Last Name

Walker
Course Instructor
Fiona White
University
Queens Faculty of Education

First Name
Kathleen
Program
Queens-Trent Concurrent Education
Course
PROF 110

Description of Placement Assignment(s) and Division/Subjects Selected

Intermediate-Senior: Geography (major and first teachable) and mathematics
(second teachable)
Two weeks in a Grade 2 classroom at Mother Cabrini Catholic School
Background to Inform Professional Growth Goals, Action Plan, and Timelines
Recommended professional growth goals and strategies from written and oral
feedback from host teacher, course instructor, and TA.
Develop a more concise writing style
Be more straight forward and concise when talking to the students
Professional learning and growth that I have experienced over the past year(s)
Outline key learnings and growth from both PROF 110 and from PRAC 110. You can use prose
or point form. Include reference to at least 3 class topics from PROF 110, as well as things you
have learned about yourself through class and placement discussions. You may want to include
mention of areas in PROF 110 which you found interesting but for which you would like to learn
more, as these could lead to the goals you set for yourself:
Throughout the course of the year, PROF 110 has challenged my thinking both as a future
teacher, and as a student. PROF 110 has created a more diverse image of what a school
looks like in my mind. At the beginning of this course, I had always thought of a school as
the teachers, students, subjects, and additional staff. However, through PROF 110, we
have spent a considerable amount of time challenging and re-creating our ideas of a
school. A school includes the parents, volunteers, classroom environment as well as all
the staff, students and curriculum. School is no longer thought of as a hierarchy; rather it is
an interconnected web that could not function when one piece is missing.
Another topic covered in PROF 110 that has captured my attention is the importance of
interweaving environmental activities and awareness into your lessons and everyday
classroom structure. Although we had a guest lecture on this topic, I would love to learn
more about including environment into you classroom. I would especially like to hear other
teachers ideas of how to include the environment into math classes, as math is one of my
future teachable subjects.
In PROF 110, we would often discuss the question: What is Curriculum? Prior to entering
this class, I just thought of curriculum as the academic subject material that the students

Annual Learning Plan

Page 2 of 3

needed to learn, and what level they needed to achieve in order to pass the course.
However, as we discovered, curriculum is much more than the subject material. When we
reflect back to our elementary and high school days, we often remember what the
teachers taught us about life and becoming a mature person. We do not remember each
individual subject lesson that they taught. Curriculum is everything that a student learns
from their teacher. It is the subject, yes, but it is also how they develop as a young person
in your class.
Finally, through PRAC 110, and my placement in a grade 2 classroom at Mother Cabrini
Catholic School, I have begun to see where I excel as a teacher, and where I need to
continue to grow. I have seen myself make wonderful connections with each individual
student, and I have recognized each of their needs and was able to help them accordingly.
As well, I have also learned that when talking to the very young students, I need to
develop a very concise talking style. I will make concise speaking as one of my Annual
Learning Goals so that I can develop as a more effective, and mature teacher.

Professional
Growth Goals

Professional
Growth Strategies
to help Reach
Goals
Develop a more
- Review many
concise and direct
different lesson
writing style for my
plans so that I
lesson plans so I do
have a wide range
not rely on a
of samples and
template
have clear
expectations.
- Revise lesson plan
and writing
assignments
numerous times,
removing all
unnecessary
words.
- Use TA, professor,
and host teachers
feedback to alter
my writing style
appropriately.

Rationale for
Professional
Growth Goals and
Strategies
- I am confident in
my writing abilities;
however, I have
received feedback
on my lesson plan
assignment to be
more concise and
direct in my writing
style. If I become
more comfortable
with lesson plan
writing, I believe
that I will gain
experience and
knowledge in what
is required to write
in a lesson plan in
order to make a
lesson run
smoothly.

Action Plan and

Timelines
1. Review the
various lesson plan
templates
suggested by Fiona
(by April)
2. Review
completed lesson
plans by
experienced
teachers to see
what they include
and how they
structure their
writing styles (by
summer)
3. Practise writing
lesson plans during
summer so that I
am more
appropriately
prepared to write
and preform my
lesson plans in
classrooms come
September.
4. Receive
feedback from

Annual Learning Plan

Be more
straightforward and
concise when
talking to students

Page 3 of 3

- I can become
more
straightforward and
concise when
talking to students
by thinking of
frequently asked
questions about the
topic I will be
teaching, and
brainstorm possible
answers
- Consult the
teacher to hear how
they would
approach a certain
question or topic
- write down prompt
questions, and the
answers I am
looking for on my
lesson plan
- talk to the students
former (and current)
teachers to see
what they struggle
on a develop a plan
on how to help them
accordingly

- I believe that my
communication
skills with students
is very strong, as
my host teacher
often commented
on my strong
interactions with
students
- Students often ask
me for help with
questions, and
when I am finished
helping them they
are clear on the
topic
- However, I believe
that I would be a
more effective
teacher if I could
develop a method
of explaining in one
way, instead of
trying to explain
myself in many
different ways

Fiona and
classmates on
lesson plan, and
adjust it according
to their suggestions.
(September)
1. When I first get
my placement
grade and lesson
topics I will begin to
think of different
ways to teach my
subject in the most
straightforward way
possible
2. When I meet my
teacher I will ask
about the different
needs and struggles
in the classroom
and how I can
appropriately help
accommodate them
in my lesson plan
3. I will talk to the
students in order to
gage a sense of
their previous
understanding of
the subject topic. I
will also interact
with the students to
see how strong our
communication is
4. I will develop
frequently asked
questions and
speaking prompts
for myself before
presenting the
lesson