Pullin Teacher Work Sample

StudentTeachingExperienceReflection

IfeelextremelyfortunatethatIwasabletocompletemystudentteachingexperiencein

thesamesettingasmyinternship.Theopportunitytospendthe20162017schoolyearat

Olanderallowedmetodeveloplonglastingrelationshipswithmystudents,thestaff,my

cooperatingteacherandfamilies.Myfamiliaritywithmyclassroomhelpedmetojumpinwith

twofeetbeginninginJanuarysinceIalreadyhadexperiencedtheclassroomroutinesandknew

mycooperatingteachersmanagementstylewell.Olanderwasanincrediblypositiveand

supportiveenvironmentinwhichtohaveastudentteachingexperience.Staffmemberwere

immediatelywelcomingtomeandwereeagertoanswermyquestionsandsupportmygrowth.

Teachingalongsidemymentorteacherwasaprivilege.Iamverygratefultohavelearnedunder

anexceptionaleducatorwhoisanexpertincontent,wellversedinstandardsandtreatsevery

childinaloving,respectfulmannereverysingleday.Shewasafabulousrolemodelformein

goingaboveandbeyondtoservestudents,familiesandothermembersofourteamwitha

positiveattitude.Herorganizationalcapacities,flexibilityandmasteryofsettinghigh

expectationswillinformmypracticefortheyearstocome.

ClassroomManagement

ClassroommanagementhasbeenoneofthethingsIhavebeenmostapprehensiveabout

duringtheprogram.Iwasconcernedthatmygentlevoiceandsoftnaturewouldtranslateinto

becomingalowexpectationteacherwhohadlittlecontroloverherroom.IknewthatIwantedto

reinforcepositivebehaviorasmuchaspossibleandemployaLove&Logicapproachwhen

settingexpectationsandcommunicatingwithstudentsaboutbehavior.Thankfully,mymentor

teachersmanagementstylewasverysimilarandsoIwasabletoadoptmanyofherpractices
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thatfeltreallynaturaltomealso.Itwasdifficultatfirsttotransitionfromthefriendlyinternto

anauthorityroleintheclassroom.GraduallystudentscametoseemeasarealteacherasI

continuedtoplayalargerroleintheirdaytodaylearning.

Ashiftbegantooccurwithinme.AtfirstIwantedtoremainwelllikedbymystudents

howeverIbegantolearnthattheverybestwayIcouldlovethemwastosetandenforce

consistentboundariesthatkeptthemsafeandhappy.ThismeantthatthereweretimeswhenI

wouldhavetocorrectundesiredbehavior.Ifollowedmymentorteachersleadandaddressed

behaviorsituationsinafair,quickwaythatdidnotembarrassstudentsorcharacterizethemas

badbutinsteadcommunicatedthatthebehaviorwasseparatefromthemselves.Forexample,I

mightsayMakingnoisesdistractsourfriends.Pleasehelpthestudentsaroundyoulistenand

learn.AsIcamemorecomfortabletacklingbehaviorsinthemomentIbegantofocusonwhatI

coulddoproactivelytopreventthem.Wepracticedwhatitlookedliketobeagreatlistener.

Wetalkedabouthowwecouldhelpourselvesandotherstobelearners.

Mynextstepwastohelpstudentswhowerestrugglingwerepersistentchallenging

behaviorstosetgoalsandlearnstrategiestoavoidthem.Afewstudentsusedabehaviorchart

daily.Iwouldprocesswiththemthroughouttheday.Ifoundthatthiswasreallymotivatingfor

studentsandhelpedreinforcethestrategiestheywereworkingon.Italsoincreased

communicationbetweenparents;ourcounselorandtheclassroomteacherinordertobetter

supportthestudentsandaligneffortsathomeandatschool.

Ifeelbetterequippedtoeffectivelymanageaclassroomandcreateasafe,warm

environmentforstudents.Ihavelearnedthatdifferentstrategiesworkwithdifferentstudentsand

thatbehaviormanagementisaneverevolvingpractice.Oneofmyproudestaccomplishmentsis
Pullin Teacher Work Sample

thatIhavehelpedstudentsworkthroughinterpersonalproblemsandworkcollaborativelyas

learners.IknowthatIwillcontinuetodevelopmyclassroommanagementabilitiesfortherest

ofmycareer.Ilookforwardtoexperimentingwithnewtechniquesandlearningmoreabouthow

tosupportstudentsemotionalandsocialdevelopment.

