TTQ

QS NG
A GUIDE FOR STUDENT TEACHER REFLECTION
Professional
LEARNING
TOOL

TTQ
QS
Rationale
l
ACCORDING TO the Alberta Teachers’ Association, “Teacher professional growth
means the career-long learning process whereby a teacher annually develops and
implements a plan to achieve professional learning objectives or goals that are
consistent with the Teaching Quality Standard.” To begin the process of professional
growth during pre-service teacher education, the following tool has been developed
as a guide. The tool should be used to promote reflection on student teacher practices
related to each of the Teaching Quality Standard competencies and their influence on
student learning experiences. This reflection should then lead into the development
of an inquiry question(s) and the identification of a professional goal(s) and the
related process that will be undertaken to achieve the goal. The tool has been
designed to be a working document that student teachers can use throughout all
professional semesters of the program. In other words, the tool will be used across
semesters to reflect upon growth in relation to each of the TQS competencies and to
track the evolution of professional learning for the individual.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association (2018). The Revised Teaching Quality Standard:
1

Building Awareness and Professional Capacity, p. 27.

2 Professional Learning Tool
Professional
LEARNING
TOOL
Keyy components
of the professional learning tool

1 Links to Teaching Quality Standard and student learning – To enhance the

meaningfulness of professional learning, reflection on the Teaching Quality Standard
and student learning are embedded features

2 Provides an inquiry-based approach – Professional learning is grounded in curiosity and

P
th
he teacher’s desire to explore their professional practice

3 Promotes dialogue amongst colleagues related to professional learning

P

How to use the tool

1 Reflect upon each of the competencies related to the Teaching Quality Standard and how
you have attended to these in your practices (Note: The Teaching Quality Standard
document includes numerous examples of how each competency may be achieved).
Use the ATA online tool at www.abselfreflectiontool.com to begin reflecting upon your
confidence level in relation to each of the competencies in the Teaching Quality
Standard. Then, reflect upon your specific achievement of each compentency using
this tool. List the manner in which competencies have been demonstrated in the left col-
umn titled “Student Teacher Practice” and then highlight how those practices influence
student learning experiences in the right column. Use a different
ff colour pen during each
professional semester to track changes over time.

2 Use the reflection to identify an area for inquiry/ goal related to your teaching practice.
U
Then complete the remainder of the Planning for Learning guide by identifying
Th
strategies, supports needed, evidence of successful achievement of the goal and a
timeline for its completion.

3 SSh
hare your work with this document with your Teacher Associate and University
Consultant during practicum.
C

4 When completing PSIII, consider school goals and other school initiatives prior to
W
id
dentifying your professional learning goals.

