Final Report

INDICATORS OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE RELATED TO PDP G0ALS

A. The Student Teacher As A Growing Professional

· What are some of the student’s strengths?

Some time ago, well before entering the SFU PDP program, I sat down in a coffee shop, sipped a cooling latte and thought about who I am, what attributes I embody when all the “details” are stripped away. At that time, I decided that four irreducible components form that core: I care about people, seeing people through the lens of compassion; I am an asker of questions which I use to drive my own learning and to engage critically with myself, other people, ideas, and institutions; I am a maker of things; and, I strive to attain a level of competence in whatever activities I choose to engage. It is with this core definition that I have come to my PDP experience. It is with these key attributes that I approach teaching and my students. My ideas about myself and my world deeply affect how I approach others. Because I see myself as able to attain a level of competence, I take it for granted that others also hold that potential. Because I am capable of great compassion, I expect that others either default to or can learn compassion. I make a huge variety of things so I understand that the creative process is intrinsic to humanity, a tool for any of us to engage with our world and each other. Asking questions comes naturally to me which means I am able to help my students formulate meaningful questions even when it is me whom they wish to question.

· What growth has occurred in this area?

I’m learning how to transform my ideals and ethics into actual classroom practices both in terms of classroom management and curriculum development. My Faculty Member, Faculty Associates, Faculty Coordinator, and School Associate model classroom practices worthy of emulation. When I entered PDP, I didn’t know what to expect because I have never participated in a school environment that reflects so closely my own ideas about education. I previously experienced myself as contrary to academic institutions. I felt much more adversarial and ended up carrying enough pain around education that I thought I would never willingly place myself in such a vulnerable place again. I took education courses at two different universities before coming to SFU and found that I lost respect for my professors, my fellow students, as well as the larger institution that allowed such a mockery of education to transpire under their domain. While I believe in the value of educational institutions, I have become critical. I find that my experience through the PDP and at my school placements have renewed my faith. I can more clearly elucidate challenges facing educators, learners, and administrators and more easily envision some alternative approaches to help meet those challenges.

· What further growth is necessary?

Clearly, I need to integrate more fully into educational communities. I have an old habit of holding myself separate from my peers and distrusting those who have authority over me. From my experiences at SFU and at my school practicum, I am learning to hold off judgement and to look for what is working while trying very hard to see clearly that which isn’t working.

· What examples support these judgments?

I find the Profiles of Teaching Competency to be very useful to me. I have rated myself three times and asked that my SA also rate my level of proficiency in each of the twenty categories. I am including that document at the end as my main source. I have also created a website documenting my relationships to my role as educator, my community of learners and colleagues, as well as my students. Eventually, the website will address a broad range of topics regarding the complex relationship between education and oppression. www.educationandoppression.blogspot.com. I am also including a questionnaire my SA completed specifically in regards to Indicators of Professional Competence. It will follow each section from the Profiles.

Profiles of Teaching Competency

Teacher as Person

Their Behaviour is thoughtful.

January 16^th 2008

3 I rate myself a 3 here because I have strong “thoughtful” characteristics. I already have a habit in place; however, I could improve significantly by taking the time to consider alternatives more thoroughly.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 As I become more grounded in theory, I find I am considering more alternatives. I now have a selection of tools I didn't have before.

April 1^st, 2008

4 To my general habits and theory I’ve learned in PDP, I add two and a half weeks of teaching two grade 11 and two grade 12 English classes. I can see that I am “in touch” with what goes on in my classroom. I’ve been observed by a number of experienced teachers and

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

Their behaviour is self-initiating.

January 16^th 2008

3 Basically, I know myself enough to know that I begin tentatively. I feel shy and awkward and a little needy at first. These feelings subside as I grow more comfortable. As I grow as a person, I'm also noticing that the length of time I spend in that tentative state lessens. I also know that I can “fake” confidence when necessary.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 I find that I am convincing myself more easily to just forge ahead and wait until afterwards to process whether or not I did meet expectations rather than worry about not meeting expectations before I even try.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

These teachers have a clear idea of what they believe

and those beliefs guide their classroom practices.

