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University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER THREE

Final Report

PS 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 University Consultants in collaboration with Intern Teachers and school personnel.

Select the course in which you are registered:

X Education 4571 Elementary Education Internship

Education 4572 Secondary Education Internship
Education 4576 Native Education Internship
Education 4578 Early Childhood Education Internship
Education 4582 Inclusive Education Internship
Education 4583 Technology in Education Internship

INTERN TEACHER: Laura Dixon

SCHOOL: Park Meadows School

Grade Level(s): Grade 2/3

Teacher Mentor: Katie vander Meer
Administrator: Mark Blankenstyn

University Consultant: Christy Audet

Checklist

Final Conference Date: X Date: 12/3/2020

Review the Portfolio: X

Review the Professional Inquiry Project X

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University Consultant Comments:

I am pleased to write this final report documenting the successful completion of Professional Semester III on
behalf of my Intern Student , Laura Dixon, whom I supervised and interacted with from our first meeting on
June 18, 2020 until the present date.

In my capacity as her practicum advisor, I was able to observe Laura instructing a variety of classes (science,
math, social studies) on five different occasions in the grade 2/3 classroom at Park Meadows Elementary
School in Lethbridge, Alberta. Over the course of my time observing her classes, I have watched Laura
develop a calm, kind, and comfortable relationship with her students. She started the year with detailed and
well-considered unit plans which enabled her to focus on equally thoughtful lesson plans. Class procedures
and routines were established early and students were very comfortable asking questions or working
independently. Student unrest was rare during my visits and such instances were confidently addressed with
compassion and good humor.

During our seminar classes, Laura always completed her assignments in great detail and often handed them
in early. Even though we had to meet online for our classes (due to the COVID pandemic) Laura made the
effort to interact with her classmates and contribute meaningfully to class discussion. Her choice of
Professional Inquiry Project (PIP) How can mindfulness strategies and activities be used to promote a more
trauma sensitive, emotionally regulated classroom environment? speaks to her empathetic nature, both with
students but also with her peers and co-workers.

Throughout the semester, I was able to observe Laura deliver lessons using an ever-increasing number of
instructional strategies and she was always eager for feedback so she could then incorporate suggestions into
the next lesson. Laura’s willingness to learn, reflect, and engage her students in meaningful curriculum
experiences helped her become a better teacher every day. Laura was also very adept at integrating
technology into her lessons. For example, I observed a science lesson that was delivered using Smart Board
technology while importing a long list of different sounds in order for students to play a guessing game. She
did all of this while passing out assignments, interacting with students, and trouble-shooting any difficulties
students were encountering.

Laura truly has all of the skills required to teach well and with compassion in a world that surely needs more
great teachers. I would recommend Laura Dixon as a beginning teacher and wish her much success as she
begins her teaching career.

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

12/3/2020
University Consultant Signature Date

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Intern Teacher’s Descriptive Report:

I have had the most rewarding PSIII internship at Park Meadows Elementary School. In the last four months,
with the support and guidance of my Teacher Mentor, Administrator, and University Consultant, I have had the
opportunity to learn and grow as a teaching professional. Throughout my placement, I was provided with
amazing guidance and feedback that allowed me to refine my skills and teaching practice. During my time, I
built strong relationships with teachers and support staff and thoroughly enjoyed discussing teaching strategies
and observing others to further develop my own skills. My teaching assignment included Math, Social Studies,
Science and Art.

During my placement at Park Meadows, I was able to gain classroom organization and management skills
building a classroom culture that was safe, supportive and relationship focused. I gained significant confidence
as my practicum progressed and began to outline student expectations clearly and regularly throughout the
lessons I taught. I placed an importance on developing meaningful relationships with each individual student
and allowed this to guide my practice when developing lessons.

After receiving my placement, I created a long-range plan for each subject taught and the unit beginning and
end dates. I then developed individual unit plans for Math, Social Studies and Science where I planned learning
activities that were meaningful and scaffolded to ensure student engagement and success. I prepared daily
lesson plans that offered clear objectives and assessment methods. I ensured the lesson plans I created were
detailed and concise to ensure students were effectively achieving the outcomes for each lesson planned. I
utilized formative assessment for and of learning, to ensure students were understanding the material covered
each class and adjusted sequential lessons accordingly. To ensure my evaluation of student learning was
reliable and fair, I collected evidence of student learning using a triangulated approach, using written,
observational and conversational evidence. I was able to communicate with parents using “Class Dojo”
regarding students learning and progress. I sent home student assessments throughout the semester to ensure
parents had a clear understanding of what students were learning and how they were doing in each subject I
taught. Throughout my time at Park Meadows, I was able to utilize a range of instructional techniques. I
incorporated hands-on learning activities, such as Math centres, to provide collaborative opportunities for
students to learn.

As my practicum comes to a close, I am very grateful for the experiences I have had at Park Meadows
Elementary School. I was given opportunities to grow as a teacher in an environment where I felt supported
and valued. These last four months have provided me with a skill set that will continue to serve me as I
progress into the next stages of my teaching career. I will utilize the learning experiences I have had as I
continue to learn and develop as a teacher within this profession.

