Running Head: Telling My Story 1

Telling My Story

Maribel Alvarado

TED 690

National University
Running Head: Telling My Story 2

Abstract

This paper evaluates my progress in achieving competencies in my chosen TPE domain,

TPE 1B: Subject Specific Pedagogical Skills for Single Subject Teaching Assignment: Teaching

English-Language Arts in a Single Subject Assignment. The paper further identifies my strengths

and needs associated with TPE 1B. Additionally, the paper discusses the potential TPE

competencies that will be used to develop my PDQP. Finally, the paper will provide a rationale

for selecting and completing areas of professional needs and goals achieved for my chosen TPE,

TPE 1B.
Running Head: Telling My Story 3

The California Teaching Performance Expectations (2013) are organized into six

domains, with each domain containing specific Teacher Performance Expectations (TPE)

relating to that specific domain. Domain A is Making Subject Matter Comprehensible to

Students. TPE One under Domain A is Specific Pedagogical Skills for Subject Matter

Instruction. (The California Teaching Performance Expectations) I currently hold a California

Multiple Subject Credential but at the moment I am teaching in a self contained independent

study classroom with students ranging from 6th through 12th grade. My main focus this year is

teaching English-Language Arts to 9th and 10th graders. For this reason I am focusing on TPE

1B which is Subject -Specific Pedagogical Skills for Single Subject Teaching Assignments:

Teaching English Language Arts in a Single Subject Assignment.

This year will mark my sixth year as a teacher. My first four years of teaching were spent

teaching mathematics to students from sixth through eighth grade and eleventh grade. My first

two years of teaching I also taught Spanish One, Two, and Three. It was a big challenge but I

enjoyed every minute of it. For the past two years my focus has shifted and I have been teaching

English-Language Arts. Last year I taught seventh and eighth grade English as well as American

Literature for my 11th grade students. There were other English workshops that I facilitated

throughout the year geared towards students in 9th and 10th grades.

My progress teaching English-Language Arts is ongoing. I have learned a lot these past

two years and I know I will continue to learn even more as I progress through this academic

school year. Each of the English courses I have taught have themselves taught me a lot about my

own teaching philosophy and teaching style. I deal with students of varying ability and I have to

be able to accommodate to the needs of each student in order to make learning accessible to each
Running Head: Telling My Story 4

individual. My progress in achieving the competencies in TPE 1B in the area of

English-Language Arts and making English accessible for students has grown. My students last

year all met their goal within the Measures of Academic Performance Reading and Language

tests. Over 80% of my students also scored level three or above on the English Language Arts

portion of the California Assessment of Student Performance (CAASPP). The previous

assessment results show me that although I am hitting some of the target areas in TPE 1B, there

are still areas that I need to work on in order to reach 100% of my students.

Every year brings new challenges in the classroom and a successful teacher has to be able

to adapt to these challenges. One strength within TPE 1B that I perform particularly well in is

delivering instruction in the area of writing. During the year I go through the various assignments

that teach students how to produce argumentative, informative, and narrative test as well as

assignments that teach vocabulary acquisition and use, standard English conventions, and

functions of language in various contexts. (California Teaching Performance Expectations) I

use a variety of assignments that range in complexity and I take into account special populations

such as English Learners and GATE students when completing my lesson plans. Another area of

TPE 1B that I believe is a strength is the integration of technology when conducting research,

producing and publishing writing, creating multimedia presentations, and interacting and

collaborating with others. (California Teaching Performance Expectations) I know students are

very tech savy and I am lucky to have access to iPads, laptops, touch screen desktops, and a

variety of software programs in the classroom. This allows me to put to use what enjoy doing in

order to engage them in my lessons. My biggest need relating to TPE 1B is being able to reach

students when teaching complex literary and informational texts. Students do not always
Running Head: Telling My Story 5

understand the concept of interpreting meaning and analyzing the structure of the text. This area

is the one that I know I need to refine with the use of a variety of teaching strategies and support

from colleagues.

For my PDQP I want to demonstrate my growth in teaching English Language Arts. For

Domain A I used a lesson plan and teaching videos from a lesson that I taught this past Spring to

demonstrate specific pedagogical skills that I used when teaching the lesson. I recorded this

lesson for the purpose of analyzing my teaching strategies, student engagement, and student

performance. Analyzing the lesson plan and lesson videos allowed me to see not only my

strengths as a teacher but I was also able to pinpoint some of the areas of potential growth. This

areas of potential growth, such as increased student engagement and further work in close

reading assignments, are what became my goals for this new school year.

Although creating a PDQP seems a bit daunting, I know that the project will allow me to

look at myself as a teacher and to modify my teaching philosophy to reflect where I am today.

The portfolio will allow me to see where I started and where I am now, and I will be able set

goals to get that reflect where I want to be in the future. I will treat this portfolio as a work in

progress, as I know that it will change as I further develop as a teacher.

Running Head: Telling My Story 6

Resources

Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). (2013). California teaching performance

expectations. Retrieved from

https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-source/educator-prep/standards/adopted-tpes-2013.pdf