Professional Growth Plan: 

                      Jenita Layden.  PSIII: Spring 2021

Goal and Rationale #1:

Gaining confidence with classroom management is my first goal. I want to ensure that student learning is the
priority in my classroom, which will require very conscious classroom management. This has been one of the
main goals in my teaching career so far. I have experienced how important it is for teacher stress and student
learning to have a well-managed classroom. Classroom management is something I am not always completely
comfortable with. Calling out a students’ name, getting them to refocus, can become tiring. Waiting for all
students to pay attention and be ready to learn can also become tiring. Learning to be patient in waiting for the
behavior I expect and ask for is a necessary step to building and maintaining the respect of students. Building
good classroom management also ensures that when a guest is in the classroom, the students are giving the same
respect to the guest that I expect from them.
TQS 1 Positive and productive relationships.
TQS 3 Effective planning and instructional strategies.
TQS 4 Promote an environment where everyone is respected and feels safe.

Strategies: Timeline: Indicators: Evidence of Goal Achieved:

Be patient. Wait for all Timeline for this Students will This was very important during this week.
students to follow my is the week of quickly do the Students had all indoor recesses due to the
attention grabber. February 8-12. attention grabber, cold weather, so energy was high. Waiting
as they know this for all students to stop and be ready to
is what I expect learn took patience, but it worked well in
from them before the end when students began to get up less
we move quickly to get their materials from their
forward. cubbies.

Ensure that students know This will be Give students I often use the prompt: “Give me a thumbs
what they are supposed to done throughout directions and up if you know what you are doing, a
do after they have the practicum, write them on the thumb sideways if you are not quite sure,
completed a task.  focused on board for when and a thumbs down if you have no idea”-
during they finish the The students quickly respond to this. I
instructional assigned task. worried at first that students might
time. sometimes give me a thumbs down to be
silly, but they seem to enjoy quickly giving
me a response that is honest.
After instructing students on what I would
like them to do, I like to have one student
repeat back to me the instructions, even if I
have put the task up on the board. Having
students repeat back what they are doing
helps me to see if they understand what
they need to be doing. Getting students to
repeat the instructions helps prevent extra
questions of “What are we supposed to do

Use engaging instructional
strategies and learning
activities to keep students
interested, therefore, on
task.
Add activities to enrich
learning for students who
finish their work quickly.
Reflections:
I feel much more confident with classroom management. At the start of practicum, I felt that I was often putting
now?”
This will be Students will not I have enjoyed using movement in the
done during have time to be classroom to engage students in their
class time silly and get off learning. Getting students up and moving
throughout the task. Students during a learning activity definitely helps
practicum. will show interest gain engagement. I looked into how
in the learning movement in the classroom increases
activities. engagement in my Professional Inquiry
Project. I found that using movement for
helping students remember definitions and
for classifying various information
increased their engagement significantly.
At other times, using movement as a brain
break was beneficial, especially weeks
when there was indoor recess, or when
students had a few class periods of learning
new information in a day.
This will need to Be able to see I found this part of my goal to be a
be worked on where a lesson challenge. Throughout practicum, I started
and available needs more for to plan for each unit, and sometimes each
throughout the students to do week, what students could do for
practicum. (students who supplementary work. When students are
may finish the working on a writing assignment, it has
activity sooner worked well to get the students to edit their
than I think). work again. Working with students in
writing workshop has also helped to get
those students who quickly finish to polish
their work.
In math, students participate in a workshop,
moving through rounds of working at their
seat on a booklet of practice questions,
working on task cards, hands on math
games, or math online. When students are
finished their booklet work, they know to
come see me about what they can do next. I
often get these students to do some hands
on, then they are able to do math games on
an iPad (tech round). Workshop keeps
students on task, always with something to
work on.
on an act in gaining attention and requiring that attention. Over time, my students quickly responded to my
attention grabber, and when they didn’t respond right away, waiting until they did helped them to realize what
they were forgetting to do. I have found that giving students a to-do list (either written on the board, or pre-made
on a Power point slide), has helped students understand exactly what they need to complete during a class
period. I find that the students really appreciate having a visual reminder of what they need to complete in a
class. Engaging instructional strategies significantly help gain and keep student interest in their learning. I plan
to continue my research and practice of finding activities that gain and even increase student engagement. In my
future research, I hope to focus on movement strategies for learning, along with other ways of increasing student
engagement in the three areas of engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive). I found that classroom
routine that aides my ability to reach and talk to each student are a very beneficial way to enrich learning.
Showing an interest in each students’ learning is a behavior management strategy in itself.

