Weekly Reflection Week 1 Dates 1/14 - 1/18

InTASC Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice

As a teacher, it is important to recognize that you are always learning and developing your practice. In
my first week of student teaching, the InTASC Standard that I thought best reflected my experience was
standard 9, which states “the teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to
continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others
(learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of
each learner.” Through observation of lessons and planning sessions, participation in routine class
activities, and lesson planning of my own I had an opportunity to reflect on this standard and identify
how my practices met the standard.

An important part of meeting this standard is “engag[ing] in ongoing learning opportunities to develop
knowledge and skills in order to provide all learners with engaging curriculum and learning experiences
based on local and state standards” (9a). Something that I did this week to meet this standard was take
over smaller, routine parts of the student’s schedule, as well as plan lessons for the next week. As the
semester goes forward and I gradually begin taking over parts of the student’s school day, I will be
learning how to plan engaging and effective lessons that meet the Illinois State standards. Because I am
student teaching and engaging in learning opportunities every day, I will use the feedback I receive and
what I learn from each lesson to improve the lessons I write and make them more meaningful for the
students.

Another important part of meeting this standard is “know[ing] how to build and implement a plan for
professional growth directly aligned with his/her needs as a growing professional using feedback from
teacher evaluations and observations, data on learner performance, and school- and system-wide
priorities” (9k). Something that my cooperating teacher and I did this week to meet this standard was
create a semester plan that gradually released classroom responsibility to me throughout the semester.
This plan was based on what we thought was the best way for me to observe and take over parts of the
school day. This plan is important because it will allow me to gain experience teaching a variety of
subjects while receiving meaningful feedback and learning from the outcomes of the lessons. Going
forward, my cooperating teacher and I plan on using the plan to gradually release responsibility to me,
giving me time to learn classroom procedures and analyze student data so I can apply them to my
lessons.

As a student teacher, it is easy to see myself as a learner participating in continuous learning

opportunities. However, I know that even after I finish my student teaching experience I will still be
learning every day, and whether it’s from personal reflection or research I find I should always be trying
to find ways to apply what I’ve learned to my own teaching. By doing this, I would be meeting the
standard by “see[ing] [myself] as a learner, continuously seeking opportunities to draw upon current
education policy and research as sources of analysis and reflection to improve practice” (9n). Being
aware that a profession in education is full of learning and reflection opportunities will help me to grow
as a both a student and a teacher.
Overall, I feel as though my first week of student teaching has really shown me how much learning goes
into teaching, even as the teacher. A teacher needs to know how to reach their students while meeting
state standards and creating meaningful lessons. This requires reflection on student data and lesson
outcomes, as well as application of new practices and research. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this
experience brings, and to apply what I learn to the class I’m student teaching in.