Ifx 325 Final Evaluation

Introductory Field Experience Final Evaluation
Field Experience Information:

Student Teacher:
Last Name: Klaudt
ID Number: 1472418
First Name: Kristine

Course Number: IFX 325
University Facilitator:
Last Name: McCullough
First Name: Chris
Mentor Teacher:
Last Name: Christensen
First Name: Blair
Placement Information:
Start Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 16/11/2015 End Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 18/12/2015
Subject(s) and/or Grade Level(s): Math 8, Science 8 and Religion 8
School Information:
School Name: St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School School District: Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools
School Address: 3821 - 39 Street
Postal Code: T4N 0Y6
School Phone #: 403-346-8951
City: Red Deer
Distribution:
Students should retain a copy of the Final Evaluation form for their own records. Please note that
potential employers may ask for a copy of this Final Evaluation.
A copy of this form will be emailed by the University Facilitator to the office of Undergraduate Student
Services, where it will be retained for a period of three years; no other copies will be retained by
Mentor Teachers, University Facilitators or employees of the University of Alberta without written
permission of the Student Teacher.
It is recommended that the Student Teacher receive a grade of:
Final Grade (Credit or No Credit): CREDIT
Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 18/12/2015
Fall 2015
Page 1 of 11
The purpose of this Field Experience Final Evaluation document is to provide evidence and
communicate information regarding Student Teacher performance based on the Knowledge, Skills and
Attributes (KSAs) for Interim Certification.
For each category, the Mentor Teacher should provide comments that reflect strengths and areas for
growth in each category. Evidence and specific examples should be provided.
You do not need to fill the space provided; recommended length is 200-300 words per category. Write
only enough to provide necessary evaluation and evidence. Please do not exceed the space provided, as
lines of text that extend beyond the text box will not appear on printed copies; there is space for extra
comments at the end.
Use the KSAs and suggested topics as they relate to the category to guide your comments; not all need
to be addressed.
Description of the school and context of teaching

Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): school size, urban/rural, special programs, class size, special needs students in class,
number of teachers, etc.
St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School is in an urban location and there are roughly 550 students that attend
this school. Class sizes range from 24-32 students and there are a variety of students in each class with
different learning disorders. There is also a large ESL population in this school and these students have
needs that should be addressed when planning any lesson. There are 45 staff members that work the
school. This school places an emphasis on Project Based Learning and collaboration between both
students and staff. There is extensive access to technology in the school. The Red Deer Catholic School
Division runs a program called LIFT, which stands for Literacy, Inclusion, Faith & Technology. These
LIFT teachers designated to grades to support teachers and students in meeting the Literacy, Inclusion,
Faith, and Technological needs of all students.
Fall 2015
Page 2 of 11
Preparation, Planning and Organization

Related Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (Not all need to be addressed):
KSA A: Teachers understand that contextual variables affect teaching and learning.
KSA C: Teachers use the Guide to Education and the programs of study to inform and direct planning, instruction and assessment.
KSA D: Teachers understand the subject discipline they teach.
KSA E: Teachers know how to identify students different learning styles and ways students learn and create multiple paths to learning for
individuals and groups.
KSA F: Teachers know how to translate curriculum and desired outcomes into meaningful and incrementally progressive learning
opportunities through short, medium and long range planning.
KSA M: Teachers identify and incorporate relevant learning resources into their teaching.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): curriculum expectations, content knowledge, lesson plans, organization, time
management, diverse learning needs, etc.
Kristine did a great job planning and always looked at the different variables in the classroom while
laying out her lessons. She made an effort to challenge gifted students with higher level questioning and
modified or adapted questions and assignments for lower level learners to set them up for success. She
inserted a number of different activities in lessons throughout her practicum that allowed her to get to
each individual student on a regular basis to check for understanding. It can be very difficult at times
because students are all at different levels of comprehension and work at different speeds. She made sure
that she had a proficient understanding of the topic before teaching it. Kristine's preparation also allowed
her to be flexible within lessons if something did not go as planned. She was always over planned and if
the lessons did not take as long as she had planned for, she had extra activities to close out the lesson.
She made sure to cover the curriculum expectations in each of the lessons she taught and included these
outcomes in her lesson plans.
Fall 2015
Page 3 of 11
Teaching Skills and Strategies

KSA D: Teachers understand the subject discipline they teach.
opportunities through short, medium and long range planning.
KSA I: Teachers know and use a broad range of instructional strategies.
KSA J: Teachers use both traditional and electronic technologies to meet students learning needs.
KSA M: Teachers identify and incorporate relevant learning resources into their teaching.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): learning strategies, sequencing/timing, flexibility, instructional strategies, use of ICT,
differentiation of instruction, student interest, cultural sensitivity, pacing, lesson/unit plans, etc.
Kristine was open to trying different teaching strategies throughout her practicum. She was able to
develop lessons that spiked student engagement because of their link to real life scenarios. This
engagement was important because of the timing of her lessons for math, which usually occurred during
the afternoon and this meant that many students could lose focus easily. She tried numerous instructional
strategies in an attempt to hit the needs of a variety of learners in her classes. She was able to
successfully plan and implement a full unit in Math. Kristines pacing got better lesson by lesson but it is
something she needs to continue to work on. Her lesson plans were very thorough and these plans gave
her lessons a nice flow. She was able to recognize that she had a variety of learning needs in the class
and planned her lessons accordingly.
Fall 2015
Page 4 of 11
Management and Classroom Climate