It is not specifically part of my goal, but another aspect I learned that greatly increases classroom management,
is in building and maintaining positive relationships with each student.

Goal and Rationale #2:

Practice teaching strategies and activities that capture and increase student engagement.
A focused, on task, and engaging classroom aides all student learning. I want to research, use, and practice
different types of instructional strategies, encouraging all students to participate. I want to work on making
learning a positive experience, helping students to see that it is an enjoyable process for them to continue for the
rest of their life. Individuals who desire to learn more are needed in our society, to be the citizens of the future.
TQS 2 Ongoing reflection to improve teaching and learning.
TQS 3B Applies a current and comprehensive repertoire of effective instructional practices to meet the learning
needs of every student.
TQS 5 Apply foundational knowledge about First Nations, Metis, and Inuit culture and learning.

Strategies: Timeline: Indicators: Evidence of Goal Achieved:

Get students up and
moving at least once each
class.
Starting February Students will be less Getting students up and moving
8th, a week of all fidgety and more became an area of research with my
indoor recesses. focused. Students be Professional Inquiry Project. I
Will continue alert and ready to found that when I forgot to get
throughout the learn. students up and moving, or decided
entire practicum. we had too much to get through, it
was not as productive of a class
period than when students were
able to get up and move.
Adding in some movement to each
class came to feel more like a
regular routine, something that I
had in mind when making each
lesson plan.

Ensure that class periods
with a focus of learning
new information have
movement components
within them.
Use the last two Students will not When teaching students new
weeks of school in necessarily know material, I found it very beneficial
February to exactly how the to teach the students a form of
experiment and activity will work movement to use for review later.
practice these skills. before going into it. I Using a movement as a memory
will need to reflect on clue helped break up instruction and
the instruction and helped students refocus so they
how it was carried could learn more.
out, to see if the
activity worked.

Add exercise/movement
specific breaks to class
periods.
This will be for I should be able to I found that adding specific
throughout the read the class movement breaks into a class
practicum, an eventually, knowing period was not very successful
ongoing portion of when they need a when left simply as this, It was
the goal. movement break. more beneficial to use movement in
Students signal to me a learning activity, or as a brain
by waving their hand break. For daily addition to class
by their side if they times, it worked well to begin
need some language arts periods with a
 movement, mindful minute, teaching students
some specific breathing strategies.

Change up activities often,
experimenting with
different instructional and
learning strategies.
This will be done Students will be I was able to find many books from
throughout the engaged in new the University library that gave
practicum. activities, looking good ideas for movement. I sought
forward to something to use new and interesting
new. Ask the students strategies, hoping to make sure
if they enjoyed an students would be kept engaged by
activity, allow for new material each class time.
discussion about how
something went.

Research and apply new
and interesting
instructional strategies in
the classroom.
This is to be done I will begin to see Sharing circles was a way to share
while unit and what does work and stories and have everyone
lesson planning and what does not work celebrated. I learned this strategy in
should be referred with different groups my Issues in Native Education class
to often. of students. a few years ago. The students
appeared to enjoy sharing their
stories.
One book I really enjoyed is Brain-
Friendly Teaching by Spencer
Kagan. In this boo, there are many
strategies to get students actively
learning. Many movement
strategies, attention getters, group
and partner activities, along with
explanations for why to use his
strategies are found within this
book.
Other books I used gave
information on teaching strategies,
learning activities, classroom
management strategies, and
teaching mindfulness in the
classroom.

