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Introduction The following dossier is a highlighted selection of academic products produced in classes throughout my tenure at the University of Washington, Bothell (UWB). These documents are a collaboration of my growth as an educator. Within this dossier, I have included the following:

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Four selected academic products An Algebra One Unit Plan on Functions with corresponding lesson plans and quiz Classroom Management Plan Family Contact Form Professional Growth Plan Philosophy of Teaching A concluding reflection of my time at the UWB

Jackson High School was kind enough to let me complete my student teaching in their math department under Tammy Bruns. I instructed Algebra One and Algebra Two/Trigonometry.
Learning Goal 1: Innovation Grounded in Knowledge of Students and Learning

Student learning is engrained in our Masters experience from the first day of classes. I think learning about the psychology of adolescents was the most important aspect about how to effectively incorporate innovation in everyday instruction. One of the first classes I took at the UWB focused on interpreting and understanding adolescent development. As an instructor, I tend to jump to conclusions regarding student behavior in the classroom. I learned that having a perspective on different adolescent behaviors can help me tailor lessons to maximize student

learning. One of the academic products I have included is my reflections on learning in adolescent development. Another aspect of my academic growth that I feel has really developed has been my understanding of incorporating technology and student participation into math instruction. One of the lesson plans I have included is Defining a Function. I was able to use a TI Probe to track the movement of a student on a two-dimensional graph. This allowed the students to visually see the correlation between the x and y-axis. I was also able to challenge the students in attempting to create a graph that wasnt a function using the probe. This was my first experience of running a lesson that was technology based. The students were excited to learn and use the probe to come up with different graphs. It was interesting to note that they came up with conclusions about functions on their own. This is very different from a lesson that focuses on lecturing and taking notes because students arent given all the information. They are given the tools to come up with their own deductions about the subject matter. I found that this innovation through technology can greatly enhance student understanding of the material. Learning Goal 2: Dedication to Educating Diverse Students

My goal as an educator is to teach at a school in an underprivileged area. For better or worse, that usually means dealing with a group of students that have more diverse backgrounds than a school in a mostly upper-class area. Another academic product that I included is a proposal for a study on pedagogy at two neighboring, inner-city high schools. Socioeconomically, these schools are very similar. However, one of the schools was achieving much higher test scores than the other. My question was how much of that would be a result of quality pedagogy.

Through my experiences student teaching at Jackson High School, I was able to observe teachers who were deemed either effective or ineffective based on student achievement. Sitting in both types of classrooms made me notice that, regardless of the diverse student population, teachers who were effective could adapt to their surroundings through experimentation. For example, one of the more effective teachers noticed that she had a hard time getting her first period class motivated at the start of the day. The class was a lower level English class with many students from troubled backgrounds. Through experimentation, she was able to find effective motivation. First, she tried both having the students stretch and using candy as a reward for answering review questions. Both had no major effect. Next, she decided to implement a new technology in the classroom; students were given clickers that transmitted answers to multiple choice questions presented to the class via Powerpoint. This excited the students because the classroom technology was new to them. She told me that many of them thought it was like being on Jeopardy. A less effective teacher may have given up if the first idea didnt work. My two most diverse classes in student teaching were in Algebra I. Students were from mostly middle to lower class backgrounds. A few were even homeless. I found that an important step in dealing with a diverse class is building trust on an individual level. Letting each student know that their success matters to you is key. One of the simplest ways to build initial trust is to learn the students names as quickly as possible. I found that students were much more receptive when I was able to call them out by name.

Learning Goal 3: Innovation in Times of Educational Change

The math department I was working with at Jackson was consistently underachieving in regards to student standardized test scores. The department got together with the administration and decided to have weekly meetings based on the level of math being taught (i.e. Trig Teacher and Geometry Teachers would meet in separate groups) and discuss lesson plan strategies for the future and prior test results. Based on student performance, collaborative ideas were shared and lesson plans were modified in order to maximize quality pedagogy. Getting the privilege of being included in this entire process was an invaluable experience in working to close achievement gaps within an entire department. It gave me a great perspective on using the experience of the group in bettering the educator as an individual.

Learning Goal 4: Practice Grounded in Intellectual and Professional Communities In my second year at UWB, our cohort of students was separated into subject areas. Each subject area met once a week. Because we started student teaching, this community of future math professionals had the opportunity to discuss best-practice methods of teaching, setbacks or breakthroughs in the classroom, and any other student teaching-related material. I found this experience useful because student teaching can get challenging and sometimes the best people to turn to are your peers.

Learning Goal 5: Ethical practice

I believe that ethical practices are examined on every level. From the perceptions of administration, colleagues, parents, students, and the community, how teachers behave is tied into how successful they can be. Transparency helps teachers by making sure everyone is aware of your goals and expectations as an educator. I want to make everyone who is involved with my classroom is aware of both their expectations for me and my expectations for them from day one. They should also know that I can be accessible at set times before and after school to answer any questions or talk about any classroom issues that may arise.