PSIII SPRING 2017 PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN

Intern Name: Taylor Fox

School: Annie L. Gaetz Elementary School
Timeline: January 9th April 13th, 2017
Teacher Mentor: Kim Johnson
School Administrator: Larry Hartel
University Consultant: Marlo Steed

PSIII PROFESSIONAL GOAL #1:

Have a better understanding of how to accurately and appropriately
summatively assess elementary students in all subject areas.
KSA #11: Understand the purposes of student assessment. Know how to assess the range of learning
objectives by selecting and developing a variety of classroom and large-scale assessment techniques and
instruments. Know how to analyze the results of classroom and large-scale assessment instruments,
including provincial assessment instruments, and how to use the results to benefit students.
Rationale I want to have concrete evidence of student achievement for report cards and can be
(within the shown to parents.
context of I want to have a thorough understanding at the conclusion of a unit what information
intern students internalized and what they will take away from the material that I am teaching
environmen them.
t) Knowing how to properly summatively assess with inform better teaching techniques
and practices in the future.
I want to ensure that the SLOs from the Program of Studies across various subject areas
that I am addressing are being assessed effectively.
Strategies Outline of an assessment plan at the beginning of each unit that includes frequent and
(used purposeful summative assessment throughout.
throughout Communicate with mentor teacher about effective summative assessment strategies
to achieve and ideas.
goal) Have check-ins with my mentor teacher to ensure that I am summatively assessing
 students accurately and often enough.
Record summative student assessment in a gradebook in order to keep track of
assessments.
Attempt to summatively assess students according to each outcome that I am covering
in each subject area.
Develop my professional inquiry project, which is based on this professional goal. This
PIP over time will develop in a resource or guide for beginner teachers like myself who
are new to and struggle with summative assessment in elementary.
Utilize student self-evaluations as forms of summative assessment.
Research effective summative assessment strategies and ideas.
Resources Mentor teacher
(used Fellow teacher/colleagues
throughout Learn Alberta (http://www.learnalberta.ca/)
to achieve Alberta Assessment Consortium (http://www.aac.ab.ca/)
goal)
Edudemic (http://www.edudemic.com/summative-and-formative-assessments/)
Assessment for Learning
(http://www.assessmentforlearning.edu.au/professional_learning/student_self-
assessment/student_strategies_enhance.html)
Bilash Summative Assessment (http://sites.educ.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.bilash/Best
%20of%20Bilash/summativeassess.html)
Rubric Makers/Guidelines for Teacher and Student Evaluation
o Recipes 4 Success (http://myt4l.com/index.php?
v=pl&page_ac=view&type=tools&tool=rubricmaker)
o Teachnology (http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/)
o SPF (http://www.spfk12.org/Page/5960)
Indicators I have an assessment plan outlined at the beginning of each unit.
of I have sufficient summative grades recorded in my gradebook for each unit that I teach.
Progress My mentor teacher feels that I have an appropriate amount of summative assessment
(throughout throughout and at the conclusion of each unit that I teach.
practicum) Students find success throughout each unit, as they understand and internalize the
material that they are learning.
 Students are able to accurately summatively assess themselves using self-evaluations.
I feel more confident in my ability to summatively assess elementary students.
I am assessing students according to the outcomes.
Timeline Create an assessment plan when planning each unit Ongoing
(January 9th Develop my Professional Inquiry Project Ongoing
April 13th, Introduce self-evaluation as a form of summative assessment Mid February/March
2017) Research effective summative assessment strategies and ideas Ongoing
Focus on assessing students according to the outcomes March, ongoing
Reflection Guiding Reflective Questions:
(at the end How successful have I been in meeting my goal? How has my ability to
of summatively assess students improved? How can I take what I have learned in
practicum) achieving this goal and improve my teaching and assessment in the future?
o Over the course of my internship, the scope and direction of this professional goal
has definitely changed. I truly believe that the journey to understanding
assessment is something that I will work on throughout my entire career and that
has definitely been the case throughout this teaching practicum.

