Goals for Students

As a facilitator of learning, I have high expectations for all of my

students as academic scholars and upstanding citizens. I want to ignite a
true passion for knowledge and growth within each student through active
engagement and challenging inquiries. Students within my classroom
should strive to not only meet academic expectations, but excel in critical
thinking skills, problem solving strategies, team collaboration and
creativity in all subject areas. Students should be inspired to become
lifelong learners by constantly questioning, challenging and building upon
ideas.

Teaching and Assessment Methods

I believe in the power of believing in my students. As I expect every
student to reach their own full potential in all they do, each student will
have these same expectations for themselves. Although I hold all students
accountable for their responsibilities and effort, differentiation plays a
crucial role in student success. It is very important to me that each
student is receiving the modifications or accommodations they need in
order to prosper in their assignments and class discussions. I have
experience teaching and modifying lessons to meet the needs of a wide
range of student levels-gifted, regular education, learning support or
special education, and ESL. I am sure to follow all IEPs and other plans as
well as differentiate lessons to adapt to individual student interests.
Students within the classroom thrive in an environment that is both
comfortable and student-centered. When the content material is on the
students level as well as relatable to their own lives, active participation
and learning is much more likely to occur.
During the school day, over the marking periods, and throughout the
entire year, major progress is being made within each student. In order to
effectively track this growth, I take formative assessments of students
daily through checks for understanding, hand signals, cards, graphic
organizers, and participation in group/class discussions. Each assessment
is fair and aligned to the material taught in the lesson(s). Summative
assessments serve as a guide to see how well each student has
understood the content and where I need to modify my own instruction. A
variety of assessments other than the traditional paper and pencil test,
including hands-on projects, book reports, multimedia presentations,
group work etc., allows me to observe different outlets of student
strengths.

Personal Goals
As a professional, I set an example of a lifelong learner by always
working to better myself in all aspects of my life-as an educator, as a
leader and as community member. One of my goals is to reflect upon my

lessons and instructional approaches. After each school day, I will evaluate
what worked well among students, and what I could have done differently
for the next time. Another goal as a teacher is to always make all students
feel comfortable approaching me as I will whole-heartedly listen to their
needs, questions or concerns. Additionally, I plan on keeping up to date in
the latest technology and current events in which to integrate in my
lessons. We live in a rapidly growing technological society, and when
utilized correctly, these resources can be very valuable to student
learning. By attending new professional development conferences and
building upon my experiences as a teacher, my students will reap the
benefits of my own journey of self-improvement. Overall, I want to truly
know that I have done all that I can to positively impact and make a
difference in a childs life.