Part I: Introduction

Damaris Rebecca Ferrante

Early Childhood Education

Ball Ground Elementary School

Second Grade

Collaborating Teacher: Holly Clarisse

University Supervisor: Janice Dorris

Subjects Taught:

• Science

• Math

• Reading/L.A.

• Social Studies

•

»Doug Knott, Principal

• Currently, Ball Ground has 24 homerooms and 433 students

• There are 31 teachers, including 4 special education teachers, and 5 paraprofessionals

• Ball Ground is one of the leading elementary schools in Cherokee County in terms of standardized test scores

Diversity of Students in classroom:

• 21 students• 7 boys• 14 girls• 2 ESOL students• 2 Special Education students (1 speech only)

• 3 RTI students receiving Tier 2 interventions

Daily Schedule

Weekly Schedule

Thoughts and Feelings, Fears, Strengths and Weaknesses as you

began Candidate Teaching

“Bring it on!” That’s how I felt when I started student teaching. I was so excited and, I thought, more than ready. As I walked into the room, a surge of different feelings overwhelmed me:

• excited • scared• ready for the challenge

As I progressed through my education courses, the light at the end of the tunnel was student teaching. This was the beginning of my dream come true. I felt confident in the training I received.

Part II:Part II:

Evidence of Candidate Evidence of Candidate ProficiencyProficiency

My First Day

 Domain I: Planning For Differentiated Instruction

& Assessment • I was fortunate enough to be placed with a collaborating teacher

who is gifted endorsed and her pedagogy is what I considerer a “holistic” teaching method.

• She guided me in a very creative manner so that I was able to research and use several different strategies within a lesson plan.

• She always reviewed my lesson plans and happily suggested other strategies that might work.

• She never gave me a clear path, but rather guided me with open ended questions to improve my lessons.

• Mrs. Clarisse is a strong, imaginative teacher who likes to be creative and guided children into learning instead of just providing information.

• In starting my lesson plans, I faithfully referred to the Georgia Performance Standards and the course maps to assure that my lessons were held to the standards.

• For differentiation, I tried to implement activities which were geared towards the different learning styles. I always used activities that were kinetic and visual.

• At the beginning of the year, I gave students a learning style survey and found that most were kinestetic, visual, musical learners.

Planning For Differentiated Instruction & Assessment

• Students were pre-assessed and placed into flexible groups

• Daily assessments were conducted to check for understanding

• Groups were changed daily based on assessment results

Assessment Samples

• Writing Assessment SamplesoGraphic organizeroWriting sampleoRubric

•Science Assessment Samples:oFlip chart with Activote questionsoMatter Project

Artifacts

• Math lesson plan

• Science lesson plan

• LA lesson plan

• Social Studies lesson plan

Pre-Assessment Activities

KWL Chart

Autumn Flip Chartwith Activote assessment

MultiplicationPre-assessment

Student Interviews

The verb song Trail of Tears

Native Americans Water Interview

Domain II:  Providing Differentiated Instruction & Assessment

• Proficiency 2.0: The teacher candidate utilizes a variety of strategies to differentiate instruction and assessment.

• Reflective Analysis:  How did you utilize a variety of strategies to differentiate instruction and assessment?

Artifacts

Math Website Student Work

Social Studies Power Point

Web quest

Management

Flip Charts:(saved as web page)

MoneyR Controlled VowelsAutumnAll About Matter

More Artifacts

Other Artifacts:

PhotosNoun ClownStates of Matter

Rubrics:WritingScienceSocial Studies

Standards:ReadingMathScienceSocial Studies

Even More Artifacts

Great Websites:

http://atozteacherstuff.com/http://www.readinga-z.com/

http://www.brainpopjr.com/

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/

http://www.raz-kids.com/

REQUIRED ARTIFACT: Various Assessment Activities

Completed class work, pre and post tests were administered to students weekly. Here

are some samples…Narrative Writing Rubric

Science Project Rubric

Leaf Project

REQUIRED ARTIFACTS:

• My favorite lesson was the lesson I did about the Creek Natives.

