FOUNDATIONS (1, 2)
To act as a professional inheritor, critic and interpreter of knowledge or culture when teaching students.
FEATURES
• Situates the discipline's basic benchmarks and points of understanding (concepts, postulates and methods) in order to
facilitate significant, in‐depth learning by students.
• Adopts a critical approach to the subject matter.
• Establishes links between the secondary culture set out in the program and the secondary culture of the students.
• Transforms the classroom into a cultural base open to a range of different viewpoints within a common space.
• Casts a critical look at his or her own origins, cultural practices and social role.
LEVEL OF MASTERY
By the end of his or her initial training, the student teacher should be able to:
• understand the subject‐specific and program specific knowledge to be taught, so as to be able to promote the creation of
meaningful links by the students;
• exhibit a critical understanding of his or her cultural development and be aware of its potential and limitations;
• exhibit a critical understanding of the knowledge to be taught, so as to promote the creation of meaningful links by the
students;
• Establish links with the students' culture in the proposed learning activities.
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- During FE4 I had the opportunity to teach my students various types of writing and expression. During a novel
unit on The Outsiders I was able to incorporate weekly blogs, debates, argumentative essays, and literary
responses. Teaching these skills helped me to develop my own knowledge expertise in these areas – specifically
in regard to argumentative writing and speaking.
- I made a strong effort to incorporate my students’ culture into my teaching. I tried to make my lessons relevant
and accessible to my students. I did this by keeping in mind the diverse backgrounds of my students while
planning and allowing ample time for discussion about the texts we read in class. I assigned discussion leader
roles each class to allow each of my students to take an active and authentic role in the content discussed in
class. This helped me to make my lessons relevant for my students. This also facilitated my students’ abilities to
form connections with the texts.
- In my teaching it was critical that I understood the limitations of my own cultural development. In teaching a unit
on The Breadwinner I relied heavily on outside resources to bring my students a more authentic and accurate
cultural understanding of the novel. I incorporated videos, maps, images, food and drink to achieve this.
Level of Mastery: Thorough
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- FE4 provided me with ample opportunities to work on this competency. As many of my Secondary II and III ELA
students were English language learners, I had to think very hard about how to communicate with my students in
class. I had to actively manage the levels of vocabulary I used as well as the types of grammatical structures I utilized
both in my written and spoken communications with students. This didn’t mean I completely avoided more advanced
vocabulary or structures – I simply made sure to give further explanation when I used more advanced language in my
teaching. I also encouraged my students to ask questions and look up words and phrased online.
- During FE4 I taught a student who was hard of hearing for the first time. This was a huge learning experience for me.
Working with the student, his parents, and my cooperating teacher, I changed some of the ways I communicated in
class and with this student in-particular. When I communicated orally with the class, I always tried to have a form of
text or visual aid so my hard-of-hearing student could follow along. I also learned to enunciate and speak loudly and
clearly – doing so allowed the student to understand more of what I was saying. As the student was able to lip-read, I
made sure I was always facing the class when communicating with students.
- Many of my weaker ELA students required examples when I gave assignments – particularly when it came to more
dynamic writing such as argumentative essays. Because of this, I frequently crafted detailed PowerPoint presentations
filled with examples for my students to use as guides while writing. My students really appreciated this when I we were
learning about thesis statements and incorporating evidence in an essay.
Level of Mastery: Advanced
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
X THOROUGH
ADVANCED ● ACCEPTABLE PARTIAL MINIMAL
*Use the features of the competency (listed above) and the professional competency rubric.
Taylor Lowe 260603576
Name _____________________________________________________ ID ________________________
April 13, 2019 EDEC 404
Date: ______________________________ Course Name & Number (e.g. EDEC 253) _________________ PS/FE level (circle one) 1 2 3 4
X
KEEP THESE FORMS IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO. YOU WILL ADD TO THEM EACH YEAR.
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY SELF‐EVALUATIONS
TEACHING ACT (3, 4, 5, 6)
To develop teaching/learning situations that are appropriate to the students concerned and the subject content
with a view to developing the competencies targeted in the programs of study.
FEATURES
• Bases the selection and content of teaching sequences on data drawn from recent didactical and pedagogical
research.
• Selects and interprets subject‐specific knowledge in terms of the aims, competencies and subject content
specified in the program of study.
• Plans teaching and evaluation sequences taking into account the logic of the content to the taught and the
development of learning.
• Takes into account the prerequisites, conceptions, social differences (i.e. gender, ethnic origin, socioeconomic
and cultural differences), needs and special interests of the students when developing teaching/learning
situations.
• Selects diverse instructional approaches that are suited to the development of the competencies targeted in the
programs of study.
• Anticipates obstacles to learning posed by the content to be taught.
• Plans learning situations that provide opportunities to apply competencies in different contexts.
