1

Wisconsin Teacher Standard #10

Professionalism
Lisa Andresen
St. Marys University of Minnesota
Masters of Arts in Education Wisconsin Program
November, 2014

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National Board Proposition 5
Teachers are members of learning communities
Accomplished teachers contribute to the effectiveness of the school by working
collaboratively with other professionals on instructional policy, curriculum development,
and staff development.
Accomplished teachers find ways to work collaboratively and creatively with parents,
engaging them productively in the work of the school.
Wisconsin Teacher Standard #10
Teachers are connected to other teachers and community
The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the
larger community to support students learning and well-being.
Knowledge
The teacher understands how factors in the students environment outside of school (e.g.
family circumstances, community environments, health, and economic conditions) may
influence students lives and learning.
Dispositions
The teacher is willing to consult with other adults regarding the education and well-being
of his/her students.
Performances
The teacher makes links with the learners other environments on behalf of students, by
consulting with parents, counselors, teachers of other classes and activities within the
schools, and professionals in other community agencies.
The teacher acts as an advocate for students.

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Professional Development Goals
I will provide opportunities for parents to be actively engaged in their childs education.
I will continue to pursue professional development opportunities to increase student
success and personal growth.
I will increase collaboration with my colleagues by encouraging open weekly dialogue
with the grade teams and between special education and regular education teachers.

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Self-Assessment
Connecting to the community, when I do not live in the community, means I must
intentionally find opportunities to connect; this is time consuming, but it provides opportunities
to see students in a different environment. Evidence indicates that children of parents who are
actively involved in their childs learning processes have higher levels of attendance. Increasing
parent involvement is vital for my students to achieve.
In my position as a special education teacher in a small rural district, I have small classsizes, but I also serve students in kindergarten through grade eight. At any given time, my
classroom may have students in three or more different grade levels completing work for various
classes. My ability to effectively communicate students needs to parents and other staff
represents a vital link in my students education process.
The students I serve do not have regular contact with the other special education staff,
and we do not have regular department meetings, which means making connections with
colleagues before and after the school day must be a priority for me. I seek out available
professional development opportunities for collaboration and create avenues to collaborate with
staff.
Using the criteria for Wisconsin Teacher Standard #10, I will document how I make
connections with parents and colleagues, and how I provide advocacy for students.
Families and Community
Over the summer, I had business cards printed that I keep out on my desk. These cards
contain all my school contact information, and I included these in the envelopes when I sent out
progress reports. Some of my students asked for cards, which I gladly provided. I suggested
they put the cards on their refrigerators or somewhere else for easy access. Parents are welcome

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to schedule a time to meet with me before and after school, as well as during my lunch and prep
times. Although e-mail is the most efficient and effective manner of communication for me,
some of my students do not have Internet at home, and several parents do not use e-mail. The
telephone is the only avenue some of my parents have to readily contact me.
Each year our school holds an open house the night before school begins. My students
families have extremely low attendance rates, but this has not deterred me from meeting parents.
I baked cookies in my room a few hours prior to the open house start time. Odors of fresh-baked
cookies wafted from my room. I added a Welcome sandwich-board in the hall. Students I
know, but do not serve, stopped in with their parents to get a cookie, creating opportunities for
informal conversations. In small communities, people usually know who everyone is; this helps
more people know who I am.
When we held first quarter parent teacher conferences, I did not have any conferences
scheduled until two hours into the evening. Many parents have multiple conferences to attend,
raising the question of what to do with children while attending conferences. I played a studentselected movie on my Smartboard, put the Welcome sign out, and provided a room where
parents could drop off their non-conferencing children. At one point, I had six children, two
moms, and a dad in my room, waiting for conferences. I met parents of students, not my own,
and reinforced the belief that Ms. Andresens special education classroom was a place for
everyone, not just students with an I.E.P.
I live in a larger community, approximately twenty miles away from the community in
which I teach. This means my students families shop in my community, and occasionally I see
them at the grocery store, the food co-op, or Walmart. I always take advantage of these situations
to talk with the family, making a connection with them on a different level. My husband works

