• Content Knowledge
• Human Development and Learning
• Diversity
• Planning for Instruction
• Learning Environment
• Instructional Delivery
• Communication
• Assessment
• Collaborative Relationships
• Reflection and Professional Growth
• Professional Conduct
  

 

 

 

 

Content Knowledge

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. 

Each week I taught a different unit.  For kindergarten, our units were based around a theme.  This year, I taught a chocolate unit that included morning centers, theme, phonics, reading, lit groups, and math centers.  While creating this unit, I had to learn the content knowledge front and back.  This knowledge is not just an understanding of the content of the lesson, but also how that content meets the learning standards.  I needed to be able to look through the lessons and know what standard fit where and why. 

 

The activities I created for my students were hands-on.  I found that my students were able to understand the content if they could work with something concrete.  When a child is in Kindergarten, they need activities such as graphing M&M’s, so they can truly understand the concept.

He is sorting and graphing M&M's.

She is using two hand cut-outs and white chocolate chips to add.

She is writing her sight words with chocolate.

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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.

 

It is important to create lessons based on the students.  The way they learn and where they are in their social and personal development is what needs to be looked at when planning lessons.  Throughout my year, I tried my best to create lessons that were appropriate for my students.  First, I observed my students to see how well they worked with others.  Based off my observations, I would adjust the seating arrangement, or the groups they were in.  Next, I would observe what type of learning worked best for them.  I found that they worked the best with hands-on activities.  Lastly, I planned my lessons by finding the best ways to help their human and learning development.

They had to match the word or picture with the correct word family.

They had to create a picture out of geometric shapes and graph them.

The students had to create their nickname out of jellybeans.

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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.

 

All teachers need to know their students individually.  It is important to know what skills and knowledge each student has.  Once a teacher knows this, they are able to create lessons to meet the individual skills of their students.  Also, it will help develop the lessons or activities that the students need to learn.  I had a variety of students who were at a lower ability in my class.  I made sure that I knew exactly what they needed to work on, and then I created activities and lessons specifically for them.

 

Throughout the year, I developed a variety of individual plans for my students.  It was so important for me to create lessons and activities that concentrate on individual needs.  During the beginning of my student teaching, I was unaware of the exact learning level of my students.  Soon, I found that I had a variety of students who were not at the same learning level as others.  Immediately, I began creating individual lessons and activities that focused on their ability.  It was amazing to see how quickly those students turned around because they were working on something that they could truly understand and learn from. 

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Planning for Instruction
The teacher understands planning and designs instruction based upon knowledge of the discipline, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

In order to succeed as an educator, you must make appropriate and logical decisions.  Sometimes it is difficult to make certain decisions because it is not always easy to know what is best, but teachers must try their hardest to make the best decision.  For all my lessons, I tried to make decisions that would benefit the students.  I used the I Can Do It standards to create lessons.

 

Every week I planed my lessons around the standards that my students needed to meet in order to go onto the next grade.  Planning this way benefits them in everyway possible because they are learning what they need to know.  It was extremely beneficial to have the I Can Do It standards because the students knew where they needed to be and I knew what I needed to do in order to help them succeed.  

Click here to view the I Can Do It standards

http://www.pekin.net/pekin108/assistant_superintendent/standards/index.html

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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.

In order to have a positive environment that will allow the students to learn, a teacher needs to develop a management plan.  It is difficult for students to learn when the environment is distracting, or if the teacher is unable to guide the students in the right direction, due to behaviors in the class.  The students need to be involved with this management decision because they will work harder at following it if they know they were a part of its creation.

 

In my classroom, my students and I developed classroom expectations and behaviors for our classroom.  These expectations and behaviors helped keep the classroom environment safe and allowed the students to learn.  If the students had difficulty with the expectations and behaviors, then they would get their name moved down on the light bulb.  I observed the students and found that most of them behaved appropriately because they were involved with the class expectations, and they knew the consequences.  Not one of the students wanted their name to be moved down on the light bulb. 

This is the light bulb.

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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.

Throughout this year, I have learned just how important it is to use a variety of techniques when teaching children.  I know that not one student learns the same way as another.  Since every student learns differently, it is important to use a variety of strategies, such as visual, tactile, and auditory techniques. When I created my lessons, I tried to make sure that I used different strategies during each lesson.  Two of the most popular strategies in my classroom were hands-on activities and technology.  My students loved being on the computers and worked extremely hard when they were at that center.  Also, my students learned more when the activities were hands-on versus paper-pencil.  No matter what, a good teacher will go out of their way to find different ways to teach their students. 

My students are typing a story on the computer.

