Creating Poetry and A Former Friend

Today the afternoon class enjoyed creating poetry images.  We painted with words!  It was so fun and exciting!
We also had a former Rainbow Valley student as our afternoon Mystery Reader.

Standard 4 (1)

The teacher models profesional and ethical standards.
I work hard to relate to parents, staff, and others in a professional and ethical manner.  Through my website and my class technology projects I model the ethical use of technology to reflect favorably on the school division.

I am also very diligent about respecting confidentiality with my students and parents.  I work hard to resolve classroom and school concerns and problems in a constructive manner which includes calling parents immediately when a concern arises.  I also work very closely with my grade level to collaboratively plan on all lessons, student assignments, and grades.

Standard 3 (5)

The teacher establishes and maintains rapport with students. 
Maintains an atmosphere where students exhibit caring and respect for one another and the teacher.

Seeks out and uses information about the interests and opinions of students.

Demonstrates and promotes respect for individual, cultural, religious, gender, and racial differences of individuals and groups.

I arranged to have three visitors come to our school to discuss diversity and our school system's history. I made many arrangements with the Department of Media, our guest speakers, and the Beacon reporter. I included other kindergarten classes in this program and the even was covered by the Beacon. The program celebrated diversity.

I also blog our activities that we do in class to celebrate diversity. 
Please see the link below for more information. 


Supports students through voluntary presence at extracurricular activities.

I was a voluntary judge at our school's science fair in 2010. 
I attended Literacy night in 2009 and will attend math night in May 2010.
I also keep parents informed of all extracurricular activities through twitter and my blog.  Please see link below for more examples of blogging extracurricular activities. 

Standard 3 (4)

The teacher demonstrates effective organizational skills to achieve classroom, school, community, and division goals.
Develops innovative processes for the completion of assigned tasks.
I keep my classroom extremely well organized for a smooth, productive environment for both my students and my coworkers. I have my classroom set up so all teachers and staff can come and use any of my supplies. In addition, I make all of our materials and supplies accessible in an organized way so class activities can continue even if I am in a meeting or I am absent.

Word Study Sheets

In the container above each drawer has supplies for each monthly journal. 

 Performs record keeping in an accurate, timely, and efficient manner.

Through my kindergarten blog I keep parents and co-workers informed of our daily activities daily.  I usually update my blog five times a week.  I also provide my co-workers with all of my activities and materials online either through sharepoint or on my online portfolio so they can receive what they need instantly.  I also use twitter to get information to parents, blog followers, and colleagues instantly. 

Possess knowledge of and adheres to the school's Plan for Continuous Improvement and integrates the plan into daily practice.  Possesses knowledge of the school division's strategic plan goals.

Through our daily activities I work hard to integrate technology into my lesson plans.  I have used voicethread for writer's workshop and science concepts.  I have also used Bookflix and Reading Rainbow to provide additional opportunities for my students to become engaged with the love of reading.  By working collaboratively with my grade level teachers and my resource teachers, I have worked hard to instill rigor into my classroom assignments and encouraged parents to raise expectations for students in kindergarten.  Below is a link for student work with the use of technology and multimedia, that integrates technology and rigor into our assignments.

Standard 3 (3)

The teacher creates a supportive learning environment for all students that encourages group interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation. 

Provides students with choices for learning opportunities and enables students to contribute to the menu of choices.

In addition, students also make choices with math buckets.  Below is a video of students doing a math bucket activity that they chose.

Each day my students get to choose a daily five choice including writing, reading to self, word work, big books, library books, fridge magnets, and listening to reading.  Below are pictures of students after they have made their choices. 

Intentionally organizes a variety of flexible groups to encourage student interactions. 

In our class we do a variety of group and partner activity in addition flexible guided reading groups.  We also have partner math and word study buddies. 

Each week our class also meets with Mrs. Lister's second grade class to do book buddies to promote student friendships and group work. 

Ensure student accomplishments are broadcast in a variety of mediums and locations. 

Standard 3 (2)

The teacher manages classroom procedures to maximize academic learning time. 

Begin lessons promptly

My students are in the routine to begin writing in their journals promptly when they arrive and when finished, then making a daily five choice independently.  This allows students to finish at their own pace.

Establish effective routines for distributing materials that involve students.

In our classroom all of our literacy centers and word study assignments are organized and stored so students can independently get their own supplies.

Prepare purposeful assignments for teacher assistants to ensure continuous student engagement in learning.

I collaboratively arranged with my grade level for assistants to work together to reinforce various concepts with students struggling.  This small group intervention continued for five months and the group of struggling students made excellent strides with their academics.