Working on my Professional Inquiry Project has made me think very carefully and
critically about not only summative assessment, but just assessment in general.
The majority of my research has consisted of gathering advice and common
practices regarding assessment from various teachers, which has allowed me to
visualize how assessment looks in the everyday classroom, which I think is what
future teachers find more beneficial, rather than just general assessment
information or advice that is not put in the context of teaching. With every unit
that I have taught, I have improved both my formative and summative
assessment, by trying more and more different types of formative assessment and
using those formative assessments to inform my summative assessments.

I have gathered research for my project from multiple sources, but there is one
conversation that I had with a fellow teacher that really stood out to me and
provided me with the most knowledge and insight that has been put into my
project. She explained to me that when planning, you should always begin with
the outcomes, no matter what subject you are working with, and then use those to
inform your assessment. Assessment should be kept in mind the whole time, not
just at the end of a unit or at a specific time, and should be directly correlated to
the outcomes. The way that she explained how she believes assessment should
be done (both formatively and summatively) has really given me direction that I
was previously lacking of how I will summatively assess in the future.

As parent teacher interviews approach, I am feeling like I do not have quite

enough assessment evidence to show parents in the event that they are curious
or concerned with their childs mark. After having the inspiring assessment
conversation with a fellow colleague, I have realized that I dont have quite
enough concrete evidence that shows student understanding for each outcome,
which makes it difficult to show parents how well their child has achieved and
understood each outcome. I have learned that the number of summative
assessment does not entirely matter, but what is more important is having
evidence of student knowledge and understanding for every outcome. If I had
known and understood earlier this term, I would feel more confident going into
parent teacher interviews, as I would have that concrete evidence for parents.

I came across this outcome focused assessment information quite recently, so I

have not really had a chance to assess my students in this way. I still have a
couple of weeks left with my students, so I plan to test out this new type of
assessment during that time. I am really looking forward to having my own
classroom and being able to start fresh with this new knowledge and plan and
implement meaningful and purposeful assessment for my students.

At the start of this project, I was under the impression that assessment has to look
completely different in different grade divisions. But when focusing on the
outcomes, it really does not matter what grade you teach, you will always be
following the same steps when planning and delivering assessment. This makes
me feel more confident in my abilities to teach any grade in the future, as I was
feeling nervous about the possibility of teaching and assessing a grade that I have
not taught before when I am hired into a teaching position. Overall, this internship
 has been an excellent learning experience for me in terms of assessment. I am
glad that I chose to base my Professional Inquiry Project on assessment, as it gave
me the opportunity to seek out assessment advice that I normally would not have
received. I still have a long way to go when it comes to this goal, but I have also
made incredible progress while working on it, which has made me a more capable
and confident teacher.

PSIII PROFESSIONAL GOAL #2:

