The five yeai teachei ceitification piogiam at Nichigan State 0niveisity piepaies college giauuates to assume

the iesponsibilities of beginning teaching. The piogiam consists of a planneu sequence of piofessional couises
anu fielu expeiiences incluuing a yeai-long inteinship aftei stuuents complete theii bacheloi's uegiee. A five-
yeai piogiam enables teachei canuiuates to acquiie a soliu giounuing in theii teaching subjects as
unueigiauuates anu to spenu a yeai of guiueu leaining to teach in a school anu classioom setting. The piogiam
meets all the iequiiements foi the piovisional elementaiy anu seconuaiy teaching ceitificate of the State of
Nichigan. It also ieflects state anu national stanuaius foi beginning teacheis.

The inteinship combines obseivation anu guiueu piactice teaching aveiaging about Su houis pei week with
twelve cieuit houis of mastei's uegiee couises. These expeiiences aie uesigneu to suppoit the intein's giowth
both in classioom teaching anu in the peifoimance of a teachei's othei piofessional ioles, such as woiking with
paients anu colleagues in the school. The inteinship incluues a sustaineu peiiou of leau teaching. With the
collaboiating teachei's suppoit, the intein beais piimaiy iesponsibility foi planning, instiuction, anu
assessment.

NS0 is an Affiimative ActionEqual 0ppoitunity Institution
Exit Performance
Description
(EPD) Report Cover Sheet
Ilieff, Chiistophei Elementaiy Euucation
Intein Najoi


Scheetz, }anet Nt. Bope Elementaiy School
Nentoi Teachei School Name


Baumann, Amanua Lansing Public Schools
NS0 Fielu Instiuctoi School Bistiict
















Please place an X by the coiiect item:
Inteinship Aiea Team Assignment:
X
Elementaiy Euuation

Seconuaiy Euucation Special Euucation




Repoit piepaieu by:
X Nentoi Teachei X NS0 Fielu Instiuctoi

Repoit piepaieu foi:
Fall & Spiing Semsetei Fall Semestei X Spiing Semestei




Repoit is baseu on the school yeai: FS1S-SS14 Bate: Apiil 2u14


MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution
THE INTERNSHIP SETTING

Christopher Ilieff was an Intern Teacher in Janet Scheetzs fifth grade classroom at Mount Hope Elementary School in the Lansing School
District in Lansing, Michigan, a large urban public school district. Chris came to Mount Hope in January after successfully completing the first
semester in a third grade classroom in the Holt School District. The early rhythm of his placement at Mount Hope was disrupted by the unusual
weather patterns in this extraordinary winter. As Chris did not experience a full week of school until February, he had to hit the ground running
and maximize every second. Our class of 28 students consisted of mostly boys. For the most part, the girls were unusually well-motivated and
dedicated to learning and a majority of the boys required much redirection. This classroom experienced 17 changes in student mobility; the
learning culture was forever changing and the learning gaps were significant. Our classroom had an 11-year differential in reading proficiency,
and there were many students lacking proficiency with basic facts and operations which made advancement in mathematics very arduous. The
children represented all racial and ethnic groups, some from families whose home language was other than English, and several of our students
had parents who were incarcerated. Mt. Hope School also has many two-parent professional families.

KNOWING SUBJECT MATTERS AND HOW TO TEACH THEM

Chris was a confident presence in our classroom. He immediately established himself as a leader and as a learner. His students saw him
research online and consult the dictionary for verification of information and spelling. Those simple actions modeled for students avenues they
could take when seeking answers to their questions. Chris also modeled respect in speech and in his manners. He valued student opinions, and
was able to put the right moral spin on situations if needed. Chris actively made contact with families in person, by phone, and through written
communication when needed. He used community resources effectively in both intern settings, and networked respectfully with the greater
Lansing community.

Chris was well prepared to teach all areas of the elementary curriculum. He possessed many tools for assessing prior knowledge, and he built
units to take students where they needed to be. This was a formidable task in this classroom with such disparity in learning levels. Chris taught
a reading community using the novel Brian's Return. He used the text to connect to the real life problems of bullying and students who don't
fit in. Chris used discussion groups to reinforce comprehension. He organized an outdoor scavenger hunt (an appropriate activity central to
the books theme) as a culmination activity. Additionally, Chris infused the Common Core concepts of inferring and synthesizing in creative
ways. Through conversation and interactions, students appreciated literature on a much higher level. Students were always actively engaged
and loved reading class. Chris used his creativity in teaching writing. He chose topics from real life situations and encouraged students to take
positions and defend their reasoning. One popular topic was Should students have to make up weather days? As so many students were
emerging writers, he spent extra time in encouraging them. In math class, Chris was responsible for teaching a unit on decimals. He promoted
higher-level thinking and curiosity by relating the concepts to the daily lives of the students. Chris used manipulatives and model drawings to
help students conceptualize the concepts before applying the algorithm. He expected students to apply their reasoning and place value skills to
defend their work. Chris integrated the internet and computer applications into his teaching to add depth to students conceptual learning. He
did an excellent job of evoking curiosity and giving students opportunities to analyze and integrate learning. Chris taught a unit on Force and
Motion in science. This unit involved both long-range and short unit planning, and incorporated authentic student inquiry and analysis. He
made every effort to connect this unit to events in students lives. In social studies, he taught a unit on the United States Constitution and the
Bill of Rights. He encouraged practical interpretation and determining important information for analysis. The students performed skits to
demonstrate their understanding of the content contained in the Bill of Rights. Chris invited a lawyer to join our class to give the students
exposure to a lawyer and what it takes to succeed in the legal career path. His culmination activity involved a mock trial on the application of
the Bill of Rights. Chris was aware of the student interest factor always, and used multiple strategies including screencast instruction to fortify
his teaching.

