Melisa Adams

STANDARD 10 – Reflection and Professional Growth: The teacher is a reflective

practitioner who continually evaluates how choices and actions affect students, parents,

and other professionals in the learning community and actively seeks opportunities to

grow professionally.

1. Write a paragraph explaining your knowledge and understanding of the standard—put the

standard into your own words.

This standard is directed towards the teacher. It is holding them accountable for their actions as a

teacher and requires them to be their own judge. The standard wants teachers to be responsible

for their teaching practices and what works or doesn’t work in the classroom. The teacher should

be continually learning every day in the classroom and should be changing his/her teaching

styles based on what the experiences they have had. Reflection will also help the teacher if they

go to a new school with different students and how their teaching styles or subjects will affect

the community.

2. Explain how the artifact you chose demonstrates your understanding and application of the

standard.

Every day that I am in the classroom I take notes about things that happened or things I

observed. I later go through my notes, add them and more facts to my journal. I like reviewing

my journal to see how I am progressing as a teacher but to also review what works in the

classroom. I take notes on certain children, their behaviors or actions and approaches I use to

reach them. This gives me a basis to know what approaches I should choose for other students

similar to the ones I have come in contact with. I also feel it is important to keep notes in case a
parent has a problem or wants to know what to do to help. I can refer to my journal, figure out

what I have tried and give them ideas what to do or gain ideas from them.

3. A If the artifact has been used in your practice, reflect on how your teaching will change in

the future to further meet the standard.

B. If the artifact has not been used in your practice, i.e., a class assignment, reflect upon how

your teaching will be impacted by the assignment.

By writing down lessons I’ve learned, techniques I’ve tried, and things I have observed while

being in a classroom or teaching are going to shape my teaching in the future. I will have

something concrete and my own to look back on and grow from as the years go on. I will have

ideas and changes that I know work and some that didn’t work but in what situations they could.

I will be able to introduce and use new activities or lessons that I have observed and taken note

of also. This will help give me a range in what I teach and the types of things I incorporate into

the classroom. Keeping a log or journal will also give me guidance to areas of my teaching that I

need to work on or develop more and areas that I have been stuck in and should try something

different. I think keeping a journal will help me be a well rounded always changing teacher.

4. Conclude with a paragraph discussing how you are more prepared to Teach and Learn in a

Diverse Society as a result of satisfactorily meeting the standard.

I am gaining valuable experience now in pre-teaching which I have been involved in different

classrooms with diverse student populations. The notes I have taken and assessments I have

done in all of these settings will help me adept better to a diverse society than if I did not. It is

good to have a journal to look back on how to reach students of a different religion, race,
learning ability, and so on. Also, sharing experiences with teachers and other colleague’s gives

helps generate ideas and tools to use in these different settings. I like having a journal so I can

help myself be a better teacher in diverse settings but also to help my fellow teachers when they

encounter problems too.