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In developing a rough draft of the assessments embedded in my 5-day unit it allowed me to see how I can be flexible and still tailor to my student needs. I am more confident in my ability to use formative assessments and monitor student progress through observation and note taking. I am also better able to develop more engaging summative assessments that are accompanied by a rubric. I have also learned to go over my rubric with students to clarify any questions as well as setting expectations for the assessments.

TPE 5: Assessing student learning

#1.  Apply knowledge of the purposes, characteristics, and appropriate uses of different types of assessments (e.g., diagnostic, informal, formal, progress-monitoring, formative, summative, and performance) to design and administer classroom assessments, including use of scoring rubrics.

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ITL 528 Week 1 Professional Website Blog

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ITL 528 Week 1 Professional Website Blog

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Throughout this course we have focused on designing a 5-day unit as well as developing a professional website. Each course has allowed me to see my planning through a different lens due to the readings, lectures, and insight that I receive from participating in our blackboard discussions. I believe that reflecting on our own growth and shortcomings helps us to better understand ourselves and what we bring to the table. By doing this personal website, I was able to reflect on who I am as a professional and compare my reflections to previous courses. This shows me that my biases and beliefs keep evolving as I develop as a professional educator.

Here is the link to my site:
https://rh24la.wixsite.com/website

TPE #6- Developing as a Professional Educator

#2-Recognize their own values and implicit and explicit biases, the ways in which these values and implicit and explicit biases may positively and negatively affect teaching and learning, and work to mitigate any negative impact on the teaching and learning of students. They exhibit positive dispositions of caring, support, acceptance, and fairness toward all students and families, as well as toward their colleagues.

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Throughout this course I have learned the effectiveness of using pre-assessments. Currently our school site is in the process of implementing rubrics and assessments across departments and as part of the leadership team at my school I have been able to share some of these pre-assessment strategies with them. It has allowed us to view the strengths and needs of our student and use it on a school wide scale in order to establish a rubric that accommodate our students and ensure that they can take the necessary steps to meeting and exceeding the learning goals and standards.

TPE 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Understanding

#2.  Use knowledge about students and learning goals to organize the curriculum to facilitate student understanding of subject matter and make accommodations and/or modifications as needed to promote student access to the curriculum.

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After completing this course, I have gained valuable insight into better developing units. The blackboard collaborates gave me insight into what other teachers are doing in their classrooms. As a new teacher I undervalued my contribution and deferred to veteran colleagues, however I have learned to see that new teachers have a lot to contribute to the education system. The skill of breaking down standards and designing a unit have allowed me to share more ideas within our department PLC’s and have helped to better develop as a professional in a collaborative environment.

TPE #4- Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students

#3-Design and implement instruction and assessment that reflects the interconnectedness of academic content areas and related student skills development in literacy, mathematics, science, and other disciplines across the curriculum, as applicable to the subject area of instruction.

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ITL 522 Discipline Based Unit of Study Week 2

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ITL 522 Discipline Based Unit of Study Week 2

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Through this assignment I was able to better understand the complexity of planning when it comes to encompassing all learning styles. Since day one of this program UDL has been at the center of how we should practice teaching. The more I am given opportunities to try and test lesson plans that are designed with UDL principles in mind I am better able to reflect on my practice and modify things more intentionally. Prior to this program I was not aware of the complexity of learning styles and needs beyond that of a visual and auditory learner. I have come to value curriculum planning a lot more since this is what gets our kids engaged and motivated.

TPE #1- Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning

#5- . Promote students' critical and creative thinking and analysis through activities that provide opportunities for inquiry, problem solving, responding to and framing meaningful questions, and reflection.

TPE 4: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students

#7. Plan instruction that promotes a range of communication strategies and activity modes between teacher and student and among students that encourage student participation in learning.

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ITL530 Classroom Management Field Experience 

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ITL530 Classroom Management Field Experience 

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This class has allowed me to reflect on my lack of flexibility when it comes to creating rules and procedures. In order to develop professionally to the best that I can, I need to be able to remain flexible in all aspects of teaching, whether its how I greet my students, my table arrangement, lesson planning, or assessment. In this case I have to be cognizant of what works and with whom. This challenges me to try something new, remain flexible, and not be afraid to toss something out if it isn’t working, even if it’s the middle of the semester.

