Rationale Reflection

Artifacts: Developmentally Responsive Middle School Project; Advisory Project; This We

Believe Project
Topic/Title: Creating an organized middle school based on middle grades theory; Creating an
advisory program for middle school students; Response to This We Believe
Medium: Prezi, Google Docs
Technology Used: Microsoft Word, Internet Research, This We Believe, Prezi
I chose three different project to demonstrate my competency in the area of Standard
Two: Middle Grades Philosophy and School Organization, and they are: the Developmentally
Responsive Middle School Project (DRMS), the Advisory Project, and the This We Believe
Project (TWB). With these three projects, I was required to work both on my own and
collaboratively with my fellow teacher candidates to research and present on elements of middle
grades teaching philosophy and school-level organization. With the DRMS, I worked with a
group of my peers as a team to develop a plan for an ideal middle school that employed all of the
elements required for it to be developmentally responsive. My group members and I drew on our
collective knowledge from our courses and readings to create a Prezi that displayed the
following: a school philosophy, organizational structures (interdisciplinary teams, advisory, etc.),
both core and non-core curriculum, a daily schedule, a plan of action to support exceptional
learners, and a plan to improve family and community involvement. For the Advisory Project,
my fellow teacher candidates and I designed an advocacy program that fosters positive
student/teacher relationships while delivering an appropriate and engaging curriculum which
advocates for young adolescent health and wellness. With the TWB Project, my group members
and I combined our knowledge of This We Believe with our middle school internship

experiences to compare the ideal middle school to everyday practices at a local middle school.
We interviewed school-based personnel, including our cooperating teachers and administrators
to see how this founding document worked in the public schools of North Carolina.
The DRMS and Advisory Projects exemplify my knowledge of the ASU Teacher
Preparation Program Standard Two: Middle Grades Philosophy and School Organization for a
number of reasons. To begin with, both projects demonstrate my understanding of the elements
of Standard Two and my ability to apply that understanding to hypothetical situations in which I
collaboratively created developmentally responsive curriculum and research-based school
organization. I had to take into consideration adolescent development and philosophical theory to
ensure that both projects demonstrated the use of higher order thinking and cooperative learning
in a diverse school environment to promote the overall mental and physical wellbeing of all
students at any academic level. In addition, both of these projects advocated for programs that
promote the overall health and wellness of middle grades students. For example, my section of
the Advisory Project advocates for students to participate in outdoor activities such as
kayaking/canoeing in which students would learn both safety tips and a variety of ways to
exercise and make healthy choices. With the DRMS, students would participate in a variety of
courses such as health and P.E. that promote a healthy lifestyle.
The TWB Project displays my proficiency in Standard Two because within it, I was
asked to delve into the nuances of middle grades philosophy and apply my understanding of
those educational theories to a working middle school. This project helped me see areas of
shortcomings in curriculum and instruction that I could remedy in my own classroom to ensure
that my students are received the most developmentally responsive education possible. I was also

able to get the perspective of current administrators and teachers to see what their school did well
and what they needed to continue to work on in the future.