LEVEL OF MASTERY
By the end of his or her initial training, the student teacher should be able to:
• develop appropriate and varied teaching/learning situations involving a reasonable level of complexity that
enable students to progress in the development of their competencies;
• Build these activities into a long‐term plan.
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- For my Secondary III ELA class, I developed a six-week long conceptual unit on The Outsiders and the theme of rivalry in the
novel. I began developing this unit before starting my field experience for my Secondary ELA Methods class and adapted it to
my students’ and cooperating teacher’s needs throughout the unit. I did this by taking into account the readiness levels and
cultures of my students in addition to the long-term learning goals my cooperating teacher had established.
- In my planning, I ensured that my lessons were dynamic, incorporating multiple competencies in relation to my lesson
objectives. For example, in teaching my students how to construct an argument, I first had them engage in an oral debate
exercise. Later on, I asked them to use the argumentative skills they had learned to construct an argumentative essay.
- I made sure to employ a variety of learning activities in each lesson, given my students’ diverse learning preferences. I
frequently incorporated whole class discussion, group work, individual work, and direct instruction in my lessons. I strived to
make sure each of my lessons were made up of at least 2-3 different types of learning activities to ensure everyone had an
opportunity to grasp the class content in different ways.
Level of Mastery: Thorough Attach additional sheets if necessary.
WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- FE4 gave me the enlightening opportunity to teach the same lesson to different groups of students. I felt this
really helped me develop competency four as I regularly had to adapt my lessons based on the group I was
teaching. For example, I was able to do much more direct instruction with one of my Secondary 3 groups than with
the other. Group work and class discussion seemed to be a struggle with certain groups where other groups
embraced these learning activities. I found I was also able to get through new content quicker with certain classes.
I feel I really developed my ability to adapt my lessons for different groups during this field experience.
- During my classes, I often encouraged students to work in pairs or small groups. I found that many of my
students were able to do this appropriately and benefited from the ideas of their peers. We often did think-pair-
share activities in class. Additionally, I had my students collaborate outside of class by assigning a commenting
criterion to our weekly blog assignment. This facilitated positive, critical, and respectful discussion in relation to
student writing.
Level of Mastery: Thorough
TEACHING ACT (3, 4, 5, 6)
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- This was the first field experience for which I had received formal training on assessment. In you pre-field
experience courses, I learned how to effectively construct assessments and assessment tools for students. I
had the opportunity to create several checklist-style assessment tools and a variety of different rubrics to
assess my students’ progress towards my set learning objectives. Using these tools, I had the opportunity to
evaluate each of the three ELA competencies.
- In creating rubrics for my assessments, I often learned from my mistakes. As I progressed, I learned to
incorporate certain criterion that I hadn’t previously considered. For example, my first writing rubric lacked
assessment criteria related to comprehensiveness. I quickly learned to insert this into my rubrics. I also learned
how to weight different criteria appropriately so that the grade a student receives accurately reflects their
mastery of given learning objectives.
Level of Mastery: Thorough
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- I feel competency 6 was my greatest progress area during FE4. I identified classroom management as an area I was
hoping to develop on my student teacher profile. I was provided with a cooperating teacher who had mastered classroom
management in her teaching practice. I could tell from the moment I walked into her class that she respected her students
and in return, her students respected her. Throughout my time with her, she taught me how to be firmer with students while
still respecting them. She also showed me how important it is to have high expectations of your students.
- In a previous professional seminar, one of my professors introduced us to his three rules: 1) respect the environment, 2)
respect each other, and 3) respect yourself. From my first day, I implemented these rules with my students. While not perfect,
they seemed to work well with most of my students. When students were not following these rules, I learned to call out
behaviours instead of names. This proved to be a great way to correct undesirable behaviour without making individual
students feel defensive or embarrassed.
- If I did need to address the whole class or individual students, I made sure to use ‘I statements. One of the most effective
statements I used in my classroom was “I don’t feel very respected right now”. I like this statement because it lets students
know that their actions are affecting you without necessarily accusing them of anything. I found this helped to prevent
feelings of defensiveness which, in turn, prevented situations from escalating.
Level of Mastery: Advanced
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- I had the opportunity to teach students with a variety of learning disabilities and other exceptionalities during
this field experience. In some cases, more than half of the students in my classes were coded. I taught many
students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Operational Defiance Disorder, ADD/ADHD, hearing impairments and
speech impairments. Additionally, I taught a number of students who had experienced trauma which had
consequently affected their social development. Learning to accommodate each of these students in my classes
was challenging but well worth-it. I feel the way I teach has become much more inclusive. I’ve learned to make
sure that the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is at the forefront of each of my lessons.
- As my host school had many students with exceptionalities, my students and I had access to many resources.
My students had access to a Student Support Center (SSC) during class time. Often students would ask me if
they could work in the SSC during individual activities. I found some of my students really benefited from the
individual attention they received there. Additionally, I had a Child Care Worker (CCW) in most of my classes.
