Intro:

The following 6 artifacts are what I believe best represent the types of teaching and
learning that I have been participating in over the past 13 months. By utilizing a wide range
of instructional strategies and differentiating instruction, Ive helped ensure equity in my
classroom. Additionally, by bridging the home-school-community gap, Ive helped to ensure
diversity and students understanding and valuing of one another. Finally, Ive helped to
ensure social justice by having students critically reflect on their own work, as well as
analyze and discuss the work of others. Please enjoy the following artifacts from my
library!

CSTPs 1-6:

1. Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning:
Teachers know and care about their students in order to engage them in learning. They connect learning to students prior
knowledge, backgrounds, life experiences, and interests. They connect California Standards for the Teaching Profession (2009)
5 subject matter to meaningful, real-life contexts. Teachers use a variety of instructional strategies, resources, and technologies
to meet the diverse learning needs of students. They promote critical thinking through inquiry, problem solving, and reflection.
They monitor student learning and adjust instruction while teaching



The artifact I chose for this CSTP was from an integrated math lesson on geometry
that I taught to my 2
nd
grade class, last year. I helped to engage and support student
learning by having students draw connections between the content and their outside
world. In the work sample above, I took students on a shape walk outside of the
classroom and asked them to find some of the shapes we had previously discussed in class
(circle, square, triangle), and then write about them. By utilizing this integrative teaching
strategy, I helped to deepen student understanding of various shape attributes, and pique
curiosity and interest.

2. Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning:
Teachers promote social development and responsibility within a caring community where each student is treated fairly and
respectfully. They create physical or virtual learning environments that promote student learning, reflect diversity, and
encourage constructive and productive interactions among students. They establish and maintain learning environments that
are physically, intellectually, and emotionally safe. Teachers create a rigorous learning environment California Standards for
the Teaching Profession (2009) 7 with high expectations and appropriate support for all students. Teachers develop,
communicate, and maintain high standards for individual and group behavior. They employ classroom routines, procedures,
norms, and supports for positive behavior to ensure a climate in which all students can learn. They use instructional time to
optimize learning.



Creating and maintaining an effective environment for student learning has been a
key theme throughout my student teaching placements. In the example provided above, I
created a project to deepen students understanding of both their own culture and the
culture of their classmates. After students completed the interview exercise at home with
their family, I had them collaborate with their classmates to share their experiences and
create one cohesive culture mini-magazine with the whole class. By facilitating these
kinds of exercises, I helped to highlight students diverse backgrounds, bridge the home-
school-community gap, and create a safe learning environment where students learn about
and celebrate one anothers similarities and differences.

3. Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning:
Teachers exhibit in-depth working knowledge of subject matter, academic content standards, and curriculum frameworks.
They apply knowledge of student development and proficiencies to ensure student understanding of content. They organize
curriculum to facilitate students' understanding of the subject matter. Teachers utilize instructional strategies that are
appropriate to the subject matter. They use and adapt resources, technologies, and standards-aligned instructional materials,
including adopted materials, to make subject matter accessible to all students. They address the needs of English learners and
students with special needs to provide equitable access to the content.



In order to best organize subject matter for student leaning, Ive learned that we
must often adapt our available text and standards-aligned materials to ensure that learners
of all language backgrounds, and abilities can participate. I chose this particular artifact
because it highlights some of the strategies that I have found particularly useful in the
classroom. Specifically, I chose to create this graphic organizer together with my second
grade transitional-bilingual class to help better ensure student access to the lesson. By
providing my English Language Learners with visual aids, sentence frames, and applicable
academic vocabulary they were better able to participate and succeed in the this geometry
lesson sequence.

4. Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for all Students:
Teachers use knowledge of students' academic readiness, language proficiency, cultural background, and individual
development to plan instruction. They establish and articulate goals for student learning. They develop and sequence long-
term and short-term instructional plans to support student learning. Teachers plan instruction that incorporates appropriate
strategies to meet the diverse learning needs of all students. They modify and adapt instructional plans to meet the assessed
learning needs of all students.



Understanding that not all students learn best from just one single strategy is crucial
in the classroom. This particular artifact is important to me because it demonstrates how I
planned a long-term lesson sequence in life sciences that utilized a wide range of teaching
strategies. Specifically, I began this two week-long lesson sequence by tapping students
prior knowledge and building a graphic organizer to display the academic vocabulary and
concept of the energy cycle in food chains. After utilizing a mixture of partner talks, table
work, and hands-on exploration, this sequence concluded with a field research trip at sea.
By planning instruction that utilized a wide range of strategies, and providing students
with real-world experiences I helped to deepen all students conceptual understanding of
this lesson sequence in the life sciences.

5. Assessing Student Learning:
Teachers apply knowledge of the purposes, characteristics, and uses of different types of assessments. They collect and analyze
assessment data from a variety of sources and use those data to inform instruction. They review data, both individually and
with colleagues, to monitor student learning. Teachers use assessment data to establish learning goals and to plan,
differentiate, and modify instruction. They involve all students in self-assessment, goal setting and monitoring progress.
Teachers use available technologies to assist in assessment, analysis, and communication of student learning. They use
assessment information to share timely and comprehensible feedback with students and their families



I believe a critical part of assessing student learning is knowing how and when to
differentiate instruction to ensure that students are not only able to access the curriculum,
but feel challenged as well. I chose the artifact below because I believe it represents an
example of a student not being challenged enough, and how I gave feedback that provided a
further, yet still topical challenge to deepen their learning and keep them engaged. For this
upcoming year I plan to continue to develop my abilities in assessing and designing
instruction for students, as well as having students set and record their own goals and the
progress they make towards those goals throughout the year.

6. Developing as a Professional Educator:
Teachers reflect on their teaching practice to support student learning. They establish professional goals and engage in
continuous and purposeful professional growth and development. They collaborate with colleagues and engage in the broader
professional community to support teacher and student learning. Teachers learn about and work with families to support
student learning. They engage local communities in support of the instructional program. They manage professional
responsibilities to maintain motivation and commitment to all students. Teachers demonstrate professional responsibility,
integrity, and ethical conduct.


If we are serious about improving our teaching practices and being the best teachers
for our students, then we constantly reflecting upon our teaching practices. I chose this
particular artifact because it shows one type of simple, daily reflection that I tried to carry
out each day during my last student teaching placement. After teaching a lesson I would
write down at least one positive thing from the lesson, and then add one or two things that
I believe I could improve upon (such as classroom management noted above). I plan to
continue questioning and reflecting upon my teaching into my first year of full-time
teaching by keeping a short, daily journal.