Meagan Murray Candidate Teaching Summit Presentation My website Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats.

Meagan MurrayCandidate Teaching

Summit Presentation My website

Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats

IntroductionW.L. Swain Elementary

SchoolWhere Learning by Standards Elevates

Success

School Website

Meagan Murray

•Early Childhood Education major•Conducted Candidate Teaching at W.L. Swain Elementary Schools•Placed in Kindergarten•Collaborating Teacher: Mrs. Beverly Holland•Taught all subjects including

•Math•Language arts /Writers workshop•Social Studies•Science

Mrs. Meagan

W.L. Swain Elementary Swain is a rather small, rural Title I school located in the

southwestern section of Gordon County near the communities of Scottsville and Plainville, Georgia. This school serves approximately 618 Pre-K through fifth grade students. The members of this community expect quality education for their children and will find it at W.L. Swain Elementary.

School Size

My Classroom

•My kindergarten class has 22 students•Diversity

•11 boys and 11 girls (5 Hispanic, •1 African-American, 16 Caucasian) •3 ELL students•1 gifted student •1 RTI student

Mrs. Holland

7:35 -  8:00 Seatwork, Attendance, Restroom Break 8:00 - 9:00  Literacy Stations/ Needs-Based 9:00-10:10GroupsHarcourt/Jack and Jilly, whole group reading, phonemic awareness, phonics skills, sharing, literature/read-aloud 10:10-10:40   Writer's Workshop/ Focus 10:40-11:10 Lunch11:10-11:20 Restroom Break11:20-11:45 Calendar Math/Skills Time11:45-12:45 Math Workshop12:45- 1:15  Science/Social Studies 1:15 - 1:40  Pack Book Bags/Recess 1:40 - 2:05- specials

Class Schedule

This schedule took some time to get use to. Lunch begins at 10:35. They do not get another break until 1:25. This is a long constant stream of instruction which makes it hard to maintain the students focus.

Thoughts and Feelings, Fears, Strengths and Weaknesses as you

began Candidate Teaching.

In the beginning...

• Before starting Candidate teaching I could think about it and immediately become overwhelmed with so many different feeling. – Joy – Nervousness– Excitement– Overwhelmed

– successful• In the beginning I was confident that I could bring something new

and exciting into the classroom but feared my classroom management would crumble to the students I was entrusted with.

It was not long before I was bringing lessons, reading books, creating centers,

and planning sight word games. Now I was feeling completely happy and

excited.

Evidence of Development of Proficiency Number 1:

Planning

Evidence for MeetingProficiency 1.0

Planning for differentiated instruction and assessment

There is nothing more important than adjusting the curriculum and the strategies to meet the needs of your students. Whether that means adding visuals, songs, hands on activities, or experiments.

The Planning Process• Mrs. Holland welcomed me into her classroom with open arms. We would meet

throughout the week to discuss the topics and themes. She would give me the opportunity to be creative and use my imagination to create hands on innovative lessons for our class. She would also provide resources she had gathered for that unit.

• She allowed me to stray from the Harcourt curriculum and bring in my own books for read alouds and writers workshop activities. Mrs. Holland and I would collaborate planning ideas and make sure that standards and rubric requirements were addressed.

• Once a month we would also meet with the entire kindergarten staff to make sure we were all covering the same materials and share resources.

• When planning small group instruction each leveled group had their own bucket filled with differentiated materials to meet each child’s need. When planning lessons I made sure to address multiple learning styles, academic levels, ELL students, and emotional needs.

Domain I: Planning for differentiated instruction and assessmentProficiency 1.0 The teacher candidate uses knowledge of curriculum, learner differences, and ongoing assessment data to plan for student access to the same essential content. Reflective Analysis: How did you use knowledge of curriculum, learner differences, and ongoing assessment data to plan for student access to same essential content.

• Lesson 1- Supervisor observation 1

1. Based on pre-assessments2. Identifying learning styles and

adjusting each lesson to meet the needs of each student

3. Sorting materials for need based groups

Evidence of Development of Proficiency Number 2: Differentiated Instruction and Planning

Different Strategies for Differentiated Instruction• Proficiency 2.0: The teacher candidate utilizes a variety of strategies to differentiate

instruction and assessment.

