Wisconsin Teacher Standard #10

National Board Core Proposition #5

Jeffrey Janssen

Saint Marys University of Minnesota

EDUW 696: Portfolio Production and Presentation

Instructor: James H. Sauter, Ph. D.

November 7, 2017

1
 Goal Page

Wisconsin Teaching Standard #10: Teachers are connected with other teachers and the community.

The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to

support students learning and well-being, and acts with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner.

Within this teaching standard I will focus on the following areas of knowledge, dispositions, and

performance:

Knowledge: The teacher understands and implements laws related to students' rights and teacher

responsibilities.

Dispositions: The teacher is willing to consult with other adults regarding the education and

well-being of his/her students.

Performance: The teacher can identify and use community resources to foster student learning.

As a Special Education teacher, I selected areas that will improve the quality of education my students

receive. Regarding knowledge, I need to stay current with the new laws and ever-changing legislature that are

passed. I will accomplish this through attending professional development conferences, checking the DPI

website for changes to current laws, and staying aware of news regarding legislature in education. Dispositions

are a vital part of the IEP process. I will be checking in both with the members of the IEP team and other

teachers and specialists who see my students to see if we need to address any specific needs to better suit the

student. To grow in the area of performance, I need to create partnerships with the community to create

employment opportunities for my students to help with their transition after graduation or aging out of the

program. The vast majority of my students do not attend a two or four-year university, so these partnerships are

crucial to success after school.

National Board for Professional Teaching Proposition #5: Teachers are Members of Learning

Communities.

Under this standard, I will focus on the following areas:

2
 They know how to work collaboratively with parents to engage them productively in the work of

the school.

They work with other professionals on instructional policy, curriculum development and staff

development.

They are leaders and actively know how to seek and build partnerships with community groups

and businesses.

I will make progress in these areas by using a variety of techniques. I need to be looking for different

curriculum to meet the changing needs of each of my students. With the wide range of abilities levels on my

current caseload, I need to find multiple ways to teach the same skills to the same class. Parents of students on

my caseload also have a wide range of levels of participation in their childs education. I strongly believe that

the parents who are not as hands on do so because they are not sure how to be involved. I would like to help all

parents be more hands on with the education process. Relationships among the school, community, and

businesses are critical in creating work experiences for students while still in school. If these partnerships are

mutually beneficial, they will continue to grow and evolve to give all students a better opportunity to learn.

3
 Introductory Page

Along with the duties outlined in my teaching contract, I am involved in numerous organizations and co-

curricular opportunities. I am an advisor for our Project UNIFY organization. Project UNIFY is run through

Special Olympics of Wisconsin to give students with and without disabilities leadership opportunities. These

opportunities are presented both in and out of the classroom. Over the last three years, our Project Unify group

has held a Spread the Word rally to eliminate the use of the R-word and other offensive terms in our district and

community. This was attended by students in grades 6-12 and numerous community members and has brought

a heightened awareness of our students words and actions. Project Unify also held a Learn to Play experience

with our Varsity Girls Basketball team. We had several practices where we developed basketball skills that

were demonstrated during halftime of a home basketball game. This organization has also participated in Polar

Plunge the last two years in Wausau to benefit Special Olympics. Staff and students, both with and without

disabilities, raised money and took the plunge as leaders in our school.

Another area of my involvement is on the Code Red team at our high school. This team is responsible

for responding when there is a medical emergency in the building. As a part of this team, I need to stay current

on my CPR and First Aid certification and trainings. Our team also holds monthly drills to practice for potential

incidents.

A third task I choose to take on is serving as an Auditorium Manager for the school district. I run lights,

sound, and tech for a variety of concerts and other events in our auditorium. I teach students about lights and

sound and give them opportunities to show their skills at different events in the auditorium, including several

where students are paid for their time. I work with community organizations to set up and meet the needs of

different performing groups that come through the school. I also work with each performing arts co-curricular

activity to educate cast, crew, and tech students on proper etiquette and care while working in the auditorium.

