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Professional Portfolio An organized framework of the Alaska Teacher Standards Kimberly Forgey University of Alaska Southeast MAT • Fall 2010
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Page 1: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Professional PortfolioAn organized framework of the Alaska Teacher Standards

Kimberly ForgeyUniversity of Alaska Southeast MAT • Fall 2010

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Page 2: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Table of ContentsResume

Standard 1: Philosophy of Education

Standard 2: Development and Learning

Standard 3: Diversity

Standard 4: Content, and Standard 5: Planning, Instruction and

Assessment

Standard 6: Classroom Management and Discipline

Standard 7: Communication with Parents and Community

Standard 8: Professionalism

Teacher Work Sample: Tricky Teens

Annotated Bibliography

Page 3: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Profile-Canvases instruction to facilitate grade level curricular goals and student at?tainment of performance standards-Commits to the academic and social development of students with a profes?sional and supportive mindset-Collaborates with students, staff and parents for our common goal of educating each child-Provides differentiated instruction to all students with the understanding that all children are capable of learning.-Implements Social Emotional Learning techniques while providing positive be?havioral supports for students struggling with social and coping skills within the classroom-Plans, organizes and executes fun and appropriate curricular activities that en?gage students from various aspects-Has background experience in planning and writing educational grants

ExperienceStudent Teacher, Kindergarten, College Gate Elementary, Anchorage AK (Fall 2010)Students entering Kindergarten are growing to learn social interaction in the school setting and understanding the beginning elements of reading, writing and math.

Teacher Assistant SPED K-4, Mt. Iliamna Elementary, Anchorage, AK (2008-2010)Mt. Iliamna Elementary is an atmosphere that supports positive behavior man?agement. Students are exposed to various techniques to use in the classroom setting to help them become successful self managers of their behaviors.

Nanny, Dr. Eric Coulter MD-Ophthalmologist, Anchorage AK (2008-Present)Providing reliable and capable care and education for three children from ages 3 and 4 to the present time.

Kaleidoscope Youth Program, Greeley, Colorado (Fall 2007)Volunteering 3-4 days per week helping children from lower income schools to complete homework and improve their overall academic skills in reading, writing and math.

EducationM.A.T. University of Alaska Southeast IN PROGRESSB.A. Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts (Elementary Education), 2007, University of Northern Colorado

References:Sue Schade Courtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-SaftPrincipal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500

Kimberly Forgey, 7061 Fairweather Park Loop, Anchorage, AK 99518 907-306-9528 [email protected]

Kimberly Forgey

Page 4: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Philosophy of Education

A successful teacher understands that each and every student is capable of

learning, regardless of their cultural, linguistic, physical or mental capabilities. A class-

room full of students is to be looked at as a group of individuals with their own unique

personality, style and abilities. A classroom must be open to the understanding that

one student learns differently from the next. Passionate and effective teachers must

recognize and address each student for who they are, keeping an open mind that

teaching must be differentiated to accommodate each child and their unique ability to

learn. Each individual student requires different needs from their teacher, including an

understanding and acceptance of who they are. A successful and qualified teacher

can recognize needs and differences among her students and consider this while teach-

ing.

With today’s curriculum based classroom, an effective teacher must take be

able to consider the given material as well as her students when planning learning ac-

tivities. Each and every child is of varying abilities academically, socially and behav-

iorally. Recognizing such traits within a student is key in that student’s success.

I believe that the key to keeping children engaged in academics is to provide

hands on, minds on activities that will help them learn and explore through their own

experiences. Student’s exposure to concepts can be solidified from a first hand experi-

ence to ensure that students are truly grasping the concepts taught in the classroom.

Videos and textbooks are great supplements to curricular goals; however, I believe that

they must never be used as a primary source of teaching within the classroom.

Grouping students with similar strengths and weaknesses gives teachers a

chance to address difficulties with reading, writing and math in a more direct manner.

Teachers are able to assess students in smaller groups; especially with they are

grouped according to their ability. Teachers can use intervention plans and supports to

ensure that struggling students are not left behind. Such interventions can be used in-

side the classroom as well as within the school building as it is a high priority that all

students are on track with the curricular requirements.

Page 5: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Development and Learning

Effective teaching involves a true understanding of how children grow and develop. Each grade level requires a teacher that can plan and execute learning activities that are appropriate for the age of the children. The curriculum can be a helpful tool when setting goals for students, however, each classroom and group of students is different. A successful teacher takes students development and abilities into consideration when creating activities to ensure that students are grasping and mastering key concepts.

Alaska Standard: Mathematics A:A student should understand mathematical facts, concepts, principles and theories. A5: A student should construct, draw, measure, transform, compare, visualize, classify, and analyze the relationships among geometric figures.

Goal: Students will understand that for an object to be symmetrical, it must have two equal halves.

Topic: Snowflake Symmetry

Methodology: Through creative channels, students will learn first hand about symmetry.

Learning Theory: Students need hands on, minds on activities to help solidify symmetry. Objective(s): Students will begin to see symmetry all around them Materials: List all materials used, including technology. Light blue paper with a snowflake outline traced in the centerPaint (light blue, dark blue, white)Scissors Activities: Students have be exposed to symmetry through folding paper and cutting half shapes to see that when opened, the shapes are whole and complete. Referencing previous activities, stu-dents will recall the shapes that are symmetrical as well as the line of symmetry. Students will watch the activity modeled first; the snowflake will be painted by dabbing the paint onto one side of the snowflake. Once one whole side of the snowflake is painted, the pa-per will be folded in half to reveal the same painted pattern on the once empty side of the snowflake. Once dried, the snowflakes will be cut out and displayed on the classroom bulletin board.

How is this lesson understanding of the development of kindergarten age children?This lesson gives students a chance to see and experience through creative channels, the con-cepts of symmetry. At age five and six, students struggle to understand what symmetry truly is. With this activity, students are able to conceptualize how one side of the snowflake transforms into two identical sides of the snowflake by simply folding on the line of symmetry. With the snowflakes displayed on the classroom bulletin board, students can find their own work as well as admire the various other designs of their peers. Having been folded, students can clearly see the line of symmetry.

Page 6: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Diversity

Each and every classroom is a unique and diverse unit. Students come into school with dif-ferent personalities, experiences, backgrounds and ethnicities. Having a classroom where all stu-dents feel safe and accepted is essential in running a successful classroom. Teachers can teach acceptance first and foremost through example. It is my belief that every student is capable of learning regardless of their race, ethnicity, background or personal experiences. Students from diverse backgrounds require an atmosphere where they feel accepted and appreciated before any learning can take place. My experience teaching in Alaska has been in classrooms where students speak multiple languages, are from varying locations, and participate in many different cultural traditions. It has been a goal of mine to make sure that classroom in which I teach is full of diversity and accep-tance, ensuring that all students understand the importance of appreciating each other’s differ-ences. Title: Census acrostic poemGrade Level: 6Topic: The Census, writing, technology, typingAlaska Standards: Government and Citizenship E: A student should have the knowledge and skills necessary to participate effectively as an informed and responsible citizen.A student who meets the content standard should: 1) know the important characteristics of citizenship; 2) recognize that it is important for citizens to fulfill their public responsibilities; 3) exercise political participation by discussing public issues, building consensus, becoming in-volved in political parties and political campaigns, Goals/Objectives: Students will not only learn about the census and understand that it involves the country as a whole, but they will understand that our country is made up of a diverse and unique population of people. The end results of this project should portray a country of different sexes, races, skin colors, ages etc.Materials: Computer, internet access, construction paper, scissors, glue Procedure: Each student had a computer and access to the internet. They were instructed to navi-gate to the 2010 Census page (http://2010.census.gov/2010census/index.php) and read the two sections: “How it works” and “Why it’s important”. After a little discussion about these two top-ics, the students were instructed to write an acrostic poem about the census. Students were en-couraged the to use as much creativity as possible using the information they have just learned. Once they were finished with their poem, they were instructed to find an outline of the United States and drag it into a Pages document. From there, they were to find picture of people (any people the students felt appropriate; celebrities, themselves, family members, political figures, blacks, whites, Hispanics, nothing is off limits). The pictures were dragged into the same Pages document and resized so that many picture would be placed inside the outline of the United States. Both the United States outline and the poem were printed and then both were placed onto a piece of construction paper.

