PALLADINO - Marina - 1393645 - F17 - 450

Advanced Field Experience Final Evaluation
Field Experience Information:

Student Teacher:
Last Name: PALLADINO First Name: Marina
ID Number: 1393645 Course Number: EDFX 450
University Facilitator:
Last Name: Foster First Name: Annie
Mentor Teacher:
Last Name: Ettinger First Name: Lesley
Placement Information:
Start Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 10/10/2017 End Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 14/12/2017
Subject(s) and/or Grade Level(s): Science 7, 8 and 9
School Information:
School Name: Victoria School of the Arts School District: Edmonton Public Schools
School Address: 10210 108 Ave NW Postal Code: T5H 1A8
School Phone #: 780 426 3010 City: Edmonton
Distribution:
Students should retain a copy of the Final Evaluation form for their own records. Please note that
potential employers may ask for a copy of this Final Evaluation.
A copy of this form will be emailed by the University Facilitator to the office of Undergraduate Student
Services, where it will be retained for a period of time according to the faculty’s retention schedule; no
other copies will be retained by Mentor Teachers, University Facilitators or employees of the University
of Alberta without written permission of the Student Teacher.
It is recommended that the Student Teacher receive a grade of:
Final Grade (Credit or No Credit): _CREDIT__ Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 14/12/2017
Fall 2017 Page 1 of 11

The purpose of this Field Experience Final Evaluation document is to provide evidence and
communicate information regarding Student Teacher performance based on the Knowledge, Skills and
Attributes (KSAs) for Interim Certification.
For each category, the Mentor Teacher should provide comments that reflect strengths and areas for
growth in each category. Evidence and specific examples should be provided.
You do not need to fill the space provided; recommended length is 200-300 words per category. Write
only enough to provide necessary evaluation and evidence. Please do not exceed the space provided, as
lines of text that extend beyond the text box will not appear on printed copies; there is space for extra
comments at the end.
Use the KSAs and suggested topics as they relate to the category to guide your comments, not all need
to be addressed.
Description of the school and context of teaching

Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): school size, urban/rural, special programs, class size, special needs students in class,
number of teachers, etc.
Victoria School of the Arts students attend the district’s only K-12 school offering arts programming in
Dance, Music, Visual Art, New Media and Drama within the framework of the International
Baccalaureate Programme. It is located in the heart of downtown Edmonton and the students attend
from all areas of the city and surrounding areas. Victoria has a diverse population of approximately
1800+ students. Miss Palladino’s assignment consisted of 2 grade seven science classes, 2 grade eight
science classes and 3 grade 9 science classes. All of the classes have more than 30 students enrolled and
there are students who have LSP’s in each class, as well as some ESL students.

Preparation, Planning and Organization
Related Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (Not all need to be addressed):
KSA A: Teachers understand that contextual variables affect teaching and learning.
KSA C: Teachers use the Guide to Education and the programs of study to inform and direct planning, instruction and assessment.
KSA D: Teachers understand the subject discipline they teach.
KSA E: Teachers know how to identify students’ different learning styles and ways students learn and create multiple paths to learning for
individuals and groups.
KSA F: Teachers know how to translate curriculum and desired outcomes into meaningful and incrementally progressive learning
opportunities through short, medium and long range planning.
KSA M: Teachers identify and incorporate relevant learning resources into their teaching.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): curriculum expectations, content knowledge, lesson plans, organization, time
management, diverse learning needs, etc.
Marina is an extremely well planned and organized student teacher. She began planning prior to her
arrival at school. She always had weekly and daily plans prepared ahead of time. Her lessons usually
contained a section of review of the previous lesson, open-ended questions to engage the students as
they transitioned into learning new material, a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation and a hands-on
activity or lab to help reinforce their understanding of the concepts. The students also used learning
packages that helped them synthesize the material and they were then able to use these as a study tool.
All activities focused on clear learning objectives. Smooth transitions between activities maximized
instructional time in her classes.
In Marina’s planning, she consistently selected appropriate strategies to maximize learning by using
the program of studies as her guide. She quickly began to adapt her lessons for the diverse needs of
her learners by offering the students choices in presenting their understanding of the material. For
instance, in Science 7, she allowed the students to choose how they would present the Particle Model
of Matter in the Heat and Temperature unit through song, video, visual art, etc. This allowed the
students to focus on their passions to present the information. As well, students were encouraged to
submit “study notes” before writing their unit exam and they were encouraged to select a study method
of their choice. Some prepared cue cards, while others wrote pages of notes, for example.
For demonstrations and activities, Marina encouraged the students to rearrange their desks and chairs
to maximize her interaction and/or to help illustrate concepts. She also planned meaningful activities
that encouraged the students to be highly engaged. For instance, instead of using teacher-led
instruction to teach the concepts of pesticides, DDT and biomagnification in the Grade 9
Environmental Chemistry unit, she arranged for the students to work in groups and created six
different stations which they were required to visit. This allowed students with varying learning styles
to learn and create multiple paths individually and in their groups through conversation.
Marina is still learning to manage her time most effectively while teaching. She is still developing a
sense for determining the appropriate length of time for various activities and, with more practice and
experience, she will eventually master this skill.

