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=PGG=

** Professional Growth Guide (PGG) Goals Tables: ** *STF goals are indicated in **bold type**

Related Program Goal: Recognize Learning as Valuing and Constructing // By this we mean: // The program strives to prepare educators who appreciate learning as processes of valuing (i.e., recognizing that the knowledge we think worthwhile reflects what we value as a society) and constructing (i.e., that learning involves unique and active knowledge construction processes by learners, supported by teachers.) (Aug. 31/11) ii. Took G. out of the class (Sept.15/11) iii. Allowing K. back into class after missing a good amount of time (Oct. 21/11) || i. One student in the class was stalling during some lab work (my co-op at one point had asked her why she wasn't working and she had said that she had done the same kind of thing many times before). I asked her if she had finished with the questions assigned at the end of the lab and she said she had done some of them, but she had her stuff put away. Lightly I just spoke to the class about the importance of taking responsibility for our own learning. I talked a bit about putting in the effort and that regardless of if you are super smart or find academics difficult the only way to achieve success is to put in a strong effort. I hope throughout the next week or two the labs will challenge her a bit more and she will also be willing to put forth a stronger effort. Two other students had for the second day come into class after the break (half way through). I wasn't too sure of the reasons for only being there half time but made a few comments to them without being too intrusive of the importance of showing for class if they hoped to achieve success. Trying not to be too intrusive while still getting them to understand the importance of attendance and a strong effort helps in starting to build a good relationship with the students In these ways I believe I attempted to ensure the participation and success of these students. Are these students adult learners or school-age folks? Different principles will apply and I suspect each student there don't share the same motivation for being there. Good on you for seeking to get all students engaged. It's kind of like a football pass, if you're there anyway, you might as well make efforts to catch the ball! (9/19) TY - This group is school-aged and seem very unsure of where they are/ would like to be going in life. I guess part of the challenge here beyond just motivating them in class is to encourage them to think about where they would like to see themselves and help them in developing some goals for their future. CB (9/28) ii. G. had not been participating in class and was sleeping a lot. I asked him what was going on and if he needed to talk to me about anything. He told me that he hadn't came on the Brightwater trip b/c his foster mom had failed to sign the permission form. He said she said she was going to but then went to work and hadn't signed it. He sounded genuine with his excuse and I informed him that he could have came and we at least would have tried to phone for permission. Anyways, I felt like he was having some troubles and I told him that I understood it was hard to concentrate and focus at school when home life wasn't great. I too had issues at home when I was young and had troubles at school I told him but I needed him to try at least and put in a bit more of an effort. I took him out of class and put him in the Lab room 207 and told him I wanted him to finish the soil assignment and make an effort on the first 2 questions of the Alternate Assignment for missing the Brightwater trip. I said b/c he had a good excuse he just had to do Numbers 1 and 2 instead of all 6 (but really he hasn't done a whole lot of work this year and said he's a bit scared to write something that he doesnt know a lot about down on paper) so i figured if he did 1 and 2 and had a realistic amount of work he would at least make an effort. As I was hoping he came at the end of class with his first quality assignment of the year and said he had gotten a good start on the Alternate assignment, yay! I feel like the extra effort I made and the continuing relationship I have been building with G. has really helped in trying to ensure his participation and success in Bio 20. Yes-establishing a genuine relationship is key in student engagement and success in the various ways that is understood (e.g. academic achievement, attendance, engagement while in class, etc.). (9/19) - After talking to the councellors I found out that G. does not have classes set for the next quarter. Upon talking with him again he said he is just waiting to turn 18 so that he can get out of his foster home and doesnt have to be in school. I have put the challenge upon myself to continue to keep him engaged in class and hopefully motivate him and help him realize the importance of finishing up his high school education. CB (9/27) iii. K. had some financial needs that he needed to take care of and ended up having to take a job during the day. I had told him that I would build him a package for doing at home and he didn't take me up on the offer. All of a sudden I get a phone call from him asking if there was still a chance for him to pass the course. In trying to ensure the success of all students I told him what my expectations were of him and that he would have to work hard during class and put some good time in after school to get caught up and he agreed to the terms. I could have told him no, try again next semester, but I really want to help him succeed and allow him the opportunity to get the credits from this class so he can move on to another course or two next quarter. || (Aug. 31/11) ii. holding a simulation of real life situations that require students to think deeper into who they are and the values they may not even realize existed. (Sept 20/11) || i. I invited the student out to play some soccer with the hopes that I could build a stronger relationship with him outside of the classroom and in turn have him be less afraid to express himself to me through his work in the classroom. After the second day of playing soccer together he has finally handed something in to me. Up until that point he had handed me in blank papers for his assignments. I asked him while playing soccer why he hadn't even attempted an answer, and he said that if he wasn't sure of the answer then he was not likely to put anything at all down. I encouraged him to at least try and not be afraid of being "wrong" because maybe he knew a lot more than he was giving himself credit for. without getting him outside for sport (variety of ways to i.d.) then i wouldnt likely have received the work and effort from him that I did. ii. I got the students to research the bp oil spill and had each develop an argument for a particular group affected by the