Attached is a copy of my mid-term assessment from my supervisor and my mentor teacher. The form was filled out cooperatively after a conference. The demonstrated areas of strength show that I have continuously met expectations in the classroom. I have also attached a section of my mentor's final assessment of my preservice teaching experience. This section specifically addresses professional responsibilities. Once again, it shows that I have met expectations.

Being prompt and professional is so important in the teaching profession. If I expect my students to behave properly and complete assignments on time, I need to model this behavior. My students see me as a role model--possibly one of the most important role models in their lives.  When I have so many young students looking up to me, I need to try my hardest to be professional.  I feel it is my responsibility to go above and beyond for my mentor teacher and the staff at Armagh. I am their guest, so I try to do all I can. Helping colleagues and fulfilling responsibilities are perhaps two of the most vital aspects of becoming a professional teacher.

Attached is a copy of the first page of several lessons.  These lessons are all signed and dated by my mentor.  She always read over my plans at least two days ahead of time.  She sometimes made suggestions before returning them to me.  I consistently turned in my lesson plans at least two days ahead of time throughout the whole semester.

These lesson plans show that I am organized and that I get work done on time.  The one most important thing I learned this semester is that I cannot get behind on my lesson plans.  Getting them done ahead of time allows me to make changes if I need to.  It also allows me to gather materials I need prior to that day.  A true professional in any area of work gets work done in a timely manner.  All careers have dead lines that must be met, and teaching is no exception.

Attached is a copy of a substitute note I wrote for October 29, 2009. On this day, I attended an education career fair and was not able to be present at school. My mentor was also absent in the morning, she returned in the afternoon. There was a substitute present until lunch time. I wrote this detailed note ahead of time for the substitute. I also provided copies of my lesson plans for her to follow. I placed these items along with all materials needed for that morning in a folder. The other attachment is a copy of a note she wrote me about her morning.

These attachments justify the fact that I have met and fulfilled professional responsibilities.  There will be many days when I am sick or cannot attend school.  When a substitute comes into my classroom, he or she will not be familiar with my routines that are second nature to me.  Being able to write a detailed substitute note is a skill all teachers need to acquire.  The substitute who wrote the comments spend over 30 years teaching elementary school, so her comments definitely meant a lot to me.  The fact that she thought my plans were detailed and organized is a compliment to a new teacher.

Attached is an introductory letter and photograph permission slip that I sent home with students during the first week I was in Armagh Elementary.  In the letter, I introduce myself and give some information as to why I am in the classroom, how long I will be there, and what I will be doing while I am working with the students.  The letter is addressed to parents and/or guardians and includes a detachable slip at the bottom of the page.  The slip gives me permission to use photographs of their children in my professional portfolio.  

I chose this letter to represent a collaborative relationship between parents/guardians and myself as the teacher.  I feel it is extremely important for teachers to have positive relationship with their students guardians.  As a visitor and guest in the first grade classroom at Armagh, I feel it is my responsibility to let parents know that I appreciate being able to visit and work with their children.  I think parents should be informed of everything going on in the classroom so they are not surprised by anything unexpected.  I strongly believe that parents have just as much of an effect on their children's learning as teachers.  In order to give students the best possible educational experience, we need to work together and communicate effectively.  

On Februrary 5, 2009, I attended a seminar organized by Jim Nolan, a Penn State professor and noted expert on classroom management. The seminar included several workshops in which we learned about morning meetings, behavior intervention, and classroom meetings held throughout the year. I learned new ways of conducting class meetings as well as dealing with behavior issues. I was given resources and references that are very useful in planning and instruction.

I always hear the saying that teachers never stop learning, and I believe this to be very true. I feel like I can always learn more as there are countless ideas and ways to manage and instruct in a classroom. In teaching, there is not one "right" way to teach, so education should never end. Each group of students brings new challenges, and, as a teacher, I need to be prepared to deal with them. Continuing education and professional growth is imperative for both new and veteran teachers. I feel like I benefited greatly from this particular seminar. I learned about The Mailbox magazine and website for educators. I have already made use of it in my lessons. I learned about how important morning meetings are to building a community of learners in my classroom. These are ideas that I have not necessarily learned about in my regular classes. In just one evening of workshops, I believe I grew tremendously as a future professional educator.

Every Monday, Armagh Elementary holds a faculty meeting right after school. After the faculty meetings, the primary teachers and intermediate teachers have a grade level meeting. In these meetings, the two groups talk amongst themselves about interventions and general progress or problems they are having with students. This allows teachers from the previous year to offer insight about some students. I was present at every faculty and grade level meeting throughout the semester. This attachment is a copy of the grade level meeting agenda. My name is printed in the section listing present teachers.

Faculty and grade level meetings are essential for creating a friendly, organized environment with informed teachers.  I feel blessed to have taught in a school with such a close-knit faculty.  A faculty cannot become so close if they do not communicate and understand each other.  Building meetings foster this type of relationship.  As a student teacher new to the building, I felt it was even more important for me to attend all meetings so I could get to know the other teachers and get a feel for how the school is run.  In a group environment, everyone must make an effort to communicate, and I believe I did this throughout the semester.

The attached file is a copy of the computer use policy. Mifflin County school district provides all faculty members with personal computer accounts, and I was lucky enough to also receive my own so I could work on the computer at my convenience. Before I was given a username, I was required to read and sign the district's computer use policy. This document informed me of rules I had to follow while on the computer.  It listed appropriate web sites and uses of the computer as well as inappropriate uses.  I sent the signed form to the administrative office as a symbol of my compliance with the policy.

In the professional world, employees need to comply with companies' policies.  Teachers do not have companies they work for, but they do have school districts that employ them.  Teachers, then, are also responsible for agreeing to and following rules and policies of the district.  The computer is just a small example of my professional compliance throughout the semester.  As a new teacher to the building, it was my responsibility to become familiar with both the building's and district's rules and routines.

On October 29, 2009, I attended an educational career fair. About thirty different school districts from around the country attended the career hoping to recruit future teachers. Before the career fair, I updated my resumé which is attached. I attended the fair and spoke with representatives from several different school districts. I gave them copies of my resumé and asked questions about their districts. I also attached a photograph of the pamphlet I received from a district in which I was interested.  I was able to learn information about some districts with which I was not familiar before hand.

The education career fair was my first opportunity to showcase myself as a professional teacher. I was no longer a student teacher but a professional looking for a job. The experience was an important step in my professional career. I learned the important questions to ask potential employers as well as the most important things I can tell potential employers.