Education 302: Practice Teaching Seminar

Spring 2017 Heather Curl

Classroom, BYC 100 Tues. 6:00-8:30 p.m.

BMC Office Hrs: BYC 114, Tues 4-6 pm email: C Office Hrs: Founders 028, Wed 4-7 Cell: 503-320-5883

Course Overview

This class is open only to students engaged in practice teaching. The assignments build on those in Curriculum and Pedagogy, connect directly to your practice teaching experiences, document your progress toward meeting PA Department of Education and BMC/HC Education Program criteria for certification, and prepare you for your teaching career. In this course you are expected to re-visit, draw on, and put into practice the educational theory you have read in your education courses and on your own, discussed with experienced educators, high school students, and colleagues, and generated yourselves. The goal of the class is to support you as you engage daily in practice teaching and as you clarify and further document the fundamental philosophies and practices that will foster reflective practice throughout your careers. Attendance at and participation in all class meetings is mandatory. We can switch foci some weeks depending on interest and felt need and will negotiate these decisions as a group.

Readings

There are just two new assigned texts for this course, both of which are in the field of your subject area and of your choosing. In addition, you will have a few short readings due for each class session focused on the following areas: 1) mindfulness as an educator and for students, 2) responsive teaching and management,3) practitioner inquiry and teacher research and 4) classroom narratives written about and within schools and students.

Assignments

Assignment / % of Grade
Reflection and Documentation (daily journal, weekly portfolio reflections and final portfolio) / 30%
Lesson Plans and Lesson Plan Presentation / 15%
Field Work and Observation Record / 10%
Chosen Text Reflection / 20%
Inquiry Project – data presentation (working and final) and corresponding written analysis / 25%

1. Reflection and Portfolio Addition (30% of your grade)

Journal

You should write in your journal daily. Between classes, after school, and/or in the evenings, you should reflect on the day, write about what worked and didn’t work, and plan for revisions. Try to be concrete, critical, and questioning in these reflections because detailed accounts and analyses will be most helpful to you both now as you practice teach and when you begin in your own classroom. Date each entry, and again, be specific in your reflections and analyses. In some cases, students have found it useful to add a journaling section on their lesson plans structure to ensure critical analysis and reflection on teaching while also keeping a more personal journal. Others have recorded thoughts and reflections spoken aloud and still others have kept a twitter account and/or blog on their learning. Whatever combination or structure for journaling you pick is appropriate – just ensure that it becomes an aspect of your practice throughout this semester. This is to be shared with the professor (though not necessarily read)and a few excerpts will be shared in small groups.

Portfolio Drafts and Final Portfolio

The portfolio for this course is a continuation of the portfolio you created last semester, with four additional sections. While the first semester’s portfolio foregrounded your own beliefs about curriculum and pedagogy as they were evolving through your exploration of educational theory and your dialogue with other theorists (including SASs and high school students), this version integrates your beliefs and experiences teaching into four key areas associated with state certification standards and requirements:

  • Planning and Preparation
  • Classroom Environment
  • Instruction
  • Professionalism

Every week, starting in Week 2, you are asked to submit 1 portfolio artifact/reflection pair. This enables you to document, record and reflect on learning throughout the semester (each week) and helps to demonstrate learning and growth throughout your experience student teaching.

Each of your reflections should:

  • Demonstrate learning gained from practice
  • Thoughtfully integrate theory found in your Chosen Texts or that you studied last semester or in previous courses with concrete, detailed examples from your student teaching
  • Indicate how these integrations of theory and practice speak to and inform one of the key areas outlined in the PA Certification Standards.

The purpose of this assignment is to ensure that you reflect on and document all required areas of practice, that you slowly build your documentation of and reflection on that practice over the course of the semester, and that you revisit previously learned concepts with your new perspective as a student teacher; documenting that learning as well. A list of potential content /issues within each of the four areasis below. The descriptions below are only meant to be helpful – a resource – and not a list of what you need to be learning/finding. In fact, much of what is mentioned below you address (perhaps differently) for your portfolio in the first semester. The point here is to gather learning and reflection based on teaching practice each week. When something doesn’t immediately come to mind, you can consult the descriptions below.