Teaching Skills and Strategies
KSA D: Teachers understand the subject discipline they teach.
opportunities through short, medium and long range planning.
KSA I: Teachers know and use a broad range of instructional strategies.
KSA J: Teachers use both traditional and electronic technologies to meet students’ learning needs.
KSA M: Teachers identify and incorporate relevant learning resources into their teaching.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): learning strategies, sequencing/timing, flexibility, instructional strategies, use of ICT,
differentiation of instruction, student interest, cultural sensitivity, pacing, lesson/unit plans, etc.
Marina’s understanding of the science curriculum is definitely one of her greatest strengths. She is still learning
to establish how much time to devote to various curriculum outcomes and determining which concepts might
require more emphasis in a lesson. Miss Palladino consistently provided detailed lesson plans and always
shared her visual presentations and handouts for the students before class to ensure the content was cohesive,
meaningful and relevant. She also completed a well-designed unit plan for the Environmental Chemistry unit in
Science 9 so she had a plan as to when and what material she would be teaching. Her lessons usually started
with a section of review of the previous lesson, questions to engage the students as they transitioned into
learning new material and a hands-on activity, lab or video to help reinforce their understanding of the concepts.
The students also completed learning packages that helped reinforce the concepts as they completed each new
section of material. The activities she planned were meaningful and related to curriculum outcomes.
Miss Palladino experimented with a variety of teaching strategies during her field experience and selected
appropriate subject matter using the program of studies. Students learned through interactive online
simulations, video, demos, labs, PowerPoint presentations and Prezis, worksheets and internet activities. Marina
was willing to create “inquiry based” learning opportunities as often as possible for the students. For example,
when beginning the buoyancy topic in the Mix and Flow of Matter unit in Science 8, she arranged to take the
students to the lab to build aluminum foil boats. They received instruction to build a boat that would hold the
most number of pennies. From there, she used the activity as a springboard from which she would teach
buoyancy and the students could relate because of their experience in the lab. She also began to adapt her
lessons for the diverse needs of her learners and planned activities that encouraged the students to engage
themselves intellectually and kinesthetically. Marina remained flexible with regard to the time management of
planned activities. She was also usually prepared with subsequent activities if the students finished their work
early and she never became flustered if some of her lessons took longer than anticipated.
Miss Palladino incorporated many types of both traditional and digital technology in class. For example, she used
a website called “Kahoot” in which students would answer questions on their electronic devices related to
curriculum content or they played “Jeopardy” in Science 7 as a means for students to review the material before a
unit exam. She also used PowerPoints, Prezis, GIZMOS (from Explore Learning), video clips, simulations and
incorporated internet work into many of her lessons. Marina used a “4 corners” activity as well to allow the
students to predict what they thought might occur by choosing to stand in a specific corner. In their newly formed
groups, they had to explain why they had made their choice.
Marina was aware of the wide range of artistic abilities and interests of her students so she intentionally
incorporated activities into the lessons in which they could practice their art. For example, students explored the
Particle Model of Matter through song, video, visual art, etc in Science 7. This practice encouraged the
students, who have a wide range of learning styles, to use their strengths to master the concepts
presented.
Miss Palladino possesses a real sense of calmness and confidence. These attributes helped her students to feel
comfortable and safe in class.