TPE #6- Developing as a Professional Educator

#5-Demonstrate professional responsibility for all aspects of student learning and classroom management, including responsibility for the learning outcomes of all students, along with appropriate concerns and policies regarding the privacy, health, and safety of students and families. Beginning teachers conduct themselves with integrity and model ethical conduct for themselves and others.

TPE 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning

#6. Establish and maintain clear expectations for positive classroom behavior and for student to-student and student-to-teacher interactions by communicating classroom routines, procedures, and norms to students and families.

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Through the completion of this assignment I was able to gather a lot of support and insight from our special education teacher. I have always believed that we can learn a lot from having a conversation with someone. During the interview for this assignment I was able to learn a lot about planning under UDL, and the various supports for all learners. But I was also able to see the passion and personality of the teacher turn into strategies and lesson plans. I have learned to appreciate my teaching colleagues a lot more as I have concluded that we are our own biggest resources. I want to be able to translate that same idea to my students. I want them to see themselves as a walking wealth of knowledge and use that to better their lives and the lives of people around them.

TPE 1: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning

#4. Use a variety of developmentally and ability-appropriate instructional strategies, resources, and assistive technology, including principles of Universal Design of Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to support access to the curriculum for a wide range of learners within the general education classroom and environment.

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ITL520 Analyzing Academic Texts within Content Areas

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ITL520 Analyzing Academic Texts within Content Areas

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This assignment provided me with valuable insight into analyzing texts in my content area. I have learned that texts are any media that communicates information. This has allowed me to be more intentional when selecting videos for my students to watch. By being able to foresee any challenges that my various learners might face will help me better anticipate adjustments and provide students with a more tailored instruction.

TPE #3- Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Understanding

#5- Adapt subject matter curriculum, organization, and planning to support the acquisition and use of academic language within learning activities to promote the subject matter knowledge of all students, including the full range of English learners, Standard English learners, students with disabilities, and students with other learning needs in the least restrictive environment.

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I have learned that teaching practices evolve as students evolve. For example, as previously stated, I was a huge fan of direct instruction, however, I ended up dropping it from my strategies due to the ineffectiveness that I saw with my students. But now, I realize that as I progress through my career and embrace UDL, I am more comfortable revisiting direct instruction, but this time through a difference lens. I also learned that it takes about three years for teachers to create a really well developed unit. This gives me a sense of confidence as I progress through planning as I am only through my first year and have been feeling lost at times. However, learning from my colleagues has paid dividends throughout my first year.
TPE #3- Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Understanding

#2-Use knowledge about students and learning goals to organize the curriculum facilitate student understanding of subject matter, and make accommodations and/or modifications as needed to promote student access to the curriculum.

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The biggest takeaway from this assignment is that collaboration and consultation is not limited to teachers within my subject area. In fact, I feel that I have learned a lot more by collaborating with colleagues from different content areas and grade level while in the credential program at National. For example, I have collaborated with English teachers, math teachers, and elementary teachers. This is important because Science incorporates reading, math, art, and technology. I have been able to implement some of the ELA scaffolding strategies I have learned from a colleague elementary teacher into my seventh grade science class. This helped me out in planning because a huge portion of the student population that I serve are reading at 3rd or 4th grade level.

TPE 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Understanding

#3. Individually and through consultation and collaboration with other educators and members of the larger school community, plan for effective subject matter instruction and use multiple means of representing, expressing, and engaging students to demonstrate their knowledge.

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ITL606 Assignment 3.3, Learning Environments and Classroom Management 

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ITL606 Assignment 3.3, Learning Environments and Classroom Management 

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Through this assignment I was able to see the complexity of how rules, procedures and or expectations are written. I have always been a very rigid and structured individual, but teaching has shown me that rules are also tailored to your students, not just your own personal agenda. This was the bias that I carried for the first few months of teaching and found it to be a barrier when it came to building relationships with students. I think that there is more value in creating rules together with your students. Doing so can be a teaching moment for both sides of the issue. I have learned that having too many rules, or very wordy ones, will cause more disruption because students will not be able to remember all the rules, or understand them for that matter. I attended a classroom management training in which they discouraged student involvement in the rule making process. For the spring semester I plan to allow student voice in the rule making process and try it out. I have also learned that classroom management also extends beyond the class. If parents are aware of the rules and norms at home, parents would be better able to assist if they ever get a phone call from a teacher. This also creates transparency between the home and school creating an effective and extended learning environment.