January 16^th 2008

4.5 I have strong well-though out beliefs about the world in general. I think a lot about how I affect the world and how it affects both myself and others within it. Education is something that has saved my life and strongly influenced pretty much everything about me so I've thought about it a ton.

February 25^th, 2008

4.5 I'm seeing how much my ideas about the world and education are still in process. I don't want to give myself a five because I don't think I know everything and I don't want to—I want the doors of inquiry to remain open.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

They are “problem solvers.”

January 16^th 2008

4 Essential part of who I am.

February 25^th, 2008

4 Again, this category repeats one of my central conceptions of myself. I have defined myself as essentially competent for years. A huge part of competence is the ability to stick with a problematic situation until some form of resolution comes. A willingness to engage and patience through the process go a long way.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

4 There where some instances when Brenda’s management skills where not as effective as they could have been. She did learn quickly to adopt new strategies that enabled her to manage the class much more effectively.

They can put new ideas into practice.

January 16^th 2008

3 I want this to be even truer about me.

February 25^th, 2008

3 I wish this category was a 'perfect' five; but honestly, I can let my fear of acceptance push me into a more conservative mode in which I fall back on a more traditional or conservative mode. I've seen this in myself at St. George's.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 Her group assessment approach was very imaginative.

You can rely on them.

January 16^th 2008

4.5 I try very hard to do everything I say I will.

February 25^th, 2008

4.5 If at all possible, I will always choose to follow through with my commitments. I may find my own way through the morass of conflicting obligations and priorities but I will show up and do what I say.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

They have a positive outlook.

January 16^th 2008

2 As some one who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I can't honestly say I always have a positive outlook.

February 25^th, 2008

2 I will probably always struggle with this one a little. I think of it as a canoe on the river. When I first step in, my initial excitement and enthusiasm can tilt a little and my fear of tipping over can cause me to tense up and literally lose my balance. Eventually though, the boat will settle and my natural understand will float down the river (with a few moments of screaming if the boat lists too much to one side) but I will make it back to shore having enjoyed and learned from the ride.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

4 She was almost always smiling and laughing; students responded very positively!

They are “reflective practitioners.”

January 16^th 2008

3 I am an observer. I notice things going on around me. I notice when people don't feel well or when they are bubbling with something to say.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 As I become more grounded in theory and see how others are managing I have more reflective tools and therefore an increased capacity for verbalizing what I see going on around me.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

INDICATORS OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE

A. The Student Teacher as a Growing Professional

1. Is the Student Teacher’s behaviour thoughtful, reflective and rational?

Yes

2. Is the Student Teacher self-initiating and responsible?

Yes

3. Does the Student Teacher have a positive outlook?

Yes. She has been very responsive to constructive criticism.

4. Is the Student Teacher non-defensive, non-judgmental and open to possibilities and alternatives?

Yes. She has changed behaviour as a result of observations.

5. Does the Student Teacher’s behaviour seem to be genuine?

Absolutely

6. Does the Student Teacher have a clear, coherent and well-thought out philosophy?

Yes

7. Does the Student Teacher care for and include all learners?

She is learning to address as many different learning styles as possible.

8. Does the Student Teacher put students at the center of decision making?

Yes. She has used student evaluation very effectively.

9. Does the Student Teacher uphold the ideals of inquiry?

Yes. She is constantly questioning the students.

10. Does the Student Teacher practice and promote collaboration?

Yes. She had the class working on group projects.

11. Is the Student Teacher able to establish and maintain ethical and professional working relationships with all members of the educational and wider community?

She appears to have a good working relationship with colleagues.

12. Is the Student Teacher committed to life-long learning?

She appears to be very inquisitive and encourages this in the students.

· Action Plan

I intend to join ASCD as well as the B.C. Co-operative Learning Association in order to foster my continuing development as a professional. I also intend to continue to develop my website into a resource for students and teachers. I will also look for ways to build stronger connections between my peers, administrators, parents, and the larger web that makes up the complex world of education.

Profiles of Teaching Competency: Teacher as Person

Profiles of Teaching Competency

Teacher as Person

Their Behaviour is thoughtful.

