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Reflections: Standard 5.b. Professional Development, Partnerships, and Advocacy.

The first artifact Im using is my resume which meets the standard because it shows that
Ive partaken in professional growth. Im close to becoming New York State certified in ESOL
and have had a previous career, whose skills are transferrable to teaching.
As far as certification goes, Ive taken and passed the Content Specialty Examination for
Teaching English as a Second Language. I finished the New York State Child Abuse and Neglect
course and the Dignity for All Students (DASA) training. All of these have equipped me to work
as an educator whether in my current school or a different one. From the child abuse course, I
learned that child abuse and neglect come in several forms (medical, educational, housing) and I
should be on the lookout for such things. With the DASA training, Im more aware of how
different children get bullied. Some of these children to watch out for are: homosexuals,
studious types and non-assertive types.
In my previous career, I was a librarian. The Masters I obtained and the jobs I worked
in, prepared me to better choose quality literature. Also, it taught me how to help students
research a variety of topics for their studies. Being a librarian, also gave me organizational
skills, which I utilize every day with the paperwork associated with teaching.
I need to grow in this Standard in that Id like to take some preparation courses for the
ALST and EAS tests, which are required for certification. Id also like to become an exclusively
ESOL teacher that pushes-in and pulls-out. I find that being in a classroom with twenty-five
children doesnt give me the opportunity to successfully reach each one.
The second artifact Im using is a web based program called Classroom Dojo. This
program allows me to send messages to parents regarding tests, behaviors, trips and other school
requirements. Parents have been so appreciative of this system, and many have expressed this.

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They utilize Dojo on their phones or tablets, making communication fast and easy. I always see
which parents are using the system and what time theyve seen the message.
The most recent message I sent was regarding a vocabulary test the students were going
to take. Roughly 8 parents wrote me back with thank you very helpful and Ill be sure he
studies. With this system, Ive seen test scores and behavior improve. Dojo is not just
utilized for parent messages, but it allows me to give and deduct points from students based on
behavior and participation.
This artifact meets the Standard because it allows me to view ELLs students families as
vital resources that inform their classrooms and schools. Parents love to have a stake in their
childs education and are invested in their behavior as well. Ive had students tell me that when
Ive deducted a Dojo point, a parent will probe them and find out what the issue was.
I need to grow in this Standard in that I tend to rely on Dojo a bit much for classroom
management. When students receive a point, theres a very happy ding sound. Otherwise,
when a point is deducted, it makes more of a gong sound. The students are definitely affected
by this and enjoy the competition of winning (whatever the prize is). However, I need to be
mindful that I dont give my authority over to a computer system.
The third artifact is taken from the Blackboard sample of the Educating All Students Test
practice example (specifically, School Home Relationships), my resume and This artifact meets
the standard because teachers know and understand public issues that affect ELLs education and
support ELLs and their families socially and politically.
After taking the School Home Relationships module of the EAS, I realized there are a lot
of areas in which I am weak and need more knowledge and training. This is based on my test
score, which was relatively low. First, I didnt think communication with and partnership with

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parents mattered so much. My assumption was always that since I teacher older (Middle School)
children that they should be responsible enough to convey messages. Unfortunately, I have not
found this to be the case. I also didnt think parents should be such active members in the school
community itself. I really felt that when the child is in our hands, he/she is our responsibility.
However, this is untrue and doesnt build healthy collaborative relationships.
There are a few ways in which Id like to become a better communicator with parents, so that
they dont feel ostracized and that theyre fully aware of their childs progress.
In the past years, my school hasnt been very proactive with parental involvement. Their idea of
involvement is a quarterly movie night, a yearly meeting and three parent teacher conferences.
There arent any workshops on how to help with homework, communicating with ones child or
contacting teachers.
We have several students whose parents are not English dominant. So, how are they
supposed to help with homework and projects? A few suggestions: a.) letters can go home in
Spanish or English b) parents can be encouraged to read to their children in his/her native
language. I think this would alleviate some of the miscommunication between whats expected
and how teachers are assessing.
I think for parents of Middle Schoolers, there need to be at least quarterly mental health
topics-oriented discussion groups. And these groups should be headed by a mental health
professional. Some topics include: dating, adolescent physical changes, friendships, sexuality,
substance use, social media, etc. Teachers cant be the only ones aware of these important
factors in a childs life. Parents not only need to be made aware, but need to learn the tools to
handle some of these delicate situations.

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Overall, what I learned from this practice exam is the importance of not only having
parents informed, but allowing them to have a voice in the place where their child spends most of
his/her time.
The last artifact Im using a rubric I created for a Prezi project for my 7th and 8th graders.
For this project, their goal was to read a book of choice and then create a short Prezi on it. I
collaborated with the Technology teacher to ensure that the students knew how to design a Prezi
and how to insert creative aspects such as: youtube videos and audio. This artifact met the
Standard because it showed that I engaged in collaborative teaching in general education,
content-area, special education, and gifted classrooms.
I need to grow in this Standard by collaborating with not only the Technology teacher, but
the History and Science teachers as well. What Id like to do is have writing rubrics that address
different writing traits that would be useful for both of these subjects. Because so many of our
kids struggle in writing, it would be great to reinforce good writing habits across disciplines.