9. Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy

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.

Artifact 1

Family Communication Log Reflection 

i. The artifact is a written article that describes my personal experience taking a flamboyant foundation survey on parent-teacher communication. The survey helped me identify my areas of strength and growth in this area. One of my areas of strength is academic partnership, which involves incorporating family feedback into the classroom to build trusting relationships with families. I acknowledge that this requires a lot of trust, and it can be challenging to be strong in this area.

Overall, the artifact is a personal reflection that discusses my strengths and areas for improvement in parent-teacher communication. It highlights the importance of building trusting relationships with families and the significance of ongoing communication. The article was produced after I took the flamboyant foundation survey to identify my strengths and weaknesses in this area, and it was created to document my progress and share my experience with others.

ii. The artifact demonstrates my understanding and progress towards meeting the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards (IPTS) in the area of Standard 9J) maintains accurate records, manages data effectively, and protects the confidentiality of information pertaining to each student and family. As well as Standard 9L) communicates with families, responds to concerns, and contributes to enhanced family participation in student education. Through the survey and subsequent reflection, I identified my area of growth in ongoing communication methods with families and developed a plan to improve by increasing the frequency of my communication with families.

iii. Through creating the artifact, I learned about my strengths and areas for growth in terms of parent-teacher communication. I discovered that I have a strength in academic partnership, which means that I can effectively incorporate feedback from families into my classroom to improve relationships and trust. This is important for my development as a teacher because building strong relationships with families is crucial for creating a positive learning environment for students.

On the other hand, I also learned that I need to work on improving my ongoing communication methods with families. I realized that frequent communication is essential for building trust and maintaining positive relationships with families. By updating families on a regular basis about what is happening in the classroom and their child's progress, I can help them feel more involved and invested in their child's education.

Overall, the artifact has helped me to become more aware of my strengths and areas for growth in terms of parent-teacher communication. I can use this knowledge to improve my communication strategies in the future and create a more positive and collaborative learning environment for my future students and their families.

Artifact 2

College Reflection Paper 

i. I am a history major and over the last four years, I have developed an artifact that showcases the skills and knowledge I have gained through my studies. This artifact highlights the ways in which my studies as a history major have improved my writing skills. I have learned how to effectively find, evaluate, and incorporate primary and secondary sources into my writing, how to craft a thesis statement and use it to guide the development of my arguments, and how to think critically about the historical, social, and cultural context of the events and ideas I am studying. My studies have prepared me for success in a wide range of academic and professional settings, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have studied history and for the valuable lessons it has taught me about the past and about the art of writing.

ii. As a future educator, it is crucial for me to develop and exhibit professionalism, leadership, and advocacy skills. The artifact I created demonstrates my understanding of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 9I) models professional behavior that reflects honesty, integrity, personal responsibility, confidentiality, altruism and respect; and Standard 9K) reflects on professional practice and resulting outcomes; engages in self-assessment; and adjusts practices to improve student performance, school goals, and professional growth. These standards emphasize the importance of teachers demonstrating leadership and professionalism, advocating for their students, and contributing to the education profession as a whole.

My experience as a history major has taught me the importance of professionalism and leadership. In my courses, I have learned how to present my ideas in a clear and organized manner, which will be valuable when communicating with colleagues and parents. I have also learned the importance of taking initiative and demonstrating leadership, which will be important in advocating for my students and contributing to the education profession.

iii. As a history major in college, I have gained a deeper understanding of the past and developed valuable writing skills. Through my coursework, I learned how to effectively research, evaluate, and incorporate primary and secondary sources into my writing. Additionally, I learned how to craft a thesis statement and use it to guide the development of my arguments, making my ideas more accessible to my audience. I also developed a more analytical and reflective approach to writing, which has made my arguments more nuanced and sophisticated. Most importantly, my studies taught me the significance of considering the historical, social, and cultural context of events and ideas, which has helped me better understand the complexity of the past and communicate it in my writing. My studies as a history major have prepared me for success in various academic and professional settings.