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 students.I feel that it is important that teachers present accurate and relevant information within our lessons. As teachers, we have to teach things that we may not enjoy, or possibly, may know nothing about. However, it is crucial that we become familiar with these lessons, so that our students can have an accurate and good understanding. During a multicultural lesson on Japan, I had to become familiar with new content, as well as vocabulary, so that my students could learn about another culture. As I continued to learn new things, I created a PowerPoint that would be easy for my students, and me, to follow. I think that this was the best way for me to present the information, because students were able to listen, read, and view pictures that went along with the new content. For example, as we learned to count to five in Japanese, I was able to put a picture of the number, as well as the pronunciation of the word, so that we could all learn this new skill.
Understanding content is not enough when it comes to teaching. Although we may know about a topic, it is an entirely different thing when it comes to teaching that content. For example, when I began planning a unit where the students would be studying maps, I wasn’t really sure where to begin. I did not know what the students already knew, and I wasn’t quite sure what all I wanted the students to learn! Thinking this through, I realized that the first thing I needed to do was an anticipation guide. I then created a guide where students had to determine whether a map statement was true or false. This allowed me to determine what my students already knew about the content, as well as helped guide my own planning so that I could present the appropriate information.
Click here to see the anticipation guide that I created for a study on maps. This allowed me to assess exactly what my students already knew, and wanted to know, about maps.
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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.I definitely feel like I have gotten to know every one of my students. I know them academically, but I also feel like I have gotten to know them personally. Although it hasn’t always been easy planning for these differences, I enjoy observing and listening to the things that my students say to me, and to one another. I definitely appreciate the diversity within my classroom, as I witness the great ideas and discussions that take place every day. I always try to allow my students to answer each others’ questions, so that they can help one another without resorting to the teacher. This is one of the best ways that we can utilize our students’ differences. I try to remember this information, and incorporate it into my plans, as I make modifications for different learners. I have students who struggle in certain areas, but excel in others. That is why I always try to incorporate activities in which my students can show me what they know through a variety of means. One thing that I’ve noticed is how a majority of my students love presenting things in front of one another. Now, I also understand that many students get nervous doing this. So, I try to allow my students to act or role play different things. The students are grouped so that there are roles for students who wish to simply act and not have speaking parts, and vice versa. My students ask me if we can do things like this all of the time, so I try to accommodate to all of their diverse needs.
I also make modifications for behavior. I have a student this year who struggles with staying on task, and finishing assignments. I have had to make many modifications to my lessons so that we can keep this student engaged and on-task. I usually will write in specific modifications within my lessons so that if a sub were to be here, he or she would know what to do so that this student could continue to learn and maintain good behavior.
Below is a photograph of my students role-playing something from a story that we read. My students enjoy doing activities like this, and it allows those students who sometimes struggle to shine in other ways!
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Diversity
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.Accommodating all types of learners is not the easiest thing to do in a classroom of twenty-three students. For example, I have high-ability students who finish an assignment immediately after I’ve passed out the papers, alongside students who need 20-30 minutes to complete the same assignment. This is something that I feel all teachers struggle with; as you do not want to pile on extra assignments for those high-achieving students, nor do you want to “go easy” on those students who need more time. For this reason, I try to plan activities and lessons where there is whole class, individual, and partner work. I think it is so important to utilize those high-achieving students’ abilities in order to promote the success of all students. For example, in a math lesson on probability, I created a step-by-step worksheet where students worked individually, with a partner, with a group, and with the whole class. I think students can appreciate having these different means of learning. Starting out individually can allow students to see if they truly understand the concept that is being taught. Moving onto partners allows for students to work alongside another so that they can help each other understand; and working with groups promotes the collaboration of ideas.
