Standard 7. Teachers work collaboratively with all school personnel, families and the broader community to create a professional learning community and environment that supports the improvement of teaching, learning and student achievement.
Teachers…
7.1 work collaboratively with colleagues to examine teacher practice, student work and student assessment results with the goal of improving instruction and achievement
7.2 develop relationships with students and their families to support learning
7.3 understand the role of community agencies in supporting schools and work collaboratively with them as appropriate
Artifact #1: Personalized Literacy Night Pictures and reading packets
Description:
Reading week was held at the end of February with a school-wide theme of “Kindness” celebrated through the books, Wonder and The Lorax. There was a school-wide assembly at the end of the week to showcase what all the grades learned during the week with their reading focus on either Wonder or The Lorax.
The Personalized Literacy Night was held on Thursday night during our reading week to bring together our school community around the importance of reading and how parents can support their children’s literacy. Parents were invited to visit with their child’s classroom teacher to go over strategies for improving stamina and fluency, how to choose books right for their level, and to highlight the positive effect reading each night has on a student’s success. The students were invited to watch the movie Wonder (3-5) and The Lorax with a craft (PreK-2). I was the leader for the younger students and also invited the Foster Public Librarian to help with the craft and meet with the students. We had a fun night with the students and I had an opportunity to meet with many parents.
How artifact demonstrates meeting the standard:
These artifacts demonstrate meeting standard 7 by showcasing my ability to work “collaboratively with all school personnel, families and the broader community to create a professional learning community and environment that supports the improvement of teaching, learning and student achievement”, as standard 7 states.
I met with the principal, reading specialist, and one of the Kindergarten teachers to discuss and plan our Personalized Literacy Night and Reading Week. We decided on the dates, the school-wide books we would read (Wonder and The Lorax), having guest readers throughout the week, the learning showcase by all grades at the end of Reading Week, and what we needed for a successful Personalized Literacy Night for families. I also collaborated with the Foster Public Libraries Director to decide on a craft we would engage the younger students with after they watched the movie.
Why I chose this artifact:
I chose this artifact to demonstrate mastery of standard 7 because this was my first school-wide family event and it also gave me a chance to be a leader in the planning as a committee member. Along with the planning, I also helped gathered resources for our Reading Week and Personalized Literacy Night. I met and collaborated with the Foster Public Libraries Director for our activities with the younger students at the Personalized Literacy Night. This demonstrates mastery of standard 7 in connection with indicator 7.3 which states, “teachers understand the role of community agencies in supporting schools and work collaboratively with them as appropriate”.
Artifact #2: Penguin Research Collaborative Project
Description:
The Penguin Research lesson was a trimester long collaborative project between myself and the 2nd grade classroom teachers. We worked together to give students the opportunity to learn how to conduct research through a reliable and age-appropriate database – PebbleGo. Then students learned how to organize their research in a web and type this information into a Google Doc. Lastly, students learned to present their research through either ThinkLink or Buncee – both online creation and presentation tools. The classroom teachers and I also finished the project with a fun hands-on craft. Students used modeling clay to sculpt their penguin and worked together to build a 3-D model of each penguin’s habitat to display in the library for the whole school to enjoy and learn from.
How artifact demonstrates meeting the standard:
This artifact demonstrates meeting standard 7 because this project was a collaborative teaching experience between myself and the 2nd grade classroom teachers. We brainstormed what research we wanted the students to complete and what tools they would use. Throughout the semester long project, we all learned from one another. I learned how students organize their research and I taught the teachers new database and technology tools; therefore, the students’ learning and achievement were enhanced. The teachers and I also shared the students’ work with their families and the school community to extend the reach of this learning and teaching experience.
In addition to teaching this collaborative research project with my 2nd grade, I also shared this lesson and collaborative experience at the Rhode Island Library Association’s Information Literacy Action Round Table (ILART) lesson swap. There were four presenters: 2 from a University setting, 1 from a public library, and myself. The purpose was to present our lessons as if we were teaching and for the audience to learn about a new lesson they may want to teach themselves. I created a google slide presentation highlighting the steps I took with my students and described how these different elements progressed through many class sessions. The lesson swap gave me the opportunity to learn from the other lesson swap presenters, gain confidence in presenting myself, and allowed me to teach my library community colleagues. I look forward to continuing to present and teach in a similar capacity.
Why I chose this artifact:
I chose this artifact to demonstrate mastery of standard 7 because I am proud of the collaborative work the teachers and I completed. We all learned so much from one another and gave the students a learning experience they would not be able to have without our collective effort. The extensive research and technology skills achieved by these students will better prepare them for future research experiences. I also believe this collaborative project enhanced my overall teaching and my ability to collaborate with other teachers for the future. I am eager to continue with other classroom teachers as a result of this highly successful project.