Management and Classroom Climate
KSA G: Teachers create and maintain environments that are conducive to student learning and understand student needs for physical,
social, cultural and psychological security.
KSA H: Teachers know the importance of respecting students’ human dignity by establishing relationships with students that are
characterized by mutual respect, trust and harmony.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): class tone, routines, rapport with students, conflict resolution, student engagement,
leadership, transitions, etc.
Miss Palladino created a very warm and inviting classroom climate. She established regular routines
and ensured her lessons contained smooth transitions between activities. Students found her lessons to
be engaging and, because of her interesting and varied lesson plans, the need for corrective discipline
was drastically minimized.
When necessary, Marina experimented with a few corrective discipline techniques and found which
methods worked well for her. She was able to develop a rapport with the students immediately by
creating a sense of mutual respect between herself and the students. She also established a sense of trust
with the students early in her practicum and it helped lessen the need for disciplining. To ensure
students were on task and working to their potential, she used proximity and eye contact, speaking
quietly to a student to indicate that they needed to refocus, and reminded the students of her expectations
by providing encouraging feedback. She dealt with off-task behavior with great emotional control. She
also understands the value of dealing with discipline issues quickly and effectively so disruptions were
minimized.
Her patience, appreciation and love of science, combined with her professional demeanor and likeable
personality reduced the need for a great amount of corrective discipline.

Communication
KSA J: Teachers know how to use and how to engage students in using traditional and electronic technologies to present and deliver
content, communicate effectively with others.
KSA L: Teachers know how to develop and implement strategies that create and enhance teacher, parent, and student partnerships.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): oral and written language, communication with parents/guardians, listening skills,
teaching/learning technologies, voice and language, etc.
Miss Palladino is a very good communicator. Marina used clear, concise language and frequently
checked for understanding by employing a variety of high level of questioning. She praised positive
performance and effort. She promoted an atmosphere of mutual respect with her polite and positive
demeanor and showed her sincere interest in the students by inviting them to participate in discussions
or ask questions. She encouraged the students to do their very best in class and on each task.
In presentations, Marina created interesting PowerPoint and Prezi presentations that the students really
appreciated. She consistently modeled and encouraged correct scientific vocabulary in every lesson.
She communicated in a professional manner and was able to use tone and volume to enhance her
teaching.
Another positive form of communication Marina used frequently in class was her non-verbal body
language. She used proximity, encouraging gestures and her smile to create a real positive and trusting
environment for every student. She liked to move about the room when she was teaching as opposed to
just lecturing from the front of the room and created opportunities for the students to get out of their
seats in a variety of different activities. For example, using a “quick talk” activity, Miss Palladino asked
the Science 9 students to walk about the room and give three different classmates a high five. She then
asked them to engage in “quick talk” to summarize their thinking/learning from a previous lesson. She
established a specific time frame (1-2 min.) for student conversation and then used a verbal signal when
time was up. Additionally, she also used a “sticky notes” activity in the Interactions and Ecosystems
unit in Science 7 in which the students were given sticky notes and a question with which to respond (ie.
What items are considered “needs vs wants”?) They posted their notes on the board and then discussed
the pros and cons of keeping various items for basic survival.
As mentioned earlier, Miss Palladino was aware of many current/popular technology trends in education
and she made an effort to include many engaging and practical forms of digital learning as often as
possible.
Marina participated in school staff meetings, and an evening of parent-teacher-student interviews where
she had an opportunity to discuss the students’ progress with the parents and students. She was very
professional in her approach with the parents.

