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Candidates and Mentors, read each of your Induction peers posts from top to bottom.

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Create a separate post under your name for each of the following topic areas.  Please use the same titles below for each post. *MENTORS only need to complete the "Background" post.*

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Candidates and Mentors, for each of your peers, provide the following:
- At least two appreciations
(What do you appreciate about your peer's growth or the growth their students made this year?)
- At least one connection (What about your peer's learning experience in Induction, reminds you of your own?)
- At least one question (What question might push your peer's thinking and reflection on their growth or students growth this year?)

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Candidates and Mentors, share your content, grade level, years of experience, pertinent information about your school or teaching assignment, and one fun fact about yourself. Upload a photo of yourself or bitmoji to this post.

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Describe your inquiry focus question, CSTP focus indicators, and what factors (e.g. student area of need, professional learning goals, teaching context) led you to pursue this area of focus.

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Reflect on your ILP, mentor observations, choice activities and/or any other professional learning activities.  Identify at least  two major ah-hahs or turning points that shaped your growth this school year.

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Select at least one artifact or data point to share that highlights a celebration, milestone or significant growth area for you and/or your students.  Examples may include:

Formative Assessment Data (e.g. quiz, project, assignment)

Summative Assessment Data (e.g. NWEA, iReady)

Student Work Samples (e.g. pre/post focus student data, student work analysis)

Short video clip of instruction or student interaction, <5 minutes (e.g. Mentor observation recording)

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Choose one of the following reflection questions to respond to:

How did induction impact your growth as a teacher and/or your students this school year?

What successes or celebrations are you most proud of this school year? What conditions or assets made this success possible?

Which processes from Induction will you use again?  Explain how you plan to build on this work next year.

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Mr. Rodgers / U.S. History & AP U.S. History / 11th Grade / 2 years of experience (1 year in the classroom cause of the Vid).

Just a guy from the Southwest teaching liberation to the youth of L.A.

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IFQ: If I am more intentional with lesson plans and circulation during the class period, will students grow their mastery of skill based learning targets as measured by exit tickets, summative assessments, and student reflections?

CSTP Focus Indicators:
1. Engaging and Supporting all Students in Learning
2. Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning
3. Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
4. Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students (related to inquiry)
5. Assessing Students for Learning
6. Developing as a Professional Educator

Information to note in regards to school and students:
School - Focusing on Assessment and Data via the Lesson Cycle (Engage, LT & EQ, Explore, Guided Instruction, Independent Practice/Assessment, and Closure)
Students - Students need growth with in depth reading and in depth writing that requires extensive annotation and the compounding of ideas into written format as a means of answering essential questions.

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1. One of my major "Aha" moments was when I encountered a student who seemed a bit frustrated with the writing process during an assessment. They expressed their frustration, stating that sometimes it's hard to express what they are thinking through writing. As a way to complete the assessment, the student asked me if they could simply explain the answer to me as long as they meet all the requirements. In that moment I remembered some of the academic advice I received through teacher mentorship, which was that not all forms of assessments have to be written or expressed traditionally. For example, a discussion is a way to assess, just as much as a slideshow or a one pager. So I told the student of course, and for the next five minutes we sat and discussed the EQ. They still met all requirements, used evidence, and even provided insight I would've never expected. Since then, if students are struggling with a particular assignment or seem to be having extreme difficulty with an assessment, I let them take alternative routes that best support their learning style.

2. As the school year comes to a close, I now see what my dad always tried to tell me when he used to coach me in basketball, and it was that if you want to develop skills "practice makes permanent." He said it doesn't make perfect, because perfection is nearly impossible, but you will always remember how to do it and how to do it right. I saw this with my students this year as they developed into solid readers, writers, and thinkers. Through the assessments, reflection, and various academic/thinking skills we practiced throughout the year, my students have gotten to a place where they may not always WANT to read and write extensively, but now they CAN do so and without struggling like they did in the beginning of the year. I give them props all the time because I want them to know that 8 months ago they weren't in a place to complete some of the stuff they breeze through now. It is truly a sight to see and I am fulfilled knowing my students will take these skills with them when they leave my classroom.

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Below are parts of an essay from my focus student. It focuses on American Democracy, with the EQ being "To what extent was American Democracy successful/unsuccessful during the creation of the country?"

Introductory Paragraph:
"When considering the ideals of freedom and oppression during the formation of the United States, it is important to remember that American democracy was only effective to a limited level during this time period due to the usage of slaves and the restriction of oppressed groups' rights. This essay discusses how democracy was unsuccessful during to times of the creation of the United States. But most importantly how it affected the groups of people who lived in the U.S from enslaved African Americans to wealthy white Americans."

