Exit Conference Goals
EXIT CONFERENCE FOR STUDENT TEACHERS
Teacher Education Program
Gardner-Webb University
Student Teacher: Elizabeth Cashwell
Placement School: Rutherford-Spindale Central High School Grade Level: 9-12
Cooperating Teacher: Tami Shelton
Licensure Area: English
Date: May 2011
The goals that the student teacher seeks to accomplish during the student teaching experience are stated below. Following each goal is a space for comment/explanation regarding achievement of that particular goal. Please complete this form to record the achievement of the stated goals.
The student teacher will
1. demonstrate effective communication skills in classroom interaction and in consultative and collaborative relationships; Effective communication skills in classroom interaction became our ultimate goal in the AP Language and Composition course. When I first arrived, this class of twenty-seven, struggled with classroom discussions. The issue was not that they did not share in class, but rather the opposite. They all had such great ideas and were so excited to share that they would just talk over each other. Upon seeing this issue, we worked together, first with me as the teacher, modeling effective classroom discussions, and then with the students shared their own ideas about how to achieve stronger collaboration. At the end of the semester, students were taking turns sharing and talking with each other, rather than at each other, in an discussion environment that was completely student led. By working on having an effective student-led class discussions, which includes both listening and speaking, students were able to develop skills that would help them communicate and prepare for post high school academics.
2. utilize various teaching strategies, materials, instructional technologies, and methods of classroom organization; At R.S. Central High School, I had the unique opportunity to participate in the G.L.O.B.A.L. Initiative, which includes the distribution of macbooks to all students grades 6-12. Because my students and I had such easy access to technology, I was able to incorporate a variety of activities that not only connected to the standard course of study, but provided a new and innovative way to interpret texts. For example, as the English 2 classes prepared for the writing test, we used a webquest, that features student-led internet research, allowing them to focus on studying for the test in ways that worked for them. The result of their research was a combination of written responses and ultimately a personal study guide. For the AP Language and Composition course, we used technology in the classroom as a tool for student discussion. By sharing a document among the whole class, we were able to comment on each other's ideas to form our current definition of the word “goth.” This “message board” activity enabled our class to begin to assess our preconceptions of gothic literature. In this way, not only did I use a variety of instructional strategies, but these techniques were also laced with technological advances.
3. demonstrate an understanding of the teaching/learning environment by making appropriate teaching plans, implementing those plans, and providing for effective and appropriate evaluation of student learning; Lesson planning is one of the core components of my student teaching experience. In writing unit plans for both English 2 and AP Language and Composition, I had to keep in mind not only the pace of my students, but also how to best challenge them. In order to do this, it became essential for me to make unit goals a priority. This kept our lessons on track, and gave us criteria to use for formative and final assessment. Working to establish my unit goals and assessment first, in this case, helped to strengthen overall classroom learning, and helped me to stay on track as an educator. In this way, I was able to moderate instruction based on lesson effectiveness and student needs.
4. demonstrate the ability to put research into practice and to under gird practice with research; With the onset of new technology at R.S. Central, I needed to research new ways of doing many of the same classroom activities, but with a technological twist. While completing this research, I learned of a variety of new programs, such as glogster edu, that helped me assess technology use in the classroom. This being said, I also found that among the new technological programs available to my students, not all of them were necessarily user friendly, or advantageous to what we were trying to learn. In this way, I was also able to explore some of these new programs only to research their actual benefit to overall student achievement.
5. demonstrate the ability to teach the communication skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking across the curriculum; As an English teacher, I have really been able to encourage strong communication skills in the classroom. We frequently read in class a variety of texts, including essays, novels, and short stories. In the AP Language and Composition course, we formed literature circles, which are small groups of students reading the same novel. In this small group setting, students are really able to discuss what they are reading and interact with the text. This interaction coincides with our writing in the classroom. All of my students kept daybooks, or writer's notebooks, where they can record their thinking and work through ideas and pieces of literature. We wrote in our daybooks every day, and also went back to previous writing to continue to develop our ideas and reflect on our growth. In this way, daybooks also served as a avenue for students to learn to be reflective learners. As reflective learners we also needed to listen to others. In class, we frequently had both formal and informal student presentations, including poetry slam, where students were asked to play the role of participant as well as presenter. Throughout these activities, I saw a definite increase in overall student communication.
6. demonstrate effectiveness in working with students from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and with a variety of different learners (including those with exceptionalities) by adjusting methods, techniques, and strategies as needed; Within my three different class periods, I was able to work with students from various backgrounds, and also those with different learning styles. My cooperating teacher and I also worked together to go over IEPs and really concentrate on how to reach each student. While during whole class activity, it is hard to meet the needs of every individual student, I combated this issue through utilizing various instructional strategies. During one class period we may practice holding a whole-class discussion, which may appeal to auditory learners as well as keep some students from being off task. The next day, however, we may do a hands-on activity, such as as a “memory box,” which asks students to recall key symbols and characters from a text. This activity would appeal to students who need hands-on learning to stay active participants in class. Later we may combine our whole-class discussion with our memory boxes in order to synthesize information. In this way, varied instructional methods play a key role in my ability to work with students who may learn differently than the person next to them.
