Professional Goals/Growth Plan

A. Professional Goals

Goal #1: Successfully adapt for the diverse needs in the classroom
Rationale: Because my class includes a range of students with diverse needs, it is both a
legal requirement (TQS#4 – Establishing Inclusive Learning Environments) and a
necessity for student success that I adapt lessons to allow for the variety of students’
learning needs. My number one job is to ensure student success and to achieve this; I
must build and create lessons that are scaffolded, flexible, and directed at enhancing the
success of my students in the classroom. Learning to recognize the needs of the
classroom on a daily basis is essential for my success as an effective teacher and
allowing space for change, novelty, and uncertainty is important for a healthy and
effective learning environment.

Goal #2: Never take my professional failures personally. Recognize there is a learning
curve, and that almost all great teachers had/have to learn how to do it right. Allow
myself to make mistakes and learn from them.
Rationale: This is a goal that I have had since starting my educational journey. I always
tell students how important failure is and how mistakes can help us learn and it is
important for me to practice what I preach. I can be extremely hard on myself and I think
in order for me to have a successful and healthy career in teaching, I must be kind to
myself in my own learning. My metacognition is one of my strengths in teaching but I
need to focus on the positives and the growth that can come from my metacognition.

B. Strategies
Strategies for addressing Goal #1:
- Build relationships with the students
- Listen to understand
- Consult with Teacher Mentor on the previous successful strategies
- Creating opportunities for students to show their knowledge in a variety of ways
- Building activities to ensure the students are engaged with content.
- With each outcome, identify and evaluate the attitudes and skills the students are not
meeting in order to achieve success in following lessons
Examples of differentiating process activities include: scaffolding, flexible grouping,
interest centers, manipulatives, varying the length of time for a student to master content,
and encouraging an advanced learner to pursue a topic in greater depth.

Strategies for addressing Goal #2:

- Keep a journal of both my successes and failures and reflect upon them
- Be open with students that everyone makes mistakes and we all need to learn
- Make each failure a strategic one (be mindful about how to learn from them)
- Allow for self-care/self-compassion during my PSIII
- Communicate with Teacher Mentor about learning growth
- If unsure about an activity or a lesson, consult with my Teacher Mentor to make sure
 I am on the right track. (pre-learning, experience, post-learning)

C. Indicators of Progress Towards Goals

Indicators of Progress for Goal #1:
- Students express excitement in their learning
- Assessment of students show increased growth over time
- Students actively engage in the content and experience choice in their learning
- Each student has been successful as evidenced in their formative and summative
assessments

Indicators of Progress for Goal #2:

- Growth from a “failed” lesson
- Weekly reflections in a journal
- Confidence in my planning
- Feedback from Teacher Mentor and University Consultant

D. Timeline for Completion

January 6th-April 9th
I will be focusing and practicing these goals during my practicum experience; however, these
are life-long goals that are important for me to be an effective teacher.
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E. Summary of Growth and Goals Achieved

Summary of Goal #1:
With this goal I still continue to learn something new every day to improve. Because there are 28
students in my class, there are 28 different sets of needs that range significantly. I worked closely
with my teacher mentor to be successful in this goal. I used many mediums to create as many
inputs to the lessons as possible: visuals, I can statements, voice-to-text, google translate, one-
on-one teaching, leveled pairs, differentiated pairs, differentiated groups, inquiry, hands-on
activities and projects, creation, think-pair-share, learning stations, conversations, extra time,
student choice, personal interests and real life examples, and more. These strategies take careful
consideration to ensure you are meeting every student in the class. This will be a life-long goal as
every class and student is different and will have different needs to be adapted to.

Summary of Goal #2:

This goal was an area I worked on throughout my entire practicum. I journaled, ask questions,
looked for feedback, and had conversations about how I could learn and grow from the day.
Some days were easier than others to achieve this goal but I think it is extremely important to be
reflective of your practice so you can show up and be your best self for each student. I was lucky
enough to take part in the Teacher Convention in Calgary and many sessions that I went to be a
reminder that we need to be kind to ourselves and lean on those around you for support. After I
saw these sessions, I really turned to my teacher mentor for resources and guidance. I realized
that even though journaling has always been a part of my practice, it was important for me to
limit it. I started writing “Two Stars and A Wish” just like I would do with my students. This
helped me focus on the positives of the day and work on one thing for the next day.
 F. Reflections on Professional Growth
Reflections of Goal #1:
This goal will be a constant learning area for me. There is always something new to learn in this
area whether it is from the students, staff, new strategies, or technology, there is always
something to learn. I have personally grown so much in this area. Adapting for 28 different
student needs was a huge learning experience for me and I now know I have tools and support
for the future.

Reflections of Goal #2:

This goal will always be one that I am working on. There were definitely days in my practicum
that I was too hard on myself. I realized throughout my final practicum that it is important to find
moments to breathe, be still, and take a moment for yourself. In order for you to be your best self
for your students, you need to be present with them. There were days where I found myself not
being present during a lesson and I would have to breathe and be the best I could be in that
moment. During Teacher’s Convention I went to Jody Carrington’s talk. She talked about how
somedays we may not feel like we are good enough for our students but all we need to do is
‘show up’ and I took that to heart. As long as I am present and in the moment with my students, I
am enough. I reflect constantly, which is a strength of mine, but it can also be a weakness.
Somedays I reflect too much to the point that it wears me down. Towards the middle of my
practicum, instead of journaling