Professional Growth
These are the 5 goals I chose for the Fall 2022 semester in the NC State College of Education. They are based upon North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards (NCPTS) and International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards.
standard i
ncpts: leadership / teachers lead the teaching profession.
iste: learner: pursue professional interests by creating and actively participating in local and global learning networks.
Action: I will demonstrate leadership in the classroom and in fieldwork by dedicating time every week to learn new teaching strategies and share them with my classmates, local community, and global networks.
Expected Outcomes: I will produce tangible evidence in the form of 1.) building my professional digital presence on social media and 2.) creating my professional website 3.) engaging in local and global learning networks.
Reflection: I worked with my instructor in ECI 204 to start a database of shared resources. I created a Twitter and Instagram profile and shared information regularly. I have started the process of joining the NC State chapter of SNCAE (the Student NC Association of Educators).
standard ii
ncpts: environment / teachers treat students as individuals
iste: collaborator: demonstrate cultural competency when communicating with students, parents and colleagues and interact with them as co-collaborators in student learning.
Action: I will seek to actively engage with as many different students in my class as possible each week to learn from their unique points of view and I will openly collaborate with students at CCMMS in the learning process by asking questions and valuing their perspectives as learners to develop my cultural competency and broaden my perspective as an educator.
Expected Outcomes: My Lead Teacher will rate me as “above average” on the end of semester evaluation in my commitment to diversity and promoting the success of all students.
Reflection: I have not seen the assessment form from my lead teacher yet, but an assistant principal let me know he was impressed that I actively sought out many different students with many different cultures and personalities, instead of gravitating to people who were similar to me.
standard iii
ncpts: content / teachers make instruction relevant to students
iste: designer: design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning.
Action: During my Service Learning Project (SLP) I will work with my group to design a workshop that aligns with content area standards and uses digital tools creatively for an engaging, impactful learning experience.
Expected Outcomes: My PLC group will earn top marks (10 points) on the grading rubric for Phase 2-Planning and Preparation, having created a plan that is clear and relevant to the needs of the classroom and Phase 5-Demonstration and Celebration, for our creative digital format that enacts system change.
Reflection: I have not received a grade for this project yet, but we did use creative digital formats in our workshop, such as websites for music making that functioned in different ways. One website made music with the computer keyboard and one used DJ software for layering beats. We also used digital support resources to make information universally accessible to students.
standard iv
ncpts: facilitates learning / teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
iste: facilitator: model and nurture creativity and creative expression to communicate ideas, knowledge or connections
Action: Through my Service Learning Project (SLP) I will work with my group to come up with techniques to facilitate student-led discussion and model positive, nurturing, respectful engagement with others.
Expected Outcomes: My PLC group will receive top marks (10 points) on Phase 3 Action on the grading rubric and positive feedback from the Lead Teacher regarding our effective facilitation of student discussion.
Reflection: During our lesson we planned to use Pear Deck to facilitate discussion and engagement digitally with students using survey questions to gamify the lesson, but we could not get access to the platform on the school’s Wi-Fi. We had to be agile and utilize other methods. We taught the students to call the wolf pack and used call and response to engage students and energize the discussion. Then we split into small groups to work and came back in the end to share our work. The students participated in the discussion and were eager to share what they had learned.
standard v
ncpts: reflection: teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.
iste: leader: model for colleagues the identification, exploration, evaluation, curation and adoption of new digital resources and tools for learning.
Action: I will proactively seek PGU experiences that inspire innovative strategies for learning and share them with my classmates.
Expected Outcomes: I will earn at least 1.5 PGUs this semester and share what I learn on the class forum and with my instructors as well as my Lead Teacher.
Reflection: I met my goal of earning 1.5 PGUs and shared what I learned with the class as well as on social media.
standard vi
ncpts: academic success: teachers contribute to the academic success of students.
iste: citizen: creates experiences for learners to make positive, socially responsible contributions and exhibit empathetic behavior online that build relationships and community.
Action: I will mentor students in the classroom by modeling community-building behaviors promoting the academic success of all students that are positive, supportive, and empathetic. I will challenge students to rise to high ethical standards and approach others in a way that builds authentic relationships.
Expected Outcomes: My Lead Teacher will rate me as “above average” on the end of semester evaluation in the categories of ethics and practical applications of knowledge in advocating for students.
Reflection: I have not received this assessment yet, but I have received feedback from fellow students. On the last day of class, we were asked to post a message to the class on a highlight reel and one of my classmates posted this “Jessica’s optimism reminds me of what it means to be a teacher. She makes lemons out of lemonade, and that helps me stay focused on the great things about this profession!”