Cover letter
Within this portfolio will be evidence of my competency within the needed areas according to the standards set by the state of Minnesota. The portfolio is organized as outlined by the table of contents below which in itself follows the areas set by the Minnesota Department of Education. All evidence comes from either the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities' teacher preparation program or from my student teaching placement in a Grade 11 American English Literature classroom. Using a combination of artifacts that illustrate theoretical knowledge and practical application it will be proven that I qualify to be a licensed teacher in Minnesota.
The creation of this portfolio, along with the completion of my student teaching and content courses, had some challenges but also accomplishments. An obvious challenge was the Covid-19 pandemic and its disruption of normal activities including my student teaching experience being moved to online due to closure of schools after a state mandate. While my student teaching has not been what I expected it has been an excellent learning experience. I have gotten more practice on being adaptable and how to work and compromise with students so together we can meet every stakeholder's needs. Staying connected with everyone and changing curriculum was challenging but worth the effort. Being able to finally apply the theory I had spent so long learning and discussing has been rewarding even if the exact format has changed. Despite how chaotic everything has been the biggest success has been how helpful, flexible and cooperative everyone involved has been. Even if the technology does not cooperate or is not ideal it is the people that makes teaching successful and so far the people involved students, advisors, teachers, parents, and more have been putting all the effort needed to make the most out of our current circumstances. I could not of been so successful without everyone's help.
The creation of this portfolio, along with the completion of my student teaching and content courses, had some challenges but also accomplishments. An obvious challenge was the Covid-19 pandemic and its disruption of normal activities including my student teaching experience being moved to online due to closure of schools after a state mandate. While my student teaching has not been what I expected it has been an excellent learning experience. I have gotten more practice on being adaptable and how to work and compromise with students so together we can meet every stakeholder's needs. Staying connected with everyone and changing curriculum was challenging but worth the effort. Being able to finally apply the theory I had spent so long learning and discussing has been rewarding even if the exact format has changed. Despite how chaotic everything has been the biggest success has been how helpful, flexible and cooperative everyone involved has been. Even if the technology does not cooperate or is not ideal it is the people that makes teaching successful and so far the people involved students, advisors, teachers, parents, and more have been putting all the effort needed to make the most out of our current circumstances. I could not of been so successful without everyone's help.
Table of contents
1. Subject Matter
2. Student Learning
3.Diverse Learners
4. Instructional Strategies
5 Learning Environment
6. Communication
7. Planning Instruction
8. Assessment
9. Reflection and Professional Development
10. Collaboration, ethics, and relationships
11. edTPA
2. Student Learning
3.Diverse Learners
4. Instructional Strategies
5 Learning Environment
6. Communication
7. Planning Instruction
8. Assessment
9. Reflection and Professional Development
10. Collaboration, ethics, and relationships
11. edTPA
Subject matter
My mastery of subject matter can be seen through completion of of an undergraduate degree in the subject of my license, successfully passing the state tests on content and pedagogy. Finally, a holistic example of my subject matter knowledge can be seen in the unit plan where I tie content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge together. The Unit Plan brings together the pedagogy theory and literary theory together in order to deliver a well crafted essay to students with a focus on utilizing many modes of instruction.
| mtle2.png |
| mtle1.png |
| raisin_in_the_sun_unit_plan.docx |
| critlitlesson.docx |
| dialogiclesson.docx |
Student learning
My understanding of how students learn and educational theory is demonstrated through the many reflections found in on this website with two examples included here for convenience. In these examples I reflect on different students and how I can differentiate for them and one unique teaching context I was part of during my CELTA course. These examples show I can think critically about how students of differing ages learn within holistic guidelines while also realizing their differences and adapting my practice to their needs. My Unit Plan above and mock lesson plan in video format further demonstrate my ability to navigate student learning using best practice pedagogy that takes advantage of student learning patterns such as how reading aloud reinforces pronunciation and helps with engagement.
