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.

In our class, we did a unit on arctic animals.The students were put into small groups and each group was assigned a different arctic animal to learn about.  The groups each recieved a packet of information for their specific animal.  The students then put the information they learned about their animal and created a poster to share with the class. This picture above shows a group of students working on their arctic fox poster.

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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.

As an educator, I know how important it is to know my students.  Everyone learns differently and has different strengths and weaknesses.  A good teacher gets to know their students and therefore is able to design lessons that will cater to the needs of each student in the classroom.  I want my students to be successful and therefore I need to appreciate their differences and be able to plan lessons that will help them succeed.  If I only plan lessons with only one teaching strategy, my students’ needs are not being met.  Each week we would have centers so there could be small group activities and I would be able to work individually with the students.

 

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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 a teacher, I feel that it is very important to take into consideration each individual child.  As I plan each lesson, I will think about the class as a whole and decide what my students need to know as a result of that lesson.  As I write my lesson plans, I also begin to think about how I can make each of my students obtain the goal that I set for them.  I know that all students learn in a different way.  I know that I have a wide range of ability levels in my class.  I also know that I need to plan lessons that will reach a wide range of activities.  Students learn in different ways and I can’t constantly be using one teaching style. 

Here my students are painting their spelling words.  This activity was great way to for students to practice their words.  In my class, some of the students would have challenge words instead of the regular spelling list for the week.  By holding these centers, my students were able to practice their specific spelling words.

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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.

When developing lessons it is important to always meet the needs of the instructional goals that were set.  In each state and district there are many needs that need to be met.  With these goals in mind it is always important to be sure to meet the goals in order to prepare students for the next year.  Each school year is a building block that leads to the next year.  If the goals aren’t met, then students will not be able to achieve their very best in the next year.  The students will therefore be trying to catch up to what was missed in order to meet the standards for the upcoming year.

Attached is an example of a lesson that I created using the district objectives as my main focus.

Math Lesson Plans April 10 - 13

 

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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.

As a teacher, I believe that I can impact student learning.  I want the best for my students and I want to be effective in everything I do.  In order to impact learning, I know that I need to provide activities where my students are actively engaged.  When my students are actively engaged in lesson, I know that I am impacting their learning because they are taking control of what is being taught.  When they take control, I know that there is an impact because my students will remember that experience.

Here is a picture of my students working on their arctic animal posters.  Students were told that they were going to become the teacher.  With this project my students were actively engaged as they prepared to instruct their peers about their specific animal.

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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.

In my time at Illinois State University, I have learned about the different learning styles and teaching methods of individual students.  In order to be effective, a teacher must know all of their students and need to be able to create a variety of activities to keep all of the students on task.  If a teacher performs the same teaching method over and over, they are not reaching all of their students but rather only reaching a small percent.  Teachers need to be flexible while creating lesson plans but teachers also need to be aware of each student and the learning style that best suites them.

One of the teaching methods I would use is small groups.  With small groups my students were able to work closely together and I was able to go around to each group and make myself more readily available.  This learning style was effective because my students were able to get out of their seats and work on projects that didn't just involve a pencil and a worksheet.

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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.

Another key of education is communication.  I find that it is important to be able to communicate with students, peers, staff, and families.  Whereas everyone would love to be able to meet face to face to talk sometimes it is impossible to be able to meet with each individual person.  That is why the various forms of communication are important to remember.   Newsletters, notes, and e-mails are great ways to communicate with those who are in need of some communication.

Attached is a copy of a newsletter that I sent home to the students' parents about our week.

Parent Newsletter

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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.

Assessment is a key part of instruction.  Without the assessment process it is difficult to decide what students learned and what still needs to be worked on.  Students need to be assessed in multiple ways.  It is hard to correctly assess students if only one form of assessment is used all of the time.  Students have their different strengths and weaknesses and if they are constantly tested, the students who may struggle during tests are at a constant disadvantage.

Attached is a rubric that I created for our arctic animal unit.

Arctic Animal Poster Rubric

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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.

As an intern, I have learned how important it is to work with other individuals in ensuring the success of each student.  I can not do everything by myself.  There will be many times when I will have to turn to other professionals for advice and guidance to help my students.  With that in mind, I need to develop a positive relationship with educational professionals at my school in order to be able to pursue the needs of my students.

Here is a picture of my mentor and I.  Each week we would plan the lessons together for the upcoming week.

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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

Reflection is the key to good teaching.  No one knows absolutely everything there is to know about everything.  That is why reflection is an important part of teaching.  When I reflect I am constantly thinking of ways to improve my lessons and thinking of things that happened in my lesson that went well and that I should repeat in a future lesson.  I have often heard the phrase practice makes perfect.  In my student teaching, I am practicing and I have my mentor teacher to help me become a better teacher.  By reflecting together we can put our heads together and work on what we really liked and work on what needs to be changed.

Attached is a weekly assessment that my mentor teacher would complete evaluating one of my lessons that week.  These were great tools for me to reflect on as I planned and delievered my lessons for the following weeks to come.

Weekly assessment

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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 have a philosophy of education to help influence my professional practice.  By using a philosophy, teachers are able to guide all of their focuses into one direction instead of randomly assuming things about what is supposed to be done.  It is better to have everything organized and on the same wavelength because the direction and execution of teaching is a lot smoother and more effective.

Here is a picture of me, another intern, and a teacher at the Young Author reception.  By being part of this reception I was able to become more familiar in the Pekin District 108 as well as support my students who were able to be part of the reception.

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