APS 10 Teresa Heilman A.

Advocating for Students: While working at Irmo Middle, I have learned the importance of collaboration with other professionals. My lead teacher and I communicate throughout the day about the students in the classroom. We discuss many things such as how the students did on their work, their behavior, what they ate for lunch, etc. I feel communication is very important amongst us so that we act as one unit. I want to know what her expectations are so that I handle things the way that she would like. We also discuss how to handle situations and we collaborate to make sure that it works for both of us. Another reason for collaborating with my lead teacher is so that we can communicate how the student is doing with parents. We like to communicate daily with parents so that they know what was going on. This also serves as a way to document patterns or trends that we may be seeing with each student. To communicate with parents we use many methods such as daily checklists, emails, texts, and verbal communication. Another way that I collaborate with professionals is by seeking out help in an area where I need more specialized advice. I have collaborated with other assistants to get help or advice on a topic. I have also sought out help from the school psychologist to help with student behaviors. Through our many discussions we have collaborated on what these behaviors look like, ideas we have tried to stop particular behaviors, etc. I also collaborate often with my coaching teacher. We have scheduled times that will work for both of us so that we can plan the lessons together. This lets us both know what is going on and what is expected. We have also met before and after I have taught lessons just to help finalize everything. During our meetings she has given me tips about things that have worked, she has also provided insight to the students, etc. Not only have we communicated face to face we also communicate through email often. While we are discussing things I always try to be respectful of her time and the way she does things. I want her to know that I value her opinion and I also want to create a team environment. To help prevent bullying, I try to educate students about others with disabilities. Instead of them making fun of them I try to make them see how we are not all the same. I try to explain to students how just because someone is different does not mean that they deserve to be made fun. I often point out the many strengths of our students and also things that they may have in common with another student. Another way that I help to prevent bullying is by our class participating in the peer buddy program. In our classroom we have students come in and help our students out. This allows students to realize how they can relate to others with different capabilities and also how they are people just like them. I feel that by having peer buddies come into our classroom we help other students be more aware and accepting of other peoples differences. In the classroom that I am completing my practicum, I often have to talk with students about saying hurtful things to one another. When someone says something mean, I correct them and let them know that I will not allow mean things to be said in this classroom. Some of the students will also say comments that are not appropriate for the classroom. I let that student know that I do not expect to hear that language and remind them of the consequences

of saying such things. I also will remind students that we are all here to learn and that we will respect one another. This usually stops all negative comments for that class time. B. Working to Achieve Organizational Goals: I have started attending faculty meetings at Irmo Middle School. The meetings are held on Tuesdays after school. The first Tuesday of the month is a faculty meeting, the third Tuesday is department meetings, and the last Tuesday is data team meetings. Most of these meetings last around an hour. I have attended an after school event at the beginning of the school year. This was the school kickoff which allowed students and parents to get ready for the new school year. The students did many things such as get their school schedule, get their picture taken, etc. I helped with this kickoff by handing out school schedules and collecting fees for school. Although I have not attended many extracurricular activities for Irmo Middle yet, I plan to attend upcoming sporting events and programs that will be held before the end of the school year. There are also some magnet fairs that are coming up that I plan to attend. During the school day, my teacher and I work very hard to get our students to all school pep rallies and programs. Although this is not after school events, we must work in an organized manner to rearrange our schedules to get our students to these school programs. I have also begun tutoring a student who has been put on intermittent homebound instruction. I try to get to this students house twice a week. Doing this afterschool instruction requires me to plan ahead so that I have materials with me to be able to teach this student and also to have the time to be at his house teaching after school. Last semester, I also tutored a student in the after-school program. I would work with this student at least twice a week. This also required me to plan my time effectively to allow me to have the time for the tutoring and also the time to prepare materials. C. Communicating Effectively: When talking with other professionals, I try to always talk in a clear and professional manner. I also try to keep the dignity and respect of the student in mind while we are talking. I also watch the way I write when sending out emails. I often will ask someone to read over my email or read it aloud to them. This way I can get someone elses opinion on the way that I have worded things. An example of me talking with another professional at work is when talking with our school psychologist about one of the students in my classroom. When I would talk with her I would describe his behaviors in a professional and appropriate manner. I would take her suggestions and report back to her on how things went. During our conversations, I would take what she had to say and also listen to her while she was talking. I would also be mindful of where we were having conversations so that we would not talk about things when others were around. This way we could respect the dignity of this student. I also talk with my coaching teacher often and I incorporate all these aspects when talking with her. When planning times that we can meet up, I always try to pick a time when there are not students in the classroom. This way I can respect the students and also not take away from her teaching time. I think that it is important not to discuss other students while in the presence of students. I talk with parents of my students often. While talking with them I try to always be respectful of them and their feelings. I talk in a calm and encouraging manner. I never talk about other students to parents. I try to start off with something positive and end the conversation with something positive. When we are discussing events or things that happened