| reflection_2child.docx |
| lingdiverse.docx |
Diverse learners
The examples given here are direct examples of my analysis of students, mostly EAL students, and what their strengths and weaknesses are within a classroom. The Differentiation PDF covers ways I would differentiate during my Unit Plan. Evidence PDF covers my analysis of one of my students during practicum that was an EAL learner and the reading work I did with him to analysis his strengths and weaknesses. It was a in-class practice to go with the theory and planning I have done to accommodate all students. The Unit Plan above also serves as another example of my planning so the diverse learners within my student teaching space could benefit fully from my lessons. The mock lesson plan in video format below also demonstrates me differentiating instruction for a diverse classroom with a focus on EAL classroom since the mock lesson plan was done for an International School in Shanghai..
| differentiation.pdf |
| evidence.pdf |
| readerassessment.docx |
Instructional Strategies
The previously and following posted lesson plans and the Unit Plan demonstrate my competency with instructional strategies. I use a variety of strategies ranging from dialogic, critical literacy, to activity based lessons or lessons with blended approaches depending on what would work best for the learning aims of each particular lesson. The Minneapolis Rondo Doc attached shows and adaption of an activity from my Unit Plan to work as a stand alone assignment that was modified to work for online classes. With this I not only show my knowledge of instructional strategies but also of adaption of lessons depending on each unique context and method of delivery.
| minneapolisrondo.docx |
Learning environment
No specific attachments are in this section due to already being used in other locations. Once again I refer to my lessons and unit plans as examples of my understanding. Within the lesson plans I use strategic use of student involvement and interaction to promote a comfortable learning atmosphere and build relationships with my students throughout each individual lesson and through the overall unit. For example, I use think-pair-share to encourage students to generate ideas for themselves and use each other as a source of learning to address questions and activities in the class. This allows students to interact with each other in low stake ways and build confidence before speaking in front of the whole class.
communication
Below is specific examples of communication with students and families. Due to the transition to online learning most of my student communication involves emails and some video conferencing. Due to student privacy I have not uploaded any videos onto this website. I have chosen two examples of feedback to student one prompting for improvement and the other complimenting the students work. Examples of instruction giving can be seen outlined in my lesson plans, activities, and unit plan. I keep my instructions short, clear, and to the point while trying to anticipate potential failure points. However, if any confusion occurs students are encouraged to email. Below is also an example of a daily email students get to help them stay on track with the course work as it serves as a daily check-in and reminder.
| familyletter.docx |
| feedback1.png |
| feedback2.png |
planning instruction
Previously posted are the Unit Plans and the individual lessons that make it up. Those artifacts demonstrate goal creation, taking into account of student background and subject knowledge. The mock lesson plan was created for an interview with an International School in Shanghai. In the video my thought process of how to modify and create lessons for students while taking their context into account. I was given the general context of the class but I verbalize all the assumptions I make while saying how I will modify the lesson and anticipate problems. It serves as an excellent example of planning instruction and creating lesson aims for student benefit.
assessment
The attached files are a modified activity from the Unit Plan that was adapted to work better in an online course since the original was made before Covid-19. There are two different rubrics depending on which approach the students make either a literary analysis or a creative response. This example is a formal evaluation of student work while formative work comes from the short responses, journals, and flip-grid discussions. Examples of a formative assignment is under the Communication section with feddback1 and feedback2. Depending on the task, length of time given, and what the learning aims are I vary what kind of assessment I use and how the points are distributed. The Things They Carried has a full-rubric to guide students on the longer paper while the short reflection post for the Rondo reading was based on completion and demonstrating that the article was read. Different learning aims necessitate different assessments.
| tttcwriting.docx |
| grading_rubric_analysis.doc |
| grading_rubric_creative.doc |
Reflection and Professional Development
Below are attached a couple examples of reflections I have done on my teaching practice along with personal philosophy on technology and education. Finally, I also have CELTA certificate which I earned before joining a teacher preparation program. Even before joining the U of MN's English Licensure program I was committed to further my teaching practice and trying to better myself so I could better serve my students I worked with in China. In the Theory section of this blog even more reflections and thoughts can be found on education practice and philosophy along with reflection on my own practices from thoughts on prior mock lessons, real classes I taught and my experiences in student teaching. All of this clearly illustrates that I am a reflective educator that thinks through the consequences of being a teacher and the importance the position holds.
