Hoelzel 1

Grace Hoelzel
Professor Suk
EDUC 230-01V Education Field Experience
Spring Semester 2021
Rationale Statement Standard 3

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. (NJ Professional Teaching Standards, 2014, p.4).

Artifact: Welcome Letter

Date of Completion: Spring 2021

Course Completed in: EDUC 230-01V Education Field Experience

This artifact is a welcome letter that introduces my future students to get an idea of who

their teacher is and what to expect during the school year. In my letter, I explain who I am as a

person, what my students will be doing in class and the kind of materials they will need. The

indicator that my artifact relates to is 3.i.2. as it states, “The teacher develops learning

experiences that engage learners in collaborative and self-directed learning and that extend

learner interaction with ideas and people locally and globally.” (NJ Professional Teaching

Standards, 2014, p.4). In my letter, something that I wanted to make clear was that in my

classroom, my students will be engaged in what they are learning and be able to collaborate

and be around friends! I also explain how there will be field trips where students have that

chance to be able to learn outside of the classroom, and be able to interact with one another in

a different kind of learning environment.

 Hoelzel 2

When writing my welcome letter to my future students’, one of the things I learned when

creating this artifact is having to put myself into my students shoes. I think that as a teacher, you

want to be able to gain your students attention and have them looking forward to coming to your

class. I think one of the most important aspects of being a teacher is making your students feel

that excitement of going to school and wanting to learn and be there. As I wrote my welcome

letter, I kept in mind what my students and their families would think of it because how they view

me as a teacher and the class is most important. I was able to focus on what their perspectives

would be when writing the letter because of my experience as a babysitter. By having that job,

you tend to do your job around what you would want the parent to be happy with, and that was

my thought process when writing the welcome letter. If I did not keep in mind what my future

students thought of this letter, it truly would not have been written for them.

In the future, I will have this letter mailed out to all students and their families to be able

to have a good understanding of how my classroom is set up to be like. This kind of letter is a

very good tool for parents to be able to read and have a better understanding of the kind of

teacher and class their children are going to be in!

Reference

New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers Alignment with InTASC. (2014, August 4).
Retrieved from New Jersey State Department of Education:
https://www.state.nj.us/education/profdev/profstand/ProfStandardsforTeachersAlignment
withInTASC.pdf