KSA G: Teachers create and maintain environments that are conducive to student learning and understand student needs for physical,
social, cultural and psychological security.
KSA H: Teachers know the importance of respecting students human dignity by establishing relationships with students that are
characterized by mutual respect, trust and harmony.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): class tone, routines, rapport with students, conflict resolution, student engagement,
leadership, transitions, etc.
Kristine did not have any major management issues in her classroom and this was a direct result of the
positive relationships that she was able to establish with the students. The environment in her classroom
was a positive one and most students were comfortable answering questions and participating in each
lesson. She made an effort to ask students for their feedback and I believe that the students appreciated
that she was always trying to improve her lessons. There were occasions where students were talking
during Kristines direct instruction, which was disruptive to the learning of others and towards the end of
her practicum, she began to recognize this and would stop her lesson to address this before continuing.
She would start by addressing the class as a whole before cueing individual students who were talking.
She established numerous routines that helped her manage the class in an effective way.
Fall 2015
Page 5 of 11
Communication
KSA J: Teachers know how to use and how to engage students in using traditional and electronic technologies to present and deliver
content, communicate effectively with others.
KSA L: Teachers know how to develop and implement strategies that create and enhance teacher, parent, and student partnerships.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): oral and written language, communication with parents/guardians, listening skills,
teaching/learning technologies, voice and language, etc.
Kristine communicated well with all of the students she taught and it was obvious that there was a
mutual respect from a majority of the students. She made an effort to know all of the students names
during the first week of her practicum and this helped immensely with her communication during class.
Students responded to any individual cues that she gave them over the course of her practicum with
compliance. She does not have a loud classroom voice, which can make it difficult to gain the attention
of an entire class, but Kristine used strategies that allowed everyone in the class to know what was going
on and when they needed to stop their conversations and refocus their attention on her. She used visuals
that she would usually display on the Smartboard during her lessons to help with explanations or
instructions. She also made a point of using formative assessment to help students individually who
needed one on one assistance during Math class.
Fall 2015
Page 6 of 11
Assessment Strategies
KSA K: Teachers gather information about their students learning needs and progress by using a variety of assessment strategies.
KSA L: Teachers know the importance of engaging parents, purposefully and meaningfully, in all aspects of teaching and learning.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): appropriate questioning, adapted assessment, assessment variety, record keeping,
formative/summative, reporting, timely feedback etc.
Kristines understanding and application of both formative and summative assessment grew immensely
over her week practicum. She used strategies such as thumbs up or thumbs down, exit cards and think,
pair, share to check for understanding. She developed quizzes and assignments that fairly assessed all of
the curricular objectives that she covered. In these assignments and quizzes, she was able to adapt and
modify those tests for the students with higher needs in her class. While students were working on
assignments Kristine was constantly walking around questioning all students to check for understanding
and would even stop her lessons and reteach topics if she saw that numerous students in the class did not
understand. Any summative feedback was given back in a timely manner that would allow students to
reflect on their grade and hopefully understand any mistakes that they had made. As her experience
continues to grow, I think that her assessment practices will continue to improve as she has displayed
some excellent assessment strategies for someone who is in the start of their teaching career.
Fall 2015
Page 7 of 11
Understanding Students Needs

opportunities. Teachers understand the need to vary their plans to accommodate individuals and groups of students.
KSA I: Teachers know and use a broad range of instructional strategies and know which strategies are appropriate to help different
students achieve different outcomes.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): Planning that includes all students and learning styles, alignment of strategies to student
needs, use of varied resources to differentiate instruction, assists all learners, understands contextual variables that affect teaching and
learning, etc.
In Kristines practicum, she had the opportunity to work with students who had a wide variety of needs.
After getting to know the kids early on in her practicum, she was able to make herself very aware of the
diversity of these needs and plan her lessons to accommodate for the individual students in her classes.
She attended all meetings that occurred where student needs were discussed so that she was able to stay
up to date on student needs. She adapted her lessons so that those with learning difficulties could
participate fully and still manage to achieve success. She has used many resources around the school
such as the Educational Assistants, other teachers and our school counsellors to help her better
understand individual student needs. Overall, Kristine did a great job of meeting the needs of all students
in his classroom.
Fall 2015
Page 8 of 11
Professional Qualities and Attributes