Page 7: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Content, Planning, Instruction and Assessment

Teaching is today is so much more than standing in front of a group of students and relaying important information. In order for students to really learn and understand what is being taught, they must experience these new concepts in a hands on, minds on way. I believe that learning comes through first hand experiences that allow students to make a personal connection with the content. As a teacher, I like to take on the challenge of creating new and creative activities for my students related to the curriculum. A teacher must know and understand her student in order to plan and execute learning activities in the classroom. With this knowledge and understanding, I create and use activities that I believe will be most successful in teaching my students the concepts required.

HEALTHIn order for students to have and maintain and healthy lifestyle, they must learn first that it means to be healthy. Teaching health involves informing children of proper food and nutrition as well as exercise and movement. However, teaching health also involves cre-ating an awareness of safety. Students need to learn that their choices have an effect on their well being. Those choices include interacting with strangers, drugs and alcohol, and knowing how to handle various emergency situations. Without many of these concepts, students may not be aware of the choices they have to help them lead a healthy and safe life.

Alaska Standard: Healthy Life B: A student should be able to demonstrate a responsibil-ity for the student’s well being. B1: A student should demonstrate an ability to make re-sponsible decisions by discriminating among risks and by identifying consequences. B3: A student should assess the effects of culture, heritage and traditions on personal well be-ing.

Goal: Students will understand that with upcoming festivities, that they must make choices to protect themselves from potential dangers.

Topic: Candy safety and stranger danger

Methodology: If students are aware of potential dangers before they are faced with im-portant choices, then they are better prepared to make safe and healthy decisions.

Learning Theory: Students need to be made aware of some of the dangers that they may face at a young age. Kindergarten is the perfect age to begin teaching students that the choices they make will protect them from harm, and they are old enough now to under-stand the risks of certain situations, even those during fun and festive times.

Objective(s): Students will be exposed to various situations that may arise during the up-coming fall and Halloween activities. Students will be able to recognize potential danger and handle it responsibly. Student Assessment: Students will participate in various role-playing situations acting as both the perpetrator and the “smart student”. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of safety

Page 8: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Materials: WhiteboardBook: The Berenstain Bears Trick or TreatCandy (wrapped and unwrapped)

Activities: Students will begin by hearing The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat book and discuss the challenges that the cubs face in the book. Students will be polled on who plans to celebrate Halloween and who does not. Discussion will take place concerning that some people choose to celebrate Halloween and some do not, and that it’s up to each person to make their own choice to celebrate. Discussion will shift to that of trick-or-treating (for those who choose to celebrate Halloween). Students will learn and discuss the important rules of trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Students will also be participate in discussion of the potential dangers even if they choose not to trick-or-treat, such as stranger danger; answering the doorbell alone, sharing candy with other children, and taking care of our bodies by limiting sweets.

After being made aware of the potential dangers, students will be given a situation that they may face and role play through the situation. Students will return back to their desks and will be given two pieces of candy; one wrapped/sealed, one without any sort of wrapping. Students will be asked which piece of candy seems safer, and why they believe so. Students will practice throwing away the unsealed candy even if it looks safe, and inspecting the wrapped candy to ensure they are handling safe candy to eat. Students will then be allowed to eat the safe candy.

Differentiation for special learners: The candy used for this lesson will be chosen based on any known allergies in the classroom so that each child may participate and enjoy the candy. Students will be chosen for the role-playing portion of the lesson only on a volunteer basis. Children who are uncomfortable with this activity will only be required to watch and pay attention. None of the children participating in this lesson have any serious handicaps, however, this lesson could be taught to children with physical handi-caps with little or not issue. Students in this classroom will have a teacher aid present to help or assist with challenges that may arise.

How is this lesson sensitive to cultural and language issues? This lesson may be sensi-tive for those children who do not celebrate Halloween, but they will have a chance to learn about potential dangers of Halloween night, even if not celebrating.

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SCIENCEChildren naturally harness a curiosity for the world around them. Bringing science into the classroom gives students a chance to see the world from a different perspective. Young children often are eager to explore nature, which is usually the basis to begin-ning to learn science. Students begin to understand that the world is in constant change, and their desire to understand such concepts is strong. Bringing science and awareness into the classroom through developmentally appropriate lessons and activi

Page 9: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

ties helps create a student that is knowledgeable and aware of their world. As students understand more and more about scientific concepts, they can take their curiosity even further.

Alaska Standard: Science C: A student should be able to understand and be able to apply the concepts, models, theories, facts, evidence, systems, and processes of life sci-ence. C2: Students should develop an understanding of the structure, function, behav-ior, development, life cycles, and diversity of living organisms. C3: Students should de-velop an understanding that all organisms are linked to each other and their physical environments through the transfer and transformation of matter and energy.

Goal: Students will explore the properties both inside and outside of a pumpkin. Upon the discovery and observation of seeds inside the pumpkin, students will learn the proc-ess that takes place in order for the seeds to transform into a pumpkin.

Topic: Pumpkins

Methodology: Students will make their own opinions and observations about the pump-kin’s elements while learning about the physical changes that take place in order for a pumpkin to grow from a seed into a large fruit.

Learning Theory: Students need physical and sensory activities to help learn, relate and understand the elements of science, particularly that of a pumpkin’s physical properties as well as the cycle of life.

Objective(s): Students will understand that a pumpkin comes from the dirt on the ground and that we can use our senses to observe and learn about not only pumpkins but other living plants and organisms as well. Students will have a chance to discover what the inside of a pumpkin looks, feels, smells, and eventually tastes like. Student Assessment: Students will engage in a group discussion where they will have a chance to provide their thoughts, opinions and observation about the pumpkin pro-vided. Each student will have an equal chance to explore the pumpkin and then come up with his or her own experiences both before and after the pumpkin has been cut. Materials: -One large pumpkin-Safety knife for cutting pumpkin-Butcher paper (or large surface to write on such as a whiteboard)-Newspaper (for easy clean-up)-Glue-Pre-cut pumpkin die-cuts (2 per student)-yarn-cooking tray-oven-Pam (cooking spray)-Butter-Brown sugar

Page 10: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Activities: DAY 1Introduction: Students will participate in a game well known to them; “I’m thinking of a _________” This particular round, students will be given hints about the pumpkin until they can successfully name a pumpkin as what the teacher is thinking about. Students will be called table by table to observe the pumpkin by feeling it’s skin and stem, trying to safely lift it, and smelling it. Once all of the students have observed the pumpkin, the whole class will participate in a discussion about what they observed. Student’s an-swers will be recorded on a large sheet of paper entitled “Our Pumpkin Report” that will be made up of two columns; one to record information about the outside of the pumpkin, and one to record the information about the inside of the pumpkin. Upon completion of the first column, the pumpkin will be cut open for all students to observe yet again, except they will focus on the elements of the insides of the pumpkin. Obser-vations will be recorded yet again in the second column.

Activities: DAY 2 Students will begin with a discussion recalling the previous day’s observations and activities. Students will brainstorm how the seeds inside the pumpkin turn into an actual pumpkin. Students will learn that a pumpkin is planted into the ground and with the right elements (temperature, moisture, time of year) a pumpkin will begin to grow. Stu-dents will observe pictures of the various stages of a pumpkin’s life cycle, and sequence them in appropriate order.

Students will then create their own pumpkin book comprised of two pre-cut pump-kin die cuts. On one pumpkin, students will write their name, on the other students will receive the number of pumpkin seeds to correspond with their age (the pumpkin seeds will have been cleaned and dried before being given to students). Students will then glue their pumpkin seeds onto the pumpkin die cut along with three pieces of yarn to resemble the pulp of the pumpkin. These books will be displayed on a “vine” on a hallway bulletin board.