| celta.pdf |
| techteachingphilosophy.docx |
| reflection1.docx |
| ref2.docx |
Collaboration, ethics, and relationships
The artifacts attached are a few emails, of many, that were sent between my cooperating teacher and I (identifying information has been left out). The consistent communication between us had helped make the student teaching experience go smoothly. To compliment our emails we also had weekly video calls to touch base and discuss what we were doing that week and divide the work load. Again for privacy reasons I have not included an example this here. Student communication has also been mainly through email and comments with a once a week video call with whichever students show up. The recording is then emailed to the rest of the students. Samples of contact with students can be seen above in the Communication section. Consistent and open communication has served to help maintain a positive working mindset and ensure that everyone involved students, cooperating teacher, and me all know what is happening each day and everyone knows what they need to do. It is a lot of emailing but it very much is worth the effort.
| email1.png |
| email2.png |
| email3.png |
edTPA
Planning
Attached are all lessons that were made for my student teaching placement. Each one has intentional focus on prompting students to intentionally construct meaning from and interpret the texts used int he units. Each one has a clear rubric so students know the expectations for the tasks. Also supporting student learning are clear directions the go step-by-step in easy to understand language, to best assist EAL learners. The lesson plans focus on supporting a whole Unit learning aim and are designed to support said aims through the whole lesson. For example, The Raisin in the Sun Unit Plan has a learning aim to bring students attention to systemic inequality and how having a support network greatly helps in achieving the American Dream. The "Minneapolis Rondo" activity and assignment, modified from the in-person version found in the Unit Plan, to provide a real-life example of the systemic discrimination found in A Raisin in the Sun. By planning the unit cohesively to build each lesson on one another the unit allows students to develop along with the lessons and talk progressively harder concepts and ideas.
| raisin_in_the_sun_unit_plan.docx |
| minneapolisrondo.docx |
Instruction
The change from in-person to asynchronous online instruction has changed the approach I have taken in regards to instruction. The sudden change in situation has necessitated a sudden shift in instructional approaches. For example, the late work policy has been adjusted to accept all late work because so many students are struggling through now fault of their own due to the sudden change in circumstances and familial obligations. Another change has been the reliance on emails and online comments on work, with examples below. The course as previously mentioned are asynchronous with a weekly optional video chat. The most reliable way to interact with students now are comments and email which can risk a more distant relationship. Prompting students for a response through probing questions and asking for more detail has so far shown to be the most effective approach at eliciting responses. Poor performance on work is treated equally delicately. Students simply competing work is half the battle the other is making sure they carefully think through their work which has been harder to elicit online. Polite requests and careful questions coupled with reminder emails has been the most effective approach so far. As always, ensuring open communication and stressing teacher availability has also been part of my online pedagogy to make every attempt to connect and be available to students that desire more support.
| feedback1.png |
| feedback2.png |
ASSESSMENT
Examples of student assessment are also in the previous Instruction. The files here are examples of rubrics used during my student teaching placement. Feedback, examples shown in the previous section, serve as avenues to either push students for more in order to achieve a level of work equal to their capabilities and as a place to celebrate their accomplishments. Feedback is based around rubrics to ensure consistent grading a point scale coupled with personal comments on specific parks of the students work to either improve of celebrate what they have as seen in the feedback.png examples. When consistent patterns emerge in students understanding or misunderstandings then that informs future lessons and may require retooling of assignments and instructions to address these gaps. The lessons, units, and activities are ever evolving as evidence from changes from the in-class Unit Plan to the online form the have by necessity been pushed into. Assessment requires consistent execution and clear guidelines to serve as an aid not an obstacle in student learning and through my evolving and adaptive practices I have aimed to accomplish such an aim.
| tttcwriting.docx |
| grading_rubric_analysis.doc |
| grading_rubric_creative.doc |