Standard 3 | Profeportfolio

Quality Standard Three

Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction and create an environment that facilitates learning for their students.

Standard || Reflection:

Element A: Teachers demonstrate knowledge about the ways in which learning takes place, including the levels of intellectual, social and emotional development of their students.

Element B: Teachers use formal and informal methods to assess student learning, provide feedback, and use results to inform planning and instruction.

Element C: Teachers integrate and utilize appropriate available technology to engage students in higher level thinking skills.

Element D: Teachers establish and communicate high expectations and use processes, such as questioning, to support the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Element E: Teachers provide students with opportunities to work in teams and develop leadership qualities.

Element F: Teachers communicate effectively, making learning objectives clear and providing appropriate models of language.

Reasoning Statement: In this choice board, students were able to pick different topics/questions that would engage their thinking, but also meet the emotional/academic needs based on their interests and their level of learning. As choice boards are known to hit a variety of styles of learning, this also helped students be able to pick and choose what to write.

Reasoning Statement: After their argumentative essay, I personally added in comments to each students writing. This gave students a more personalized feeback, but also let me include the positive and negatives of their essays. By gathering all of my responses, I am able to decide where students may need to work, such as connecting their thinking to evidence, and where they are doing well. This then lets instruction be catered to what each class overall needs, and what we may need to work on in the future.

Reasoning Statement: For a review before state testing, students are able to use an effective mode of learning by doing something they love (playing games) and reviewing things that were learned throughout the year. As some students have used this platform, it was a fun and engaging way for students to stay entertained, but also review things in a low-stress environment before their test.

Reasoning Statement: In both 7th and 8th grade, students were expected to complete an escape room in small groups in order to complete tasks that will give them the final answer. Students would be challenged through deciphering codes, answer questions related to the reading, or even working with members who think differently than them. To move on, they had to have the correct answers. This made them practice their note taking, collaboration, and critical thinking skills in order to solve the tasks.

Reasoning Statement: During the student's tolerance unit, they were able to work in groups to discuss different topics of the Holocaust era. This helped students learn how to work with different peers, but also learn how to split the work, and truly collaborate to make one cohesive presentation. While some were natural leaders, there were instances where other students also stepped up to the plate to take those roles.

Reasoning Statement: During the slam poetry mini unit, students were able to get with other peers and complete a writer's workshop. During this process, they practiced how to ask effective questions to make the author think, as well as learning how to give constructive feedback that benefits the author during the revising/editing process.

Standard Three Reflection:

Coming into student teaching, I was always concerned how I was going to make students do higher level thinking every day when they were in the classroom. However, I noticed that students are always challenged every day based on the discussions we have as a class and the conversations they have with each other. Through my instruction, I was able to watch students take the challenge, especially when working together, and complete tasks in such a professional manner that sometimes I'm surprised that it is 7th and 8th grade work. Even in the middle of the pandemic, students are working their hardest to complete tasks that may have seemed impossible to complete. Something that I felt was a strength was that I was able to place technology into the classroom. Beyond that, I was able to make connections with students through things that were relatable to them, even though sometimes it seemed still a little old to them. Making these connections through their learning helps students understand the concepts, and it makes their learning more fun and engaging both for them and me.

I was also able to use different types of instruction delivery that I have never used before. For example, I have never tried Blooklet until this semester. Since my mentor teacher hadn't yet either, we were able to learn the platform with each other and truly collaborate in order for students to be able to use it smoothly. Also, I had never had the chance to see how a classroom escape room works, and while it is very different than the real thing, students were still challenged and having fun with all of it. Through the classroom culture we have created as a group, we were able to have tough discussion and able to have meaningful discussions, which was so important for their learning. Each of my students brought so much to the table, and taught me so much on how to be a better teacher. Even after I though a lesson landed well, they still made me reflect on how I can make it even better next time.