The Penn State teacher exhibits the highest standards of professionalism in all that he/she does.

D1. Meeting expectations and fulfilling responsibilities

The teacher consistently meets expectations and fulfills responsibilities.

I plan at home to get ready for the next day, and I try to get there as early as I can to prepare for the day, be that it checking over workbooks or making copies. I always make sure to consult with my mentor about what the plans are for the day and try to come up with new things for math to keep it interesting. I use resources online to come up with differentiated materials that work for other teachers - such as sites like Teachers Pay Teachers and Pinterest.

D2. Establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships

The teacher establishes and maintains productive, collaborative relationships with colleagues and families.

Evidence: See attachments.

Justification: I have used correspondence with homes to acquire information as well as ask parents permission for students to be a part of my online portfolio. I have also created more collaborative relationships with colleagues by being the "guinea pig" for the new science kits and testing them out as well as working in their classrooms when Mrs. Kidd wasn't there. I have made relationships possible by talking and opening up about my thoughts and not just staying reserved by myself. It's good to have these relationships for the future, knowing I can make these relationships wherever I end up in the future.

D3. Valuing and seeking professional growth

I attended the TEACH conference held in Punxsutawney on April 16, 2016. I learned a lot of new thing while there, like different websites I can use in the classroom, such as more about Kahoot and websites that create polls that are more educational-friendly than doodlepoll. I think I can use these in my life regularly, even without being in the classroom. I also learned about interviews and how to prepare for them, like what to wear and what not to wear. I learned a lot in the first session of the day - entitled, "Oh, the Places You'll Go: Guiding Students to Success". The session talked a lot about creating safe environments, developing critical thinkers, preparing leaders, and inspiring a love of learning. Then the second main session was more based on going to Australia, which fueled my passion to go visit Australia even more.

I have attended meetings with the second grade team including principals as well as lunch and learn seminars during lunch with my mentor. I have learned about the different ways of assessment and also more about the applications/websites the school uses through these seminars.

​

D4. Demonstrating professionalism

The teacher continuously demonstrates integrity, ethical behaviors, and appropriate

professional conduct.

I demonstrate integrity and ethical behaviors every day by not talking about students unless it is with my mentor or with a teacher who has that child for another class, such as an advanced math class or title reading, when it's appropriate to talk about the student for educational purposes. When other teachers engaged in talking or gossiping about students, I keep my mouth shut and don't talk about it with them. I think this is important because you can never know who all is hearing what's going on or what's being talked about.