Portfolio Part Three

Portfolio Part Three: Professional Responsibility

Jasmin Pepe

Vermont State University- Castleton Campus

Spring 2024
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Part Three: Professional Responsibility

Introduction:

As an educator, we must continue to learn new ways to practice and evolve our teaching

methods. Every student’s educational journey is different from their peers. To be able to

accommodate every student’s needs we have to constantly complete trainings and professional

developments in order to further expand our educational knowledge. In addition, we have to

constantly practice in an ethical manner and work to have every student set up for the education

that they have a right to.

Leadership and collaboration between other teachers and students have many benefits

towards broadening our educational knowledge. While student teaching at an upstate New York

elementary school, I saw first hand how co teaching collaborations can positively impact all

students. The two teachers I worked alongside were a classroom and special education teacher.

The classroom teacher would plan and carry out lessons, and the special education teacher would

make modifications to fit students. They worked seamlessly together in order to create

meaningful and dynamic activities that all students could do. Having the collaboration with two

teachers also works as kids socially or physically need support. They were able to brainstorm

ways to improve a student’s moral with both the experience of a classroom teacher and special

education teacher. Examples include peer buddy support, time for breaks, and rewards charts.

They have also helped students with physical needs, such as students struggling to hold a pencil

the correct way. While the classroom teacher would promote good habits and instructions to

properly hold a pencil, the special education teacher got out pencil grips she invested in that

helped to accurately grasp the pencil. Students are also an important part of collaboration.

Students and teachers communicating effectively can help to show what needs improvement and
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further development in activities and lessons. Students can express concerns or have teachers

clarify what they think needs to be expanded on prior to moving on from the lesson.

Communication between the two can also lead to students expressing how engaged they are in

lessons; whether they are finding the material interesting or if they need something more to keep

them immersed within the lessons provided.

Collaborations with other professionals can lead to an influx of knowledge. With

experience comes greater skill and expertise within the field of education. Educators sharing

systems and ideas that work will help create a wider span of plans that can be carried out each

year. Every school-year brings a different group of students together to learn, and no two years

are the same. A variety of ideas on standby to try out and implement will allow for a greater

chance to find what fits and works within your specific classroom. Through collaborations and

conversations with other professionals, I have already gained a great amount of ideas to help

create a classroom environment that I most want to promote- one that helps to keep student’s

mental health well while also promoting growth of their academics and critical thinking skills.

Performance Criterion 9.1: Candidates are prepared for self-directed, continuous

professional learning.

Description:

Professional learning should be never-ending for an educator. The drive to continue to

better yourself for your students is a quality that teachers should hold with them in their careers.

Professional learning can look different and come in different forms. Learning from coworkers

and students themselves can be an extremely proficient way to gather feedback and new ideas.
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Collaborations and conversations go a long way when it comes to continuous learning; which is

why as a teacher I will make a point to form relationships that can help improve my ability as an

educator.

Another self-directed way to continue professional learning is through training. As a

daycare provider, I continuously completed training through the New York State Office of

Children and Family Services. I was able to expand my knowledge through these training

sessions and learn how to handle situations before they came up. It prepared me to promote

physical and emotional health and cognitive growth for the students in my care. Completing

trainings is a big reason I could provide the high-quality care I was able to give to these families

and their children.

Besides professional training, my college courses and programs focused on what I

believed as an educator and as I continued to grow and learn, how I reflected on those beliefs and

developed more depth and understanding to a variety of different topics involved with teaching

children. Putting these ideas and concepts into practice as a student teacher has allowed me to

see how much collaboration and connectivity there are present in successful classroom

environments. It is a combination of bringing together what each professional knows about

learning, their students and each other. The best moments happen when each professional has

equal power to create, share and be a part of a team.

Salient Evidence & Analysis:

During my research for this standard, it became clear that just as important as the goal for

professional training is the method used to deliver it. In the article, Impact of Teacher’s Training

on Interest and Academic Achievements of Students by Multiple Teaching Methods (2021), author

Hafeez examined the characteristics of lecture, discussion and demonstration strategies for
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professional trainings and concluded, “Among available teaching methods, the discussion

method appears to be the effective and most advanced teaching method. The discussion method

of teaching is a type of strategy in which instructors and learners share their thoughts and ideas

on a particular course content. The learning objectives are achieved by utilizing shared ideas

among students and teachers (Eggen & Kauchak, 2012).” Just like teachers have to select the

best ways to approach learning for their students, administrators and professional trainers need to

identify the goal of the training and how to best reach all of the learners present. Some of the

training I attend have quizzes, while some give certificates of attendance. Some ask for us to

participate and others simply require us to be a passive audience.

