Introductory Field Experience Final Evaluation

Field Experience Information:

Student Teacher:
Last Name: Johnston First Name: Dana
ID Number: 1226129 Course Number: IFX 350
University Facilitator:
Last Name: D’Agostini First Name: Denise
Mentor Teacher:
Last Name: Ward First Name: Elizabeth
Placement Information:
Start Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 16/11/2016 End Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 16/12/2016
Subject(s) and/or Grade Level(s): Grade 7, 8 & 9 Science and Art 8/9

School Information:
School Name: Winterburn School School District: Edmonton Public Schools
School Address: 9527 Winterburn Road Postal Code: T5T 5X9
School Phone #: 780-447-3566 City: Edmonton, Alberta

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): 16/12/2016

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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.

Winterburn is an urban school located on the extreme west side of Edmonton serving kindergarten to
grade 9 students. The student population is ~550 with 136 of those students in grades 7 – 9. It is a full
inclusion school that offers some EA support and a fully integrated daily block of intervention time for
all students in Junior High.

There are 6 teachers in the Junior High with class sizes ranging from 30 in both grade 7 classes, to 20 in
each of the grade 8 classes, to a single class of 37 in grade 9. Dana was responsible for teaching all the
Grade 7 and 8 Science classes and also took on the Art 8/9 option class.

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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.

Having a Bachelor of Science, Dana’s knowledge in the subject area is very strong. Confidence in her
knowledge rings clear in the delivery of the subject matter and she is never hesitant to tell the students if
she doesn’t know and then help them find the answer to their question.

Dana has incredibly thorough lesson plans and shows tremendous skill in connecting her lessons to the
Program of Studies. In class, her lessons focus on the level of student understanding and she teaches in
multiple modalities to reach as many students as possible by using strategies like hands-on activities,
demos, cartoons, animated GIF files, and many visuals whenever possible. Dana is constantly looking
for ways to enhance student learning and adopts them in the moment and with ease.

Along with her very strong planning skills, Dana has proven herself to be flexible and innovative, two
very important traits in teaching. Last minute changes to the teaching schedule to accommodate an
assembly, or a reflective adjustment needed in her lesson from one class to the next have never caused
an issue for Dana. Her willingness and ability to tweak her schedule will make her an invaluable team
member throughout her career.

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Teaching Skills and Strategies
Related Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (Not all need to be addressed):
KSA A: Teachers understand that contextual variables affect teaching and learning.
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 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.

In front of students, Dana demonstrates confidence in her teaching ability regardless of how she is
actually feeling. Students would not know if she were feeling nervous or apprehensive about a lesson or
her skill set. She has a natural ability to connect with students and it is evident that she cares for them,
even in such a short time. They trust her and are comfortable with her as their teacher, which is a credit
to her open and honest communication style, sense of humour and willingness to engage with her
students.

Dana is learning how to build more natural transitions into her lessons so student engagement remains
high and content doesn’t get lost in monotony. Pacing is often a struggling for beginning teachers and
Dana is no different, but it wasn’t long before she had her timing down for most classes. Lessons with
lab activities continue to be a challenge but with more practice, I am confident Dana will quickly have
this well in hand.

Flow in the material from lesson to lesson is very good. Dana is developing some techniques to
strengthen the introduction and closing of her classes to create more concrete links for students and to
engage them throughout the lesson. In sequencing lessons over several days has been excellent practice
for Dana in her planning and, again, demonstrated her ability to make changes to her plans, highlighting
her stellar reflective process.

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Management and Classroom Climate
Related Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (Not all need to be addressed):
KSA A: Teachers understand that contextual variables affect teaching and learning.
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.

Dana’s open posture and positive attitude help to create a safe and accepting classroom. By speaking to
students in respectful tones and allowing her sense of humour to come to the fore, students are at ease
and comfortable with her as their teacher. She is starting to use some appropriate logical consequences
for classroom disruptions and has handled issues with a couple of more challenging students with grace
and compassion. It is obvious how invested she is in her students’ learning which allows them to be
vulnerable enough to open up to her teaching style and evolving skill set.

By far, the largest hurdle for Dana has been classroom management. Occasionally, she has been hesitant
to step too hard which can come across as being timid, thus creating problematic behaviours and high
noise levels. She is beginning to build her repertoire of skills and has shown growth in communicating
her expectations, building a routine to minimize disruptions and moving around the classroom to take
advantage of the proximity teaching strategy. She recognizes the link between student engagement and
compliance and continues to work toward finding a balance that compliments her teaching style.

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Communication
Related Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (Not all need to be addressed):
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.
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.

Dana has excellent oral and written communication skills. Her language choices are positive, she
doesn’t tend to stumble on her words, her speech is clear and she uses the FM system to ensure students
can hear her more consistently.