Later, students will help prepare the left over seeds for baking. Students will pour and take turns mixing the seeds with the melted butter. Once mixed, the teacher will spread the pumpkins out on a cooking tray coated with Pam (or other cooking spray) and then lightly sprinkle brown sugar on top of the seeds. The teacher will place the seeds into the oven to bake for five minutes - after which the seeds will be flipped and gently stirred to avoid sticking and coated again with brown sugar. Students can enjoy the pumpkin seeds for a snack.

As a follow-up (optional) activity, students will have the chance to make their own mini-book depicting the stages of a pumpkin’s life cycle. Students will color and assem-ble the pictures in the correct order to show the progression of pumpkin seed to pump-kin. This will take place as morning work of day three.

Page 11: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Differentiation for special learners: There are no accommodations needed for this par-ticular group. This lesson would require no accommodations for children with physical handicaps as much of the lesson requires observation and verbal discussions. Students with lower abilities will benefit from a teacher aid that will assist in the lesson, especially while gluing the seeds and yarn to the pumpkin. How is this lesson sensitive to cultural and language issues? This lesson will be part of a unit on pumpkins taking place during the fall season. Due to issues with varying beliefs, this lesson and unit will not be directly related to Halloween. The use of pumpkins will have a strong emphasis on fall and the traditional symbols of fall, NOT Halloween.

ARTEducating children goes beyond reading, writing and mathematics, it is also a way for children to express their unique creativity. Art can easily be used across the curriculum to help reinforce academic concepts in the classroom. Students, especially at a young age, crave the chance to explore with different media and to express their personality through artistic avenues. Through various art activities, students are able to bring out their background and experiences in a way that they can show to their classmates and families, and take pride in the work they complete. Students often find that expressing their creativity is enjoyable and provides them an open and expressive attitude towards art.Alaska Standard: Arts A: A students should be able to create and perform in the arts. A3: A student should appropriately use new and traditional materials, tools, techniques and processes in the arts. A6: A student should integrate two or more art form to create a work of art.

Mathematics E: A student should be able to apply mathematical concepts and processes to situations within and outside of school. E1: A student should explore problems and describe results using graphical, numerical, physical, algebraic, and verbal mathematical models or representations. E3: A student should use mathematics in other curriculum ar-eas.

Goal: Students can use art as a way to express their creativity and personality while be-ing exposed to the concept of glyphs for the first time.

Topic: Spider glyphs quilt; painting and paper folding. Methodology: Students should be exposed to various and creative media in school in order to express their own creativity and understanding of new techniques.

Page 12: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Learning Theory: Students will work closely with a teacher as they experience a form of painting using paint, a box, and a marble. Students will watch a teacher model paper folding techniques.

Objective(s): Students will learn two new and creative forms of art that is appropriate for the current fall season. Students will demonstrate their understanding of these new tech-niques with the final two products; a spider web and a paper spider. Materials: Purple and green paper squares cut to 6 in by 6 inBlack paper with a pre-traced circleBlack paper strips about .5 inches wide (8 strips per student)Glue sticksColorful circle stickersSpider stickersSmall box roughly 12 in by 6 inBlack paintOne marble Activities: Spider: Students will each be given one square piece of green paper. They will receive a piece of black paper with a circle traced onto it. Students will cut out the circle and glue it onto the center of their green paper (gluing only the very center so that the spider legs can be glued under the edges of the circle). Students will also receive eight strips of black paper that they will fold in a zigzag pattern. They will watch the teacher model how to put four legs onto one side of the spider by lifting up the edge of the circle and gluing the edge of the leg in place. Students will be exposed to the con-cept of symmetry with four legs on each side. Once legs are completed, students can choose the color sticker to use for the eyes of the spider.

Spider web: Students will be called up one at a time. A piece of purple paper will be placed into a box followed by a marble coated in black paint. The students will tilt the box in various directions, rolling the paint-coated marble around. When the paint is dry, the students will be told that they will receive a spider sticker, however the color of the sticker will be determined by the opinion of the student concerning their wanting (or not wanting) a spider for a pet. Students choosing a black spider are expressing that they would like a spider as a pet. Students choosing a red spider are expressing that they would NOT like a spider as a pet.

Once both elements of the quilt are completed, a teacher will assemble the quilt in an alternating pattern.

Differentiation for special learners: During the spider web part of the project, the student will be working one on one with the student, so that any arising needs are immediately met. During the spider creation part of the project, students will have a Teacher’s Aide as well as the teacher helping students learn the zigzag folding. None of the students of this assignment are expected to have any serious challenges.

Page 13: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

How is this lesson sensitive to cultural and language issues? This lesson involves spiders, which doesn’t seem to be a serious concern for students from different cultural or linguistic back-grounds.

MATHUnderstanding math is more than being able to add, subtract, multiply and divide, it is using reasoning and evaluating concepts. Students begin with learning their numbers and counting, but quickly progress to adding, subtracting and skip counting even before first grade. In order for students to successfully progress through their education, they are required to master the basic skills and then build upon them. In the classroom, math should be taught in a variety of ways in order to reach students with different learning styles. An effective teacher of math uses various manipulatives and strategies to ensure that all students are not only learning, but truly understanding the concepts taught.

Alaska Standards: Mathematics A4: A student should represent, analyze, and use mathematical patterns, relations and functions. Mathematics C2: A student should relate mathematical terms to everyday language. Language Arts B2: A student should reflect on, analyze and evaluate a variety of oral, written and visual information and experiences, including discussions, lectures literature and art.

Goal: Students will demonstrate their understanding of A/B patterning by creating an alternat-ing caterpillar.

Topic: A/B Patterning

Methodology: When students can practice skills in various textile ways, they are more likely to master those skills.

Learning Theory: Students will have a chance to apply elements from a read aloud with pattern-ing to create a caterpillar from the book.

Objectives: Students will actively listen to The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Students will show understanding of the concept of A/B patterning by creating a caterpillar of their own using construction paper and glue.

Materials:The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric CarlePre-traced paper shapesGlueCrayons,Construction paperScissors

Page 14: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Learning Activities: Begin by reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and engage in discussion in-volving characters, setting and story details. After completing the book, students will watch the teacher model the project to be done first. Students will first receive two pieces of paper; a red traced apple and a blank sheet of construction paper. Students will cut out the red apple and glue it on the right side of the construction paper. Next, students will cut out the stem and leaf and glue them in the appropriate place on the apple. Next, students will receive two strips of different colored paper with traced circles (a total of six circles; three of each color). Students will cut out the circles and demonstrate their understanding of an A/B pattern by alternating the circles to create a caterpillar. They will glue one circle at a time. When the caterpillar is com-pleted, students will use a crayon to draw a simple smiley face onto the head of the caterpillar.Students will receive a title for their project that they will place in the top left hand corner of the project (“The Hungry Caterpillar”). Students will be expected to write their name independ-ently and to create a project using their developing cutting and gluing skills as best as they can.

READINGA child’s ability to read begins long before they enter school. As children grow and become aware of the world around them, they begin to recognize shapes and symbols and understand that they represent a word, name, location etc. Upon entering school, students begin to learn to read letters and words in the same way. Children are first taught phonics, and then develop phonemic awareness. In the early grades, students learn to read, however, in the later grades, student read to learn. It is essential that students learn the basic skills in reading and writing before they can develop into a lit-erate individual. It is important that letters, sounds and whole concept reading are practiced daily and in a variety of ways in order for students to master such skills.

Alaska Standard: Language Arts B: A student should be a competent and thoughtful reader, listener and viewer of literature, technical materials and a variety of other in-formation. B1: A student should comprehend meaning from written text and oral and visual information by applying a variety of reading, listening, and viewing strategies; these strategies include phonic, context and vocabulary cues in reading, critical view-ing, and active listening. B2: Students should reflect on, analyze and evaluate a variety of oral, written and visual information and experiences, including discussions, lectures, art, movies, television, technical materials, and literature.