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for a manufacturer where some of my students family members work, giving families insight to
another aspect of my life.
I grew up in Viroqua, twenty miles from the school where I now teach. Following high
school graduation, I fled to The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh for a year, then to The
University of Wisconsin Madison for two-and-a-half years. At this point I had no focus or desire
to continue, so I quit before the university asked me to leave. For the next eight years, I worked
in a battery factory, traveling as much as possible and searching for a purpose. In 1994, I quit
my job, took a certified nursing assistant course, and moved back to Viroqua. In 1995, I married
and moved to Chicago. In 1996, my son was born, and my husband, son and I moved back to
Viroqua.
In January 1999 I was a full-time undergraduate student at The University of Wisconsin
La Crosse, recently divorced and the single mother of a two-and-a-half-year-old son. Following
my divorce, I knew that I needed to find a better way to provide for my son. I wanted more for
him, and I needed to set an example of high personal goals. For nearly six years, I worked and
took classes while raising my son. I volunteered at his school and took him along to classes with
me. In 2005 I remarried and graduated college the next spring.
Most of the students I work with are from lower income families. Over one-half of my
students live in homes with only one biological parent. I understand the needs of my lower
economic status families. I have been that mom receiving county services. I understand the
difficulties involved in being a single parent. The path that led me to college graduation is not
the norm, giving me a unique perspective with varied experiences.
While the distance between where I live and teach is not far, the two communities are
vastly different. Viroqua, once very conservative, has become the hub of organics and supports

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several alternative schools. North Crawford School services the two small communities of
Soldiers Grove and Gays Mills. Both towns lie in the flood plains, where yearly flooding has
devastated many homes and farms over the years. High poverty levels exist with few sources for
employment.
As a second year teacher at North Crawford, my community experiences are few, yet just
as fulfilling and vital to the needs of my students. North Crawfords 21st Century Learning Grant
provides the funding for our Beyond the Bell (BtB) after school program. The grant enables the
program to include homework help, tutors, remediation, and enrichment activities, along with
health & wellness activities, and parent/family education opportunities. Transportation is
provided for all participating students. Initially I began working in the BtB program for the extra
income. During the 2013-2014 school year, I worked with grades 2-3 on Workout Wednesday
and grades 6-8 on Twisted Thursday. During the 2014-2015 school year, I work with grades 6-8
on Reading Tuesday and Twisted Thursday. Artifact A lists some of the activities BtB students
and I have completed. During the first hour, students have homework help. This hour gives me
a great deal of insight as to what materials are being covered in the regular education classrooms
at all three grade levels. It is also a time when students see my weakest academic area: math. It
is a time when we accomplish work in a more relaxed atmosphere than the rest of the day. It is a
time when students help one another and teach me how to complete math that I have not seen in
thirty years. Students become the teachers as they assist one another and I learn the new math.
As an individual and a teacher in the district, I need to set a good example through my own
preparation, conduct, and communication; this is also true for my position as a lead staff in the
after school program. When students see me participating in activities after school, I send the
signal to them that school is where I want to be.

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Relationships with colleagues in and outside of the classroom are very important,
especially for beginning teachers. Good relationships can lead to benefits in knowledge about
particular students, interdisciplinary planning, flexibility in scheduling, sharing of methods and
ideas, and respect and clarity in the workplace.
Learner
I am the epitome of the life-long learner. My cohort and friends tease me, questioning
about what learning endeavor will follow my Masters program. I am continually seeking out
online opportunities that will improve my teaching skills and benefit student learning. I joined
Simple K-12 and participated in 41 webinars over the summer (Artifact B). I rarely pass up the
opportunity to take an inexpensive credit, just for the sake of learning. I take advantage of
opportunities for free professional development when I am able to attend. My C.E.S.A. often
provides such opportunities.
I completed a two-day C.E.S.A. training on Leveled Literacy Intervention by Fountas &
Pinnell. This is the program North Crawford uses for level III RtI. I agreed to complete the level
III RtI with a student in order to use the program with my seventh-grade reading students.
Collaborating with the Title Math and Reading teachers, I gained enough instruction to get
started with the program. When C.E.S.A. offered this training, I immediately asked my director
for permission to attend. Having completed the two-day training, I now feel much more
confident in using the program. Meeting with other teachers utilizing the program provided the
opportunity to ask questions and gain insight as to how to formulate better questions follow
student readings. I also now understand how to complete the assessment piece properly. Proper
training makes the difference between using a program and using a program to effectively
increase student achievement.

