Emily Akers

EDUC 429

04/17/24

Professional Growth Plan Final Report

PART 2

1.What did you do to build your professional background knowledge related to the domain a

you selected? Did you add any new professional learning opportunities during your

Internship? Describe four specific articles, books, webinars, podcasts, etc. that helped

build your professional background knowledge.

The domain that I was working on this semester was domain 3B using

questioning and discussion techniques. To build my professional background I

talked with my CT after each lesson about how to create a better environment for

natural discussions, added more turn and talks, created more higher level

questions, and put the questions into my powerpoint to ensure that they are

asked. The professional opportunities that I added during my internship in order

to increase my progress towards my pgp was discussing it with the first grade

team during PLCs and asking for advice from the principal after my mock

interview. The first specific article that I used to increase my knowledge of

questions is the Teach Like a Champion 3.0 book. In this book I looked up

techniques to use for questioning such as technique 35 call and response. I also

used the online resource 3B Using Questioning

https://www.nekoosasd.net/cms_files/resources/3b.pdf that not only describes

the expectations for a distinguished rating, but how to get there also. Another

resource that I used to expand my knowledge of questioning was the second

edition of Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching written by

Charlotte Danielson. In this book it gives different strategies to use to increase

the quality of the planned questions in the lesson. A strategy that I used from this

book was to write the questions down on a sticky note or add them into the

presentation to ensure that I ask the higher level questions. Another online

resource that I used to help build my professional background was 8 Simple Tips

to Promote the Danielson Framework written by the Embrace Education Team

https://embraceblog.embraceeducation.com/blog/8-simple-tips-to-promote-the-

danielson-framework. This online resource gives quick, direct, and efficient ways

to improve my questions and discussion techniques.

2. What specific activities/actions did you implement to help attain your goal? Describe

at least four specific activities. Connect each activity to a reading, webinar, podcast, etc.

listed in question 1.

Activity 1: Turn and Talks

To promote a more natural, engaged, and comfortable lesson where I could create a
natural discussion in the classroom I incorporated turn and talks into my lessons. Turn and

Talks are described as each student talking to a partner instead of the teacher only calling

on a few students to answer. Turn and talks ensure that every student is able to answer

the question. This strategy is connected with the Teach Like a Champion Book 3.0 as this

Is a technique that the book gives.

Activity 2: Planning higher order questions.

For each day of the week I created at least 1-2 higher order questions in my lesson plan.

This ensured that I would have a question ready to challenge all of my students to think

deeper about the content. Using higher order questions also ensured a way that I can

differentiate my lessons for my higher level students. Higher order questions are described

as questions that cause the students to think beyond the surface of the lesson. The

students have to synthesize the information that they were taught and their prior

background information to answer the question. This strategy is connected with B Using

Questioning https://www.nekoosasd.net/cms_files/resources/3b.pdf as this was a strategy fou

using this online resource.

Activity 3: Write the questions down on a sticky note or add it into the powerpoint

A problem that I was having in the beginning of my internship was planning great higher

order questions, but forget to ask them during the lesson. In order to solve this problem, I

wrote the questions down on a sticky note and attached it to the book or laptop that I was
using it for the lesson. If I was using a powerpoint for the lesson I would type the

question in to the powerpoint slide so I would remember to ask the question. This strategy i

with the resource stated of using my CT for help.

Activity 4: Let the students create their own questions for each other.

A strategy that I used in math and reading to help the students was to let the students

create and ask each other their questions. The students get excited to be involved with the

Lesson. It is also a good indicator for me to see where each student is at based on

the kinds of questions that they make. This strategy is connected with the resource

8 Simple Tips to Promote the Danielson Framework written by the Embrace

Education Team.

3. Did you meet your intended goal? Why or why not?

I did meet my intended goal because I now create genuine discussions between

students often in lessons with turn and talks. I am using higher order questions in

my lessons through the powerpoints to expand student knowledge and

differentiate my lesson. I am also creating more student participation into the

lessons by allowing the students to create their own questions and finding a

partner to answer.
Describe the evidence and artifacts that demonstrate the professional learning goal was

met (include at least 5 descriptions of evidence). Two pieces of evidence must be the

focused observations by your cooperating teacher in your selected area of growth

(attach the feedback provided by your cooperating teacher).Label and describe each

piece of evidence and explain why each piece helps meet your intended goal. Attach the
artifacts to the end of the report.

