Reflection: I believe I am accomplished in Teacher Quality Standard 4. Throughout my entire student teaching experience, I made efforts to maintain professionalism, and seek opportunities to grow and improve. I worked closely with my mentor teachers to learn and receive feedback. Due to COVID-19, there were not as many opportunities to participate in professional development workshops or with the district; however, I eagerly took any opportunities I could to sit in on meetings, and collaborate with other staff. Throughout all of the implications of the year, I remained adaptable and responsive to the situations. I maintained a high level of positivity and always tried to look for the learning and benefit of every situation.
Element a: Teachers demonstrate high standards for professional conduct.
Artifact: Teacher dispositions form completed by my mentor teacher at McAuliffe Middle School and email of feedback from my mentor teacher after my first lesson at Westerly Creek Elementary, and letter of recommendation Rational: During my first placement at the middle school, I worked closely with my mentor teacher to constantly adapt and improve my teaching to be the most professional and effective, and always made sure to present myself and my lessons professionally. After my first lesson that I fully taught at my second placement at the elementary school, my mentor teacher gave me positive feedback on my professional abilities, as well as notes and wondering for me to reflect on to improve my lesson even more moving forward. At both my placements I was met with positive feedback, and always welcomed and critiques that could improve my preformance.
Element b: Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.
Artifact: Personal goals, school goals and district goals
Rational: When writing and reflecting on lesson plans to adapt for the future, I made sure that they were always in line with my personal goals, the school goals and district goals. I practiced my own goals each day with the help of my mentor teachers giving me feedback or ideas to try. Because of COVID-19, many schools and the district did not have as clear goals as a typical year. However, there were themes both within the school and district that were emphasized. I made sure to consider these goals and how my lessons could implement them each time I taught.
Element c: Teachers are able to respond to a complex, dynamic environment.
Artifact: Giving a demo on Zoom for an entirely remote class
Rational: This last year has been one of the most complex and dynamic yet, and required teachers to adapt and respond quickly and accordingly. My first placement was operating under a hybrid model, which meant I had to creatively engage both in person and online students simultaneously. My second placement was entirely remote, and I was teaching 30 minute lessons on Zoom to up to 60 students at a time. This required me to operate Zoom and learn how to use it most effectively to give demos, instruction, utilize the chat and breakout rooms for small group discussions
Element d: Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school, the community, and the teaching profession.
Artifact: Mural request from Metro Caring organization in Denver community and student examples Rational: During my placement at McAuliffe Middle School, we were met with an opportunity to create a mural as a school for Metro Caring, a local charity organization in the community. I worked with my mentor teacher and the other art teachers to plan how we could turn this into a whole school project and implement it in the classes. We decided to have 6th and 7th graders create their own mural designs with the community and organization in mind, and then have 8th graders compile the design submissions into unified final designs that will be painted on the shipping container. The school will actually be painting the mural on May 8th and 15th and although my placement there ended in March, I will be attending to help them with the painting to see the project through.