Evidence from body paragraphs:
1. The Economic Interests of the “Founding Fathers” states, “Based on the descriptions of the founding fathers, 32 out of the 55 founding fathers were interested in my role because most of their wealth comes from plantations and enslaved African bonds.” This evidence reveals that, despite there being some "free" African slaves, the majority were still owned or purchased by wealthy and influential leaders such as the Founding Fathers.
2. On the other hand, American democracy was somewhat effective during the formation of the United States since the Declaration of Independence justifies that anybody, regardless of race, may attain and obtain independence. According to Unit 2/ Week 4 Document F it states,  “That government are formed among men to protect these rights, with their lawful powers coming from the agreement of the people.” This data demonstrates that American Democracy was effective because the Declaration affirmed that every individual, white or black, has the right to defend his independence and have a chance to prosper.

I would like to note that it was hard to get my focus student to read, write, and participate for majority of the first semester for various reasons, both academic and personal. However, after having multiple one-on-one meetings and tutoring sessions, my focus student improved tremendously. They went from struggling with motivation and not wanting to write, to writing full essays and completing various assessments. I am very proud of them and their progress, which is evident in their work throughout the year, particularly the essay included above.

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What successes or celebrations are you most proud of this school year? What conditions or assets made this success possible?

The celebration I am most proud of this year is developing relationships with my students that are genuine and impactful. I won an award for being the teacher who makes the most long-lasting relationships with students, and that is something that means a lot to me because that is why I do this work...the students. Through inquiry and reflection, I was able to cultivate a classroom culture where students not only care about developing academic skills as critical thinkers, but one where they care about their education, one another, and me as their teacher. Growing up I did not have that kind of classroom culture with my teachers, nor was there mutual respect to the extent that I felt like my voice was heard and my well-being was taken into consideration. Thankfully, these things can be found in my classroom, which the students call the Neighborhood, because all are welcome. It is a place they know they will be challenged and loved all in one. PUC has helped me seek out and access various methods that allow for this process to take place, so I am grateful for my two years in this program and being able to not only help my students grow, but for my own growth as well.

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Hello! My name is Tanya Paz Baca and I  currently teach at Synergy Quantum in South Los Angeles. I teach 12th grade APGOPO, Government, Economics, and a Civic Engagement Elective course. Despite the variety of topics, all classes have had similar themes/core unit questions that have made planning seamless this year. I have been a teacher for four years, with the last two years at my current school site. Fun fact: I decided to make this the year of self-care and making time for myself. At the moment, I am preparing to run the LB Marathon in October 2022 and the LA Marathon in March 2023. 🏃🏽‍♀️

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My inquiry focus for the year was: If I provide clear expectations, incorporate thinking routines, and establish targeted CFU checkpoints based on those routines, will my students be able to master essential learning targets as measured by teacher-created formative and summative assessments that will focus on analysis, argumentation, and synthesis?

My target CSTP indicators were the following:

1. Engaging and Supporting all Students in Learning

5. Assessing Students for Learning

Why these goals?

After having my Mentor/Coach observe my classroom, we decided that focusing on maintaining an engaging classroom with high expectations w/ an emphasis of CFU checkpoints to prepare students for the summative/formative assessment would be the best path for me. My goal this year was to truly use data to drive my planning…by incorporating frequent CFU checkpoints and providing multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning, I will get a better understanding of whether students are ready to progress to formative/summative tasks. This goal was also aligned to our new inquiry-based lesson plan sequence, which naturally allowed me to dive into more inquiry-based lessons that utilized more of the higher-level thinking routines/DOK prompts, which provided me with a variety of data points on student learning. My ultimate goal was that through a rigorous classroom with high expectations and clear mastery of routines, students will remain engaged and master target learning goals. This goal allowed me to find my role within the classroom, shifting from the gatekeeper of knowledge to the facilitator.

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Hey! My name is Ryan Kaupang. I am a 9th grade Human Geography teacher at Lakeview Charter HS in Sylmar. One fun fact about me is that I also coach girls basketball and baseball!

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Inquiry Focus Question:
"If I lesson plan with students moves in mind and provide specific student expectations during instruction, will students engage more in the lesson as measured through observation."

CSTP Indicators:

1. Engaging and Supporting all Students in Learning

2. Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning

Professional learning goals led me to these focus indicators. As a new teacher, creating effective environments for student learning is something I feel I can continue to grow in. CSTP 1 has been important due to the wide array of student needs in the classroom. I have made it a goal to develop as an educator that plans and develops a curriculum and environment that meets these diverse needs.

