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Professional Semester III Final Report

Faculty of Education Field Experiences


Fall X Spring Semester, 2012 (Please check appropriate semester)

Professional Semester III is a five-course equivalent integrated semester including half-time teaching and professional study in curriculum design, leadership, advanced methods, and reflective practice. Intern Teachers are assigned full time to schools for the semester during which they assume responsibility for approximately one-half of the teaching day. PS III professional study is designed to complement and enhance the internship. The professional study components may occur on or off-campus and are coordinated by the Faculty Mentors in collaboration with Intern Teachers and school personnel.

Place a checkmark ( ) in front of the course in which you are registered Education 4571 Elementary Education Education 4572 Secondary Internship X Education 4573 Special Focus Internship Education 4574 Fine Arts Internship - Art or Drama Education 4575 Fine Arts Internship - Music Intern Teacher School Verna Mabin Ecole St. Mary Elementary Administrator Grade Level(s) Greg Miller Cathy Campbell 6

Teacher Mentors Annie Greeno and Crystal Lothian Faculty Mentor

Intern Teachers Descriptive Report: Completing my PSIII internship at Ecole St. Mary Elementary School was the most amazing experience. Coming into the classroom as a mother, a former Educational Assistant, and now as a teacher, has taught me things about myself that have made me a better person. Seeing the classroom from all sides allowed me to quickly establish a rapport with my teacher mentors, the parents, as well as the students in my classroom. I have established professional relationships, and made many friendships with other staff members; that I am positive will last a lifetime. I am very excited about what my future as a teacher is going to look like. My teaching assignment here at the school was grade six. My teaching responsibilities included social studies, math, science, fine arts, health, as well as grade five and six physical education. In addition to teaching, I involved myself in the school community. By volunteering my time on staff committees such as Christmas Concert, recess activity time, and social committee, I was able to get to know other teachers in my school, and gain valuable knowledge from all of them. To build relationships with students and parents, I started a drama club for my up and coming actors and actresses, and attended fundraising activities such as the Halloween Haunted House and Chili and a bun family

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night to fundraise for the Ecole St. Mary grade 6 camping trip. Intern Teachers Descriptive Report (Continued) In my short time here at Ecole St. Mary, I was able to establish a safe and caring classroom environment for my students by making myself available to students every morning before school, as well as during all recesses and lunch breaks. During this time students could work on homework, talk to me, receive help on assignments, or just hang out. This set a very positive tone in my classroom and I enjoyed the conversations we had during those times. I felt that throughout my practicum I was punctual, organized, and that I constantly maintained a positive attitude. I carried my smile with me throughout every situation. This in turn led to a positive classroom environment. I also allowed my students to create some of their own rules and expectations for the class. This sense of ownership helped maintain a place where little discipline was necessary. In addition to setting rules as a class, I also allowed them to create the reward system. This was an effective way of managing classroom behavior and ensuring that expectations were being met. To meet all of the goals within my professional growth plan, I embarked on an adventure with Mr. Miller and my grade six students. We teamed up with a grade six class from Ontario and are working on a collaborative project that will wrap up just before the Christmas break. Using technology such as Google docs and Skype, both classes met together to collaborate, communicate, and teach each other a little about daily life in their classrooms. Over the course of the semester I learned to be flexible, patient, and persistent. There were many challenges that I had to face on a daily basis. Attendance was poor for many of my students, academic levels were very diverse, completing homework and assignments were an issue for many, and I had a class of 29 students. Through this I learned to be flexible enough to change lessons to meet the needs of all my students, patient enough to teach things more than once, and persistent enough not to give up on any of my goals, even when they didnt seem achievable. I empowered my students by making sure they knew I believed in them, and their trust and faith in me, in turn empowered me. In addition to building relationships with the students, I also felt it was important to build a partnership with the parents or guardians. I made a point of attending Meet the Parent Night, and scheduling individual goal setting meetings with parents and students. These meetings allowed me to develop a rapport with parents, and in turn created a unique partnership of learning between me, my students, as well as their parents or guardians. The strongest aspect of my teaching would be my ability to engage my students. I used catchy songs such as the Photosynthesis Rap to teach concepts, and flip books for note taking rather than using the traditional style of copying notes from the board. I ensured