In our community, I volunteer as a member of the Eagle River Area Fire Department. Firefighting has

been a passion of mine since 2008. I have served on the volunteer fire department in each of the three

communities I have lived since that time. I have completed both State Firefighter I and II certifications. I

respond to numerous calls, attend monthly trainings, and volunteer for community events that the department is
4
involved with. It is my way of giving back to the community that I live in, staying active, and showing students

that everyone needs to give back in their own unique way.

Portfolio Pages:

Families and Community

I am a liaison of the Unified Champion Schools (UCS) club that we have in our district. I have learned

that one way to motivate my students to work harder while in school is to build relationships with them outside

of school. The opportunity to be the liaison for UCS presented itself during my first year of teaching Special

Education. The goal of UCS is to promote acceptance, respect, and human dignity of all individuals through

sports and leadership roles. This can be accomplished through a variety of activities during the school year.

One of the ways that we participate is through the Polar Plunge event which is held every February in

Wausau. Plungers raise money of which a portion is given back to local Special Olympic agencies. Over the

last three years of plunging, Northland Pines UCS has raised over $6,000 for Special Olympics Wisconsin and a

portion for our local agency. This money has been used for athletes uniforms and has paid for families hotel

rooms during state competitions.

Once every four years, all middle and high school students are exposed to a Spread the Word to End the

Word rally at Northland Pines. The goal of this activity is to give people alternative words to replace using the

words retard and retarded. During our last rally, we invited a parent of a former student to be our guest speaker.

The father talked about the different struggles he watched his son go through, and he discussed ways for

students without a disability to better support his son and other students with disabilities. Students also made a

public service announcement video that was shown at the assembly and shared some of their musical talents

during the rally, as well. After completion, students are given a chance to sign a banner pledging to refrain

from using the r-word.

We have had Fans in the Stands activities during the last two school years. This event encourages

students to show good sportsmanship at athletic events while building relationships between disabled and non-

disabled peers. Our first year, we held this event during Special Olympics bowling season. Our local agency
5
had a friendly bowling competition against the agency from Rhinelander. We made signs for both teams and

had students come to our Wednesday night event to show support for all athletes. The second year we held this

event, our regional snowshoe race was canceled due to weather. Instead, we planned our own snowshoeing

event during the school day. Athletes who were crushed because they could not hold the competition were then

given a chance to showcase their abilities for their peers. We had over 30 students come to this event!

Another way that I am part of my community is as a volunteer firefighter with the Eagle River Area Fire

Department. I began in the fire service during my first year of teaching while living in Kewaskum, WI. It was

a way to be an active member of my community and model for students that everyone has ways to be a part of

the community they live in. After leaving that teaching position, I continued in the fire service, serving on both

Three Lakes and Eagle River Fire Departments.

I am currently the liaison between the Northland Pines School District and Eagle River Area Fire

Department. Each semester I create evacuation plans for the students in the 7-12 building who have mobility

issues. I determine who is responsible for the student in case of emergency and the quickest way to get them

out of the building at various times of day. One of these students has extremely high anxiety regarding

evacuations and has missed school because of this. Over the last two years, this student has made tremendous

gains because of the trust and understanding of this process, knowing that people are in place to help him.

During the last fire drill, I was responsible for getting him out of the building. We sat at a table and talked

about the entire process to help put his nerves at ease. Although this student usually evacuates prior to any

alarm going off, he talked about wanting to participate in a drill where he is in the building from the beginning.

This is a huge step for this student. He talked about how his anxiety is still there, but he is much more aware

and able to cope with these feelings now.

These are just a few examples of how I work with families and am part of my community. These are

two very different ways of giving back, but both are meaningful. UCS directly impacts the families of students

that I work with on a daily basis. ERAFD is a way of showing all students that there are many ways of giving

back to the community you live in. Both have helped mold me into the teacher that I am today.