January 16^th 2008

3 I rate myself a 3 here because I have strong “thoughtful” characteristics. I already have a habit in place; however, I could improve significantly by taking the time to consider alternatives more thoroughly.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 As I become more grounded in theory, I find I am considering more alternatives. I now have a selection of tools I didn't have before.

April 1^st, 2008

4 To my general habits and theory I’ve learned in PDP, I add two and a half weeks of teaching two grade 11 and two grade 12 English classes. I can see that I am “in touch” with what goes on in my classroom. I’ve been observed by a number of experienced teachers and

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

Their behaviour is self-initiating.

January 16^th 2008

3 Basically, I know myself enough to know that I begin tentatively. I feel shy and awkward and a little needy at first. These feelings subside as I grow more comfortable. As I grow as a person, I'm also noticing that the length of time I spend in that tentative state lessens. I also know that I can “fake” confidence when necessary.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 I find that I am convincing myself more easily to just forge ahead and wait until afterwards to process whether or not I did meet expectations rather than worry about not meeting expectations before I even try.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

These teachers have a clear idea of what they believe

and those beliefs guide their classroom practices.

January 16^th 2008

4.5 I have strong well-though out beliefs about the world in general. I think a lot about how I affect the world and how it affects both myself and others within it. Education is something that has saved my life and strongly influenced pretty much everything about me so I've thought about it a ton.

February 25^th, 2008

4.5 I'm seeing how much my ideas about the world and education are still in process. I don't want to give myself a five because I don't think I know everything and I don't want to—I want the doors of inquiry to remain open.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

They are “problem solvers.”

January 16^th 2008

4 Essential part of who I am.

February 25^th, 2008

4 Again, this category repeats one of my central conceptions of myself. I have defined myself as essentially competent for years. A huge part of competence is the ability to stick with a problematic situation until some form of resolution comes. A willingness to engage and patience through the process go a long way.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

4 There where some instances when Brenda’s management skills where not as effective as they could have been. She did learn quickly to adopt new strategies that enabled her to manage the class much more effectively.

They can put new ideas into practice.

January 16^th 2008

3 I want this to be even truer about me.

February 25^th, 2008

3 I wish this category was a 'perfect' five; but honestly, I can let my fear of acceptance push me into a more conservative mode in which I fall back on a more traditional or conservative mode. I've seen this in myself at St. George's.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 Her group assessment approach was very imaginative.

You can rely on them.

January 16^th 2008

4.5 I try very hard to do everything I say I will.

February 25^th, 2008

4.5 If at all possible, I will always choose to follow through with my commitments. I may find my own way through the morass of conflicting obligations and priorities but I will show up and do what I say.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

They have a positive outlook.

January 16^th 2008

2 As some one who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I can't honestly say I always have a positive outlook.

February 25^th, 2008

2 I will probably always struggle with this one a little. I think of it as a canoe on the river. When I first step in, my initial excitement and enthusiasm can tilt a little and my fear of tipping over can cause me to tense up and literally lose my balance. Eventually though, the boat will settle and my natural understand will float down the river (with a few moments of screaming if the boat lists too much to one side) but I will make it back to shore having enjoyed and learned from the ride.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

4 She was almost always smiling and laughing; students responded very positively!

They are “reflective practitioners.”

January 16^th 2008

3 I am an observer. I notice things going on around me. I notice when people don't feel well or when they are bubbling with something to say.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 As I become more grounded in theory and see how others are managing I have more reflective tools and therefore an increased capacity for verbalizing what I see going on around me.

SA’s Rating April 3, 2008

5 No Comments

Teacher as Person: Reflection 1

"Who is the self that teaches?";

