V. Inquiry and Reflection
Teaching
By collecting artifacts/evidence for this work sample portfolio, I have learned the importance of teaching in a variety of ways, and in remaining flexible with lesson plans. Throughout the unit, it became clear to me that if I wanted to reach each student, I would need to scaffold material, alter time allotments for instruction, and spend time speaking with students about their learning and my teaching. This teacher-student collaboration made me a more effective teacher because I had near instantaneous feedback about what worked and did not work.
Future Revisions
Revisions I would consider in the future include giving the pre and post assessments on more than one occasion (to address the number of students who were absent), pairing students based on skill level, incorporating additional non fiction texts into teaching, and using iPad programs more frequently to supplement learning. Looking specifically at the assessments: Allowing students to take the pre and post assessments on more than one occasion would have been highly beneficial to my students. During the unit, the vast majority of my students became ill, and some of them were unable to take either the pre or post-tests due to illness. This presented challenges when evaluating how much students had learned because the data for comparison was incomplete.
Supplementary Materials
During this unit, I learned how important supplementary materials can be. I also learned that supplementary materials can introduce content in a way that is both enriching and engaging for students. For example, the week before I taught the unit on sea creatures, I brought in fifteen (or so) books on sea creatures. I combined these books with the books Mrs. Nelson had, and created a reading area with a "sea creatures" theme. I placed post-it-notes next to the books, and I encouraged students to mark the pages they were most curious to learn about. This assisted me in knowing what to teach, and it also elevated interest. An additional way in which I incorporated supplementary material was by introducing sea poems, songs, and signs (American Sign Language). Mrs. Nelson strives to incorporate movement and rhyming into her lessons, so she assisted me in incorporating those components into my lessons as well.
Formulation of the Work Sample
After using Weebly to create my work sample, I can confidently say that creating a digital portfolio is substantially more work intensive than creating a paper document. With that being said, I am thrilled that I have a digital representation of my work. While learning how to use new technology can be a bit daunting, I now have a skill that I can apply to my future classroom. For instance, my newfound familiarity with Weebly will be valuable because I can use it when creating a classroom website: A website that will enable me to communicate and collaborate with students, families, paraprofessionals, and colleagues. I am also grateful that I chose to use a Weebly because the organization of this portfolio has taught me a great deal about my practice as a teacher. For instance, I have discovered the importance of writing down lesson feedback as I go, instead of simply thinking about it later. By tracking it daily, I will be able to anticipate individual student needs and plan for them, right away. Also, I have come to realize the value in creating student growth charts throughout, as a way to better inform parents about their child's progress.
Goals for the Future
For my second work sample, I plan to provide more feedback on each lesson and for each student. I will no longer excuse students from completing missed work, but I will instead send their work home with them to complete. I feel as though the parents of my students would be in support of this decision as well. In addition, I plan to teach a thematic unit that focuses on science, as that is one subject area that was not emphasized during this unit. Also, I will introduce more formative assessments to students, so that I can modify expectations and teach to each student's Zone of Proximal Development. This will likely mean increased expectations for the class, as the majority of them are working above the academic standards for kindergarten.
With regard to my portfolio, I plan to use Weebly again, but rather than addressing the questions in a text format, I will instead address the questions with pictures of student work, formative assessment data, and running records that I will take throughout the instruction of the unit. As this was my first work sample, I was learning about the process while teaching, so I feel that I will be better equipped to navigate Weebly during my second work sample. This process, as a whole, has taught me a great deal about what it will mean to be an effective teacher. More importantly, this process has taught me the importance of time management, planning, and flexibility. These lessons will be be carried throughout my teaching career.
Teaching
By collecting artifacts/evidence for this work sample portfolio, I have learned the importance of teaching in a variety of ways, and in remaining flexible with lesson plans. Throughout the unit, it became clear to me that if I wanted to reach each student, I would need to scaffold material, alter time allotments for instruction, and spend time speaking with students about their learning and my teaching. This teacher-student collaboration made me a more effective teacher because I had near instantaneous feedback about what worked and did not work.
Future Revisions
Revisions I would consider in the future include giving the pre and post assessments on more than one occasion (to address the number of students who were absent), pairing students based on skill level, incorporating additional non fiction texts into teaching, and using iPad programs more frequently to supplement learning. Looking specifically at the assessments: Allowing students to take the pre and post assessments on more than one occasion would have been highly beneficial to my students. During the unit, the vast majority of my students became ill, and some of them were unable to take either the pre or post-tests due to illness. This presented challenges when evaluating how much students had learned because the data for comparison was incomplete.
Supplementary Materials
During this unit, I learned how important supplementary materials can be. I also learned that supplementary materials can introduce content in a way that is both enriching and engaging for students. For example, the week before I taught the unit on sea creatures, I brought in fifteen (or so) books on sea creatures. I combined these books with the books Mrs. Nelson had, and created a reading area with a "sea creatures" theme. I placed post-it-notes next to the books, and I encouraged students to mark the pages they were most curious to learn about. This assisted me in knowing what to teach, and it also elevated interest. An additional way in which I incorporated supplementary material was by introducing sea poems, songs, and signs (American Sign Language). Mrs. Nelson strives to incorporate movement and rhyming into her lessons, so she assisted me in incorporating those components into my lessons as well.
Formulation of the Work Sample
After using Weebly to create my work sample, I can confidently say that creating a digital portfolio is substantially more work intensive than creating a paper document. With that being said, I am thrilled that I have a digital representation of my work. While learning how to use new technology can be a bit daunting, I now have a skill that I can apply to my future classroom. For instance, my newfound familiarity with Weebly will be valuable because I can use it when creating a classroom website: A website that will enable me to communicate and collaborate with students, families, paraprofessionals, and colleagues. I am also grateful that I chose to use a Weebly because the organization of this portfolio has taught me a great deal about my practice as a teacher. For instance, I have discovered the importance of writing down lesson feedback as I go, instead of simply thinking about it later. By tracking it daily, I will be able to anticipate individual student needs and plan for them, right away. Also, I have come to realize the value in creating student growth charts throughout, as a way to better inform parents about their child's progress.
Goals for the Future
For my second work sample, I plan to provide more feedback on each lesson and for each student. I will no longer excuse students from completing missed work, but I will instead send their work home with them to complete. I feel as though the parents of my students would be in support of this decision as well. In addition, I plan to teach a thematic unit that focuses on science, as that is one subject area that was not emphasized during this unit. Also, I will introduce more formative assessments to students, so that I can modify expectations and teach to each student's Zone of Proximal Development. This will likely mean increased expectations for the class, as the majority of them are working above the academic standards for kindergarten.
With regard to my portfolio, I plan to use Weebly again, but rather than addressing the questions in a text format, I will instead address the questions with pictures of student work, formative assessment data, and running records that I will take throughout the instruction of the unit. As this was my first work sample, I was learning about the process while teaching, so I feel that I will be better equipped to navigate Weebly during my second work sample. This process, as a whole, has taught me a great deal about what it will mean to be an effective teacher. More importantly, this process has taught me the importance of time management, planning, and flexibility. These lessons will be be carried throughout my teaching career.