spill. The groups ranged from oil executives to people whos jobs were affected to environmentalists and I made an argument that may have came from the native people in the area. When a discussion/hearing was heald the broad impact of the spill was seen and the students and I all learned a great deal about ourselves. We discussed how technology was pushing the world forward and how reliant we are all on oil and energy. Seeing the impact that this has had on the Earth and the damage we are causing to the planet that sustains us helped us all question if we could give up the luxuries we enjoy if needed to save it. Those are deep issues that help to develop and build on the spiritual and social values these kids may or may not possess or understand at this time. || ii. again gave students the chance to put ideas from class into experience (Sept. 14/11) iii. got a sheet of feedback from my co-op that I think shows that I am trying to use constructivist principles (good evidence) || i. We had been discussing some ecological terms in class that weren't say overly difficult but which I felt the students would gain a better understanding of by experiencing them outside and being able to put their own experience to the ideas. We went on a walk down to the river and students made observations and notes and were able to make more sense of the ideas from the classroom by doing this. ii. I discussed in class some techniques used by ecologists. The students didn't really seem too engaged or interested in the methods employed by ecologists. Taking a field trip out to Brightwater Ecological and Science Center and allowing the students to experience first hand quadrat sampling really got them much more engaged in the idea. Getting to experience population sampling first hand was much more interesting and fun for the students and their level of learning was reflective of that. iii. Sheet reads: "Bio 20 Walkabout - kids hesitant @ start but got into it. I think all like it! ; - enthusiastic/good sense of humor ; - **tied what they learned in class to actual "real" examples** ; - appropriate assignment, got all kids thinking + all participated ; - Great Period! || ii. used another method to get students to demonstrate understanding (Oct. 19/11) || i. My class seems very hesitant to express themselves with words. Any of the questions on the first quiz and on most of the activities and assignments that required critical thinking or even just a few sentences or a paragraph response are being left blank or a very vague response given. In one of the assignment there was a food web as the final portion and a good percentage of the students gave wonderful representations and thoroughly expressed their understanding. Recognizing that they represent their understanding so well in this form I have started to adapt more of my lessons to allow students to do drawings or a more visual form of an answer. I will continue to watch for more ways that I can allow the students to express themselves and try to use those that allow for the greatest demonstration of what they have learned. Perfect example of using adaptive strategies in order to create the best circumstances for each student to learn! (9/19) ii. The students I have in my biology 20 class are not the strongest test writers to say the least. We have worked on trying to develop their study skills and also on how to take the knowledge they are accumulating and put it down on paper. As we work on developing these skills I have given the students some choice as to how they demonstrate their understanding of concepts from class. They chose to do a model of a virus with a small research portion in lieu of a quiz/test for that material and I ended up getting some pretty great work from them. ||
 * Goal 1: Support broad areas of student growth by providing varied and **
 * constructive learning opportunities **
 * **Goal 1 Outcomes:** ** The Teacher Candidate… ** || **Indicators/ Evidence** || **Analysis/ Interpretation** ||
 * 1.1 Ensures the participation and success of all students. || i. I tried, in my own way, to get some students who weren't really participating to do some work. Without being willing to participate in class the students' chance of success drops dramatically
 * 1.2 Uses a variety of ways to identify and build on student academic, physical, spiritual and social strengths. || i. tried to get a student in class to open up a bit and not be afraid to express himself in his work and socially as well, with little success
 * 1.3 Uses constructivist principles to guide student learning. || i. gives students a chance for interaction between experience and ideas (Sept. 07/11)
 * 1.4 Analyzes the classroom environment and makes adjustments to enhance social relationships and student motivation/engagement. || i. recognized that a student was not engaged or motivated in class and had a talk with him today (Sept. 14/11) || i. Today I talked to a student that has been in class almost everyday but has not been engaged in class discussion or assignments and appears to be very unmotivated to learn. This student is very quiet and I would say socially isolated as he has sat in my classroom each lunch period since school began. The only days he hasn't been in there are the times I have asked him to go outside with me and kick the soccer ball around. Having build this previous relationship, I used it to talk a bit more with him today and found out he has been having a bit of trouble at home. I asked why he hadnt been doing the work or being engaged in class and some of it had to do with the home problem and another side was a bit of trouble with the material. I got him out of class and down to the computer lab (after we talked and I explained some of the information to him) and at the end of class he came back with his first assignment handed in! and told me he had almost finished two others (there may even have been some excitement in his voice)! SO I really hope I have made an adjustment that will enhance his engagement and motivation and will continue to try to develop the social relationship that he has with the other members of the class and myself. ||
 * 1.5 Provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their understandings in multiple ways. || i. uses a range of methods in getting students to show their understanding (Sept. 14/11)

Related Program Goal: Affirm Dignity and Respect for Individuals // By this we mean: // The program strives to prepare educators who promote dignity and respect for all. Related Program Goal: Support Emancipatory Action for Social and Ecological Justice // By this we mean: // The program will strive to prepare educators to address systemic forms of race, gender, ethnic, sexual, ability, environmental, socio-economic (i.e., colonial), and other forms of oppression to achieve social and ecological justice through emancipatory educational theories and practices.
