The competent teacher is an ethical and reflective practitioner who exhibits professionalism; provides leadership in the learning community; and advocates for students, parents or guardians, and the profession.
In this artifact, I give examples of how I have met the four domains of planning and preparation, the classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibilities in accordance with Charlotte Daniel's framework for teaching.
In the fourth domain, professional responsibilities, I provide examples of how I have reflected on "professional practice and resulting outcomes" (9K) by giving examples of my post-instructional reflections o my lesson plans. I also show evidence of maintaining "accurate records" and managing "data effectively" (9J) by giving an example of a chart I made based on student assessment scores, showing their growth and an overall class average of their scores and growth.
By writing a letter home to student's parents about changes we are making in class and detailing how they could participate and become partners in their child's education, I show how I communicate "with families, responds to concerns, and contributes to enhanced family participation in student education" (9L). Lastly, by showing evidence of having attended multiple conferences and professional development opportunities I demonstrate that I participate "in professional development, professional organizations, and learning communities, and engages in peer coaching and mentoring activities to enhance personal growth and development" (9O).
Through the completion of this framework, I reflected on all my experience and knowledge up to this point, understanding how each item I have completed during my education fits into one of these elements of becoming a competent teacher. Although the list is long and somewhat daunting, each domain and each item is crucial to the instruction, education, social development and well-being of each student which makes it important and worth wild for me, as a future educator, to complete.
I created this letter in the Fall of 2018 as a way to introduce myself to the parents of the 5th graders I would be teaching for 9 weeks. I introduce myself by stating my background and experience, providing personal details about myself and conveying some of the goals I have set for my nine weeks in their student's classroom.
By creating and sending this letter, I convey my desire to have open communication with the parents and my desire to work along aside of them when teaching their children. I also convey my excitement to learn from their children and thank them for allowing me to participate in their students education. Through writing this letter I show respect to each students family and my desire to work cooperatively with them. By sending this letter, I meet Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 9I which states, the competent teacher "models professional behavior that reflects honesty, integrity, personal responsibility, confidentiality, altruism and respect (IPTS 9I)". I also show that I desire communication and thus meet standard 9L which states that I "communicate with families, responds to concerns, and contributes to enhanced family participation in student education (IPTS 9L)". Lastly, by introducing myself and showing respect and appreciation for each family, I create a warm atmosphere in order to have a positive relationship throughout the year in regards to their child's education. By doing this, I show that I "proactively serve all students and their families with equity and honor and advocates on their behalf, ensuring the learning and well-being of each child in the classroom (IPTS 9Q)".
When creating this letter, I learned how vital it is to have positive communication with each family to express your genuine desire for their student to grow, your appreciation for their cooperation and your hope for ongoing collaboration between yourself and the parents of your students. This creates the foundation of a positive relationship and encourages ongoing conversation to ensure that each student receives the best education possible.