Dear New License to Masters Students,

Welcome to Alverno. You may many different reasons for attending

Alverno, but you will soon find out the many things you will have in common
with the fellow students. You will grow and learn with each other throughout
your education here. Attending Alverno will be a different from any other
educational experience.
During your time here at Alverno, you will learn about the Alverno
Teaching Abilities and the Wisconsin State Teaching Standards. These
standards and abilities at first will be very overwhelming. Throughout your
Alverno experience you will learn what they mean and how they apply to
your teaching practice. There are 10 standards and 5 Alverno abilities. The
Wisconsin Standards are from the Department of Instruction. Education
students need to demonstrate that they have applied each standard to their
teaching practice. The Alverno Education Abilities only for Alverno students.
Through these abilities you will learn skills that are important for teaching.
While you are at Alverno, you will learn and master these abilities. Most of
these abilities overlap with the teaching standards.
Before I attended Alverno, I was not aware of the Wisconsin State
Teaching Standard or the Alverno Education Abilities. After I started, I learned
about the standards. In the beginning they seemed pretty intimidating
because they were very broad standards. They covered a lot of material, but
were also very simplistic in their presentation. I thought how could I unpack

these and make this become a part of my teaching. In my first field

placement, I saw the connection of understanding the standards and abilities
to my teaching. I saw that knowing your students is important to creating a
more engaging classroom. I saw that assessments are important to see how
students are performing. At that time, I didnt have very much experience in
creating these environments. Once I got to my second field placement, I was
able to go in-depth with the standards. I worked with Standard 8 which was
doing assessments. I used informal assessment to plan upcoming lessons. I
also worked on the ability coordination. I coordinated lessons that would
correspond with the curriculum of the school and the strategies I needed to
incorporate for my placement. By the end of my Alverno experience, I
worked with the standards frequently. I understand why they are important
to incorporate in my teaching practice. Each standard brings a different
element that is important to incorporate to be an effective teacher. These
elements include; knowing your students, assessing learning, connecting
with the parents, self-assessing etc. If a teacher does not include these
elements in their teaching practice, it will not be effective.
The standards and abilities will help you develop your teaching
framework. You will learn from Alverno professors and your fellow students.
You will begin to understand why the standards and abilities are important.
They will become meaningful to you. Every student will have different ways
to include the standards in their style of teaching. Do not compare your work

to other students. Stay inspired with your love and teaching. Good luck in the
road ahead.

Sincerely

Melissa Kinkade