7. demonstrate an ability to effectively work with families; As a student teacher, I also had the opportunity to talk with parents about student progress. Whether these encounters were to discuss positive student growth or to express concerns over student behavior, being able to communicate with parents or guardians taught me to consider the whole student, including where they come from. For example, one student frequently became distracted and didn't complete assignments on time. After discussing the situation with his parents, we were able to work together to find strategies that might help the student alleviate this issue. After our meeting and our combined efforts, I saw an immediate improvement. This is just one example of positive and effective teacher/parent interaction.
8. demonstrate a knowledge of schools and community resources by using a variety of resources in the planning and implementation of teaching strategies; As a student teacher, I was really able to utilize a variety of resources both from within the school and surrounding community. Since at R.S. we were able to have nearly constant access to the internet, my lessons quickly expanded to include references and lesson ideas that I found online, and that offered interactive online programs to aid instruction. Beyond the internet, I was also able to bring in guest speakers to help the AP students develop poetry skills. Every Friday, we have poetry slams where the students had to present poems they either found or wrote themselves. At first, students seemed to have a difficult time engaging in the activity. Noticing this issue, I asked some community members who are published poets to come in and conduct a workshop. These guests also presented their own pieces. Students were able to get helpful advice, and were also really encouraged to participate through seeing other people really get into poetry. The workshop was a huge success, and I saw a significant improvement in the students' poetry and participation. In this situation, community involvement was a crucial teaching strategy.
9. develop skills of self-evaluation through thoughtful reflection, discussions with supervisors, and sensitivity to reactions from students; Throughout my student teaching experience, I found my daybook to be an excellent place to store my reflections. I believe that it is important to write with your students, so every time I asked them to write in class, I also wrote. This time became a great opportunity to really assess and reflect on lesson effectiveness and student understanding. It also helped me to reflect on my own teaching, which I believe is essential to developing into a stronger educator. I was also able to share my reflections with my advisor, whose feedback served as source of advice as well as encouragement to continue to stretch myself as a teacher. I also frequently asked students to reflect in their own daybooks about class. In reading these reflections I was also able to see how students perceived their own learning and our classroom environment. In accordance with some of the reflections I received, I was able to make the appropriate changes to best fit student needs.
10. assume the role of a professional educator, with the attendant responsibilities for maturity of behavior and judgment as well as for developing leadership skills; As I initially began student teaching, I found myself grappling with my academic identity. Was I a student or a teacher? I didn't quite understand at first where I fit in. However, I've gradually come to realize that I am and can be, both student and teacher. I am a teacher in my professional responsibilities including interactions with colleagues, students, and families at R.S. Central. However, I also believe that one of those professional responsibilities is to continue to participate as a student. I need to be in a state of constant learning. I achieved this as a student teacher by being consistently reflective of my lessons and myself as a professional. These roles, as student and teacher, combined, are at the forefront of my maturation as an educator.
11. demonstrate an understanding of the different roles and responsibilities of all personnel working within the school; My opportunity to work with many teachers at R.S. Central, not only those within my chosen area of study but also those in other fields, played a crucial role in my continuing development as an educator. My understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each member of the faculty and staff of a school, largely stems from my interaction with these people. Not only was I easily welcomed by the English department, but I found myself continually included in school functions by other members of the school personnel. This helped me feel included as an educator, but it also gave me a stronger understanding of the different roles of school faculty and staff, but more importantly, how all those responsibilities work together. Schools are made up of so many members, and my experience at R.S. has certainly shown me that all of these people perform crucial roles in the overall function of the school itself. For example, my work with the technology coordinator has not only strengthen my lesson plans, as she has provided me with new online programs to use within the classroom, but her influence has also fueled my own research into technology use within the classroom.
12. demonstrate an understanding of the necessity for life-long professional learning; Professional development made a large contribution to my experience as a student teacher. Not only was I able to work with other teachers in the English department, sharing resources and ideas in department meetings, but I was also able to meet with other teachers in school-wide professional development sessions. While these sessions were mainly geared toward technology, I found that I learned not just how to use technology more effectively in the classroom, but I also learned how other teachers were incorporating the same instructional strategies. In these sessions, we were all learning together, and our willingness to share and explore ideas, greatly contributed to a stronger classroom overall. Many of the ideas I learned in these sessions, including how to use google docs within the classroom, I was able to use to strengthen my own lesson plans. These experiences as well as other conferences I had the opportunity to attend, continue to remind of the importance of being a life-long learner to overall classroom improvement.