Utilize various classroom management strategies, tips, and tricks to create a
classroom environment that both myself and my students feel confident and
comfortable in.
KSA #7: You understand students needs for physical, social, cultural and psychological security. You
know how to engage students in creating effective classroom routines. You know how and when to apply
a variety of management strategies that are in keeping with the situation and that result in minimal
disruptions to students learning
Rationale It can be challenging to jump into a classroom with effective classroom management in
(within the place and try to make it your own.
context of I want to make the classroom my own, yet still recognize all the work that has previously
intern been put in place to ensure that the classroom runs smoothly and effectively.
environmen I want to show that I am able to come up with/create some of my own classroom
t) management strategies and put them into use effectively.
I have a different teaching personality than my mentor teacher and I want my students
to see and respect me as another authority figure and educator in the classroom, who
has my own rules, preferences, and routines.
Strategies Reflect on previous experiences in classroom environments and determine what worked
(used well and what did not, in terms of classroom management.
throughout Discuss with my mentor teacher how I can make the classroom my own, without
to achieve compromising her classroom management strategies and routines that are already set
goal) in place.
Research various effective classroom management climate plans, strategies, tips, and
 tricks.
Be willing to try out new classroom management strategies and routines in order to
create my own classroom climate.
Maintain some/many of my mentor teachers classroom management routines so that
students still feel comfortable and familiar in their own classroom.
Continue to get to know students and how they interact and learn in order to know what
works best for them.
Use positive reinforcement when students are completing what I have asked them to do
or what is expected of them, in terms of classroom routines, expectations, etc.
Reiterate classroom routines, rules, etc. frequently for students that require repetition in
order to stay on task.
Make a goal each week of one thing I can do to improve my classroom management.
Reflect at the end of the week.
Utilize Class Dojo in order to monitor and manage individual and whole class behaviour.
Resources Mentor teacher
(used Classroom management ideas from University Consultant
throughout Stopwatch (installed on school computers) to keep students and teacher on track
to achieve Bouncy balls (https://bouncyballs.org/) to monitor classroom noise level
goal)
Various attention grabbers (bell, clapping patterns, sayings, etc.)
Class Dojo (https://www.classdojo.com/)
Classroom spinner (https://www.classtools.net/random-name-picker/21_cPRmQk)
password teacher16
Edutopia (https://www.edutopia.org/blog/big-and-small-classroom-management-
strategies-todd-finley, https://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-management-tips-
novice-teachers-rebecca-alber)
Education World (http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr155.shtml)
Teacher Vision (https://www.teachervision.com/classroom-management/classroom-
management-strategies)
Adprima (http://www.adprima.com/managing.htm)
Indicators Students begin to recognize me as an authority figure in their classroom.
of
Progress Both myself and my students become comfortable with the classroom climate that we
(throughout create together.
practicum) Students begin to automatically follow rules, routines, expectations, etc. that have been
put in place and encourage fellow peers to do so as well.
Lessons run more smoothly, with less behavioural interruptions, as students adjust to
having me as their teacher and the classroom climate that I have created.
Notes and observations on classroom management are completed at the conclusion of
each lesson that I teach.
Students are responding to Class Dojo.
My mentor teacher feels that I have created an effective classroom climate and can
manage an elementary classroom effectively.
I am working on, achieving, and reflecting on my weekly classroom management goals.
I feel confident that I can effectively manage an elementary classroom.
Timeline Begin research on various effective classroom management climate plans, strategies,
(January 9th tips, and tricks and test them out in my classroom. February, ongoing
April 13th, Check-in throughout practicum with mentor teacher to determine whether the
2017) classroom climate I have created is working effectively Ongoing
Students begin to feel more comfortable having me as their teacher and the classroom
climate that I have created, including following the rules, routines, and expectations that
I have put in place February, ongoing
Lessons begin to run more smoothly Immediately, ongoing
Complete reflective notes on classroom management at the conclusion of each lesson
Immediately, ongoing
Set weekly goals for aspects of classroom management to work on and reflect on them
at the conclusion of each week February, ongoing
Begin using Class Dojo End of February, ongoing
My mentor teacher feels that I have created an effective classroom climate and can
manage an elementary classroom effectively By April
I feel confident that I can effectively manage an elementary classroom By April
Weekly Classroom Management Goal #1: January 30th February 3rd (Week 4)
Goals GOAL: For this week I would like to work on managing inappropriate/unacceptable
 behaviours in the classroom, specifically managing students that constantly disrupt the
learning and flow of the classroom. I plan to learn how to manage these behaviours by
finding ways to minimize and effectively deal with them, without disrupting the flow of
my lesson and the classroom in general.
REFLECTION: This goal is definitely a work in progress, but this week was a good start to
achieving it. We received a new student this week, who exhibits similar behaviours to
some other students in the class that are the main cause of learning being interrupted in
the room. I found that the addition of this new student makes the classroom much
busier and his behaviours fuel the other students in the class. I also think that his
presence will make this goal a bit harder to achieve, at least initially. Towards the end of
last week, I began to record student names on a Not Listening List (N.L.L.) on the board.
Anytime that students were not following the rules in the afternoon, I would add their
name to the list. Additional ticks were recorded if behaviour did not improve or
worsened. Students then had time taken away from either recess or gym with Kim. This
seemed to work with some of the students that do not disrupt class too often, but it was
only effective for students that frequently found themselves on the list for the first
couple of days. Students were quite wild at the end of the day this past week, especially
on Friday, so I decided to make a seating plan for the carpet and Kim and I decided to
complete an action plan for these students that outlines what they have been doing
wrong, goals in order to improve their behaviour, and then make a list of practical and
reasonable consequences with the students. I will discuss consequences with students
at the beginning of next week and then hopefully set the action plan in place by the end
of the week. I intend to continue focusing on this goal for now, until there is less
disruptive and inappropriate behaviour occurring.