I find these kinds of questions quite bizarre sometimes. I'm not completely convinced that conceptions of self are at all stable in the way we usually presume them to be. Self seems context dependent which means it's in flux and therefore difficult to delimit. I wonder about the ways self correlates with identity. Self sometimes means something like the ego or that part of our identity that lusts, remembers, and languishes in psychological pain. Or it can mean something like soul—some separate and distinct but ethereal umbra independent of physical reality. Either way, neither definition appeals much to me. Maybe I'm suspicious because it smacks of a kind of essentialist dialectic. Problems over definition aside, I don't see how the self that teaches can be much different than the self that does anything else. The self that teaches is the same self that cooks, eats, stubs a toe, and feels an autumn breeze blow against the inside of a knee or elbow. The self that teaches is the same self that cries, struggles, and feels pain and confusion over a parent berating a child in Zellers. You may as well ask, who is the self that teaches the first year, after 10 years, after 35 years? Who is the self that teaches in Abbotsford, in Afghanistan? Who is the self that teaches when all is calm or who is the self that teaches after they've experienced the death of a child or truly falling in love? My answer is a kind of chaos theory—the self that teaches is so complex that I can never truly discover the actuality of it; or, my answer is simple--this collection of sensory experiences, intellectual extrapolations, and physical realities is the self that teaches and there can be no other.

"How can you bring that self to life during 401/401?";

So far, I see my 401/402 experience as feeding that essential part of myself that hungers for new experiences, that part of me that is both ardent and earnest. I see myself exploring not only what it means to be myself in a new environment but also seeing others explore themselves and their relationships to each other, the institution, and the profession. I understand that learning is an absolute drive for me and I am passionate about the potential of education to transform our intellectual, emotional, and physical landscapes. How can my self be anything other than alive in such an environment? Having said that, I understand that I have difficulties with institutions and authorities in general. In other words, I am constantly on guard for abuses of power; my dubiety acting to problematize my position within any institutional practice and complicating any ideas I have about my own authority. My iconoclastic tendencies could interfere with me opening myself to this experience as much as possible. To fully live the experience of 401/402, I need to set some of those fears aside and be less on guard.

"What do you bring to teaching?"

In addition to a diverse set of incomplete skills, a limited (but growing) knowledge, I bring an honest desire to teach with compassion and maturity. I understand what it is to hurt so badly, it's literally impossible to move; I understand what it is like to lose color and texture and complexity; and, I understand what is like to feel gathered up, mended and awakened by lyric joy. My desire is twofold, I want to be a part of an institution that has the potential to touch the lives on individuals in the midst of these kinds of formative experiences and to act as facilitator. Most importantly, I bring a commitment to be present, to live with my role as an educator through the lustrous and the opaque and even through the tedious gray of routine.

Teacher as Person: Reflection 2

LOOKING BACK

*Connections I have made with others this week: (students, staff, student teachers, parents, etc.)

Students: Truthfully, I haven't had much to do with the students of ________ this week. I did get to help one student workshop a paper. Specifically, he wanted help with sentence structure. His essay was quite good. I truly enjoyed helping him refine his essay. While my SA normally marks with a red pen, which I find a little too harsh, I went over his paper and just used a pencil to make some notes for improvement in conjunction with dialog. I tried very hard to make specific, helpful suggestions rather than just 'naming' the error present. I also tried to show where in his paper he was writing effectively so that he might learn from his own strengths. All in all, a good way for me to ease into relating to the students. Otherwise, I had the curious experience of students standing and clapping for me when my SA introduced me. I could see that they were just as curious about me as I am about them. Curiosity is a good place to start.

Staff: An amazing whirlwind of introductions! My Associate Principal greeted me, introduced me to everyone he thought I might have an interest in meeting, and checked up on me throughout the week to find out how my experiences were going. Meeting the administrators and faculty at St. George's has been a wholly positive experience. My SA is jovial and compassionate and proficient in all he does. His demeanor put me at ease early in the game. His constant self-deprecating humor and gentle teasing quickly acted to integrate me into the staff room culture. When I went over the routines assignment with him, I could tell that he felt satisfied and encouraged by my observations. In return, I also felt satisfied and encouraged by his responses to my work thus far. All in all, we have set up the conditions for trust and rapport that I am positive will result in a productive working relationship. In the course of the first couple of days, I also got to show two or three teachers stuff they didn't know about in their fields. I felt like they saw me as capable and ready to contribute. My SA and the other teachers I've observed, have all indicated that they are open to suggestions for improvement as well. The environment of St. George's seems so open and essentially gentle. (This easy openness and transparency surprised me coming from such a clear privilege—I imagined more rigidity would be present in these 'upper echelons.') As the week progressed, I felt more and more like we all had something to contribute and that those contributions were both well received and well respected. In effect, we were all part and parcel to the learning community that is ___________.