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Intern Teachers Descriptive Report (Continued) that all of the lessons were conducive to all styles of learners by having visual aids rhymes to help with memory, and chances for hands on learning. I made sure I provided at least 3 different ways to complete an assignment, whether they blogged, created an illustration, wrote a paragraph, or made a PowerPoint. I made a habit of always scanning my classroom to see which students were engaged, and which ones were not. I used various methods of technology whenever possible to ensure that the needs of my 21 st century learners were being met and I differentiated content so that everyone in my classroom had the potential to learn to the best of their ability. My greatest accomplishment this semester was creating a Weebly website on the entire Iroquois Confederacy unit with my students. As a class we blogged, we reflected, we researched information, added resources and pictures, and have created a wonderful resource for the FNMI Curriculum website. I feel that my willingness to learn, and my passion for teaching, has led to qualities that I am proud to possess. I believe that there is just as much for me to learn from my students, as there is for them to learn from me; and that education is a partnership between the educators, parents, and the students. I strongly believe that my drive towards excellence, and my goals to be the best teacher I can possibly be, will only benefit me as an educator. This internship taught me the importance of trust and respect, and the importance of never giving up on anything I try to do or become. This was a humbling experience for me, both professionally and personally, one I will always remember as I embark on this wonderful journey called teaching.

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PS III Final Report for Verna Mabin

Intern Teacher Signature

Date

School Administrator Comments: Verna Mabin has taken full advantage of her internship at cole St. Mary School. During the 4 months she taught grade 6, and enthusiastically participated in the life of the school, attending staff meetings, team meetings and parent/teacher conferences. As a person preparing to enter the teaching profession, Verna has immersed herself in the day-to-day culture of elementary school life. Verna completes the planning necessary to offer her students a well-rounded educational program that reflects the direct use of the learner outcomes from the Alberta Education Program of Studies. Her plans are detailed and well suited to the needs of her students. When necessary, she adapts her plans to better meet these needs. Verna teaches in an organized and structured classroom. In cooperation with her mentor teachers, she has created an environment filled with relevant materials that stimulate student learning. Supporting resources, which are regularly used in her teaching, are easily accessible to the students. The use of spaces outside the classroom such as the library/media center and the Garage has allowed students to take more responsibility for their own learning. Verna has developed a trusting and respectful relationship with the students in her class and throughout the school. Her expectations with regard to classroom routine and behavior have been clearly communicated to the students and they have responded in a positive manner. She seeks support from administration when necessary. Verna pays particular attention to the individual needs within her class. She builds a good rapport with difficult students and keeps them focused on learning in a consistent manner. She develops individual learner profiles for students who require further interventions and gives up much of her own time to support them in successfully meeting their goals. Verna has shown wonderful foresight by integrating 21 st century learning into her students day. Utilizing a number of Web 2.0 tools for online engagement and collaboration is definitely ahead of the curb and her students are building powerful competencies for their future. In particular, Verna is completing an innovative, collaborative project with a grade 6 classroom from Toronto which involves brainstorming via Google Docs and presentation via Skype. Well done! Verna ensures that all students are equally included in classroom activities. A variety of research based instructional strategies are used to enhance student learning, such as

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School Administrator Comments (Continued): identifying similarities and differences, generating/testing a hypothesis and cooperative learning. This ability to differentiate instruction allows for Verna to engage a variety of learning styles. Verna has incorporated FNMI themes into her teaching, covering the curriculum and meeting learner outcomes in a creative manner. This is impressive in a classroom with a significant number of FNMI students. Verna has developed a strong working relationship with colleagues. She participated in parent/teacher conferences at the end of the first reporting period and has been supportive of school administration and school-wide policies. Verna has participated in all professional development opportunities offered at our school, including our first ever EDCAMP in November. She is eager to learn new strategies that will help in her teaching. During her internship she has become familiar with the structure of a professional learning community and demonstrates the determination of a lifelong learner. Verna Mabin is a hard-working and dedicated educator who has had a successful PSIII internship at cole St. Mary School. I would not hesitate to recommend her for a teaching position. She will be an asset to any school staff.