Classroom Management Goal #2: February 6th 10th, 2017 (Week 5)

GOAL: I will continue to work on my goal from last week, which is managing
disruptive and inappropriate behaviour during class, specifically when I am directly
teaching students. I think that the action plan that Kim and I have come up with will
be effective in managing behaviour this week. I will reflect at the end of the week of
how well I achieved this goal and how much of an impact the action plan has on
student behaviour.
REFLECTION: The action plan seems to be working well for the students that we
 discussed it with. I created a behaviour accountability chart to go along with the
action plan, which is based on a points system. On this chart, the day is broken down
into approximately half an hour periods and students can receive points of each
period. 2 points are given for doing their job with no reminders, 1 point is given for
doing their job with 2-3 reminders, and 0 points are given for needing 4 or more
reminders to do their job, or not doing their job at all. We have set a goal for students
using these charts to achieve 75% of the points throughout a week. We began using
this chart on Wednesday this past week, so we are using it as a trial week and then
next week, the points will begin to count towards rewards or consequences, which we
discussed and determined together in the action plan meeting that I previously had
with the students. The action plan has not been discussed with parents of the
students, except for one students parent who came in to talk to myself and my
mentor teacher and we explained it to her. She is super supportive and has
requested that we record his score in his agenda at the end of each day. It is nice to
see support from outside of the school in improving behaviours inside the classroom.
This week, I also decided to sign the class up for Class Dojo, which is an online
website that gives points to students for good behaviour and takes away points for
poor behaviour. I decided to start using it because I was feeling like I was not paying
enough attention to the students that were doing their job, and spending too much
time correcting the behaviours of those that do not do their job, or need multiple
reminders to do it. So far, it seems to be working really well. Students that are on
task are being rewarded and the students that are not on task seem to be quite
motivated by the points system and trying not to lose points for poor behaviour. My
mentor teacher is enjoying using this website as well and I plan to continue to use it
throughout the rest of practicum as a classroom management tool.

Classroom Management Goal #3: February 13th 17th, 2017 (Week 6)

GOAL: This week, I will continue to work on my ongoing goal of managing disruptive
and inappropriate behaviours in the classroom, but I would also like to focus on
improving my classroom management at the end of the day. My mentor teacher has
a very set routine in place for the end of the day that I have been following up until
now, but when students have put their agendas away, got their belongings ready at
their desk, stacked their chairs, and then headed to the carpet, there is too many
 people off task while I check the remaining agendas. What I would like to try this
week is, instead of students heading to the carpet, they remain at their desks and
silent read until I direct them to the carpet at the same time, where I can then read
to them, which I am hoping will avoid off task behaviours. In order for this plan to
work, I need to ensure that I am ending the last lesson of the day as close to 3:00 pm
as possible. This past week, I was allowing the last lesson to stretch a little bit past
3:00 in order to get through all the material that I had planned, but this creates a
sense of rush and hurriedness that I have noticed is difficult for some students to
deal with. It is much better for students to feel calm and not rushed at the end of the
day, so I would really like to work on this end of the day routine in order to minimize
off task behaviours and ease the nerves of students that are having difficulty with
being rushed at the conclusion of each day.
REFLECTION: The end of the day at the beginning of the week was a little rough still,
especially with Valentines Day being this past Tuesday. There was lots that I wanted
to get through this week, so I found myself trying to cram as much as I could in the
afternoons. This made things rather chaotic, so I made sure that I really worked on
this for Wednesday and Thursday. Ending the day in a much more relaxing and calm
way really made a difference. Students were calm when they left and the classroom
was not a mess either, as it was on Monday and Tuesday when students were rushing
out the door to catch the bus or meet their parents. I also felt much better too, which
is important as well. I will continue to be mindful of leaving enough time at the end of
the day throughout the rest of practicum and really try to end my last lesson as class
to 3:00 pm as possible.

