Reflection

=Teachers Think Systematically about Their Practice and Learn from Experience=

I have many roles as a teacher. These include my responsibilities both inside and outside of my classroom. As an educator, I strongly believe "//the best teacher is the best learner//". I enjoy staying up-to-date on all of the latest ideas of education and being a life-long learner.

I feel that one of my roles is to take an active role in the life of my students and in the overall school in which I teach. Therefore, I attend extracurricular activities that my students are involved in often so that they know I have a genuine interest in each of them as people and that I am proud of their accomplishments inside and outside the classroom. ===**"//Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one//." - Malcom S. Forbes** ===

Reflecting
Teaching is never done, as there is always something more we can do to make our lessons even better and grow professionally as an educator. The Technology Integration Plan Model really helped me reflect on my technology integration projects. Prior to even instructing the lesson, through that process, I found some possible pitfalls, and corrected them before I even began. It's definitely a great plan to follow when planning on incorporating a new project or software tool with your students.

I also reflect on my teaching pedagogy with my supervisors after an evaluation and self-reflect when I receive their written comments. Included below is a recent Professional Evaluation.

Maintaining Accurate Records
Another one of my many roles is to maintain accurate records using an online system for both grades and attendance. Record Keeping. Keystone School District uses Edline for easy access to grades and attendance records. These records must be updated weekly by each teacher. Teachers keep their grades in a computer-based program called GradeQuick and then the grades are submitted weekly to Edline. Each student and parents of the students have an Edline account that is accessible through any computer with Internet capabilities. This allows both the students and the parents to be up-to-date on grades.

**Communicating with Families**

I begin to establish a positive relationship with the families of my students from the very beginning of the school year. It is a must in order to have optimal success with the student. One way I create this connection is by giving out my business card during the Back to School Night, which includes a link to my Classroom Wikispace. The Classroom Wikispace has a wide range of information that is constantly updated, keeping families in the loop of what is going on in the English classroom. I also distribute a Welcome Letter to the Parents and ask that the parents complete a Parent Communication Form, in case a call does need to be made, I have accurate records on file, on how best to reach them (phone or e-mail) and where to reach them.

Welcome Letter to the Parents

Parent Communication Form

Participating in a Professional Community
As I stated above, I enjoy being a life-long learner, especially when it comes to learning about technology and the best practices to incorporate technology into the classroom. I am involved in many PLN's including that of following educators on Twitter, and subscribing to TechLearning and 180 Technology Tips Daily newsletters. I also subscribe to many educators blogs and read them on a weekly basis in my Google Reader. When I find something interesting, I jump over to my Social Bookmarking page, Delicious, and bookmark it to save for a future reference.

I had the opportunity to present a program on "All Things Google" at the Riverview IU 6 Educational Leadership Conference in May 2010. Teachers and Students Shine at Leadership Conference