6
 Learner

When I think about the ways that I continue to learn and improve my teaching, two examples come to

mind. This summer, I was asked to go to the Academic and Career Planning (ACP) conference in Madison that

has had an impact on my thinking and teaching so far this year. Secondly, I recently attended a training in

Oshkosh for the Project Discovery curriculum, a material that could really benefit my students. Although I

regularly attend Professional Development opportunities and conferences, both of these were worthwhile and

can have a positive impact on myself and my students going forward.

At the ACP conference, I attended numerous sessions that made me think about how I plan and give

different opportunities to the students on my caseload. This really made me evaluate my craft, resulting in a

change in how I design and set up one of my classes. In IEP meetings, the question always comes up as to what

the student would like to do after they have completed high school. The majority of the time the student will

say, I dont know. Is this because they truly dont know, or are they not aware of the opportunities that they

have in our community? I decided to focus on the latter and change part of the curriculum of my Job Skills

class this year. Each week during our block day, we tour local businesses to give students an opportunity to see

what that business has to offer and if that is a possible place for future employment. This year we have toured a

local car dealership, a recycling facility, Shopko, Tractor Supply Company, and a local coffee house. I continue

to be impressed with the job-related questions my students think of that are specific to each tour. The students

are very receptive to these tours, and a few students have talked to me about setting up a work placement during

the school day! Although this conference was not directly for Special Education teachers, I was able to apply

the knowledge shared into my curriculum in a way that would benefit my students learning styles and specific

needs.

Regarding my second area of professional development, I first learned about Project Discovery at a

Social Thinking conference two years ago in Minnesota. I inquired about it with my Special Education Director

at the time, but all of the informational workshops were too far away for me to attend. Earlier this year, I

received an email from Project Discovery regarding an upcoming informational meeting in Oshkosh. I made

reservations and attended with a special education coworker with whom I share many students.
7
 During the training, I learned about how this new curriculum can benefit students across multiple

environments. This program would apply directly to my classroom, and the curriculum also offers ideas of how

to better differentiate for students when they are in elective classes. This will give me a better understanding of

how to better prepare students to enter the workforce. We are hoping to start by purchasing a few different

modules for this school year. From there, we hope to learn more about Project Discovery and build curriculum

around what we are able to budget for. Although this program is a material thing, its ideas are in line with my

teaching philosophy and its applications are very practical for my students. I see my students benefiting greatly

from implementing this program.

At the training I also was able to collaborate with other educators from around the state. I learned about

different opportunities that other schools are giving their students with disabilities and some new and exciting

ideas to bring back to my classroom. When I learn about these new opportunities it rejuvenates me and makes

me excited about providing new opportunities for my students.

Leader/Collaborator

An important element in ensuring student success while working in Special Education is consistent

collaboration between staff members. Although an IEP team is limited to a certain number of participants at

each meeting, multiple people make up the wider network of advocates and support systems for each student.

At the annual IEP meeting, the team gathers to share information and data about how to best help the student be

successful across all environments.

As the case manager for my students, I am responsible for making sure that the IEP is being

implemented correctly and that progress towards achieving student goals is being monitored. I work closely

with the regular education staff, communicating information about my students on a weekly, and for some, a

daily basis. I need to communicate strategies that best support students, and I make modifications and

accommodations to summative and formative assessments to give my students a way to show what they truly

know about a subject.

8
 Along with the regular education staff, I also need to be collaborating with the rest of my department.

Every year, we share numerous students for different subjects. We all have our different strength within the

Special Education department, and as a district, we celebrate those by assigning classes catered to those teacher

strengths. I communicate with some of my colleagues two to three times a day about certain students. During

our biweekly department meetings, we focus on common assessments, curriculum, and students of concern.

