Overview

In this standard, the teacher demonstrates the responsibility to improve the school and community in which they work.  The teacher uses the strategic plan and mission of the school to contribute to shaping a cohesive, learner-centered culture.  The teacher also works collaboratively with colleagues, parents, guardians, and adults significant to students on activities that connect school, families, and the larger community.  The teacher demonstrates leadership by contributing to positive changes in policy and practice that affect student learning and by modeling ethical behavior.

Relevant Description/Reflective Analysis

Action Research: Using Dialogue Journals to Create Emergent Writers and Increase Basic Writing Skills in Kindergarten

Action Research Presentation

In kindergarten, the main focus of the curriculum is learning to read and write.  After participating in my 75 hour clinical at Jayenne Elementary, I have discovered that my students do not enjoy writing.  I have observed them struggling to engage with the work, and it seems as if the writing the students are doing is not relevant in their lives.  My host teacher agreed that writing is the direction to go with the project.  Although there are no WESTEST scores to identify writing as a learning need in this classroom, observations, previous work, the host teacher, aide, and strategic plan verify the need to increase writing abilities among students.  I believe getting students interested and excited about writing and reading while they are first being introduced to it in kindergarten will sky rocket their abilities in the future. 

This Prezi describes my study on how dialogue journals create emergent writers and increase basic writing skills in kindergarten.