Goal: Students will recognize that the way a word sounds can provide valuable infor-mation in understanding the context. Students will listen for /s/ at the end of a word and know that there are more than one of that particular object.

Page 15: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Topic: One, More Than One

Methodology: When students can make the connection between nouns with an /s/ and there being more than one, then they have the baseline for understand singular and plural later down the road.

Learning Theory: Students have learned and mostly mastered the letter s and the sound associated with it. Now they can take that skill and apply it to ending sounds to help differentiate between an object being one, and an object being more than one. Objective(s): Students will be able to listen for the /s/ at the end of a word and recog-nize that it means more than one of that object. Students will then be able to draw just one of an object in the “one” column, and draw more than one in the “more than one” column. Student Assessment: Students will complete a sheet in which they are to look at two columns labeled “one” and “more than one”. The “one” column is visibly thinner than the “more than one” column to help students grasp the concept and differentiate between the two. Students will understand that the object(s) must be of one particular noun. For example, if a student draws a flower for their “one” column, then they must draw flowers in their “more than one” column.

Materials: Small plastic teddy bearsBlue crayonsButcher PaperWorksheet (two columns; “one” and “more than one”)Crayons, PencilsBook One, More than One

Activities: Students will listen to the book More Than One and engage in discussion on the differ-ences presented in the book. For example one tree alone is simply a tree, but a forest is a great many trees. Students will together say a word without an /s/ sound at the end and focus on the item being more than one. Then students will say the word with the /s/ on the end and see the difference. Students will have a chance to come up with their own nouns to provide as an example. Students will then gather around to watch how this new rule works with actual objects. The teacher will hold up just one blue crayon and ask students to identify it as “just one crayon”. Then the teacher will show a bundle of blue crayons and ask the students to identify them as “crayon/s/”. The process will then be repeated with small plastic teddy bears. Once students seem com-fortable, they will return to their desks to complete a worksheet where they will look at two columns labeled “one” and “more than one”, and draw one of an object (they can choose) in the “one” column, and multiple of the object in the “more than one” column.

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Students will be expected to complete their work with neatness and care and the draw and color their objects.-As a follow up activity, students will identify objects on picture cards (cat, can, etc) and then provide the plural of the word. Each word will be written on butcher paper in two columns to represent “one” and “more than one” where they will focus on the letter “s” at the end of each plural word. Differentiation for special learners: This lesson should not have any challenges for chil-dren with a physical disability, however children struggling in any way will have a teacher aid available. None of the students intended for this lesson are expected to have any serious challenges. How is this lesson sensitive to cultural and language issues? This lesson will be taught to a couple bilingual students. This lesson is helpful for building their skills in the English language, as it is the primary language used in the classroom.

WRITINGPart of becoming a literate student, includes learning the various elements of writing in addition to reading. Students begin learning to write as they experiment with crayons, markers and pencils at a young age. Upon entering Kindergarten, students begin learning their shapes so that they can eventually use those shape concepts to begin forming letters and numbers. Is is essential for students to be given time to master writ-ing letters and numbers before they can successfully begin writing sentences, para-graphs and completing mathematical equations. In order for students to become skilled writers, they often learn by example. Many students early on benefit from tracing dot-ted letters, or copying words and sentences from a given example.

Alaska Standard: English/Language Arts A: A student should be able to speak and write well for a variety of purposes and audiences. A5: A student should revise, edit and publish the student’s own writing as appropriate.

Goal: Students will consider the words they have been learning and relate them to the story in a way that adds a personal touch to their writing.

Topic: Writing

Methodology: When students are learning new words, learning to write them is essen-tial in the success of reading and relating words.

Learning Theory: Students must learn to write the words they are learning. While put-ting these new words into sentences and making personal connections, the reading and writing process grows.

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Objective(s): Students will actively listen to the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? By Bill Martin and Eric Carle, and participate in discussion. Students will recall animals and events from the book. Students will write with the best of their ability “I see a (stu-dents can choose an animal from the book and then with the help of a teacher, the color and animal that they wish)”.

Materials: Book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? By Bill Martin and Eric CarleWhiteboardCrayonsPencilsPaper

Activities: Students will listen to the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? By Bill Mar-tin and Eric Carle and participate in the discussion about the book. Once the book is read, students are to return to their desks and are asked to recall as many animals from the book. As students recall animals from the book, each animal will be written on the whiteboard. When students have finished suggesting animals from the story, they will watch the teacher first model what is expected of them. Students will pick an animal from the book (for example, a brown bear) and they will write the sentence “I see a brown bear”. Students will understand that they must include “I see a”, a color word (brown) and the animal. Previous to this lesson, students had practiced writing “I see a” on individual whiteboards. “I see a” will also be written clearly on the whiteboard for students to reference. Some students will be able to reference the word wall in order to spell their color word, and also the whiteboard where the animals are listed. Students that are unable to identify the proper color word and animal name will be provided with a sticky note with their needed words written out. Students will then draw a picture of their animal (this is a good exposure to the concept of characters) and provide their animal with some sort of scenery (setting). Students will be expected to write and color to the best of their abilities including proper and appropriate punctuation.

Differentiation for special learners: Students who are unable to spell the words for this assignment will have them written out onto sticky notes for them to see. Students that are struggling with the skill of writ-ing will have the difficult words and letters written in a dot-to-dot format for them to trace. Students will also have the support of a Teacher Aide to help with skills and struggles. How is this lesson sensitive to cultural and language issues? This lesson should have little or no issues concerning neither students from different cul-tural backgrounds nor students with language issues. Students with language struggles can reference the book they struggle with identifying colors and animals for this assign-ment.

Page 18: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

PHYSICAL EDUCATIONIn order for children to grow into healthy adults, they must for healthy habits early in life. Physical education helps children understand that exercise is an essential element in a healthy lifestyle. Younger children require various levels of movement and activity throughout the school day. Physical education isn’t just limited to the gym, but can be easily incorporated into the classroom through creative activities between lessons. Movement and exercise between academics helps students release energy and return to learning with a more focused attitude.

Alaska Standard: Physical Education Standard 1: Demonstrate competency in motor and movement skills needed to perform a variety of physical activities. Standard 2: Apply movement concepts to learning and performance of physical activities.

Goal: Students will use movement to demonstrate their motor and movement skills us-ing two types of body bridges.

Topic: Bridges, A/B patterns.

Methodology: Students will use skills that they have learned in gym class and in the classroom to demonstrate their understanding of patterns and movement.

Learning Theory: Students are more likely to master a skill if they have a chance to demonstrate it in various ways. Objective(s): Students will listen to directions as they create an A/B pattern with their bodies and their movements. Students will recall keywords that have been taught in gym class to help them work as a team and use their bodies to make different types of bridges.

Materials: Classroom with desks cleared Paper stripsCrayonsWhiteboard

Activities: Students will be organized in a line alternating boy, girl. Students will cre-ate one long line and be led to a part of the classroom where desks and chairs have been cleared. With help from the teacher, students will be spread out about two feet from their neighbors. Students will participate in a brief discussion about bridges and what they can be used for. Students will watch as the teacher models a high bridge (hands and feet on the floor, facing down, bottom up in the air) and a low bridge (hands and feet on the floor, facing up, bottom down, also known as a crab walk position). Boys will be in-structed to make their bodies into a high bridge position, while girls will make their bodies into a low bridge position. Starting with one of the line, the first student will crawl under the boy next to her, then over the girl next to him, weaving in between

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the high and low bridges. Once the first student is halfway through the line, the next student will begin weaving in and out of the bridges, until each student has had a chance to go. Upon returning to their desks, students will be give a piece of paper where they are to draw their body bridges with curved lines to represent high bridges and straight lines to represent low bridges. This will be modeled on the whiteboard. Student will be expected to use alternating colors of their choice to represent their bridge movement patterns. Differentiation for special learners: For this lesson, there were no children expected to face any physical challenges.