Artifact 1: Danielson Assessment C- feedback provided by cooperating teacher

In this evidence my CT observed an ELA whole group lesson about identifying the moral of a
story and how to identify it and gave me feedback on the lesson.
Even though I received a developing in questions and discussions I used her feedback of
using more engaging techniques to get the whole class talking in future lessons. This
helps me strengthen my discussion techniques as I began to use turn and talks to get the
whole class talking instead of just one person raising their hand.

Artifact 2: Professional Dispositions- feedback provided by cooperating teacher

In this evidence my CT rated me on my professional dispositions that I showed in class.

Even though this is not directly rated towards my questions and discussions, it is rated
towards my reflectiveness from the last rating in danielson assessment C. My CT and I sat
down together and made a plan to better my teaching specifically to my PGP part 1. Due
To this plan I began to incorporate techniques such as whisper to me and the turn and talks.
My CT rated me as proficient in reflective practice because we sat down together,
reflected on what I could improve on, made a plan, and then I put the plan to action which
was targeted at my PGP.

Artifact 3: Science Observation Feedback: Communicating with Students

In this evidence my observer, my professor, rated me as proficient in communicating with my

Students that I used in a science lesson. In this lesson we learned about the habitat of the oce
Through the use of a video and pausing throughout to incorporate turn and talks about
What information we should add to our habitat chart. This ties into my PGP goal through both
the discussion techniques and higher level questions . My professor stated that I had clear
communication with my students and that I scaffold well which I did through the use of low,
middle, and high level questions.

Artifact 4: Science Observation: Questioning and Discussion Techniques

In this evidence my observer, my professor, rated me as developing in questioning and discuss

techniques that I used in a science lesson. In this lesson we learned about the habitat of the
ocean through the use of a video and pausing throughout to incorporate turn and talks about
What information we should add to our habitat chart. Even though I was rated as developing m
observer still stated that I was attempting to engage all students into the lesson through turn an
talks. I still count this as progress because it shows that I am still working towards my PGP,
although I am not perfect, I am still trying to make progress. I am trying new techniques and
Strategies to engage the students in questions and discussions.

Artifact 5: Danielson Assessment C: Engaging Students in Learning

This observation was done by my professor on a whole group math lesson about
addition and subtraction. In the results of this observation my professor rated me as
proficient in engaging the students in the lesson. My professor agreed that I was
challenging the students to think deeply about the content, the students displayed active
intellectual engagement, and that they were challenged by the content. This ties into my
PGP goal because I was actively engaging the students to think deeply about the
content through the use of higher level questions. In order to answer these higher level
questions I allowed them to discuss with partners about the questions, which meets the
expectation of genuine discussion in the classroom.

4. How did you collaborate with other professionals to meet your goal?
In order to collaborate with other professionals

I collaborated with other professionals during PLCs, lunch, and planning time. During these
times I met with the other first grade teachers and planned future lessons. In order to directly
help my PGP goal I would ask the other teachers advice and strategies that they use to promo
higher level questions. I took their advice and incorporated it into my lessons.

5. What new learning did you acquire as a result of the professional learning opportunities
in which you engaged?

I acquired new ways to create and use higher level questions and how to create
genuine discussion within my class as a result of the professional learning
opportunities that I engaged in.
6. What impact did the changes in instructional practice have on you as a professional?

As a result of my changes in instructional practices it has made me become a better

rounded teacher that can assess my students quickly and efficiently without added
assignments. Due to this I know what my students need next and how I can be the most
helpful to them.

7. What impact did the changes in instructional practice have on your students’ learning?
As a result of my changes in instructional practice my class was more engaged in the
lessons. My students were more engaged in the lessons because I used strategies such as
turn and talks or whisper me the answer instead of calling on only one person. Using these
strategies every student in the class has to participate rather than only one person saying
the answer and everyone else zoning out. With turn and talks each person in the class
has a partner that they talk to about the answer. When I say whisper me the answer
everyone will whisper the answer to me.

8. How will you continue to develop in this area?

I will continue to develop in this area by future observations from my school and
district. I will also use my future grade team to learn more strategies to develop in
my questions and discussions.
 Artifact 1: Danielson Assessment C

Artifact 2: Professional Dispositions

Artifact 3: Science Observation Feedback: Communicating with

Students
Artifact 4: Science Observation: Questioning and Discussion

Techniques

Artifact 5: Danielson Assessment C: Engaging Students in

Learning