TeachingPhilosophy

Icontinuetobelievethattheroleoftheearlychildeducatoristonurturethedevelopment

ofthewholechild.InadditiontosupportingstudentsintellectualdevelopmentIthinkitis

imperativethatteachershelpchildrennavigatepositiverelationshipswithpeers,teachersand

schoolcommunities.Ihaveworkedhardduringmystudentteachingexperiencetohelpstudents

learnandpracticeproscoialskills.Ihaveadeeperappreciationforthesafehavenschoolisfor

manychildrenandIfeelmorecommittedthanevertoprovidingallstudentswithaquality

educationandwelcomingspacetobethemselves.Ihavebeenfortunatetolearnlotsof

differentiationandsupportstrategiesduringmytimeatOlander.Iamalsogratefultohave

workedcloselywithcolleaguesandfamiliestosupportthechildreninmyclassroom.

Duringmybrieftimeasastudentteacherithasbecomeclearthatteachingismorethana

job.Itisacalltogobeyondthehoursinthedaytoserveyoungchildren.Iknownowthatin

ordertobringasenseofcalm,wonderandenthusiasmintotheclassroomeachdayIneedtotake

careofmyownneedssoIcantakecareofmystudentsneeds.

PlanningandImplementingLessons

AsthesemesterhasprogressedIhavegrowninmyabilitytoplansuccessfullessonsand

implementthem.Afewmajorareasofgrowthhavebeenmycapacitytoplanlessonsthat

integrateassessments,carryoutlessonsinatimelywayandalterlessonsinrealtimewhen
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needed.InitiallyIwasanxiousaboutincorporatingassessmentsthatweredevelopmentally

appropriateintomylessons.ThiswassomethingthatIimmediatelydiscussedwithmymentor

teacher.Shegavemesomegreatideasabouthowtousetheclosureofalessontobothassess

andreinforcestudentlearning.OftentimesIwilluseanexitticketattheendofalessonforthis

purpose.Ialsomakesuretosetagoalforstudentsatthebeginningofthelessonsotheyknow

whattheyarelearningandwhatisexpectedofthemattheendofthelesson.Iamsignificantly

betteratmanagingtimeandkeepingusonschedule.AdditionallyIfeelmorecomfortablein

changingcoursemidlessonifthingsarenotworking.Sincemyformativeassessmentskillshave

improvedIhaveabetterideaofwhenstudentsarenotunderstandingandwhatIneedtodoto

coursecorrect.

Planningseveralunits,includingascienceunitonstatesofmatter,asocialstudiesunit

onmapsandanotheronthepilgrimsandWampanoagtribehashelpedmetodesignlessonsthat

areconnectedandthatsetlongtermandshorttermlearningobjectives.Iappreciatedhow

planningunitsallowedmetothinkaboutwhatIwantedtostudentstoknow,whyandhowI

wouldmeasurestudentlearning.IbecamemorecomfortablewiththisprocessthemoretimesI

attemptedit.NowIfeelconfidentplanningwiththeendinmind,aligninglessonswithstandards

andusingdifferentinstructionalstrategies.

PersonalReflection

Thestudentteachingexperiencehasbeenoneofthemostrewardingandchallenging

experiencesofmylife.Ihavegainedterrificexperience,relationshipsandastrongersenseof

selfconfidence.IfeelthatIhavegonefrombeingalearner,whowascomfortableinthe

classroom,toaleader,whoisabletomakegooddecisionsandreflectonmypractice.Iam
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excitedabouthavingmyownclassroomandestablishingmyclassculture.AyearagoIcould

nothaveimaginedtheintensegrowthanddifficultiesthisprogramwouldpresent.Ithasnot

alwaysbeeneasyandIhavehadtorecommittomyintentionsandmypurposemanytimes.Iam

proudoftherisksIhavetakenandthededicationIhavedemonstrated.Iamhonoredtohavehad

theopportunitytolearnfromseveralwonderfuleducatorsandpeersalongtheway.Imove

forwardtetheredbymyprofoundcommitmenttoservethechildreninmyclassroomandinthe

greatercommunity.