SOCIAL STUDIESIn the primary grades, Social Studies are the basis for children growing into function-ing members of society. The study of history, politics, economics and geography are essential for students in order to become an informed and responsible citizen. Begin-ning in Kindergarten, students are made aware of the aspects of their community by learning about iconic figures such as police officers and firemen, as well as becoming familiar with their surroundings at school, home and out in the community. As students progress through the primary grades, they learn about the various elements that make up our nation on a historical, geographic and political level. Without a basic under-standing of where our nation came from, the future generations will lack preparation progressing forward. It is essential that students have this knowledge before they enter into high school and college as they are expected to continue their studies to under-stand social studies concepts on a global level.

Alaska Standard: Geography A: A student should be able to make and use maps, globes, and graphs to gather, analyze, and report spatial (geographic) information.

Goal: Students will be exposed to the basics of maps; both reading and creating.

Topic: Maps

Methodology: Students should be made aware of their surroundings at an early age so that they can build upon these kills later in their education.

Learning Theory: With a topic like maps, young children need to be exposed in a way that is simple and relatable so that they are not overwhelmed. Objective(s): Students will understand that maps are useful in many ways, shapes and forms. Once exposed to basic mapping vocabulary, students will work both collabora-tively and independently to create their own map.

Page 20: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Materials: Mapping Penny’s World by Loreen LeedyMap of the schoolProjectorWhiteboard/markersPaperPencilsCrayons

Activities: Students will listen and participate in the reading of Mapping Penny’s World, a book about a little girl named Lisa and her dog, Penny. Lisa and Penny help show students that maps help us for finding and understanding locations. This book is a great way to introduce basic vocabulary such as compass rose, key, routes, and di-rection. Students will interact with the book and help locate and identify parts of the various maps in the book. Students will be asked to observe and identify major elements of the classroom such as tables, shelves, doors, windows and computers. Students will then take an imaginary journey where they pretend they are a spider on the ceiling of the class-room. They will identify what they see on their journey, and using involving direction-ality (next to, by, behind, in front of etc.), describe where in the room these objects are. Then, students will return to their desks, where they will be shown a basic map of the school. They will voluntarily identify areas that they are familiar with, and then see where these places are in relation to the classroom. Students will then shift to the whiteboard where a basic outline of the classroom will be drawn. They will, yet again, recall items in the classroom and where they are located. The items will be roughly drawn in by the teacher. Once a sufficient map as been created on the board, students will then recreate their own map of the classroom on paper. As an additional activity, students will be given the homework assignment of mapping their bedrooms, with the help of their families.

Differentiation for special learners: Students that struggle with drawing, writing or coloring will have access to a teacher’s aide. Students will also be encouraged to collaborate with their peers while recreating the map of the classroom.

Page 21: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Classroom management is a consideration of the many aspects of how a class-room runs. First and foremost, the classroom atmosphere needs to be a setting where organization and calm are created by the colors and layout of the classroom. Stu-dents need to feel that their classroom is safe and comfortable before they are ready to learn. I strongly believe that a classroom should be clutter free, as that can impose stress on not only the students, but the teacher as well. A classroom lacking sufficient management, discipline and structure is a class-room that cannot promote learning as a first priority. A structured classroom imposes routines that are consistent on a day to day basis. Students need clear expectations of the classroom and school rules, as well as consequences for breaking such rules. In Kindergarten, the first month of school is crucial in setting boundaries, as students will be held to these rules throughout their education.

Avery: Avery came into Kindergarten as a developmentally young student. Avery had difficulty with his spatial awareness as well as following directions. Additionally, Avery knew none of his letters, numbers, shapes, or colors, despite his mother insisting that he had these skills in the home setting. Avery’s immaturity was evident during all spe-cials when he was unable to follow basic directions, lacked eye contact and was rarely in control of his body. Several times, the Physical Education teacher suggested that Avery be given more time to mature, as he was not apparently ready for the school setting. After weeks of school with little improvement and inconsistent progress, Avery’s mother was called in for a meeting to recommend that Avery be retained, and return to Kindergarten next year after having time to development academically and socially. However, Avery’s mother insisted that he stay in Kindergarten. Together, my host teacher, Avery’s mother and I came up with a “smiley face” system to help Avery gain awareness of his peers and surroundings. We devised a slip of paper for Avery to keep on his desk every day where he was able to earn a total of three smiley faces for just the day’s specials. Avery’s first goal was to have eye contact with teachers while they were teaching or giving instructions. When taken to a special, Avery would be taken to the lead teacher to hear his goals “Hello Mrs. Horton, Avery’s goals today will be to have his eyes on you when he hears your voice.” Having Avery hear his goals helped him understand that all teachers were working with him to help him meet his goals. At the end of each special, the teacher would ask for a report of Avery’s progress, and if he earned any smiley faces for the day. When returning to class, Avery could watch as I circled the appropriate number of smiley faces. Avery would show his mother at the end of each day his progress. Often, Avery would earn all three possible smiley faces, because his goals were clear and his progress was visually concrete for him to see. With Avery meeting his goals during specials, we started to see real progress with his behavior in the classroom. After be-ing on the “smiley face” system for a month and a half, I spoke with Avery about set-ting goals for him within the classroom, and his reaction was very positive.

Classroom Management and Discipline

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Since Avery’s intervention, he is able to walk in line, sit at his desk and focus with much success. Though Avery’s behavior had greatly improved, he is still strug-gling academically, though it is more than evident that his intentions are right where they should be. Avery will continue to work on and master various goals both in and out of the classroom, and his academics will be closely monitored.

Linking Chains Working in a Kindergarten classroom, I noticed that a few weeks into the school year that my group of students was very social and chatty. Despite several daily reminders to be quiet and stay on task, my students were often still disruptive. I sat my students down after lunch during our usual story time and I drew two pictures on the easel; a picture of a TV with popcorn, and a picture of a swing set and a slide. I explained that as a class team, we would be working together to earn either a movie with popcorn, or an extra recess and that we would be voting on the prize. Each stu-dent was called upon to cast his or her vote and it was decided that we would work together to earn a movie with popcorn. Once the prize was established, I explained that there were three big rules that they needed to follow in order to earn their prize; they listen to their teacher, they must be quiet during work time and that they must be respectful to their teachers and peers. Students watched as I took a strip of paper and stapled it together to form a circle. I then hung that circle up with a paperclip onto the ceiling. I explained that in order to earn their prize by following the rules, they had to earn enough links (paper strips) to reach from the ceiling to the floor.

During work times throughout the day, I would place a strip of paper on the whiteboard with a magnet so that students were clear that they are earning a link to their chain. I noticed great improvement in the noise level and the work ethic within the room. We held many discussions about how working quietly and diligently was one way of being considerate of other students as well as the classroom next door (the walls are very thin and sound carries very well). I feel that in following school rules, students should learn to be aware and considerate of other people around them and understand that their choices and actions can affect their peers. There were only two incidences where the students didn’t earn the linking chain, and when they were aware that they were off task and not earning their link, their behavior quickly changed and they were able to earn a link later in the day. It took a total of five weeks for the students to earn their movie and popcorn. They are now working for an extra recess and hot chocolate.