Section I: Planning and Preparation: Knowledge of Content, Students, and Resources

Subject Matter: This might include consideration of the following: passion for your subject, why you want to teach this subject, a critical perspective of your subject matter, exploration of your knowledge of your subject matter and particular pedagogical approaches to teaching your subject area.

Planning:This might include consideration of the following:effective understanding and use of standards, various activities used in instruction and planning, theory drawn upon in researching for and structuring lesson plans, and consideration of differentiation in planning.

Students: This might include consideration of the following:student identity – both individually and within their communities, supporting and challenging students with special needs and ensuring differentiation in planning and assessment.

Resources: This might include consideration of the following:The range of sources found in planning and curriculum and the use of technology in planning and teaching – from both a theoretical and practical perspective.

Section II: Classroom Environment

High Expectations: This might include consideration of the following: The ways in which you challenge and support students and encourage and model respect for all in the classroom.

Classroom Management: This might include consideration of the following: evidence of an awareness of social dynamics, relevant procedures that are in place for handling misbehavior, approaches to management issues and specific vignettes or examples from practice which illustrate these perspectives.

Variety in Learning: This might include consideration of the following:A range of learning opportunities, including opportunities to work in groups, pairs, as individuals, etc.

Space: This might include consideration of the following: the physical space in the classroom, that it supports the learning environment you are creating and includes explicit guidelines for participation.

Section III: Instruction

Diversity in Learning: This might include consideration of the following:

  • Create appropriate instruction materials for students’ diverse academic abilities
  • Variety of questions are asked
  • Opportunities for both written and oral learning
  • A variety of pedagogical approaches are evident

Directions and Guidelines: This might include consideration of the following: are directions and instructions are given

Taking Risks: This might include consideration of the following:

  • There is opportunity for risk-taking in your classroom (by you and students)
  • Development of a teacher persona

Rigor: This might include consideration of the following:Critical thinking, problem solving, and meta-cognitive awareness are evident in your classroom

Planning: This might include consideration of the following: That you create structured lesson plans with all components and that planning is flexible so as to meets students’ diverse needs

Assessment, Evaluation and Grading: This might include consideration of the following:

  • Assessment is theoretically inspired and in line with instructional approaches
  • Student input in assessment and evaluation
  • Use of assessment to further learning
  • Respond to student work thoughtfully and promptly
  • Check for student understanding in a variety of ways

Section IV: Professionalism and Professional Growth

Logistics: This might include consideration of the following:

  • Organization and responsibility
  • Maintenance of accurate records
  • Attendance at meetings
  • Professional Development and licensure

Your learning resources: This might include consideration of the following:

  • Use of literature and reflection to better your teaching and maintain growth
  • Seek and use criticism from students, colleagues, supervisor, cooperating teacher
  • Awareness of school aids and professionals
  • Collaboration for you as a teacher and the school more broadly

Appreciation of difference: This might include consideration of the following:Evidence that you treat everyone equallyand that you value diversity in educational practice

Communication: This might include consideration of the following:Parent, student and staff communication is present and respectful

Your final portfolio, including the sections from last semester as well, is due on May 6th at 5 pm. To be clear, you should directly add to / build on your portfolios from the first semester with new tabs.

2.Lesson Plans and Lesson Plan Presentation. (Due weekly. 15% of your grade)

You should have lesson plans foreveryclass you teach. Using a format you develop and that works best for you as you teach, compose daily lesson plans, each of which includes:

  • Your overall purposes (expressed either as objectives or as general purposes)
  • PA standards met (
  • An outline of the lesson, including: opening, instruction strategy, sequence and timing of activities, sample problems or examples, handouts for assignments, group work instructions, etc.
  • Means of assessment or evaluation

You should go over your plans with your cooperating teacher. On the day that your supervisor visits you, you need to give themcopies of the day’s lesson plans (as well as the day before and the day after). Your supervisor will recommend a part of your grade for this portion of the course.

For our course, each student will sign up for a “lesson plan presentation” in which you spend 5-10 minutes sharing with the class a sample lesson plan on the projector, your structure and process for planning, and a narrative or reflection of how the lesson went. You will have the opportunity to sign up for this next week – these will occur early in the semester on February 7th, 14th and 21st.

3. Field Work and Observation Record (10% of your grade)

These assignments should be a record of your investigations of the culture, policies, procedures, values, classroom dynamics, teaching and instruction and other essential characteristics of your school.