11/24/2020
Intern Teacher Signature Date

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Intern Teacher’s Descriptive Report (Cont’d):

11/24/2020
Intern Teacher Signature Date

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Teacher Mentor Comments:

It was a pleasure having Laura complete her teaching internship at Park Meadows Elementary School. She is
a responsible, hardworking, intelligent individual. Laura is incredibly organized and ready for all her lessons.
She has always shown initiative and understands the use of the curriculum. Laura is knowledgeable in all her
subject areas. She developed long range plans and daily lesson plans for every subject she taught. Her
lessons contained grade appropriate objectives and followed a well-defined structure. Laura's lessons were
sequential, well thought out and followed her unit plans. She is not afraid to try new things and take risks in
her teaching.

Laura looks for innovative ways to teach, understands ways to accommodate student needs and she makes
sure to enrich her lessons to engage her students. She developed strong relationships with each of her
students and uses her knowledge of these students when planning lessons and activities. She can motivate
and engage the students she teaches, always maintaining clear and consistent expectations. Her
assessments are fair, and she worked hard to make sure she was reporting to both students and their parents
their progress. Laura frequently sent home student work and completed assessments. She communicated
with parents through Class Dojo and in person before and after school. Laura used her daily assessments to
guide her planning and instruction.

Laura has always shown empathy and kindness. She has supported her students in many considerate, caring
ways. She is a person who intuitively understands children’s needs and can relate well to her students. She
takes the time to listen to and understand all her students. Laura is easy to approach and talk to. She is
committed to her profession and has a great understanding of the need to be a “people” person.

Laura is a very moral, ethical individual who always presented herself in an extremely professional manner.
She has been able to work collaboratively with me as well as other teachers in the school. She regularly
attended staff meetings, team meetings and divisional professional development activities. She attended to
her supervision duties. Laura was always willing to join extracurricular activities such as the Remembrance
Day Planning Committee and Christmas Concert Planning Committee. Laura has set herself professional
development goals and has strived to meet these goals during the time she was at Park Meadows Elementary
School. She developed a successful PIP project, introducing the students to the benefits of mindfulness
activities.

Laura will be a wonderful addition to the teaching community. She has a deep understanding of the
commitment involved in this profession. She is flexible, and always willing to adapt. Laura is constantly
improving her teaching practice and striving to be the best teacher she can be.

11/27/2020
Teacher Mentor Signature Date

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Administrator Comments:

Laura, has been an intern at Park Meadows School (PM) since the beginning of October 2020. She started
her journey with us in Mar. 2020 when she was enrolled in PSII as a practicum student. Due to COVID-19
pandemic, Laura’s PSII was cut short in March but she was able to resume her practicum in Aug. & Sept. of
2020. Immediately after PSII she embarked on her Internship in the same classroom as PSII. Her instructional
duties have included teaching grade 2/3 Numeracy, Science, and Social Students.

The grade 2/3 Multi-age classroom at Park Meadows has 17 students with a variety of strengths and needs.
The classroom is diverse and has tested Laura’s classroom management and differentiated instructional skills.
The students’ academic and behavioral needs vary greatly and this class requires a teacher with patience
and perseverance.

When looking critically at a teachers’ performance I find it extremely important to look at so much before
teaching even begins. I look closely at how that teacher attempts to establish relationships with students and
staff and become part of the educational environment in the school. The PM staff are very welcoming and
open. Laura was able to transition into our school and become part of the PM family. From the beginning I
encouraged Laura to jump in and immerse herself within our learning culture. Laura has been an active
member on our Remembrance Day Committee as well as our Christmas Concert Committee and played a
pivotal role in making these special events happen in the middle of our COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the classroom it was important for me to see that Laura was making a conscious effort to meet the needs of
all her students. I was fortunate to observe Laura make these conscious decisions in her practice and see the
improvement over the course of the term. Due to the make-up of the Grade 2/3 multi-age class, it was very
important for Laura to have well established routines and expectations. It was also important for Laura to find
routines that suited her teaching style and complimented her goals for the students and their needs. These
routines did take some time to adjust and fine tune as the class adjusted to her teaching style and presence.
Throughout the process Laura was open to constant feedback from her Teacher Mentor (Katie van der Meer),
myself, and her UC, Christy Audet. In Social Studies, she engaged her students in mini-lessons that focused
on one particular learning goal. She reinforced that goal when her students spent time engaged in
independent learning activities. In a Numeracy lesson, Laura modelled group expectations before students
where permitted to start their lesson by reviewing what it means to listen, respond, and take an active role in
their learning. She was also eager to allow her students to demonstrate leadership in this lesson by giving
them special roles to display their knowledge in front of the class. Over the course of the term, Laura
developed effective relationships with her students. This was evident in the way the students interacted with
her and engaged in her lessons.

It has been a pleasure to watch Laura grow in her teaching craft at Park Meadows. Thank you for your
contributions to the students and staff and I want to wish you the very best in the future. All the best!

11/29/2020
Administrator Signature Date

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