 * Goal 2: Affirm dignity and respect for individuals (students, families, colleagues) **
 * **Goal 2 Outcomes:** ** The Teacher Candidate… ** || **Indicators/ Evidence** || **Analysis/ Interpretation** ||
 * **2.1 Creates and maintains a learning environment that encourages and supports the growth and potential of the whole student.*** |||| i. focus on more than just the material being taught and getting to know a bit more about my students allows me to develop an atmosphere that encourages and supports the growth and potential of the whole student (Sept. 14/11) || i. I had each student fill out an information sheet that gave me a bit more of an idea about what interests the students have. I have also made an effort to get into conversation with each student as often as possible and build a bit of a relationship with each one. These things have helped in creating an environment where students feel comfortable to express themselves which is a big part in the development of each students' wholeness. I have been very open with my students with things about myself and in turn they have responded by being a little more open with me which has really helped to create an environment of comfort between everyone in the class. I think that has been paramount in allowing more development of whole students. I often express my view on an issue and encourage and tell the students the importance of developing their own feelings and thoughts on it, whether it be spiritual or whatever. All these things I believe have helped in creating an environment (which i hope not only to maintain but grow and develop) that encourages and supports the growth and potential of the whole student. We often talk a good game when we look to being inclusive, seeing the whole student, etc.--it is different when you see this at the classroom level with real students and their families. (9/19) ||
 * 2.2 Provides learning opportunities that recognizes and fosters each pupil’s sense of self worth and dignity while demonstrating caring, compassion, trust and empathy. |||| i. Really gently tried to deal with the problem of E. in class. || i. __Recognizing__ that this student is quite sensitive and might walk out of class if the wrong approach is taken to trying to get him believing in himself enough to want to make an effort at the material in Chem 30 showed that I am trying to provide a learning opportunity for E. that fosters his sense of self-worth. You can see it in the way E. operates in class that he has no belief in himself and wont even make an effort. He quit a fairly easy gizmo assignment in the library and then went and sat in the back and played his video game on his cell. The EA had told me that if I push him the wrong way he will get up and walk out b/c it has happened often in the past. I just went back and politely offered that I would help him if he liked either go over the gizmo or help him understand the material that the first test was on, which he didnt write b/c he said he wasn't ready. He said no, that he would do it in resource second period, so I once more said ''are you sure man, I'd love to use this time to try and help you understand it a little better. I have a good way of teaching it to others and I have to teach second half of the day so I won't be able to help you then, but i can take some time now to help" but he very politely thanked me for the offer and said no thanks. I believe with a bit more time and me continuing to build a relationship with him will lead to an improvement in his self-worth. I will need to continue to demonstrate a great deal of empathy to his feeling of a lack of self-worth and not be discouraged if he does not have more belief in himself right away. As he begins learning a little more, then a bit more, his confidence will grow, I know it! You might be interested in looking into a model that uses principles based on things llike positive presuppositions about (in this case, students) called Appreciative Inquiry. It has a number of process strategies to assist learners in ways that build self-confidence and worth. (9/19) I will definately look into that Tim, thank you. I believe that both appreciation and inquiry are keys to a long and happy life so that sounds like a wondeful approach to trying to help students learn and grow more confident. (10/10) ||
 * 2.3 Develops knowledge and understanding of students’ distinct cultural, ethnic and language background and applies it to anti-oppressive teaching practices. |||| i. Trying to be culturally responsive to my students and understand where they are coming from and the beliefs and values important to them. (Sept. 26/11) || i. I talked to Ms. A today and found out about how my student M. was doing in her morning ESL class. She said his attendance has been poor, as it has been in my class, and we discussed a bit about his cultural background. She told me, and I had some previous knowledge of this as well, that men from the middle-east place a big priority on family. M. has been away from school for over half the classes so far largely due to some health issues his mother has been having. He has stated that he has to be driving his mother to the hospital, take care of her at home, etc. and that is why he has not been attending class. I do not want to punish him for sticking to his values of family importance as that is a large part of their culture. Instead I have chosen to be very accepting of his feeling the need to be there for his mother, and I have verbally encouraged him to stick to his values and be there for his mother. I have at the same time encouraged M. and spoke to him of the importance and need to take responsibility for his learning and keep up with his work at home. If he needs to be there for his mother during school, and specifically class, hours then he has to find time when his mom is able to do without him or when she goes to bed to put in a couple of hours each night and ensure he is fullfilling his academic responsibilities. I have told him that I am understanding of his situation and feel it is important for him to be there for his mother but that I won't be able to change my expectations in class because of what he is experiencing at home. I feel in this way I am being understanding of M's distinc cultural and ethnic background while at the same time expressing the need for him to put the owness for his learning on his shoulders. I am being a bit more flexible with deadlines b/c of his situation but am still expecting the same from this student as the other students in my class (9/26) ||
 * Goal 3: Strive to support social justice and ecological responsibility **
 * Goal 3: Strive to support social justice and ecological responsibility **
 * **Goal 3 Outcomes:** ** The Teacher Candidate… ** || **Indicators/ Evidence** || **Analysis/ Interpretation** ||
