Candidate Teaching

Summit Presentation

Alan Cook’s

Alan CookEmail MeMy Website

Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.

-Plato

20 year master auto technician2005 – Alex Cook bornSoon after, realized that a change was needed. Enrolled in WAIT in 2007 to test waters, later transferred to MAT program.

Introduction

Alan’s Placement• Master of Arts in Teaching : Early Childhood Education

• Hamilton Crossing Elementary• 5th grade• Mrs. Rachel

Thompson• All subjects

Hamilton Crossing Elementary • 500 students attend HCES• Central Bartow county, north of

Cartersville• Zoned to include

middle andlower-middle classneighborhoods

• 2008 Title I distinguished school.

My Class►Collaborating Teacher: Mrs. Rachel

Thompson►12 students – 6 male, 6 females►Self-contained EIP classroom ►5 SST files►11 Caucasian, 1 African-American►Lower level learners

Our Schedule7:35 am – 8:00 am: Homeroom8:00 am – 8:45 am : Math Intervention8:45 am – 10:30 am : ELA/Reading

block10:30am – 11:25am: Special Areas 11:25am – 12:33 pm: Math12:33 – 1:03: Lunch1:03 – 1:20: Recess1:20-2:25: Science/Social Studies Block

Beginning Candidate Teaching

Thoughts“16 weeks is SO long…”“How am I gonna survive this?”“My teacher is pregnant? How’s that gonna work?”

Feelings“I can see light at the end of the tunnel!”“My hands will stay clean and uninjured.”“Can I do all of the things we learned in a real classroom setting?”

CANDIDATE PROFICIENCY EVIDENCE

DOMAIN I: • How did I use knowledge of curriculum, learner differences, and ongoing assessment data to plan for student access to same essential content?

PLANNING FOR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT 

REQUIRED ARTIFACTS:1. Life Science Lesson Plan–Traits of Liv

ing Things2. Reading Lesson Plan – Literature Cir

cles3. Physical Science Lesson Plan – Physi

cal Changes and States of Matter4. Math Lesson Plan – Perimeter, Area

and Volume review.

Other Artifacts• Example of pre-assessment online

Done with Google Docs forms,Data automatically loads to

spreadsheet for data analysis• Student Interest Survey

Also done via Google Docs.

DOMAIN II: 

How did I utilize a variety of strategies to differentiate instruction and assessment?

PROVIDING DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT

REQUIRED ARTIFACTS:

Assessment Activities • Pre-assessment“

The Secret Garden” pre-assessment / anticipation guide (html)

• Ongoing assessmentTeacher-made math practice. (html)

• Post-assessmentArea of irregular shapes quiz (html)

Rubrics• Literature Circle Project Rubric

(html)

• Science Lesson Observation Rubric (html)

• Math Lesson Graphing Rubric (html)

Technology Activities• Math Jeopardy• Slide Shows• Some work with MS Word

• Krypto played via iPhone app

Science Experiment Video• Change of states in matter video

Links to Sites Used•BrainPop• Jeopardy Labs•Discovery Education

•Study Island

Student Work

DOMAIN III: 

How did I use systematic formal/informal assessment as an ongoing diagnostic activity to measure student growth and to guide, differentiate, and adjust instruction?

IMPACTING STUDENT LEARNING

REQUIRED ARTIFACTS:• Lesson in which assessment results led to

adjustment in lesson plan – Science (html) lesson on changes in states of matter

• Results from this lesson led to some re-teaching of several students and even retesting of one specific student.

Assessment Tools•Completed Rubrics (html)

• Google Docs Spreadsheet

• Observational Check sheet

Impact on LearningoScience Lesson – Traits of Animals (html)

oReading Lesson – Literature Circles (html)

oScience Lesson – Matter Changes (html)

DOMAIN IV: How did I display a professional

commitment to the teaching philosophy of differentiated instruction to support students’ diverse learning needs and to maximize learning?

How has my teaching philosophy changed during Candidate Teaching?

REQUIRED ARTIFACTS: 

• Attended Bartow County 5th grade Math Vertical Alignment Meeting February 3, 2011.

• Member of S.P.A.G.E.• Evaluations from College Supervisors,

Collaborating Teachers • Attended all faculty and grade level meetings.

My PhilosophyOriginally Now

•No one best way to teach a diverse group of children

•Philosophies such as Perennialism and Essentialism still have their place in modern teaching.

•A good teacher, like a good mechanic knows what tools and techniques to use at the right time

•Same, only reinforced

•They do have a place, but a lesser place than I thought when I wrote this.

•Constructivism now leads the pack of major philosophies that I align with.

•Amen.

CONCLUSION: 

Student teaching has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my professional life. I look foreword to applying all of the things learned here to my own classroom. I am more confident than ever that I will be able to positively impact student learning because of this experience.

REQUIRED ARTIFACTS: 

Continuing Plan to Develop as a Professional Educator

• Join other professional organizations• Pursue Ed.S. and PhD.• Join committees at school such as

math vertical alignment team.• Continue research into Differentiated

Instruction.

Future Challenges as a Teacher

• Finding a job• Dealing with parents• Avoiding politics• Following my own way despite the

advice from older teachers.• Balancing teaching and family life.

A Comparison Differences between being a

Candidate Teacher and a First-year Teacher

• Getting paid! • Having COMPLETE control and

responsibility• Being seen as a professional instead

of a student

My AdviceAdvice to Future Candidate Teachers

• Be prepared to work constantly. • Have no other worries than teaching• Get to know your students, your

teacher’s least favorite may be your favorite.

• Tame the paperwork monster