Page 23: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Teaching not only involves conversing with students, but it requires communica-tion with students’ parents and staff within the school building. Working in a Kinder-garten classroom, it was very beneficial that each student and his or her family were required to come into the classroom for a series of assessments related to their devel-opmental profile. It was helpful in getting to know each student by also meeting their families. Having this personal connection to families, I feel, helps parents to feel open to discuss any concerns or issues they may have regarding their child. For many teachers, it is quicker and easier to email families, however, I believe that to best benefit the student, that face to face contact periodically helps the student to un-derstand that their families and teachers are working together to best promote learn-ing in a positive manner. Communicating with faculty and staff within the school building is an important aspect to teaching. A school community is composed of teachers of different ages, backgrounds and experiences. Sharing and communicating ideas and concerns with staff within the school community is beneficial for teachers to gain a different perspec-tive when planning activities and solving problems. I have experienced team teach-ing which is beneficial as teachers work together to reach a common goal. It is my belief that teachers must be a part of the school community as students pick up on such relationships. When students can see that teachers work together and communi-cate, they have an example of what will be expected from them.After School Fun Event During my student teaching experience, my host teacher took on the task of wiring a grant for artists in the schools. I had the opportunity to help out in many elements of this process. Even if awarded the grant, it would still not be enough to fully cover the artist’s presence in the school. As an attempt to earn the rest of the funds, I helped organize an after school activity night. My role in this event was to help plan and assign duties to staff and parent volunteers. I assisted in organizing the money used to make change as well as count-ing the profits at the end of the event. Much of my role, however, was evident the night of the event where I helped direct parents to the area of the school in which they could find their student(s), as children were grouped by grade. During such in-teractions, I helped clarify any confusion regarding pre-paid meals and refunds due to unplanned absences. The staff working the pizza, popsicle and drink stations re-lied on a list of all pre-paid students and families. I communicated with students, par-ents and staff waiting in line to determine who pre-paid for their meal, and who would be paying in cash. Overall this experience helped me gain confidence in communicating and or-ganizing a school wide event. Conversing with parents on both a personal and pro-fessional level was an added benefit as I got to know many of my students’ families and see their interactions with one another. It was important to see my students in-teracting with their families to gain insight on who my students are as children. I was able to observe students from different backgrounds and then understand the habits and behaviors with a clearer perspective.

Communication With Parents and Community

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Mathletes During my time at College Gate Elementary, I was placed, along with my host teacher in the group of staff whose main focus was to identify weaknesses in the math performance scores, as well as to outline a program to improve the school’s annual yearly progress (AYP) in the math category.

The teams met two to three times a month to closely identify the strengths and weaknesses from the previous year’s math scores. Together, we devised a program called College Gate Mathletes. We created a large bulletin board where each classroom was assigned a shield. Within that shield, was a mini-shield for each stu-dent in the class. Each grade was to determine four developmentally appropriate math goals for their students to reach by the end of the year. For example, kinder-garteners will be expected to count to 50, count to 100, count by 5’s and count by 10’s. On each child’s shield, they will have a 50, 100, 5’s and 10’s to represent these skills. Once a student has mastered one of these skills, that skill will be marked off on their shield. Their goal is to master all the skills by the end of the school year.We decided as a team that the Mathletes bulletin board should be hung in a central location outside the office so that students, staff and parents are sure to see it as they maneuver throughout the building. I voluntarily took on the task of laminating and hanging the banners for each shield, and securing them to the bulletin board. During our staff meetings, I took part in explaining the concepts and goals of our program and volunteered myself to help teachers in any way that they needed. In the end, I helped hang many shields and collaborated with the other Kindergarten teachers to solidify the goals and to work together as a team. Since this program has begun, I have observed classes walking in the hall and making comments on their progress and their friend’s progress. It is evident that stu-dents are aware of the board and also aware of the goals they are working for. In Kindergarten, students are assessed approximately once a week to determine their progress, and the board is updated accordingly. When students meet their goal, they not only get marked on the board, but they receive an award to pin to their clothes to show off their hard work. The pride they take in meeting their goals leaves me confident that this program will be successful in helping students improve in the basic skills of math.

Page 25: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

My interpretation of professionalism is that a teacher approaches a learning environment with an positive and mature attitude. The way a teacher presents herself often determines how they will be viewed and respected. It is my goal to conduct myself in a way that promotes positive and professional communication with students, staff and families. Weekly staff meeting were beneficial in creating a school environment that was cohesive and welcoming for all staff. These meetings found to be beneficial as they focused collectively on curricular goals, student academic success and response to intervention. Beyond staff meetings, I participated in a group that focused primar-ily on the school wide math goals. After meeting with six other staff members five times, we were able to devise a program that set math goals as developmentally ap-propriate for each grade. This program thus far has been successful and motivating for not only student success, but teacher progress and planning as well. During conferences, parents were asked to take a few moments to familiarize them-selves with the Mathletes bulletin board so that they can track the progress of their student as they reach year-long goals. Throughout the three months at College Gate, students and staff were given the opportunity to participate in various assemblies where they were exposed to drug and alcohol awareness, school bus safety and traditional Samoan dance. Such ex-posure to helps students gain awareness that a community involves different aspects both in and outside of school. Through my exposure to different staff members, I have demonstrated progress in my abilities to appropriately plan and execute developmentally appropriate les-sons and activities within the classroom. Collaboration with classroom teachers has helped my goal to become more aware of how to implement and follow the curricu-lum while using my creativity to develop my own lessons. I am currently in a MAT program, planning to be completed with a Masters Degree by August of 2011. I have often considered pursuing a certification in Spe-cial Education to work with students with Autism. It is my hope further my knowledge in understanding how students with Autism struggle and what is necessary for them to succeed and become functioning members of society. As I am a strong advocate for No Child Left Behind, I understand that each and every student has the right to a proper education, and would find fulfillment in being part of that process. I have had the opportunity to work with Autistic children at Mt. Iliamna Elementary and have found great satisfaction in being part of their growth and education.

*See Annotated Bibliography on Page 38 of this document

Professionalism

Page 26: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

November 15, 2010

It is my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for teacher candidate, Kimberly Forgey. She has worked in our kindergarten classroom at College Gate Elementary since August as a student intern. We shall be sad to see her leave us, but understand her interest in her own classroom. Her work at College Gate clearly demonstrates her skills and readi-ness for this.

Kimberly came to us with considerable experience. Having attained her B.A., she worked as a teacher’s assistant at Mt. Iliamna working with students with special needs. Her work there helped her to gain the remarkable skills she demonstrates in classroom management. The dynamics in which she operated reflected consistency, firmness, as well as nurturance. These are the ideal qualities of a kindergarten teacher. Early learners love routines and Kim-berly taught and modeled them.

A professional, Kimberly was punctual and reliable in her student teaching responsibilities. She arrived early and was prepared for students every day. Willing to go the extra mile, she participated in after school activities. Interested in the grant-writing process, she assisted me (her host teacher) in coordinating a fundraiser for an Artist in the Schools Grant. In support of this project, she helped with the budgeting of funds and the editing of the grant applica-tion.

Kimberly is a teacher in which I would love to team with; her dream was to be a kindergar-ten teacher and she makes this evident. Kimberly is self-motivated, hard-working and crea-tive. Her sense of humor and love for children make her a joy in which to work with.

It is without any hesitation that I make this letter of recommendation. I appreciate your con-sideration.

Yours truly,E. Foyle-SaftKindergarten Teacher, College Gate Elementary

Page 27: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

November 29, 2010

To Whom It Concerns,

My name is Courtney Palmer and I am a classroom teacher and Induction Liason at Mt. Iliamna Elementary, a school for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities in An-chorage, Alaska. Kim Forgey worked with me from the spring of 2008 until the spring of 2010. I have a multi-age classroom of 2nd through 4th grade, all of whom are receiving special education services, many with multiple disabilities.

I am writing this letter to strongly recommend Kim Forgey for a teaching position. She not only has experience and training in teaching this difficult population, but also possesses a natural ability to use positive reinforcements to motivate kids and change behavior. As Kim also did two practicums in my classroom and I was impressed with the time and effort she put into her lesson planning. The kids loved the lessons in language arts and science that Kim taught. It was difficult to find any constructive criticism to offer her. Other qualities that Kim has that are compatible with a classroom are: patience, an even temper, a sense of humor, dedication, and the knowledge and desire to work with various ability levels.

Working with a team is also a strength of Kim’s. Not only did she make herself available to the staff at large, she worked flawlessly in my classroom with another aide, sharing responsi-bilities and handling the classroom like a pro. In fact, I never worried about leaving the class in Kim’s care, knowing she would be professional, kind, patient, firm and caring.

I am certain that Kim Forgey will be an asset to any school that hires her. She is one of those natural teachers that schools are lucky to have.

Please feel free to contact me to further discuss Kim’s qualifications.

