Professional Responsibility

Effective Methods of Communication

As a teacher, my methods of communication may look different dependent on the subject and possibly the sensitivity of the issue. Email is a very effective way to communicate to other staff members or individually to parents as long as the issue is not a sensitive one. I believe that issues that benefit from added cues such as tone of voice or visual cues are best discussed face to face or over the phone. Both of these ways also allow for more continuity and a quicker response in discussions which can be very important when discussing issues that may be perceived as being sensitive.

Sometimes, emails provide a helpful tangible record of conversations that can be used as a reference when needed at a later date.

I enjoy collaborating with staff and believe that sharing ideas makes the outcome stronger. When collaborating, I am respectful of others’ perspectives and often find the exchange of ideas to be creative and exciting.

I view my students’ parents as members of their child’s educational team. They know their child better than anyone and often have valuable insights that can benefit their child’s education. I keep an open door policy, encouraging parents to contact me with any questions or concerns.

I also communicate with parents through weekly newsletters and would enjoy creating and maintaining a class website that would feature upcoming events, areas of study and offer links to resources that my students and their families may find helpful.

Professional Goals & Plans

My professional goals and plans are to:

continually grow as a teacher, incorporating new techniques and technologies into my practice to better reach students.
teach elementary aged students in a district that is recognized for its commitment to students, values creativity, and is on the forefront of technology.
work collaboratively with school teams to keep improving the learning environment.
continue my own learning.

My Ongoing Learning

I’ve read some articles and discussions recently that I am excited about because I believe they provide an opportunity to maximize students’ learning time in class. The articles I’ve read have been about the concept of the flipped classroom. Using a flipped classroom approach, teachers can create or find short videos on academic content, and assign them to be watched at home. Then the following day in class, teachers teach by stating the learning objective and modeling as usual but there should be more time available for the students to participate in guided practice because watching the videos at home has worked to front load the students’ knowledge about a content area. Using the flipped classroom approach, they come into class the following day prepared with more background knowledge and may be ready to begin applying that knowledge when working cooperatively in groups. Using the approach can help students who are struggling with the concept as it allows the teacher more time to help individual students.

Using a flipped classroom approach does not necessarily mean it must be digital although from what I’ve read, access to technology via smart phones or computers seems available to most students. If not, an alternate solution could be worked out. Another important element to include when implementing this teaching method is an accountability piece for the work at home. This could take the form of students completing the questions/keywords and notes sections of Cornell notes. The summary section could be completed in class, possibly even as an formative assessment. For students who are not yet able take notes at this level, a drag-and-drop learning activity on a program such as Kidspiration, would allow them to take notes by selecting words and images relevant to the content.

I’m excited to read more about this concept and hope to use it in my classroom to maximize students’ learning in class.