The last group of people I collaborate with are the families of my students. I communicate with these

families on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis. I need to be aware of concerns that parents have and other

important factors going on in that students life. At times, a simple phone call home for both positive and

negative issues can go a long way for a student. These phone calls can be a way to see if all parties are

witnessing the same types of behaviors across environments. If we are not, what is the reason why certain

behaviors are being seen in some places and not others? What can be done to correct those behaviors and what

is the root cause of them? Keeping lines of communication open also goes a long way when issues come up at

school or home.

Within my district, I am a leader as the liaison between the school and fire department. I am a leader as a

central member of the team trained in explaining Academic and Career Planning to other teachers and finding

ways to further implement the program in to our school. I lead students and set a good example as an Assistant

Baseball Coach each spring. I also collaborate regularly with the staff at staff meetings, team meetings, and

other committees.

Reflective Summary

Upon reviewing all examples, the one area that stands out to me is communication. Consistent

communication with different groups was an essential part of each of my examples as a leader and collaborator

in my school and community. Whether this communication involves students, parents, colleagues, professional

learning communities, or groups in the community, every person plays a key role in the education process for

my students. I need to remember that I am not on an island, and numerous other people in my building are

willing to help students and keep their best interest in mind.

9
 Although designed as a teacher development program, this entire process has had a valuable impact on

my students learning. Each of my classes caused me to reflect on my craft and helped me make adjustments

across multiple aspects of my classroom. In particular, the improvements made in my classroom environment

stand out as especially significant. I looked at how to better assist students with behaviors that are forcing them

to leave the classroom. In helping students understand the why behind their behaviors and developing

strategies to better cope with their emotions, my students are staying in the classroom longer. This change has

resulted in more opportunities for authentic student learning.

In the future, I hope to continue the connections I am making in our community, which will hopefully

result in further opportunities for my students. I know that the majority of my students will stay in our

community as an adult and need opportunities and practice becoming successful contributors in the community.

Our community is always looking for quality employees in many fields. If my students gain a specific skill set,

they can lead a successful, meaningful life.

10
 Professional Documents:

Jeffrey A. Janssen
4712 Loggers Run Rd. Eagle River, WI 54521
920.585.2797
jejanssen@npsd.k12.wi.us

LICENSURE AND EDUCATION

Wisconsin DPI License #702502 2014-2019 Early-Adolescence to Adolescence
Cross-Categorical Special Education (801)
Cognitive Impairment (810)

Wisconsin DPI License #702502 2012- 2017: Early Childhood to Adolescence (Birth-21)
Physical Education (530)
Health Education (910)
Coaching Athletics (540)

Bachelor of Education and Human Services: May 2007

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Major: Physical Education
Minor: Health Education

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Northland Pines School District: Eagle River, WI; 2008-Present

Multi-Categorical High School Special Education Teacher: 2012-Present
ASPIRE Paraprofessional (9th-10th gr): September 2011-2012
District Auditorium Manager: April 2009-Present
Long-term Substitute in At-Risk, Special Education, Geography, Math (seven positions)
Substitute Teacher: 2008-2009, 2009-2010 School Years

Holy Trinity School: Kewaskum, WI; 2007-2008 school year 50% FTE
5K through 8th grade Physical Education teacher
Adapted lesson plans for diverse learners and a limited space setting

St. Kilian School: Hartford, WI; 2007-2008 school year 50% FTE
4K through 8th grade Physical Education teacher
Differentiated lesson plans and activities for students with diverse needs
Organized Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser

RELATED EXPERIENCE
Northland Pines School District Special Needs Coordinator: 2014-Present
Northland Pines Auditorium Director: 2009-Present
Northland Pines Unified Champion Schools Liaison: 2014-Present
Northland Pines High School JV Baseball Assistant: 2012, 2013, 2017
Northland Pines Middle School Basketball Coach: Eagle River, WI; 2009, 2010

