Ithaca College teaching professionals engage in reflective practice and continually seek to improve their knowledge base and effectiveness as teachers, make positive contributions to the culture of their fields, and demonstrate the dispositions of an emerging professional.
The most important knowledge teachers need to do good work is a knowledge of how students are experiencing learning and perceiving their teacher’s actions.
― Steven Brookfield
I believe that teaching is a profession that one learns from every day. Whether learning from the classroom, from peers and critical friends, or from workshops, conferences, or professional learning communities, teachers can always learn more about teaching.
In my reflective practice, I have employed Zeichner’s critical reflections to internally debrief events that happen in my teaching. One example of this can be seen in this blog post.
I am continually working to improve my pedagogy, my practice, and my understanding of content. I do this by reflecting (particularly with my inquiry paper, in the style of Susan Lytle’s theory of teacher research), setting goals for my own improvement, collaborating with others, participating in professional development, and being open to feedback from others.
Artifacts:
1. Attendance of STANYS 2015 Journal
In October of 2015, I attended the Science Teachers Association of New York State Conference, held in Rochester. I attended workshops themed around Problem-Based Learning, Differentiation, Safety, and being a First Year Teacher.
Much of what I learned, I have been incorporating in the months since I attended the conference. I have modified a differentiated lesson plan from the Earth Science workshop for a final project. I incorporate strategies from the Students with Special Needs workshop in my co-taugh LE Biology class. I consider safety in all activities I plan and implement.
2. Noyce Scholar PLC Reflection
I have attended this Skype PLC four times over the past year, allowing me to connect with new and established teachers in STEM, sharing our struggles, our success, and our ideas. I wrote this reflection at the beginning of my second student teaching placement.
A highlight of this PLC is that all participants have some association with the Ithaca College Teacher Preparatory Program, meaning they are familiar with the certification process in New York State as well as Ithaca College-specific requirements.
This reflection describes how I utilized reflection practice and feedback from my mentor teacher, college supervisor, my critical friends group, and students to inform my practice.