I truly believe that sharing knowledge between professionals can lead to a better success

rate among their students. Collaboration leads to having a variety of ways to teach, and for

students to have multiple ways of learning will allow for a greater chance for the students to

understand the material being taught. Upon further research for this standard, I gathered that the

biggest turn-off from sharing knowledge was due to the inefficient ways that were available to

collaborate. The article, Innovative Teaching Practice Through Professional Learning

Communities: Determining Knowledge Sharing and Program Value,(2023) shares the way that

the PLC model (Professional Learning Community) has created an easier way to develop and

create ideas, strategies, and lessons. The article follows a study that shows how professionals

who work with the PLC model “were currently using the knowledge and skills gained to further

develop innovative teaching practices as well as planning to continue to do so in the future”

(Clark et al 2023). Thus showing us how the collaborative teaching methods had a substantial

impact on those who had the opportunity to try. The feedback for this model was all positive.

One conclusion even states that “Faculty appreciate the development of innovative approaches to
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teaching through collaboration with others, opportunities to learn and grow as a teacher, and new

opportunities for engaging in research” (Clark et al 2023). Through my placements and courses

during my academic program, I have had the opportunity to grow and expand my knowledge and

experience within the field of education. I have collaborated and conversed with many different

teachers and student teachers, which has given me a diverse and impactful perspective that I can

bring with me during my educational career. Totspot Training Certificates .pdf

I have always loved learning and continuing to widen my understanding in the field of

education. While working at a daycare, I became further exposed to the importance of continuing

to strengthen your knowledge in order to teach to the best of your ability. I received 60+ hours of

training that have helped me create a positive, and safe, classroom environment. The training

Media Use and Safety With Children was a really important topic for me to look into. Schools

have really begun to utilize technology within the classrooms. There are many great outcomes

that come with the advancements of technology, especially in a school setting. There are so many

educational websites and apps that help students set goals and learn at their level and pace.

There’s also an abundance of online resources for teachers to use, including videos for

brain breaks and storytelling. Through this training, it explained the importance of using media

in moderation and teaching online safety. Through the Family Engagement (2021) training I was

able to gather information and resources that help keep families involved in their child’s

education. It also provided tips and ideas to help family engagement work within the program

you followed. This has helped me greatly to prepare for my career in ways that I can help keep

families engaged in their students' academic careers.

In the training Expulsion and Suspension Prevention Strategies (2023) I learned a great

deal of strategies that can be utilized to help prevent expulsion and suspension of students. The
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developmental and cognitive trends that I learned through this training helped me gather an idea

of what to look out for and how to take action before resorting to expulsion and suspension. This

will help me keep my students safe and allow me to provide greater attention towards keeping

my students in school. Understanding and Supporting Students with Special Needs (2023) is a

training that I utilize greatly in my student teaching experience. I work in a co teaching

classroom, with a classroom teacher and special education teacher, and having the knowledge of

different disabilities students may have has helped me know how to provide correct

communication with the students in my classroom. This training provides the knowledge that is

needed to create an inclusive environment for all children. It also gave me resources I can pass

along to families and staff that need help or extra support in order to help their students thrive.

Reflection:

personal philosophy project I have always felt that students need a positive

environment to expand their education, as proven through my first draft of a personal philosophy

of teaching that I created. This draft came from my first semester of college, and was all the

reasons I wanted to go into the field of education. I still stand by what I had written four years

ago. Above all else, I want to create a classroom with a positive environment that can be

adaptive to every student’s needs in order for them to be successful academically and socially.

One thing I have learned through my four years of college that I would now add is how much I

value continuous professional learning. I continue to gain knowledge from professors, peers,

mentor teachers, and advisors that I utilize in student teaching and as a daycare provider. All

methods, classroom management, and teaching knowledge I have gained through the years have

come from my continuous education. I have found a passion for professional learning and will
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continue to enhance my teaching knowledge in order to become the best educator for my

students.

