Alyssandra Jaquith

Framework: Classroom Vision & Goals

My school has done a lot of work surrounding school-wide and grade-level visions and
missions. This has really helped to streamline the school culture, and it has helped me to refocus
the goals I have for my specific classroom. The school-wide vision is as follows: Patrick Henry
is a community of empowered learners that are equipped to contribute positively to society with
empathy and integrity. The school-wide mission is as follows: At Patrick Henry, we will
empower our students through academic instruction that is designed to be rigorous relative to
each individual child, use all of our human capital including parents, teachers, students,
community members, and all relevant educational partners, and always put the student
perspective first by programming with student interest in mind and allowing students many
opportunities to design their own learning. Finally, this year, the 2nd grade team created the
following mission for students: Our mission in 2nd grade is to actively develop our reading,
math, and writing skills. We will be creative and empathetic problem solvers. We will also be
self-motivated and goal-oriented so that we can be leaders in our community. With these larger
goals in mind, my specific classroom goals have more strength and purpose.
Pathways to Opportunity
During academic work I often tie in the skill that students are working on to a future job
or a way that this skill is important for their future prospects (whether this be college or a career).
Something I am doing to further amplify this practice this year is to implement Future Friday.
As part of our push for personalized learning, I want my students to understand that there is a
broad range of future paths for them. Therefore, I have invited all parents, members and leaders
of the community, and other professionals in Chicago to sign up to come to my classroom on a
Friday and to discuss their profession, their education, and answer student questions about their
jobs. I hope that Future Friday will open up my students eyes to the broad range of
professions and life choices that they have available to them, as well as help them to better
understand the path they must take in order to get there. At the beginning of the year I asked
students what they wanted to do when they grew up, and asked what steps they had to take in
order to get there. I will gives students the same exact activity at the end of the year, to see how
their understanding of future opportunities and pathways to success has been enriched through
this program.
Academic Achievement
I measure student achievement in a variety of ways. I use NWEA data in Math and
Reading, leveled reading data through the mClass Reading 3D TRC and DIBELS assessments
(in both English and Spanish), as well as through monitoring of different online programs such
as Lexia or Front Row Ed to track student progress. My goal for my students on NWEA is that
they will meet their growth goal. This is different for each student and is based upon a full year
of growth. I push my students to focus on improvement and growth, rather than on a specific
numerical score. In reading, my goal is that each student will grow at least 3 reading levels from
the beginning of the year (BOY) to the middle of the year (MOY) and an additional 3 reading
levels from the MOY to the end of the year (EOY). Additionally, I progress monitor students
using the DIBELS assessment (reading fluency) every 2 weeks. Students individually and
independently track this data.

Students keep track of their individual data in their goals folder where they can track
their progress monitoring data to see how their fluency score is improving through a bar graph
tracker, as well as to track their BOY, MOY, and EOY data with a similar bar graph tracker.
This is also where students keep charts to track their progress on online programs. Lexia
provides trackers for students to fill in a bar graph once an activity is passed. Once all activities
are passed, students move on to a new level and begin filling out a new tracker sheet for the next
level. It is important that technology is used as a tool and students see the connection between
the online program and their academic achievement.
Long-Term Traits and Mindsets
I work very hard with my students to build skills, traits, and mindsets that will help them
to be successful adults. Especially because my class is a group of English Language Learners,
we spend a lot of time defining what some of these skills and traits look like, sound like, and feel
like. I make sure the students deeply understand the meaning of and embody the following
traits: determination, respect, joy, and pride. The looks like, sounds like, and feels like anchor
charts for each of these words are posted throughout the room. This year I am also working to
instill independence in my students as we begin to work on personalized learning. I reinforce
these traits by have a quick debrief session at the end of each subject time block when we talk
about what went well (glows), and what we can do better for tomorrow (grows). It is a whole
group share out, but it is a quick reminder and reinforcement of student traits and mindsets. I
make sure to praise and check these character traits during the glow and grow time.
This practice is part of the way that I instill a growth mindset in my students. Students
are praised for improvement and growth in my classroom. At the start of the year I taught
students what a growth mindset waswe brainstormed how we could change certain phrases
like I cant figure this out or Ill never be smart enough into a growth mindset phrase such as
Maybe I can look at it a different way or Im going to keep trying. I have a Rockin
Readers wall where I post the names of students whose progress monitoring data improves in
reading fluency (there is no score or number attached to it). Finally, students end the day with
shout outs and sorrys to give compliments or apologize to their classmates for anything that
happened that day. Each day I encourage students to look for students who are following one of
the traits we hope to instill in ourselves in the classroom. Since students are the ones
complimenting their peers, I praise students who have shouted-out the traits that I hope to
instill in my students.
Student Interests and Aspirations
At the beginning of the year I have my students complete a student interest survey to
better understand what my students are curious about and what they like to do. I try to
incorporate these into my unit and lesson planning. I also do a student learning survey to better
understand the types of learners in my room (do you prefer working alone, do you prefer being
active or staying still, etc). I use all of this information to make my room an exciting and
engaging place for all of my students. I also use the information from the activity mentioned in
the Pathways to Opportunity section to excite my students about what it is they want from their
future. I will bring up certain details that students wrote about as part of a lesson. Additionally,
I occasionally give exit slips to students to assess how much they enjoyed the lesson and ask
what could be better or what should be changed for next time. Finally, as part of the

personalized learning initiative in my classroom, my students will be challenged to explore deep

into their interests through inquiry projects during a special hour at the end of the day for
personalized learning. Students will learn how to ask questions about topics they know nothing
about and how to make a plan to find out more information about it.