 * 3.1 Promotes and engages in the improvement of social and environmental conditions. || i. Modeled environmental practices to the students (Sept 7/11) || i. Not only have I been talking in class to the students about the Earth's miraculous life-filled skin and the need to love and care for it but I have also tried hard to be a strong model for it. We went out on an ecological walk down to the river and I took along a garbage bag. As we walked I tried to pick up the gargage I saw along the way, especially (and I made special mention of these things) the things that aren't going to decompose or things that would be expecially poisonous to the Earth. Once we got into talking about the cycles, ie. the water cycle, I referenced back to the garbage people are throwing on the ground without ever considering the consequences of that. I gave an example of all these smokers throwing butts on the ground and never considering that the water that falls and seeps through the soil will pick up the toxic chemicals, ie. formeldahyde, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, etc, that are in these things and carry it into the lakes and other bodies of water. Plants and animals take up those sources of water before or if they could ever be treated, important food for thought for these yound minds I believe. ||
 * 3.2 Identifies and ameliorates ways in which socio-economic status affects children, learning and community. || i. Asking each student to give a little information about themselves helped me in identifying some likely socio-economic factors that may interfere with or impact their learning and sense of community.(Oct. 4 /11) || i. I asked each student to fill out a "My-ology". It gave me some information about students that I believe helped me ameliorate some ways in which socio-economic status affects children and learning. My one student R. put down that he mostly worked outside of school and a few other bits of important information that helped me to understand that this student may have some financial needs he is taking care of for himself that could affect his learning. R was a great student with a good attitude and then all of a sudden he stopped coming to class for chunks of days on end. When he did get back I talked to him and asked how things were going. He said they weren't going good because he couldn't find work and hadn't been working and I understood he must have lost his other job but didn't say it out loud, he gave me a look as if that is what had happened. I told him that he had been a great student to this point in time and if he needed to take care of his economic situation I would build him some work packages for doing outside of school if he wanted to get his credit. Another student A. put down that one of her favorite hobbies is playing with her 2 year old. Knowing she is a young mother helps in understanding that she may need a bit of extra time in class for work and reviewing for quizes. Her socio-economic situation could mean that her time once she is done a day of school is limited for these things so her success could depend on a bit of an adapted environment in class. I am happy to realize that I am learning more and more about my students and in turn more able to help them overcome obstacles they are facing due to their socio-economic status. By identifying the issues these kids are facing allows the proper modifications to be made that will make the success of these students as great as possible. ||
 * 3.3 Demonstrates, shares, and assists students in developing critical insights into current issues. || i. BP oil simulation helped students to develop critical insights into a current issue(also allowed me to demonstrate my insights) (9/28) || i. I used this activity to get the students to do some critical thinking in regards to the current issue of mining and oilfield activity and its impact on the environment. The BP oil spill has good pictures and video on the web and students were asked to research and were shown some videos and pictures on this environmental nightmare. Students were put into groups and developed arguments from various perspectives. After each group came up with one a group discussion/hearing took place where all of the students got talking about this current issue in terms of environmental impact caused by the need for oil to fuel the style of life we have became accustomed to. Critical insight was gained by the students as to the impact that needing so much oil for the luxuries of life can take on the environment. This issue is relevant to us here in Saskatchewan more than ever before now that more and more of the oilsands are being opened up for mining. Students, as society, will benefit from having developed some insight into the impact that getting these non-renewable resources out of the ground can cause. Environmental literacy has to be a focus in todays society and it has to start in the classrooms (9/28) ||
 * 3.4 Empowers students by assisting in development of understandings of democratic action. || i. trying to get students to participate in rubric development and have a say as to how the class is ran (Oct. 11/11) || i. We should all feel inspired and empowered to live in a country where we can enjoy such freedoms! That is democracy! Democracy in the classroom - allowing students to have a say as to the way it is ran - should empower them. The problem can be that the students have not been given that voice before or are so used to being told the way they will be learning. My class is very hard to get talking and engaged in inquisition and critical thinking. They are very much happy to be directed and governed. I want them to understand how empowering democracy and choice can be so I have had to stay positive in their apathy and continue to get them to inquire into life and their own depths and make some decisions for themselves. It has been tough but a breakthrough will be monumental in their development. ||
 * 3.5 Develops in self and others understanding of exceptionality and inclusive education. || i. Understanding that students' needs and abilities differ and so must expectations (Oct. 24/11) || i. In a perfect world, or a perfect classroom, all students would learn and understand the same material, at the same pace. Of course that is not the case and I have had to continually develop in myself an understanding that each one of these students is unique and needs to be taught where they are at and have realistic goals and expectations placed on them. All of these students deserve equal opportunity to succeed and that involves understanding the specific strengths and weaknesses of each. It has been tough and time consuming to try and be as inclusive as possible with expectations and evaluation but I believe that I have done a good job at creating an environment that is inclusive and has allowed each of these students, with all of their exceptionalities, to achieve the greatest level of personal success and learning. ||
