Professional Self-Assessment Form

Teacher Candidates Name: Jessica Gates Mentor Teachers Name: Ms. Gwendolyn Smith
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Date: 16 April 2013 School: Sheridan Elementary/Brookdale Elementary

Grade Level (s)/Subject Area(s) 1 - 5 Grade/ Music

Instructions to the teacher candidate: Please reflect on your professional performance, and respond to each of the following prompts.

1.

In terms of the ADEPT Performance Standards, what are your professional strengths? How have you built on these strengths so far, and how do you plan to do so in the future?

My professional strengths are long range planning, providing content for learners, establishing and maintaining high expectations for learners, short range planning, and professional development. I built on these strengths by writing and revising my long range plan, increasing the amount and type of content available to the students as well as to me the instructor, and I express to students the standards and expectations of achievement and participation I expect them to meet in short terms, such as during class, and long terms throughout their lives. I am also continuing to practice writing and revising short range plans even in their constant alterations as time with students is shortened and/or compromised, and I am participating in staff development meetings and workshops. In the future, I plan to continue to write long range and short range plans to help me visually reflect on lessons and keep me focused on what is important for the students, continue to build resources and content to involve students and enhance learning, continue to create high, but appropriate, expectations and standards for students to meet, as well as continue to be part of education associations to increase development opportunities.

2.

In terms of the ADEPT Performance Standards, what are your professional challenges? How do you plan to meet these challenges?

My professional challenges are instructional strategy variance and assessing. I will continue to get to know each student in each of the classes, and understand those different groups of students as they make each class. With this knowledge, I will be able to better plan and use various instructional strategies during class. For meeting the challenge of assessment, I will continue to find multiple ways to effectively assess each child while not sacrificing their musical learning and expression.

3.

Describe your students overall progress and achievement. What insights have you gained into ways to improve student progress and achievement?

Overall the students progressions vary across the grades, and then again across the classes from excellent in ability to understand, to acceptable, or needing improvement due to a few students deciding not to follow directions or participate cooperatively. This has shown me which classes to work on in increasing classroom management, content, and strategies. I am also learning which class can have more informal assessment because of their learning styles and habits, and which classes have to have a more time constrained schedule to improve their progress and achievement.

4.

How will you use the knowledge you have gained through this professional selfassessment to promote your continuous professional growth and collaboration?

I will use this self-assessment to remind me that it is always about the students and that my growth can help the students grow. I will continue to collaborate with the homeroom teachers, the ESOL teacher, and resource teachers to create a culture in the music classroom, and the cooperating teacher to continue to gain insight on how to strengthen my weaknesses and condition my strengths.