Directions:

Your mission across your upper-level education coursework is to prove that you’ve met the different standards outlined below. So, make sure
to communicate with your instructors to determine which course assignments (aka artifacts) might align with one or more of these standards.
Make a note of your artifact and the course it comes from, as well as some brief notes about how it addresses the standard. For example, you
might have a lesson plan implemented in MSSE 471 that aligns with Standard #8 below (I included a model under that standard below to help
guide you). In addition to making a note about that lesson plan, be sure to save it where you can find it later. During your MSSE 450 course
(taken the same semester as your student teaching), you will receive more specific instructions about putting together your portfolio. Until
then, keep updating this document and saving your course assignments.

The Learner and Learning

InTASC Standard Course and Artifact How it Addresses the Standard and Brief
Semester Completed/Updated Reflection

Learner Development How it addresses the standard: This artifact,

Standard #1: The teacher understands how ● Classroom Management Plan (MSSE though it is differentiated to accommodate a
learners grow and develop, recognizing the 403) language learner, still challenges the student
patterns of learning and development vary Final Classroom Management to find connections through reading and turn
individually across the cognitive, linguistic, Planner those connections into an art piece.
social, emotional, and physical areas, and Reflection:
designs and implements developmentally ● Differentiated Lesson -The psychology behind student behavior is
appropriate and challenging learning what influenced the first artifact. Because it
experiences. is an outline of how my classroom may be
run, I knew it was important to incorporate
the social and emotional needs of my
students when discussing how rules would
be made and how consequences for
breaking these rules would be given. I had
to differentiate many lessons for my 12th
Grade General class. Their disinterest in
English is often evident, and it is hard to
motivate them. This is why I modified the
focus on theme in Lord of the Flies in my
12th grade honors class to a focus on
characterization. Many of my 12th grade
general students are EL’s and had a hard
time understanding who the characters were
and what they represented. Although they
were able to come up with the archetype for
their characters, my students seemed to
struggle with finding relevant quotes. I
realized that I had assigned the readings to
be done solely at home except for the first
two chapters, and that I had no specific
schedule for checking the reading diaries I
had created for them. This left them
floundering when trying to find quotes and
caused what was supposed to be a 40
minute lesson to turn into a full class period.
Although I differentiated a lesson to still
challenge the students, I did not do enough
scaffolding so that they were familiar
enough with the text to effectively complete
the assignment. In the future, I plan on being
far more intentional with my differentiation.
Making something different is not enough. I
need to build up those supports and set my
students up for success. This lesson was,
however, overall successful. It helped them
add context to the names and to
demonstrate their understanding through
art, and it helped form better connections
between the plot, characters, and meaning
of the story.
Learner Differences ● Formative Assessment Analysis How it addresses the standard: This artifact
Standard # 2: The teacher uses (MSSE 425) uses Black poetry to connect to themes
understanding of individual differences and FAA found in British literature, therefore
diverse cultures and communities to ensure introducing representation to my students of
inclusive learning environments that enable ● Paul Dunbar “We Wear the Mask” color that I portray on the same level of
each learner to meet high standards. analysis importance of British literature.
Reflection: The readiness task exemplifies
the effectiveness of analyzing students’
responses to assessments and implementing
differentiation to best improve their
individual learning. This readiness task
assesses their prior knowledge about poetry
in general and the haiku form in specific.
Although these students had never heard of
Paul Laurence Dunbar before, and had little
previous knowledge about the Harlem
Renaissance, they were able to analyze “We
Wear the Mask” and draw connections
between the poem and Lord of the Flies. A
part of this lesson, as well as a part of my
pedagogy, that I seek to improve in the
future is the fact that I really did not give
much context as to who Paul Laurence
Dunbar was and why this poem is significant
before having the students analyze the
poem. Although I stated that he was a writer
in the Harlem Renaissance, and explained
what the Harlem Renaissance was, students
went into the analysis blind. In teaching, it is
so important to give full context so that
students can develop connections far
beyond the base material. This is especially
true when introducing diverse cultures into
 the classroom: many students have
absolutely no background knowledge.
Moving forward, I will be very careful to
facilitate discussions, host speakers, and give
overall context about the significance of the
works I select. This lesson was very
important to me as an educator, and I will
strive to improve it. Having students analyze
Black poetry shows my students that all
voices and forms of cultural literature are
equal, and that Black literature has never
been “less than” British literature.

