Teaching E-portfolio
H00249406
Summative assessments including doing unit projects and taking tests. These assessments were done to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit.
Professional Development Plan summary
I have been working on my professional development plan in order to accomplish my academic goals and improve my teaching skills. This plan is applied for both semesters 1 & 2 at Al Bahar School. Creating this plan is beneficial because it helped me to begin reflect on teachers behavior. In addition, to acquire and implement the areas of teaching practice competences which are professionalism, planning for learning, managing learning, implementing learning, assessment and reflection. Professional development plan is crucial for language teachers as it helps them to plan strategies that could support students learning and improve their performance. Furthermore, to evaluate whether applying these strategies affected students’ performance and achievements at the end of the semester.
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Professionalism competency:
One of the achieved goals to apply professionalism competency was developing a great rapport with the stakeholders (principals, principals assistant, and teachers). This goal was crucial to me because as a future teacher, I believe that creating a strong rapport with the administrative staffs and teachers is essential in terms of constructing a positive and supportive learning environment. According to Schibi, creating effective stakeholders relationship is efficient in maintaining a good relationship and reducing issues within the school environment (Schibi, 2014). As a result, I have used many strategies to be applied to accomplish professionalism competency. For example, participating in school projects and events, attending workshops, conferences, and seminars, as well as, involving in voluntary activities in the community. This helped me to develop professional skills such as leadership, communication skills, mentoring, project management, time management and conflict resolution as I was attending the workshops, seminars and conferences as I discussed my belief in my teaching philosophy (see teaching philosophy, professionalism). Involving in voluntary activities in the community helped me to gain confidence by giving me the opportunity to try something new and construct a real sense of accomplishment. It helped me to feel proud and satisfied as I serve the community.
Evidences:
Attended a workshop about the awareness of the earth disasters and how to deal with them. It was done by policemen.
Attended a seminar about the safety and how to use the fire extinguisher correctly. It was done by firefighters.
Attended a lecture about stealing for the students.
Participated in the Food International Day by helping my MST to create the broadcast and the play.
Participated in the Flag Day by distributing some chocolate with UAE's flag.
Helped my MST to create a broadcast about year of giving to be presented in the morning assembly.
Attended and helped my MST in arranging the seminar about Mohamed bin Rashid smart learning program.
Participated in “I can do” initiative with police (voluntary activities in the community).
Doing a story telling session and activities in the learning hub (voluntary activities in the community).
Participated in cleaning the back yard in the school with the students (voluntary activities in the community).
Participated in cleaning the heritage village (voluntary activities in the community).
Participated in cleaning the beach (voluntary activities in the community).
Attended a workshop at Ibn Alnafees School about giving and receiving constructive feedback.
Attended a conference “qudwa” with my MST
In order to achieve the professionalism competency, I was receiving feedback from both MST and MCT. I believe receiving feedback from them was very advantageous in developing my teaching skills and showing improvement. It helped me to develop my teaching skills and strategies especially students centered strategy and students motivation which resulted in better learning environment . According to Williams, receiving feedback is a supportive act intended to develop performance to a higher level (Williams, 2014).
Evidences:
Feedback from my MST
Notes from my MCT
Planning for learning competency:
One of the goals to accomplish this competency was giving students an opportunity to control their learning process and encourage collaboration based on my belief in my teaching philosophy (see teaching philosophy, planning for learning). Having implemented it, I found out planning for collaborative learning increases students performance and academic achievement especially when high achiever students help low achiever students. Thousand believes that collaborative learning lead to student success. In addition, students depending on each other in their pursuit of knowledge and it makes the learning process more meaningful (Thousand, 2002). I have used many strategies to accomplish this goal such as planning for students centered and collaborative activities. These strategies developed students communication skills as they worked together. In addition, it encouraged students to share their knowledge and help each other.
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Evidences:
Creating different students centered and collaborative activities as they work in groups as a team. Students help each other to ensure collaboration and I gave them the opportunity to control over their learning.
