DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

As an effective educator of students with diverse needs, I implement curriculum and practices that address and assess student learning on both macro and micro levels.

 

Approaching and documenting student learning at the macro level is essential for educators with large, diverse classrooms. Macro practices are those that consider and measure student growth within the greater context of classroom culture and adolescent development.  The following are examples of such practices and assessments:

 

  • Reading Survey – On the first day of class, students completed a survey that inquired about individual learning and classroom preferences, which I used to guide curriculum design as well as inform my implementation of group and collaborative activities.
  • The Social Contract – On the first day of class, I collaborated with the students to create a “social contract,” a list of mutually agreed conditions that promoted a supportive learning environment for all.  The democratic process allowed us to address issues spanning from cell phone use to respectful communication to room temperature. All students signed the contract, which remained on the wall throughout the semester.  Initially, whenever students violated these conditions, I would remind them of the social contract they had agreed upon.  Within weeks, the need to refer to the contract dissipated; frequently, students referred to the contract to advocate for themselves.
  • Writing Sample – In the first week of class, students were given three creative writing prompts to respond to for an in-class, whole period writing assignment.  These samples allowed me to informally evaluate each student’s level of writing skill relative to their classmates, and informed my initial utilization of differentiation strategies in instruction. 
  • Goal Selection and Conferencing – All students were given a letter that allowed them to choose one of three goals.  While two goals were specific and addressed reading and writing skills, one option related to the student’s responsibility to communicate his/her individual needs to the teacher, thereby accommodating students with circumstances that prohibited effective achievement of the former goals.  Individual conferences allowed teachers and students to discuss and document progress made towards the selected goal throughout the marking period.
  • Portfolio and Letter to a Reader – I implemented bi-weekly portfolio days, which were classes specifically allocated for returning graded work and individual conferencing.  Students were able to review their performance throughout the semester, and determine what content they were missing.  Near the end of each marking period, students were assigned the task of writing a “Letter to a Reader,” i.e. a letter that described the contents (or lack thereof) and evaluated their portfolio to a stranger.   This assignment allowed them to advocate for themselves, regardless of high or low performance.  This letter, in conjunction with the portfolio, was an excellent tool for assessing student learning and accurately documenting both student and teacher roles and responsibilities towards student learning and progress.

On a micro level, i.e. assessing content and skill acquisition, I determined learning needs and objectives, planned and delivered instruction, and implemented respective post-assessments using a consistent group of strategies and techniques across curriculum, including:

  • Scaffold Approach to Essay Writing and Assessment 
  • Guided Release of Responsibility Model 
  • Cornell Note-Taking System 
  • Multi-modal Lesson Planning
  • Marking Period Self-Evaluation – at the end of each marking period, students completed a self-evaluation that asked students to reflect on many different areas of academic and behavioral performance and progress, as well as space to articulate any unaddressed concerns or goals. 
  • Project Menus
  • Cross-Unit Reading Comprehension Strategies 

Here's the cover page of a letter my students wrote for me at the end of my student teaching:

 

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.