Learner Environments ● Classroom Environment Plan (MSSE How it addresses the standard: This
Standard #3: The teacher works with others 460) assignment actively allows for students to
to create environments that support My Classroom Environment and collaborate and to try take on a project that
individual and collaborative learning, and Interaction Plan is outside of their comfort zone, therefore
that encourage positive social interaction, encouraging positive social interaction,
active engagement in learning, and self ● The Crucible Acting Assignment active engagement, and self-motivation.
motivation. Reflection: I was not expecting students to
engage with this project. Many were very
apprehensive about acting, and many did
not immediately take to their new groups.
However, this assignment allowed them to
come out of their shells and explore a new
concept. My initial classroom environment
and interaction plan focused on grouping
that allowed students to go with those who
they are more familiar with. However,
because of this assignment, I now feel
comfortable challenging students to make
new connections. I did not take into account
providing alternate assignments, and that
 was something that caused some setbacks
for both myself and my students. I had three
students with social anxiety, and one of
them had it at a severe level. They each
asked for an alternate assignment and did
not sign up for a group. Although I ended up
grouping them together and writing an
alternate assignment that still achieved the
same learning goals, there was delay,
confusion, and stress when trying to throw
that together. In my attempts to create a
strong collaborative environment, I had left
out the possibility for flexibility. I know now
that while I can be firm in my instruction and
structure, I can also hold space for this
flexibility that will accommodate the
students who need it most. In the end, I was
amazed to see that these three students,
who were usually very withdrawn and did
not turn in much work, laughing, engaging,
and getting excited to turn in their finished
product. Some of the other students who
were not so keen on the idea of the
assignment really shined in their acting and
became much more willing to socialize and
partner up with other students.

Content

InTASC Standard Course/Assessment How it Addresses the Standard and Brief

Reflection
Knowledge of Content ● Disciplinary Literacy Project (LED How it addresses the standard: My 3 day
Standard #4: The teacher understands the 440) unit includes multiple methods of inquiry
central concepts, tools of inquiry, and DLR Sources that ensure students are able to access and
structures of the discipline(s) he or she master the information. It gives students the
teaches and creates learning experiences ● 3 Day Unit opportunity to be well-rounded learners.
that make the discipline accessible and Reflection: Giving students many different
meaningful for learners to assure mastery of modes of research and learning helped them
the content. develop such a strong understanding of the
content. They were able to ask and answer a
diverse array of questions to broaden their
learning. I did have many students who were
struggling to research. They really did not
have much experience with reviewing
sources for content rather than for a
quotation that fits into a point in an essay.
Although many students engaged quickly,
and even a few students told me that they
appreciated the different modes of research,
stating that it was “fun,” the ones that
struggled ended up zoning out and not
completing the assignment. I realize that I
did not give them enough scaffolding and
did not pay close enough attention to where
they were at as researchers. After this
lesson, I did lead the class in a “research
boot camp,” and from that, I saw
exponential improvement. However, in the
future, I plan on supporting students in their
inquiry with more guidance in the beginning.
It can be overwhelming to be given an
assignment with such freedom, and I plan on
assessing where students are before
throwing them in.
Application of Content How it addresses the standard: My modern
Standard #5: The teacher understands how ● Assessment Rubric (MSSE 425) witch hunts assignment helped students
to connect concepts and use differing connect The Crucible to modern issues that
perspectives to engage learners in critical ● Native American Intro Lesson affected different groups of people. These
thinking, creativity, and collaborative effects still exist today, which is why this
problem solving related to authentic local lesson is pertinent to students’ ability to
and global issues. think critically about the world around them.
Reflection: Students seemed to engage with
the content on a much deeper level since the
research was about things they may have
already heard of. These issues also are so
embedded into American culture that the
students seemed to grasp their importance
quickly. However, because of the nature of
The Lavender Scare, I had some students
make offensive jokes and write off the entire
event because of the fact that they may not
agree with LGBTQ+ issues. Although I was
able to correct and redirect these instances
in the moment, I realize that it was
necessary to establish a safe and
communicative space for my students prior
to introducing the lesson. This way, we could
have had an ongoing and beneficial dialogue
that would have circumvented these
reactions. These types of issues may seem
far away to some students, but they could be
as real as their deskmates. It is my
responsibility to pre-establish norms and
consequences before putting students in
situations where they may encounter
 something new, confusing, or hurtful. Going
forward, I plan to establish such norms the
first day of classes, however I will make sure
to review them and re-establish an open
dialogue when introducing them to these
topics.

