Caitlin Lane
Secondary English Language Arts Educator
Introduction
Caitlin Lane
Welcome! My name is Caitlin Lane, and I am a bibliophile from Rockwall, Texas. In May 2020, I completed my undergraduate courses at the University of Arkansas with a combined BA in English and Journalism. Since then, I have been working on my Master of Arts in Teaching to pursue my life’s passion and journey of being an ELA Secondary educator and am ready to influence and change young student’s lives. I am a lover of all books and hope that my love for the ELA curriculum, passion for helping students achieve, as well as my vision for helping the next generation succeed is conveyed through this website.
Through my rich experiences in the M.A.T. program, I feel that I have already grown and learned so much about the different facets that go into becoming a secondary educator such as the diverse strategies and methods of teaching models, what it means to have a culturally responsive pedagogy in a classroom, metacognitive facets of observation, and other elements of ELA disciplinary literacy that I hope to illustrate and exemplify through my portfolio.
My Teaching Philosophy
In order to reach and engage with all students, educators must maintain a culturally responsive pedagogy and a student-centered philosophy. I choose to embody those ideas by providing my students with a variety of personalized learning experiences that are academically challenging, developmentally appropriate, and personally relevant in order for them to make informed educational and personal decisions.
Additionally, educating each child as a whole, developing their learning skills, social skills, and emotional capacities based on their needs and desires is a top priority for me. Having taught in ELA classrooms at Woodland Jr. High School and Springdale High School, I’ve witnessed first-hand how helping students develop problem-solving mindsets and find purpose in learning through a culturally-responsive lens can benefit them. My stance as a teacher is to not only build classroom relations with my students, but to also help them reach their potential and become whoever it is they want to be. To do this, teachers must create a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment that is conducive to learning for each student so that they can succeed and thrive.
Furthermore, I firmly believe that it takes all stakeholders, (educators, administrators, parents and students) to be involved in the learning process together to ensure each student’s outcome as a lifelong learner. As long as we continuously work toward building students’ character and confidence in a culturally responsive environment and support them with tools for learning, I trust we will be able to accomplish so much more than just success in the classroom for them.
Teaching Strengths in Action
Lesson Plan Development
See "Unit and Lesson Plans" tab at the top of the page for examples.
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
Culture is central to learning. It plays a role not only in communicating and receiving information, but also in shaping the thinking process of groups and individuals. A pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamental cultures offers full, equitable access to education for students from all cultures.
Thus, "Culturally Responsive Teaching" is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning
Adaptive Teaching Strategies
See "Unit and Lesson Plans" tab at the top of the page for examples.
Parent/Student Engagement
See "TESS Domains" tab at the top of the page for examples.
Let’s Connect
Fayetteville, AR 72704