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In 2013 and October 2014, I attended the Technology Conference for Special Education
Teachers. With no prior background knowledge with I-Pads or Chromebooks, these conferences
were invaluable to me. I was able to come back to my students to utilize my newly-gained
knowledge, by teaching them how to select specific apps and extensions to make their usage
more valuable. Now approximately every two weeks we take time to investigate and share with
one another new apps and extensions with their Chromebooks, and I maintain the six I-Pads in
my classroom. The students enjoy this a great deal; they have come to understand what types of
apps, extensions, and games are appropriate for this on-line time. They have also learned to
maneuver through Google programs during this sharing time. The first few times we did this as
a class, I used the Smartboard to lead them visually between screens. Now I tell them where I
want them to go, documents, forms, etc., and they know how to get there.
We are a Google School with a Chromebook initiative in grades 6-8. My strong
Microsoft background has caused many frustrations on my part. To aid in this, I attended a twoday Google Bootcamp and was fortunate enough to win a gift certificate to pay for the tests to
become a certified Google Educator. The Title Reading teacher and I have teamed up to work
together to become certified.
The Center for Effective Learning offers on-line and face-to-face events in braincompatible training. I was able to attend two of these events this year: The Art of Asking
Questions and Conceptual Teaching
Leader and Collaborator
I am collaborating with the Title Reading teacher, attending a three-part C.E.S.A. training
called The Diverse Learners Series. This series is for Title teachers, Special Education teachers,
and the classroom teachers they work with. Currently we are reading Mindsets in the

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Classroom by Mary Cay Ricci. Changing the culture of a school by altering how we view the
capacities of our students is a difficult task and is definitely achieved with tact and patience.
In April, my director, the high school learning disabilities teacher, and I attended a
session put on by The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Regional Service
Network. During the presentation and discussion we reviewed the components of the SLD rule,
discussed how SLD forms are being used to document eligibility resources available to schools,
and other questions. Many of the questions we had as a team were answered, but many still
remain and we continue to search for answers.
I have not held any leadership roles in my district. As a new teacher, I have focused on
what I consider to be more essentials aspects of my position. I am more interested in working
collaboratively with others. By collaborating with the other teachers, I gain the knowledge and
experience of many individuals, as well as sounding boards for ideas. I am able to make sure
that what I teach lines up with my students I.E.P. goals.

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Reflective Summary
Standard #10 is one of the standards I feel I cover well. When I first began reflecting on
ways I collaborate with staff, I was amazed at how often I seek out my colleagues for input and
support. I began using a generic communication log (Artifact C) to track the multiple ways and
reasons I make contact with staff and parents. Contact with speech & language, general
classroom teachers, administration, library media specialist, nursing, department secretary, or
parents, occurs daily. I had not fully realized how often I seek out these individuals. When it
comes to my students, I have no qualms regarding asking for input and collaboration.
Even if my collaboration and personal learning opportunities do not directly link to my
students, they do benefit from my actions. The better person I become the more knowledgeable
and informed I am, the better and more capable teacher I become and all of these contributions
will have a significant positive impact on student learning and increase student achievement.
What I consider my area of weakness in respect to Standard #10 is parent involvement.
Of my thirteen students, nine are students I had last year. Of these nine, I have yet to meet the
parents of three. The mother of one of the nine came to school to pick up a younger brother, and
I went out to introduce myself so I could meet her. That is the only contact I have had with her.
These four parents do not come to I.E.P. meetings, open house, or concerts. All outreach to this
point has been futile. I remain hopeful there is some activity that will bring them into the school
and continue to contemplate what that may be.
My strength as a life-long learner is one of my greatest strengths. Simply stated, I love to
learn. My students know I am taking classes and at times have asked why I am still in school. I
readily respond, I will be in school for the rest of my life. Internet availability opened the
world of learning up to infinite realms of opportunities. My deep-seated need to know and

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understand is ingrained in my personality; my strong inner motivation pushes me from one
experience to the next as I search for knowledge. My father, a retired science teacher, completed
his masters as I was growing up. I retain strong memories of him sitting at the picnic table while
we were camping, typing on his paper while we ran between the pool and camper. What a
positive role model for learning he was and still is. I am my fathers daughter. If my students
learn nothing else from me, I want them to realize the importance of life-long learning. I want to
be that role-model for them.

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Artifact A
Beyond the Bell Reporting Sheet

2014 - 15 Beyond the Bell Activities

Reading Tuesday Gr. 6 - 8
Date:
9/16/2014
9/23/2014
9/30/2014
10/14/2014
10/21/2014
10/28/2014
11/11/2014

Activity
Word and letter games: Hangman, Madlibs, Sparkle
Smartboard crossword puzzles
Rewrite song lyrics
Collaborative Writing: A Werewolf Story
Oral Story telling
Poetry about Apples and Halloween
The Literacy Shed video clips and discussion

Instructor
L. Andresen
L. Andresen
L. Andresen
L. Andresen
L. Andresen
L. Andresen
L. Andresen