Student Teachers: I'm quite pleased with my fellow student teachers, both my colleagues at ________ and my colleagues placed at other schools. I have found myself in a supportive role with both my _______ classmates; thus far; I help by making arrangements to meet and assisting them make sense of assignments and expectations. In a way, I see my behavior as 'stock pilling' good will so that I know we can all count on each other. I'm am touched and impressed by the little vignettes posted to Firstclass by my fellow modulers. I felt worried about how our atmosphere may have been transformed by our last day on the hill. I worried about the tension created by the FA's call for increased professionalism; I worried about the divisive potential of the “certain subjects/don't have to listen” and the credo activities; I especially worried about one class member who seemed to be hit really hard by the professionalism reminder. I felt relief once I realized we were all 'okay' and more or less ready to face the challenges of our placements. I'm so proud of my fellow classmates; I miss them too. I miss seeing them, my FAs and my FM. I'm looking forward to seeing everybody on the 20^th.

LOOKING AHEAD

*Different instructional methods I observed this week:

• Socratic Method (impure—makes some statements.) My SA spends significantly more time asking students questions than lecturing. When we discussed the rationale for certain classroom procedures, he said, “I'm not here to give answers, I'm here to encourage discovery.”
• Offering students choice of activities. Voted for either silent reading or class discussion.
• Powerpoint presentation. Duality in Fifth Business
• Silent Reading. Brave New World
• Peer Questioning.
• Peer Evaluation. Took quiz and consulted with each other before SA gave answers.
• Peer Editing. Journalism—open workshopping of editorial pieces.
• Praise: “Absolutely, that is a perfect analogy.” “That is an excellent observation.”
• Publish. Readying student writing for student content newspaper.

WRITING PROMPTS

*Select a favorite quote from a professional reading and explain why it is significant to you in relation to teaching and learning.

I take my quote not from a professional reading but from a classroom instruction: “Life is your curriculum.” Carolyn Mamchur made this statement during a classroom activity on type theory, specifically when we were exploring what the different types need in terms of safety and power. From the first class with my SA, I could tell that he is interested in being a real person to his students and seeing their realities. School is a huge part of these boys' lives and my SA does what he can to teach them about learning and life simultaneous to conveying educational information and process. From the get-go, he asks them what they think and moves them from their life experiences into the novels and the ideas with which they are engaging. Some examples:

“Would you choose monogamy or free sex, unencumbered, random orgies. Hedonistic pleasure. Dirty, dirty sex with all these women?”

“How about a drug induced happiness or abstinence? Is our Society really abstinent? In what ways does our culture encourage alcohol consumption?”

“The human condition requires that we feel pain...only with struggle, difficulty, pain there is happiness. No struggle, no happiness.”

He really succeeds in bringing the students into a complicated reality—both their own and the reality of Brave New World. A dialog between the teacher (SA) and several students (ST):

SA: Why produce an epsilon?

ST: Cheap labour.

SA: What other advantages?

ST: Easily manipulated.

SA: Are they happy with it?

ST: Yes.

SA: Does that make sense?

ST: Absolutely.

SA: How else are they different? How do we know?

He accomplishes these kinds of dialogs in every class. The above quotes are all taken from one grade 11 English class. The following taken from a grade 12 English class where they are reading Davie's Fifth Business.

SA: (Turns off music.) I want you all to think about the time in your life you've felt the most challenged. Despair. Hopelessness. Grade 12 elicits those kinds of emotional responses I know. (Pause) Think about your life immediately after the experience. For lack of a better word, during recovery. A moment of salvation. (Pause.) What do you think you came out of that experience with?

ST: Relief.

SA: Anyone willing to share?

ST: The whole suspension thing. 2 week. 3 months. Can't organize things when you're down like that. There's...like an lead apron...

SA: How does that feel?

ST: Scary because you don't have to feel some thing all the time.

SA: Did you learn something from that experience? You said, “Things figured themselves out?”

ST: Learn how to grow up a bit. Learn that you only have a year left. You just have to give'er and get out.