During parent-student-teacher conferences, Dana didn’t hesitate to introduce herself or to join in on a

conversation if she felt she had something of value to contribute. In listening to conversations Dana had
with parents, they were always very natural and positive and she made sure her language was supporting
her student and solution focused. Her daily use of SchoolZone is a vital piece in the communication
puzzle and allows for consistent communication and feedback for both students and parents.

She actively listens to constructive feedback and is always willing to make changes to better her
practices. She works very hard to seek out solutions to classrooms issues with students and personal
concerns over her delivery of curriculum. Dana is very keen on becoming the best teacher she can be
and rightly takes pride in her accomplishments thus far. Holding herself to her own high standards will
only ensure she stays determined to reach her goals and fulfill her potential.

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Assessment Strategies
Related Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (Not all need to be addressed):
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.

Using Power Teacher to keep consistent and accurate records of student progress demonstrates Dana’s
understanding of the value of assessment. She has engaged students in both formative and summative
assessments because she realizes their importance in grading, reporting and guiding her teaching.
Asking targeted questions about professional judgement and how to use assessment materials to better
her teaching practices proves the depth of her reflection and how invested she is in provided the best
quality of education she can.

To that end, Dana’s feedback to students is consistent, timely and purposeful without being critical,
making it very evident that she connects teacher feedback with student understanding. She creates
lessons to meet the students where they are and readily adapts expectations, questions and assessments
to meet their needs.

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Understanding Students’ Needs
Related Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (Not all need to be addressed):
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. 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.

Through the purposeful use of small-group work, projects and labs, Dana has been able to naturally
differentiate her instruction to make learning accessible for all students. In class, she employs strategies
such as group discussion, drawing, note-taking, video clips and seat work to address the varied and ever-
evolving needs of her students. Teaching for differing learning styles is embedded into her lesson
planning and tiered assessments.

With time, Dana has come to realize the connection between classroom dynamics and her ability to meet
student needs. Her skill set will only continue to grow in this area as she learns when it’s best for the
teacher to create small groupings, the benefits of priority seating and the necessity of proximity teaching
and other low-key strategies.

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Professional Qualities and Attributes
Related Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (Not all need to be addressed):
KSA B: Teachers understand the legislated, moral and ethical frameworks with in which they work.
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.
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.

From the very first meeting, Dana has been eager to learn as much as she can with high level of energy
and a very strong, determined work ethic. She has high personal expectations, but even when she felt
she did not perform well, she never wavered and her next class would be better laid out, with clearer
expectations and a smoother routine to account for the wrong turns in the first class.

Dana has an open and inviting personality making others willing and eager to work with her. Along
with another student teacher, Dana helped a group of grade 7 students spear-head a fundraiser for cancer
research. She helped organize, plan and expedite the bake sale over a 3 day period, happily giving up
much of her personal time over her 5 weeks at Winterburn.

Always professional in appearance, Dana’s respect for the profession shines through in her positive
interactions with staff and students. Her commitment, maturity and readiness was evident as she
participated in a PD session on Project-Based Learning by contributing in rich, professional
conversations, and then taking back, reflecting on, and using pieces of her learning in the classroom.

Reflection and Self-Evaluation

Related Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (Not all need to be addressed):
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.

Dana has superior reflective skills that she uses to guide and adjust her planning and teaching practices.
She speaks openly about her goals and readily engages in conversations around professional growth,
teaching practice, and building leadership skills in herself and her students.

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Additional Mentor Teacher Comments:
Dana has had a very positive student teaching round. Her passion and excitement are contagious and I
have no doubts she will gain the love and respect of her students quickly and easily. Her commitment
and flexibility will make her a valued team member on any staff, and her willingness to try new things
will continue to serve her students well.

With her AFX still to come, I encourage Dana to focus on developing her classroom management skills
so she can build confidence in her ability to build routines and maintain behavioural expectations while
still having a caring and engaging classroom community.

I wish her the best of luck and know wherever she lands, that school will be blessed to have such an
eager, innovative and dedicated teacher on staff.

Student Teacher Comments:

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a well-seasoned group of teachers, more
specifically to have worked alongside my mentor teacher, Liz Ward. The learning opprotunities
garnered during this experience, combined with her unwavering support has allowed me to successful
grow as a teacher, and a human being. I could not have asked for a better mentor/role model.

This experience has taught me a lot about patience, resiliency, and organization. More specifically, my
time at Winterburn school has clarified the necessary knowledge, skills and attributes needed to be a
good teacher. I am eager to continue learning, and look forward to my next teaching opportunity.

Fall 2016 Page 10 of 10