Erin Tomkins

Student Teacher Midpoint Self-Evaluation

December, 2011

Context of Teaching: This introductory practicum is being completed at LY Cairns School, a school for students with special needs that focuses on making student learning meaningful and unique to students individual needs. Because studentlearning goals are so diverse, a great deal of flexibility is required on behalf of the teachers. The school environment is geared toward meeting student needs, and it is difficult to follow through on a lesson plan because of a)student attendance being sporadic b)every student working at a different pace c)some students skills being more advanced than others d)emphasis being placed on community projects that often redirect students from task at hand to an alternate one Assessment is another interesting area for the pre-service teacher because at LYC the K&E curriculum is used, which emphasizes student transition, managing emotions, being on time, putting in effort, and so on, which is exactly what we were instructed NOT to assess in EDPS303-Assessment for Instruction. There was no mention of the K&E curriculum or planning for the needs of students with alternative goals, so the context of LY Cairns is outside of the realm of what preservice teachers are being taught; we need to be flexible and adapt to the changes required by this particular setting. Planning and Organization: I chose subject matter for lesson planning with the assistance of my mentor teacher, following the K&E curriculum for Fashion at the 10-4/20-4/30-4 levels. My lessons have an intro, body and closure, although because students are already engaged in a consistent routine with their regular teacher, I find it difficult to redirect them to the altered routine I am presenting; it does not feel like my own class, but like I am disrupting someone elses. With time and the establishment of my own routine, students will acclimate, but for now it is a challenge. Teaching Skills and Strategies: I have written lesson plans for each of the four weeks that I will be teaching the Senior Fashion and Sewing group, as well as preparation for Senior Arts and Crafts by way of constructing templates for the patterns. I learned very quickly that because of student diversity at LY Cairns, one lesson plan takes about a week to deliver where it would take one afternoon at a mainstream school; extra time is very important to student success. The majority of the Individual Program Plans I read recommended that students be given extra time with flexible deadlines, or none at all, as they are learning a skill. Sometimes, however, the opposite is true and students speed through a lesson and there is extra time in which they do not have a focus. I learned quickly the need to have a plan for those situations so the students who complete a task early do not find themselves aimless; also helping students develop deeper understandings when they have rushed through an assignment or lesson is of benefit, because speed does not necessarily equal accuracy or comprehension!

Erin Tomkins

Student Teacher Midpoint Self-Evaluation

December, 2011

Communication: I have spent the first few weeks of this practicum experience developing a rapport with students which has been fairly easy-going and straightforward with the senior high students as they have been responsive to the rationale behind expectations, but the junior high students require a much more stern approach to classroom management. I use positive reinforcement with students wherever possible, although I found that it backfired on a few occasions with students exhibiting Oppositional Defiance Disorder and caused them to act out in undesirable ways, mostly due to their inherent need to defy authority, so I have to reevaluate that approach with some students. Ive taken the opportunity to meet with the Student Services personnel regarding a student who was coming to me with issues that I did not feel confident nor trained in dealing with on my own. In doing this I learned a bit about the students condition from the school counsellor, as well as how to address the situation should it occur again in the future. It was really helpful to access school personnel as a resource. In collaborating with the School Services office, mainly the school counsellor, I was invited to meet an external service worker from Alberta Health who works with the student Id spoken to the counsellor about. In meeting with these two trained individuals, I gleaned some positive advice from their words of wisdom and had my instinct to seek guidance positively reinforced. As far as communication between pre-service teachers in the school, we often eat lunch together in the staff lounge, debriefing about our mornings, discussing our special project, and just getting to know one another as people and professionals. Management and Classroom Climate: I have had students assist with reminding me, and their peers, of expected behaviour in the classroom. It is tremendously helpful that the mentor teacher has the rules posted on the wall for ease of reference! The behaviours that I address immediately are the ones that are: a)physically unsafe to students or staff b)disrespectful to students or staff I speak clearly, use students names when possible, and use proximity to get their attention. The students who did not choose arts and crafts class for themselves are the most challenging because they have no desire to be there, are not interested in the lesson or skills, and use misbehaviour to get removed from the class. In those situations I have reminded the student that the craft is not what they are being marked on, but their cooperation and attitude in the class, so they are working on a different set of skills. During the times when a few students are acting out, I have made an effort to give positive attention to the quiet students that are working well, sitting with them and talking about their day, encouraging their focused work so that they dont start to think that the only way to get my attention is to misbehave; in fact, the kids who are acting out see that the on-task students get the best attention and often get to work themselves, at which point their behaviour is positively reinforced with a word of encouragement, extra help, or a personal conversation.

Erin Tomkins

Student Teacher Midpoint Self-Evaluation

December, 2011

Understanding Student Needs: I spent an afternoon reading IPPs to get a sense of the challenges that my students present with. Although there was not a great deal of detail about their personalities in the IPPs, it was a starting point. I am learning how to interact with every one of my students, what kind of attention they respond to, and what their skills entail. It is a lengthy process, trying to get to know every student, but with effort, not impossible. I find that I am establishing rapport with students based on youth culture and my interest in it, as well as my appearance (tattoos, piercings); students respond to my own counter-culture, especially because I have made it known that I will answer just about any question they ask meI believe in openness and honesty, and validate students by answering just about any question that they pose to me (age, family status, how I celebrate Christmas have all been asked, and answered, multiple times). Professional Qualities and Attributes: I am a punctual person, arrive at the school by 8:30 every morning even though classes do not start until almost 9am; if I am not at least 15 minutes early for an engagement, I feel like I am late. I am comfortable in a school setting having worked in one for so many years, but am careful not to fall into bad habits that may have formed over the years because of said comfort. I have neglected my plan book to some extent because the students are working on the same thing throughout the week, so it feels redundant to write the same thing down over and over again. This will not be the case when working in a mainstream school that requires a new lesson plan every day. Reflection and Self-Evaluation: In keeping daily reflections, I strive to assess my responses throughout the day to classroom occurrences, both good and ones in need of improvement. At the end of the day my mentor teacher and I try to debrief about what went well, and what I would like to work on. Every afternoon immediately after teaching my mornings lesson I reflect on the class, how I handled situations, how students responded to the lesson, and consider changes that will need to be made for next time. This reflection is beneficial to my professional growth as it keeps me open to change and prevents me from believing that everything is peachy without evidence to prove it, so to speak. I am keen on journaling for personal reflection, so it is not a big leap to reflect on my growth in a professional journal.