Throughout this experience, I’ve also seen how important it is to address the different learning styles that our within the classroom. When teaching a math lesson on perimeter and area, I realized that I was teaching mostly visual and auditory lessons. I then ran across the idea of creating tactile pieces that would allow students to feel the difference. I tried this with my students, and I saw how it really tapped into those students who were struggling. All of my students were able to see, hear, feel, and manipulate the area objects and the perimeter objects. This actually has been one of my favorite lessons, as there was full participation! I could almost sense “an energy” within my classroom as the students were excited to learn.
Below is a photograph of the tactile objects that I created for my students to touch while learning the concept of perimeter and area.
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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.
As I continue to progress in my efforts of becoming a teacher, I have noticed something in the way that I present lessons. Many times, I will begin the lesson with an activity. I have seen how great games and activities grab students’ attention, all while teaching the concept to be taught. Games and activities are great ways to introduce new concepts too! In my math lessons, I especially want to provide students with a good amount of practice, which in third grade that means practice with multiplication! For many lessons, we will start the class by stating the multiplication patterns for numbers two through nine. Whether we’re in a circle, pointing for the next person to say a number, or throwing a ball to one another, we are always practicing our math skills. I don’t think my students even realize that this very simple game is helping them in remembering their multiplication facts! They absolutely love playing these games, and I love it because I can observe how much their skills are improving!
I also think developing creative plans results in better student performance. Students are more excited to learn new concepts when the concepts are presented in a fun, or exciting manner. For example, in a lesson that I planned for reading, I wanted to teach students about sequence. I wanted students to understand that sequence is the order in which events occur in the story. In order to teach this concept and get my students involved, I decided to create sentence strips with events from the story that we were reading at that time. I then had the students work together to put the events in the correct order. However, I made it even more a challenge, as the students could not verbally speak to one another. My students thought this was impossible, but somehow, they were able to do it successfully. Although there were a couple of errors with the sequence, for the most part, it was pretty accurate! I was impressed, and was happy that my students learned and enjoyed the new concept!
Click here to see an evaluation from my mentor teacher, where he mentioned my ability to plan lessons that grab the students’ attention, all while meeting the instructional goal set.
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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.The one challenge that I would say I constantly face is the challenge of managing the classroom environment. This is something that I deal with every day, as students constantly check what they can and cannot get away with. I think the best way to handle this is with consistent routines and procedures. I have watched over the course of a year how these unconditioned procedures have turned into daily routines for the students. My mentor and I no longer have to remind students what to do for the morning procedure. Students know exactly what is expected of them as they enter the classroom at 8:35. Right away, students put away their belongings, take care of their lunch cards, and begin silent reading. Occasionally, we do positively reinforce this behavior by providing coupons to the students who quickly carry out the routine. This has allowed me to see that classroom management can easily be obtained as long as there is a procedure! This not only saves time, but it also saves questions and confusion for the students.
A posted classroom management plan can be a constant reminder of the high expectations for the behavior of the students. I was able to be a part of a democratic way of establishing the management plan. The students, as well as my mentor and me, came up with rules that we thought were necessary for the classroom to run smoothly. The students came up with their own lists, where we later compiled all rules/procedures on the front board. We then decided on the top rules that we saw fit for a productive, efficient classroom. I then typed these rules and all of the students signed their names, pledging that they would follow the created management plan. This idea was excellent as the students felt that they had a part in creating their classroom rules. I think this plan is a great reference because it puts the responsibility for any misbehavior right back to the students. I definitely will keep this in mind as I head for the day when I have my own classroom!
Below is a photograph of the students involved in their morning procedures; putting away belongings, taking care of lunch cards, and silent reading.
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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.
Teaching is a career that presents many challenges. One element that I feel I have begun to master is my ability to model enthusiasm about learning. I’ve realized that I never want my students to be able to determine my favorite subject; I want the students to see my excitement for everything that I teach! Starting out, I was a little apprehensive to jump right in and be a little silly. I wanted my students to get to know me, as well as understand my role as an authority figure. However, overtime, I have grown so comfortable in front of my students that I feel that I am continuously revealing my enthusiasm and excitement to teach new things! For one particular lesson, I explained to the students how reading really helps us to learn so many new things. By simply stating this, I immediately saw a significant increase in the way that my students discussed their texts during readers’ workshop. The students’ discussion was incredible! They were looking at all of the pictures, and commenting on ways that they thought the water cycle worked. This example clearly revealed to me how my enthusiasm can rub off on my students’ ability to learn.
