Tanya Stahl – St.

Paul Elementary School – January 8, 2018 to April 27, 2018

Teacher Mentor: Louise Bridgeman

School Administrator: Gerry Muldoon
Faculty Mentor: Noella Piquette
PSIII SPRING 2018 PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN

PSIII PROFESSIONAL GOAL #1:

Develop positive relationships with students, colleagues, and parents.
Rationale  Positive relationships between myself and students, parents, and
colleagues help to promote community within the school
 Having positive connections and communications with colleagues
can open doors for collaboration and the exchange of resources
 Having positive relationships with students improves classroom
management and creates a better classroom and school atmosphere
Strategies  Be actively involved in school activities, PD meetings, staff meetings
 Be friendly to colleagues, students, and parents
 Plan engaging lessons for students
 Exchange resources with colleagues
 Send a letter of introduction home to parents
 Be available for comments or questions during IEP meetings or
parent- teacher interviews
Resources  Teacher mentor
 Parent-teacher interviews
 IEP Meeting
Indicators of Success  Interactions with parents/guardians are friendly
 Students respect and trust me
 Students send me kind notes
 Colleagues are friendly towards me and are willing to advice and
exchange resources with me
 Classroom management is easier
Reflection I wanted to feel at home in St. Paul school, so I made a point of making as
many relationships as possible. I chatted with parents when they came to
basketball games or after school when they came to pick up their students. I
started conversations with colleagues in the staffroom, coached basketball,
and volunteered in grade one and in kindergarten. Students and staff are
comfortable around me and I with them. I am happy to say that I made many
good relationships at St. Paul school, and I will treasure them for the rest of
my life.

PSIII PROFESSIONAL GOAL #2:

Learn to differentiate content, process, and product.
Rationale  Differentiation was the subject of my PIP
 I taught a Grade 3 and 4 multiage class with varying needs
 There was one student with a severe hearing impairment who
needed vocabulary front-loading.
Strategies  I researched and practiced differentiation.
Tanya Stahl – St. Paul Elementary School – January 8, 2018 to April 27, 2018

 I differentiated content, process, and product

 I created tests with different levels of challenge
 I incorporated different learning styles into my lessons
Resources Teacher Mentor
Colleagues
Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom: How to Reach and Teach
All Learners, Grades 3-12 by Diane Heacox, Ed. D.
For more resources, see PIP
Indicators of Success (Jan. 8- April 27) I researched differentiation and implemented it into my
teaching practice, such as incorporating different learning styles into each
lesson, differentiating content for grade three and four, levelling the
challenge of tests, front-loading vocabulary, and differentiating assignments.
Reflection Differentiation was a great choice for my Professional Inquiry project. I
learned so much. I found the concept of differentiation daunting at first, but
then I learned that teachers can start small, so that’s what I did. I started to
differentiate in small ways and I found that improved the quality of
instruction that I was able to give to my students.

PSIII PROFESSIONAL GOAL #3:

Learn to better manage transitions, breaking into groups, and group activities.
Rationale  Classroom management is an integral part of teaching
 If a classroom is not well-managed, the quality of learning is lessened
Strategies  Set timers for transitions
 Use different strategies for making groups such as popsicle sticks and
numbering
 Delivering clear instructions and circulating during group activities
Resources  Teacher Mentor
 Colleagues
Indicators of Success  (March 22) The class had to do a research project for science in
groups that required that they visit an internet website. I put easy-
to- follow instructions on the board and read them with the class
before we opened the laptop cart. I also went through the steps on
the smartboard one by one and the class followed along on the
laptops. I circulated the room and answered questions.
 (April 2) Students transition into class from recess with five minutes
of silent reading.
 (March 14) Used popsicle sticks to make groups for Reader’s Theater
Groups
Reflection I found that clear written instructions were the best way to manage
transitions and group activities. If I wrote instructions for transitions down, I
did not have to repeat myself as much, and the kids could be more
independent. I was having issues with call-outs before my teacher mentor
suggested I introduce silent reading for a few minutes at the start of class.
This worked wonderfully to get the kids re-focussed.
Tanya Stahl – St. Paul Elementary School – January 8, 2018 to April 27, 2018

PSIII PROFESSIONAL GOAL #4:

Learning how to be more efficient when managing planning time
Rationale  Being efficient with your time is necessary when you have many
responsibilities
 I was teaching many different classes
 I was putting too many hours into my planning to try to get it perfect
Strategies  I planned lessons a week in advance
 I chose not be so picky when choosing what to do in each lesson
 I chose to either use or adapt resources I had been given
Resources  Planbook.com
 Colleagues
 Teacher Mentor
 Google
Indicators of Success  I worked from 6:30am to 1:00 pm from Monday to Thursday on
planning. On Fridays I worked from 6:30am to 8:30 am on planning.
 (February 12) I used Planbook.com to plan lessons and I decided to
take control of my perfectionism.
 (March) I started to work only at school and for 1-2 hours in the
evenings if I had to.
Reflection I was a few weeks into practicum when I realized something had to change. I
was burning myself out with all the planning I was doing. I realized that I had
to work smarter, not harder. I started to use Planbook.com to make my
lesson plans in February, which cut down on lots of time because you don’t
have to fiddle with the formatting as is the case in Word. I also was less picky
about the activities I did in all subjects. I focussed on the most important
elements of the lesson plan first.