• To plan for differentiated instruction first you need to identify those students who are struggling with a concept. Then it is your job as their teacher to determine how that student learns best and plan instruction to help each student meet their maximum potential.

• For example in my classroom we have several ELL students that are visual learners . So to help these students I create anchor charts to display newly taught information, vocabulary, or review topics like colors with the color words or numbers with the number words.

• Another strategy for differentiated instruction is to include music and movement whenever possible to increase understanding.

Evidence of Differentiated Instruction• Lesson Plan 4 Plant Parts

– Pre-assessment with ELL– Anchor charts for vocabulary and jobs of plant parts– Dr. Jean song/dance/visual– Work differentiated by having students cut and paste vocabulary

Pre and Post Assessments

This particular student received a sad face on the pre-assessment but a happy face on post assessment.

Examples of Great Work

Classroom Management

•Positive Reinforcement•Classroom Store•Color Change Chart

Say CHEESE!!

Impact of Student Learning

• Pre-assessment plays a critical role in your ability to differentiate instruction. You must pre-assess students in order to gain an understanding of what your students know, understand, and are able to do. Without pre-assessment, you do not know the prior knowledge of your students, or the specific learning differences amongst your students. The results from the pre-assessments are a guide for shaping and building the lesson around each individual learner.

•Supervisor Observed Lesson 3 Rocks and Soil

•Assessment used for rocks and soils

•Assessment used for sorting rocks by physical

attributes

•Results

Proficiency 3.0: The teacher candidate uses systematic formal/informal assessment as an ongoing diagnostic activity to measure student growth and to guide, differentiate, and adjust instruction.

Rubrics and Results

Impact of Student Learning

• Reflection 1• Reflection 2 includes rubric• Reflection 3 includes rubric• Reflection 4

  PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN SUPPORT OF DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT

• Proficiency 4.0: The teacher candidate displays a professional commitment to the teaching philosophy of differentiated instruction to support students’ diverse learning needs and to maximize learning.

• Dial 1• Teacher observed Dial• Dial 3• Dial 4

Teaching Philosophy… then and now… •Teaching Philosophy

•Special Education Teaching Philosophy

Everything is easier said than done. After actually being in a classroom I realize the most important thing is and always will be the students. They each have needs. Not just educational but emotionally. As a teacher I will be passionate about identifying each students learning style and differentiate my lessons and strategies to help those children reach their full potential. I will also establish my classroom as a safe, fair, compassionate environment that will encourage and support my students desire to learn. Ultimately my goal is to equip each of my students with the essential skills needed in life to be successful.

Professionalism • Development Activities

– Conferences March 22- RTI parent teacher meeting– Technology meeting February 9- technology budget planning

meeting– In-service work days February 9- work day , grade level planning

meeting – Faculty Meeting- January 18, February 15, March 14, April 11

CRCT prep– PTA February 29, March 28 – Kindergarten Chick Fil a Night

•Organizations to which I belong – Spage

Kindergarten Chick Fil A Night

In Conclusion…What are your future challenges as a teacher?

– Producing a productive well managed classroom.– Helping students manage the stresses of testing.– Figuring out how to get it all done!

How will being a teacher on my own be different from being a candidate teacher?• You are on your own (no supervisors, collaborating teacher, no seminars)• More responsibility

What is my plan to continue my development as a professional?

» Take the GACE special education certification » Get gifted endorsement and reading endorsement » In a few years I would like to take the required art classes to get an art degree so that

I could teach art at the elementary level.•

Resources • Microsoft Office Online-Powerpoint• Microsoft Office Clip Art• Google Images• Mrs. Holland, Mrs. Elder, Mrs. Economos, and Mrs. Smoot• W.L. Swain Elementary School/ website• Brainpopjr.com• Reinhardt College• SPAGE

Thank you so much…• Reinhardt University for all you have done!• My parents for all your support!• My husband and children for still loving me through the stressful days!• Thank you Harriett Lindsey for all your support, encouragement, and

guidance. • Debbie you have done so much for all of us… Thank you!• Mrs. Holland and the kindergarten staff for opening your classrooms and

leading me all this way!

Thank You

My Little Buddies… I will miss them!!!