Faculty of Educaiton 3
TTQ
R
QS e Teaching Quality Standard
1 A teacher builds positive and productive relationships with students, parent/guardians, peers
and others in the school and local community to support student learning
Student Teacher Practices
Extra-curricular
Part of the process in which I engaged in
relationship building with students and parents
was through the Christmas concert. This was
done by helping out with the kindergarten class
backstage, whether it be putting on costumes,
playing games to pass the time, or helping the
students enter the stage.
Unique needs
Understanding that different students require
different approaches to their unique learning
experience. Meaning that my response to
situations varies from student to students, even
if the situation is the same. The reason for this is
that certain student’s response differently to
certain interactions with the teacher, and the
teacher needs to be cognisant of this.
4 Professional Learning Tool
Influence on Student Learning Experience
Extra-curricular
By participating in extra-curricular activates, I
was strengthening/building relationship with my
students. By being able to interact with the
students outside of the classroom allows for
interactions that would not normal happen inside
the classroom, but are still important in building
rapport. The strengthening of this rapport
benefits the classroom instruction by allowing a
stronger level of trust between the teacher and
students.
Unique needs
For instance, when student A is not participating
in the gym warm up routine or the music class it
is okay for the teacher to let him be if he wants
to stand off to the side. The reason being is that
student A has levels of anxiety in relation to the
activity and it is best that the student joins on
their free will, after getting used to the
environment rather then being forced into the
activity. This approach with student A differs
from a lot of other students who you can be a lot
more direct with when they are not participating
with the activity. Lastly, another example is
student B requires you not to feed into or
escalate with the students when the students is
not participating with classroom activates. For
instance, student B response well when given a
choice between sitting out or participating in the
class, and then once given the choice the
teacher walks away, since student B can
continue to escalate when the teacher stays by
their side.
TTQ
R
QS e Teaching Quality Standard
2 A teacher engages in career-long professional learning and ongoing critical reflection to im-
prove teaching and learning
p
Student Teacher Practices
Incorporating technology.
In one of my grade one social lesson I used
Google Earth as a hook. The reason I used
Google Earth was that the lesson was regarding
the shape and layout of Canada and Alberta
geographically. So, I first showed them a
zoomed-out view of North America, then a
zoomed in view of Canada, and lastly and
zoomed in view of Alberta
Reflections.
I engaged in reflections for every lesson I taught places, though every “wrong” answer was a
as while as larger weekly reflections.
Influence on Student Learning Experience
Incorporating technology.
Using Google Earth impact the students learning
in a number of ways. First is that for some of the
students is was their first time seeing a globe, so
they got to see a visually representation of what
Canada looks like form above. Second, I had the
students try and guess where Canada, Alberta,
and then Lethbridge were on the map. This
guessing game turned into a positive and
engaging activity for the students, for they had to
guess quite a few times to get the correct
learning opportunity that allowed the students to
get familiarized with what are the nearby
countries to Canada.
Reflections.
Doing these reflections allowed me time to do
nothing but think on how I could improve my
teaching ability. Once clear way this happened
is that often times, I would teach a lesson in the
morning reflect upon it then teach the same
lesson in the afternoon, which often resulted in
an improved lesson for the afternoon class. The
larger weekly reflections allowed me to focus on
larger themes, such as classroom management
(you need good classroom management to
create a positive learning environment). Such
ideas in classroom management often stem
from the behaviourist model in thinking, for
instance dismissing students by rows that are
sitting quietly and other similar tactics go a long
way in setting the tone of the classroom. For if
the teacher is unable to set an appropriate tone
for the classroom, they will not be able to create
a positive learning environment
Faculty of Educaiton 5
TTQ
R
QS e Teaching Quality Standard

3 A teacher applies a current and comprehensive repertoire of effective

ff
aand assessment practices to meet the learning needs of every student
Student Teacher Practices
planning, instruction,

Influence on Student Learning Experience

Lesson plans. Lesson plans.
For every lesson I taught in my PS1 practicum I Having my lesson completed and, in a binder, a
printed out the lesson and had it in a binder prior
long time before I would teach the lesson
to teaching the lesson. allowed me to be know what I am going to
teacher and how I am going to teach the lesson.
Diverse teaching practices. As while it allowed me to make corrections or
When teaching numbers, and letters I would use revisions to the lesson during the day if new
multiple methods in teaching the students ideas came up to me, so if I need to change a
specific numbers/letters. The class would get way I was going to teach something to improve
introduced to a new number/letter by being the learning experience I could easily just write
showed how to draw it on the Smart Board, out the changes of the lesson in the margins.
followed by the student building the
number/letter using a plastic mat and cardboard Diverse teaching practices.
cut outs. The next method would be using chalk Using large cut outs allows the student to build
boards build the number/letter they learned the the number/letter while not relying on fine motor
day before. Finally, they would print the skills to be able to successfully construct it. The
number/letter in printing books to practice their chalk boards allow for a multi-sensory
traditional printing skills. experience by using a sponge, their finger, a
cloth, and chalk to go through the pattern in
creating the number/letter.

6 Professional Learning Tool

TTQ
R
QS e Teaching Quality Standard

4 A teacher establishes, promotes and sustains inclusive learning environments where diversity
is embraced and every student is welcomed, cared for, respected and safe
Student Teacher Practices Influence on Student Learning Experience
Sharing circle. Sharing circle.
Throughout the practicum I used a sharing circle By allowing every student a turn with the talking
as way to allow every student a way to share stick per sharing circle activity the teacher was
something regarding a specific topic (topics allowing for a diversity in opinions and ideas to
covers, being sad, happy, and mad, favorite be shared with the class. At the beginning and
parts of a story/field trips). The class would sit in end of every sharing circle it was stated that
a circle and the teacher would have a talking everything shared by each student is a valuable,
stick, with the rule who every has the talking and I would thank them for sharing sometimes
stick is the only person talking, and the class is hard emotions with the class. By allowing
respectfully listening. students to share something with the class, who
were respectfully listening I prompted a inclusive
learning environment where students could feel
comfortable sharing ideas and feelings with the
class

