PSII Professional Growth Plan

Name: Maddie Kaczur

School: Cochrane High
Practicum Dates: March 8, 2021 – April 22, 2021
Teacher Associate: Steph Topic
University Consultant: Debbie Ireland

Inquiry Question 1: In what ways does a strong teacher presence and enthusiasm create a
classroom conducive to learning?

Goal: I will demonstrate enthusiasm and confidence to increase student’s intrinsic motivation
to learn (TQS 1, 3)

Strategies:
 I will get to know my students through conversations with them, and allow them to
know me through showing my personality while teaching.
 I will use effective classroom management techniques to ensure students are actively
listening and participating in class activities.
 I will demonstrate excitement and passion in each lesson I teach.

Resources:
 I will observe the variety of ways that teachers demonstrate passion for their subject,
and how they convey this passion through their teaching.
 I will seek suggestions from my TA/UC on ways that I can improve.

Indicators of Success:
 I have built relationships with my students throughout the 6 weeks that I am there.
 Students demonstrate respect by listening, participating and seeking help when needed.
 I will receive written feedback from my Teacher Associate and University Consultant.

Midway Reflection (in progress):

 I continue to work on fluctuating my voice to engage students throughout the lessons.
Additionally, I am still working on adding little anecdotes while teaching to let my
personality shine through more.
 Developing more of a 'teacher presence' through strong behavior management of the
students, would also help demonstrate my confidence.

Reflection:
Starting this practicum, I was out of my comfort zone teaching high school students, and as a
result did not have a ton of self-confidence coming in. Early on it became clear that students
can and will notice my level of confidence when teaching and so I developed this goal to work
on throughout my practicum. I have seen a huge amount of growth within my confidence when
teaching high school students, and this confidence is received well by the students. As my
confidence increased, I was able to present information with more enthusiasm. Demonstrating
enthusiasm towards the material I am teaching allows students to see the value in learning it,
and thus they would work harder to understand the material. Near the end of my practicum a
grade 12 student told me that “she noticed the difference in my confidence, and that made me
a better teacher.” Furthermore, I noticed that as my confidence grew, students would come to
me for help more frequently, and clearly trusted my knowledge. I think that having a strong
teacher presence, and confidence to lead the classroom are the most important indicators of a
great teacher, and thus I made this a priority. Moving forward, I am going to continue allowing
my enthusiasm to show, to help get students excited about learning. I will also ensure that I
state behaviour expectations early and reinforce them often. Continually working to improve in
this area is important in becoming the strong teacher I desire to be.

Inquiry Question 2: To what extent does teacher knowledge of curriculum and

implementation of a variety of teaching strategies increase student learning?

Goal: I will effectively deliver the curriculum content in a clear and engaging manner. (TQS 3)

Strategies:
 I will master curriculum content and seek different methods of explaining concepts in
order to reach all different types of learners.
 I will incorporate a variety of learning techniques and activities to help further student
understanding.

Resources:
 I will seek guidance from my TA on effective ways to explain curricular concepts.
 I will seek on-line resources, and utilize my TA's knowledge to identify and address
common areas of difficulties for students.

Indicators of Success:
 Students demonstrate a clear understanding of concepts I have taught. They follow
along during lessons and can independently complete most practice problems.
 In units I teach, student's marks will be consistent with their level of knowledge on
previous assessments.
 I will receive written feedback from my Teacher Associate.

Midway Reflection (in progress):

 I have utilized my TA's knowledge as well as additional resources to help explain
curricular concepts in a clear manner.
 I want to incorporate more (and different) activities into my lessons on a consistent
basis. This will keep students engaged and allow them to absorb the curricular content
in a variety of ways.
Reflection: Teaching high level math courses holds a high amount of responsibility. Students
need to be able to understand the material well in order to progress to future courses, or do
well in the course to move on to University. Additionally, it is so important that students
understand the material and do not develop too much frustration towards math so they get to
a point where they do not enjoy it. I have developed a consistent confidence in the material I
am teaching, which has been reflected in my voice while teaching. Both the Math 30-1 students
and the Math 10-3 students had a relatively high average on their tests and quizzes, reflecting
that overall they were able to understand and apply the curricular concepts I taught. In the
future, I believe that it is important to incorporate more differentiation within my lessons to
ensure all students can find success, and are appropriately challenged.