Standard Nine | Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy
The competent teacher is an ethical and reflective practitioner who exhibits professionalism; provides leadership in the learning community; and advocates for students, parents or guardians, and the profession.
Artifact 1: Instructional Strategies and Accommodations Essay
Growth of Knowledge Indicator A: evaluates best practices and research-based materials against benchmarks within the disciplines.
Growth of Knowledge Indicator B: knows laws and rules (e.g., mandatory reporting, sexual misconduct, corporal punishment) as a foundation for the fair and just treatment of all students and their families in the classroom and school.
Growth of Knowledge Indicator F: understands the roles of an advocate, the process of advocacy, and its place in combating or promoting certain school district practices affecting students.
Growth of Performance Indicator F: collaborates with other teachers, students, parents or guardians, specialists, administrators, and community partners to enhance students’ learning and school improvement.
Growth of Performance Indicator I: proactively serves all students and their families with equity and honor and advocates on their behalf, ensuring the learning and well-being of each child in the classroom.
Growth of Performance Indicator J: is aware of and complies with the mandatory reporter provisions of Section 4 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act [325 ILCS 5/4].
The artifact below was written for SPED 405: The General Educator's Role in Special Education. The class in general, as well as the essay below, revolved around how to be an advocate for every student. It provided information on connecting students to resources within the school and within the larger community, and discussed the importance of being an ethical and reflective teacher. The assignment below focused on tailoring a lesson plan for individual students to reflect appropriate accommodations and adaptations, illustrating a true sense of initiative, understanding, and advocacy.
Artifact 1: Instructional Strategies and Accommodations Essay
Growth of Knowledge Indicator A: evaluates best practices and research-based materials against benchmarks within the disciplines.
Growth of Knowledge Indicator B: knows laws and rules (e.g., mandatory reporting, sexual misconduct, corporal punishment) as a foundation for the fair and just treatment of all students and their families in the classroom and school.
Growth of Knowledge Indicator F: understands the roles of an advocate, the process of advocacy, and its place in combating or promoting certain school district practices affecting students.
Growth of Performance Indicator F: collaborates with other teachers, students, parents or guardians, specialists, administrators, and community partners to enhance students’ learning and school improvement.
Growth of Performance Indicator I: proactively serves all students and their families with equity and honor and advocates on their behalf, ensuring the learning and well-being of each child in the classroom.
Growth of Performance Indicator J: is aware of and complies with the mandatory reporter provisions of Section 4 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act [325 ILCS 5/4].
The artifact below was written for SPED 405: The General Educator's Role in Special Education. The class in general, as well as the essay below, revolved around how to be an advocate for every student. It provided information on connecting students to resources within the school and within the larger community, and discussed the importance of being an ethical and reflective teacher. The assignment below focused on tailoring a lesson plan for individual students to reflect appropriate accommodations and adaptations, illustrating a true sense of initiative, understanding, and advocacy.
Reflection 1:
The artifact embedded above pertains to Standard Nine of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, which addresses the need for proficient teachers to advocate for students and be an ethical and reflective practitioner. The artifact was created in response to my SPED 405 class’s assignment guidelines to integrate “advocacy” with “best practices,” tenets of Knowledge Indicators A and F, respectively. One of the case studies in the assignment also deals with a student who needs support from school resources such as a counselor, and with more background knowledge of the case and interactions with the student it is likely that it would be appropriate to call the DCFS Mandated Reporter Hotline. This aspect of the artifact reflects my proficiency of Knowledge Indicator B, which requires teachers to “[know] laws and rules (e.g., mandatory reporting, sexual misconduct, corporal punishment) as a foundation for the fair and just treatment of all students and their families in the classroom and school.” Furthermore, it shows that I am ready to collaborate with specialists, administrators, and community resources, since I discuss the need to connect with a counselor, and I would also talk with my administrator about the situation. Knowing that many students require additional advocacy and support from their teachers and school resources, I have grown more sensitive to making sure all of my students are supported in the specific ways they need. The artifact includes my responses to three students with different needs, which reflects my dedication to “proactively [serve] all students and their families with equity and honor and advocates on their behalf, ensuring the learning and well-being of each child in the classroom,” as Performance Indicator I calls for. I am passionate about making sure every student is supported in my class, and I will collaborate with other teachers and resources as often as possible to make sure my advocacy is as comprehensive and effective as it can be. In one of my pre-service teaching experiences, my school held grade-level meetings for teachers regularly so that they could discuss students across their classes, making sure their strategies for intervention and support were working and collaborating to change things if needed. This approach, part of integrating Response to Intervention (RTI) into schools, is something I have grown to really appreciate in my development as a pre-service teacher.