Standard 3 (1)

The teacher implements an effective discipline policy and fosters a safe, orderly, positive environment for students.
Involves students in establishing classroom rules and procedures:

At the beginning of the year, I encourage my students to create five rules for our class to work follow.  These rules are also posted on our website. 

Assists students in developing self-discipline and conflict resolution skills.

After Ms. Booth teaches Kelso's choice, our class reinforce these conflict resolution skills all year.  Please look at the link below for more information.

Stadard 2 (4)

The teacher selects, evaluates, and refines a variety of teaching methods and instructional strategies for the active engagement of students and improvements of student learning.
Presents visuals to enhance student engagement in learning. Please see pictures below

Provide instructional opportunities that enhance appropriate student interactions with materials, teachers, and one another. Please see pictures below

Selects a variety of strategies beyond lecturing and independent work including:

cooperative learning

peer tutoring

demonstrations

experiments

projects

Our class collected 100 cans of food to donate to a local food pantry to celebrate 100 days of school!

 

centers

technology

Please see examples of student work in technology at

http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/search/label/technology

multimedia

Matches the selection of instructional grouping arrangements such as whole class, small groups, pairs, individual, and hetero/homogenous ability to the nature of the activity.

Selects strategies based upon individual students' needs, streangths and weaknesses.


Use varied and carefully constructed questions that provide a balance of mix of all types.

Knowledge and Comprehension- In all lessons I work hard to include thin and thick questions to informally assess my students knowledge and comprehension.

Application and Analysis- This is apparent daily during our smartboard calendar as students apply the knowledge they have learned in different rigorous math activities through daily calendar.

Whole Class signaling- in our class we use thumbs up and thumbs down

Group and Individual Answers- I always include opportunities for individual and group answers

Written and Shared Responses- With our Making Meaning Series, each week children respond in their writer's workshop notebook a connection that have to the book that is read. After writing our responses, students get a chance to share their writing with the class.

Standard 2 (3)

The teacher uses comprehensive materials, technology, and resources that promotes the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
Incorporates multimedia and technology.  Provide guided practice and supports hands-on technology application utilizing a variety of media and technologies. 

I use the smartboard for daily calendar and I also use my computers each day for my students to use to read multimedia books.





I use a variety of programs on the computer including Bookflix, Pixie, Animoto, and Voicethread to help engage my students and promote critical thinking.  We also complete a variety of class projects using technology.  http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/search/label/technology


Teaches creative thinking where students create, design, imagine, and predict. 

Please check the link below for some examples of students involved in the scientific process
http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/search/label/science

Teaches research-based thinking where student explore and review different ideas, models, and solutions to problems. 

I worked collaboratively with my grade level to create and establish the "Scientist of the Day" program which gave students the opportunity to complete a science experiment with their parents.  This successful program encouraged a variety of idea, models, and solutions to problems.

Our class also discussed at length how we can help our Earth be healthy.  http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/2010/03/trees-are-living-things.html
http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/2010/03/recycling-pollution-and-conservation.html


Our class also brainstormed ways we could help other people and we decided to try to collect 100 cans of food to help others in our community. 
http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/2010/02/we-did-it.html

Provides wait time and promting/cueing to ensure student success.  Calls on volunteers and non-volunteers and selects a balance of students based on ethnicity and gender.  Factilitates student-generated questions that lead to further inquiry and self-directed learning.  Encourages students to respond to student-generated questions that lead to student-centered discussions.

I always use individual note cards for each student and draw names at random allowing for volunteers and non-volunteers to participate as well as student of all ethnicity and gender.  I also allow my students to collaborate and brainstorm different answers to real-world problems in small groups. 


Engages students in giving specific and appropriate feedback to one another.

Standard 2 (2)

The teacher delivers the assigned programs and/or curriculum and differentiates instruction to meet diverse student needs.Matches the task to the learner by adjusting content, process, and product in response to the student's readiness, learner profile, and interest.  Makes curriculum and instructional adjustments proactively to accommodate students' needs. Assigns appropriately rigorous tasks with a range of scaffolding to support students.


I have math buckets and book baggies which allow me to provide different activities for students to help reinforce different concepts. 

My word study groups and guided reading groups are differentiated according to student ability, strengths, and weaknesses.

I wrote lessons plans to have my assistants do an extra reading group with my students who are significantly above grade level in reading.

I also arranged for my assistants to work with the other assistants on our grade level to pull struggling students in very small groups to reinforce basic kindergarten concepts.

Standard 2 (1)

The teacher possess content knowledge and a skills base that demonstrate continous improvement consistent with the goals of the school division.

Assesses his/her content knowledge strengths and weaknesses using the results to make, implement, and fulfill plans for professional improvement.

