This 8-10-page paper has two parts: Looking Backward: Reflexive Praxis and Planning Forward: Goal Setting. Support your arguments with references to relevant educational literature that may include course texts.
Looking Backward: Reflexive Praxis
Examine your prior experiences during coursework and their impact on your professional practice (in your classroom(s)). Consider the grade/functional levels and the content/disciplines for which you designed and implemented instruction. Consider the learning outcomes that resulted, the challenges you faced, and your core beliefs about teaching and learning (Revisit Philosophy Statement from EDSN600 course). Afterwards, address the following questions:
Name and describe the impact(s) you have had on students’ learning or growth as a result of coursework and student teaching.
Discuss ways in which you have used feedback from your teacher education program (i.e. instructors/supervisors; cooperating teachers) to improve your practice.
Identify a minimum of three Candidate Learning Outcomes that you view as your strongest attributes and discuss why. Identify the specific standards and corresponding elements by name and provide examples of how they will show up in your practice.
Reflect on your coursework and program of study. Discuss any areas of concern you might have regarding the development of your ability to meet the needs of diverse learners and explain why.
Planning Forward: Goal Setting
For this section you will construct two to three (2-3) professional goals, anchored by your Looking Backwards: Reflexive Praxis exercise. Your goals should address areas of growth that you wish to develop as a result. Each goal should be measurable with a clear outcome (e.g., To move from a primarily lecture style of course instruction to the use of interactive learning in mathematics; To establish ongoing communication with parents/guardians for an 80% homework completion rate in my class; Strengthen my classroom management skills for a decrease in time off task during whole group instruction).
Once you have established clear, measurable goals, enumerate each:
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Next, explain how each goal is aligned with a particular Candidate Learning Outcomes.
Lastly, establish three to five (3-5) strategies that you will take to fulfill each goal (e.g., Collaboratively design my first two mathematics lessons with Ms. Jones who uses experiential exercises; Construct a take-home instructional guide for each unit that include family activities, reinforcing key unit concepts; Attend the fall Classroom Learning Environment workshop that many student teachers have recommended for better understanding the use of emotional intelligence in the classroom).
