RUNNING HEAD: Telling My Story 1

Telling My Story

Dale Johnson

National University

In partial fulfillment for TED 690

Professor Weintraub

June 6, 2019
RUNNING HEAD: Telling My Story 2

Abstract

The following document will evaluate my progress on achieving the competencies for the

California Performance Expectations (TPEs), specifically in domain A, Making Subject Matter

Comprehensible to Students. To be an effective teacher, I must continually reflect on my

progress in each domain. This document will identify both my strengths and needs in this area.

In addition, I will discuss my potential TPE competencies to be used for my Professional

Development Quest Portfolio (PDQP) as well as provide a rationale for selecting and completing

areas of professional needs and goals achieved for domain A of the California Teacher

Performance Expectations.
RUNNING HEAD: Telling My Story 3

My progress in Domain A

I have chosen to evaluate my progress in achieving competency in the California Teacher

Performance Expectations Domain A, Making Subject Matter Comprehensible to Students.

This is an important standard to achieve because “There is a direct correlation between

performance standards for student learning and performance standards for teachers” (Constantino

& De Lorenzo, 2009, p. 11). I have just finished my first year of teaching in the second grade. I

feel I have progressed in my ability to create an effective learning environment, coupled with

effective lesson plans that make subject matter comprehensible to students. I have grown

tremendously in this area since the beginning of the school year. I have progressed mainly by

mentorship from my coworkers and making use of the curriculum resources. For example, I

frequently use technology in my lesson plans (The interactive GOMath! digital resource). I have

my broad based yearly pacing guide that aids me in planning out each month. I make copies of

all my worksheets at least two weeks in advance. Then I use Google Docs to create my weekly

lesson plans. Each night I review the lessons to be taught and make any corrections to my next

day lessons.

Strengths and Needs

One of my strengths is that I have been able to effectively interrelate ideas across

curricular areas. For example, I recently created a language arts lesson on inflectional endings

that included an activity in which the students created a cube ( they are learning about 3d shapes

as well) with different base words that they must change to the -ing and -ed spelling. This

connected math with language arts as well as art. Based on the students work, it is determined

they responded very well and internalized the information from the lesson. Something I can
RUNNING HEAD: Telling My Story 4

work on in domain A of the Teacher Performance Expectations is making sure that the subject

matter is comprehensible to the English Language Learners in my classroom. I have progressed

in this area throughout the year, but it is a work in progress. Language Arts was the most

difficult for me to teach one of my English Language learners who was an emergent English

Speaker and scored a 1 on the ELPAC test. He seemed very confused and frustrated when

learning about Language Arts. I need to find different adaptations that will make this subject

matter comprehensible to students such as him.

Potential Teacher Performance Expectation competencies to be used for My PDQP

The potential competencies to be used for my Professional Development Quest Portfolio

are a literature review about an article that discusses the Classroom Inquiry Cycle (CIC), an

evaluation report form my administrator, and a video of me teaching a lesson in math. The

literature review analyzes a study that researched the effectiveness of the Classroom Inquiry

Cycle when used by teacher candidates in their first year of teaching. This is a process in which

teacher candidates use a five step process to create the most effective learning environment for

their students by actively reflecting and using researched driven data. The evaluation report is

something I am very proud and shows my progress in my first year of teaching. The

administrator at my school site graded my performance in each TPE domain based on multiple

observations throughout the year. I was able to meet the district standards in all domains that I

chose to work on. The video recording of my math lesson is a great way to show my teaching on

the court and in action. In addition, the video serves as an amazing way to reflect on my lessons.

At first, I did not like video recording myself, but I have found it is extremely useful as a

reflection tool.
RUNNING HEAD: Telling My Story 5

Rationale

I selected domain A of the California Teacher Performance Expectations. This domain is

called Making Subject Matter Comprehensible to Students. I chose this domain because

effective teachers are skilled in making sure all students can comprehend what they are teaching.

“Each set of standards captures the knowledge, dispositions, and skills related to effective

teaching in general or relative to a specific domain” (Constantino & De Lorenzo, 2009, p. 10).

This is a craft that takes time to refine because all students do not learn the same. An effective

educator knows this and creates an environment where everyone is able to progress toward

meeting the California academic content standards.

RUNNING HEAD: Telling My Story 6

Reference

Costantino, PM., De Lorenzo, M.N., & Tirrell-Corbin (2009). Developing a professional

teaching portfolio: A guide for success. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
RUNNING HEAD: Telling My Story 7