Student Teaching Showcase

1. Student Teaching Showcase By Ashley Weselo IPS 57 12/11/12

2. Demographics • George W. Julian Elementary School is located in Marion County in the historic town of Irvington. The town of Irvington was the past home of Butler University and has been named by Indiana as a historic district. The building that school takes place in is over 107 years old and the original hardwood floors can be found throughout the building. The school is named after George Washington Julian who was a famous Indiana politician in the late 1800s. George W. Julian Elementary School is considered an options school with a focus on family and community involvement. Parents are expected to be actively involved in their child’s academic progress and volunteer within the school as classroom helpers or attend the Parent Teacher Organization meetings. Currently George W. Julian has 270 students enrolled in Kindergarten through sixth grade. The student body population is diverse with 46% of the population Hispanic, 37% Caucasian, 12% African American, 3% multiracial, and less than 1% Asian or American Indian. There are two services offered to students who qualify which include either Special Needs or English Language Learners. Within the George W. Julian population, 11% of the students receive special needs services and 40% of the students receive English Language Learner supports. Currently 186 students are given a free lunch, 10 students pay a reduced price and 74 students pay for their lunch. • At George W. Julian the average class size is about 25 students. Currently, there are 120 females and 150 male students. The primary grades have more males than females and the intermediate grades seem to have more females than males with the exception of grades five and six. There are 31 students currently identified as special needs students here at George W. Julian and 110 students identified as needing English language supports. We have over 35 parent volunteers who come in and help with a variety of school needs such as decorating bulletin boards, making copies and working with students. This year at George W. Julian the school curriculum includes the Daily Five, DIBELS, Reading A to Z, Shurley English and leveled readers. Additional curriculum that is used is the Indiana pacing guide, IXL Math (computer based), Achieve 3000 (computer based), Houghton-Mifflin Math as well as Pearson: Scott Foresman for reading and science.

3. Philosophy of Education • My philosophy of education is that education is the basis for everything that happens in life. It is essential that in the early elementary level of school, children are learning and understanding the foundational ideas on which the rest of their life and schooling will be based upon. I believe that each child is a unique individual in which they differ in the way they learn and behave. It is the teacher’s responsibility to set the tone and atmosphere of the classroom so that it is a conducive environment for learning. Without this occurring in the classroom educating a student will be near impossible and that is why it is vital to use a variety of educational tools and strategies so that all children are having the opportunity to learn and grow as students. Education should also provide students with the knowledge and real-life application they need in order to survive once they graduate. Elementary education until high education gives students the prior knowledge needed to live and function on their own. Education educates the future and without it our society would not function and could not function with uneducated individuals.

4. Philosophy of Discipline • My philosophy of discipline is that students will clearly know and understand all procedures set forth in the classroom and will know any rules that they are to abide by. When students do not follow the procedures or rules they must understand that there are consequences. In my future classroom, I will have 3 to 5 rules that state the expectations I have of the students. If the students do not follow these rules and a warning has been given the students will have consequences appropriate to their grade level. In Kindergarten through second grade a card system is used in the school I student teach at and this is what I would use if I taught in one of the lower grades. If a warning has been given and the student does it again then a card would need to be flipped to a different color, indicating the student did not follow directions. I want my classroom to run smoothly because we have set routines and procedures. If those are in place then discipline will be less of an issue.

5. INTASC Principle One The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful to students.

6. Artifact One: Sight Word Bingo • During success time, the student’s focus was to practice sight words. I researched different ways to teach sight words and I found a site that showed a BINGO idea. I printed off blank BINGO cards and every week we would write new sight words on the cards and on Friday play BINGO. Each week was a new list of sight words that the students had been having difficulties on when reading the decodable books. BINGO sight word cards show INTASC principle one because I was able to create learning experiences that made the content meaningful to the students. When it was BINGO time the students were excited to learn and to participate.

7. Artifact Two: Polygon Mosaic Project • During my LAMP unit, the project I chose to have my students complete was a polygon mosaic. This artifact shows INTASC principle one because based upon the pacing guide and the Indiana state standards I created a project that made the unit meaningful to students. The students were able to put into practice what we had just learned in class in regards to polygons. The polygon project demonstrates INTASC one because I understood the standards that students are held accountable for and came up with a project that was meaningful to the students.