2014 - 15 Beyond the Bell Activities

Twisted Thursday Gr. 6 - 8
Date:
9/18/2014
9/25/2014
10/2/2014
10/23/2014
10/30/2014
11/6/2014
11/13/2014

Activity
Music choices and dancing. Spent time in the garden.
Make ice cream in a bag
Make fishless sushi
Make specialty pancakes
Parent Teacher Conference
Duct tape activity
Oreo balls

Instructor
L. Andresen
L. Andresen
L. Andresen
L. Andresen
A.A.
L. Andresen

2013 - 14 Beyond the Bell Activities

Twisted Thursday Gr. 6 - 8
Date:
12/5/2013
12/12/2013
12/19/2013
1/9/2014
1/30/2014
2/6/2014
2/13/2014
2/27/2014
4/10/2014
4/17/2014
4/24/2014
5/1/2014

Activity
Glitter Stars to decorate performance center for concerts
Ornaments and Christmas movie
No Program - weather
Baked Monster Cookies
Board games
Duct tape Wallets, Cyndi Burja guest teacher
Made homemade Valentines
Lego Build off round 2
Mosaics
Mosaics
Mosaics
Mosaics

Artifact B

Instructor
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa
Lisa

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Simple K-12 Webinars
Lisa Andresen
Total Training
Time:
Credit Hours:
Webinars
Completed:

20 hours, 30 minutes
20
41

Name
Type
10 Activities You Can Do With QR Codes - Webinar
30 Tips and Tricks to Help Students with
Webinar
Fine Motor Skills Assessing Student Learning with iPads Webinar
Cite This: Two Free Tools that Make Citing
Webinar
Sources Easy! Classroom Management: Quick and Simple
Webinar
Fixes Common Core: Integrating Web 2.0
Webinar
Technology to Teach ELA Standards Common Core: Read, Understand and
Webinar
Analyze Complex Texts Common Core: Strategies for Teaching
Webinar
Argument Writing Across Curriculum Cool iPad Tools for Elementary Teachers - Webinar
Create Amazing Digital Stories Easily with
Webinar
Green-screen Effects and an iPad
Create and Control Interactive Lessons for
Webinar
Mobile Devices
Creating Review Games with Free Web
Webinar
Tools Cut to the Core: Integrating Technology into
Webinar
Common Core Standards Deciding What You Want to Be:
Webinar
Researching Career Choices Differentiating Instruction and Assessments
for the Common Core ELA standards
Webinar

Status Credits Date

Complete 0.5
7/14/2014
Complete 0.5

7/7/2014

Complete 0.5

7/9/2014

Complete 0.5

7/10/2014

Complete 0.5

7/10/2014

Complete 0.5

7/8/2014

Complete 0.5

7/8/2014

Complete 0.5

7/8/2014

Complete 0.5

7/27/2014

Complete 0.5

7/16/2014

Complete 0.5

7/15/2014

Complete 0.5

7/10/2014

Complete 0.5

7/8/2014

Complete 0.5

7/31/2014

Complete 0.5

7/31/2014

Don't Be a One and Done: Creative Ways of

Webinar Complete 0.5
Reaching All Students with Multiple Apps
Easily Create Detailed Classroom
Webinar Complete 0.5
Observations with iPad Apps Empowering All Students: iPads in Special
Webinar Complete 0.5
Needs Classrooms -

7/15/2014
7/9/2014
7/7/2014

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Total Training
Time:

20 hours, 30 minutes
Exploring the Possibilities of Teaching
Webinar
Online: Ways to Supplement Your Income
Getting to Know Google Chrome Web
Webinar
Tools and Apps How To Get The Most From the Teacher
Webinar
Learning Community How to Launch a Successful School iPad
Webinar
Program Inspire Creativity and Presentation Skills
Webinar
with a New Kind of Puppet Show iPad Apps for Special Ed: Reading, Math,
Webinar
Speech, and Behavior Keep Yourself Organized with LiveBinders
Webinar
Kids Need to Code: Exploring Coding with
Webinar
Your Middle and High School Students
Maximize and Multiply Math Skills with
Webinar
Websites, Web Tools, and Apps Meeting Common Core Technology Skills - Webinar
Publishing Digital Books: Making Students'
Webinar
Work Come Alive Rejuvenate Your Algebra Class with Web
Webinar
Tools, Websites, and Apps! Save Time and Increase Student
Webinar
Engagement with Paperless Grading Simplify Grading, Stay Organized, and
Webinar
More with Edmodo! Support Learning for All Students:
Webinar
Exploring the UDL Guidelines Teaching Reading in the Digital Age Webinar
Tell an Interactive Story with Timelines - Webinar
Text Messaging in the Classroom: A
Webinar
Powerful Instruction Tool Tips From an iPrincipal: 10 iPad Apps
Webinar
Administrators Must Have Unpacking the Common Core: Digital Tools
Webinar
to Support the Academic Vocabulary Shift Use Google Apps to Improve
Webinar
Communication with Parents Using Digital Storytelling on the iPad to
Webinar
Foster Key Skills -

