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Reflective Statement

Artifact: No Child Left Behind Paper

Professional STANDARD 11 – Communication

The competent teacher understands education as a profession, maintains standards of
professional conduct, and provides leadership to improve students’ learning and well-
being.

1. Fully state the standard in bold text. Then write a paragraph explaining your knowledge and
understanding of the standard—put the standard into your own words.

This standard is pretty strait forward. It talks about how a teacher presents themselves in their

classroom. Educators, including myself, should understand that they need to be professional in

the classroom. The need to dress appropriately and behave professionally as well, both with the

students and their parents, but also with their co-workers. This is something that I should

definitely bring to my classroom. I need to be sure that I am respectable and approachable to

those that surround me. Not only do I need to dress and act appropriately, but I need to see my

job as a profession; to understand the school policies, rules, organization, and operations. I

should know the legalities, and the procedures to how the school is run in order to ensure the

well-being of my students and the optimal learning opportunities for them as well.

2. Explain how the artifact you chose demonstrates your understanding and application of the
standard.

The artifact that I chose for this standard is a paper that I wrote about the high stakes testing

implemented through NCLB. By knowing about the dilemma going on regarding state standards

versus national standards I will better understand how school systems are organized and how

they operate. Writing this paper and researching will help me to better understand the school

policies and procedures and it helps me to really take into account the importance of teaching

according to the standards that are given to me through the state. I will be more aware of what it
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looks like to teach to the test and how to best avoid that. This paper has really helped me to

understand and to apply my knowledge of NCLB into my future classroom.

3. A If the artifact has been used in your practice, reflect on how your teaching will change in
the future to further meet the standard.
B If the artifact has not been used in your practice, i.e., a class assignment, reflect upon how
your teaching will be impacted by the assignment.

I think that the artifact I am using for this Professional Teaching Standard is perfect. I was

hugely impacted by the content that I wrote about. I have always been against teaching to the

test, but in this essay, my eyes were opened more to the educator’s perspectives. If they know

what is going to be on the test, then they want their students to be adequately prepared; but in

doing that, they are neglecting other subject material and their curriculum is quickly narrowing.

I learned that it is so important to adhere to the curriculum standards, and to prepare students for

all areas of life, not solely the high-stakes testing. I learned that the policies and curriculum

guides are there for a reason, and that I need to be intentional about keeping track of which

standards I am meeting and which I am preparing students for.

4. Conclude with a paragraph discussing how you are more prepared to Teach and Learn in a
Diverse Society as a result of satisfactorily meeting the standard.

If I meet this standard I will be covered legally. I will be more organized and professional. If I

successfully adhere to this standard, then my teaching career will be better planned and more

purposeful. I will have set goals for myself, and will have paid close attention to how the school

is intended to be run. I will, as an educator, be more aware of what is expected of me, and how

to meet those expectations. I will better respect my authority if I understand what they would

like to be seeing from me professionally. My teaching career will be more effective if I am

proficient, arranged, and aware.