KSA B: Teachers understand the legislated, moral and ethical frameworks with in which they work.
KSA L: Teachers know the importance of engaging parents, purposefully and meaningfully, in all aspects of teaching and learning.
KSA N: Teachers know the importance of contributing, independently and collegially, to the quality of their school.
KSA O: Teachers assess the quality of their own teaching and use this to develop and implement their own professional development.
KSA P: Teachers guide their actions with a personal, overall vision of the purpose of teacher and they are able to communicate their
vision, including how it has changed as a result of new knowledge, understanding and experience.
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): work ethics, interpersonal skills, collegiality, initiative, energy, team work, attitude,
appearance, commitment, reflection, etc.
Kristine was able to successfully collaborate with staff members that taught the same subjects as her
while planning lessons and assessments. Kristine participated in numerous school wide activities that
included ski club, lunchtime mass and anti-bullying week. She also participated in weekly meetings with
her grade partners and consistently contributed input to those meetings. She always dressed in a
professional manner and had a positive attitude while she was at St. Thomas Aquinas or at any school
activities. She was eager to attend PD sessions and explore different methods for teaching Grade 8 Math.
Fall 2015
Page 9 of 11
Reflection and Self-Evaluation

KSA O: Teachers assess the quality of their own teaching and use this to develop and implement their own professional development.
KSA P: Teachers guide their actions with a personal, overall vision of the purpose of teacher and they are able to communicate their
vision, including how it has changed as a result of new knowledge, understanding and experience
Suggested Topics (Not all need to be addressed): establishes specific strategies to meet professional goals, demonstrates oral/written
reflective practices, engages in goal setting, communicates overall vision of teaching, etc.
Kristine reflected on each lesson that she performed and was able to use this to help improve her overall
teaching ability. This included teaching the same lesson to two different groups of students and
reflecting on the first lesson taught to improve upon the second one. She wants to help every student in
the class to learn and excel to the best of their ability and I believe that this could be considered her
teaching vision. She followed the Weekly Field Experience Guidelines but also set goals for herself such
as wanting to get to know every students name by the end of the first week. By setting small goals like
these, she was able to improve her teaching in small increments, which added up to large improvements
over the entire practicum.
Fall 2015
Page 10 of 11
Additional Mentor Teacher Comments:

Overall, I enjoyed Kristines time in my classroom and it was evident that many of the kids did as well.
Kristine is very passionate about teaching and this has been evident since the moment she arrived at St.
Thomas Aquinas. Kristine has been able to establish positive relationships with all of the classes she
teaches which helps with her management of the kids in these classes. She is self-reflective and I have
been able to engage in many meaningful discussions about the lessons she has planned and taught. After
five weeks of teaching, she has already made some major improvements in many areas of her teaching.
She is an extremely hard worker and detail oriented. She always comes to work with a smile on her face
and is excited for whatever challenges the day may bring.
Student Teacher Comments:

It is really hard to put a clincher on my experiences over the last five weeks at St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School.
Going into my practicum I'd never even attended middle school, let alone taught it or worked with students of this age
range. I don't think anyone could ever ask for a more valuable learning experience than what I had here. I felt deeply
supported by all staff, especially my mentor. Despite coaching, taking his masters, and helping support a first year
teacher, he always found time to write meaningful feedback, ask challenging questions, and discuss all the questions I
had (which are notoriously abundant). Because I was able to establish strong relationships with my students right away,
I felt this impacted my classroom management significantly. Consequently, I was able to try and experiment with a wide
range of risky and less structured learning activities to try and bring math alive and make it real for my students. I'm very
passionate about my faith and in my final weeks, I had the invaluable opportunity to teach religion with the support of
other staff members. I had the chance to incorporate the debate structure to challenge students' understanding and
think more critically and deeply about their faith. My biggest goal for the future is grappling with my natural inclination to
be a "try-hard." I can confidently say that I did a good job teaching what I did, but seeing how much work only 50% of
the teaching was it won't be realistic (at least in my first year of teaching) to put that much time and work into every
lesson. I need to find new strategies to be effective, but also efficient so my students can have that valuable learning
experience without putting myself in an early grave (because I definitely have the capacity to work myself to death). In
closing, I'm so sad to leave, but I have nothing but gratitude and appreciation to my students, mentor teacher, and all
the staff at STA for giving me my first real teaching experience and reaffirming my love and passion for what I do.
Fall 2015
Page 11 of 11

Ifx 325 Final Evaluation

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Ifx 325 Final Evaluation

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Copyright:

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Introductory Field Experience Final Evaluation

Field Experience Information:

First Name: Kristine

First Name: Chris

First Name: Blair

Postal Code: T4N 0Y6

School Phone #: 403-346-8951

City: Red Deer

Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 18/12/2015

Description of the school and context of teaching

Preparation, Planning and Organization

Teaching Skills and Strategies

Management and Classroom Climate

Understanding Students Needs

Professional Qualities and Attributes

Reflection and Self-Evaluation

Additional Mentor Teacher Comments:

Student Teacher Comments:

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