Introduction

Throughout my time in the Interdisciplinary Studies program at Old Dominion University, I’ve developed a much clearer understanding of what it means to become an educator and how different disciplines work together to support effective teaching. When I first started this program, I was mainly focused on completing assignments and meeting expectations. Looking back now, I can see how each course, experience, and artifact actually contributed to my overall growth and helped prepare me for a real classroom. Courses such as IDS 300W, TLED 478, SPED 400, SPED 411, and my practicum experience helped me connect ideas from education, psychology, and communication. At first, I saw these as completely separate areas, but over time, I started to realize how much they overlap when it comes to real classroom situations. That shift really changed how I think about teaching and helped me better understand the importance of supporting both the academic and social needs of students. This also connects to what Meade (2023) explains about ePortfolios, especially how they help students reflect on their growth and connect different learning experiences over time.

Lesson Planning & Instruction

Developing my lesson planning and instruction skills was one of the biggest areas of growth for me. While creating my integrated unit, People of the Land: Powhatan, Lakota, and Pueblo, I started to realize how much planning actually goes into designing effective lessons. At first, I focused mostly on making my lessons fun and interactive, but I quickly learned that engagement alone isn’t enough. Without clear structure, pacing, and objectives, lessons can easily become confusing for students. One of the biggest challenges for me was figuring out how to balance creativity with organization. I had to learn how to design activities that were meaningful while still making sure they aligned with standards and learning goals. That wasn’t something that came naturally at first. I had to rethink my approach and focus more on why I was including certain activities instead of just trying to keep students busy. If I were to go back and revise this unit, I would definitely work on improving transitions and making sure each part of the lesson connects more smoothly. This experience also helped me better understand interdisciplinary learning. Instead of teaching subjects separately, I was able to connect multiple areas into one unit, which made learning feel more meaningful. Research supports this approach, showing that structured and engaging instruction leads to better student outcomes (Gage & MacSuga-Gage, 2019). This is something I’ll definitely carry into my future classroom.

Classroom Experience & Student Support

My practicum experience was easily one of the most impactful parts of my program. Before being in an actual classroom, a lot of what I learned felt more theoretical. Being in a second-grade classroom changed that completely. One moment that really stood out to me was observing how my cooperating teacher handled behavior. I expected classroom management to be more focused on discipline, but what I actually saw was that consistency and structure mattered way more. The use of tally marks and reflection slips allowed students to take accountability without disrupting the lesson. That’s when it clicked for me that behavior isn’t just about “fixing” students but more so about understanding what’s behind it. Research by Sun and Shek (2012) supports this idea, showing that behavior is often influenced by emotional and developmental needs. Another thing I noticed was how different every student’s needs were. Some students needed extra help staying focused or understanding instructions, while others were able to work independently. This showed me how important flexibility is in teaching. If I were in that position, I would focus more on using strategies like visual supports and clear routines to help all students stay on track. Research also shows that relying only on punishment can negatively impact students, which is why supportive approaches are so important (Education Week, 2023; The Education Trust, 2021). After this experience, I have a much better understanding of what it actually looks like to create a structured and supportive classroom environment.

Communication & Academic Writing

My communication and writing skills also improved a lot throughout this program. Through assignments like my behavior change project and IDS 300W research paper, I learned how to analyze more complex ideas and explain them clearly. The behavior change project was one of the most challenging assignments for me. One of the hardest parts was learning how to move beyond just describing behavior and actually analyzing it in a deeper way. At first, I saw behavior as something that needed to be corrected, but this project pushed me to think about why it was happening. In my case study, the student’s behavior was connected to academic difficulty, which made me realize how important it is to understand the root cause before responding. Research supports this, showing that teaching students how to communicate their needs can reduce challenging behaviors (Durand & Moskowitz, 2015). Strategies like replacement behaviors also help students respond more appropriately (Scheuermann et al., 2022). If I could improve this project, I would include more specific examples of how the strategies would actually look in a real classroom. This assignment really changed how I think about behavior and how I would respond as a teacher. My IDS 300W paper also pushed me to think differently. It challenged me to look at discipline and support from multiple perspectives instead of just one. That was honestly difficult at first, but it helped me understand that issues in education are rarely simple.

Interdisciplinary Learning

One of the biggest takeaways from this program is how important interdisciplinary thinking is. Before this program, I honestly saw subjects as separate. Now I see how everything connects, especially in education. By combining ideas from education, psychology, and communication, I feel more prepared to understand student needs and respond in a meaningful way. Research on PBIS also supports this, showing that combining structure with support leads to better outcomes for students (Education Research Alliance for New Orleans, 2018). This way of thinking has made me more flexible and open-minded, which is something I know I’ll need as a teacher.

Strengths, Challenges, and Goals

Throughout this program, I’ve developed strengths that I know will help me in my future career. One of my biggest strengths is adaptability. Working as a substitute teacher and completing my practicum helped me get comfortable in different classroom environments and with different types of students. At the same time, confidence has been one of my biggest challenges. There were definitely moments where I questioned whether I was making the right decisions or handling situations correctly. But over time, those experiences helped me grow and become more reflective. Moving forward, my goal is to continue developing my teaching skills and work toward becoming a licensed teacher. I want to create a classroom where students feel supported, included, and comfortable learning.

Portfolio Development & Reflection

Creating this portfolio really made me step back and look at everything I’ve done throughout this program. Before this, I honestly saw most assignments as just things to complete. Putting everything together helped me see how much I’ve actually grown. This connects to what Meade (2023) explains about ePortfolios, especially how they help students reflect on their learning and see connections between their experiences. Going through this process helped me better understand my strengths and what I still need to improve on. It also helped me start thinking more seriously about the kind of teacher I want to be.

Conclusion

Overall, this program has helped me grow both academically and personally. Through my coursework, practicum, and this portfolio, I’ve gained a much better understanding of how different areas of knowledge come together in teaching. Looking back, I can clearly see how each experience built on the last and helped me grow into a more prepared and thoughtful future educator. Being able to think in an interdisciplinary way is especially important in education because students are not one-dimensional. By combining different perspectives, I feel more prepared to create a classroom that is supportive, inclusive, and effective. This program has not only prepared me for my future career, but it has also helped shape the kind of teacher I want to become.

References

Durand, V. M., & Moskowitz, L. (2015). Functional communication training: Thirty years of treating challenging behavior. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 35(2), 116–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271121415569509

Education Research Alliance for New Orleans. (2018). A different approach to student behavior: Addressing school discipline through PBIS. https://educationresearchalliancenola.org/publications/a-different-approach-to-student-behavior

Education Week. (2023, October). Opinion: I combed through 81 studies on school discipline—here’s what educators need to know. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-i-combed-through-81-studies-on-school-discipline

Gage, N. A., & MacSuga-Gage, A. S. (2019). Salient classroom management skills: Finding the most effective skills to increase student engagement and decrease disruptions. Teacher Education and Special Education. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6345407/

Meade, L. (2023, December 20). Looking at your strengths and values: Self reflection. Building a Professional Portfolio. https://uark.pressbooks.pub/eportolio/chapter/self-reflection/

Scheuermann, B., Billingsley, G., & Hall, J. (2022). Positive behavioral supports for the classroom (4th ed.). Pearson.

Sun, R. C. F., & Shek, D. T. L. (2012). Student classroom misbehavior: An exploratory study based on teachers’ perceptions. The Scientific World Journal. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3415159/

The Education Trust. (2021). How school discipline impacts students’ social, emotional, and academic development. https://edtrust.org/rti/how-school-discipline-impacts-students-social-emotional-and-academic-development/