Developing as a professional educator
Planning forward
Making Goals
As my time as an induction candidate nears an end, I will continue to work to improve my pedagogy by setting new goals. One of these goals will l be a strong focus on collaboration with my content department.
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I loved observing another teacher this semester, and I would like to continue this as I meet with my VAPA/CTE teammates. I think that our weekly meetings can be a great way to collaborate, considering we have a mix of subjects and do not teach the same subjects. It's a great opportunity for fresh eyes in a format that is not my induction content.
Collaborating is important to me because I have found that as a new teacher, I have learned so much from my fellow veteran teachers across subjects. Our department meets weekly, and we chat even more frequently. We have gotten in the habit of sharing our curriculum and guides and lesson plans, and regularly chat about our projects and students.​
My Advice for new teachers
1. Make a teacher bestie.
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As a new teacher, I was lucky enough to join the school I work as another teacher in a different department. I am in Visual and Performing Arts and she is in Career Technical Education, but we ended up teaching a section each of a digital art class and were coteaching and planning. Fortunately, our personalities clicked and we became fast friends. Something I am very grateful for is having a peer whom I can send a quick text, a Slack message, or call up if I have a question or work dilemma. Many of the hardest days we have been able to lean on each other and work as a team.
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2. Plan early and plan more than you think you'll need.
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There will be times when you need more to fill the time, especially if you have high-achieving students. Differentiation is important but also having enough to keep your students engaged in academic activities is important. I made the mistake of filling an empty 10 minutes with a 'fun kahoot' and then the rest of the year it was all they begged me for. Always have something ready to go for early finishers. It doesn't hurt to use the extra material for a random week where you have a school shutdown or a holiday week where your normal course schedule is interrupted.
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Highlighted Resources
My top three resources are:
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Project Based Learning
Article: Why Project Based Learning?
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When planning out my year and trying to improve upon my existing lessons, the biggest opportunity for growth I had was in engaging my students in a project that asks them to work overtime, doing different types of objectives. The Project-Based Learning method focuses on prolonged engagement, deeper learning, exposure to different subjects, technology, creativity, a sense of purpose, and skill building. I used PBL to build steps and benchmarks within my art projects that focus on preparation, planning, creative problem-solving, and reflection.
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Digital Tools
Article: 75 Digital Tools and Apps Teachers Can Use to Support Formative Assessment
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I work in a distance learning classroom, so I lean on digital tools, which requires a lot of computer literacy and the willingness to branch out and try new things and risk failure. This list is a great directory for all the distance learning tools for teachers to access. The main tools I use are Padlet, Zoom, EdPuzzle, and Kahoot.
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Effective Feedback
Article: 20 Ways to Provide Effective Feedback for Learning
As an Art teacher, many of my larger projects are creative but still require objective feedback. However, simply using a rubric is not enough feedback to help my students improve on their artistic skills. Learning how to give effective and detailed feedback is imperative for supporting my students success. This resource highlights 20 ways to give effective feedback that re not rubrics, and not just long written responses.
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Initial CSTP Self-Assessment
Below are the results from my initial self-assessment listed in order from strengths to areas of potential development.
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CSTP 5: Assessing Students for Learning
CSTP 6: Developing as a Professional Educator
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
CSTP 4: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students
CSTP 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning
CSTP 1: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning
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Final CSTP Self-Assessment
Below are the results from my final self-assessment where my areas of strength and potential development shifted slightly.
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CSTP 5: Assessing Students for Learning
CSTP 6: Developing as a Professional Educator
CSTP 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
CSTP 4: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students
CSTP 1: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning