"In teaching others we teach ourselves" - Proverb
Long-term goal:
My long-term professional growth goal was to provide a consistent use and refinement of new instructional practices until mastery is achieved. My main focus and goals were to adapt the instructional skills to meet the needs of all the students.
One area of strength that I pride myself on is the classroom environment, engagement, and responsiveness to students. This has shown to be especially important to foster an equitable learning environment.
In planning weekly curriculum I will continue to improve on planning daily self-analyzing and having a collaborative analysis of these practices. This is something that will add to my improvement as a teacher.
I have surprised myself with using student work as an artifact for reflection on the effectiveness of instruction and modifying it if necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the instruction.
Professional Goal:
I hope to become a more reflective teacher as I continue to grow and educate myself. I have learned the importance of reflecting my teaching practice through my weekly reflections.
Therefore, I want to continue to reflect during my teaching career. I learned that I become a better educator when I reflect on my practice. I become more aware of student understanding when I reflect on my instruction. Therefore, I know how to adapt my instruction to better meet the needs of my students. Also, reflecting on teaching has helped me become aware of how I am growing and how I can continue to grow as an educator. I am more aware of my strengths and weaknesses when I reflect on my practice. I notice which instructional or management strategies are working well, and which ones I need to change. Some students may not have understood a concept, and I need to find another way to help them understand it.
I would not be able to do any of these things if I did not reflect on my teaching. Therefore, I believe it is important to reflect on my practice to understand the effectiveness of my instruction.
Connected Educator:
- Embracing making mistakes and learning from them.
- Being open to learning new and unexpected things.
- Attend any and all educational training provided by the district.
Sustaining Energy:
- I will embrace the fact that I will be a lifelong learner. As long as I am a teacher, I will always be learning.
- When I take a moment for myself, I will be giving myself permission to relax. During this time, I can reflect upon my life and career, which can help remind myself of why I became a teacher in the first place.
“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning” (Brad Henry).
Quote:
"Mrs. Refsdal is a third-grade teacher here at IHCS. She is an example of how hard work and dedication can develop someone into an exemplary teacher. She uses a variety of strategies to accommodate and meet the students' needs and has demonstrated effective and positive classroom management and procedure throughout her lessons". (Jazmina Villalta, Assistant Principal IHCS)
Advice for new teachers:
- Interact with staff, co-workers, administration
- Ask questions
- Share strategies
- Acknowledge every student the first time you see them every day.
- Include technology in your classroom