School of Education and Human Services

Office of School and Field Services

381 Pawley Hall
Rochester, Michigan 48309-4494
248-370-3083

Final Assessment of Student Teacher

Student Name: Carly Zacharias

Program: STEP

Building:
Schools

School District: Utica Community

Utica High
State: MI

Term/Year: 2014-2015
level: 10-12

Assignment: English 11/Spanish I

Cooperating Teachers:
Kimberly Hodsdon
Melissa Kevonian

University Supervisor:
Vivian Szmigiel

Grade

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT
(community; district; unique characteristics of school, staff, students)

Utica High School in the Utica Community Schools district is a suburban school. It
has diversity in economic status, cultural and racial backgrounds as well as learning
capabilities and needs. The population is approximately 1300 students, distributed
equally across 10th, 11th and 12th grades. There is no freshman class at the school
because of space restrictions. The staff and school have a large community
presence and involvement, and the staff is known for working as a team and
fostering a family environment for the students. Carly Zacharias assimilated
immediately and thrived on the atmosphere in the building.
COOPERATING TEACHERS ASSESSMENT
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Ms. Zacharias enthusiasm for teaching combined with her good nature and positive
attitude made her approachable and extremely likable to staff and students alike.
She was calm and truly cared about her students and their overall wellbeing. As a
member of the staff, Ms. Zacharias was very well liked, and she built strong,
collaborative bonds. (Kimberly Hodsdon)
Ms. Zacharias had a genuine care and concern for people. She went out of her way
at all times to connect with students and the staff. She attended extra-curricular
events, chaperoned, worked at sporting events and demonstrated to the students
that she realized they had lives outside of her classroom, and that she was willing to
be supportive of their activities. With the staff, she attended meetings, social
gatherings and team building activities (though she knew they were optional) in

Carly Zacharias

order to build relationships with everyone in all departments. People complimented

her constantly on her willingness to be involved. (Melissa Kevonian)

CLASSROOM CLIMATE AND MANAGEMENT

Ms. Zacharias was calm, confident, and animated in front of students. She made the
learning process fun and keeps students engaged, thus resulting in a minimum of
behavioral issues. Laughter was commonplace within the context of the material
being taught. Students enjoyed their time with Ms. Zacharias and always wanted to
talk to her after class. If there was an issue with a student disrupting class or
sleeping, Ms. Zacharias handled it calmly and efficiently. She talked to the student
and made them aware of their options. Her tone was always positive and respectful,
thus eliciting a positive response from the student. (Kimberly Hodsdon)
I am veteran teacher of 16 years, and have never seen anyone who was such a
force of positivity in the classroom, while maintaining a level of expectation that
commanded respect from the students for herself and for their peers. Often with
new teachers, it is a challenge to maintain a respectable distance while being kind
and concerned. But, Ms. Zacharias did not need any instruction in this area; she was
a natural at creating a safe, but structured classroom. Ms. Zacharias was never
rushed, or too busy to attend to students questions and needs. She was especially
good at working with students who has special needs or disabilities. She did not
ever let frustration show, but managed to maintain a calm and welcoming
environment even when she needed to discipline. The students were comfortable
talking with her, and she delivered positive feedback as a reflexive action, simply
because that was who she is as a person. She reminded me of things I tend forget
after teaching for so long. (Melissa Kevonian)
INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Ms. Zacharias always had her daily lesson plans done for the week before it begins,
and yet was flexible so that if adjustments needed to be made, she was able to
make them easily. She was constantly reflecting on how the students responded to
the plan and was able to switch gears on the fly if she saw that they needed more
or less time on a certain piece. (Kimberly Hodsdon)
Ms. Zacharias was one of the most organized teachers I have seen. She sent me
plans a week in advance, without me ever having to ask. She consistently referred
to the guidelines set by both the State and District to enforce that she was meeting
standards and strands of learning. Carly had the presence of a veteran teacher from
day one, but she has shown tremendous growth in planning. She has taken any
constructive criticism I have given and implemented it immediately. She was flexible
and adaptable, and always willing to try something new. She did not hesitate to
engross herself in new material or a new method. She truly wanted to plan the best
strategies for her students into her lessons each week, and her planning is now that
of an experienced teacher. (Melissa Kevonian)

Carly Zacharias

INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING AND INCORPORATION OF TECHNOLOGY TO

ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING
Ms. Zacharias has had the unique opportunity (and added responsibility) to use The
Dell Interactive Classroom System and The ASC Computer Language Laboratory.
Both systems are incredibly useful and beneficial to student learning, however they
are more than a little intimidating to use. Ms. Zacharias had learned to operate both
with ease and utilizes them on a daily/weekly basis. Ms. Zacharias has also used
Schoology, Quizlet, and instructional videos on YouTube in order to help students
continue to learn at home. (Kimberly Hodsdon)
Ms. Zacharias has shown growth in incorporating technology into the classroom
lessons. She used the class website Schoology.com to update assignments and
student information. She used interactive sites like Socrative.com and Quizlet.com
to perform formative and summative assessments and comprehensive evaluations
of the students during lessons. She also used Google Docs to edit with students and
have them work on activities in groups, incorporating the Promethean technology
screen in my classroom to assist them in visual learning and reflection. (Melissa
Kevonian)