 * 3.6 Develops in self and others understanding of anti-racist and anti-oppressive approaches to education. || i. talked to class about my own values and beliefs, encouraged their own (Sept. 14/11) || i. I just talked a little bit about how much I love Aboriginal views and ways of knowing. I just briefly mentioned how important I think it is to incorporate their ways of knowing into the modern world we all live in. Reverance for Mother Earth and love and respect for the animals and other living things on the planet has been largely lost in todays technological society. A step back to appreciation for the beauty and splender of this Earth and why we need to, as we continue to become more technologically literate, be environmentally literate and care for the Earth's miraculous life filled skin were a few of the ideas I presented to the class. It may have been a bit over their heads but just showing them how passionate I am about the ways of knowing and tradition of the Native People of this land does a lot of good things. One of a teacher's roles is being a model for learning and having an excitement about the process itself and also for the content--exhibiting a passion as you've described has so many positive effects. (9/19) To develop anti-oppressive teaching approaches requires not forgetting when we are teaching science and technology from a Euro-Caucasian viewpoint to be respectful and nurturing of the more traditional, Earth loving and appreciating Aboriginal way of knowing. It is important for all of the students but especially for the Native students in the class that we are respectful to these ways of knowing. A cross-cultural approach to teaching, learning, and understanding science and the world around us in imperative in moving past any racism and oppressivness that exists within the class and school. ||

** Goal 4: Develop as a critical reflective practitioner who connects practical and theoretical knowledge ** Related Program Goal: Philosophize Educational Possibilities // By this we mean: // The program will strive to prepare educators to imagine and propose educational theory and practice within visions of the highest aspirations for humankind and the world. ii. Education is affected by local politics. (Oct. 9/11) || i. This was a great video that had a professor on using a program he created to give a good picture about world issues and the way they are changing and have changed in the last 60 years. Students from all countries could see the way things like poverty and infant mortality have progressed in their countries. Knowledge about world issues is critical for developing a literate society through education on these issues and the effects that they have on those having to face them. ii. The government talks about moving Saskatchewan forward by building more infrastructure and more schools. In identifying political issues through communicating with STA members I have found out that Mr. Wall said no to a contract for teachers that was more than reasonable. So let me undersatnd: more schools but he is not willing to pay his teachers fairly. These are issues that teachers should be aware because politics affects us greatly and I am trying to understand it so I can see more clearly how it affects education. To move Saskatchewan forward requires a technologically, scientifically, environmentally literate citizenry that all starts in the schools. Without good teachers this province cannot move forward and it is too bad that the government chooses to pay its teachers so poorly. Nurses put in overtime and make $240,000 and everyone says that teachers work so little and get all of this time off. To be a great teacher that leads our young and youth to higher technology and better living, while still maintaining ethics and a high moral standard, requires a great deal of overtime. Politicians need to understand the true importance of teachers in moving society forward. ||
 * **Goal 4 Outcomes:** ** The Teacher Candidate… ** |||| **Indicators/ Evidence** || **Analysis/ Interpretation** ||
 * 4.1 Identifies and understands how education is affected by present day and historical global, local, political and cultural issues (i.e. war, peace, poverty, racism). |||| i. In class we watched a TED video on world poverty and other global issues. (Oct. 5/11)
 * 4.2 Is a reflective practitioner who continually assesses the effects of instructional choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally. |||| tried a new approach to teaching my class and was aware of its successes/failures (Sept. 18/11) || I tried to get my students to be inquisitive and really think about science. I knew the students may not have a ton of knowledge about science (Worth teasing this assumption out which gives you a baseline reference for actual lesson planning and adapting as needed for the range of students you have). (9/19) but I wanted to use an instructional approach that took the perverbial 'spoon' out of my hand and let them feed themselves. It did not go over well. A lot of the students were just unwilling to attempt to 'think" about life from a scientific perspective. I tried to just guide them along a bit and encourage them to think about all what science has meant to them or the things they had been taught to this point. Maybe just think about outside and what things are living -- what about the life they live is biology? How, why? This exercise is good to see where the students are at and can be viewed and compared to a similar set of questions and way of thinking when the course is done, to test how far their understanding has come. The students just did not respond to it...maybe another class, at another time but not this one I guess. So I was forced to do something else. Reflecting upon this made me grow in many ways. I realized the importance of getting students to a certain point in their understanding and knowledge of the matter at hand before asking them to think too deeply into it. A few of the students did amazing and had some wonderful insights, which was great, but giving the students a bit more of a lead I think would have benefited the class as a whole. Another think I learned from this "mistake" is the need for a contingency plan, lol. Not a mistake when you wrestle with the praxis based on your professional reflection.It's a mistake when there is no reflective practice. (9/19) I had general direction for the next couple of classes but the thought never occured to me that the plan and assignment I had was going to fail so miserably for this particular class. I was so excited about getting them to do what I thought was an amazing, critical and creative thinking assignment that incorporated S-T-S-E and everything that I never considered I would need another method of getting the message across if it failed. I ended up managing ok but I learned and grew a lot from this mistake. I didn't like that feeling of panic that set in when I realized it was a bust and I was slightly ill prepared for its failure and so I will always have a few strategies planned for back up. ||
 * 4.3 Combines practical and theoretical knowledge with broader life learning to refine a philosophy of education. |||| Connected some of my own experiences throughout life with the ideals I want students to consider in regards to environmental and scientific literacy (Oct. 3/11) || I have talked to the students a few times about the things I have learned over time and the way I acted in my youth to the way I behave now as a man. In trying to help students understand that life is always teaching us I hope to help refine their philosophy of education as one that leads to life-long learning. Giving examples as to the way I lived when I was younger, such as littering, and then connecting and combining that with talking about the cycles (science) and recycling and proper disposal of waste (environment) shows that I am combining broader life learning with theory and knowledge to educate my students. Knowing that this garbage is staying in the ground in landfills and in turn affecting our water that cycles through the ground and into out lakes and oceans may help the students in becoming more environmentally aware through scientific knowledge and understanding. ||
