Demonstrates professionalism through ethical conduct, reflection, and leadership. Element A: Teachers demonstrate high standards for professional conduct. Element B: Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals. Element C: Teachers respond to a complex, dynamic environment. Element D: Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school, the community, and the teaching profession.
The experience that is outlined in my resume exemplifies the way I have demonstrated leadership in school, in the community, and within the teaching profession, as well as my commitment to professional growth. As Teacher Quality Standard IV states, the educational and work experience in my resume outline professionalism and ability to take on leadership roles. Coursework, job positions, and extracurriculars in which I have participated have contributed to my ability to adapt to complex working environments. Specifically, I have developed skill in a range of studio practices including drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, fibers/textiles, photography, and several digital technology tools. I have also worked in a number of adverse positions, in which I developed communication skills, cultural responsiveness, and flexibility to fulfill my professional goals. My concepts and methods classes have also given me extra experience in art teaching through opportunities such as Artistic Abilities, BRAINY, Beattie Elementary co-teaching, and peer-teaching. In addition to these diverse teaching experiences, I have also gained content knowledge and professionalism during practicum placements at Webber Middle School, Wellington Middle School, Beattie Elementary School and Thompson Valley High School. My professionalism as a developing educator can be seen in the organization and comprehensiveness of my completed resume. With help from my peers and teachers I feel my resume is in a place where it accurately represents myself as a hirable educator without much fluff.
As I get closer to becoming a full-time educator I am becoming more and more aware of the importance of professionalism. As an educator I will be held to a high standard of behavior, ethical conduct, and leadership and I feel I am developing in this area. I try daily to reflect on my experiences teaching and even when I feel like moving on from a situation I find it so important to genuinely reflect on what went well and what could have been better. I’ve found throughout my teaching experience that personal reflection combined with the feedback from my mentors or peers is the most influential aspect of my developing teaching practice. I feel that I also make an effort to assist my peers and model leadership by participating in class discussions only when I feel I have something to say that serves a meaningful purpose to the conversation and attending my peers lessons and giving them authentic feedback. I think one way I could improve on reflection and professionalism would be to not only internalize my reflections and feedback, but to make definite tangible efforts to revise my lesson plans as I receive said feedback.