Learning Project

Iowa Teaching Standard # 6 Demonstrates competence in

classroom management
Learning-Focused Growth
Plan

Name Darci Jansen

Target Completion Date: December 2014

Focus for Growth: What do I want to know/be able to do?

Managing Classroom Procedures: Performance of Non-Instructional Duties-I want to figure out a

way for my students who arent picking out books for their book bags to do something
educational rather than just sit there. Right now, students can bring their book bags back whenever
they are finished with the books in it. This results in all different days students bring their bags, so
the first 5ish minutes then are used for that student to put those books away, pick out new ones,
and put up their stickers. I want to have something for the rest of the students to be doing in the
meantime so that instructional time is not lost.

Filling the Knowledge Gap: How and where will I learn about it?
(readings, videos, talk to experts, etc.) How will I build my skill level?

My main way of building my skill level and learning about it is talking to my

mentor about it. I want to know what worked for her and what are some ideas
she has. I will also look online a bit for ideas of small quick things (bell
ringers) that my students could do when they come in the room if others are
getting new books.

Implementation Steps: When and how will I use the new information/skill(s)?

Because I do not know exactly what days students will have books to return, I will just have
things ready so if students do bring books then I can put a quick activity on the board. I will use
my various ideas and depending on the age group and what we have been doing, I will put an idea
on the board or tell students, so they have something to do while other students are picking out
new books. I will use it so I can get the most educational time possible. Students know how to
pick out their own books now, so the other students can be doing a small educational task while
students pick out new books.

Assessment/Data Collection: How will I know that I am appropriately implementing

new information/skill(s)? To what degree is this new information/skill(s) producing desired
results?

While a student or students are picking out new books, if the other students are on task
practicing a skill then I will know that I am appropriately implementing the new information.
The desired result is that less educational time is lost especially since I only see most of these
kids for 20-30 minutes. It should be sucessful as long as students know the expectations.

Assistance Options: What resources might I need? What resources are available to me?

I will need small activities or tasks for students to do. Some ideas include practicing their
spelling words by writing with chalk or picking 5 and writing them in playdough, having a variety
of activity sheets and allowing them to pick one of them, working with word families, writing
sentences, ect. Pinterest is a great resource along with the internet in general! My mentor also has a
lot of great ideas.

Adapted from Mentoring Matters, MiraVia, LLc

Learning-Focused Growth Plan: Tracking Progress

Date

Action

New Learning

New Questions

November 4

Explain the new

procedures to
students and show
them where the
materials can be
found

They didnt completely

seem to understand,
but I said Id help them
the first time it
happened.

How will the

students know when
they come in the
room whether
someone has
brought their book
bag or not especially
since they dont
always get there at
the same time if
they are from
different sections?

November 5

November 8

A student brought
For a couple of them, it Am I loosing more
back her book bag. I took almost the whole instructional time by
let the other students time for them to pick doing it this way
choose from a small what they wanted to
because students
selection of activities. do. I wont be able to have to select and
allow them to choose then clean up their
because it defeats the materials?
purpose of trying not to
lose instructional time.

Another Student
They were on task and
brought back his
it kept them busy. I will
book bag. My
have to remind them
students worked on a about the new
short vowel match
expectations for the
and color page that I first few days as they
gave to each of
are not used to it.
them.

Should I make only

set days students
can bring their book
bags back?

Adapted from Mentoring Matters, MiraVia

Journey to Excellence
ITS # 6 Self-Reflection
Name:
As I reflect on upon my work with ITS #6 Learning Project:
1. What happened during the observation? What did the students do? What
did I do?
I saw a student come in with his book bag, so I reminded the other students what they should do.
While the student was talking with me about his books and getting new books, the other students
worked independently on the short vowel page that I gave them. As soon as the student was done
putting up his stickers and getting new books, we began our lesson.

2. What pleased me?

How well the students worked and were on task. They caught on very quickly. The whole
process went very smooth.

3. What disappointed me?

Nothing really disappointed me, but I didnt think about the fact if students dont get done
with the task before the other student is done picking out his or her books. Im thinking that
Ill just have a place for the group to put their unfinished pages and they can continue it the
next time someone brings their books back.

4. To what degree did I accomplish my goal?

The process itself went well and all students were on task doing something instructional. I
didnt feel that I lost as much time in the process. It will take a little time to get them used to
the full routine so I dont have to remind them what to do.

5. What might I do differently in the future?

I may have set days that students can bring back their book bags. Also, as I get into the full swing
of it, I can coordinate the activities or worksheets that they can do that week with what they are
learning in their classroom or what they did learn the week before.