Lesson Plans:CreeksMary Musgrove

Power Point

Bulletin Board

Writing Projects

Art Project

Domain III:  Impacting Student Learning

• Proficiency 3.0: The teacher candidate uses systematic formal/informal assessment as an ongoing diagnostic activity to measure student growth and to guide, differentiate, and adjust instruction.

• Reflective Analysis:  How did you use systematic formal/informal assessment as an ongoing diagnostic activity to measure student growth and to guide, differentiate, and adjust instruction?

Required Artifact: Instruction Adjustment

• Lesson Plan

• Reflection

• Assessment results and adjusted instruction

REQUIRED ARTIFACT: Completed Assessment Tools

• Science Assessment• Math Assessment Samples:

– Worksheet (teacher made)– Pretest (from textbook)– Grades

• Social Studies:– Grades– Test: Oglethorpe

Artifacts

Impact on Student Learning Reflections:

Sept. 25Oct. 9Oct. 23Nov. 21

Domain IV:  Professional Responsibilities In Support Of

Differentiated Instruction & Assessment

• Proficiency 4.0: The teacher candidate displays a professional commitment to the teaching philosophy of differentiated instruction to support students’ diverse learning needs and to maximize learning.

• Reflective Analysis:  How did you display a professional commitment to the teaching philosophy of differentiated instruction to support student’ diverse learning needs and to maximize learning? How has your teaching philosophy changed during Candidate Teaching?

Evaluations

College Supervisor• September 10, 2010• October 19, 2010• November 16, 2010

Collaborating Teacher• November 10, 2010

Principal• November 3, 2010

Teaching Philosophy: Then and Now

• 2008

• 2010

Then NowSimple More complex

Provide solid foundation

Provide foundation, but build upward

Construct own learning

Guide learning

No mention of parents Parents involved

Set high expectations Set expectations students can reach, then raise the bar

Love what you do! Really love what you do!

Weekly Conference Forms

• Week One

• Week Four

• Week Eight

• Week Eleven

Professional Development Activities

• Training for “Respect and Responsibility” behavior management strategies

• RTI in staff trainings (2) – How to open an electronic point plan– How to select strategies– How to maintain a point plan

• Parent – teacher conferences

Required Artifact: Professional Organization

Memberships

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

Member ID:   288904 Paid Thru Date:  08/16/2011

PAGE Membership

Communication and Letters to and from Parents

Note to Parents: Study Guide

Newsletter: Spanish

Newsletters

Advice to Future Candidate Teachers • Love what you do!• Be prepared for anything and everything• Stay organized • Learn all you can• Keep up to date on skills• Don’t be afraid of technology• Have a sense of humor• Be yourself

Lists of school meetings attended (PTA, SST, Parent Conferences,

etc.)• Curriculum Night: August 24, 2010• Fall Festival October 9, 2010• PTA Meetings: August 2010, December 7, 2010• RTI Trainings: August 18, October 7, October 21,

2010• Parent Conferences: 11/1/10, 11/10/10 (2),

11/30/10• Grade Level Meetings: Notes

Part III: Conclusion  Candidate Teaching Experience

Required Artifacts: Continuing Plan to Develop as a Professional

Educator

• In the future, I plan to: – Get my masters degree– Take the Special Education GACE– Continue the job search– Join the NEA (National Educators Association)

and GAE (Georgia Association of Educators)– Continue to keep up with technology– Participate in online training opportunities such

as Webinars

Future Challenges as a Teacher

• My future challenges will include:– Completing Report Cards and Progress

reports– Preparing students for CRCT– Managing Inclusion– Working closely with other teachers

Differences between being a Candidate Teacher and a First-year

Teacher • As a teacher, I will:

– Be solely responsible for student learning

– Have no one to guide and correct me– Prepare lesson plans on my own– Not have advise from so many others– Need to show student growth– Need to keep growing professionally

My Funniest Teaching Moment