TPE 12 - Professional, Legal and Ethical Obligations

➢ Professional obligations

➢ Legal obligations

➢ Ethical obligations

TPE 13 - Professional Growth

➢ Evaluating teaching practice

➢ Improving teaching practice

➢ Reflection and feedback

Educators must be committed to life long professional development. Their legal and ethical obligations require it to be as such.

By nature, I am a naturally reflective person, and this quality has helped me to continually progress as an educator. I can look back on my lessons and recognize areas of strength and areas for growth. As my master teachers have pointed out in my evaluations and letters of recommendation, I am very open to new ideas and suggestions.

During the CalStateTEACH program, I attended five program seminars that concentrated on reading, math, science, PE/Fine Arts, and RICA prep. Additionally, I was able to attend a Rick Morris seminar in my last stage. From each seminar, I have been able to build on and add to my personal toolbox of strategies. At home, I have already started a filing system of lesson ideas by subject and topic. On top of that, there are many systems and strategies that I use so often, that if need be, I can be flexible and teach without the use of prepared materials. After attending the Rick Morris seminar, I was able to incorporate a “First Aide” system for late work. Additionally, I am planning on purchasing an iPOD in the classroom to transition students to the carpet using music. I have found this especially effective. In my last stage, students cleaned up to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. It was amazing to see all students, even our daydreamers and non-compliant students, have their desks organized and on the carpet by the end of the symphony. I will continue to attend seminars, take classes, and further my growth by consulting with experts in their fields.

Since I have spent a great deal of time on the computer with my classes, I am easily able to integrate technology into my teaching. During my Animal/Region report, I taught children to cut and paste items from the Internet, resize pictures, format text, and save their work to the school server. I am familiar with and use many children’s websites in my daily teaching. I learned to hook up and regularly use an LCD projector in my teaching. I am able to use programs like Microsoft Office, AppleWorks, iMovie, iPhoto, and KidPix. In this program, we have had to evaluate websites based on their authenticity, reliability, ease of use, and bias. Many of the 28 units in this program required me to do Internet research. I have been able to become familiar and comfortable in finding appropriate websites for the classroom. I plan to stay current with technology so that my students will reap the full benefits of an education.

Throughout my education and during my credential program, I have studied how to assist students with special needs. In my undergraduate audiology and speech pathology classes, I studied the IDEA and Section 504 laws. In this program, I built upon that knowledge by compiling information from government websites (Artifact #12). In my 3rd stage, I attended an IEP meeting. It was helpful for me to see how staff members collaborated on behalf of a specific child. Because of the sensitive nature of educational issues, I am continually developing an ease of communication and diplomacy when working with other staff members and parents.

Throughout the program, I have consistently taken and passed all required tests, including the CBEST, CSET, RICA, and PRAXIS (Artifact #13). For each test, I was able to pass the first time. I plan on getting my BCLAD in Spanish, and later on in my career, getting my Masters.

I am committed to developing as a professional throughout my life. I am committed to do what it takes in order to see my students succeed in not only their academic endeavors, but also their physical, social and emotional well-being.