Being aware of different level of students in order to meet their needs is one of my goals to achieve this competency. Having implemented it, I now understand how much it is important to know students level in order to help those students who need a help to improve their academic performance. I have planned for differentiation activities to help low achievers students and boost high achievers students’ abilities. I have given low achievers students easier tasks to do, whereas I have given high achievers suitable tasks to their level and sometimes a bit higher. From my observation, when I was giving low achievers tasks that are suitable to their level, it increased their performance because it considered their level and made them feel satisfied as they have role in the classroom and they are participating. Giving high achievers activities that are a bit higher was beneficial because it made them challenge their abilities positively.
Evidences:
Creating different activities for low and high achievers in order to meet their needs.
Another goal was improving my monitoring and assessment skills to achieve this competency. Because I believe monitoring students’ progress is important in developing their performance, I was planning for summative and formative assessments which I already discussed in my teaching philosophy (see teaching philosophy, assessment competency). Planning for summative assessment was efficient because it helped me to measure students’ proficiency on obtained skills or concepts which helped me to know how much students have understood the concepts and skills at the end of each unit. Furthermore, when I applied formative assessment, I realized how much it is supportive in terms of improving students’ performance especially low achievers students. When they were given on going feedback, I observed clear improvement in their performance and learning achievements.
Summative assessments including doing unit projects and taking tests. These assessments were done to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit.
Formative assessments including homeworks, creating posters and doing presentations. These assessments were done to provide ongoing feedback to improve their learning.
Managing learning competency:
My achieved goal to implement this competency was motivating and maintaining an effective and supportive classroom based on my belief in my teaching philosophy (see teaching philosophy, managing learning. According to Wiseman & Hunt (2014), motivation is an important factor that affect students learning and achievement (Wiseman & Hunt, 2014). As a result, I found out from my experiences that when I maintain a motivating environment in the classroom through using different strategies, it does encourage the students to participate and learn effectively. I have used many strategies to accomplish this goal such as using motivation chart, group performance chart, assigning responsibilities in class and especially during different interaction pattern (leader, assistant, collector and writer) , displaying students work on the wall and using appropriate strategies to manage student’s behavior ( classroom rules, turning the lights off and stones and diamond strategy). These strategies helped the students to be engaged and motivated in the classroom especially when using motivation charts. They were enthusiastic to get a gift which resulted in behaving very well in the classroom.
Evidences:
I have created this motivation chart, so when students answer hard questions or win in a competition they get a ticket to get in the economy class, and if they collected 3 economy tickets, their tickets will be replaced with the business ticket, after that if they got 3 business tickets, their tickets will be replaced with first class and will get a gift. Students were excited and disciplined to get these tickets.
I gave each student a motivation card. So, when they behave properly or answer hard questions, they get a star. If they collected 6 stars, they get a gift. Students were excited to get the stars to get a gift.
I have created group performance chart for each group. When they work in groups and win in competition or finish the activity first, they get a start. The groups members were working so hard to finish early and win to get a star which taught them to work hard.
I have assigned roles when the students work in groups (leader, assistant, writer and collector) and each of them has different roles. This was very efficient because each one of them participated when doing group activities and were supporting each other. They helped each other and knew their roles, so they did not fight when doing activities.
Displaying students work on the wall. This was very efficacious because it highlighted students’ achievement and made them feel proud and motivated.
I have applied classroom rules to discipline and manage students' behaviors. It was advantageous because it taught students to behave properly in the classroom.
I used diamonds and stones strategy to manage students behavior, I was giving misbehaving students stones, whereas students who behave very well in the class, I was giving them diamonds. It helped me to manage students behavior because students were avoiding getting stones and were excited to get diamonds
Implementing learning competency:
The goals to achieve this competency were strategies for managing students’ behaviors and attitudes as well as, giving students roles and responsibilities. Because I believe managing students behavior is important to pave the way for the teacher to engage the students in learning, I was implementing different strategies (see teaching philosophy, implementing learning). From my observation, I found out when I applied classroom management strategies and rules it really helped in reducing behavior problems and kept students focused and attentive.