EVALUATION
Ms. Zacharias has shown tremendous growth in her ability to evaluate the progress
of student learning. She has graded formal and informal assessments, projects, and
participation and has become incredibly adept at assessing whether or not her
students have learned the material. If she saw that they continue to struggle, she
reinforced the subject matter with extra practice in class and tutoring for individuals
after class. (Kimberly Hodsdon)
Ms. Zacharias reflected daily on her lesson planning and her delivery. She often
asked for help determining if there was a better method to teach something. She
had an accurate measure of how something was going in the classroom, and
willingly adapted immediately when needed. This is the mark of a true teacher. Her
flexibility and positive attitude helped her to accommodate any changes and
navigate obstacles. (Melissa Kevonian)
COMMAND OF SUBJECT MATTER
Ms. Zacharias is a fluent and confident Spanish speaker and was able to break down
the language into meaningful parts for her Spanish 1 students. Teaching the
fundamental year of a language can be deceptive in that a mastery of the language
means very little if one cannot approach it from a novice level. Spanish 1 students
have a limited knowledge of how languages are constructed and so it must be
taught in comprehensive pieces to which they can relate. Ms. Zacharias adjusted to
this beautifully and her students appreciate her ability to meet them on their level.
(Kimberly Hodsdon)

This is a challenge for any new teacher, because mastering subject matter takes
time. Yet, somehow, Ms. Zacharias used any/all resources available to ensure that
she was as knowledgeable as possible about a given topic. She prepared in
advance, asked questions, found the information she needed. I am very confident
Carly Zacharias

that all of our students were given thorough instruction for all the units she taught.
(Melissa Kevonian)

PERSONAL QUALITIES
It is not easy for a student teacher to fit into a staff that has been together for
years, but Ms. Zacharias has been able endear herself to the whole staff. She has a
great sense of humor and she finds the positive side of everything. She was eager
to get involved in school-wide events like the school dodgeball tournament and
competition assembly, where she was a member of the teacher team. Ms. Zacharias
is fun, athletic, and her competitive side lead to excellent showings by the teacher
teams this year! (Kimberly Hodsdon)
As much as Ms. Zacharias command of subject and lesson methodology have
impressed me, I am truly humbled by the person she is. I have never witnessed
anything other than kindness, generosity of spirit by her dedication to our students,
positivity, and veracity in her words and deeds. Students and staff alike gravitate to
her, and I am humbled by the person she is. (Melissa Kevonian)
PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES
It has been my great pleasure to work with someone as kind, friendly, and
competent as Ms. Zacharias! She has an incredible work ethic and has not only met
every expectation, but exceeded them. Her students loved her and one can tell how
much she cared for them and their success. She is a great teacher due to her drive
and compassion. Her professionalism and quality of work made her one of the best
student teachers I have ever had the pleasure of mentoring. (Kimberly Hodsdon)
Carly is the quintessential teacher. She is what we speak of when we talk of people
who are born to educate. She is professional in all manners and commands respect
from her students. Yet, she is generous with her time and her energy. She is willing,
and requires herself, to go above and beyond what is expected of her. She arrives
early and stays late, puts in time on her lunch hour and has a true enthusiasm and
passion for education. We were lucky to call her a colleague. (Melissa Kevonian)

Carly Zacharias

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY SUPERVISORS ASSESSMENT

From day one of her internship, Ms. Carly Zacharias demonstrated her mastery of
the art of teaching. She created a positive classroom environment; she inspired her
students; and, she challenged them to learn.
A good teacher shows students how to think rather than telling them what to think.
This skill was one of Ms. Zacharias many strengths. When her students read
literature in class, she taught and modeled reading strategies. She taught them
how to think about why the author wrote it the way he/she did, to think about the
bigger issues and to relate the literature to their lives and to the world in which they
live. Her classroom strategies and assignments challenged students, and they
came into class willing to learn. When I observed a lesson on the novel,
Frankenstein, her students were eager to discuss and think about the novel. They
wanted to talk about and share what they thought. This was because Ms. Zacharias
had successfully motivated them to read, showed them how to go about reading the
material, and most important provided them with opportunities to clarify their
thoughts and clear up any confusion. She succeeded in making the learning fun.
Classroom management is also one of Ms. Zacharias many strengths. On certain
days, her student began the class with silent reading. Other days they began with
vocabulary. The class schedule was always posted on the board. When students
read, no one was off task. When they studied vocabulary, she had them work on
activities that required students to actively work with a partner. While the class
read or worked, Ms. Zacharias took and recorded attendance. After the first activity,
the class began the days lesson. The transition was smooth and no time was lost.
Because of her excellent management skills, the class moved quickly and students
engaged.
It was evident to her students that Ms. Zacharias knowledge of the literature,
grammar, and writing skills was extensive. Whether it was teaching Chaucer,
Shakespeare, or Shelley, she willing shared her love and appreciation of the
literature. When she read to the class, they heard her enjoyment. It was as if she
were sharing the literature with her students rather than just telling them about it.
Because of her command of the subject, her love of the material, and her wellplanned lessons, her students listened, worked and learned.
Each and every time I observed her classroom, I realized the following: I was
impressed with how attentive her students were; how smoothly the class ran; and,
how engaging the lesson was (there were times I actually wanted to join the
discussion). This was because Ms. Carly Zacharias is an outstanding teacher. Her
class is one that I would want to be in.
Certification Recommendations:
_X Recommended for certification
___Not recommended for certification
certification

Carly Zacharias

_X Recommended for certification

___Not recommended for

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University Supervisors Signature
Date
Cooperating Teachers Signature
Date
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Cooperating Teachers Signature

Date

The above assessment and certification recommendations have been shared with me.

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Carly Zacharias

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