Very sincerely,

Courtney [email protected](907)742-0100 (work)(907)632-5756 (cell)

Page 28: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Technology has made today’s classroom more animated and engaging than ever before. Many classrooms come equipped with projectors, computers and in some cases, Smart Boards that make bring a new and exciting element to education. Much of the newer technology is interactive with teachers and students, adding a visual and first hand element to learning and mastering new content. In my experi-ence, I have found that students can use programs and websites on the computer that add supplemental activities to the content taught in the classroom. Lexia, a liter-acy computer program gives students an independent experience as they use phon-ics and phonemics to master their literacy skills. On a daily basis, I have used a camera projector to help model learning ac-tivities and provide examples of core curricular concepts. This seemingly simply de-vice had helped make whole group teaching easier as I can use the flat surface to model counting, building and writing activities for the entire class to see enlarged and projected onto the whiteboard. Students in my Kindergarten classroom at College Gate Elementary have a scheduled computer lab time two days a week where they work on either Lexia or EveryDayMathOnline.com. EveryDayMathOnline.com is a website that follows the Kindergarten curriculum and provides engaging and supplemental games and activi-ties that students seem to enjoy and benefit from. Each student has a username and password to log into the site, and students and their families are also encouraged take advantage of this site at home. I have participated in multiple trainings using the Smart Board, and it my hope to one day have access to one in my own classroom, as I can see the technological benefits it provides. In my classroom, I feel confident that I could use the Smart Board across the curriculum. Students have the opportunity to use various interactive fea-tures of the Smart Board that helps them to solve problem in math, make corrections during DOL or study for assessments. The Smart Board is a great way to introduce technology as our society depends on the progression of technology both in and out of the classroom. The Anchorage School District also has a service called Moodle, where teachers can upload lessons using technology that they have taught. This service is for teachers to share and experiences through technology, and I plan on utilizing this service in the future. In my student teaching experience in a Kindergarten classroom, literacy is a huge goal for students to learn phonics and phonemic awareness and eventually be-gin to read. After being in school for approximately three months, many students in my Kindergarten classroom had begun to read basic books. As a tool to help these students realize their success, they would have a chance to read a book of their skill level in front of the computer, recording themselves reading, and then watch them-selves. After doing so, students were asked to tell about what they think they did good about reading and what they noticed from the video. This activity is helpful as students begin to read as well as identify what characteristics make a reader a good reader.

Technology

Page 29: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Tricky Teens Students in Kindergarten are learning that numbers are simply organized in a pattern. Students are also learning about place value on a daily basis. It became clear to me after my students had mastered the numerals 0-10, that they were strug-gling with the numerals 11-20, also known as the “tricky teens”. It became an obvi-ous goal for my students that they must understand the place value and written meaning of these numbers. With the help of the curriculum, I devised a series of les-sons and activities aimed at mastering the “tricky teens”. It is my expectation that each student master or at least progress in the understanding and identification of the tricky teens. Students will be assessed once on their ability to write and identify the numerals 11-19, then after a series of learning activities, students would then be re-assessed to determine their progress.

Demographics: Kindergarten class of Fall 2010 is composed of a total of twenty students from a to-tal of six different cultural backgrounds:White: 7 studentsAsian: 4 studentsBlack: 1 studentHispanic: 3 studentsAlaska Native: 4 studentsSamoan/Pacific Islander: 1 student Most of these students come from middle class socioeconomic backgrounds. One student is considered CIT (child in transition) meaning that they are currently not in a permanent living situation. Seven students in the class live in households where more than one language is used. Three students are receiving services for speech skills. Two students are receiving ELL (English Language Learners) services. One students in receiving SPED services for behavioral goals. One particular stu-dent has recently moved to Anchorage from a small native village in Alaska, and has demonstrated some clear cultural boundaries. Two students are members of military families.

Pre-Assessment: Students will be assessed in groups of four. Students will each be given a whiteboard and a whiteboard marker. Students will be asked to write a number ranging from 11-19 on their whiteboard, being reminded that their answers should be kept to themselves and also understanding that if they don’t know the number that it is okay to admit it without fear of penalty. Record will be kept of which stu-dents know each of the numbers 11-19 and the data will be used for comparison at the end of teaching the “tricky teens” .

Teacher Work Sample

Page 30: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Pre-Assessment Data:October 18, 2010

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19Alyssa X - - X - - - X -Aydin X X X X X X X X XAvery X - - - - - - - -Brian - - - - - - - - -Cedric* X X X X X X X X XDanica - - - - - - - - -Elena* X X X X X X X X XIsaiah X - X - - - - - XJames X X X X X X X X XKailey* X - X X X X X X XKayleigh - - X - - X - - XKeith* X X X X X X X X XKennedy X - - - - - - - -Layavanni X - - - X - - - XMicah X X X X X X X X XMichael* - - - - - - - - -Scarlett X - X - - - X - -Violette* - - - - - - - - -Virginia* - - - - - - - - -Zahara - - - - - - - - -An X Indicates that a student has successfully written the numberA – Indicates that a student hasn’t yet mastered that numberAn * next to a student’s name indicates that they come from a household speaking more than one language

Breaking down the pre-assessment data: Students Overall:

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19# Students Successful 13 4 10 7 7 8 8 8 9

# Students Unsuccessful 7 16 10 13 13 12 12 12 11

Students: Girls11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

# Successful 6 1 4 3 3 3 3 3 4# Unsuccessful 5 10 7 8 8 8 8 8 7

Page 31: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Students: Boys11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

# Successful 7 5 6 5 5 5 5 5 6# Unsuccessful 2 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 3

% Successful11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

% Girls Success-ful

66% 50% 44% 27% 27% 27% 27% 27% 44%

% Boys Success-ful

77% 45% 55% 45% 45% 45% 45% 45% 33%

The pre-assessment data shows that in seven of the nine numbers, the girls are over less successful than the boys. The data shows that for most of the tricky teens, both boys and girls, overall are successful less than 50% of the time.

The pre-assessment results came to no surprise for me. There were some students that I expected to know most of all of the tricky teens, as well as some that I ex-pected would need a variety of learning activities to meet this goal.

Six students successfully wrote all numerals 11-19Six students were unable to write any numerals correctlyEight students were able to write at least one numeral correctly

Of the seven students whom speak more than one language at home, four showed strong skills in identifying and writing the tricky teens, while the other three were un-successful.

This unit on the Tricky Teens will last approximately one month and involve at least two interactive lessons, as well as several activities to help students gain strength and mastery over the numbers 11-19. It is my belief that students must learn concepts in varying creative ways in order for them to master the skills. I can pre-dict that by the end of the given month, many of the students will have improved, if not mastered their Tricky Teens.

Page 32: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Alaska Standard: Mathematics A: A student should understand mathematical facts, concepts, principles and theories.

Goal: Students will understand that the teen numbers are representative of place value; ten and ones.

Topic: Tricky Teens

Methodology: The more visual exposure to tricky teens, the more likely students are to master this skill

Learning Theory: Students must understand that numbers are a pattern, and the tricky teens are represented by ten, and beyond ten. For example 16 is ten and six more. Objective(s): Students will create a mural of linking chains that represent the num-bers 10 through 20 to see understand that the base is ten, and anything beyond that is more than ten. Student Assessment: Students should successfully create a linking chain where the first ten links are blue and anything beyond that is green. These chains will be hung in numerical order for students to see that the base ten is always the same, and the numbers progress by one. Materials: GluePaper strips one inch wide and nine inches longPaper with a number printed on itCrayonsStapler Activities: Students each will be given a number one through twenty. They will also be give a pre-prepped number of blue and green strips of paper. They will be in-structed to create a chain in which the first ten strips are blue, and the rest of green. For example, for the number 14, the chain would have ten blue links and then four green links below it. Students are to create links by gluing the strips of paper and interlocking them as they glue. While the strips are drying, students will color a sheet of paper with their number printed onto it. The linking chains will be stapled to the given number. Finally, the chains will be displayed in numerical or-der as a visual aid as Kindergartners are mastering the concept of tricky teens.