 * 4.4 Is sensitive to and engages the unique strengths and learning styles of all students. || in being sensitive to the fact that not all students in my class may be strong essay writers I allowed each student to build their own rubric for the essay (Sept. 22/11) |||| I wanted to engage the unique strengths that each student possessed and knowing that each student is different then I thought it was fitting to allow each student to have more weight on the area that they are strongest at. As a class we discussed the important criteria that would be marked in the essay: in this case content (research, details, examples), thought (student's own ideas), essay structure, grammar and spelling, etc. and had them tell me as a class how we should assess each of these aspects of the paper. We came up with a /35 mark for the essay and that some would be weighted heavier than others. Even this though may not have been sensitive enough to areas the students may be weak in and give them a chance to be marked on their strongest ability. So I told the students from that rubric (content needed to be at least 10 of the marks as i had given ample time for research to this point) could develop the rubric to suite their strengths ex. for the students with good spelling and grammar and who knew how to structure an essay then they could have those areas as worth a bit more to take some of the weight off of content and thought marks and in this way was sensitive to and engaging the students unique learning styles and strngths. ||
 * 4.5 Identifies, defines, and attempts to conduct all dealings and to resolve problems cooperatively with those involved. || any problems so far with lack of effort in class or attendance problems have been dealt with cooperatively (Sept. 21/11) |||| In identifying the problem with attendance with J. and defining that problem to her in phone calls made after school late last week and early this week I am attempting to resolve this issues cooperatively. If the problem persists then the cooperative effort to fix the problem will have to move beyond just the student and i to include Mr. Bradley as well. For now, I.D'd the problem and in including her in the solution have made this a cooperative effort. J. had missed a bunch of classes but had done good work at the times when she had attended. Ms. M had told me to call her and see what was going on but that she should probably be removed from the class. In calling her and trying to deal with this problem cooperatively with her instead of just making the decision myself to remove her, i found out that she has been experiencing a lot of difficulties at home and from her tone of voice felt a genuine sincerity tht she really wanted to put the effort in to get caught up in class and pass the course. Since then she has been attending regularly and i hope to see her through this course and on to the next step of her life. Without having made this a cooperative effort it would have been easy to just decide to remove her from the class but I am glad that I made the effort to involve her in the resolution of this problem. The examples I have written about so far in regards to the problems with G. being unmotivated and not handing in assignments also goes to show that making him part of the process in resolving these problems and making it a cooperative effort has been important in solving these issues. ||

// By this we mean: // The program will strive to prepare educator-leaders who engage in relationships that build learning communities and community through learning
 * Goal 5: Create a positive community in the classroom and school **
 * Related Program Goal: Build **** Communities **
 * **Goal5 Outcomes:** ** The Teacher Candidate… ** || **Indicators/ Evidence** || **Analysis/ Interpretation** ||
 * 5.1 Builds classroom connections with local, national, and global communities || i. Taking students out for a walk of the area (Oct. 24/11) || i. Taking the students out for an ecological walk of the area around the school served many purposes, one of which was building a connection between the classroom and the local community. Some students may not have been familiar with the natural beauty and other features of the community around our school if they were to bus to school and never get out and about during breaks or after school. Knowing the community better gives the students a feeling of belonging and more connected to the school and classroom. ||
 * 5.2. Builds inclusive communities across lines of difference (e.g., ethnicity, ability, class, race, gender and family structure) and promotes open communication. || i. Creating a respectful classroom where each students feels free to be themselves (Oct. 24/11) || i. At the beginning of class I emphasized that the one thing that would not be tolerated was disrespecting one another either verbally or with actions. To create a learning environment where everyone felt comfortable to express themselves we had to make sure that noone was ever made to feel 'dumb' or put down when putting themselves 'out on the line' with learning and trying to understand science better. Noone has treated another student or myself in that manner and it has created a great atmosphere with open communication across lines of difference. We have students from all different cultural background (Middle east, Aboriginal, Euro-Caucasian, etc.) and from all different ends of the socio-economic spectrum talking and sharing their ideas with eachother. They have all been very quick to help a fellow student (without any consideration that they are of different culture or status) with notes they may have missed and sharing materials for projects, posters, etc. It has been really amazing and wonderful to watch how inclusive and open the atmosphere of the classroom has been. ||
 * **5.3 Works with colleagues in mutually supportive ways and develops effective professional relationships with members of the educational community.** * || -Consulted with our counselor (Sept. 14/11) || -I had a really great talk with our counsellor D. about some of the students in my class. He gave me a lot of information on these students that I was unaware of before and it helped to gain a better understanding of where they are all at and the reasons for some of the issues in class. We discussed some possible plans and solutions to try and help all of these students achieve as much success as is possible. It comes down to the fact that they need to be willing to put in the effort and come to class, but knowing some have things which make those feats a bit more difficult was very helpful. I am able to try and plan for adaptive dimension better now because of this new relationship with D. that has started. We are able to support each others efforts in trying to help each and every one of our students achieve success. Excellent resource and another clear example of what potential there is working as a team with student success being a common goal. D is very experienced and has a good grasp from a variety of perspectives (teacher, student, agencies supporting students and their families). (9/19) ||

