Domain Evaluation 4

4a: engaging in reflective practice - distinguished

The teacher actively engages in self improvement and self reflection. The teacher has grown professionally over the course of her career by building upon the feedback she has received through assessment. These assessments are both peer and reflective, and also by administration. The teacher consistently strives to find new means to integrate strategies into lesson plans. Real world connections seem to help students remember lessons, so time is spent making lessons more interesting for the students. The teacher has utilized workshops and courses to further specialize and hone her teaching skills. The teacher also focuses on making both lessons and assessments, including exams, more accessible to all students. An example of this is how the teacher uses strategies such as word banks or reference sheets for formulas during exams.

An example of the teacher directly reflecting and making a change is in regard to her turn-in system. Students were to leave their homework or papers to be graded in a tray. Sometimes papers would be unaccounted for, and when prompted, students would claim they placed the paper in the tray. This insinuation was that the papers were lost by the teacher or stolen by another classmate. The teacher recounted one time when this was the case and that another student had taken a paper and written their name over the name of another student. The teacher decided to utilize a system where papers are dropped into a slot and kept inside a bin, where there is no chance of them getting lost or stolen.

I like to think that I am always self-reflecting. I am sometimes too critical with myself so there is no way that this isn't the case. The reason why this is important is because it allows for continued growth. Someone who does not reflect on their behavior in any situation is someone who may grow stubborn or inflexible. Students need teachers who reflect back and improve on what does and does not work. I experienced this first hand when I gave myself a grade on my density lab lesson. I wrote how to properly do the procedure and practiced until I got it right. My scores improved over the course of the day as a result. I will keep a record of all lesson plans and assignments as well as note student feedback to see how those lessons can be refined.

4b: documenting student progress - distinguished

The teacher is thorough with documentation. The students are assessed from the moment they walk into class until they leave. Their attendance is taken and lateness is immediately noted and documented in the school's computer system. Students' phones must be turned into a phone rack or they are marked absent. Attendance is taken very seriously with absences and tardies to periods being immediately recorded in the schools Genesis program. Almost all in class work is kept within the room for evaluation and record keeping. Every note and assignment from students is kept in the room aside from homework. Students are to keep their work in their binders which are stored within the room. This also helps the students keep track of their work and easily access and reference previous material. This system also minimizes any papers getting lost or thrown away throughout the semester.

Graded work is immediately given back to students to be reviewed and stored. The teacher immediately logs grades into the computer system as well. Students that are struggling are highlighted in the program. Teachers can see the progress of students in other classes and comments made by other teachers. This progress is generally kept track throughout marking periods. Students who begin to falter with grades will receive extra support by the teacher or offers of solutions on bettering their grade. The teacher regularly reviews the students' grades with the student present so that there is a mutual understanding of how the student is performing in class. Honors students show more initiative towards improving and maintaining high grades.

I have begun implementing google docs folders and physical material for better organizational skills. I keep all physical records of my time of employment at the preschool in folders in a drawer. This folder includes drawings and thank you cards children have written as well as work that they have done. In terms of the school year itself, student progress should be documented as soon as possible. I will save physical and digital assessment records of students as well as take summative notes. Keeping track of progress is a key way of finding students who are not performing at a satisfactory level and providing them extra assistance. If a parent is wondering why a student is failing at the end of the semester for example I would be able to reference missed homework or low test grades that have been repeatedly noted.

4c: Engaging families and community - distinguished

The teacher makes an active effort to connect and engage with both families and the community. This is reflected in the general day to day actions taken by the teacher. The teacher will attend sports games or other events held at the school to show support for students and families. The teacher is also very proactive in communicating with parents. Teachers will ask students ahead of time when games are and communicate with families about attending. The teacher will regularly email parents to keep them informed of students' grades or school events. The teacher will often communicate with parents on ways to improve study habits in students or various ways to improve their grades. The teacher also cc’s email correspondence with students themselves to their parents.

The teacher attends community events such as workshops as well. The instructor shows respect for the cultural backgrounds of students and members of the community. The teacher will discuss attitudes around various community issues with students to stay in tune with the needs of students. The teacher also participates in and creates projects and events that engage members of the school outside of her class. This can be reflected with events such as spirit week or the “Big Brother” game, that involved multiple classes. The teacher also engages colleagues by engaging in festivities. An example of this is when she and other teachers put up pictures of the school staffs’ graduation photos without labeling their names. This created a game for other colleagues in the break room to try and figure out who was who.

Interacting with parents is something I find intimidating and hope to become better with generally. I regularly updated parents throughout the day when working with preschoolers. I regularly, sometimes multiple times a day had to inform parents of injuries, illness, or accidents involving their children at the center. I also actively attended events that the school would throw such as movie nights and read-a-longs. The realm of a highschool class seems to function differently here. The communications and interactions the teacher had with parents were not nearly as frequent or lengthy as mine had been. I can only do my best to communicate with parents as swiftly and professionally as possible.