The artifact embedded above pertains to Standard Nine of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, which addresses the need for proficient teachers to advocate for students and be an ethical and reflective practitioner. The artifact was created in response to my SPED 405 class’s assignment guidelines to integrate “advocacy” with “best practices,” tenets of Knowledge Indicators A and F, respectively. One of the case studies in the assignment also deals with a student who needs support from school resources such as a counselor, and with more background knowledge of the case and interactions with the student it is likely that it would be appropriate to call the DCFS Mandated Reporter Hotline. This aspect of the artifact reflects my proficiency of Knowledge Indicator B, which requires teachers to “[know] laws and rules (e.g., mandatory reporting, sexual misconduct, corporal punishment) as a foundation for the fair and just treatment of all students and their families in the classroom and school.” Furthermore, it shows that I am ready to collaborate with specialists, administrators, and community resources, since I discuss the need to connect with a counselor, and I would also talk with my administrator about the situation. Knowing that many students require additional advocacy and support from their teachers and school resources, I have grown more sensitive to making sure all of my students are supported in the specific ways they need. The artifact includes my responses to three students with different needs, which reflects my dedication to “proactively [serve] all students and their families with equity and honor and advocates on their behalf, ensuring the learning and well-being of each child in the classroom,” as Performance Indicator I calls for. I am passionate about making sure every student is supported in my class, and I will collaborate with other teachers and resources as often as possible to make sure my advocacy is as comprehensive and effective as it can be. In one of my pre-service teaching experiences, my school held grade-level meetings for teachers regularly so that they could discuss students across their classes, making sure their strategies for intervention and support were working and collaborating to change things if needed. This approach, part of integrating Response to Intervention (RTI) into schools, is something I have grown to really appreciate in my development as a pre-service teacher.
Artifact 2: Student Teaching Midterm Evaluation
Growth in Knowledge Indicator D: identifies paths for continuous professional growth and improvement, including the design of a professional growth plan.
Growth in Knowledge Indicator E: is cognizant of his or her emerging and developed leadership skills and the applicability of those skills within a variety of learning communities.
Growth in Performance C: reflects on professional practice and resulting outcomes; engages in self-assessment; and adjusts practices to improve student performance, school goals, and professional growth.
The artifact below is a midterm evaluation and reflection that I wrote; this specific form was for my class, CI 404, although I also completed a midterm evaluation for COTE (Council on Teacher Education) and met with my supervisor and cooperating teacher to discuss my work. Furthermore, I created a feedback form to give my students, and carefully read through their responses.
Growth in Knowledge Indicator D: identifies paths for continuous professional growth and improvement, including the design of a professional growth plan.
Growth in Knowledge Indicator E: is cognizant of his or her emerging and developed leadership skills and the applicability of those skills within a variety of learning communities.
Growth in Performance C: reflects on professional practice and resulting outcomes; engages in self-assessment; and adjusts practices to improve student performance, school goals, and professional growth.
The artifact below is a midterm evaluation and reflection that I wrote; this specific form was for my class, CI 404, although I also completed a midterm evaluation for COTE (Council on Teacher Education) and met with my supervisor and cooperating teacher to discuss my work. Furthermore, I created a feedback form to give my students, and carefully read through their responses.
Reflection 2:
The artifact embedded above pertains to Illinois Professional Teaching Standard Nine: Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy. This standard requires teachers to be "ethical and reflective [practitioners] who exhibits professionalism." The artifact above is just one of many examples that illustrates my dedication to being as reflective and professional as possible; I know that by bettering myself as a teacher, I am becoming a stronger leader and stronger advocate for my students. Furthermore, showing my students my interest in feedback, through a feedback form given to them halfway through my student teaching experience, models for them what it means to be a life-long learner. By reflecting on my development, I focus on the tenet of Knowledge Indicator D, which calls for teachers to "[identify] paths for continuous professional growth and improvement." When I met with my supervisor and cooperating teacher for my midterm evaluation, I came up with specific goals of what I wanted to focus on in the second half of my student teaching placement. Questions from the artifact above, such as "In which aspects of classroom management do you know that you want to focus on improving?", illustrate that I am not only reflective but proactive in identifying and following "paths for continuous...growth."
My answer to question number five in the artifact highlights my adaptability, which fits with Performance Indicator C's requirement that teachers "[reflect] on professional practice and resulting outcomes; [engage] in self-assessment; and [adjust] practices to improve student performance, school goals, and professional growth" (italics added). The purpose of my reflections on the midterm evaluation form and student feedback form was to help shape what changes I should make to my next units. I reflect on my professional growth on my own, with my students, with my cooperating teacher, with my supervisor, with other teachers in the school, and in my CI 404 class. By taking these steps and completing evaluation forms like the one embedded above, I show my passion for being a thoughtful and open classroom teacher and leader.
The artifact embedded above pertains to Illinois Professional Teaching Standard Nine: Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy. This standard requires teachers to be "ethical and reflective [practitioners] who exhibits professionalism." The artifact above is just one of many examples that illustrates my dedication to being as reflective and professional as possible; I know that by bettering myself as a teacher, I am becoming a stronger leader and stronger advocate for my students. Furthermore, showing my students my interest in feedback, through a feedback form given to them halfway through my student teaching experience, models for them what it means to be a life-long learner. By reflecting on my development, I focus on the tenet of Knowledge Indicator D, which calls for teachers to "[identify] paths for continuous professional growth and improvement." When I met with my supervisor and cooperating teacher for my midterm evaluation, I came up with specific goals of what I wanted to focus on in the second half of my student teaching placement. Questions from the artifact above, such as "In which aspects of classroom management do you know that you want to focus on improving?", illustrate that I am not only reflective but proactive in identifying and following "paths for continuous...growth."
My answer to question number five in the artifact highlights my adaptability, which fits with Performance Indicator C's requirement that teachers "[reflect] on professional practice and resulting outcomes; [engage] in self-assessment; and [adjust] practices to improve student performance, school goals, and professional growth" (italics added). The purpose of my reflections on the midterm evaluation form and student feedback form was to help shape what changes I should make to my next units. I reflect on my professional growth on my own, with my students, with my cooperating teacher, with my supervisor, with other teachers in the school, and in my CI 404 class. By taking these steps and completing evaluation forms like the one embedded above, I show my passion for being a thoughtful and open classroom teacher and leader.