Page 33: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Alaska Standard: Mathematics A: A student should understand mathematical facts, concepts, principles and theories.

Goal: Students will understand that the numbers 11-19 can be represented by ten, and beyond ten.

Topic: Tricky Teens

Methodology: When students use hands on activities, they are more likely to un-derstand the concepts of place value

Learning theory: Students must learn concepts through various avenues in order to master skills like place value. Students must understand this concept as the math curriculum builds upon it. Objective(s): Students will work together in partners to create a visual of teen num-bers. Materials: Construction paper with pre-traced numbersGlue sticksMini dye cut shapes Activities: Students have been working on reading, writing and understanding tricky teens. Students have learned that the teen numbers are represented by a 1 (which in the tens place, represents a value of 10) and another number (which in the ones place represents single numbers). Student will be partnered up and assigned a number. They will be given a baggie of pre-cut mini dye cut shapes that they will glue onto their numbers to represent place value. Students will then glue ten shapes into the 1 traced on the construction paper and the appropriate number of single shapes onto the other traced number. After completion, the numbers will be hung up for display in numerical order. Differentiation for special learners: Students will be paired up according to their abilities and personalities to en-sure that the assignment will be completed successfully.

Page 34: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Additional Activities:Snowman Squeeze: This is a game that helps students identify numbers and use logical reasoning in a guess and check method. The game begins when the numbers 10-20 have been written in a number line on the whiteboard. Students use two snowman pup-pets and stand at either end of the number line. One student is called upon to si-lently pick a number on the board, only the two students holding the snowman puppets can know the number. The rest of the students will guess a number, and if the guess is larger or smaller than the actual number then the snowman moves to cover that number. Eventually the number will be revealed as the range of num-bers gets smaller and smaller.

Guess my number: This game is fun to fill an extra few minutes between lessons. The teacher thinks of a tricky teen number and give a clue using place value dialogue. For ex-ample, if the number is 16, the teacher would say “I’m thinking of a number that is the same as ten plus six more”. When a student successfully guesses the number, then the number is written as a visual aid on the white board. Then the game is re-peated with another number.

Table Labels: Students in Kindergarten sit at tables of six. Tables are identified by the label hanging above them. During the focus on tricky teens, tables will be identified by an addition problem on one side of the label with the answer on the other. This helps reinforce the dialogue of place value and tricky teens.

Page 35: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Post Assessment DataNovember 18, 2010

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19Alyssa X X X X X X X X XAydin X X X X X X X X XAvery - - - - - - - - -Brian - - - - - X X X XCedric* X X X X X X X X XDanica - - - - X - - - -Elena* X - X X X X X X XIsaiah X X X X X X X X XJames X X X X X X X X XKailey* X X X X X X X X XKayleigh X X X X X X X X XKeith* X X X X X X X X XKennedy X X X X X X X X XLayavanni - - - X X X X X XMicah X X X X X X X X XMichael* - X X - - - - - -Scarlett X - X X - X - X XViolette* N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/AVirginia* X X X X X X X X XZahara X - - - - - - - -An X Indicates that a student has successfully written the numberA – Indicates that a student hasn’t yet mastered that numberAn * next to a student’s name indicates that they come from a household speak-ing more than one languageOne student moved during the month study on tricky teens, so her data was un-available. This is represented by an N/A for this student. Students Overall

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19# Students Successful 14 12 14 14 14 15 14 15 15

# Students Unsuccessful 5 7 5 5 5 4 5 4 4

Change +1 +8 +4 +7 +7 +7 +6 +7 +6

Students:Girls11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

# Successful 8 5 7 8 7 8 7 8 8# Unsuccessful 2 5 3 2 3 2 3 2 2

Page 36: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Students: Boys11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

# Successful 6 7 7 6 6 7 6 7 7# Unsuccessful 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 2 2

Learning GainLearning Gain

Alyssa 77%Aydin 0%Avery 0%Brian 44%Cedric 0%Danica 11%Elena 0%Isaiah 66%James 0%Kailey 11%

Kayleigh 66%Keith 0%

Kennedy 88%Layavanni 33%

Micah 0%Michael 22%Scarlett 33%Violette N/AVirginia 100%Zahara 11%

The overall average learning gain was 29.5%, including the students that made a 0% gain due to the fact that they knew 100% of their tricky teens during the pre and post assessment. The average learning gain for the 13 students who had not already known their tricky teens during the pre-assessment was 43%. The learning gain represents the positive progress made by the student overall. Twelve of the nineteen students are shown as making positive progress. However, the learning gain data might suggest that a student with a 0% learning gain made no progress throughout the work on the tricky teens. In all reality, six of the seven students with a 0% learning gain were students who had mastered the tricky teens as seen in the pre-assessment data. Only one student; made no gain between the pre and post assessments. Avery’s concerns are expressed further down in the post-assessment data.

Page 37: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

% Successful11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

% Girls Success-ful

80% 50% 70% 80% 70% 80% 70% 80% 80%

% Boys Success-ful

66% 77% 77% 66% 66% 77% 66% 77% 77%

After the many lessons and activities centered around tricky teens, I felt confident that many of the students would improve or have mastered their tricky teens. One student moved since the pre-assessment data was taken, so her score resuls were unavailable. I could see a clear difference in the confidence of many of the students when asked to write and identify the numbers 11-19. -Eleven students, over half of the class, successfully wrote all numerals 11-19, five more than the first assessment.-Only one student was unable to write any numerals correctly, five less than be-fore.-Seven students were able to write at least one numeral correctly.

There were a few students who, after the focus on tricky teens, are a cause for concern. Avery, who was able to identify only one numeral in the pre-assessment was unable to successfully identify or write any numerals correctly in the post assessment. Avery, when asked to write the numbers 11-19 was only able to form the number 4 and number 1 correctly. He wrote a series of 1’s and 4’s and identified them as 15. Avery is a student whom has been considered for retention as maturely and developmentally, he is struggling. Avery has been the focus of many interventions both in and out of the classroom, with inconsistent progress. Avery’s teachers and family are confident that if Avery is retained for another year of kindergarten, he will make great strides in his academics and maturity. Another student of concern was Michael. Michael, until the beginning of the school year, lived in a small native village in Alaska where he spoke primarily Yup’ik. He has been receiving ELL services to build his english vocabulary. He is progressing in his reading, writing and mathematical skills, however his progress is slower than most of his peers. Michael’s skills and confidence seems to grow as he continues to adjust to city life as well as his exposure to various interventions. Danica was another student that stood out. Danica is very successful in her ability to read, write and count. Therefore, the results of the post assessment were very surprising. Danica is now on the radar for classroom interventions and will be re-assessed soon to determine how she is progressing. Overall, the data shows obvious growth in identifying and writing numbers 11-19. The largest area of improvement was with the number 12, with an increase in eight students by the end of the assessments.

Page 38: PORTFOLIO - University of Alaska SoutheastCourtney Palmer Eileen Foyle-Saft Principal Mt. Iliamna Elem. SPED Teacher Kindergarten Teacher 907-742-0100 907-742-0100 907-742-1500 Kimberly

Annotated Bibliography

1.Berenstain, Stan & Jan. Prize Pumpkin. NY: Random House, 1990. Print.

2.Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. [New York]: Philomel, 1987. Print.

3.Cooper, Helen. Pumpkin Soup. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999. Print.

4. Iversen, Sandra. One and More than One. [Greenhithe, North Shore City, N.Z.]: Iversen Pub., 2010. Print.

5. Mapping Penny's World. Paw Prints, 2010. Print.

6. Martin, Bill, and Eric Carle. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? New York: Holt, 2007. Print.

7. Pumpkin Town! Or, Nothing Is Better and Worse Than Pumpkins. Paw Prints, 2008. Print. Rae, Mary L. Sandpiper, 1996. Print.

8. The Mailbox | Home of the #1 Idea Magazine for Teachers ®. The Education Center. Oct. 2010.


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