Classroom Management Goal #4: February 27th March 3rd, 2017

GOAL: This week, students are coming back from a week off, so it is very likely that
there may be more disruptive behaviours than usual. In order to avoid too much
disruption during class, I want to really commit to using Class Dojo this week. I think
it will be beneficial to reward students with points for their appropriate behaviour, as
it will encourage others to follow suit. I also think that taking away points from
students for inappropriate or disruptive behaviour will encourage them to regain a
positive balance and exhibit proper behaviour. I plan to discuss the end of the week
class goal at the beginning of the week, they will be motivated to reach the points
 goal and stay in the positive in order to be able to participate in the reward at the
end of week.
REFLECTION: I was actually quite successful in achieving this goal this past week. I
was at home sick on Monday, but my mentor teacher used ClassDojo when I was not
there. This past week, I came to the realization that it is impossible to constantly be
using ClassDojo, but I can try my best to use it as much as possible. I find that I
mostly use it to either target a specific behaviour that is not acceptable and needs to
be dealt with right on the spot, or when I want to motivate students that are not on
task, by awarding points to those students that are on task. Both of these tactics are
to encourage students not doing their job to do so, but I do find that the second
tactic also rewards students for being on task and doing their work, which I think is
really important, because they need to be rewarded for listening to instructions and
not disrupting classroom learning. I am very appreciative of my mentor teachers
willingness to use ClassDojo as well. I think that using it as a team has really made it
effective in managing classroom behaviour and attitudes. On Friday, all students that
had a positive balance on ClassDojo got to participate in free time gym. Those
students that had a negative balance, stayed back from gym with me and we
discussed strategies to help them improve their points balance. These students were
also struggling with a math concept that I have been working on with them, so it
gave me a great opportunity to do some extra practice with them. My mentor
teacher and I discussed with students that we will reset points next week (Monday)
and then if they are able to reach 250 by March 22nd (last day before Spring Break),
we will have a popcorn and movie party to celebrate. I really hope that students are
able to reach this goal by that point.

Classroom Management Goal #5: March 6th 10th, 2017

GOAL: For this week, in terms of classroom management, I would like to work on
managing classroom behaviours during math class when there is more than one
activity going on at a time. I find that I have a really hard time when for example,
some students are working on worksheets, and then I am working with a small group
of students doing extra practice problems for the same concept. I find it difficult to
give my full attention to the students I am working with, when other students are
asking me questions, needing help, or not staying on task. Last week, I tried the ask
 three before me routine for those students that are working on independent work
while I am working with students. This seemed to work quite well and I will continue
to use it in the future. I also find that switching up what we are doing in class from
day to day helps as well. For example, if one day I am working with a small group of
students, the next day I will make a point of helping the rest of the class that maybe
did not get as much attention the day before. This helps me know where all students
in the class are at when it comes to understanding the concept that we are working
on and also allows me to work with students that need extra help. I will continue to
try these strategies out this week and also ask my teacher mentor for other possible
strategies to try as well. By doing so, I hope to improve my classroom management
during these types of learning and working periods.
REFLECTION: I found that due to what we were working on in math this past week, I
did not get a chance to work on this goal as much as I would have liked to. We were
mostly completing review for a unit test, which consisted of students completing
review problems that I wrote on the board, on their whiteboards. While this was a
whole class activity, there were some students that were struggling a bit with some
of the problems and needed some one on one help or guidance. In order to help
them, but also make sure that the rest of the class had something to do once they
were done the problem I assigned, I wrote another problem on the board and had
everyone complete it once they were finished the previous one, except for the
students that needed extra help. This seemed to work really well and was a subtle,
yet effective way to ensure that students were on task, not bored or feeling like the
pace of class is too slow, and also students that need the extra help or guidance are
receiving it. Students seem to respond to this strategy quite well, which meant that
there were not really any behaviours that I had to deal with. I feel that this was a
good start to improving classroom management during math instruction and
activities. I will continue to work on this goal when I begin a new unit in math with
students next week. I think becoming better at this aspect of classroom management
will come with more and more practice and experience.

