Content Knowledge
Human Development and Learning
Diversity
Planning for Instruction
Learning Environment
Instructional Delivery
Communication
Assessment
Collaborative Relationships
Reflection and Professional Growth
Professional Conduct
The teacher understands the central concepts, methods of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) and creates learning experiences that make the content meaningful to all students.
In our kindergarten class, we had a unit on chicks. The above picture shows our eggs incubating. This was a time of great anticipation as we counted down the twenty one days for them to hatch. To support this unit, we read many books about chicks and created a barnyard of chicks bulletin board.
To make this unit more meaningful for my students, in our reading group, we put on the play The Little Red Hen. This helped students to become more fluent in reading and oral presentation.
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Human Development and Learning
The teacher understands how individuals grow, develop and learn and provides learning opportunities that support the intellectual, social, and personal development of all students.
In our classroom, we had Centers four days a week. During this time, students were divided into four groups. These Centers focused on guided reading and writing, floor game manipulatives, and computer activities. This differentiated instruction helped to meet the needs of all learners.
Students looked forward to Centers four days a week. The above picture shows students sorting m&m's by color. Next, they counted the m&ms and colored in their personal graphs. The results were then posted on a class graph.
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Diversity
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.As an educator, I realize that students learn through a variety of ways and that no one technique will reach every student. I strive to use differiented instruction in my classroom.
To help students understand and accept the differences in each of us, we did a Multicultural Unit. For this lesson, I read the book We All Sing with the Same Voice. We learned that even though there are many differences in our personal traits, as well as our life styles, we all have similar feelings. To help students relate to this lesson, they created paper plate faces of themselves. Together, we sang the song that goes with the book. This was so popular, we continued to sing it every day after lunch. What reinforcement!
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Planning for Instruction
The teacher understands instructional planning and designs instruction based upon knowledge of the discipline, students, the community, and curriculum goals.
My lesson plans were very detailed. I strove to create lessons that would motivate yet challenge my students. I used the I Can Do It! forms as a foundation for my lessons. I reflected on each lesson, so that I could adapt my future lessons.
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Learning Environment
The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
During our second semester, our kindergarten students were paired up with a first grade reading buddy. On Friday's, during these twenty minutes, the students would take turns reading to each other. The picture shows how actively engaged both students were as they shared this reading time.
A bulletin board of the students' work was displayed in the hall. Students loved to see their work and enjoyed the changing themes.
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Instructional Delivery
The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
Centers provided a variety of instructional strategies to motivate and challenge each student. This differentiated instruction provided opportunity for critical thinking while other Centers focused on activities which improved performance skills.
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Communication
The teacher uses knowledge of effective written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
Through my monthly newsletters, I fostered communication by informing parents of the many activities in which our class was engaged as well as upcoming events. Through this medium, I also showed parents an effective and engaging tool for written communication. By using color, interesting fonts, and clip art throughout the letter, I hoped to encourage parents to be informed and share with their children about their forthcoming events!
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AssessmentThe teacher understands various formal and informal assessment strategies and uses them to support the continuous development of all students.
In kindergarten, much of our assessment was done through observation. Thumbs up, thumbs down, and other forms of student participation were a daily means of assessing. Students were also assessed individually on counting, letters, and sight words. These were recorded in the above folders.
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Collaborative Relationships
The teacher understands the role of the community in education and develops and maintains collaborative relationships with colleagues, parents/guardians, and community to support student learning and well-being.
The above picture shows the four other C.B. Smith interns and me. During this time, I learned the importance of collaborating with other colleagues and peers.
Our kindergarten class incorporated an Egg Drop along with our chick unit. For this activity, our students paired up with third grade students to create a structure around an egg that would then be dropped from the roof of our school by our principal. Students enjoyed this activity as they learned to also collaborate with older students.
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Reflection and Professional GrowthThe teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates how choices and actions affect students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community and actively seeks opportunities to grow professionally.
I believe that the phenomenal growth that I have experienced throughout this program goes without saying. Weekly assessments of various aspects of my teaching gave us opportunity to reflect on my lessons. I learned much during these times of shared interaction with my mentor and liaison.
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Professional Conduct
The teacher understands education as a profession, maintains standards of professional conduct, and provides leadership to improve student learning and well-being.
As an educator, I realize the importance of professionalism. One aspect of this concept was seen as we interns provided the first act of the Lip Sync Contest. The intent was to ease the students' anxiety about performing. We showed that leaders can reach out, while maintaining a professional standard.
This group of interns at the Young Author's Conference shows that professionalism goes beyond the classroom. By attending this conference, we were supporting our students and their families, showing our respect for their efforts in such a worthwhile activity. The value of this support will carry over throughout our students' lives as they continue to seek out reinforcement for positive efforts!
By supporting the school's fundraiser through volunteering my time on Culver's Night, I showed my respect for the school and my students. I learned the value of supporting extracurricular activities.