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I really feel that my turning points have come as a result of seeing my mentor and other teachers creating the environments I aim to create. My observations were valuable in seeing different ways to achieve the same goal. My goal is to find out where I lie in that spectrum.

Another turning point came when developing a project for our GMO/agriculture unit. With help from my mentor and others, I was able to develop a project that helped support each student while still challenging high achievers.

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My name is Renee Terrebonne and I teach 11th grade United States History and AP United States History at PUC Lakeview Charter High School in Sylmar. I am just finishing my 10th year of teaching. One fact about me is I love to hike and often go on vacations with my husband and son to national parks.

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One of the major turning points that shaped my growth as an educator this year revolved around the conference I attended for Choice Activity B. The UnBoundEd’s Standards Institute really helped shift my mindset regarding student learning. Instead of looking at student’s deficits and avoiding rigorous tasks/content due to fear that students might not “get it,” I need to maintain high standards to ensure equity…ultimately, as the educator, I need to provide the proper scaffolds/support to help students master those rigorous learning targets. If students don’t know how to write an essay, I need to ask them whether I have taught the how to write an essay. The emphasis on reframing our deficit thinking as teachers really made me wrestle with my past actions as an educator and has influenced my future actions in the classroom. While we may feel that students cannot handle these tasks, we are ultimately contributing to the Achievement Gap if we refrain from teaching students these tasks for fear they won’t get it at first. It might be more work and take more time, but grade-level instruction is key for students’ college and career readiness.

A major takeaway I had this year was based on my mentor observations and choice activities. This year was a transition for both students and teachers. While I like to stick to my lesson plan, I learned to become comfortable with “straying” away from my planned activities for the week. At times, students needed more time to understand or review a core concept (such as federalism or rights of students)…instead of rushing into the next activity, I had to truly reflect on student learning based on the data I collected and make last-minute changes to my plans for the week based on this data. While this initially made me feel annoyed or like a failure at times, I realize that this is a key step to ensuring student success. Ultimately, the additional time spend on core ideas or skills ended up benefiting students as I can truly ensure all students were prepared to move on to more complex, higher-level tasks. Furthermore, throughout this process, I learned it’s okay to sometimes change lessons based on student’s moods/passions. A few lessons I had this year moved from textual writing prompts to discussions as students felt that they cannot properly express their views in writing and wanted the opportunity to engage in open discussions with their groups when it came to more critical, controversial issues (such as capitalism, gender wage gap, etc). While planning is a key component of my practice, it is okay to move away from the plans based on student data.

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I decided to use this video because it demonstrates my major takeaway: that sometimes we must change plans up to keep students engaged! In the video, I had planned to have a virtual Jamboard discussion before diving into a mini-research project, but as evident in the video (3:40), students were having too much fun posting on the Jamboard (lol).  Instead of letting this happened, I shifted gears and had students move towards a conversation. While this was not planned and students were initially hesitant, I ultimately felt like the conversations had was more engaging and allowed students to share their voice, leading to an enriching class conversation. We continued this discussion with other issues, giving me great insight on student thinking.

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One of the pivotal impacts the Induction program had on my growth was truly reflecting on student data to best support students. In particular, the Research Project and Student Work Analysis activity showed me how critical it is to truly know our students beyond the classroom. While we might have an idea of student’s based on their past grades or conversation with other teachers, there is value in asking students about their learning process and having open conversations with parents about how their child best learns. Knowing a students’ strengths/weaknesses will provide me with greater opportunities to support student learning.

Furthermore, the induction program showed me the importance of having ongoing mentorship and goals. I feel that having ongoing observations and growth points has made me a better, more intentional teacher. I feel that my practice has greatly improved over time by truly internalizing my target goals, my mentor’s feedback, and finding ways of best supporting students through scaffolds. I feel that making ongoing goals and reflecting on observation/student data will be a standard practice I continue to incorporate into my craft.

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Induction has had a big impact on my growth. Being able to pick the brain of my mentors for 2 years and put my learning into practice has been the most impactful.  I can use this in the future because both of my mentors are on campus and on my content team.

I have also had the opportunity to use induction as a structural background for observations and student work samples/data. I will continue to use these activities to grow as an educator and adapt where necessary.

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Hi! My name is Daniela Gonzalez and I teach 6thv& 7th grade History (Ancient Civ & Medieval World) at PUC Inspire in Pacoima. This is my 4th year teaching and throughout my years at Inspire I have served as Grade Level Lead and an ASB advisor. One fun fact about me is I got my first tattoo this year.