Teacher Education Program
Gardner-Webb University
Student Teacher: Elizabeth Cashwell
Placement School: Rutherford-Spindale Central High School Grade Level: 9-12
Cooperating Teacher: Tami Shelton
Licensure Area: English
Date: May 2011
The goals that the student teacher seeks to accomplish during the student teaching experience are stated below. Following each goal is a space for comment/explanation regarding achievement of that particular goal. Please complete this form to record the achievement of the stated goals.
The student teacher will
1. demonstrate effective communication skills in classroom interaction and in consultative and collaborative relationships; Effective communication skills in classroom interaction became our ultimate goal in the AP Language and Composition course. When I first arrived, this class of twenty-seven, struggled with classroom discussions. The issue was not that they did not share in class, but rather the opposite. They all had such great ideas and were so excited to share that they would just talk over each other. Upon seeing this issue, we worked together, first with me as the teacher, modeling effective classroom discussions, and then with the students shared their own ideas about how to achieve stronger collaboration. At the end of the semester, students were taking turns sharing and talking with each other, rather than at each other, in an discussion environment that was completely student led. By working on having an effective student-led class discussions, which includes both listening and speaking, students were able to develop skills that would help them communicate and prepare for post high school academics.
2. utilize various teaching strategies, materials, instructional technologies, and methods of classroom organization; At R.S. Central High School, I had the unique opportunity to participate in the G.L.O.B.A.L. Initiative, which includes the distribution of macbooks to all students grades 6-12. Because my students and I had such easy access to technology, I was able to incorporate a variety of activities that not only connected to the standard course of study, but provided a new and innovative way to interpret texts. For example, as the English 2 classes prepared for the writing test, we used a webquest, that features student-led internet research, allowing them to focus on studying for the test in ways that worked for them. The result of their research was a combination of written responses and ultimately a personal study guide. For the AP Language and Composition course, we used technology in the classroom as a tool for student discussion. By sharing a document among the whole class, we were able to comment on each other's ideas to form our current definition of the word “goth.” This “message board” activity enabled our class to begin to assess our preconceptions of gothic literature. In this way, not only did I use a variety of instructional strategies, but these techniques were also laced with technological advances.
3. demonstrate an understanding of the teaching/learning environment by making appropriate teaching plans, implementing those plans, and providing for effective and appropriate evaluation of student learning; Lesson planning is one of the core components of my student teaching experience. In writing unit plans for both English 2 and AP Language and Composition, I had to keep in mind not only the pace of my students, but also how to best challenge them. In order to do this, it became essential for me to make unit goals a priority. This kept our lessons on track, and gave us criteria to use for formative and final assessment. Working to establish my unit goals and assessment first, in this case, helped to strengthen overall classroom learning, and helped me to stay on track as an educator. In this way, I was able to moderate instruction based on lesson effectiveness and student needs.
4. demonstrate the ability to put research into practice and to under gird practice with research; With the onset of new technology at R.S. Central, I needed to research new ways of doing many of the same classroom activities, but with a technological twist. While completing this research, I learned of a variety of new programs, such as glogster edu, that helped me assess technology use in the classroom. This being said, I also found that among the new technological programs available to my students, not all of them were necessarily user friendly, or advantageous to what we were trying to learn. In this way, I was also able to explore some of these new programs only to research their actual benefit to overall student achievement.
5. demonstrate the ability to teach the communication skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking across the curriculum; As an English teacher, I have really been able to encourage strong communication skills in the classroom. We frequently read in class a variety of texts, including essays, novels, and short stories. In the AP Language and Composition course, we formed literature circles, which are small groups of students reading the same novel. In this small group setting, students are really able to discuss what they are reading and interact with the text. This interaction coincides with our writing in the classroom. All of my students kept daybooks, or writer's notebooks, where they can record their thinking and work through ideas and pieces of literature. We wrote in our daybooks every day, and also went back to previous writing to continue to develop our ideas and reflect on our growth. In this way, daybooks also served as a avenue for students to learn to be reflective learners. As reflective learners we also needed to listen to others. In class, we frequently had both formal and informal student presentations, including poetry slam, where students were asked to play the role of participant as well as presenter. Throughout these activities, I saw a definite increase in overall student communication.
6. demonstrate effectiveness in working with students from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and with a variety of different learners (including those with exceptionalities) by adjusting methods, techniques, and strategies as needed; Within my three different class periods, I was able to work with students from various backgrounds, and also those with different learning styles. My cooperating teacher and I also worked together to go over IEPs and really concentrate on how to reach each student. While during whole class activity, it is hard to meet the needs of every individual student, I combated this issue through utilizing various instructional strategies. During one class period we may practice holding a whole-class discussion, which may appeal to auditory learners as well as keep some students from being off task. The next day, however, we may do a hands-on activity, such as as a “memory box,” which asks students to recall key symbols and characters from a text. This activity would appeal to students who need hands-on learning to stay active participants in class. Later we may combine our whole-class discussion with our memory boxes in order to synthesize information. In this way, varied instructional methods play a key role in my ability to work with students who may learn differently than the person next to them.