4d - Contributing to school community and culture - distinguished

The teacher plays an active role as a member of the community. The teacher is friendly with her peers and provides a comfortable space for colleagues and fellow teachers. She will inquire about students and other teachers' rooms and often provide supportive words and affirmations. As mentioned previously, the teacher will attend sports games or school events that students participate in. This greatly helps in building trust between the teacher and her students. The teacher also takes an active role in brainstorming and creating projects for students. These projects are intended to be fun but challenging. An example of this is when the students had presentations in the hallway for other students and school staff. These presentations were based on information they found related to molecular science. The students were to wear professional clothing and present a poster board of information to passerbys. This project engaged the students of her class as well as colleagues and school staff.

The teacher also actively brainstorms with admin for school events and festivities. One of these events was a “dress as a student day” while students were to dress as their teachers. There are other various events regarding dressing up that the teacher has participated in, such as “what you want to be when you grow up”. The teacher aspires to have children one day so she dressed as a “housewife”. The teacher also actively participates in decorating the classroom, hallway, and teachers lounge for events such as st patrick's day and spirit week. The teacher in general attempts to keep up good school spirit with a good attitude towards peers and students.

I understand how important it is to not only be a part of the school community but to boost morale as well. Students are more energized and feel more connected to their schools if there is a sense of “spirit”. I believe that students who feel like they are a part of the school community will put in more effort. At the very least, taking active efforts to make the school environment more supportive and positive is never an issue. Actively participating in being both helpful and social with other teachers also helps cultivate a positive school environment.

4e - Growth and developing professionally. - distinguished

The teacher seeks out new opportunities to better herself as an educator. She has undergone numerous courses, programs, and workshops after becoming an instructor and attempts to continue this every year. From these programs and courses she has earned several certifications. These courses provide valuable tools and information in regards to both pedagogy and science. She also looks back over previous lesson plans to review what has worked in the past or how those lessons could be refined.The teacher is also interested in furthering her education in a university setting and receiving her doctorate degree. She wishes to attain the highest level of education possible and teach college students one day. The teacher has moved forward with applying to higher level learning institutions.

The teacher has acted as a mentor figure towards me, the student learner. She has also previously mentored other students. This acts as a means of growth for her and provides different experiences in teaching. The teacher also accepts feedback from previous evaluations and seeks to improve. For example, she struggled with command of the room and using authority in her voice. She has since “found her voice” and is a leader in the classroom. The teacher gathers input from colleagues in other ways as well. She has taken inspiration and ideas from other lessons and labs to implement herself.

I have learned substantially from the cooperative teacher as to how to conduct a classroom and speak in more professional ways. I am also inspired by the teacher’s drive to further refine her skills. I do very much believe that it is important to continue learning after becoming a teacher. There are countless skills, strategies, and tools that can be used to become a better teacher. It is in my opinion that there is no reason not to continue to bolster a professional portfolio. Teachers need to stay up to date to keep up with their students as well.

4f - Showing integrity and professionalism. - distinguished

The teacher excels in professionalism. She arrives early, before school starts, to not only be prepared, but to also address the needs of others including students and colleagues. The teacher also follows the school's rules. She does not use her phone during the class period. She always dresses in an appropriate and professional manner. She does not swear, speak on inappropriate topics, or gossip with students.

There was a situation where female students were fighting in a bathroom and a teacher was struck trying to break them apart. One teacher had seen the video of the fight which was circulating. This video was shown to him by a student, and he gave his opinion on the fight to the teachers in the break room during lunch. Several other teachers joined in on the discussion, there were jokes made about both the teacher that was struck and the student that hit him. My cooperative teacher advised me to never “gossip” with students in the manner that that teacher had done, and to never watch a fight video off of a students phone.

The teacher is scored highly when monitored by staff and administration. She is effective with her communications in that she is clear and responsive to inquiries. She also answers email correspondence swiftly. The teacher had to make a difficult decision involving her aid when he failed to complete basic tasks related to teaching or assisting her as well as her students. She brought this to the attention of the principal in a way that emphasized that students in one of her classes were having an exceedingly difficult time maintaining passing grades. There were multiple IEP learners that required direct attention that were being ignored. This led to the aid being relocated and she received a different aid. This new aid showed professionalism in her own way by assisting students and taking strides in learning the content herself. The teacher handled this situation with honesty and integrity while giving her students the best chance at success.

I am impressed by my cooperative teachers' abilities to stay professional. I feel as though I should work towards speaking and presenting myself in a more authoritative way. Professionalism is constantly being graded by those around us so it is incredibly important to present as a competent teacher. I noticed a lack of professionalism from other staff while shadowing at the school in the gossiping around the student fight event. My teacher impressed upon me that there is a strict line when speaking to students of what is and isn't appropriate. I then in the following sessions avoided speaking with the teacher that was gossiping with the student.