Related Program Goal: Engage in Education as Transformative Praxis // By this we mean: // The program will strive to prepare educational leaders who recognize their practice as transformative praxis. (Oct. 18/11) || i. Using resource-based learning off of the pods allowed for each student to go at his or her own pace. In this way the adaptive dimension could be applied in what was expected from each student and the individual attention that could be given to each student. For example, the more adept students were able to go at their own pace and put a good deal of inquiry into their research and report and didn't require much assistance at all. I was then able to spend more time helping my ESL student with his understanding of the resources being used for research and also adapt expectations for him. With direct instruction I may have needed to go at a pace for my ESL student that would have limited the more adept students and caused them to be bored, whereas this resource based learning allowed for all students to go at their own pace while at the same time allowing for a great deal of adaptation and modification for those requiring it. || ii. Creating virtual classroom (Oct. 13/11) iii. Using small videos off the internet as intoduction/hooks into lessons (Oct. 25/11) || i.Their are amazing resources on the internet. The Biology textbook has a great website with interactive activities for the students and good resources for research. Using the web allows me to teach an entire lesson that in turn saves a lot of unnecessary paper being printed and helps the students develop skills important for life in the 21st century. I created a lesson for antibiotics and antibiotic resistance that had an article from one site that the students critique and answer a few questions, then go on to another site where their are some links and information to research to develop an evidence-based opinion through research of some great websites, and finishing up with an online lab simulation. This technology allows for a great lesson that would require many resources in paper print and a good deal of time to track them all down to be down much more effectively and environmentally friendly. ii. I have created a virtual classroom so that students can have access to all the assignments, answer keys, power points used in class, etc. and a review of the days class (for those that were absent). iii. As a starting teacher (and an intern) my resources are a bit limited and I am still in the process of building up my lessons and other items of learning, including videos. I use the internet to find small clips that can act as a good introduction or hook for a lesson or to reiterate quickly and tie together some concepts that we just covered in class. || I knew I couldnt fullfill the goals being asked. (Aug. 19/11) || I am returning to the College of Education after a hiatus of a few years. I will just say that those were the most important couple of years of my life and years that shaped me into a man ready to educate. Tim Yee talked to us today about the importance of young teachers being intuitive and I sure did understand from personal experience what he was talking about. Something inside me just knew that I was not ready to be a teacher and that if I didn’t take some time to fill the emptiness inside of me I would never make it as an educator. I had been experiencing a great deal of loneliness and a strong desire to make some changes I knew were needed to become not only a man but also whole and complete for the first time in my life. Looking back now and seeing the person I was and the way I was trying to teach the material to the kids, I realize there was a strong connection. I was nervous and lacked confidence and in turn the possibility for me to be a strong, competent teacher who was in control of his classroom just wasn’t possible. To be able to adapt to the needs of all my students is of the utmost importance to me and I just wasn’t able to offer that to them. So I took some time for myself. I asked Mel to marry me after two weeks of dating (when you know, you know) and she said yes. Within two months we were in Costa Rica getting married and making plans to sell our(her) condo and do some traveling that had long called both our hearts. We traveled and along the way found out we were pregnant, something doctors had always told her would not happen for her. Already by this time I was becoming the man I had long desired to be but fatherhood would be the last thing necessary to accomplish it. Now I am returning as a strong man excited and enthusiastic about life and ready to be the best teacher I can be for my students. I know it won’t be easy to fulfill the goals and expectations of the curriculum guide and be able to fulfill the provision of the adaptive dimension but I will sure give it my fullest effort. With my newfound strength and courage and unshakeable belief that I will be an amazing teacher I truly see these things happening. Without reflecting upon my experience in the classroom and listening to my intuition I may have became a teacher who just could not have gotten the maximum potential from his students. So I guess in closing this first PGG entry of many for my internship I will say I KNOW the value of being a reflective practioner in the teaching profession. This looks to be a significant (and astute) analysis--the better we understand ourselves, the more likely we are to understand others--can't wait to see how this chapter of your story moves forward! (9/19) ||
 * Goal 6: **** Build instructional competence and strong teacher identity **
 * **Goal 6 Outcomes:** ** The Teacher Candidate… ** || **Indicators/ Evidence** || **Analysis/ Interpretation** ||
 * 6.1 Demonstrates knowledge and confidence in subject matter and knowledge of Saskatchewan curriculum documents and applies these understanding to plan lessons, units of study and year plans using the Broad Areas of Learning and Cross-curricular Competencies. || i. I had students write a paper on human impact on ecosystems and the way we are reliant upon the environment for our survival (Oct. 16/11) || i. One of the major focuses of Unit 2 - Ecological Organization is that students understand that "the quality soil, air, and water provide the basis for healthy life and that human action has a disproportionately large effect on populations and ecosystems"(from Curriculum) and this paper hit that on the head. The students all really expressed a great understanding of how large the impact that we have on ecosystems is and also how interconnected our dependence is on the survival and health of this planet. On top of just helping these students develop environmental literacy and awareness this paper was also a big step towards cross-curricular competency of communication, writing, and literacy skills that will be of great value to them in their lives. ||
 * 6.2 Plans instruction using the Adaptive Dimension and resource-based learning to address individual student needs and cultural diversity using a wide repertoire of instructional strategies and methods. || i. Using the pods for students to do an assignment allows for the adaptive dimension and allows for individual learning and inquiry