throughout the day, I am honest and state the facts. I also take what they say and really listen to their concerns/suggestions. I try to be collaborative with parents as well so that it builds a team environment. To communicate with parents we use many methods such as daily checklists, emails, texts, and verbal communication. I have not had to talk with the parents of my practicum student but if I do I will talk in a similar manner as I do with the parents I communicate with now. I will also be respectful and state the facts when talking with them. I will also try to keep the conversation in a positive tone so that I keep that line of communication open. D. Exhibiting Professional Demeanor and Behavior: Complying with all school rules and policies is something that I strive to do each and every day. I think that it is important that I know the school rules and also what consequences are appropriate. I have reviewed the school expectations and know the school rules. At Irmo Middle we are PBIS focused so I try to keep things in a positive tone. It can be hard at times to make sure that rules are followed but it is important to adhere to school policies. I also adhere to ethical standards. A big thing I try to keep in the back of my mind is to treat others how I would want to be treated or how would I want my child to be treated. These two statements keep me in line with trying to treat others in an appropriate manner. I strive to treat all students, faculty, and parents in a manner that shows that I am a professional and that I value their opinions. An example of how I have handled following school rules is an incident that happened in the lunch room. While helping my students at lunch, I observed a female student who was not wearing appropriate clothing according to school policy. To handle the situation, I found the female assistant principal and told her the situation. She handled it from there. Although I did not take care of the situation personally, I d id find someone who could help this student. While dealing with the situation, I was impressed that the administrator did not call her out in front of everyone and handled the situation discretely. This is how I would have wanted the situation to be handled if I was doing this. While in my practicum classroom, I adhere to all classroom rules. I also keep in mind the respect that the students deserve and follow correct procedures. I follow the same rules that my teacher does so that the students know what to expect when I am in charge. This also lets they know my expectations. I have started posting my expectations on the smartboard while they are doing bell work so that they can see them the first few minutes of class time to give them a reminder of my expectations. E. Being an Active Lifelong Learner: To be an active learner, I have done several things. One of the major things is continuing my education and getting my Masters in Education. I have also joined the Council for Exceptional Children organization. On professional development days at school, I have attended trainings on several different things. Some of these trainings have included topics on behaviors to technology. I have also attended CPI training for my school which is a program that tells/shows you how to handle students behaviors. Much of this program is how to disengage a student from displaying problem behaviors but it does tell you how to safely restrain a student as well. This allows for both the teacher and student to remain safe in crisis situations. I have also become CPR certified as it can be important in the classroom that I work in.

Another way that I am a lifelong learner is the research that I do constantly. I often research lessons that I am going to teach to make sure that I completely understand the material. I also research ways what would make the material more interesting and engaging for students. I look for best practices to help the students learn what I am going to be teaching. I also find myself researching terms or ideas that I am not too familiar with. While I am talking with other professionals and they mention something that I would like to know more about, I will research it to educate myself more. I often find myself researching all kinds of topics or ideas to make me a better educator but also to benefit my students.