Instructional Practice

InTASC Standard Course/Assessment How it Addresses the Standard and Brief

Reflection

Assessment How it addresses the standard: The Witch

Standard #6: The teacher understands and ● UBD (MSSE 425) Hunt one-pager and engages students and
uses multiple methods of assessment to UBD helps them grow as critical thinkers and
engage learners in their own growth, to writers. Checkpoints, revisions, and
monitor learner progress, and to guide the ● Witch Hunt Project & Rubric discussions throughout the timeline allow
teacher's and learner's decision making. the teacher and learner to analyze progress
and plan for the future.
Reflection: This paper allows students to
connect modern events to the EQ of how
fear affects society. These students may have
even heard of these modern witch trials, and
therefore may have a familiarity. This paper
gives students a chance to dig into the topic
and to grow as researchers. I have had a lot
of success with this because students can
select their topic and mold their research
around a specific lens, both challenging and
encouraging them. In my future classroom,
however, I want to expand this assignment
into a full research paper. Students saw this
assignment as “just another one-pager” and
 some did not go as in-depth as I had
predicted based on their research and
engagement throughout the previous two
days. One student, who had been actively
excited to learn about modern witch hunts
even said “I’ll just fluff-write to make it a
page.” Although this assessment showed me
how they had connected to the EQ, it felt
like the students saw it on the same level as
a test. In the future, I will incorporate more
ways for students to write one-pagers like
having them choose between persuasion,
narrative, or reflective writing to include
more of their own personal connections.

Plans for Instruction How it addresses the standard: The goals set
Standard #7: The teacher plans instruction in this unit incorporate rigorous expectations
that supports every student in meeting ● Readiness Task (MSSE 460) for research and critical thinking. It also
rigorous learning goals by drawing upon Ella Readiness Task draws on history curriculum and challenges
knowledge of content areas, curriculum, students to apply historical events to
cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as ● 3 Day Unit literature.
well as knowledge of learners and the Reflection: Based on my observations when
community context. first giving my students The Crucible, there
appeared an initial disinterest in the play. It
was set too long ago and written too long
ago according to them, and, as one
humorously put it: “this is literally beowulf
talk.” However, when I introduced the
connections about modern witch hunts, they
became much more engaged. They were
able to see the effects of these witch hunts
in their lives and communities. This unit
really helped me breach the English
“bubble” and broaden my horizons for
cross-curricular material. Because it included
a lot of this diverse material, I noticed that
some students felt a bit lost when given the
different examples of modern witch hunts.
Many did connect and engage with it, but
when there are a notable few, it points to an
area where I can improve my teaching.
When looking over their summative
one-pagers, I noticed that, despite the
previous days’ research, the students did not
seem to know much about The Red Scare,
The Lavender Scare, and The Satanic Panic.
At the beginning of this unit, I did not go
through any sort of powerpoint or
explanation of these events with the class. I
set up the padlet to induce student-led
exploration, but I failed to realize that some
students do not fare well with this method
for processing a lot of information at once. I
realize that even though I want to inspire
natural curiosity and motivation, I have to
actually “lead the horse to the water.” If it
refuses to drink, then the student has at
least the scaffolding up to that point. I plan
on becoming much more intentional about
what information I give to my students and
how I can help guide them. I will make sure
that, even though they may get lost during
the assignment, that they will not get lost
and left behind along the way.
Instructional Strategies How it addresses the standard: Students are
Standard #8: The teacher understands and ● Lesson Plan from Practicum
challenged to develop critical thinking skills
uses a variety of instructional strategies to 3 Day Unit
encourage learners to develop deep while also becoming immersed in the
understanding of content areas and their ● 3 Day Unit
content. The connections between history,
connections, and to build skills to apply
knowledge in meaningful ways. political science, and English require
students to become reflective thinkers and
motivated researchers.
Reflection: My students did not have much
previous experience with research. As I have
stated in previous reflections, for this unit
my students needed more support from me
to aid them in building their skills and
confidence before I assigned them research.
I understand that while I know my students
are resilient and capable, I should not be
afraid of guiding them “too much.” The
students who need this guidance will apply
it and succeed, and the students who do not
need it will have extra scaffolding in their
arsenal for when the time comes that they
 need to apply these skills to something
bigger. In this project, my students
understood MLA formatting and citations,
but really struggled with finding their own
academic sources and devising theses.
Because of this novel and the connections to
modern examples of witch hunts, they were
able to draw clear connections that
motivated them to research more in-depth.
They made meaningful connections and
were able to produce fruitful discussions
because of the initiative they were able to
take with this project.