 * 6.3 Incorporates First Nations, Inuit and Métis content and perspectives across all teaching areas. || i. Included FN, Inuit, and Metis perspective in the debate about the BP oil spill (Oct. 16/11) || i. I think that the First Nation, Inuit, and Metis ways of knowing are very important for everyone to consider. When the students all developed arguments for the hearing I included a voice of the native people of the land. I felt it was and is important for students to understand the importance of reverance for Mother Earth and the respectful approach to the usage of the Earth that First Nation, Metis, And Inuit peoples have. A lot of students in todays society have been brought up without really having to consider the affects our way of life and the technologies we enjoy are having on this planet. ||
 * 6.4 Plans and develops engaging and authentic lessons that demonstrate knowledge and confidence in subject matter. || i. Created an antibiotic work day that was authentic and had students engaged in learning. (Oct. 20/11) || i. This lesson was authentic and proved to be quite engaging. Students had to summarize some articles of current and controversial issues in science and then answer some questions and do some inquisition into the ideas being presented. Beyond just touching on some of the curricular objectives of the unit this lesson also required a good deal of critical and creative thinking and involved mostly independent learning. Students learned the material they needed to and also had to delve deep within themselves to decide on the way they felt about the ethical and moral side of science and technology. ||
 * 6.5 Incorporates available technology in pedagogically appropriate ways. || i. Use of the web for resource-based learning. (Oct. 6/11)
 * 6.6 Establishes a classroom environment that supports learning and develops responsible learners. || i. Evidence that students are becoming responsible learners is that they are getting their work finished (Sept. 30/11) || i. It seems as if a lot of these students dont have much faith in themselves or believe that they can accomplish whatever they set their minds to. I continue to stress to my students that each of us has to be responsible for our own actions and be responsible for our own learning. Only they can decide that they want to do the work, and keep up with their studies and that their success can only come from an inner desire to want to succeed. Some of my students have dropped the class because they weren't willing to put the time in, or be responsible for their own learning, and found themselves too far behind and felt like they couldn't catch up. A few students have really came around and became much more responsible for themselves and have as of late been keeping up and getting assignments in that I wondered if they would ever see finished. I feel like the environment that I have created has supported learning because I am always there to help the students if they are having trouble, I encourage them to keep up with their work, give them ample time to finish their work, and have been very flexible with them getting late assignments in. If I said they couldn't hand it in late or had harsh consequence for being late, well a lot of these students would rather hear that and then feel like they don;t have to do it, then be given extra time and encouraged to be responsible and get in the late work. I think the atmoshpere of the class and the flexibility I have had has been helping these students develop into more responsible learners. (9/30) ||
 * **6.7 Carries out professional responsibilities for student assessment and evaluation.*** || i. maplewood grading and assessing of students (Oct. 11/11) || i. I think that my professional responsibility in student assessment and evaluation has many aspects. Being transparent and straightforward with the students in expecations is one important aspect. Once expectations are set, both by myself and as a class, then using rubrics and other assessment techniques I have to try and look at and understand where the students are at. Not just give them a mark, which is also part of my professonial responsibility, but see what areas they are doing well in and what areas need work. Some adaptaion and modification may be needed and using the assessment and evaluation process to try and help me see where and for who this is needed is important. After the grade has been given and some important info. on the student obtained, then the next step in my professional responsibility lies in communicating that to the students. Learning and being able to use the school divisions mode of doing this, in Nutana's case Maplewood, is a responsibility and I have done this. I have got all my classes marks into Maplewood and printed out two mark updates/reports for the students. The last responsibility I think is very important and one that may often get missed is seeing the way the students are responding to their assessment. One of the girls said this is the first time she is almost failing a class. I was able to use this to say to her that it was not too late, it was just midterm and if her attendance improved and she got in some late assignments she would still have a good oppurtunity to obtain a decent grade. Listening and observing the students' thoughts and feelings on their evaluation gives a great deal of imporant information and is another important aspect of carrying out the professional responsibilities of a teacher. ||
 * 6.8 Demonstrates capacity to take risks and make mistakes as part of professional growth and accepts constructive criticism in cooperative manner. || -tried an assignment that I created which I felt would really push the students to inquire into life and the complexity and wonder of science (Oct. 13/11) || Early in the year I created an assignment that I thought was great and it went bust, bigtime! I really never saw it coming and didn't have much of a backup plan in place and the class went terrible. I learned a lot from that experience. I learned that I needed to be way more prepared and organized than I was at that time but on a much deeper level I realized that I am going to encountering many more roadblocks and obstacles in trying to teach these kids the deeper issues of life and science. Everyone and everything are interrelated and science affects and connects us all. Environmental and Scientifically literate students aren't going to be develped with just one lesson or one unit. Trying to instill values that make these students want to cherish the Earth, learn about her and how we can better take care of her, will take some time and effort. I learned from taking this risk and failing that I must continue to try even harder to help my students develop into citizens of this planet that want to make it a cleaner and more amazing place to live. I can't get discouraged because they weren't quite ready to answer such an inquisitve type of assignment but I did learn that I always needed a backup plan and the value of preparing with foresight. ||
 * **6.9 Reflects upon the goals and experience of professional practice, adapts teaching accordingly** and demonstrates professionalism at all times. || Listened to intuition when teaching didn’t feel right to me. During reflection, I knew the things weighing on me needed addressed before I could continue with my full, term-long, practicum.