  • To complete the Field Work Record, meet with the appropriate people and address the questions I provide (see Field Work Record Sheet attached at the end of the syllabus). Do not be daunted by this list. Some questions are fairly straightforward and some require more research. They are all important to your understanding of the school and should be answered within the first week or two of the semester. Answers to these questions need not be written up formally, but they do need to be recorded in note-form somewhere that is easily accessible to you (and which you can turn in). This is due sometime during the first three weeks of the semester.
  • To complete the Observation Record, observe as many teachers and classrooms as possible during your free periods (at least 8), taking notes and learning from the instruction strategies and pedagogical styles of a variety of teachers in your school. A formal observation of your cooperating teacher can count for one of these observations. Please see the Observation Record sheet attached at the end of the syllabus where you can record each visit. This is due April 11th.

4. Chosen Text Reflection(20% of your grade)

Choose for yourself two texts in your subject area field to read (see “Chosen Text” page with some ideas/options). Last semester, you were able to connect with and learn from an experienced teacher to gain specific knowledge in your subject area. Learning about the best practice in your field is a lifetime endeavor, however, and it’s a good idea to get used to researching and reading on your own and staying up on the newest research being published in your subject area field, particularly while you are teaching. In addition, this reading assignment is meant to aid you in your lesson planning and inform your pedagogical strategies as you are developing them.

After spring break, you will be asked to share with the class your plans for the final Chosen Text reflection and an update on the texts you’ve been reading and how they have informed (or not) your teaching.

The chosen text reflection should be a “4 to 5 page reflection” through which you reflect on the texts you read, place them in conversation with one another and document if and how you were able to draw from them in planning for and teaching your classes. The format for this reflection is open, but you should refer directly to both texts, to your journal and any observations/notes/lesson plans you have that help to inform any learning you have gained from these texts. (The form is open – the 4 to 5 page limit is there to help you determine the amount of time/energy you should plan to spend on the reflection portion of this assignment). In the past, students have created a set of resources for a teacher development workshop, a creative short story, a traditional essay, a mini-portfolio or an extended lesson plan analysis with reflections. The assignment is meant to be open and creative but also demonstrate a deep investigation of the learning you accomplished from these texts. This is due in class April 4th.

5. Inquiry Project (25% of your grade)

Pose for yourself a question of practice. (Examples: How do I make assignments meaningful to students? How do I use writing in science? How do I improve homework completion in my classroom? How do I allow students to be their own authorities of their learning?) Over the course of the semester, keep notes toward this question and collect ongoing reflections and data from your teaching/practice.We will discuss practitioner inquiry and methods for conducting “research” on your practice in your placement throughout the semester. Your question may change as the semester progresses, which is totally fine and could ultimately be part of the answer. Also, read about how other teachers do what it is you are trying to do, or seek out teachers in your school to observe who might help you better answer the question you’ve posed. This inquiry traces your evolving thinking as much as presents a definite answer.

Throughout the second half of the semester, students will present data and emerging questions they have collected and developed thus far, with the goal of clarifying their theme and considering other sources of data they may need to actively collect in order to answer their question.

You will present to the class your findings on this question via analysis of the data you’ve documented. The final presentation (plan for 10 minutes, plus questions) will be on April 18th. You should turn in a copy of your “presentation” in addition to written notes for each aspect of your presentation (ie: notes for each “slide” on a powerpoint, notes for each page of a blog or wiki, notes for each concept presented on a poster board, notes and goals associated with each item for a professional development workshop you’ve created). The final presentation and associated notes should present an overall analysis which addresses the question you pose. Include references to any relevant books and articles you read or have read which support your analysis and findings.

Class Meetings

Tuesday, January 17: Student teaching preparation and course overview

Course Overview

Teaching check-in

Preparation completed over the break:

  • Map out more fully an overview of units to be taught during student teaching and plans for the first week. Spend considerable time on your first few days, and the structures/plans you have for your class next semester.
  • Read through the curriculum/textbook/content you will be teaching in the spring.
  • Develop a system for grading for next semester and consider a system for student feedback in your classroom

Tuesday, January 24: Strategies for Assessment and Grading

Due: Fieldwork Record

Reading:

Tomlinson & McTighe (2006). Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design. Chapters 8: Grading and Reporting Achievement

Ayers, W. To Teach: the journey in comics. Chapter 6