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INTASC STANDARD 10: COLLABORATION
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Teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure growth, and to advance the profession.
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artifact: Formal Observation notes (click to view)
This artifact contains the feedback after my first formal observation by Dr. Andrew Coleman, the UMUC University Supervisor for my internship. The observation took place on February 4th, 2015 during 1st period (7:17 AM – 8:41 AM). The students were being introduced to Mutations as the final lesson of the Protein Synthesis unit. After the lesson Dr. Coleman (University Supervisor), Mr. Gorrick (Mentor Teacher), and myself met to evaluate my pedagogy.
Rationale:
One of the most useful development tools available to me as a pre-service teacher is the formal observations provided by my University Supervisor. By collaborating with him (and my mentor teacher) I am able to identify specific things to focus on improving. While typically the idea of professional development is focused on formal learning opportunities, I feel the most effective development comes from having other teachers and school administrators informally observe you in the classroom.
These notes illustrate the development of my pedagogy from academic theory to instructional practice. The result of the formal observation provided me with invaluable insight into my classroom dispositions, pace, and personal evaluation. Having the opportunity to have experienced professionals provide feedback without the pressure surrounding first-year teacher observations allows me to shape my pedagogy and identify focal points for improvement. The feedback also allows me to increase my confidence in front of the classroom by knowing that strategies and dispositions that I am exhibiting are having a positive impact on my classroom.
One of my biggest strengths, as illustrated in Dr. Coleman's conclusion, is my willingness to learn and grow from my fellow educators and professionals. I find that the advice from my mentor teacher, as well as my observations of his teaching style provides me with the most effective advancement in my pedagogical ability. Many times during a lesson in first period he will add an additional bit of information, or explain a topic in a different way. When I re-teach the lesson to the next period I am able to implement these additions and sometimes improve upon them.
In addition to the collaboration with my Mentor Teacher and University Supervisor I believe that I can improve my pedagogical growth even more by having other teachers within my department (Science) and even the school administrators sit in and observe a lesson with the goal of providing me with feedback. Other teachers and administrators all come from varied backgrounds/classroom experience and each can provide a unique perspective on classroom methodologies and strategies.
These notes illustrate the development of my pedagogy from academic theory to instructional practice. The result of the formal observation provided me with invaluable insight into my classroom dispositions, pace, and personal evaluation. Having the opportunity to have experienced professionals provide feedback without the pressure surrounding first-year teacher observations allows me to shape my pedagogy and identify focal points for improvement. The feedback also allows me to increase my confidence in front of the classroom by knowing that strategies and dispositions that I am exhibiting are having a positive impact on my classroom.
One of my biggest strengths, as illustrated in Dr. Coleman's conclusion, is my willingness to learn and grow from my fellow educators and professionals. I find that the advice from my mentor teacher, as well as my observations of his teaching style provides me with the most effective advancement in my pedagogical ability. Many times during a lesson in first period he will add an additional bit of information, or explain a topic in a different way. When I re-teach the lesson to the next period I am able to implement these additions and sometimes improve upon them.
In addition to the collaboration with my Mentor Teacher and University Supervisor I believe that I can improve my pedagogical growth even more by having other teachers within my department (Science) and even the school administrators sit in and observe a lesson with the goal of providing me with feedback. Other teachers and administrators all come from varied backgrounds/classroom experience and each can provide a unique perspective on classroom methodologies and strategies.