Recent Changes

While various methods of teaching exist (direct instruction, cooperative learning, etc..) an instructor should be able and willing to use different techniques when the course calls for them. A teacher cannot rely on simply using direct instruction in the classroom; because students learn in different ways, and students are often incapable of sitting through long lectures, other methods of teaching must also be present. A teacher may find direct instruction to be the easiest way to maintain classroom control, but students need to practice various methods of learning. Teachers should vary their teaching style; teachers can do this by putting students as the focus of the classroom. For example, if students are learning difficult material, an instructor may play students in groups so they may work together. By working together in groups the students will be able to learn from each other. Ideas will pass through the group and discussion will be facilitated through varying opinions. If a classroom were to be purely based around direct instruction these interactions would never occur. Students would not be able to learn from each other, and unique ideas from out students would never be shared. Literature circles could be used as a way to vary teaching methods. Students will find themselves in control of the classroom as they pick the literature they wish to read, and have discussions about the things they find important. If the classroom was led by the instructor at all times the students would not be motivated to learn, and they would not have an opportunity to make sure their opinions are heard. INTASC 4 is instrumental in facilitating our students' learning. Varying instruction keeps the classroom fun and exciting, but also allows students to periodically have control over what is to be discussed and learned. While students cannot run the classroom at all times, breaking away from the traditional method of direct instruction will benefit the students and allow the instructor to work as a facilitator of student discussion.
Artifact A {Teaching Segment 4 (Reflection) Complete.docx}
A is aa teaching segment
Artifact B {Teaching Segment 4 (Reflection) Complete.docx}
opportunity to chosechoose the novel
Strategies and Problem Solving

Artifact A is a teaching segment that I planned during my professional year at Towson University. The lesson was planned to teach characterization to students using the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. This artifact demonstrates my proficiency in this principle because I had the students write journal entries from different point of views. The journal entries were used to give the students a concrete example of 'walking in someone else's shoes.' Students were given shoes that would be worn by people of all different walks of life. Instead of directly implying the background of the character they were creating, students needed to examine how they viewed the world, and give their character a name and background based on the shoe they received. Unknowingly, students were facing the beliefs they had about people that were different from them. By presenting students with objects and having them identify the person that would use them, they need to confront the differences between the lives of others. Students gave the characters backgrounds, but were also required to explain their reasoning. The lesson shows an example of introducing multiculturalism into the classroom naturally. The students were not forced to write their pieces from the point of view of a specific person, but were instead allowed to infer the life of the character and justify their work with personal experience. This lesson segment has a positive impact on student achievement because it motivates the student to want to participate. Discovering new ways to motivate students in the classroom is incredibly important. Students that are motivated to learn are always going to be more successful than those who are uninterested in school. Students enjoyed the activity of creating a character based off of already conceived conditions, and the lesson was very successful. Bringing multiculturalism into the classroom is important for creating an empathetic classroom, and also allows students to confront any misinformation they may have learned. Multiculturalism can also create enthusiasm in minority students. Although the texts may not be about a specific race or social group, the idea that everyone is equal and equally capable of succeeding is empowering. This lesson segment demonstrates the "planning instruction" aspect of the Planning-Teaching-Learning cycle because I used information gathered in classes and real world experience to plan an effective lesson for my students. Careful planning allows instructors to introduce different topics into the classroom seamlessly. If an instructor enters the classroom with the intention of introducing multiculturalism, the addition to the classroom will be incredibly obvious. Planning ahead and using activities students enjoy allowed me to introduce important elements into the classroom without students noticing a great shift in learning.
Artifact B {DRL Teaching Reading and Writing (EDITED).docx}
goal. This unit planDRL demonstrates the
Diversity

Understanding how children learn and develop is crucial to creating lessons that will be helpful to all students. By using material tailored to fit the developmental stages of the children in the classroom, an instructor will be able to ensure they are teaching each of their students efficiently. In order to create lessons that are appropriate for students, teachers must understand how children develop throughout their school years; it is important for teachers to know how children change throughout adolescence and how altering instruction can help them reach each child. An important part of growing up during the high school years is developing mental maturity. It is not likely that a sixth grade health class would contain intricate explanations of sexual reproduction and methods of safe sex. Because students are not mentally mature enough to handle such topics with the care they require, it is not taught to them. At the high school level, when children have had the chance to mature, children will be taught sexual education. Planning for the maturity and development of students can be applied to the English classroom as well. For example, when teaching a sixth grade class, a teacher would not choose a text that had graphic scenes of violence or foul language; in the high school setting books containing this material are part of the curriculum (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye). A teacher must understand how the child develops in order to plan lessons that will effectively teach their students. If students are unable to handle the material they will lose focus and not retain the information, and if students believe material is not relevant to them because they are too mature they will dismiss the material and not attempt to retain information.
Artifact A {Child Study.docx}
attention. This unit planchild study demonstrates the
Artifact B {VPP.docx}
Artifact B is the validated practices project that I completed during the student teaching portion of my professional year at Towson University. The validated practices project involved implementing multiple lessons throughout the internship and mapping student progress. This artifact demonstrates my proficiency in this principle because my lessons were created to cater the needs of the students in my classroom. I used a variety of strategies throughout my lessons to ensure all learners of all abilities were able to fully understand the material that I was teaching them. The classes that I taught during the middle school rotation were very diverse developmentally. My lessons have modifications for students of varying ability levels; these modifications include: reduced work load, extended time on all assignments, and reduced work per page for a student that required very heavily modified work. The validated practices project also demonstrates my ability to consistently plan for students at different stages of development. Each lesson within the project was planned knowing individual students would need extra assistance. By keeping modifications constant, students become accustomed to the work that they can expect to face in my classroom. Students do not receive assignments and think they will be unable to complete them; they know their work has been modified for their own benefit, and that I have created assignments for them that they are fully capable of completing. The validated practices project had a positive impact on student achievement because it allows me to track student progress. By noting where students are excelling and where they are falling short, I am able to see where students need additional assistance. If a student's work begins to fall short, I can see which parts they are having the most trouble with. This allows me to re-teach potions of lessons that students struggle with and give extra help to those students. This validated practices project demonstrates the "assessing" aspect of the Planning-Teaching-Learning cycle because I assessed the work that students completed and evaluated how I needed to alter my instruction to meet the needs of my students. By assessing my teaching, I found students benefit from working in small groups. The lessons students worked in partners or small groups on were the ones that I saw the greatest achievement.

{VPP.docx} Validated Practices Project

Validated {VPP.docx} Validated Practices Project

Artifact A {Jackson Observation.tif}
Artifact A is the notes that I received after an observation during the student teaching of my professional year at Towson University. The observation notes were given to me after a lesson on high school dropouts. This artifact demonstrates my proficiency in this principle because I used these notes to plan future lessons for my students. The observation notes provided me with feedback on my lesson and gave me a basis of which to plan further lessons. I used the positive remarks on my observation notes as reinforcement for what I have done well and need to continue doing in the future. The observation notes list parts of the lesson that were done well, and these positive portions were then repeated in further lessons. If the observation notes had included negative comments, I would have used these to plan further instruction, too. For example, in an earlier observation I received feedback that my students were not given clear instruction on an assessment. I used this information when preparing future instruction. Learning that I had a tendency to assume too much from my students, I used the observation as an opportunity to change future instruction. Aware of my problem, I spent more time during lesson planning to create in depth instructions for assessments. It is necessary for educators to receive feedback on their lessons to grow, and the observation notes provided me with this opportunity. The observation notes had a positive impact on student achievement because it allowed me to alter my teaching to offer better instruction for my students. If I never received feedback from my mentor I would not have noticed this problem. I could have gone the whole rotation thinking the students were simply not understanding the material due to low grades; the feedback provided through observations allows me to make changes that directly impact the learning of students. Students directly benefited from the observations I received during student teaching from the changes I made in lesson planning and instruction. This observation demonstrates the "reflect" aspect of the Planning-Teaching-Learning cycle because I reflected on the observations made by seasoned educators. The notes provided to me allowed me to make changes to future instruction and have a positive impact on student learning.
(Student Teaching) {Learning Environments.tif}
Artifact B is a handout from an English department meeting I attended during the student teaching portion of my professional year at Towson University. The department meeting was focused on effective lesson planning and a classroom dedicated to learning. This artifact demonstrates my proficiency in this principle because it is an example of my willingness to learn from others. Attending meetings with other instructors of the same content area can be a great way to get new ideas to implement in the classroom. Experienced teachers have a lot to offer those just starting out, and a novice teacher's desire to learn from them will be instrumental in ensuring they are successful. I used the information gained during the content meeting in my own classroom in the weeks after. For example, I started to use the "Instruction" portion of the worksheet as a checklist when lesson planning in order to ensure I was completing what the department chair thought was necessary. By using this as a checklist, I was not only making sure the department chair's goals were met, but ended up creating lessons that were centered around students having practice with the content. Often I would assume all students worked at the same pace and rush into assessment directly after instruction. I was reminded that students need time to make mistakes before they are graded on material, and that students need to complete similar assessments with an opportunity to pose questions before I can expect them to perform their best. This artifact had a positive impact on student achievement because the environment of the classroom became focused on students utilizing time to practice and make mistakes before they were immediately thrown into an assessment. A simple reminder that students need time to practice moved me away from giving assessment right after direct instruction or group work and ensured that I gave students ample time to ask questions about material and clarify what was expected of them. This classroom checklist demonstrates the "planning" portion of the Planning-Teaching-Learning cycle because I used information gained during the meeting to plan further instruction for my students. The core to a successful day of teaching is an effective lesson plan, and the meeting reminded me of the important of basic pieces. The checklist became a regular tool when planning lessons and helped ensure I met basic classroom needs.
.Reflection

