While I'm still pretty green in the world of elementary teaching (I've only begun my field work in a second grade classroom a couple of weeks ago), I can already see how applicable UDL would be in the classroom I'm teaching in as it would in essentially every classroom.
Prior to this week's readings, I didn't know exactly what UDL was in the classroom, however I did know a bit about differentiated classrooms. As I read/listened to the materials I couldn't help but think how creative a teacher must be to incorporate UDL in his/her class. I suppose that effectively employing UDL in one's classroom improves over time, but I couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed at the idea of utilizing this my future classroom. Of course I want to be sure that all of my students have an equal opportunity to learn and I'm always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that that happens, however I have trouble figuring out how I would determine methods that would work with so many different types of students. I also realize that depending on the age of the students, the incorporation of UDL could take some time (students may need to learn classroom routines, how to work the equipment, etc.).
This all being said, once I get the hang of it and develop a deeper understanding of how to reach the various types of learning styles that each class contains, I look forward to making sure that I'm reaching all of my students. I can reflect on my own academic upbringing and can remember what appealed to me and what seemed too far out of reach. It means a lot to me to create realistic goals with my students and provide a number of ways for those goals to be obtained. It'll just take some practice :)
-Sara A.
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