WORKING WITH STUDENTS

Chris is a positive role model and has a genuine desire to reach and teach all students. He expects all students to learn and he puts forth much
additional effort (i.e. lunch hours) to offer extra help to less motivated and struggling students. Chris adapted to accommodate those children
who needed a different pace to learn the concepts and skills. He differentiated instruction, worked with students individually, and incorporated
a variety of teaching techniques to engage students. He participated in individual conversations, modeled in small groups, offered opportunities
for simulation and debates, and met privately with students as needed. He instilled confidence in students that they would achieve to their
objectives if they continued to try. Chris paid attention to the gifted learners as well. His probing questions and his quest for them to stretch
allowed those advanced learners to also excel and keep growing.

CREATING AND MANAGING A CLASSROOM LEARNING COMMUNITY

Chris created a warm, caring, and safe classroom atmosphere. He quickly realized the importance of planning a meaningful learning activity to
get the students engaged immediately upon entering the classroom each morning, as unstructured time invited trouble. Those early minutes set
the tone for the classroom atmosphere each day. Chris immediately interpreted the emotional well-being of students each morning and
instinctively migrated to those students that needed academic or emotional support on any given day. He learned to give less love until the
students grappled with problem-solving themselves, which was a hard task as some students were too quick to give up. Chris was able to focus
on individuals and still be aware of the total group. He was astute at anticipating many problems before they materialized. Chris made his
MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution
expectations clear and built a strong foundation to endure tears, excuses, and pleas and remain stolid. The students saw no cracks in his
foundation and he earned their respect. Chris possesses excellent classroom management and engagement skills.

Chris saw the value of multiple ways to engage students. He utilized all our classroom and school equipment. Chris consistently used the
Promethean Board and the document camera. He also used our small white boards and manipulatives regularly. Chris exposed our students to
weebly.com and a class website in our computer lab. He changed and rearranged furniture as needed for student activities. He had patience
when technology failed and the fortitude to create a backup plan. Using equipment effectively is a strength for Chris.

WORKING AND LEARNING IN A SCHOOL AND PROFESSION

Chris fully joined our school community. He attended staff meetings, School Improvement meetings, and professional development activities.
Chris participated in local Math-R-Rama event preparation and competitions. He attended both Mathematics and Science District Steering
Committee meetings. Chris also attended an Ingham Math Advisory Team meeting at the Ingham Intermediate School District. He enforced the
school policies and worked collegially with other teachers in the building. Chris was a substitute teacher for our classroom on occasion,
successfully. He led spring parent-teacher conferences and was well received by the families in our class. Chris used his university learning
experiences to enrich our classroom. Chris consistently maintained a professional disposition with students, parents, and our Mount Hope
Community.

Chris was very well-connected with our school families in the short four (4) months he was with us. He made calls to parents and was
successful in eliciting parental support. Chris always applied rules fairly so all parties were aware of the consequences of actions in our
classroom. He utilized community resources in both his intern placements. Chris was a problem-solver in bullying situations and did not back
down when students needed the support with interpersonal conflicts.

Chris took the high road always. He took teaching responsibilities seriously, prepared meaningful lessons, was punctual and serious about
attendance, and always presented himself professionally. Additionally, Chris arrived early and stayed late to make sure all he could control was
in place to ensure success. Chris was reflective, receptive to feedback, and retools his craft when necessary. He made use of the internet and
many other professional resources to create his lessons. Chris assessed regularly and used his data to differentiate instruction. He was open and
responsive to new ideas, reflective in analysis and committed to being the best he can be.

CONCLUSION

Chris entered the second semester of his intern year as a confident and secure individual. He did not experience usual hurdles because he kept
growing. Chris is hard-working, conscientious, and always gives his best. He demonstrates initiative, is realistic in his expectations for himself
and his students, and he is patient, fair, and shows a genuine concern for others. The students in our class benefited greatly from their time with
this extraordinary, dedicated, and intelligent young man: Chris has and will continue to make a difference in the lives of many children.