Standard Nine:
Reflection and Continuous Growth
The teacher is a reflective practitioner who uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others, and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
Artifact: Student Reflections (Handwritten reflections found in TWS) & Panorama Surveys
Performance: 9(a) engages in ongoing learning opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in order to provide all learners with engaging curriculum and learning experiences based on local and state standards.
Essential Knowledge: 9(g) Understands and knows how to use a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies to analyze and reflect on her practice and to plan for adaptations/adjustments.
9(h) Understands and knows how to use learner data to analyze practice and differentiate instruction accordingly.
Critical Dispositions: 9(l) Takes responsibility for student learning and uses analysis and reflection to improve planning and practice.
Description: At the end of my Teacher Work Sample I asked my students to do two different reflections; the first was a handwritten response telling me one thing I could do differently for the next unit and one thing I should continue doing, the second reflection was an anonymous Google Survey about different instructional tools. I also used the Panorama Surveys from UMF to gauge how my students felt about our time together.
Rationale: Even though I strive to use best practice and use backward planning to create quality lessons that engage all learners, it would be foolish to think that each lesson was perfect. Using both formal and informal tools for reflection from my students bout my instructional practice helps to guide my instruction for the future to better serve their needs and show them that I respect their individuality. These reflections and surveys gives students a choice and say into their learning which helps me to keep them invested and engaged in their learning experience. I desire to be a life long reflective instructor and use my students thoughts and learning preferences to help guide my instruction.
Artifact: Video Self-Reflection
Performance: 9(b) Engages in meaningful and appropriate and professional learning experiences aligned with her own needs and the needs of the leaners, school, and system.
Essential Knowledge: 9(k) Knows how to build and implement a plan for professional growth directly aligned with her needs as a growing professional using feedback from teacher evaluations and observations, data on learner performance, and school and system wide priorities.
Critical Dispositions: 9(n) Sees herself as a learner, continuously seeking opportunities to draw upon current education policy and research as sources of analysis and reflection to improve practice.
Description: This artifact is a lesson I taught to my Algebra II class and recored. After the lesson was complete I watched the video and completed a self-reflection based upon what I observed.
Rationale: While I had multiple observations and reflective opportunities from others watching me, this opportunity was different because I had to watch for myself how I taught and engaged with students throughout an entire lesson. Even the most minor details became evident as ways to improve. Observing myself teaching but also being able to see the rest of the room's activity was a great way to get a glimpse at the things you miss when you are deeply engaged in teaching. Using this artifact I saw ways I could minimize transition time and use the room differently and see at which points students were or were not engaged. Overall this artifact gave me a clear idea of things I could work on and improve as a teacher.
Artifact: Teacher Dispositions
Performance: 9(c) Independently, and in collaboration with colleagues, the teacher uses a variety of data to evaluate the outcomes of teaching and learning to adapt planning and practice.
9(d) Actively seeks professional, community, and technological resources, within and outside the school, as supports for analysis, reflection, and problem-solving.
Essential Knowledge: 9(i) Understands how personal identity, worldview, and prior experience affect perception and expectations and recognizes how they may bias behaviors and interactions with others.
Critical Dispositions: 9(o) Understands the expectations of the profession including codes of ethics, professional standards of practice, and relevant law and policy.
Description: This artifact is a three page document that is given to mentor teachers to assess teacher candidates on all of the teacher dispositions that they should possess. Mentors are asked to say whether or not the candidate does not meet, partially meets, or meets each disposition and give comments for the candidate to work on. This is used at the mid point and at the end of the 16 week placement as an important factor of the candidates readiness to graduate the program.
Rationale: Throughout the semester I self-assessed my work and instruction through video reflection and reflections from students; I was observed by my supervisor and mentor on multiple occasions and used their comments and suggestions as a method for growth. The dispositions assessment required my mentor to look at my teaching and my personal dispositions and decide my readiness for teaching after UMF. This artifact helped me to realize all of my individual traits and have some recognition about how my personality affects my teaching and how others perceive me. Collaborating with my mentor about personal dispositions helped me to constantly self-evaluate and be aware of how I could be outwardly perceived.