Wisconsin Teaching Standards
and
The Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #1- Teachers know the subjects they are teaching.
InTASC Standard #4- Content Knowledge, InTASC Standard #5- Application of Content
During this course and practicum, I became very familiar with a variety of assessments and reading strategies. I used these assessments and reading strategies during the case study. I was prepared to try new teaching methods involving teaching different reading skills. Through my artifacts it can be seen that my knowledge of reading instruction and assessments has grown.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #2- Teachers know how children grow.
InTASC Standard #1- Learner Development
Through the practicum, I worked with two different students at different ages in a one-on-one intervention. Both of these students were considered struggling readers at their grade level. My lesson plans for each child focused on the same three components: word study, comprehension, and fluency. How these components were addressed varied based on the age and needs of each of the students. I have an understanding of how children can have broad ranges of ability and provide instruction that supports their individual development. Each tutoring session lesson was adapted to meet the needs of my students at their current level while taking their interests into account when planning.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #3- Teachers understand that children learn differently.
InTASC Standard #2- Learning Differences
During my practicum, both of the students I worked with were considered struggling readers. They both needed individualized instruction to meet their individual needs since they were not being met at the universal instruction level. I was able to find strategies to help each of my readers build their skills and be successful in an area where they have not had much experience with success. Each child had different lessons for each of their sessions and had different needs. With the secondary student, he needed his instruction focused on accuracy and reading rate. He often read with a high rate and would skip many words while reading. With the elementary student, the instruction was focused on vocabulary. He often made miscued while reading and had difficulty with comprehension due to many unknown vocabulary words that he came across while reading. The secondary student had a stronger interest in nonfiction texts while the elementary student had a stronger interest in fiction texts. Their interests strongly guided the resources used during each session. I learned each students interests and their interpretation of their reading behaviors through a reading interest inventory conducted prior to starting our tutoring sessions.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #4- Teachers know how to teach.
InTASC Standard #5- Application of Content, InTASC Standard #8- Instructional Strategies
Throughout my practicum, I used informal and formal assessments to guide my session instruction for each student. I evaluated their literacy strengths through observation, a reading interest inventory, and interviews. I used this information to determine needs for each student, to inform my instruction, and monitor their progress. Prior to tutoring, I conducted extensive assessments on both of my tutoring students to find a starting point and what reading strategies each student needed help with. During each tutoring session, ongoing assessment and observations were used to reflect on the students' learning and make adjustments as needed to meet their individual needs.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #6- Teachers communicate well.
During my practicum experience, I was in constant communication with the students I was tutoring, the students' parents, colleagues, and my practicum advisor. After each tutoring session, I reflected upon the effectiveness of the lesson and how I would use each session to inform my instruction for the next session. It was essential for me to keep in constant communication with my colleagues and practicum advisor about each session and the effectiveness of each session so I could receive feedback and get advice on next steps.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #7- Teachers are able to plan different kinds of lessons.
InTASC Standard #7- Planning for Instruction, InTASC Standard #8- Instructional Strategies
Assessments were used to inform instruction and monitor progress throughout my tutoring sessions in the practicum. For each student I was tutoring, I established routines that we followed throughout the practicum. Each student had their own unique routine that we established and followed. During each session we addressed word study, comprehension, and fluency. Each of these components looked different with each of my tutoring students. To determine what each of my practicum students needed when it came to literacy, we began with testing for three days before doing any interventions or reading strategy instruction. The three days of assessments provided me with plenty of information about the students I was working with and what they needed their individualized instruction focused on to make them successful. After each session, I reflected on how effective the session was and what I learned about each student's reading behaviors and needs. I used my reflections to guide my instruction for the upcoming sessions.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #8- Teachers know how to test for student progress.
InTASC Standard #6- Assessment
Multiple formal and informal assessments were utilized together to provide an in-depth background and literacy capabilities of each reader. Prior to beginning the tutoring sessions, we spent three days gathering data from assessments to determine our starting points. During each tutoring session, assessment was used to inform instruction and monitor progress. Student progress was measured by a variety of assessments including the QRI-6, San Diego Quick Assessment, STAR Reading, Words Their Way Spelling Inventory, Fountas and Pinnell, observational assessments, benchmark assessments, and running records. The pre-assessments drove my instruction as the sessions began. During each session, a running record along with observations determined what skills and strategies needed to be focused on during subsequent sessions. These constant ongoing assessments were essential to planning further instruction. At the end of our practicum, I used the same variety of assessments used during the pre-assessments to determine growth made by the students and starting points for future interventions.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #9- Teachers are able to evaluate themselves.
InTASC Standard #9- Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
After each session and at the end of each week, I reflected and evaluated the lessons done each day and each week. I reflected on the successes, struggles, and failures throughout my practicum on a daily/weekly basis. Reflecting and evaluating myself as often as possible was essential for me to make gains and learn as much as I could during this experience. Additionally, getting another opportunity to use assessments, such as the QRI-6 and San Diego Quick Assessment, helped me grow as a professional. I was able to grow in confidence as a reading teacher by becoming more comfortable with new assessments that provided me with critical and additional information about the students I was working with. Through this practicum, I was able to create a case study, a parent connection report, individualized session lesson plans, and pre- and post-assessment comparison reports.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #10 - Teachers are connected with other teachers and the community.
InTASC Standard #10 - Leadership and Collaboration
During my practicum experience, I was in constant communication with the students I was tutoring, the students' parents, colleagues, and my practicum advisor. After each tutoring session, I reflected upon the effectiveness of the lesson and how I would use each session to inform my instruction for the next session. It was essential for me to keep in constant communication with my colleagues and practicum advisor about each session and the effectiveness of each session so I could receive feedback and get advice on next steps. Through my case study, I filled out a detailed parent report to give the student's parents an update on what we had done during our tutoring sessions, the progress that was made, my analysis of the results and overall outcome of the tutoring sessions, and recommendations for future continued instruction. Through this case study, I was able to develop a stronger relationship with the parents (who are also community members), which made this intervention much more productive and meaningful.