Special Education Teacher Portfoilo
"Every child is ONE caring adult from being a success story" -Josh Shipp
1a Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy
In order to guide student learning, teachers must have command of the subjects they teach. They must know which concepts and skills are central to a discipline and which are peripheral; they must know how the discipline has evolved into the 21st century, incorporating issues such as global awareness and cultural diversity. Accomplished teachers understand the internal relationships within the disciplines they teach, knowing which concepts and skills are prerequisite to the understanding of others. They are also aware of typical student misconceptions in the discipline and work to dispel them. Though, knowledge of the content is not sufficient; in advancing student understanding, teachers must be familiar with the particularly pedagogical approaches best suited to each discipline.
Document Description: This is a lesson plan written for students who have problems with nasal-plosive blends. In this lesson plan I thought about the problems that students had and then what methods I could use to help them with those problems.
Document Description: This is a reflection about writing IEPs. In special education a lot of the content and pedagogy is being able to use data and write IEPs effectively. In writing these IEPs I was able to use the data we collected to write present levels for students and writing effective goals.
1b Demonstrating Knowledge of Students
Teachers don’t teach content in the abstract; they teach it to students. In order to ensure student learning, teachers must know not only their content and its related pedagogy but also the students to whom they wish to teach that content. While there are patterns in cognitive, social, and emotional developmental stages typical of different age groups, students learn in their individual ways and may have gaps or misconceptions the teacher needs to uncover in order to plan appropriate learning activities. In addition, students have lives beyond school—lives that include athletic and musical pursuits, activities in their neighborhoods, and family and cultural traditions. Students whose first language is not English, as well as students with other special needs, must be considered when a teacher is planning lessons and identifying resources to ensure that all students will be able to learn.
Document Description: This is a classroom profile that I completed in my senior practicum. This shows the levels of students in reading, writtten language and math as well as the small groups that they are placed into. This shows my ability to understand the different levels of my students and thier placements.
1c Setting Instructional Outcomes
Teaching is a purposeful activity; even the most imaginative activities are directed toward certain desired learning. Therefore, establishing instructional outcomes entails identifying exactly what students will be expected to learn; the outcomes describe not what students will do, but what they will learn. The instructional outcomes should reflect important learning and must lend themselves to various forms of assessment through which all students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the content.
Learning outcomes may be of a number of different types: factual and procedural knowledge, conceptual understanding, thinking and reasoning skills, and collaborative and communication strategies. In addition, some learning outcomes refer to dispositions; it’s important not only that students learn to read but also, educators hope, that they will like to read. In addition, experienced teachers are able to link their learning outcomes with outcomes both within their discipline and in other disciplines.
Document Description: This is a lesson plan that I wrote in one of my literacy classes. I picked this lesson plan becuase it very explicitly teaches the standard to the students.
Planning and Preparation
1d Demonstarating Knowledge of Resources
Student learning is enhanced by a teacher’s skillful use of resources. Some of these are provided by the school as “official” materials; others are secured by teachers through their own initiative. Resources fall into several different categories: those used in the classroom by students, those available beyond the classroom walls to enhance student learning, resources for teachers to further their own professional knowledge and skill, and resources that can provide noninstructional assistance to students. Teachers recognize the importance of discretion in the selection of resources, selecting those that align directly with the learning outcomes and will be of most use to the students. Accomplished teachers also ensure that the selection of materials and resources is appropriately challenging for every student. Texts, for example, are available at various reading levels to make sure all students can gain full access to the content and successfully demonstrate understanding of the learning outcomes. Furthermore, expert teachers look beyond the school for resources to bring their subjects to life and to assist students who need help in both their academic and nonacademic lives.
Document Description: This is a form that I filled out during my senior practicum experience based on the assessments avaliable in the Jefferson District. This shows my ability to figure out what resources are avaliable to me within my district.
1e Designing Coherent Instruction
Designing coherent instruction is the heart of planning, reflecting the teacher’s knowledge of content and of the students in the class, the intended outcomes of instruction, and the available resources. Such planning requires educators have a clear understanding of the state, district, and school expectations for student learning and the skill to translate these into a coherent plan. It also requires teachers understand the characteristics of the students they teach and the active nature of student learning. Educators must determine how best to sequence instruction in a way that will advance student learning through the required content. Furthermore, such planning requires the thoughtful construction of lessons that contain cognitively engaging learning activities, the incorporation of appropriate resources and materials, and the intentional grouping of students. Proficient practice in this component recognizes that a well-designed instruction plan addresses the learning needs of various groups of students; one size does not fit all. At the distinguished level, the teacher plans instruction that takes into account the specific learning needs of each student and solicits ideas from students on how best to structure the learning.
Document Description: This unit on perimeter, area and volume, shows my ability to write units that work as a whole and flow together. This unit also has many places where the lesson could be adapted for the unique needs of each student.
1f Designing Student Assessments
Good teaching requires both assessment of learning and assessment for learning. Assessments of learning ensure teachers know students have learned the intended outcomes. These assessments must be designed in such a manner that they provide evidence of the full range of learning outcomes; that is, the methods needed to assess reasoning skills are different from those for factual knowledge. Furthermore, such assessments may need to be adapted to the particular needs of individual students. An ESL student, for example, may need an alternative method of assessment to allow demonstration of understanding. Assessment for learning enables a teacher to incorporate assessments directly into the instructional process and to modify or adapt instruction as needed to ensure student understanding. Such assessments, although used during instruction, must be designed as part of the planning process. These formative assessment strategies are ongoing and may be used by both teachers and students to monitor progress toward understanding the learning outcomes.
Document Description: This is a collection of high school math assignments and assessments that I designed to cover the main concepts in each of these math classes. This shows my ability to design assessments for students.