Professional Growth Reflection
and Growth Plan

D1: I have grown immensely as an educator from the start of my WGU program through demonstration teaching. Personally, I have grown in confidence. Starting out at WGU, I was so nervous to be demonstration teaching in front of a classroom. However, during demonstration teaching, I became more comfortable and confident teaching in a group setting. Professionally, I have learned so many valuable things, including how to utilize your resources when you don't know content and how to manage your time in the classroom. Demonstration teaching has been an incredible experience and I am lucky to have had the opportunity. 

D1a: During demonstration teaching, I was asked to teach students about important themes in A Thousand Splendid Suns. However, I had not read the book prior to demonstration teaching. I immediately started reading the book and researching the book's setting, Afghanistan, which helped me become more confident in the subject matter. I realized that there were key cities and landmarks that were mentioned in the book, so before reading the book as a class, I gave a lesson on Afghanistan and created a virtual field trip where students can virtually visit each key city from that novel. This gave students the opportunity to be familiar with the setting before we read the book. 

D1b: Time management in the classroom was a teaching strategy that I was learning each day. In the beginning of demonstration teaching, I found myself spending too much time on one activity, but not enough time on another. After a professional conversation with my host teacher on how I can better manage the classroom time, she gave me amazing recommendations.  Once she suggested that I put a timer on for each activity that I teach, I became more aware of time management. Towards the end of demonstration teaching, I was ending each activity and class on time and felt more confident in my time management skills. 

D2: I collaborated with a co-teacher who oversaw students with IEPs and 504s. This co-teacher was in one period of the class during demonstration teaching and before I began my two weeks of classroom takeover, we met up and discussed student data. Specifically, we discussed the needs and modifications for each student with an IEP and/or 504. For example, we discussed how one student with processing speed/specific learning disability received supports and modifications of the following: access to audio books, wait time, repetition of instructions, frequent checks for understanding, and extended time. 

D2a: After collaborating with this co-teacher, I planned out how I would deliver content each day in the lesson and assess these students. I wrote specific instructions in my lesson plans to differentiate learning to these students with IEPs and 504s. For example, I played the audio book for the novel we were reading, A Thousand Splendid Suns, as well as had students open their books and follow along. 

D2b: After collaborating with this co-teacher, I used this information to inform instruction. Each day, I would write a lesson plan and make notes on how to differentiate learning for each student with an IEP and/or 504. For example, I wrote in my lesson plans to check for understanding at a specific part during instruction to ensure that I was supporting that student in the best way that I could. This experience has helped me grow as an educator. I knew that each student learned differently, but I didn't realize until I experienced this collaboration that students will need specific accommodations and modifications daily. This has helped my personal development because I will be prepared in having my own classroom to differentiate for each student daily. Now I know how to collaborate with educators and effectively differentiate learning. 

National Council of Teachers of English has contributed to my development as an educator. This organization provides resources for English language arts teachers. For me as an educator specifically, National Council of Teachers of English has helped me with tips and new ideas to bring to the classroom. For example, I wanted some fresh new ideas to pre-read A Thousand Splendid Suns with the poem Kabul, an ode that was inspired by the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns. I found a great lesson where students wrote their own odes. I was inspired by Session 5 of this lesson here (Poetry: Sound and sense, n.d.). The lesson gave insight on how to begin the lesson and inspire students to write their own odes. Students were thrilled to write creatively and it increased participation and engagement. 

D4a: A specific goal that I have as an educator is to integrate more technology into the classroom. Since one of the benefits is instant accessibility to information, I want to use technology to access student data instantaneously. To prepare for quizzes or tests, I would like to prepare student's knowledge through a program called Vevox (Vevox, n.d.). Vevox can allow me to do a live quiz with all students. I will pull up the quiz for all students to see on the projector and students will answer the questions on their computers (Vevox, n.d.). As soon as students have answered their questions, they will see if they got an answer right or wrong. This will show students what they need to study more for the quiz or test coming up. 

D4b: The professional growth activity that I will participate in is scheduling a free Vevox demo in order for me to maximize the platform and learn how to prepare for quizzes/tests as a class. Additionally, I will sign up for an online seminar called Integrating Technology in the Classroom (Integrating technology in the classroom, n.d.). This seminar will allow me to learn how to integrate technology for all learnings, including auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. Specifically, I am looking forward to learning about how to study for quizzes/tests as a class. This data will let me know which students need more assistance and study time, and which students have grasped the concept.