Classroom Management Goal #6: March 13th 17th

GOAL: As assignment deadlines start to creep up and the end of my internship
approaches, I am starting to feel a little burnt out and drained, and I am finding that
 this has the ability to affect my positivity and patience that I have while teaching. At
the end of last week, I found that I was feeling less patient when dealing with
classroom management issues than I normally am, which is completely unfair to my
students and it really made me reflect on my current mindset. Therefore, for this
week, and the rest of my internship, my goal is to be mindful of how I am managing
my classroom and treating my students and remain as understanding and positive as
possible. I find that it is much easier to classroom manage when I am in a good
mood, and I am sure that my students feel much more comfortable and relaxed when
I am positive as well. I will try my best to continue to have a positive and enthusiastic
presence in my classroom for my remaining time here, as I know it will be beneficial
for both myself and my students.
REFLECTION: This has been a busy week, with lots of different things on the go, but I
have found that after having a check in with myself last weekend regarding my
attitude and mindset, I have a much more positive attitude and presence this week. I
will continue to maintain this mindset until the end of my internship.
Reflection Guiding Reflective Questions:
(at the end How successful have I been in meeting my goal? How has my ability to
of manage an elementary classroom improved? How can I take what I have
practicum) learned in achieving this goal and improve my teaching and classroom
management in the future?
o As I reflect on this goal, I think that I have been incredibly successful in achieving
it. I was nervous about classroom management at the beginning this internship,
after coming from teaching older students and having smaller class sizes in my
last practicum. This previous experience is the main reason why I decided to make
improving my classroom management a focus for PSIII.

Making a weekly classroom management goal really helped me stay on track with
this professional goal and ensured that I was consistently working on different
aspects of my classroom management. I found that by setting a fairly focused
goal each week, I made a conscious effort to work on it as best as I could, given
the circumstances of my teaching that week, whether that be disruptions in the
schedule, absent students, or anything in between. I made sure to choose goals
that were not too overwhelming or unrealistic for me to reach, and I noticed
progress for most of them throughout their specific week. If I did not feel that a
weekly goal was entirely successful, or I wanted to work on it more, I made it my
goal for the next week as well, allowing me more time to improve a certain aspect
of my classroom management. I think by setting these weekly goals, my
classroom management greatly improved overall.

A lot of my growth in classroom management came from simply settling into my

teaching context. As time went on, the students in my class became more
comfortable with myself, my teaching style, and my expectations for them. This
increased comfortability made it much easier to manage the classroom, as
students grew to respect and view me as an authority figure in the classroom. This
respect really increased my confidence and made me realize that I am capable of
effectively managing an elementary classroom. When I have my own classroom
one day, I will be able to classroom manage even better, as my students will not
have another teacher that has established rules, routines, and expectations
previous to my arrival in the classroom. Although I was able to come a long way
with students listening to me and respecting me, it is definitely still obvious that
my Mentor Teacher is their official teacher and students respect that.

I have learned to really embrace my teaching voice in this practicum and accept
that the way that I talk is perfectly acceptable for a teacher, and I should not
constantly be worrying about improving it. In my first two practicums, I found that
my soft voice made it difficult at times to manage a classroom. However in this
practicum, I have learned that it does not matter that my voice is soft, as long as I
am aware of this and use appropriate ways to gather student attention, I am still
fully capable of managing a classroom. It also takes time for students to realize
that they need to keep their general noise level down in order to hear what I am
saying. Once both myself and my students settled into my arrival, the noise level
of the classroom decreased, making it easier for me to teach lessons smoothly
and effectively.