Faculty of Educaiton 7
TTQ
R
QS e Teaching Quality Standard
5 A teacher develops and applies foundational knowledge about First Nations, Metis and Inuit
ffor the benefit of all students
Student Teacher Practices
Raven Story.
I did a lesson regarding trickster tale from the
Northwest coast. As a tie into this story I
discussed a bit about the Haida nation, and how
Bill Reid’s (Haida community member) artwork
was featured on an older version of Canada’s
twenty-dollar bill
Blackfoot language.
In my last week I have put together a simple
lesson, that is meant to be repeated throughout
the week. This lesson is to get the students to
count to three in Blackfoot.
8 Professional Learning Tool
Influence on Student Learning Experience
Raven Story.
This lesson acted as a way of demonstrating
how in Canada the different way we can
celebrate and respect culture, by putting
important images on our money. As well it
familiarized the students with an Indigenous
culture group. The story the students listened to
also acted as a way in which to introduce the
students to further FNMI integration in their
learning experiences. For learning about another
culture often leads to respect for their culture.
Blackfoot Language.
By learning to count to three in Blackfoot it is
setting up two things. Firstly, they are being
introduced to the language of the local Blackfoot
nation. Second, it is laying the fountain for
learning more words and numbers in the
Blackfoot language, so that hopefully by the end
of the year they might even be able to count to
10 in Blackfoot.
TTQ
R
QS e Teaching Quality Standard

6 A teacher demonstrates an understanding of and adherence to the legal frameworks and poli-
ccies that provide the foundations for the Alberta education system

Student Teacher Practices Influence on Student Learning Experience

POS. POS.
I have connected each of my lessons to a GLO, By connecting my lesson to objectives from that
and a SLO from a specific program of studies. subject’s curriculum I have ensured that the
students are learning in a way that adheres to
ABC. the Alberta educational system. As while by
I formatively assessed the student’s ability to covering these subjects I am building within the
create the verbal sound that goes with each students’ skills that will be build upon in the
letter of the alphabet. coming years.

ABC. By doing this assessment i helped with

the students future learning by diagnosing their
educational needs and areas that need to be
worked on in relation to alphabet sounds.

Faculty of Educaiton 9
 PLANNINGfor
Planning FORLearning
LEARNING- PSI
PSI
Related Resources/ Evidence of
TQS Strategies Support Required Success Timeline
Goal One:
Goal: TQS4 implement Observation of the ability to list 3-5 To be
To learn strategies to applicable other teachers. strategies i learned completed
create a create a classroom As while as and employed during my
positive learning management working during my PS1
environment. strategies that i cooperatively practicum. And that practicum.
have observed with other adults these strategies Come up
into my in the made a positive with a
teaching kindergarten impact to the minimum
practices. class to help classroom of one
manage the environment. successful
classroom class
environment. room
Inquiry Question: strategy
How can we manage per week.
the classroom
environment

Planning for Learning - PSI

Related Resources/ Evidence of
TQS Strategies Support Required Success Timeline
Goal Two:
Goal:

Inquiry Question:

10 Professional Learning Tool

REFLECTING ON LEARNING PSI

Faculty of Educaiton 11
 PLANNINGfor
Planning FORLearning
LEARNING- PSI
PSII
Related Resources/ Evidence of
TQS Strategies Support Required Success Timeline
Goal One:
Goal:

Inquiry Question:

Planning for Learning - PSI

Related Resources/ Evidence of
TQS Strategies Support Required Success Timeline
Goal Two:
Goal:

Inquiry Question:

12 Professional Learning Tool

REFLECTING ON LEARNING PSII

Faculty of Educaiton 13
 PLANNING FOR LEARNING PSIII

14 Professional Learning Tool

REFLECTING ON LEARNING PSIII

Faculty of Educaiton 15
 NAME:

Fostering
Effective
Relationships

Adhering Engaging in
to Legal Career-Long
Frameworks Learning

QUALITY
TEACHING
in
ALBERTA
Applying
First Nations, Demonstrating
Métis and Inuit Professional
Knowledge Knowledge

Establishing
Inclusive
Learning
Environments