Claudia McCann

March 25, 2020

Tch Lrn 310
Portfolio B

Part One:
In my classroom I plan to communicate with my students and families in a few different
ways. First, I do want to use some sort of classroom communication app/website like Class Dojo,
Edmodo or Google Classroom. By using Class Dojo or Edmodo, it would be easy for me to
communicate to the parents during the school day. In high school I volunteered in a 6th grade
classroom every day for my Teaching Academy class and the teacher and I used Class Dojo. It
was really interesting to see how engaged the students got with it and if they did well on an
assignment or was called out for something positive, they would ask the teacher to send it to their
parents through Class Dojo. It was also really helpful for when we went on field trips because the
parents were also able to communicate with each other as well. Edmodo is a little less cutesy but
still is very easy for everyone to navigate and use to communicate. With using technology as one
of the ways I plan to communicate there is the concern of access and if students and/or parents
have the consistent access these tools can require. However, in addition to the apps, I have
always wanted to send home “Parent Mail” to each parent. This would be a simple postcard
highlighting their student and the progress and successes. Not all parent-teacher communication
has to be negative, especially when it gets to that post-winter break hump. Along with the
positive mail I saw this idea on Pinterest, and it too is a postcard that gets sent home to parents
but highlights an area of growth for a student (I’ve included a picture and link below). I like this
idea because this is something that can be taken care of one on one with a student and discussed,
so that they understand why they are getting it and it is not a big shock to them when they get
home. Although this is not two-way communication, I feel like it is a good way to keep the
parents involved and also builds a relationship between me and the parents. For those families
who have limited electronic access, I want to include a section in my weekly report or monthly
newsletter that allows parents to write down concerns, questions or even plan a meeting with me
to talk, because I want them to know that I will take the time to meet with them because we are
on the same team, we are all working together to support the student.

( https://hillarykiser.blog/2019/07/23/winning-over-
parents/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=8262471
60_34774192_462250)
Part Two:

Dear Parents and Families,

My name is Miss McCann and I will be your sixth-grade teacher! I am so excited to be

starting another year here at Brouillet Elementary. It is my goal to make sixth-grade exciting,
challenging and full of new experiences.
I was born and raised here in Puyallup and attended Washington State University where I
earned my bachelor’s degree in elementary education, grades kindergarten through eighth with
an endorsement in ELL (English Language Learners). I have been teaching for three years, my
first two in fifth grade and last year in sixth. I have one fur baby named Amira, she is a ten-year-
old, all black shorthair cat.
I knew I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in junior high, but it did not become my
passion until my senior year in high school. I have a love for learning and for my students and I
hope they can see that every day in my classroom. My classroom is a safe space for all students,
where each student will be valued and cared for as my own. No student will feel less than, or
inadequate in my classroom because each student is unique and special in their own way. It is my
job to give each student the attention, support and time they need to be successful in sixth grade.
Every day when the my students walk through my door, they will be greeted by me with a smile
and a morning check-in, because I believe it is important to know how my students are honestly
feeling when they walk-in, in order for me and their peers to support them the way they need that
day.
This is going to be such a fun year – but it will also be different. Next year the students
will be entering junior high, and it is my goal and expectation that I properly prepare them to
succeed for their next journey in education. It is expected that assignments that are given during
the day be completed during class, however I know not all students complete work at the same
pace. If classwork is not completed in class, then it will be the student’s responsibility to finish it
at home. I want my students to focus not only on the work itself but also on their own learning.
Because of this my additional assigned homework will be less than you might expect. When my
students walk through the door, they are sixth grade students. But when they leave, I want them
to be the eleven and twelve-year-old kids that they are.
I believe open communication between parents and teachers is a necessary element to
provide the best support for the students. I can be reached by email (mccannc@brouilletelm.org)
or phone (555-124-4567 ext. 9876). With any emails that are sent, keep in mind sixth grade is a
very busy time, so I will do my best to respond within twenty-four hours. Weekly reports, sent
home each Friday, and monthly newsletters, sent home on the first school day of the month, will
include important information about projects, due dates, school wide announcements, along with
a section for parents to fill out, to schedule a meeting with me if concerns or questions arise.
I could not be more excited to welcome your child into my classroom this year. I hope
you and your student are ready to dive into the world of sixth grade!

Sincerely,

Miss McCann
Part Three:
The skill I feel most comfortable utilizing in the classroom is constructive assertiveness.
This is a skill I feel like I have naturally been ‘good’ at or confident in when in the classroom.
There have been those times where I had to stop and check myself because I didn’t want my
assertiveness to turn into me being mean. When I walk into a classroom, I find myself turn on
into teacher mode and get into the mindset of I am going to be responsible for thirty students one
day. To me, I think a part of why I feel comfortable utilizing constructive assertiveness is
because for some students, by starting with that I can then deescalate the conversation to have a
better understanding and really resonate and connect with the student.

The skill I feel I need to develop is problem solving. I want to develop this skill because I
currently feel ‘iffy’ on my problem-solving abilities. I am mostly worrying about student who
blurts out and creates disruptions during class because I do not want to react rash or embarrass
the student in front of the class. I also want to remember to remain fair and that what is on the
surface with the student may not be the real cause (they might not be acting out to act out) and
sometime it is hard for me to get out of that headspace when it is a student that has already been
labeled as one of those students by their teacher.