8. INTASC Principle Two The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and personal development.

9. Artifact One: Observation Notes • While I would teach M and J, I would write observation notes on how the lesson was going so I knew how to better teach the lesson or review for the next day. One of the comprehension activities that we were working on was determining who, what, where, when and why when reading a story. I found poems that were five lines each and each line had either who, what, where, when and why. M and J were asked to identify each of the 5 W’s. They both could only handle two to three lines at a time to figure out the answer. If I read the entire poem to them they were confused and could not answer the question I had asked. My observation notes demonstrate INTASC two because they enable me to understand how M and J develop to tailor the lessons to better fit their needs.

10. Artifact Two: Real Life Connections During my LAMP unit, I would incorporate real-life connections into every lesson. For example, one day we learned about multiplication arrays. I showed the students a math cooking book and a muffin pan.The Math Chef had a whole lesson on multiplication and how multiplication arrays can be seen when cooking. This demonstrates INTASC two because I understood ways in which students learn and I provided learning opportunities that supported their personal development as well as intellectual development.

11. INTASC Principle Three The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

12. Artifact One: Differentiated Lesson Plan Activities • At the end of the math lesson students would be put into groups based on their math scores from the pre-test and homework scores. I gave each group a color code and they were based on who was low, middle or high based on their average scores. Each group had a different activity to complete and a writing prompt to answer. The activities were based on the math lesson taught that day but tailored for students based on their math level.

13. Artifact Two: Project Adaptation • For one of my students who had an IEP, I adapted the project to his ability level. The project was the polygon mosaic. For this particular student I assigned him a tangram project instead of the mosaic one. The tangram project that was given to him was a set design with already cut out figures. All he had to do was place the different polygon figures in a certain way so that they all fit together. The tangram project adaptation demonstrates INTASC principle three because I understood that this particular student differs with how they learn and I made it appropriate based on his needs and abilities.

14. INTASC Principle Four The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

15. Artifact One: Spelling/ Sight Word Practice • In one of the second grade classrooms, I would practice sight words and spelling words with the students. Based on previous Ball State classes especially the class on teaching reading, I remembered different instructional strategies that proved effective in teaching spelling. I used spelling tiles, orally spelling the word, writing the word, air spelling and sounding out the word (if applicable). The spelling and sight word practices demonstrates INTASC principle four because when teaching spelling and the sight words I used a variety of instructional strategies to teach the students.

16. Artifact Two: Teacher Resources • The classroom I worked in was a resource classroom. Since I worked with so many different teachers, I was able to utilize every classroom I worked in for teacher resources to enhance every lesson. I would actively seek out resources that encouraged the use of a variety of instructional strategies to reach every student. One of the best resources I used was the Internet. My favorites that various teachers told me about was superteacherworksheets.com, teacherpayteachers.com and IXL.com • Teacher resources demonstrate INTASC principle four because I searched out ways to implement a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development.

17. INTASC Principle Five The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation and management.

18. Artifact One: Math Beginning Activities • Before going into the math lesson during my LAMP unit I would give a real life connection or present something that was engaging to the students which encouraged them to want to know more. The lesson that discussed different polygons and what each polygon was named based on the number of sides they had is when I incorporated art. I showed the class two different wall reliefs that used only polygons. The class thought it was the neatest thing. They were able to see the use of polygons other than in math class. This shows INTASC five because I used something from real life to make the math material motivating.

19. Artifact Two: Timed Reading Fluency (Second Grade Class) • One aspect of success that students needed extra help with was increasing their reading fluency scores. I found a way to practice their reading fluency that was motivating to them which created a positive group environment. The students would first practice the passage we were about to read. Then one by one they would be timed to see how fast they could read a certain passage. They were each timed in front of each other. The following day they would practice the passage again and then be timed in front of everyone to try and beat their score from the previous day. Many of them were motivated at beating their own score and others wanted to beat the top score.