Assessment Strategies
KSA K: Teachers gather information about their students’ learning needs and progress by using a variety of assessment strategies.
KSA L: Teachers know the importance of engaging parents, purposefully and meaningfully, in all aspects of teaching and learning.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): appropriate questioning, adapted assessment, assessment variety, record keeping,
formative/summative, reporting, timely feedback etc.
Marina used a variety of formative and summative assessments in her classes. She always used
questioning techniques that allowed her to check quickly for understanding. At the beginning of many
of her lessons, she consistently reviewed key concepts from the previous class using a series of questions
and often created “Do Now” activities. “Exit slips” and foldables were other tools that she used to check
for student understanding. As well, she organized a multi-topic “treasure hunt” for her students in
Science 7 and 9 as a means to review the material before writing a quiz. In this hunt, students had to
find key words or pictures related to the unit hidden throughout the room, answer questions in various
forms, use a textbook and complete a crossword puzzle. Miss Palladino is encouraged to continue using
higher level questioning techniques to encourage the students to develop a deeper understanding of why
things happen and so they can demonstrate their understanding.
In each class, Marina planned several formative learning activities that eventually lead to a form of
summative assessment. For instance, she planned several small activities (ie. multiple labs related to
levers, gears and pulleys in the Mechanical Systems unit in Science 8) or assignments related to the
concepts the students were required to learn and this eventually culminated with a quiz or exam.
Consequently, the students did well on their summative assessments due to the numerous opportunities
provided to practice the information and reinforce their learning. She was also willing to adapt an
assignment or quiz if it meant the students would experience more success. Students were aware of the
criteria and deadlines of assignments or upcoming tests because she constantly reminded them and
ensured she displayed the information on the board. She also helped to create Google Classroom sites
for each class as means to communicate with her students. They received feedback on all their
assignments and quizzes in a timely manner. Marina would follow up with students who neglected to
complete assignments or tests and she did an excellent job at promptly grading assignments, handing
them back to students and recording the marks in Gradebook.

Understanding Students’ Needs
opportunities. Teachers understand the need to vary their plans to accommodate individuals and groups of students.
KSA I: Teachers know and use a broad range of instructional strategies and know which strategies are appropriate to help different
students achieve different outcomes.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): Planning that includes all students and learning styles, alignment of strategies to student
needs, use of varied resources to differentiate instruction, assists all learners, understands contextual variables that affect teaching and
learning, etc.
Miss Palladino was quick to recognize and understand students have different ability levels. I
appreciated that she intuitively knew to “check” with students having trouble more often to ensure they
were on task, able to comprehend the material and getting their work done correctly. She used this
effectively for those students that were at risk due to lack of focus, comprehension or effort. Her ability
to assess students who might be having difficulty and adapt her lessons on the spot illustrated her
concern for and understanding of the students.
Marina also offered modified assignments for students. For instance, students had the option to
complete a Particle Model of Matter project using any artistic presentation mode of their choice such as
creating a hand drawn comic strip, filming a video, creating a dodecahedron or writing a rap. When
necessary, she easily adjusted her instructional delivery, pacing and planning to maximize instruction.
Worksheets and handouts were intentionally created with universal design for learning. Visual cues and
other scaffolding were built-in to assist all learners. Multiple modes of representation were used to
deliver content such as a video, a lab, and then a worksheet.

