INTASC Standards
Standard 1: Content Pedagogy
As a student teacher, I worked to develop unit lesson plans that connected with student prior knowledge, and built off that information, to provide the space for students to make new connections. To do this, I used a variety of teaching strategies including class discussions, presentations, and in-class writing, in conjunction with English curriculum and the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. With unit and instructional goals founded in these components, I worked to provide the opportunity for students to make academic choices and prepare to become autonomous learners.
Standard 2: Student Development
My goal as an educator is to encourage students to become self-learners. This is a crucial component to how I perceive student development. In order to help develop this type of learning, I incorporated a variety of instructional strategies within the classroom and constantly asked for student involvement. If students are to become autonomous learners, they must continually be active learners. I asked students to participate in activities such as class projects, but also asked students to help us develop the kind of learning environment that will be effective, whether that be how to have a class discussion or the roles of each student in a group.
Standard 3: Diverse Learner
In order to work with a diverse population of students, as a student teacher, I included a variety of instructional strategies within my lesson plans. By incorporating activities such as class discussions which ask students to talk and listen, and also projects such as body biographies, in which students visually represent key symbols and ideas within a text, students who may learn in different ways have the opportunity to connect with material in a way that makes sense to them. By changing the instructional activities to suit both the curriculum and student needs, students have the opportunity to learn in ways that make sense to them, and at same time experience a variety of other styles of learning, that also help develop a rounded education.
Standard 4: Multiple Instructional Strategies
As students experienced multiple instructional strategies within the classroom, as a student teacher, I also played different roles to guide students through the learning process. For example, throughout many of our writing activities, I acted as a coach, encouraging students to write for themselves. However, in class discussions, I also played the role of facilitator, as students led their own conversations about texts, I listened and included ideas as needed. These are just two examples of various instructional strategies as well as how I participated as teacher in those activities.
Standard 5: Motivation and Management
During my student teaching experience, I often asked students to work in groups. Group work encourages students to work together and provides the opportunity to strengthen communication skills. However, this does not always go so smoothly. As teacher, I sometimes had to work with groups, or specific students to encourage participation and keep students on task. If there was a conflict, I talked with the group, listening for their ideas and concerns, and then we talked together about how to resolve those issues. In this way, the classroom became a place where the functions of group work and individual work, as well, were valued and discussed.
Standard 6: Communication and Technology
With the distribution of student macbooks, I was able to frequently incorporate a wide range of technology. We used programs such as prezi, which is an online zooming presentation editor, similar to powerpoint, but with more options. I also incorporated technology in my lessons, by using video clips and websites that helped us with find out more about a subject. By using technology as a research tool, I was also able to get the students more involved in the actual learning process. Google docs also contributed to this interactive learning as an alternative to in-class discussions, as students were able to comment on ideas within the same document simultaneously. In this way, technology incorporation played a big role in my student teaching experience.
Standard 7: Planning
For each of my classes, I developed two six-week unit plans based on my own rationales as well as state and curriculum standards. Each unit had a set of unit goals and assessment. By developing these components at the beginning of the unit, both the teacher and students are aware of the focus of their learning and how that learning will be evaluated. As a teacher, it helped me to stay focused and keep daily lessons on track.
Standard 8: Assessment
As a teacher, I practiced continual assessment. For my classes, I evaluated daily lesson effectiveness and student understanding through a variety of in-class projects and reflections. I also incorporated cumulative final assessments through larger projects such as portfolios and essays. I found both personal reflection and student reflection to also be at the forefront of assessment in the classroom.
Standard 9: Reflective Practice: Professional Development
Going hand in hand with my assessment, is my own development as a professional. I continually practiced personal assessment through daily reflection in my daybook, but I also sought the advice of other teachers in my field. I frequently shared information and lesson ideas with other teachers. I asked questions of other professionals as well, including those outside of the English department, so that I could best meet my students. I found that sharing ideas and working with other teachers greatly strengthened my lessons and my overall teaching. I also attended a number of professional development workshops, both inside and outside of the school. These workshops also helped to develop who I am as a teacher.
Standard 10: School and Community Involvement
As a student teacher, I also worked to connect with the community both inside and outside of the school. I helped my cooperating teacher with organizing and planning prom, by attending meetings and selling tickets. I also administered the ACT and SAT tests. I also had the chance to chaperone a field trip to the Biltmore House and open up the classroom to observation from members of the county school board. These opportunities helped me to connect with the students and other faculty members.