Reflections:
I have found that getting students to do activities that aid learning, rather than just practice their learning is
beneficial to their long-term memory. Group and partner work is not such an easy task to ensure all students are
learning. To ensure that all students are learning during an activity, the activities must be designed in a way that
ensures all students must participate to complete the task. When students are moving to create a triangle shape
with their bodies as a group, all students must participate to ensure that they are succeeding. Building and
maintaining strong relationships with students aids their engagement significantly. When the students know you
are interested in their learning as well as themselves, you gain buy-in for the work you would like them to
accomplish. Novel ideas and activities also gain student engagement, as they enjoy the new and unexplored. At
times, having a constant routine also keeps them engaged, as they know and understand what their tasks. I found
that routine was very important for engagement with my students who have complex needs. Having my students
with complex needs follow a routine each day, helped them to move to where they needed to be, and learn more
as they followed the known schedule. I fell that I thrive on routine and am pleased to see that my students also
thrive on it. A combination of routine and novel experience appears most beneficial to student engagement.
Goal and Rationale #3:
Become aware of students with individual needs in the classroom and ensure they are being aided in their
learning as much as possible. Teaching to individual needs does not necessarily mean just focusing on teaching
the curriculum to all students. I do want all of my students to have the best support for their learning, with
considerations for their needs. Ensuring that students are taught about their own wellness and the wellness of
other people is very important to me. I would like to teach the whole student, teaching them life skills, mental
wellness, and knowledge gaining skills.
TQS 3 Apply a current and comprehensive repertoire of effective planning, instruction, and assessment
practices to meet the needs of all students.
TQS 4 A teacher establishes, promotes and sustains inclusive learning environments where diversity is
embraced and every student is welcomed, cared for, respected and safe.

Strategies: Timeline: Indicators: Evidence of Goal Achieved:

Encourage all This will be done More students will be February 10 - I made eye contact with
students to throughout the willing to participate a few students who do not always
contribute to class practicum. in class discussions participate in class, asking them if they
and group before I have to give wanted to give an answer. Most of the
discussions.  encouragement.  students I did this with ended up
answering.
At times, it has really helped to get
students to discuss in their groups to
come up with an answer if not very
many students raise their hands at first.
After discussing in their groups, there
are usually more hands raised to
answer than before.

Assess students This will be done Design assessments For this goal, I sought ways to help my
based on ability, not throughout the with various needs and students who have learning disabilities
necessarily the same practicum, working abilities of specific throughout writing assignments. Some
at all times. with my TA’s to students in mind. of my students were unable to finish
ensure students are their short stories due to working at a
having their needs slower pace. Taking out some aspects
met, and that of an assignment for some students
assessment is fair for was necessary so they could focus on
all. putting their effort into a portion of the
assignment. Being a scribe for students
with learning disabilities also became
more of a routine, making sure that I
communicated to me education
assistant and checked in regularly with
a few of my students with various
learning needs.
 I compiled a few activities for my
grade six student who is nonverbal.
The activities I created are focused on
helping him to use his device to
communicate.

Practice teaching This will be done Students who need I found that using writers’ workshop
and supporting throughout. extra assistance will be and math workshop highly beneficial
strategies that allow Individual work time willing to seek me out for giving students needed one-on-one
for students with will require the most and work at my desk if instructional time. Writers’ workshop
various needs to support and intention they need. and/or writing conferences ensured
have more one-on- for this goal. that the students who wanted some
one time with me assistance were able to seek it out.
when needed Writing conferences also enabled me
to select a few students that knew
would benefit from focused one-on-
one time. Math workshop heled me to
meet with each student once a week,
while it helped me to see who I needed
to check-in with daily about the
weekly math topics.

Use activities that During the Short Students will all be Many of the movement activities I
ensure students are stories unit, we are contributing to the found and used use movement to help
allowed to all covering heavy topics group process of students learn, retain, and recall
participate in a group that deal with our discussion and work. information. Many activities, such as
setting. own wellness and the making triangles, required students to
wellness of other work together so they could complete
people. This will be a a task. I found and used many
time for students to activities that required students to all
look deeper at work together to accomplish a task.
themselves and see Making groups for activities, rather
how they can include than allowing students to select their
other people. own group members ensures that
productive work was being
accomplished.
We discussed themes of personal
wellness and the wellness of other
people throughout our unit of writing
short stories. Students were able to
learn about the needs and differences
of people, and the necessity of
learning to work with people different
from themselves.
Reflections:
My principal gave me the piece of advice that it is those who are talking that are learning. I took this to heart,
realizing that if I am the one doing most of the talking, my students are not learning so much. Using strategies
that get all students working together in large or small groups, encouraged the learning of everyone. It was a
great experience to have students of varied abilities in my class. Some of my students quickly caught onto ideas
and did well on class work. Others in my class required instruction in different ways, and even intense
instruction at times to understand new information and concepts. I am very thankful I was able to have such a
diverse class in terms of ability. I also experienced a few students who had a lot of ability, but who often
refused to put in the effort they are capable of. Encouraging one student to put more effort into her work was a
challenge. Continuing to encourage all students and to provide them with support along the way helped in
ensuring that all students were receiving the help they needed. I know this goal will be career-long, because
each year I will experience a different range of abilities and needs in my classroom.