Evidences:
I have applied classroom rules to discipline and manage students' behaviors. It was advantageous because it taught students to behave properly in the classroom.
I used diamonds and stones strategy to manage students behavior, I was giving misbehaving students stones, whereas students who behave very well in the class, I was giving them diamonds. It helped me to manage students behavior because students were avoiding getting stones and were excited to get diamonds.
I have assigned roles when the students work in groups (leader, assistant, writer and collector) and each of them has different roles. This was very efficient because each one of them participated when doing group activities and were supporting each other. They helped each other and knew their roles, so they did not fight when doing activities.
I was working with collector students. They were distributing materials, students’ book and note books. Those students were hyperactive students. As a result, I wanted to use their energy and hyperactivity in a positive way by giving them roles such as collectors.
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I was giving students tasks and assignments to do.
Students were completing class tasks\ assignments.
Assessment competency:
My goals to accomplish this competency were improving my monitoring and assessment skills and diagnosing students learning needs and supporting the continuous development of all children. I have chosen these goals to support students’ development through monitoring and assessing their performance using different strategies. I have used effective strategies to achieve my goals such as implementing formative and summative assessments, peer assessment and giving formal and informal assessments. These strategies helped me to diagnose students learning and evaluate their performance in order to support their learning progress.
Evidences:
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I was giving informal assessments to elicit students’ performance without recording their results and making judgments about their competence.
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I was giving informal assessments to elicit students’ performance without recording their results and making judgments about their competence.
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I was giving formal assessments to give an appraisal of students’ achievements. It helped me to test how well students have mastered learning outcomes.
Formative assessments including homeworks, creating posters and doing presentations. These assessments were done to provide ongoing feedback to improve their learning.
I was implementing peer assessments strategy through letting the peers to assess each other, and provide feedback for each other. It was useful because it taught students to be reflective and learn from their mistakes.
Reflection competency:
One of the goals to achieve this competency was developing my teaching skills and learning skills from the given feedback. I have already discussed my belief on receiving feedback in my teaching philosophy (see teaching philosophy, reflection competency). I really improved my teaching skills when I got feedback from my MST and MCT. There was a clear improvement from the beginning till the end of TP. This goal is crucial because I have gained a lot of skills and I have paid attention to some areas of teaching I have never thought of. I developed many teaching strategies such as students centered.
Evidences:
Feedback from my MST
Notes from my MCT
Another effective goal was giving students an opportunity to reflect upon their learning. This was very effective because students had an opportunity to reflect on what they have learnt and improve their reflective skills. I have used many strategies to accomplish this goal such as group presentation and discussion, direct writing, mind maps, photo stories reflecting on their learning. These strategies were helpful because they developed students reflective skills and improved their communication skills.
Conclusion
In conclusion, though there were challenges when planning and implementing professional development plan, it was very effective. I found challenges in finding enough classes to apply the strategies because the teacher has her curriculum and she wanted to finish the curriculum within the short period of the semester. However, professional development plan helped me to plan for strategies that could support the students and their learning achievements, as well as, evaluate their progress. It helped as a teacher to track and improve my teaching strategies. I would highly recommend teachers to create plans that include teaching strategies in order to improve the quality of students’ education and professional growth of teachers.
References:
Schibi, O. (2014). Managing stakeholder expectations for project success a knowledge integration framework and value focused approach. Plantation, FL: J. Ross Publ.
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Williams, R. (2004). Tell Me how I'm Doing: A Fable about the Importance of Giving Feedback. New York: American Management Association.
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Thousand, J. S. (2002). Creativity and collaborative learning: the practical guide to empowering students, teachers, and families. Baltimore: Brookes.
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Wiseman, D., & Hunt, G. (2014). Best practice in motivation and: management in the classroom. Springfield, IL, U.S.A.: Charles C. Thomas, publisher, Ltd.
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