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____________________________________________ School Administrator Signature This page is to be attached to the Intern Teachers Report. Teacher Mentors Comments:

_______________________________ Date

As teachers at Ecole St. Mary School, we have had the pleasure to work with Mrs. Verna Mabin. Verna took on the teaching responsibilities of Grade 6 core classes (with the exception of Language Arts), Physical Education 5 and the team- teaching of Fine Arts. In addition to the teaching responsibilities, Verna also recently started a Drama club and was involved in several school and grade-level based committees. Verna developed and maintained a very positive and enriching learning environment. Verna ensured that the students felt that the classroom was a safe and caring place. This was especially easy for Verna as she worked diligently to develop and maintain a strong rapport with the students. In addition to building relationships within the classroom, Verna developed relationships with the students she encountered in day to day activities and the staff of Ecole St. Mary. Verna brought enthusiasm, dedication and a sincere desire to motivate the grade 6 students. Verna exhibited organizational skills when planning her classes, which was evident in her planning and preparation. Verna was always aware of best practices and implemented those in the learning of outcomes from the subject specific curriculum. Both short term and long term plans were in place with a clear focus on incorporating an FNMI perspective into all curricular areas. During her practicum, Verna integrated technology in the classroom setting across all subject areas. A highlight of Vernas unique teaching approach was the collaboration with the students to build and develop a web-based study guide / information page on the Iroquois Confederacy. Verna collaborated with us on a daily basis regarding student behaviour, achievement and progress. She was open to incorporating ideas and used feedback to enhance her teaching practices. Verna was also not afraid to approach us for guidance regarding best practices within the classroom or in regards to unique / challenging situations. Vernas ability to work with others will continue to be a great strength of hers as she continues within the teaching profession. In addition to communicating with staff, Verna established and maintained an open dialogue with parents/ guardians and students. Verna provided subject updates in monthly classroom newsletters, homework checks, progress reports and evaluation rubrics for
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students. Verna was also responsible for organizing, communicating and following up on a

Teacher Mentors Comments (Continued):

Grade 6 fundraising event. Verna is an effective communicator with the students using a variety of verbal and non-verbal means to direct learning. She incorporated several communication strategies to meet and manage the needs of the diverse and at times challenging needs of the learning styles within the classroom. An important component of teaching includes evaluations and Verna was able to use a variety of assessment methods to evaluate student learning and engagement. Verna used rubrics, templates, peer evaluations, student self-reflection, observation, portfolios and direct testing over the course of her practicum. Across all curricular areas Verna used both formative and summative forms of assessment. The formative assessments were used to guide teaching practices and used for pre-assessment of content knowledge. Summative assessments were used as indicators for student progress and mastery. Verna is a caring, compassionate, enthusiastic, fun-loving and strong individual. She not only sets goals for herself and her students and then works diligently to achieve them. Her professionalism, dedication and sincere desire to do the best for her students make her an excellent candidate for a teaching position. In taking everything into consideration, we believe that Verna will be very successful at any teaching position that she takes on. We believe that Vernas experience in teaching at Ecole St. Mary School was a valuable endeavor for all involved.

Mentor Teacher Signature

Date

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Mentor Teacher Signature This page is to be attached to the Intern Teachers Report. Faculty Mentor Comments:

Date

I have read the complete Final Report and certify that the assigned grade is PASS.

Faculty Mentor Signature

Date

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September 2012 FE_Forms_PSIII

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