I could go on. I have notes from all his classes in which he draws his students into the novels and ideas through their own experiences. In one class, he focuses on “happiness comes from accomplishment.” In another, “How many people here are afraid of growing old?” Ostensibly, he's teaching the same material but each class in different. Each class reflects the life (or lived) experiences of his students. There is no real routine and he abandons his list of discussion questions easily in order to facilitate these boys' search for meaning. Together, students and teacher, strive for understanding something about themselves, about their world and their relationship to life and literature and the world of ideas.

What I really want to draw out is how the curriculum is life for our students (and ourselves). Education is an experience through which they are living. The years spin towards graduation (or exiting the system by an alternate path) piling one experience upon another upon another. I believe it is artificial to attempt to draw lines between curriculum and life. They are one.

Teacher as Person: Reflection 3

Teacher as Person

Their Behavior is thoughtful.

January 16^th 2008

3 I rate myself a 3 here because I have strong “thoughtful” characteristics. I already have a habit in place; however, I could improve significantly by taking the time to consider alternatives more thoroughly.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 As I become more grounded in theory, I find I am considering more alternatives. I now have a selection of tools I didn't have before.

Their behavior is self-initiating.

January 16^th 2008

3 Basically, I know myself enough to know that I begin tentatively. I feel shy and awkward and a little needy at first. These feelings subside as I grow more comfortable. As I grow as a person, I'm also noticing that the length of time I spend in that tentative state lessens. I also know that I can “fake” confidence when necessary.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 I find that I am convincing myself more easily to just forge ahead and wait until afterwards to process whether or not I did meet expectations rather than worry about not meeting expectations before I even try.

These teachers have a clear idea of what they believe

and those beliefs guide their classroom practices.

January 16^th 2008

4.5 I have strong well-though out beliefs about the world in general. I think a lot about how I affect the world and how it affects both myself and others within it. Education is something that has saved my life and strongly influenced pretty much everything about me so I've thought about it a ton.

February 25^th, 2008

4.5 I'm seeing how much my ideas about the world and education are still in process. I don't want to give myself a five because I don't think I know everything and I don't want to—I want the doors of inquiry to remain open.

They are “problem solvers.”

January 16^th 2008

4 Essential part of who I am.

February 25^th, 2008

4 Again, this category repeats one of my central conceptions of myself. I have defined myself as essentially competent for years. A huge part of competence is the ability to stick with a problematic situation until some form of resolution comes. A willingness to engage and patience through the process go a long way.

They can put new ideas into practice.

January 16^th 2008

3 I want this to be even more true about me.

February 25^th, 2008

3 I wish this category was a 'perfect' five; but honestly, I can let my fear of acceptance push me into a more conservative mode in which I fall back on a more traditional or conservative mode. I've seen this in myself at St. George's.

You can rely on them.

January 16^th 2008

4.5 I try very hard to do everything I say I will.

February 25^th, 2008

4.5 If at all possible, I will always choose to follow through with my commitments. I may find my own way through the morass of conflicting obligations and priorities but I will show up and do what I say.

They have a positive outlook.

January 16^th 2008

2 As some one who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I can't honestly say I always have a positive outlook.

February 25^th, 2008

2 I will probably always struggle with this one a little. I think of it as a canoe on the river. When I first step in, my initial excitement and enthusiasm can tilt a little and my fear of tipping over can cause me to tense up and literally lose my balance. Eventually though, the boat will settle and my natural understand will float down the river (with a few moments of screaming if the boat lists too much to one side) but I will make it back to shore having enjoyed and learned from the ride.

They are “reflective practitioners.”

January 16^th 2008

3 I am an observer. I notice things going on around me. I notice when people don't feel well or when they are bubbling with something to say.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 As I become more grounded in theory and see how others are managing I have more reflective tools and therefore an increased capacity for verbalizing what I see going on around me.

The Teacher and the Kids: Interactions

They prize, care about each individual.

January 16^th 2008

4 No one is a 'throw away.' Everyone has something to contribute.

February 25^th, 2008

4 I love people and want everyone to grow and develop and build ever more inter/intrapersonal skills and connections. My only real difficulty comes when I run into people who don't necessarily share my priorities. I try not to demonize them (or think they are just plain wrong) but I can fail in the first exchange in a conflict ridden situation.

