Wisconsin Teaching Standards
and
The Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #2- Teachers know how children grow.
InTASC Standard #1- Learner Development
The artifact I chose highlights student abilities and grade level expectations through the meaning maker, code breaker, text user, and text critic activities that were created.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #3- Teachers understand that children learn differently.
InTASC Standard #2- Learning Differences
Throughout the EDUC 580 course, I have learned many different strategies and activities that I will be able to implement into my classroom to meet all of my students' needs. By participating in a book club, I read books from genres that I would not have normally chosen for myself. I will now be able to better recommend books to readers in my classroom.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #4- Teachers know how to teach.
InTASC Standard #5- Application of Content, InTASC Standard #8- Instructional Strategies
Throughout the EDUC 580 course, I learned strategies for having meaningful conversations with students about their reading and reading behaviors. I am now able to have meaningful conversations with my students about their reading and books on a daily basis. The artifact developed for this course utilizes many forms of technology and utilizes the four roles of a reader to engage in critical thinking skills and develop deeper levels of comprehension of the book that accompanies it. To incorporate the four roles of a reader, I had to use a variety of instructional strategies to accommodate all students that I may encounter. The students will participate in partners, small groups, and whole class discussions.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #5- Teachers know how to manage a classroom.
InTASC Standard #3- Learning Environments
The artifact that I included incorporates positive interactions among peers and adults on a daily basis. The students are able to actively engage in learning throughout all of the multimedia aspects of the unit. Our classroom is a community that encourages motivating and sharing among each other about our reading. Throughout our conversations, we practice active listening skills and show respect for one another and their ideas. Through these conversations, the students have gotten really excited about talking about their books and reccommending books to each other and myself. My students know that our classroom library is focused around their interests. The students get the opportunity when every new Scholastic book order becomes available to write down book requests for our classroom. Every book order I place, I fulfill at least one of the book requests I received.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #6- Teachers communicate well.
In the multimedia project shown as my artifact for this course, I used instructional media activities for students to further explore content related to the chosen book. Students will use multiple forms of communication with other classmates and myself. I am also able to communicate with my students through several different facets. I am able to maintain my professionalism while still allowing informal conversations about texts to occur between myself and the students.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #7- Teachers are able to plan different kinds of lessons.
InTASC Standard #7- Planning for Instruction, InTASC Standard #8- Instructional Strategies
The project has a multitude of activities and extensions that can be tailored to the grade level and skill level of the students involved. Active learning activities were incorporated throughout the unit while utilizing the four roles of a reader. The students are able to engage students with critical thinking activities aligned with the Wisconsin Common Core Standards and grade level curriculum goals. My understanding of genres has grown immensly after taking this course. I now know excellent books in each genre for every grade level through the collaboration with other teachers in our program and through our class text.
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #9- Teachers are able to evaluate themselves.
InTASC Standard #9- Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
As an educator, I am continuously reflecting on my teaching practices. This class really made me reflect a lot on myself as a reader and a reading leader in my school for my colleagues and my students. Modeling what we expect of students is crucial to their success. The importance of reading books that my students are reading or books similar to them became a high priority to me. Also, allowing my students to see me as a reader became a top priority. In my classroom, we began "Drop Everything and Read" days. During this time, my students and I do nothing but read or talk about the books we are reading. I am now having much more meaningful and in-depth conversations with my students about our reading. Sharing with my students about what I am reading and showing them the books as I read them has greatly increased the amount of reading conversations I have had with them. Now, my students feel more comfortable and excited about sharing their reading with me since I share my reading with them.