11
VOLUNTEERING

Eagle River Fire Department: Volunteer Firefighter, 2011-Present

Three Lakes Fire Department: Volunteer Firefighter, 2008-2011
Kewaskum Fire Department: Volunteer Firefighter; 2007-2008
State Certification Received, Completed Firefighter I and II through Nicolet Technical College
(Rhinelander), CPR, First Aid, and Entry Level Firefighting classes at Moraine Park Technical
College (West Bend)

REFERENCES
Scott Foster, NPHS Principal
1800 Pleasure Island Rd. Eagle River, WI 54521
(715) 479-4473
sfoster@npsd.k12.wi.us

Emily Rhode, Director of Pupil Services

1700 Pleasure Island Rd. Eagle River, WI 54521
(715)479-8989 ext. 3
erhode@npsd.k12.wi.us

Carie Kluever, High School Special Education Teacher

1800 Pleasure Island Rd. Eagle River, WI 54521
(715)479-4473
ckluever@npsd.k12.wi.us

Glenis Benson, Autism Spectrum Consultation

(608) 217-6538
info@ASD-DOC.com

Glenn Svetnicka, Moon Beach Camp Manager

Moon Beach Road, St. Germain, WI 54541
(715) 479-8255
svetnicka@frontier.net

Dr. Michael Richie, NP District Administrator

1800 Pleasure Island Rd. Eagle River, WI 54521
(715) 479-4473
mrichie@npsd.k12.wi.us

12
 Artifact A

This is from the Voice of the Pines newsletter that our district sends out twice a year. I wrote the article

highlighting the money raised by our Project UNIFY organization through participating in the Polar Plunge. This

organization was later renamed Unified Champion School.

13
 Artifact B

This article highlights the Spread the Word to End the Word rally that we held at our school promoting

inclusion, respect, and tolerance for all students. Students of all abilities were showcased during this awesome

event! I look forward to hosting the rally again in future years.

14
 Artifact C

This is a portion of my teacher communication log for the 2017-2018 school year. It is a google form

that I can fill in quickly after each parent contact. This is evidence of my daily communications only and does

not include IEP meetings, parent/teacher conferences, open house, or other special events.

15
 Artifact D

This is the certificate I received after attending Project Discoverys training in Oshkosh in October 2017.

This is a new curriculum that I am trying to purchase for my classroom to prepare students for the world of

work.

16
 Artifact E

This artifact is a view of our biweekly Special Education Department notes from October 2017. We are

focusing this year on progress monitoring, universal screeners, and common assessments.

17
 Artifact F

Current Teaching License

18
 Planning Chart
Portfolio Entry addressing WTS # 10

Use this chart to help you think about the different areas in which you work outside the classroom to foster
relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to improve and to support
students learning and well-being. Accomplishments that overlap more than one category are best. You will
need at least one example from each of the three categories plus a Communication log page. Refer to the WTS
# 10 standard list of knowledge, dispositions, and performances.

Category Evidence:
Accomplishments Impact on Verification
That Activity Significance Student Learning Artifacts
Demonstrate:

Your work as a Unified Gives students Students are given Artifact A, B

partner with the Champion opportunities to be the opportunity to
families and Schools leaders, build develop leadership
community of Liaison relationships, raise qualities and make
your students money for local Special connections with
Your work as Olympics organization their classmates
advocate for that does not
Students. always occur.

Communication
Log linked to Google This is a quick overview Students know that Artifact C
families and Forms of the communications there is an open
community. Document that are made. In my line of
Two-way position there are a lot communication
communication. of communications that which will help
Variety. take place on a daily with classroom
and weekly basis. management and
gives some
students the
motivation that
they need to be
working to their
best at all times.

Your development
as a learner. Project Gives students a new Students are given Artifact D
Discovery curriculum to help build the skills to
Training skills to be contributing prepare them for
members of the careers after high
community. school.
Your work as a
leader and Special Staff members Better assess Artifact E
collaborator. Education collaborating to develop student learning,

19
Department assessment rubrics, problem solve to
Meetings discuss student better meet student
concerns, look into needs
universal screeners.

20