I found the use of Class Dojo to be the most effective classroom management
strategy throughout PSIII. Students responded very well to the points system and
 seemed very motivated to exhibit positive behaviour in order to receive points and
help make their classroom a positive place to be and learn in. By setting monthly
points goals with a reward, students were motivated to be on task and always try
their best. Using Class Dojo did take a bit of getting used to for myself, my mentor
teacher, and our students, but by the second month of using it, it became an
effective classroom management tool. I plan to continue to use it in the future if I
teach elementary, and if I happen to teach older grades, I know that there are
similar websites that I could explore to find the best fit for my teaching context.

After working on this goal throughout this internship, I have learned that no matter
what classroom management strategies you use, it is difficult to manage a
classroom without having patience and compassion. I try my best to be a patient
and compassionate teacher and I find that treating my students with dignity and
respect really goes a long way when building relationships and rapport with
students. I know that all of the classroom management tips, tricks, and strategies
that I have worked on and utilized throughout this practicum would not have been
nearly successful if I did not show kindness and warmth to my students as well. I
am aware that I still have learning and growth to do when it comes to classroom
management, but I believe that I have made great improvements in this area this
term. Classroom management looks different for every class or grade, so I know
that this will be a career long goal for me. I look forward to establishing a
classroom environment that includes routines, rules, and expectations, when I
have my own classroom one day.

PSIII PROFESSIONAL GOAL #3:

Become more comfortable differentiating instruction for students in my
classroom that require it.
KSA #5: Understand that all students can learn, albeit at different rates and in different ways. You know
how to identify students different learning styles and when and how to engage other styles. You
understand the need to respond to differences by creating multiple paths to learning for individuals and
groups of students, including students with special learning needs.
Rationale There are a few students in my class that require minor differentiation, especially more
(within the time to complete things than others. Without extra help in the classroom for these
context of students, it can be difficult to find the balance between leaving enough time for these
intern students to work, but also knowing when it is time to move on for the rest of the class.
environmen I want all of my students to find success and not be overwhelmed with what is expected
t) of them or be frustrated with how slow the pace of lessons are.
I want students to be confident in themselves and their learning.
I want to become better at differentiating for students, which will improve my overall
effectiveness as a teacher.
Strategies When planning lessons, leave some individual time to work with students that need
(used more assistance. Ensure that others students are working on a task or activity and then
throughout devote time to helping others students if they require extra help/assistance.
to achieve Use a variety of instructional strategies that allow all learning styles to succeed.
goal) Be patient with students.
Remind students that we all learn differently and at different rates.
Monitor students that need a bit more help more closely than students that are more
independent.
Encourage the classroom to be a learning community where students are willing to help
and motivate fellow peers when they require it.
Remind students that they are in charge of their learning and if they need extra help,
assistance, or clarification, they should not be afraid to seek it.
Provide modifications for students if necessary when it comes to amount of work that
needs to be completed, or difficulty of work being completed.
Set achievable goals for/with students that will increase their confidence and motivate
them to complete their work.
Research differentiation and differentiation strategies and test them out during lessons
to see what does and does not work for both myself and students.
Resources Edutopia
(used o (https://www.edutopia.org/article/differentiated-instruction-resources)
throughout o (https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-myths-and-truths-john-
to achieve mccarthy)
goal) Teacher Tools (http://teachertools.londongt.org/?page=differentiation)
Prufrock Press Differentiation Guide/Info (http://www.google.ca/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjWjKH9n-
DRAhWBpZQKHfSpAscQFgglMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prufrock.com%2Fassets
%2Fclientpages%2Fpdfs%2Ftsg_diff_elem_sample.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGcXVK_ysCnT7iipA-
8ARLXm6E1Pg&bvm=bv.145063293,d.dGo)
Scholastic (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/4-proven-
strategies-differentiating-instruction/)
Reading Rockets (http://www.readingrockets.org/article/what-differentiated-instruction)
ERIC Digest (http://www.ericdigests.org/2001-2/elementary.html)
Teach HUB (http://www.teachhub.com/quick-guide-differentiated-instruction)
Carol Tomlinson (http://www.caroltomlinson.com/)
Indicators I feel more confident with the pace of my lessons.
of I can tell that students are becoming more comfortable with the pace of my lessons.
Progress I feel more confident in my ability to differentiate for those that need it.
(throughout I am making time in my lessons to work individually with students that need it.
practicum)
My students are finding success in their work.
Students that require differentiation are not feeling overwhelmed with what is expected
of them.
I am accommodating different learning styles into my lessons.
Students that require differentiation are meeting the goals that have been set for/with
them.
Timeline Research differentiation strategies and test out what works and what does not for
(January 9th myself and certain students February, ongoing
April 13th, Be mindful and reflective of the pace of my lessons Ongoing
2017) Build in time throughout certain lessons to work individually with certain students
Ongoing
Focus on accommodating different learning styles into my lessons February, ongoing
Provide modifications for students that require them Ongoing, situational
Help students set achievable goals for their work February/March
Reflection Guiding Reflective Questions:
(at the end How successful have I been in meeting my goal? How has my ability to
of differentiate for students improved? How can I take what I have learned in
practicum) achieving this goal and improve my teaching and differentiation in the future?
o Although I made an effort to work on this goal throughout this internship, I found
that I put more of a focus on working on my first two professional goals, which did
not allow for me to work on this goal as much as I would have liked to. When I first
started my internship, I noticed that there were a few students in the class that
took longer than others to complete various tasks. This was overwhelming for at
first to ensure that I was planning enough for the students that were quick at
completing their assigned work, but I got much better at this as my internship
progressed. When I was planning each lesson, especially in math since there is
more independent work involved, I made sure that I had extra activities for
students to complete once they were done their assigned work for that lesson. It
took me a couple of weeks to gauge how long it would take students to complete
certain tasks, but as I became more familiar with their various paces, it became
easier for me to plan activities that would take them approximately the amount of
time that was left in class. This skill is definitely a learned one, and different for
every teaching context, and I will continue to work on this each and every year of
my teaching career.