Most of the time, the CCW’s were a wonderful resource. They often gave me great advice about how I could
make assignments and activities more inclusive for my students.
- Early on in my field experience, I had the opportunity to participate in parent teacher interviews. This gave me
the chance to introduce myself and learn a bit more about my students. Many parents gave me tips and
strategies to help their students succeed in my classes. This feedback was extremely helpful going forward in
FE4.
Level of Mastery: Thorough
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- From the start of my field experience, technology held an important place in my teaching. Within the second week, I
had implemented a weekly blogging assignment in each of my classes. My students already had access to Schoology,
so I learned how to create discussion posts where my students could respond to the literature we were reading in class
and also respond to each other’s posts. I also used Schoology to post updates and reminds, and to post copies of in-
class handouts. I occasionally posted my PowerPoints there as well. My students appreciated being able to access the
course through an app on their phones. Many students were very excited about being able to complete a school
assignment completely on their phone.
- In addition to Schoology, I used a variety of other technology in my classes. I often used the Smartboard to show
videos, images, and PowerPoints. I also created online quizzes for my students through Kahoot to help them prepare
for tests.
Level of Mastery: Advanced
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- Early on in my field experience I had the chance to participate in parent teacher interviews. Though I had not
been at my host school for very long, the parents were able to give me relevant information that helped me to
engage their students in my lessons. In turn, I was able to give them information about upcoming assignments
so they could help their child to succeed. I’m grateful that I had this experience so early on in Field Experience 4.
- I had the opportunity to attend a slam poetry competition with my students and other staff from my host school.
This allowed me to learn some of the practices and procedures for taking students on field trips using public
transit.
- During lunch, I followed the supervision schedule of my cooperating teacher. I also followed her tutorial
schedule. I realized how essential tutorials were for some of my weaker students and held many extra tutorials at
lunch and after school. Many of my students benefited from these extra tutorials where I was able to give them
more individualized help on their assignments.
- As my cooperating teacher was part of staff council, I was able to attend several staff council meetings. It was
eye opening to learn about some of the inner workings of the school. I also attended many staff meetings where
I had the chance to learn about the various events and projects going on in the school in addition to some of the
challenges the school was facing.
Level of Mastery: Thorough
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- My Secondary II classes were quite small and followed the same schedule as another teacher who taught
Secondary II ELA. We often shared resources with each other and occasionally merged classes. As she was a
new teacher as well, it was excellent to be able to hear about her experiences becoming a teacher. We were
both thankful to be able to share lessons and hand-outs with each other.
- Though we didn’t have any formal department meetings while I was there, the English teachers used the
English department room as their own staff room. Before school and sometimes during lunch, we often
gathered to discuss the various projects we were working on with our students. During these times, we often
shared new ideas and recommended resources. Many of the more experienced teachers were very happy to
share some of their past resources with the other teachers. We also discussed strategies for addressing the
individual needs of some of our students with behavioural issues or other exceptionalities.
Level of Mastery: Thorough
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- During my field experience, I engaged in professional development every day. My cooperating teacher and
I discussed nearly all of the learning activities I planned before I used them in my class. Additionally, she
looked over resources I had created and made constructive comments about my teaching when she
observed me. One of the biggest areas I developed during this field experience was classroom
management. My cooperating teacher gave me countless strategies for managing and preventing difficult
classroom behaviour. After implementing her strategies, I found I had a much easier time maintaining a
respectful and collaborative learning environment.
- I had the opportunity to attend several professional development workshops during my field experience.
Though they were not always relevant to my field, it was quite interesting to see some of the available
educational technologies that are being implemented in the STEAM fields, especially considering I could
end up teaching a subject other than English.
- I often asked other teachers for advice in dealing with students with difficult behaviours or learning
difficulties. The other teachers at the school were very experienced in accommodating these students so
they were able to provide me with pertinent strategies and resources.
Level of Mastery: Thorough
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*
How have I developed this competency during this course or professional seminar/field experience?
- I demonstrated professional behaviour, on a base level, each day by being punctual, prepared, well-dressed, and
demonstrating a positive attitude.
- I made it a priority to treat students and staff ethically and justly in every interaction with them. I feel I gave each of
my students the support and attention they required to the very best of my ability. I respected my students’ privacy by
not discussing confidential matters with individuals other than my cooperating teacher.
- When moral conflicts arose in class, I feel I was able to justly navigate them in a way that ensured the respect and
dignity of all individuals involved. I also made it a priority avoid subjecting my students to any form of discrimination,
either from myself or others. I feel I provided a classroom environment that was safe for all of my students.
- Upon making a mistake I made sure to apologize to either my students or any staff who may have been affected. I
took responsibility for my actions and did everything within my capacity to correct my mistakes.
Level of Mastery: Advanced
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WHAT IS MY CURRENT LEVEL OF MASTERY? (CHOOSE ONE)*