Professional Standards

Identify your chosen standard(s)
Standard 3: Diverse Learners – The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches
to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to learners from diverse
cultural backgrounds and learners with exceptionalities (Henson, 2009).
Explain why this Professional Standard is interesting to you
The above professional standards interest me because it explains the core of my career. I
feel like a teacher is able to create a conducive learning environment if they first understand
learner diversity. Different learners come from diverse cultural backgrounds and are thus unique.
Even those whose cultural backgrounds are unique in their individual ways. My ability to reach
each learner and meet their unique learning needs is what will make me a good teacher. I think
this standard defines my central role as a teacher. Even as a strive to use different instructional
techniques, I will do so because I will be dealing with diverse learners whose learning needs
cannot be met by only one common teaching technique or method.
Research and find a conference in your field of study that you would want to attend.
EDxED NYC Professional Learning Conference for Educators By Educators. I would
want to attend this conference. This year’s theme is Empathy, Equity and Excellence (Eventbrite,
2020). It is run by educators. As an educator, I will learn a lot from fellow educators, some of
whom have been in this profession for long and have nuggets of wisdom to share with those who
will attend. Also, the conference aims at sharing the best pedagogy practices. It is a conference

where a teacher gets an opportunity to interact with other educators, network with innovative
thinkers in the teaching profession, and discuss contemporary issues in the 21 st -century
classrooms such as reflective leadership and technology instruction in our classrooms.
Research and share one continuing education opportunity.
I plan on continuing my studies by pursuing a Masters here at Ashford University. I will
specialize in special education for my Master’s degree. I have realized that inclusion has become
a common phenomenon in most schools. If I have to create an inclusive classroom, then I will
encounter some students with special needs. Advanced knowledge on how to handle them, and
how to understand their special gifts will go a long way in ensuring smooth and efficient learning
in the classroom. Also, Special Needs is a wide field, and I am interested in emotional and
behaviourally disturbed children. This is a disability that mostly disguises itself as being
naughty. Most children who are disturbed behaviourally or emotionally pass for introverts or just
unlikable children who most teachers tend to avoid. However, I have realized that this is an area
that needs to be explored further, ad these students deserve a fair hearing and a learning
environment that enhances their abilities and helps them deal with their issues.
Research and include one publication (journal, book, etc.) that supports your learning and
growth in this area.
Gage, N. A. (2013). Characteristics of students with emotional disturbance manifesting
internalizing behaviors: A latent class analysis. Education and Treatment of
Children, 36(4), 127-145.
Gage (2013) explains the characteristics of students who are struggling with emotional
disturbance. Students with this disability struggle with many challenges when receiving

educational services. They require special education services as they are most often than not,
dealing with a challenge that is unique to them. Some of the challenges include low academic
performance, high drop-out rates, increased risk for arrest, and high suspension rates. These
students also manifest many behavioural, emotional, and social characteristics and profiles, thus
making the process of intervention a complicated one. According to Gage, dealing with these
students require specialized training. Even if such students will be in an inclusive classroom in a
regular school, they need special attention from a teacher who has studied special needs
education.
Research a choice of your own.
Loveless, B. (2020). Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in the Classroom. Retrieved 21 May
2020, from https://www.educationcorner.com/behavioral-disorders-in-the-classroom.html
Loveless (2020) explains some of the examples of behaviors showed by children with
these disorders in the classroom. The author explains that the disorder is an umbrella term that
actually encompasses many distinct diagnoses. These may include manic-depressive disorder,
psychiatric disorders, and oppositional-defiance. These children exhibit characteristics such as
they are usually unable to learn, and this cannot be explained by any health, logical, or sensory
reasons. The students also demonstrate inappropriate feelings and forms of behavior in ordinary
circumstances. Third, they have a general tendency to be unhappy or to appear depressed.
Loveless also explains that these children are unable to establish and maintain healthy
interpersonal relationships with other people, such as their teachers and their peers. Lastly, these
children have a tendency to develop fears or other symptoms that show they are dealing with
either school or personal problems. From Loveless’ article, it is evident that this area is huge,

there are many different children who depict behavioral challenges, but are all dealing with an
emotional and behavioral disorder.

References

Gage, N. A. (2013). Characteristics of students with emotional disturbance manifesting
internalizing behaviors: A latent class analysis. Education and Treatment of
Children, 36(4), 127-145.
Loveless, B. (2020). Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in the Classroom. Retrieved 21 May
2020, from https://www.educationcorner.com/behavioral-disorders-in-the-classroom.html
Henson, K. (2009). Making the Most of INTASC Standards. SRATE Journal, 18(2), 34-40.
Eventbrite. (2020). EDxEDNYC 2020 Education Conference. Retrieved 21 May 2020, from
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/edxednyc-2020-education-conference-registration-
89508182383?aff=ebdssbdestsearch