Complete 0.5

7/15/2014

Complete 0.5

7/29/2014

Complete 0.5

6/18/2014

Complete 0.5

6/19/2014

Complete 0.5

7/16/2014

Complete 0.5

7/7/2014

Complete 0.5

7/10/2014

Complete 0.5

7/31/2014

Complete 0.5

7/8/2014

Complete 0.5

7/31/2014

Complete 0.5

7/16/2014

Complete 0.5

7/24/2014

Complete 0.5

7/10/2014

Complete 0.5

7/10/2014

Complete 0.5

7/16/2014

Complete 0.5
Complete 0.5

7/31/2014
6/18/2014

Complete 0.5

7/14/2014

Complete 0.5

7/16/2014

Complete 0.5

7/8/2014

Complete 0.5

7/29/2014

Complete 0.5

6/18/2014

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Artifact C
Communication Log
Person Contacted

Type of
Communication

Nature of Communication

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Classroom teacher

conversation

Discussed concerns regarding supporting my 7th

grade students in reg. ed. science

Classroom teacher

conversation

Discussed concerns regarding supporting my 7th

grade students in reg. ed. history

Classroom teacher

conversation

Classroom teacher

conversation

Discussed with teacher modifications she uses in

the classroom that may help the student be
successful in her classroom.
Discussed concerns regarding supporting my 7th
grade students in reg. ed. history

Parents

letter home

Provided parents with my prep and lunch times so

that they could conference during the day work
2nd shift

Principal, students
father
Principal, student,
students father
Classroom teachers

conversation

Discussed with principal, then father regarding

internet/Chromebook guidelines per court order.
Created then sent home for signature Student
Internet Contract (SIC)
E-mailed with explanation regarding SIC then
provided hardcopy to classroom teachers

Classroom and
specials teachers
History teacher
Science teacher

conversation, hard
copy
e-mail regarding
hardcopy in their
mailboxes
hard copy in
mailboxes
conversation
conversation

parent
librarian

Phone call
conversation

S&L

Conversation

Parent

Phone call

Parent (to me)

SPED secretary
ELEM secretary
Guidance counselor
Librarian
6th grade team
Parent
Principal,
classroom, history

e-mail
conversation
conversation
Conversation(s)
conversation
conversation
conversation
e-mail

Hard copy of IEP I-20 mod. sheet in mailboxes

Discussed reading levels for 7th grade students
Discussed modification for specific student
Contacted parent regarding medication form
Discussed Chromebook issues

Discussed progress and goals of specific shared

students
Discussed student snack in afternoon, parent
provided
Tell student of afterschool pick-up change
WKCE testing
Daily schedule
Class schedules
Audio books
New student questions and concerns
Medication dispersion
Classroom support for 7th grade students

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and science teachers
(to us)
Guidance
Counselor
English teacher
SPED teachers
Math teacher
Director of SPED
Guidance counselor
SPED secretary
Librarian
Principal,
SPED
director
Kitchen staff
HS SPED teacher
(to me)
6th gr. Math teacher
(to me)
Title
Reading
teacher
Title Math teacher
6th gr. Math teacher
5th grade teacher
Parent (to me)

conversation

Student complaint of bullying

e-mail & conversation

Conversation(s)
conversation
e-mail
conversation

7th and 8th gr. Public library schedule

Teacher Effectiveness and SLOs
Missing student work
Request to attend conference
Parent concerns of student complaints of
bullying
Tell student of afterschool pick-up change
I-Pad issues
Classroom support for 7th grade students

e-mail
conversation
e-mail
conversation
e-mail
e-mail(s)

Discuss school-wide meal, assist with set-up

He was looking for specific classroom supplies
provided him with them
Daily assignment

conversation(s)

LLI testing for RtI student

conversation(s)
conversation
conversation
Phone call

LLI usage
Student behavior and leaving binder at home
Discuss progress of 5th grade SPED student
Discuss med. Changes/student behavior/new
work schedule & family update