PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN

Name: Student Brant Saretsky Name: TA Brandon Thompson

Wyatt Watson
Name: UC Susan Feeney

Goal #1
Being knowledgeable about a topic I have little experience with.

Related TQS(s)
Demonstrating a Professional Body of Knowledge.

Strategies
- Discussing with my teacher associates about what type of information I can use. Attempting to
go beyond the information of the textbook but using the textbook as a foundation of the
knowledge.
- Everyday spending time reviewing the science so I can understand it and apply it to the student’s
lives.
- Bringing in a number of different resources that can hook the students in learning the material or
coming up with questions.
Reflection
- From the beginning to end of my practicum I achieved this goal, specifical in my science 9
classroom. For science 9, I was given the responsibility of teaching the space unit. Very few
people have experience with this subject and those with experience are astronauts for the
Canadian Space Agency (Canada only has 9). I challenged myself by becoming a body of
knowledge for the students, making sure I understand the material as remotely possibly so no
matter how out of the world the questions are, I can provide some basic information for them.
This was a challenge because the textbook is outdated and is missing important information that
has been around for over a decade. Majority of the information that I tried to gather was from
outside sources that are more recent to provide a more in-depth explanation for the students
while still maintaining the outcomes for the curriculum. The results, showed the increased
engagement of the students because of my willingness to answer questions based on the
knowledge I gained.
- When I created this internal challenge for myself it was directly linked to the amount of
confidence I had in the classroom. At the beginning of the practicum I had some confidence but
was noticeable shaky because of the lack of knowledge of the subject. By talking to my teacher
mentor and doing my own research I slowly gained confidence. This confidence helped with my
timing in the classroom, explaining complex ideas to the students, and making modifications to
the students material; all linked to my drive to learn something new.

Goal #2
Learning to be fluid with lesson and unit plans. Being adaptive to my student needs and how they are
interpreting the material.

Related TQS(s)
Establishing Inclusive Environments & Fostering Effective Relationships
Strategies
- Having allocated time for review to make sure students are understanding the material
- If covid was not around, having study sessions for students after school
- Writing reflective notes on the unit and lesson plans to help change the material
- Provide individual feedback students on what they can focus on and how pointing out what
material is better

Reflection
- I believe I achieved this and this is a goal I would like to achieve each semester as a teacher.
Learning from my two practicums, being fluid in my lesson plans is always important. There are
going to be a number of different factors or situations that can change lesson plans. What I found
is being flexible with daily lessons allows a teacher to not panic but stay composed. This shows
the student to understand that I am in control and allows them to stay focus within the class. I
felt that throughout the practicum I held my composure and it contributed to the students
learning.
- When meeting my students needs I tried to provide opportunity for everyone to discover how
they learn best. Many of the lessons were different to help with meeting majority of the students
needs and learning abilities. Some examples include direct teaching, self-notes, guided notes,
and group project notes. By incooperating a number of different techniques can help the students
understand how they want to learn and help guide future later lessons in the year. I hope to
continue implementing a variety of lessons and eventually create lessons that have a multitude of
different note taking that suits the students needs.