TPE 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning #6. Establish and maintain clear expectations for positive classroom behavior and for student to-student and student-to-teacher interactions by communicating classroom routines, procedures, and norms to students and families.

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ITL606 Assignment 2.3- Social Learning Theory: Mini Case Study

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ITL606 Assignment 2.3- Social Learning Theory: Mini Case Study

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Throughout this course we have focused on the different developmental theories that can be used to positively affect student learning. When I first began teaching I heavily relied on my experiences and beliefs with working with children. Bandura’s social learning theory really changed my perspective on student behavior. Instead of seeing their behavior as isolated incidences I began to see them as product of the different social interactions that take place in their day. This course solidified my beliefs on Piaget and Erikson as I covered these in my criminology undergrad. I have learned to value my new insight, especially since I am more aware of the intricacies of learning in a social setting.I have learned that our teaching philosophy is never set in stone. Great teachers are those that are willing to be flexible and adapt themselves to the needs of their students. When I first began teaching I would use direct instruction about 80% of the time but have considerably been trying a non-directive approach. I have learned that theories only work for us if we practice them and use them as a guide rather than a measuring stick. My goal is to provide a more non-directive student approach, while allowing for individual direct instruction to those that need it. This is ideal in my school where our class size caps at twelve students.

TPE #4- Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students #2-Understand and apply knowledge of the range and characteristics of typical and atypical child development from birth through adolescence to help inform instructional planning and learning experiences for all students

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ITL604 IRIS Module Response to Intervention

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ITL604 IRIS Module Response to Intervention

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This assignment shows the growth in monitoring and tracking student progress in order to modify instruction to student needs. I have always believed that students are at the forefront for everything that we do. Throughout this course our assignments have echoed that same ideal through the academic lens. I think that students always learn more efficiently when they are given an opportunity to feel as though they have a say in how they learn. If students don’t buy into what we are telling them then they will not find the relevancy in it. This course has helped me take this same philosophy into student assessment. I have learned that student involvement is important and can be very effective when it comes to assessing their learning. I have always been motivated to give students a voice in their learning by allowing them choices on how to showcase their learning or how they acquire information but have not given them enough voice in their learning assessment. I am excited to create a spreadsheet and watch students track their progress weekly and to have that immediate and constant feedback as much as possible.

TPE 5-Assessing Student Learning

#3. Involve all students in self-assessment and reflection on their learning goals and progress and provide students with opportunities to revise or reframe their work based on assessment feedback.

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ITL604 Assessing Proficiency of English Language Learners

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ITL604 Assessing Proficiency of English Language Learners

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Throughout this course we have focused on the different resources and tools at the disposal of educators that can be used to positively affect student learning. I believed that as a new educator that I would intuitively know how to assess student learning and modify my instruction to meet student needs. However, this course has reminded me of how my biases and beliefs are still influencing my teaching. Therefore during this course I really made it a point to rely on my colleagues and seek different perspectives when it comes to assessing student learning. This course has helped me become more comfortable with using test scores to modify instruction and assess student learning gaps. Initially, test scores were intimidating because of the amount of information, but now realize how effective of a tool it can be if used properly. I have learned that as a new educator I have to constantly evaluate myself and how my practices are working to promote student excellence. During the course discussions on blackboard I was able to connect with different teachers from different backgrounds and received lots of good advice on both behavioral and academic areas. I feel more confident in taking initiative to review assessment scores, especially now that our school will be employing the NWEA.

TPE 5-Assessing Student Learning

#6. Work with specialists to interpret assessment results from formative and summative assessments to distinguish between students whose first language is English, English learners, Standard English learners, and students with language or other disabilities.