They know how to observe, diagnose and deal with pupils

with behavioral difficulties.

January 16^th 2008

4 What is this thing called limits?

February 25^th, 2008

4 I am increasing my focus on accepting my own limitations. I can't be the perfect teacher for everyone and I'm letting go (just the smallest amount) of that expectation.

They use reflective responses to help pupils think

about what they are saying.

January 16^th 2008

1 Severely lacking in experience.

February 25^th, 2008

3 My SA focuses on asking the students one question after another to get them engaged with the material. It's been hugely beneficial for me to actually experience this in a secondary school environment.

They promote pupils' thinking.

January 16^th 2008

2 I can't imagine wanting anything else as a teacher. I hope to gain more tools though. I think my natural tendency is to be inclusive but again, I don't have tons of experience in this regard.

February 25^th, 2008

3 I am becoming more proficient at planning my lessons so that my students can showcase their own processes more. I don't need to show them what I know (as much).

There's a lot of interaction among pupils in their classes.

January 16^th 2008

1 I want this kind of interaction in my classroom but essentially I need more practice in this regard.

February 25^th, 2008

1 I'm working on this profile but I find it challenging to incorporate with my SA's style. I want more experience letting the students take control of the classroom and work cooperatively.

These student teachers are real people to their pupils.

January 16^th 2008

3.5 I don't understand how I could do anything but be a real person with mixed up traits.

February 25^th, 2008

3.5 I hide parts of my experience from most people. I need to work on letting students see some of the less confident and rosy aspects of adult experience so that they know that some struggle is an intrinsic part of human experience. This is not to say, however, that I need to give them the gruesome details and treat them like they are my counselor or anything. Just subtlety let them know that all of us struggle in some ways and it's ok to ask for help and support when then need it and it's ok to have a bad day.

The Teacher, The Kids and the “Stuff:” Classroom Life

They know what they are doing in the classroom and it makes sense.

January 16^th 2008

1 How do I really know at this point? I'm basically so inexperienced I can't tell for sure. I'm reasonably certain that I have the basic skills necessary but I see this as an area of huge potential development.

February 25^th, 2008

2 My growing awareness of IRP's/PLO's and I've learned so many tools for connecting them to the Big Ideas. I see that I am making connections between the human and curricular elements of teaching.

They are knowledgeable in their fields.

January 16^th 2008

4 I feel confident in my area of knowledge and my ability to understand different modes of inquiry.

February 25^th, 2008

4 I get to experience myself as competent in my filed regularly. I have enough knowledge of my field to know that no one knows it all and I don't deed to pretend that I do. I can be honest about what I know and leave the door open for continued learning.

They use evaluation to promote learning.

January 16^th 2008

1 I understand that evaluation is subjective (even on seemingly objective tests). I don't know much about non-traditional evaluation methods; I am hungering to learn more.

February 25^th, 2008

2 Carolyn and Vandy's presentations on evaluation and assessment excite me. I think I'm beginning to understand how to make evaluation more useful to students. I'm excited to put these new strategies into practice.

The classroom is a vital, alive and zestful place.

January 16^th 2008

3 My idealogy follows this path and I very much hope this is true about my classrooms to be.

February 25^th, 2008

3 Not much movement here. I really want more practice with organizing a classroom in various ways to see just how I can create this kind of environment more and more. I know that getting the students to own their class is absolutely essential. I want to try.

The teaching materials used are varied, imaginative and relevant.

January 16^th 2008

2 I plan to use as much material generated by my students as possible; under those circumstances, the materials will be varied, imaginative and relevant because they will be generated by the students who are varied, imaginative and relevant.

February 25^th, 2008

2 I want more practice! How can I develop this skill (outside my imagination anyway) further when I have so little 'face' time with real students?

These teachers unify their groups.

January 16^th 2008

0 I connect with individuals, put out feelers, observe, notice, etc. I can't say that I have much practice facilitating for a group of people who may not want to be where they are. I'm uncertain of how to unify individuals under those circumstances.

February 25^th, 2008

1 I have begun to think about how to accomplish this task. I'm designing my lessons with peer evaluation in mind and getting my students to work cooperatively but I haven't actually had the opportunity to try this new skill out yet.