Professional Qualities and Attributes
KSA B: Teachers understand the legislated, moral and ethical frameworks with in which they work.
KSA L: Teachers know the importance of engaging parents, purposefully and meaningfully, in all aspects of teaching and learning.
KSA N: Teachers know the importance of contributing, independently and collegially, to the quality of their school.
KSA O: Teachers assess the quality of their own teaching and use this to develop and implement their own professional development.
KSA P: Teachers guide their actions with a personal, overall vision of the purpose of teacher and they are able to communicate their
vision, including how it has changed as a result of new knowledge, understanding and experience.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): work ethics, interpersonal skills, collegiality, initiative, energy, team work, attitude,
appearance, commitment, reflection, etc.
Miss Palladino always demonstrated a high level of professionalism with her classroom demeanor and
tone, dress and punctuality. She was committed to providing the very best lessons possible and her
lessons were thorough and well planned. She also tried to be creative and innovative with her designs.
She modified them as required to ensure students were experiencing success. She also produced
interesting and relevant projects and activities. The students found her to be very polite, approachable,
knowledgeable and helpful.
During her practicum, Marina assisted with supervising the badminton club on Wednesday’s during the
lunch hour. It was a great opportunity to meet other students that she would not have had the chance to
meet and begin to know them on a personal level. She planned several ladder tournaments for the
students who participated. She also participated in a lunch-hour dodgeball game where the teachers
played against students.
Marina built very positive relationships with students and staff. She attended our scheduled supervision
shifts as well. She also made a genuine effort to get to know other teachers in the school by meeting
with them at lunch or after school.

Reflection and Self-Evaluation
KSA O: Teachers assess the quality of their own teaching and use this to develop and implement their own professional development.
KSA P: Teachers guide their actions with a personal, overall vision of the purpose of teacher and they are able to communicate their
vision, including how it has changed as a result of new knowledge, understanding and experience
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): establishes specific strategies to meet professional goals, demonstrates oral/written
reflective practices, engages in goal setting, communicates overall vision of teaching, etc.
Marina reflected frequently through verbal discussions with me regarding several aspects of teaching
including: individual lessons, discipline, class rules, consequences, group work, organizing labs, lesson
pacing and performing demonstrations. Her level of reflection was very good; she used a great deal of
thought and insight when considering her lessons.
Miss Palladino was willing to quickly modify and improve repeated lessons when necessary and
responded positively to suggestions that would improve her instruction. She seemed to have the ability
to anticipate or recognize improvements often before I would suggest ways to adjust her lessons.

Additional Mentor Teacher Comments:
Marina Palladino has done a great job in her field experience and she is someone who is continuing to
develop her craft. She is organized, sincere and demonstrates an obvious passion for science and
teaching. Marina has developed a very good skill set that will provide her with an excellent foundation
when she begins her teaching career.
Student Teacher Comments:

I have really enjoyed learning and growing during this placement at Victoria School of Arts. Lesley made the
transition from student to teacher a smooth one for me. She gave me the tools and sound advice that I needed to
feel successful in her classroom. During my observation, I was able to pick up on a distinct routine that she would
follow. This helped me to understand what the expectations were. I feel that this practicum has forced me to
become organized and I have learned how much planning and preparation truly goes into every lesson. I know
this will become second nature over time as I have already experimented with tools and I have an inkling of what
activities work best for certain grade levels.
The lab equipment provided at the school was extremely helpful to me because I was able to perform a number of
demonstrations to support the content. I also enjoyed creating hands on experiments for the students to create an
inquiry based learning environment. I have come to realize that students learn better when they experience the
content for themselves and I feel encouraged to provide as many of these opportunities as I can for my students.
I feel that my greatest strength during this placement was my personable nature and my passion for science. I
really loved working with all of the different personalities in my classroom and I tried to develop a mutual respect
with each of my students. This eliminated the need for classroom management and I was able to focus my energy
on creating a love for science.
I did find this practicum to be challenging at times when it came to modifying my teaching approach for diverse
learners but it was so rewarding at the same time. I feel that I have developed a skill set to scaffold for the diverse
level of learners that exist in every classroom. I can’t wait to incorporate what I have learned into my own
classroom one day. I am aware that this job requires constant re-evaluation and I look forward to a lifetime of
learning. This placement has taught me so much about this profession and I am truly grateful for the guidance of
my mentor teacher and university facilitator.

PALLADINO - Marina - 1393645 - F17 - 450

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Advanced Field Experience Final Evaluation

Field Experience Information:

It is recommended that the Student Teacher receive a grade of:

Final Grade (Credit or No Credit): _CREDIT__ Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 14/12/2017

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Description of the school and context of teaching

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Student Teacher Comments:

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