When I began completing my initial units that I taught and started planning for
the next ones, I tried my best to take into account my new knowledge and
understanding of students and their different rates of learning in order to inform
my future unit and lesson plans. I had done my best to keep these factors in mind
while planning my original units over the Christmas break, but it was difficult to
plan not knowing the students and their learning styles and rates yet. In the new
units that I planned, I ensured that I was including more sponge activities and
thinking ahead for the students that would need those extra activities and tasks. I
noticed that I was feeling more confident in my teaching and planning when I
started to take these contextual factors into account. I also found that I was able
to organize and outline each lesson better for students so that they were not
constantly asking me what they needed to do next. This forward thinking really
seemed to ease my nerves and definitely played a role in improving my classroom
management skills. I also made sure when planning new units to include
differentiation in the activities for certain students. For example, in the last Social
unit that I planned for this internship, I utilized a pre-made worksheet booklet
template that followed along exactly with the chapter we were studying and
included differentiation within. For each subtopic, there was boxes that students
would fill in, recording key information that I wanted them to take away from the
text. For those students that struggle with both pulling information from a text, as
well as recording their ideas in a timely manner, I gave them boxes with fill in the
blanks in them, making it easier for them to locate information in the text, and
increase the speed with which they were able to do so. I found this to be quite
successful, as these students were still gaining the knowledge that the rest of the
class was, and they were able to move along must smoother with the rest of the
class, making my lesson flow much better.

I have only really started to test out various differentiation strategies in this
internship, and I recognize that I still have a long way to go with this professional
goal. I have learned that differentiation looks different in every classroom, and so
the amount that I will have to differentiate from year to year will always fluctuate.
The class that I have had for this term has required fairly little differentiation, so I
have not had to extensively plan for a variety of different student levels.
Differentiation can be overwhelming for new teachers and I think that as long as
teachers are doing the best that they can to differentiate for their students, that is
all that they can do. I know that my differentiation skills will improve over time
and as I gain more teaching experience, but I will always try my best to
differentiate my teaching for any and all of my students if they require it. I am
confident that my ability to achieve this goal will increase over time, giving my
students the best learning experience possible.