During the Italy unit, the students used meatballs and noodles to solve addition problems.

During St. Patrick’s Day, the students were read a book about the holiday and then they created their own leprechaun.

The student is using a program where they have to match the picture with the rhyming word.

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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.

 

It is important to use a variety of tools to communicate with the classroom, school, and parents.  I tried to use letters to parents, newsletters, bulletin boards, and I wrote little notes to the students on their work.  Every classroom teacher should use multiple ways to communicate because it shows creativity, enthusiasm, and that the teacher cares. 

 

In my classroom, communication was one of the most important factors for me.  As I mentioned, I used letters to parents, newsletters, notes to students, and bulletin boards.  Well, bulletin boards are my favorite way to communicate to the students, parents, and school.  It is important to use bulletin boards with student’s work or themes because it shows what they are learning.  It shows the school what they are working on during the week.  The students are able to see their work and feel proud because it is being displayed to the entire school.  Also, when parents come to the school, they are able to see what their children are working on in class.  I have learned that bulletin boards are something that must be done in every class.  My students loved them and were so excited when they saw their hard work in the hall.  Also, it was great to see how excited and proud the students were when they showed their parents the family trees at open house.

This is the family tree bulletin board.

The students and their parents created different buildings in the community to create a miniature community for our classroom.

The students wrote about what they wanted to be when they grew up and drew a picture to go with it.

One of my students wants to be in the army when he grows up.

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Assessment
The teacher understands various formal and informal assessment strategies and uses them to support the continuous development of all students. 

It is important that every student succeed one way or another.  It does not matter if they are in the higher group, lower group, or average.  There is a way to teach these students so they can all learn something that is beneficial.  They can all learn something that will help them progress in and out of the educational world.  I tried my hardest to make sure that everyone of my students succeeded at the level they were at, or beyond. 

I made it a point to provide each of my students with work that would benefit them now and in the long run.  I wanted them to learn what they were supposed to learn in kindergarten and more.  In order to see if they were reaching the levels they needed to reach, I assessed the work they did each day.  At the kindergarten level, I used a lot of informal assessment, such as observing my students at their centers.  However, I did use formal when I collected and graded their projects.  Through my assessments, it was apparent to me that my students learned the correct content this year, and that they were prepared for first grade. 

This is an example of a writing activity I would grade.

At this center, I observe my students to see if they are able to match the picture with the correct beginning sound.

When we made our soap boats, I observed my students to make sure they were following directions.

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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 the community to support student learning and well-being. 

Developing and communicating with others that you work with is very important.  I feel that if you cannot collaborate or communicate with those you around almost everyday, then you are not meant to be a teacher.  It is important to have a positive open communication amongst your colleagues because it allows for professional relationships to be formed.  Through these relationships, you can help one another.  For example, if you need help creating lessons or a unit, then you can ask the teacher down the hall for some suggestions.  This would not be possible if there was no positive relationship developed amongst colleagues.

 

My student teaching allowed for me to create positive relationships and open communication amongst the staff in my building.  I am very open with communication, and this allowed for me to form a terrific relationship between the other intern and our mentors.  I was able to go to the other intern and we discussed and planned out our theme every week.  Also, my mentor and I sat down several times throughout the week to discuss what the plans were for the following week. 

This is my mentor and I working on lesson plans.

We know how to make things a little more fun.

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Reflection and Professional Growth
The 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.

Reflective analysis is something that I find very useful.  It is positive because it allows for me to improve what I am doing or try something new that works.  When a mentor, liaison, or principal came to analyze or evaluate my teaching, I knew that they were trying to help me reach my full potential.  Each week my mentor wrote up an assessment on me and we would go over it.  This allowed me to reflect on my own teaching and work towards a new goal.

 

When I received my assessment each week, I would really go through it to make sure I understood what I was doing well with and what I needed to improve on.  For each assessment, I also received a new goal that I tried to reach within a certain time frame.  I feel that this helped me become a better teacher and improved my instruction. 

 

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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.

It is important to be as professional as possible when you are a teacher.  Professionalism shows your staff and colleagues how responsible and committed you are.  I tried to show my professionalism everyday by the way I presented myself, communicated with others, and through the way I taught my students.  One of the main reasons I used professional conduct each day was to be a positive role model for my students. 

Students watch every move you make.  They are curious little minds that absorb everything they see.  For a lot of children, they see their teachers more than their own family, so I will always practice professionalism for their sake.

This is Kristin (First grade intern) and I teaching calendar to both the first grade and kindergarten.  It is always good to have a smile on your face.  I guess you start dressing alike when you teach together for so long.

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