Name: Bret Jesse

School Year: Fall 2013

402.11.1.3 Professional Growth Plan

Goal/objective statement: -My goals for the first professional semester include classroom management, organization prior to a lesson as well as maintaining strong relationship building and team building with students. These goals are important to my development as a teacher because they are the core aspects of teaching that I feel that I am inconsistent with.

Strategies for goal/objective achievement: -My first goal is regarding classroom management. I think I have difficult as a teacher maintaining control over a classroom. I am very used to the summer camp kind of scenario which includes organized chaos. Very rarely do I need the full attention of students to give instructions during those summer camps. In a classroom it is a much more controlled environment. I plan to take on this goal by observing what kind of techniques my TA applies in the class and reciprocating those strategies. Through reflection I will explore if the strategies work for me and the students. -My second goal includes organization. This has always been a problem for me as a student and a teacher. I have difficulty doing in-depth preparation for anything and this is a skill I will need to develop quickly for my professional semesters. If I am unprepared for a class, it will show and will harm the students learning potential. My major strategy is to always be one week ahead for lessons and give myself lots of time to accomplish the work I need to do. This may not be completely realistic for me as I have attempted it in the past, but I believe that this is an important skill for me to learn and I plan on pushing myself for it. -My final goal is more of a note of professionalism. During my summer camp experience I have developed very fast relationships with students based on fun activities during the day. In a classroom it is much different. Inside the classroom it is a longer-term relationship with the student where they need to trust you to help them reach goals for learning. My goal is to ensure that I am not just playing fun games to win the students over but trying to include academic activities that will help them see that I am a teacher and there to help them.

Indicators/measures of goal/objective achievement: -My first goal will be measured through reflection. If I am able to gain control of the class in a timely fashion and maintain attention throughout the lesson then I will have achieved this goal. I also plan on consulting my TA for confirmation that my strategies are effective.

-My second goal will include personal reflection as well. If I maintain an organizational schedule that keeps me one week ahead of lessons then I will have been successful. If I am able to maintain at least a 3-4 day jump on lessons, I will have been partially successful to the point where I am still ahead and organized but not quite to the point I want to be. -My third goal will be judged by myself and my TA through reflection. My plan is to ensure that learning goals are being met as well as establishing a positive learning environment. I have had teachers in the past who make me want to dislike them and my goal is to be the polar opposite of that. I want to find every reason for the students to feel like they are safe and have an extra care unit in the classroom.

An estimated plan completion time: -All three of these goals will be reflected upon throughout the practicum experience. I hope to have a good handle on all three of these goals by December 11, 2013.

Person(s) that I plan to work with -During the practicum I plan on working closely with my TA as well as fellow PSI students. I believe it is difficult to work with my university consultant on these three goals because they are not in the classroom. These goals require day to day reflection so I may consult them after my reflections are completed, but for the most part they will not be a part of the daily maintenance of these goals.

Reflections November 28, 2013 How student learning has improved: -My learning has improved this semester through daily reflection. I have found that leaving a reflection 2-3 days down the road will not give the same results as doing the reflection the day of the event. Days are so long and so much happens that it is impossible to tell the days apart sometimes. In regards to my goals, all three have made progress. My first goal of classroom management has been met, but could continue to grow. I now am able to maintain attention of students. Through my second goal of organization, my classroom management will improve. I caught myself numerous times during the semester losing track of what activity was coming next, and that caused the students to be confused as to what the learning goals were. I also was unable to plan for students questions being asked. With more work in my second goal, my first goal and second goals will improve. My third goal of professional relationships with students I believe has been achieved. I have been consistently helping students develop goals for learning and getting them to their achievements. This has helped me avoid primarily fun activities and built a relationship built on learning. I hope to keep drama summer camps and the

classroom separate in this regard and hope to continue the success in maintaining a professional demeanour in the classroom.

How my professional practice has improved -Since beginning my professional semester one my daily logging has improved. This will help me in the future by allowing daily reflection on what works and what does not work with each class I work with. Through development of the goals through this first semester I am able to now see a whole new side of teaching that I have not explored before. Classroom management with this group has improved exponentially thanks to the classroom I was placed in. With students who were difficult to maintain control of, I learned a lot about how to deal with those students as well as the rest of the class. By no means have I become an expert or even in that same ballpark, but I have taken away some strategies that will allow me to build on my management skills. I have also learned the importance of pre-planning days ahead of time. I fell flat on my face once or twice during the semester which allowed me to see how important it was to have back-up plans and 2-3 sponge activities just to ensure those students who are exceeding expectations in the classroom also have a goal to achieve.