Standard 7-Professional Growth
"Engages in professional growth."
Effective teachers continue to learn and challenge themselves throughout their career. Continuing content-based learning is especially important in science because new developments are made every day. This is what makes science so interesting! It is beneficial to share these discoveries with students in order to connect their learning to real world situations. It is also important that a teacher seek out professional development opportunities that are best suited to their own and their students’ needs. In order to understand what is needed, they must continually reflect on how their teaching is affecting their students. After every lesson, a teacher should ask, “Is there anything I could do to make that lesson better?” This information should be used to inform future lessons.
It is important to note that teachers’ actions affect many people besides their students. A teacher must also be aware of how their teaching affects their students’ families and realize that every family has different values and needs. It is particularly important to be sensitive to the diversity of families when discussing sensitive topics such as cloning, stem cells, and evolution. A teacher's actions not only reflect on their selves, they represent the school and district where they teach. Teachers should always strive to support all professionals within their learning community.
Effective teachers continue to learn and challenge themselves throughout their career. Continuing content-based learning is especially important in science because new developments are made every day. This is what makes science so interesting! It is beneficial to share these discoveries with students in order to connect their learning to real world situations. It is also important that a teacher seek out professional development opportunities that are best suited to their own and their students’ needs. In order to understand what is needed, they must continually reflect on how their teaching is affecting their students. After every lesson, a teacher should ask, “Is there anything I could do to make that lesson better?” This information should be used to inform future lessons.
It is important to note that teachers’ actions affect many people besides their students. A teacher must also be aware of how their teaching affects their students’ families and realize that every family has different values and needs. It is particularly important to be sensitive to the diversity of families when discussing sensitive topics such as cloning, stem cells, and evolution. A teacher's actions not only reflect on their selves, they represent the school and district where they teach. Teachers should always strive to support all professionals within their learning community.
Goals
The goals below were created before starting my year-long teaching internship at Mayo High School. In this document, I highlight my strengths and weaknesses and use this information to create goals for my first semester teaching. I also describe how I will know I have been successful at meeting these goals. I believe that I achieved the goals listed!
Video Self-Critique
For this artifact, I analyzed a video of myself teaching. In this the reflection, I point out the strengths and weaknesses of the lesson. I describe several changes that I would make if I teach this lesson again. I also was able to focus on my own mannerisms and voice projection in a way that is not possible without watching myself on tape.
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Analyzing Teaching (TPA, Teacher Performance Assessment)This document was completed as the final step for my TPA. For more information on what the TPA is see here. In this commentary, I explain several things I would do differently to improve learning based on varied student needs. I also cite evidence explaining why I would expect these changes to make a difference.
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Field Experience ReflectionThis document is a reflection on my experiences in April and May 2011. During these months, I had a long-term substitute teaching position at a small private middle school, and I observed at a larger public middle school. I evaluate the pros and cons of teaching at the middle school level and compare the two experiences.
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Synthesis
Reflection is key for anyone that has not yet perfected what they do. A teacher will not improve unless they reflect and realize what needs to be improved upon. Areas of weakness can be turned into goals. Goals can be reached by perusing professional development and other ways of increasing necessary skills and knowledge. Continuing to improve content knowledge and teaching strategies is something that I will do throughout my entire teaching career.