I’ve also seen the benefits of allowing students to explore topics in which they are unfamiliar. I think it is so important that teachers focus on creating student-centered lessons, rather than teacher-centered lessons. Much like Harry Wong says, the students should be doing most of the work. I know research and inquiry are so important, so I try to present as many “student-discovered” tasks as possible. I like to put a creative twist on things, so that my students are excited about learning new things. I created a map scavenger hunt worksheet, where my students could use resources around the room to “discover” the answers. This worked extremely well, and led to an effective implementation of teaching map skills.
Click here to see the the scavenger hunt worksheet that I created, in which I helped to make sure the students were excited to “discover” the answers.
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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 communications with students, parents, teachers, and interns, I’ve been able to see how important it is to continually communicate with others. Through communication with students, I’ve been able to activate learning and get them excited about the lessons that I’ve planned. Through communication with teachers, I’ve been able to gain information about different ideas, lessons, and various events going on within the school. Opening up communication between myself and the parents of my students, I’ve been able to establish a relationship that supports partnership in each child’s education and development. I wanted to share my excitement in returning to the classroom with the parents, as well as make them aware that I’d be eager to discuss any and all concerns that they may have. I think that by writing this letter, I established my role as a student teacher and demonstrated the professionalism that I want to exhibit.
By communicating with my fellow PDS interns, I’ve been able to gain a great deal of insight into the world of teaching. Through our discussions during meetings, and e-mails via the listserv, we are able to reflect and ask any questions that may arise throughout our experiences. This is really beneficial as we are all continually needing support and guidance from one another. Communicating with others who are going through similar experiences has really allowed me to build great friendships and relationships. I think the PDS program has so many benefits as it continues to shape our effective communication skills.
Below is a photograph of me communicating with other interns in a debriefing session. During this meeting, we discussed student teaching and the various experiences that we’ve been facing during our Phase III placements.
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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.
As I think back to all of my lessons, I also think back to what assignments and projects I had planned for those lessons. I have realized that much like I differentiate instruction, I also differentiate assessment. I provide choices for my students, allowing them to write, illustrate, act, and work together for many projects and activities. Many of my assessments are simply through my own observations, but in order to gain that evidence that my students understand something, I do have to have some sort of concrete examples. For that, I like to create rubrics in which my students are graded. I always share the rubric with my students prior to the assignment, that way, students are fully aware of how to obtain the highest grade. For example, when we were reading a story about a group of students working together to get a playground built, I had my students design what they would like their own playgrounds to look like. Although this was a fun activity, I did want my students to take the assignment seriously, by taking their time and incorporating many items. I then shared the rubric with my students, explaining that they would be graded on color, labeling, having five facilities, neatness, and effort. I also described what things I was looking for within those five areas. Most of my students did a very nice job on these, and I absolutely loved viewing all of their creative ideas!
I really enjoy using alternative assessments because it allows the students to show a great deal of what they’ve learned. Although these assignments generally take more time to grade, the projects and writing samples are also more enjoyable to view! I have had my students do many writing activities, and I am able to see what all they have learned throughout the school year. We practice D.O.L. daily, and I have been able to see how it has helped in their writings. I’m also able to view how their vocabularies are progressing, along with their ability to put their ideas into words. After reading the story, Miss Rumphius, in our literacy block, I had the students come up with three life promises of their own. They then organized their ideas, wrote the essay, and drew a picture to go along with their writings. They have turned out great, and they will be so fun to read when the students get older! I think my students enjoyed this assignment, and I think the parents will have fun reading what their children hope to accomplish in life!
Below are student work samples, where the students wrote about three things they hope to accomplish in life. This was used as a form of assessment.