Reflection {Reflection on INTASC 9.docx}
Reflecting on the work that has been done and seeking out opportunities to grow professionally are signs of an efficient teacher. A teacher's ability to reflect on their work is an invaluable part of becoming a more efficient instructor. A teacher's willingness to seek opportunities to grow professionally is a strength that results in improved teaching, as well. A teacher's reflection on a lesson is incredibly important; each class period is completely different, and the ability to alter shortcomings allows an instructor to get the most of the time he or she has in the classroom. Seeking out opportunities to advance professionally can be done in multiple ways; for instance, reading articles published by educational journals will allow a teacher to stay up to date, and seeking out conferences will allow teachers to experience new methods of instruction. In the English classroom, reflection can be seen through evaluation of lessons that have been taught. For example, if I were to teach my first period class and discover many of the students are having trouble with the novel we are reading, I may find it necessary to do a summary with the rest of the classes reading that text, or at least have on readily available. Professional growth can be achieved by staying up to date in the field you are teaching, as well as staying up to date in educational practices. Membership in the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) provides resources to improve teaching. INTASC 9 is very important to the performance of students in the classroom. Reflection will ensure students are getting the best out of their lesson. Parts of lessons that did not work can be removed, while parts that work well can be given more time. Professional growth will help the instructor become a better teacher, and in turn improve the experience the students have in the classroom. Instructors needs to stay current in their field, and need to seek better ways to lead the classroom.
Artifact A (Student Teaching) {Jackson Observation.tif}
Artifact A is the notes that I received after an observation during the student teaching of my professional year at Towson University. The observation notes were given to me after a lesson on high school dropouts. This artifact demonstrates my proficiency in this principle because I used these notes to plan future lessons for my students. The observation notes provided me with feedback on my lesson and gave me a basis of which to plan further lessons. I used the positive remarks on my observation notes as reinforcement for what I have done well and need to continue doing in the future. The observation notes list parts of the lesson that were done well, and these positive portions were then repeated in further lessons. If the observation notes had included negative comments, I would have used these to plan further instruction, too. For example, in an earlier observation I received feedback that my students were not given clear instruction on an assessment. I used this information when preparing future instruction. Learning that I had a tendency to assume too much from my students, I used the observation as an opportunity to change future instruction. Aware of my problem, I spent more time during lesson planning to create in depth instructions for assessments. It is necessary for educators to receive feedback on their lessons to grow, and the observation notes provided me with this opportunity. The observation notes had a positive impact on student achievement because it allowed me to alter my teaching to offer better instruction for my students. If I never received feedback from my mentor I would not have noticed this problem. I could have gone the whole rotation thinking the students were simply not understanding the material due to low grades; the feedback provided through observations allows me to make changes that directly impact the learning of students. Students directly benefited from the observations I received during student teaching from the changes I made in lesson planning and instruction. This observation demonstrates the "reflect" aspect of the Planning-Teaching-Learning cycle because I reflected on the observations made by seasoned educators. The notes provided to me allowed me to make changes to future instruction and have a positive impact on student learning.
Artifact B (Student Teaching)