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Being able to collaborate with colleagues on site or remotely is an extremely valuable skill for many educators. This free-flowing of ideas can help generate great lesson plans as well as innovative classroom management skills. Our colleagues are a huge resource and sometimes can be underused. Collaboration also fosters a sense of trust and community within the teachers that students are able to pick up and perhaps translate to their work. Before this course, I seldom used collaboration with colleagues beyond staff meetings but have been using informal collaboration as well to help with things that come up throughout the day. Through the use of this project I have learned that collaboration can be meaningful and effective even if it is solely digital. Our group was able to effectively work together by keeping a open line of communication with each other and being open to feedback and changes. There were some setbacks, such as students not responding early enough, or emails getting mixed up. However it was really rewarding to see that we created something great through digital collaboration. This is important for our students to learn since our global economy is becoming more digital.

TPE 4- Developing as a Professional Educator #6 Access resources for planning and instruction, including the expertise of community and school colleagues through in- person or virtual collaboration, co-teaching, coaching, and/or networking.

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This assignment helped me to better understand the professionalism that is required in education and the many different ways our biases, beliefs, and social constructs indirectly affect our behavior. Knowing how an educator should act in the school setting is an important factor in being able to build rapport with students and provide them with a quality education. I also believe that this extends to outside the classroom as well. Educators should be held to a higher standard of conduct even after hours. Many parents are not able to attend back to school nights or other school functions, therefore if a parent saw one of their child’s teachers act in a unruly manner in public, it could be consequential. The parent might develop a bad impression of the teacher as a person, question his ability to be a role model, and maybe even question the school in hiring that individual. Social media is another form of scrutiny for teachers, and they must be aware of the policies regarding their use and their work duties.

TPE 6- Developing as a Professional Educator #7. Understand and enact professional roles and responsibilities as mandated reporters and comply with all laws concerning professional responsibilities, professional conduct, and moral fitness, including the responsible use of social media and other digital platforms and tools.

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This is a lesson plan that I had created on acid precipitation for my environmental science class. Initially many of my lessons had very little transitions within in a class period, but with learning about UDL I began to incorporate more elements of representation and engagement as seen by the demos performed in this lesson. The demonstrations and discussion helps students see the relevancy of what they are learning and how it can affect their lives. The collaborate sessions throughout the course have helped me see the perspective of different grade teachers on engaging students and it has given me some insight into different ways of targeting struggling students in my classes. Throughout this class I have gained lots of valuable information that will allow me to implement differentiation and UDL elements to help me achieve greater student engagement. Understanding the Learning map in more detail has also allowed me to be more intentional when it comes to my lesson plans. It has taught me to approach my lessons based on my learners and their background. Once I understand my learners I will be able to tailor lessons more to meet students’ needs especially in our small class sizes at Phoenix Secondary.

TPE 1 Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning - #3 Connect subject matter to real-life contexts and provide active learning experiences to engage student interest, support student motivation, and allow students to extend their learning.

TPE 1 Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning- #4

Use a variety of developmentally and ability-appropriate instructional strategies, resources, and assistive technology, including principles of Universal Design of Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to support access to the curriculum for a wide range of learners within the general education classroom and environment.

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I am in my first year of teaching. Education is more than just teaching content to students and expecting them to regurgitate this knew information onto standardized assessments. Teaching is an opportunity to connect with students on a social, cultural, and personal level that goes beyond state standards. In my first year of teaching I had the privilege of teaching and engaging some students, while struggling to entertain and manage others that would fall into the category of “tough kids.” You see, I teach at a behavior modification school that serves students with mild to moderate behavior issues and these students typically coincide with low academic backgrounds. Immediately, many of my tough students began to act out and push back. I found myself losing more of them to behavior problems that my rules and expectations could afford. That is when it hit me! I too was once a teenager with an attitude with a similar background, in other words I used to be in their shoes. I grew up poor, an English Learner,  an immigrant, with low-self-esteem and a whole lot of attitude. I changed my m.o. I went from being a teacher with demands and expectations to a caring adult with an open ear and heart prying to find my students’ interests and who they were as people. With some students it was anime, with others it was the guitar, while with others it was rap music- I used all these various avenues to connect with them, and slowly saw them being more interested in what I had to say. This was powerful because even though they still thought some of the content was boring(how could they?? it’s science lol), they still listened because they knew it was important for me- that’s when I knew how powerful a connection can be.