Hunter Novak

SED464 Signature Assignment

Arizona State University

Table Of Contents

Self-Introduction………………………………………………………………2

Classroom Layout……………………………………………………………..4

Procedures/Discipline………………………………..………………………..5
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Self-Introduction (Philosophy of Education)

Hey everyone, my name is Hunter Novak. I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree

in Education at Arizona State University. I received my associate’s in Science at Glendale

Community College in 2016, and I graduated from Prescott High School in 2010. I was born and

raised in Prescott, a small(ish) town about an hour and a half north of Phoenix. I swam and

played soccer and baseball throughout my high school career. Growing up, and still to this day, I

always firmly believed that I could do anything that I put my mind to. This mindset is courtesy

of my parents, who- for as long as I can remember- instilled in me a strong sense of conviction

that I am meant for great things. Their constant encouragement, their belief in me, and the

knowledge that I could count on them no matter what, made me feel unstoppable. That is why I

want to be a teacher. That is what I want to pass on to my students.

It is not to say that life is without troubles, because trust me, I have had my fair share of

those. Just because you have made mistakes in life does not mean you can’t turn things back

around. I not only want to tell my students, but show them that mistakes can be the very things

that make us. I changed my mind quite a bit on what I wanted to be before landing on teaching,

and that's okay! I encourage you to explore and find out what you love. I went down several

different career paths, with a lot of bad choices sprinkled in along the way. For a major chunk of

my life all I wanted was to be in the medical field. Somewhere along the way, though, I realized

that my wanting to save others did not have to be so literal. For me, that is my goal as an

educator. Not necessarily to “save” everyone, but to help guide them on their paths, give them

the tools that they need to succeed, and to help them find the strength, the courage, and the belief

in themselves that my parents instilled in me.

My classroom will be all-inclusive and no hate will be tolerated. I think that the key to

life is love and acceptance. The LGBTQ community is one that I hold very near and dear to my

heart. My classroom will be a safe place where kids will be allowed to express themselves

without fear of not being accepted. The world is a hard enough place, so my classroom will not

be. I know what it is like to have to hide a major part of your identity, and it takes a bigger toll

on you than I think a lot of people realize. My hope is that no one in my classroom will ever have

to feel that.

I have always been a very caring, goofy, empathetic person, and that is the type of role

model that I will be to my students. My classroom will welcome diversity. I know that no kid is

the same, and that is what I love- their uniqueness. That being said, I know that my teaching

must be able to ebb and flow with my students’ needs. I will challenge not only my students to

be in a constant state of growth, but myself as well. Just because I am a teacher does not mean

that I am no longer a student, and I am looking forward to learning just as much from them as

they will learn from me.

Classroom Layout

Students will sit at tables that have five charis surrounding them (no chairs at the front of

the table so that no students will have their backs towards me). The chairs will be moveable so

that during group work students can move around the table as they see fit. In the back of the

classroom there will be two couches (if space permits), and a round table that students can work

at during free time. There will also be two book shelves in the back with books that I like, books

that students bring in, etc. A snack station will be available so that my students never have to

worry about being hungry. My desk will be in the front of the room so that I can see all my

students.

The way that my classroom will be set up will be inviting for all students. By not putting

chairs at the front of the tables it will help make sure that students are able to see the board at all

times. The couches, bookshelves, and snack station will be a good place for students to relax

when there is time for that.

I will have posters around the room welcoming diversity. I want to have a mood chart so

that students can put their names on the back of a sticky note and move their note to the desired

mood that they are in that day. This way I will be able to tell how my students are feeling

without them having to directly tell me. My classroom will be very welcoming to all.

Classroom Procedures/Discipline

I plan to always greet my students at the door. This will allow me to gauge what type of

mood they are in, depending on how they respond to my “good mornings” or my high fives. I

will have assigned seating in my classroom because it will make taking attendance easier and
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faster. However, on group work days my students will be allowed to move about. Students must

raise their hand to be called on when doing classwork. They will listen attentively to their fellow

classmates during a discussion and will not interrupt each other. My classroom will be a stress

free zone. If I see that students are struggling with an assignment or not understanding a lesson I

will adjust due dates/test dates as needed.

Each student will be given 2 “no questions asked” passes at the beginning of the year. I

know that life happens, so when they turn in one of these in place of an assignment, they will get

an A (quizzes/tests excluded). They must be responsible with these; If they lose them, they lose

them. If they still have them left over at the end of the year they will get a surprise.

If a student is absent on a day that an assignment is due they must turn it in the next time

that they are in class. (Unless they have missed several days, then we will work out a plan

together to get everything done). If a student is absent on the day of a test, they must make it up

within a week. If the original test has already been handed back to the students then they will

take a test that has different questions on it. If a student is in class on a day that an assignment is

due and they do not have it, nor do they wish to use one of their passes, 10% will be deducted

every day that it is late. On homework and tests I will grade their effort, not just if they got the

right answer. Assignments due will be turned in to the appropriate folder on my desk by the end

of the class.

All due dates will be in the syllabus so that the students are aware of them. If this changes

I will give my students a heads up. The weekly class schedule will be written on a whiteboard on

the side wall of the classroom every Monday so that my students will know what to expect

throughout the week. This board will also have important dates on it such as quiz/test dates.
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I do not believe in telling a student that they cannot use the restroom. A hall pass will

hang by the door for students to use when they need to leave the classroom. The day before test

days I will remind my students to please try and use the restroom before class starts that day.

On group work days and study days, music will be played. I will allow my students to

add songs to our class playlist, with the exception of explicit songs.

My hope is that through mutual respect, misbehavior will be at a minimum in my

classroom. However, when rules are broken there will be consequences. First, I will issue the

student a verbal warning. If this continues to happen I will talk to the student after class to try

and figure out what is going on. The next steps include; detention, a note home, suspension, and

expulsion.
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Classroom Layout: Table 1