Performance Criterion 10.2: Candidates are prepared to advance the profession through

advocacy, leadership and/or action research.

Description:

As an educator, we are constantly working to gain new knowledge and expertise within

our field. Part of working to collaborate professionally, as mentioned in standard 9.1, is to also

share our findings and research within the educational communities. Skills acquired and new

projects tested out should be available to others. The way we continue to learn and grow as an

educator is by obtaining new ideas from other educators. The further we get into our career, the

research we carry out should be passed on to other educators.

Continuing to perform action research is an important aspect of this job. Students and

their needs are always changing and evolving. In order to be able to adapt and have the capability

to ensure every student’s needs are met, there has to be research and investigations to find what

is right for that student’s education. Documentations of what teaching methods do and do not

work, based on certain student's needs, are so important. In our classroom, we have to ensure that

we are self-evaluating and paying attention to ways that positively impact the academic career of

our students. Advocating for methods and tools that help your students academics is a huge part

of being an educator. We have to be the voice that uplifts the feelings of our students. The more

they express to us what they need, we have to be able to adapt and grow in order to make our

classroom a community that can serve all.

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The assets we gain are to be shared with other educators in order to help the educational

field evolve itself. Leadership is important to pass along what we know. Educators have to be

able to manage and orchestrate ways to spread their knowledge and research. We have to assume

a leadership role not just within our classroom, but also outside of it.

Salient Evidence & Analysis:

Collaboration in a school setting proves to lead to greater academic success of students.

The article, Impact Of Collaborative Leadership Style On School Improvement: A Case Of

Secondary Education Sector (2022), explains the collaboration methods between multiple

stakeholders in education that lead to a greater potential outcome for students. Methods of

collaboration between parents, students, teachers, administration, and community members lead

to further development in educational components. The article states, “Multiple researches have

been conducted and many studies out of these suggested positive relationship between the

practices of different leadership styles and educational achievements by applying meta-analysis

methods of in the field of research” (Akhtar and Hafeez 2022). This means that leadership and

collaborative methods lead to positive student-education relationships. The better a relationship

we can create between students and their education can lead to an abundance of effects that

encourage a student’s education.

One form of a collaborative method can be leading a seminar. In Student Teaching

Seminar, each student teacher is placed with the task of leading a seminar based on a topic of

choice. I led my seminar on dealing with refusal in schools. Conversing with my professor and

peers led to a large variety of answers to the open-ended questions I asked. The seminar class is

filled with student teachers from grades K through 12. Their insight and different examples from

the respective districts they are in gave me excess knowledge to bring back to my student
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teaching. Alongside my mentor teacher, we were able to even put some suggestions into effect in

the classroom. Through this seminar, we were able to help a student from ideas I gained through

the collaboration of my seminar. The sharing of ideas between educators can lead to solutions

otherwise unexpected. Refusal in schools

The article, Impact of Poverty on Students: All in Their Minds? (2016), really gives us a

preview into how poverty is affecting student’s academic careers. Students who live in poverty

have a greater chance of growing up with a fixed mindset, and statistically students who have a

fixed mindset rather than a growth mindset are less likely to perform well in school. It is really

eye-opening to see how much a teacher's promotion on adapting a growth mindset may impact

students who live in poverty. The article states that, “the belief that unsuccessful people lack

something within themselves to be successful—like grit, or positivity” (Flannery 2016) makes

students with struggles outside of school, such as living in poverty, develop the wrong idea that

they should be able to fix their issues themselves. Young children should not be expected to

come to school as only a student; they are still children who have struggles that might be bigger

than receiving an education. A growth mindset can help in any part of life. It is important to help

students develop this, but it will not come naturally for all. Instead, what active research is

suggesting is that educators start “acknowledging that we all are a mixture of fixed and growth

mindsets, and we should watch carefully for our fixed-mindset triggers” (Flannery 2016). This

way, no student will feel called out for what they presume is “wrong” with them and they have

the chance to see that everyone is still human.