Professional Responsibility

InTASC Standard Course/Assessment How it Addresses the Standard and Brief

Reflection

Professional Learning and Ethical Practice ● PD Day 2 I​n my student teaching placement at
Standard #9: The teacher engages in ongoing Spotswood High School, I attended multiple
professional learning and uses evidence to professional development sessions. Each
continually evaluate his/her practice, was uniquely helpful and contributed to my
particularly the effects of his/her choices understanding of the art of teaching
and actions on others (learners, families, immensely. However, the session that I
other professionals, and the community), attended in early November stands out
and adapts practice to meet the needs of specifically as an experience that changed
each learner. one of my teaching methods. The speaker
guided us through a lesson about specificity.
She stated: "There are one billion things that
your students can do with text. Some of
them will not have the capacity to do it all,
and some will. Because this range exists, you
must be precise. Know what you want from
the students and ensure that they are on the
exact same page." During my previous
experiences with designing and
implementing lessons, I was never really
precise. I thought that if I gave students
direction, they would follow. I was very
unsatisfied with the turn-in rate of my
assignments, and was noticing large gaps in
understanding. After I attended the
professional development session, I sat
down and re-evaluated what I was asking of
my students for the following week's
lessons. I went back in and made the
prompts much more specific. If I want
students to read, analyze, and evaluate, then
I have to tell them exactly that.

I​ realized that I was just waiting for them to

"get it," while being rather unhelpful as to
guiding them toward what "it" was. ISince I
have enforced more specificity in my lessons,
the turn-in rate and the quality of the
classwork being turned in have improved
immensely. The time it takes between
delivering instruction and the student
beginning to work on the task, or what I like
to call “lag time,” has also decreased
immensely. The lesson I have linked
underneath this section is a recent
testament to providing specific instructions
to students. Before I asked them to cite a
source and create writing, I modeled for
them what creating a citation from a website
looks like. I pulled up a paragraph with a
completely incorrect citation, and asked
pointed questions about what we needed to
do to improve it. Then, I showed them the
references section on Wikipedia pages and
how to access them. Finally, I gave them
explicit instructions about what to search
and how to connect their source to their
topic. This resulted in a massive
improvement in the quality of their
submitted paragraphs compared to their
usual quality. The student sample I included
demonstrates that this student processed
instructions, analyzed their source, and
created a product that meets the
expectations I laid out for them. When
students know exactly what I am asking of
them, and then can process it completely at
the end of the activity, they feel supported
and motivated to complete the assignment.

T​ he most important part of this process that

I intend to carry with me into my teaching
career is the act of reading together. When I
give students an article or text to process
and then demonstrate a skill with, I will read
 through it with them first and then guide
them in breaking down the text for meaning.
For example, if I read a Shakespearean
monologue to the students before asking
them to analyze, I will give students a chance
to visually and audibly process the material
as well as remove the barrier of trying to
properly pronounce words for ELs and
students with reading disabilities.

Leadership and Collaboration ● Librarian Interview I chose to interview the Spotswood High
Standard #10: The teacher seeks appropriate School librarian, Ms. Johnson, because I
leadership roles and opportunities to take know that as an ELA teacher, I will be
responsibility for student learning, to working closely with my school’s librarian. I
collaborate with learners, families, realized, from both my experience as a
colleagues, other school professionals, and student and as a teacher, that many students
community members to ensure learner only use the library when forced to return a
growth, and to advance the profession. book and get a new one by their English
teacher. Ms. Johnson stated that she
“doesn’t feel like a lot of teachers use the
library to its fullest extent.” She often
conducts classes on research, writing, and
reading that teachers can sign up for and will
even go into the classroom itself in order to
bring resources to the core teacher and
students. She wanted to emphasize that “the
library is so much more than a place to bring
your students when you need something to
do . . . there are so many lessons and
activities that I can help all teachers with.”
The library, as I learned, offers both students
and teachers a plethora of resources and
knowledge. Ms. Johnson stated that, in
order to support the students, English
teachers and librarians need to have a
“mutual respect for each other’s trades . . .
oftentimes, English teachers become
librarians and librarians become English
teachers. There’s no huge divide between
what we’re doing here, it’s really a symbiotic
relationship.” Speaking to Ms. Johnson
helped me realize that librarians are experts
in their field, and that library science
includes so many resources that my future
classroom could benefit from greatly. I
intend to bring my classes into the library for
joint seminars on research. This will be
crucial to the students’ understanding of
how to use the library for all it is worth.