Artifact 1: Teaching Writing Using Mentor Texts Program Goal: 1 Standards: 2, 3, 4 This artifact is a reflection of how I have grown

as a writing teacher through the MATC program. Prior to taking TE 848 Writing Assessment and Instruction I was trying to build my students writing skills using mentor texts in the classroom but I was using mentor texts that simply reflected themes of what we were reading in class. Through the class and research done during the class, I was able to identify a new way to use mentor texts in the classroom that would benefit my students writing skills much more. When researching, I found that educators everywhere are pushing for students to do more reading and more writing but they needed to do more writing with reading in mind. This is where mentor texts come into play. In order to build students writing skills I needed to use mentor texts as examples for students of what good writing looks like. For example, if I wanted students to write a great book review, I first needed to give them good examples of book reviews. This artifact is important because it shows how I have gained a better understanding of my subject matter and how to teach it. I saw within my classroom that my students were struggling with their writing and I knew that I needed to make a change in order for them to gain the writing skills they needed to be successful after high school. Through the research I conducted and the skills I learned through the class, I was able to understand one way to improve writing instruction within my classroom.