This is an ill-structured problem that has no universal answer for every student and every

classroom. Through my own research on supporting students living in poverty, the biggest idea is

that basic needs of children must be met before an educational growth can happen. This includes
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basic hygiene, hunger, or love. As educators we have to work to find ways to help students get

basic needs met without impacting their education in any sense. Another huge source to help

students in poverty is the ability to allow them extra support from interventionists inside and

outside of school. These interventions should not impact their education or learning time in any

way, but having the ability and resources to be able to seek help when needed can be so

impactful for these students. By meeting with interventionists, students will also be able to form

more relationships with adults in their school, leading to more places to reach when extra support

is needed. In order to help students living in poverty develop a growth mindset, one thing that

can help immensely is showing them what the world has to offer. By exposing them to the

endless possibilities they can have after completing their education, students will be able to

create a mindset in which they start to see these things as attainable in their futures.

students in poverty

Reflection:

Educators can not work in isolation or look at only what goes on in their classroom. The

entirety of the child’s situations and needs dominate what level of engagement and success they

will have as they grow. Over time, schools have taken on increasingly larger responsibilities that

include clothing, food, medical support and social/emotional services as well. Today’s teacher

needs to understand the reality of their students’ situations as well as the other stakeholders

involved and to advocate for solutions that are both short term and long term in nature.

In rural New York, as in many other areas of the nation, there are decreasing numbers of

student populations, increased costs, and not as much extra funding and support to go around.

Schools have to get creative and utilize the resources of their communities to meet increased
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student needs. It is no longer about how you teach them to read and write, but how you support

their physical, mental and emotional growth throughout their time in public schools. Most

schools in the region I am student teaching in provide two meals a day for all children with no

paperwork or identification of need required. Still more are using behavioral interventionists,

counselors, police officers and creating working relationships between classroom teachers and

special educators as a way to address increased needs with decreased resources.

As a new teacher, I have seen first hand how powerful partnerships and collaborations

between educational professionals can be in addressing needs immediately and creatively. While

there are policies and procedures to address planning for students, there is a huge amount of

work that goes on daily and is in action and evolving as the students' needs change. My mentor

teacher and the special educator are a team who bring to the puzzle of how to help a child both

their experiences, backgrounds and community connections. A second key to collaboration is

using the strengths of the people in the community who are invested in the success of each child

growing and learning.

Portfolio Part Three Final Reflection:

As an educator, it is important to continue to broaden our skill set in order to cater to

every student’s needs. Education is always evolving due to different studies and research always

being conducted. In addition to continuous professional learning, collaborating with other

educators and stakeholders also provides a background that allows educators to work with any

student need they come across.

As I enter the field my goals and plans will change based on the needs of my children. I

will be a leader and advocate for their needs by collaborating with other professionals and
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communicating to the learning community. When dealing with issues of legality and ethics as

well as working with others to learn, the path is never ending and also fascinating. I feel that in

order for educators to grow they must accept that learning is lifelong and not only will research

change and evolve, but so will approaches and best practices. What stays constant is the role of

the humans committed to teaching our children to be their best selves. Learning does not stop at

the classroom door and the more people involved, engaged and focused on the education of our

children, the more power and passion that will be focused on helping them grow. Teachers are a

conduit, or a pathway through which children can explore and make lifelong connections. They

can see themselves as learners, community members, team players and respectful and caring

individuals. While we will never stop training and learning how to be the best teachers we can, it

is critical to remember what educator John Shipp shared when he remarked, “ Every child is one

caring adult away from being a success story.”

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References:

Clark, A. M., Zhan, M., Dellinger, J. T., & Semingson, P. L. (2023). Innovating Teaching

Practice Through Professional Learning Communities: Determining Knowledge Sharing

and Program Value. SAGE Open, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231200983

Hafeez, A., & Akhtar, N. (2022, September 18). Impact Of Collaborative Leadership Style On

School Improvement: A Case Of Secondary Education Sector. Journal of Positive School

Psychology. https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp

Hafeez, M. (2021). Impact of Teacher’s Training on Interest and Academic Achievements of

Students by Multiple Teaching Methods. Pedagogical Research, 6(3), em0102.

https://doi.org/10. 29333/pr/11088

Flannery, M. E. (2016, September 29). Impact of poverty on students: All in their minds?. NEA.

https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/impact-poverty-students-all-their-minds