After applying and attending Tech Trek:  The Next Generation this summer I integrated a variety of technology I learned at the seminar into my lessons.  I established my twitter account to keep parents updated on daily events, revamped my blog to incorporate many web 2.0 tools including those offered by google, and maximized how I used voicethread for student projects.  I also helped my grade level understand how to use voicethread, twitter, and blogger.  I make my lesson topics relevant to students lives and experiences by incorporating mother's day projects into writer's workshop, community service projects into math lessons, and using technology to have my students demonstrate what they have learned.



Accesses and integrates appropriate professional literature and resources related to the subject areas taught as evidence of continous improvement.

I also researched how to incorporate word study and daily five into my classroom for a more organized day.  I also helped my grade level incorporate daily five into their daily activities.

Standard 1 (1)

The teacher effectively employs processes for gathering, analyzing, and using data for decision-making.Gathers from a broad range of sources.
I use PALS scores, EDK scores, DRA scores, word study assessments, monthly journals, informal assessments, formal assessments, and my own observations.

Collaborates with colleagues on how results will be used to plan, modify, and improve instruction.
This year I worked collaboratively with three other kindergarten teachers (my entire grade level) on all lesson plans, assignments, and grading objectives. 

Disaggregates assessment results in order to meet individual and class learning needs. 
I use my collaboratively planning and my range of assessment sources to differentiate my guided reading groups, word study groups, and math groups.  With the exception of my word study groups, all of my other groups are fluid and constantly changing depending on strengths and weaknesses of each student.

Standard 1 (4)

The teacher participates in resource allocation plansMakes uses of technology to submit budgetary and resource needs to appropriate individuals in a timely manner.

When I was awarded the Bookflix grant from the Virginia Education Foundation I used email and a spreadsheet to keep track of how the money would be transferred from the Virginia Education Foundation to scholastic through the school system.

Standard 1 (5)

The teacher provides appropriate documentation of improved student achievement. 

Develops measurable achievement goals with student input.

I use my DRA scores from the beginning of the year and midyear to keep track of which students are making excellent progress and which students need reinforcement.  I also formally assess students each week in word study and sight words.  I work hard to make a connection with my students and create goals together for both reading and writing.


Provides evidence on the extent to which individual and class achievement goals have been met.

I keep accurate records of all previous assessment and compare scores to see student growth.  I also update my weekly grades in pinnacle so my parents are aware of how their child is meeting grade level standards

Standard 1 (2)

The teacher develops and implements classroom lessons plans that promote student achievement.My language arts lessons include incorporation of guided reading, independent reading, shared reading, interactive reading, read alouds, independent writing, shared writing, guided writing, and interactive writing.

Plans lessons that establish rigorous expectations for student performance that are understood by all students.

Our class is very structured with the same routines during daily five, word study, writer's workshop, and math games.  After establishing the structure for these activities, students are aware and understand what to expect when doing each type of activity.  Even though the content may change, the students understand how to complete an assignment or task in these classroom activities. 

Lessons are relevant to students lives
Integrate other disciplines

To manage to "get it all in" in a half day kindergarten program, I am always integrating science and social studies into language arts.  For an example of integrated lessons and lessons that are relevant to students lives , please check out the links below. 
http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/2010/04/planting-rainbow.html

http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/2010/03/winter-and-spring.html

http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/2010/03/trees-are-living-things.html

http://www.mykindergartenfriends.com/2010/03/recycling-pollution-and-conservation.html

Provide for student engagement, student reflection, and lesson closure.

Our daily journals offer students a chance to reflect on what they have learned in a previous lesson and also have them become more comfortable writing about their activites in school.

Standard 1 (3)

The teacher uses a variety of assessments to make instructional decisions to improve student achievement.Uses a variety of frequent, systematic, and authentic assessments to check for understanding. 

I uses the standard quarter assessments for all my students.  I also analyze my students journals each week and keep notes on my observations in class.  I also keep monthly assessments on different math skills and also weekly grades in pinnacle for formal and informal assessments.  I also have formal word study assessments each week 

Uses informal assessment of student learning to adjust instruction while teaching.

During our literature sessions, I use informal assessments to assess independent reading readiness or levels.  I also informally assess math, science, and social studies during the lessons by taking a quick break to have them write a reflection in their journals.  Each day my students review their word sorts and I am able to determine who needs extra support with their sort.  I also have an informal daily and weekly observation that I use in their journals to assess what is needed to help their writing. 

Develops and uses assessment strategies appropriate to the development level of the student.

I collaborate with my grade level to create identical assignments, grades, and assessments. Each quarter we work on what objectives we are introducing, reviewing, and mastering for our students.  Since kindergarten is the earliest grade in public school, many of our objectives are assessed individually with each student allowing the opportunity to do their best.