20. INTASC Principle Six The teacher uses effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

21. Artifact One: Centers In a couple of my lesson plans, one for success and one for 4th grade math, I used centers to enhance student learning. One part of the center was a computer component that used the websites Starfall and an interactive math game. Both of these websites demonstrated INTASC principle six because they used media to communicate to students about a given topic. In the math center students had to collaborate with one another to solve the problems.

22. Artifact Two: Pictures to Enhance Lesson • Since I go into different grade levels all day long and have to be able to teach whatever on the spot sometimes the students and I would go to the Internet to find pictures that would help us understand the content of the lesson. One lesson in particular is when I read the story How Zebras Got Their Stripes which is about donkeys and how they became zebras. The students I was working with were unsure of what a donkey looked like or a zebra. I printed off pictures to show them the next day and it made the story more meaningful to them to know what they really looked like. The pictures I found demonstrate INTASC principle six because I used technology to foster active inquiry about the lesson.

23. INTASC Principle Seven The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of educational theory and concepts, subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

24. Artifact One: Journal Reflections • During the semester, I would reflect on the week at least twice weekly. I would mostly reflect on how certain lessons went and how to improve them based on what happened during the lesson and based off what the teacher observing me would say about the lesson. Based on the observations from the other teacher and my personal reflections I would plan and base my instruction and strategies off of what was said.

25. Artifact Two: Daily Math Review • Before we started the math lesson for the day, we would first review what was taught from the previous days of instruction. The math curriculum that is implemented is considered a spiraled curriculum. Everyday I would create a warm-up activity that went with the curriculum and the IPS pacing guide. In the math book the subject matter to be taught was laid out in an understanding way. I would use, along with what was taught the previous day, practice from units 1-3. Daily math review shows INTASC principle seven because the problems in the review were based off of subject matter and curriculum goals appropriate to the fourth grade students.

26. INTASC Principle Eight The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to ensure the continuous intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of the learner.

27. Artifact One: Homework Pages • When I taught the math LAMP unit, I gave homework every night that reviewed what they had learned all year long as well as assess what the students learned that night. This homework page was from the student workbook, Homework and Remembering. Homework was an appropriate form of assessment for the math unit because it enabled me to ensure continual educational development based on individual understanding. The following day I could adjust the lesson based on homework scores.

28. Artifact Two: Post-Test • After the LAMP unit that I taught I gave a post-test over unit four and five to assess what the students had learned during my teaching unit. Every student increased their score from the pre-test to the post-test. This type of formal assessment enabled me to see the intellectual growth of my students from what they knew before the unit and what knowledge they had gained after the unit had been taught.

29. INTASC Principle Nine The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effect of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

30. Artifact One: Professional Development Curriculum Meetings • I was able to attend multiple professional development meetings at Forest Manor. One opportunity that I was able to grow professionally from was the second grade curriculum meeting. Not only did I meet veteran teachers, everyone was very supportive and offered advice about what I should expect in my first year of teaching. Professional development meetings demonstrate INTASC nine because it is a time to grow professionally with other professionals and to learn from them as to what works in the classroom.

31. Artifact Two: Staff Meetings • At the staff meetings teachers share and collaborate to grow professionally. I attended every staff meeting to learn from the principal as well as from the staff. Staff meetings demonstrate INTASC nine because it is a time of growing professionally and learning from others.

32. INTASC Principle Ten The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, agencies, and cultural organizations in the larger community to support students’ learning and well-being and to enhance the teacher’s cultural awareness.

33. Artifact One: PTO • I attended two Parent Teacher Organization meetings. The first meeting I attended was student award night. Teachers came to the front and announced awards to their students based on attendance and grades. The second PTO meeting is the Christmas Program and the students worked on their songs for weeks. • PTO meetings demonstrate INTASC ten because it is a time to foster relationships between colleagues, parents and students. Having family involvement creates a positive learning environment.

34. Artifact Two: PIT • I was able to attend one Parent in Touch day which is parent teacher conferences. I participated in about 20 of these conferences throughout the day. The parent conferences enabled me to meet with the parents of the students I had been working with for weeks. • Parent conferences demonstrate INTASC ten because as a teacher it is an opportunity to foster relationships between parents to support students’ learning.