or miscommunication. I am a more passionate advocator for my students who have the privilege of mastering more than one language and how that can benefit them in the future if their parents continue to educate them in their heritage language. My content knowledge has given me a more credible voice when I feel the need to question why something is happening or not happening in our school. It has propelled me into taking leadership roles and sharing my knowledge with my teammates and promoting open communication about the challenges we face each day. I have also become much more resourceful at finding answers, creating professional networks and adapting practices to the needs of my students. Whether it be creating authentic assessments, analyzing student data or reflecting on the transactions in our classroom, I feel more capable and enthusiastic about tackling issues and promoting student learning due to the classes Ive taken at George Mason University. What we know about good instruction and curriculum in general holds true for English language learners(Goldenberg, 2008).

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Inquiry question Dig deep to find the answer Repeat the process It is about learning about something that you really care about; finding out the how, what, or why of something (Falk & Blumenreich, 2005). As I continue my journey as a learner, teacher and researcher there are many inquiry questions I have thus far. How can I find a balance between required standardized testing and authentic assessment that addresses each individual students strengths? How can I take a developmentally appropriate inquiry stance with such young inexperienced learners? How can I help parents to see that independence is an important step in their childs early education? How can I get my students to be reflective about their own work?

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In creating this autobiographical study, I examined all the pieces of my life and how they fit together to make me the student, teacher and researcher that I am and I want to be come. This study has challenged me to reflect on why I take the stances I do and what I need to do next. As a learner, I want to continue developing my theoretical knowledge. I was not aware that more theorists beyond John Dewey were so invested in critical reflection. The more that I read, the more I know that there is more I do not know! As I start the new school year, I have a new perspective about being a critical reflector thanks to the many theorist and research we have read in this course. As a teacher, I always knew that my autobiography was present in my teaching, but I did not ever acknowledge those facts. Reading Brookfield validated my experiences as a learner and how they are reflected in my teaching and attitude towards my students. As a teacher researcher, I want to learn more about how to answer the inquiry questions. I am always questioning, reflecting and puzzling the why and how questions, but have never fully investigated any thus far. I am excited to conduct my own research that is personal and meaningful to my teaching practice.

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Brookfield, S. (1995). What it means to be a critically reflective teacher. Becoming a critically reflective teacher (pp. 1 27). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Dewey, J. (1933). What is thinking? How we think (pp. 3 23). Boston: D.C. Heath & Company. Falk, B., & Blumenreich, M., (2005). The power of questions: A guide to teacher and student research. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Fendler, Lynn (2003). Teacher reflection in a hall of mirrors: Historical influences and Political reverberations. Educational Researcher, 32 (3), 16-25. Schn, D. (1983). Professional knowledge and reflection-in-action. The reflective practitioner (pp. 49- 69). New York: Basic Books. Silver, H, Strong, R., & Perini, M. (2000). So each may learn: Integrating learning styles and Multiple intelligences.. ASCD: Alexandria, VA.