As a student teacher, I worked to develop unit lesson plans that connected with student prior knowledge, and built off that information, to provide the space for students to make new connections. To do this, I used a variety of teaching strategies including class discussions, presentations, and in-class writing, in conjunction with English curriculum and the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. With unit and instructional goals founded in these components, I worked to provide the opportunity for students to make academic choices and prepare to become autonomous learners.
Standard 2: Student Development
My goal as an educator is to encourage students to become self-learners. This is a crucial component to how I perceive student development. In order to help develop this type of learning, I incorporated a variety of instructional strategies within the classroom and constantly asked for student involvement. If students are to become autonomous learners, they must continually be active learners. I asked students to participate in activities such as class projects, but also asked students to help us develop the kind of learning environment that will be effective, whether that be how to have a class discussion or the roles of each student in a group.
Standard 3: Diverse Learner
In order to work with a diverse population of students, as a student teacher, I included a variety of instructional strategies within my lesson plans. By incorporating activities such as class discussions which ask students to talk and listen, and also projects such as body biographies, in which students visually represent key symbols and ideas within a text, students who may learn in different ways have the opportunity to connect with material in a way that makes sense to them. By changing the instructional activities to suit both the curriculum and student needs, students have the opportunity to learn in ways that make sense to them, and at same time experience a variety of other styles of learning, that also help develop a rounded education.
Standard 4: Multiple Instructional Strategies
As students experienced multiple instructional strategies within the classroom, as a student teacher, I also played different roles to guide students through the learning process. For example, throughout many of our writing activities, I acted as a coach, encouraging students to write for themselves. However, in class discussions, I also played the role of facilitator, as students led their own conversations about texts, I listened and included ideas as needed. These are just two examples of various instructional strategies as well as how I participated as teacher in those activities.
Standard 5: Motivation and Management
During my student teaching experience, I often asked students to work in groups. Group work encourages students to work together and provides the opportunity to strengthen communication skills. However, this does not always go so smoothly. As teacher, I sometimes had to work with groups, or specific students to encourage participation and keep students on task. If there was a conflict, I talked with the group, listening for their ideas and concerns, and then we talked together about how to resolve those issues. In this way, the classroom became a place where the functions of group work and individual work, as well, were valued and discussed.
Standard 6: Communication and Technology
With the distribution of student macbooks, I was able to frequently incorporate a wide range of technology. We used programs such as prezi, which is an online zooming presentation editor, similar to powerpoint, but with more options. I also incorporated technology in my lessons, by using video clips and websites that helped us with find out more about a subject. By using technology as a research tool, I was also able to get the students more involved in the actual learning process. Google docs also contributed to this interactive learning as an alternative to in-class discussions, as students were able to comment on ideas within the same document simultaneously. In this way, technology incorporation played a big role in my student teaching experience.
Standard 7: Planning
For each of my classes, I developed two six-week unit plans based on my own rationales as well as state and curriculum standards. Each unit had a set of unit goals and assessment. By developing these components at the beginning of the unit, both the teacher and students are aware of the focus of their learning and how that learning will be evaluated. As a teacher, it helped me to stay focused and keep daily lessons on track.
Standard 8: Assessment
As a teacher, I practiced continual assessment. For my classes, I evaluated daily lesson effectiveness and student understanding through a variety of in-class projects and reflections. I also incorporated cumulative final assessments through larger projects such as portfolios and essays. I found both personal reflection and student reflection to also be at the forefront of assessment in the classroom.
Standard 9: Reflective Practice: Professional Development
Going hand in hand with my assessment, is my own development as a professional. I continually practiced personal assessment through daily reflection in my daybook, but I also sought the advice of other teachers in my field. I frequently shared information and lesson ideas with other teachers. I asked questions of other professionals as well, including those outside of the English department, so that I could best meet my students. I found that sharing ideas and working with other teachers greatly strengthened my lessons and my overall teaching. I also attended a number of professional development workshops, both inside and outside of the school. These workshops also helped to develop who I am as a teacher.
Standard 10: School and Community Involvement
As a student teacher, I also worked to connect with the community both inside and outside of the school. I helped my cooperating teacher with organizing and planning prom, by attending meetings and selling tickets. I also administered the ACT and SAT tests. I also had the chance to chaperone a field trip to the Biltmore House and open up the classroom to observation from members of the county school board. These opportunities helped me to connect with the students and other faculty members.