Maria Sutton
Standard 1: Learner Development
The teacher understands how learners grow
and develop, recognizing that patterns of
learning and development vary individually
within and across the cognitive, linguistic,
social, emotional, and physical areas, and
designs and implements developmentally
appropriate and challenging learning
experiences.
Standard 2: Learning Differences
The teacher uses understanding of individual
differences and diverse cultures and
communities to ensure inclusive learning
environments that enable each learner to meet
high standards.
Standard 3: Learning Environments
The teacher works with others to create
environments that support individual and
collaborative learning, and that encourage
positive social interaction, active engagement
in learning, and self motivation.
Standard 4: Content Knowledge
The teacher understands the central concepts,
tools of inquiry, and structures of the
discipline he or she teaches and creates
learning experiences that make these aspects
of the discipline accessible and meaningful for
learners to assure mastery of the content.
Standard 5: Application of Content
The teacher understands how to connect
I believe the lesson I created for the
Differentiated Instruction competency fits this
standard well. The lesson outlines the
different assessments I created based on my
students’ needs and abilities. This included
academic, personal, and social-emotional
needs. The academic needs were mainly
cognitive-based, and I highlighted the
strengths and weaknesses of different classes
through these differentiated assessments.
The syllabus I created for each of my classes
emphasizes this standard through the
discussion it produced during class time. We
talked about how this semester is a fresh start
and they all will have the same opportunities
to do well. We also discussed striving to do
our best in whatever form that might take.
Overall, the sentiment being expressed was
this: grow as an individual and a student as
you learn.
The scavenger hunt game I created as an ice-
breaker activity for the first week of school
doubled as a classroom management
technique. I used it to encourage participation
with turning cameras on, especially for our
fully online students. It also encouraged
positive social interactions as well as we
familiarized ourselves with each other.
My first artifact for the Content Knowledge
competency was a lesson based on inferences
and conclusions. The lesson plan describes
how I explained and modeled the process
before leading students in a guided practice.
The content (how to make inferences and
draw conclusions) was explained step-by-step
and visuals are provided to help students as
they practice. The guided practice activity for
this lesson took place on a Google Jamboard,
which promoted student engagement as well.
The Google Jamboard activity described
above directly relates to this standard because

concepts and use differing perspectives to
engage learners in critical thinking, creativity,
and collaborative problem solving related to
authentic local and global issues.
Standard 6: Assessment
The teacher understands and uses multiple
methods of assessment to engage learners in
their own growth, to monitor learner progress,
and to guide the teacher's and learner's
decision making.
Standard 7: Planning for Instruction
The teacher plans instruction that supports
every student in meeting rigorous learning
goals by drawing upon knowledge of content
areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills,
and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of
learners and the community context.
Standard 8: Instructional Strategies
The teacher understands and uses a variety of
instructional strategies to encourage learners
to develop deep understanding of content
areas and their connections, and to build skills
to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
Standard 9: Professional Learning and
Ethical Practice
The teacher engages in ongoing professional
learning and uses evidence to continually
evaluate his/her practice, particularly the
effects of his/her choices and actions on
Maria Sutton
it allowed the students to be creative and work
together while thinking critically about the
task at hand. This activity required students to
use specific examples from the text to support
their thinking. We then expressed our
thoughts and opinions based on the facts of
the story.
My second artifact from the Differentiated
Instruction competency contains a variety of
assessments. Not only do they cover different
needs and ability levels, but they also ensure
student understanding based on the specific
learning objectives for that lesson. I was able
to use these assessments as a starting point to
monitor student progress throughout the
course of our short story unit, so that was
another advantage of this artifact.
The lesson I created on thesis statements
focused on standards-based instruction in an
easy-to-understand way. Students received
developmentally-appropriate direct
instruction, then applied it to specific
situations in order to demonstrate adequate
understanding of the material. As a class, we
discussed the content in relation to our unit as
a whole and to the students themselves.
The lesson plan I created for test review
purposes satisfied part of the Developmentally
Appropriate Instruction competency. In this
lesson, I asked specific discussion questions
that targeted key areas I wanted students to
explain or express understanding for. Students
made connections to the text and reflected on
the similarities and differences between their
life and the life of the main character. These
strategies paved the way for deeper learning.
The questions I asked students for our
Developmentally Appropriate lesson were
given in two different ways based on the
needs and maturity levels of my students.
Some classes received the questions as a
multiple choice assessment on Schoology

others (learners, families, other professionals,
and the community), and adapts practice to
meet the needs of each learner.
Standard 10: Leadership and
Collaboration
The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles
and opportunities to take responsibility for
student learning, to collaborate with learners,
families, colleagues, other school
professionals, and community members to
ensure learner growth, and to advance the
profession.
Maria Sutton
while another used them as discussion
questions to accompany a Google Jamboard. I
made these decisions based on previous
interactions with students in class and through
their assessments as well.
The student survey I created with the help of
my cooperating teacher demonstrates my
ability to collaborate with other professionals,
both in my field and my content area. I was
proud of the product we created, which
assisted us in getting to know our students as
learners and as individuals. This information
was valuable because it allowed me to
establish common ground with my students
and make learning more personalized.