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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 positive working relationships has been a fairly easy task for me as I have been involved in the Professional Development School (PDS) program. Having an extended amount of time to get to know people within the district has provided me with so many great opportunities to meet and collaborate with talented teachers and other educational personnel. Working alongside Mr. Wiegardt and the other third grade teachers at C.B. Smith has opened my eyes to new and innovative teaching methods. As Mr. Wiegardt and I plan, we bounce ideas off of one another and are able to discuss and develop lessons that will effectively address our goals for the students. It has been really fun and educational to work with such a creative and energetic mentor!
Having the advantage of working in an intermediate school for Phase II, I was able to build even more relationships, as I interned with Mrs. Jean Glick in her fifth grade class. Taking initiative and jumping in on lessons from the start, Jean and I built a relationship, not to mention a friendship, that benefited her fifth grade class. Through our communication and support for one another, we were able to teach our students how to do the same. I think that having that sensitivity and support for one another really allows you to show your students the advantages of collaboration.
Below is a photograph of my mentor, Craig Wiegardt, and me planning a lesson. Once our focus has been decided, we brainstorm ideas and collaborate with one another to develop a meaningful lesson.
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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.We all know that lessons don’t always go as planned. Things we think students will understand are not as easy as they may seem. I experienced this first hand as I taught my volume lesson. As I began the day, the students were easily answering the questions from the textbook. I thought, “Wow! This is something my class really understands!” However, things quickly changed as I presented the students with independent practice. All the hands were going up, but this time because they weren’t understanding volume! I immediately had to change my afternoon math plans to something else. I reflected during my lunch time, and thought that I should probably do some concrete examples. I then used objects, such as cubes and die, to re-teach volume in a more objective way. This helped my students become more familiar with volume, and it left me feeling more secure with the delivery of my lesson.
Another way that I’ve used reflection to improve my instruction is through writing down my goals, and ways that I can achieve those goals, based on the feedback from my mentor. I learned that I needed to explicitly state my expectations before allowing students to partake in non-structured activities. After taking in this feedback, I realized how important this is in order to ensure on-task, productive work time. I then planned in my next lesson to clearly state and write the expectations on the front board. Writing the rubric and stating the order in which different tasks needed to be completed, I felt the effectiveness of the lesson. This worked very well and it helped lay out the procedures for the day. I definitely learned a great deal from my reflection with my mentor.
Click here to see my mentor’s evaluation in which he suggested I work on setting clear expectations. This feedback allowed me to create my own goals in order to enhance my teaching skills.
Professional Conduct
The teacher understands education as a profession, maintains standards of professional conduct, and provides leadership to improve student learning and well-being.
Throughout my student teaching experience, I have definitely developed my philosophy of education. Although I have always known how important it is to get an education, I have realized that teaching is so much more than making our students competent in academic areas. I have tried to create lessons and experiences that teach my students values like teamwork, friendship, and dedication. For example, I have created many lessons in which students work collaboratively. At this stage of development, I believe that students need many opportunities to develop socially. In a particular reading lesson, I had the students develop weather reports in which they role-played newscasters. Before the students presented their reports, I made sure that everyone was supportive of each other, knowing that we would clap once students were finished. All of the students were excited to watch the weather reports, and most of the students wanted to present their reports twice!
My philosophy has also been developed as I believe that students are at the heart of instruction. I want my students to be “doing the work,” rather than me providing all of the answers. I firmly believe that students will learn and retain so much more information if they are the discoverers! I plan many lessons in which students are determining what it is that we are learning, and I constantly ask open-ended questions that allow students to put their thoughts into words. My mentor teacher has actually mentioned how my questioning abilities are a strength that I can bring into the classroom. I think that this ability comes naturally, as I place my beliefs in the fact that my students are capable of developing their own ideas and insights!
Below is a photograph in which my students presented weather reports during a unit on thunderstorms. My philosophy of working together and being supportive of one another were intertwined in the lesson, as students were experiencing working together.