7. demonstrate an ability to effectively work with families; As a student teacher, I also had the opportunity to talk with parents about student progress. Whether these encounters were to discuss positive student growth or to express concerns over student behavior, being able to communicate with parents or guardians taught me to consider the whole student, including where they come from. For example, one student frequently became distracted and didn't complete assignments on time. After discussing the situation with his parents, we were able to work together to find strategies that might help the student alleviate this issue. After our meeting and our combined efforts, I saw an immediate improvement. This is just one example of positive and effective teacher/parent interaction.
8. demonstrate a knowledge of schools and community resources by using a variety of resources in the planning and implementation of teaching strategies; As a student teacher, I was really able to utilize a variety of resources both from within the school and surrounding community. Since at R.S. we were able to have nearly constant access to the internet, my lessons quickly expanded to include references and lesson ideas that I found online, and that offered interactive online programs to aid instruction. Beyond the internet, I was also able to bring in guest speakers to help the AP students develop poetry skills. Every Friday, we have poetry slams where the students had to present poems they either found or wrote themselves. At first, students seemed to have a difficult time engaging in the activity. Noticing this issue, I asked some community members who are published poets to come in and conduct a workshop. These guests also presented their own pieces. Students were able to get helpful advice, and were also really encouraged to participate through seeing other people really get into poetry. The workshop was a huge success, and I saw a significant improvement in the students' poetry and participation. In this situation, community involvement was a crucial teaching strategy.
9. develop skills of self-evaluation through thoughtful reflection, discussions with supervisors, and sensitivity to reactions from students; Throughout my student teaching experience, I found my daybook to be an excellent place to store my reflections. I believe that it is important to write with your students, so every time I asked them to write in class, I also wrote. This time became a great opportunity to really assess and reflect on lesson effectiveness and student understanding. It also helped me to reflect on my own teaching, which I believe is essential to developing into a stronger educator. I was also able to share my reflections with my advisor, whose feedback served as source of advice as well as encouragement to continue to stretch myself as a teacher. I also frequently asked students to reflect in their own daybooks about class. In reading these reflections I was also able to see how students perceived their own learning and our classroom environment. In accordance with some of the reflections I received, I was able to make the appropriate changes to best fit student needs.
10. assume the role of a professional educator, with the attendant responsibilities for maturity of behavior and judgment as well as for developing leadership skills; As I initially began student teaching, I found myself grappling with my academic identity. Was I a student or a teacher? I didn't quite understand at first where I fit in. However, I've gradually come to realize that I am and can be, both student and teacher. I am a teacher in my professional responsibilities including interactions with colleagues, students, and families at R.S. Central. However, I also believe that one of those professional responsibilities is to continue to participate as a student. I need to be in a state of constant learning. I achieved this as a student teacher by being consistently reflective of my lessons and myself as a professional. These roles, as student and teacher, combined, are at the forefront of my maturation as an educator.
11. demonstrate an understanding of the different roles and responsibilities of all personnel working within the school; My opportunity to work with many teachers at R.S. Central, not only those within my chosen area of study but also those in other fields, played a crucial role in my continuing development as an educator. My understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each member of the faculty and staff of a school, largely stems from my interaction with these people. Not only was I easily welcomed by the English department, but I found myself continually included in school functions by other members of the school personnel. This helped me feel included as an educator, but it also gave me a stronger understanding of the different roles of school faculty and staff, but more importantly, how all those responsibilities work together. Schools are made up of so many members, and my experience at R.S. has certainly shown me that all of these people perform crucial roles in the overall function of the school itself. For example, my work with the technology coordinator has not only strengthen my lesson plans, as she has provided me with new online programs to use within the classroom, but her influence has also fueled my own research into technology use within the classroom.
12. demonstrate an understanding of the necessity for life-long professional learning; Professional development made a large contribution to my experience as a student teacher. Not only was I able to work with other teachers in the English department, sharing resources and ideas in department meetings, but I was also able to meet with other teachers in school-wide professional development sessions. While these sessions were mainly geared toward technology, I found that I learned not just how to use technology more effectively in the classroom, but I also learned how other teachers were incorporating the same instructional strategies. In these sessions, we were all learning together, and our willingness to share and explore ideas, greatly contributed to a stronger classroom overall. Many of the ideas I learned in these sessions, including how to use google docs within the classroom, I was able to use to strengthen my own lesson plans. These experiences as well as other conferences I had the opportunity to attend, continue to remind of the importance of being a life-long learner to overall classroom improvement.