Rhonda Haus: Student Analysis

During the months of September and October this semester I spent time at two different schools in four different classrooms. Being able to observe different classes and teachers at Westside Junior High and South Live Oak Elementary was a very new and exciting experience for me since I can’t say I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. My experiences at these schools gave me a better insight into the differences between schools, classrooms, and teachers. The purpose of this field experience was to get 10 observation or tutoring hours in an elementary or junior high setting. I chose to observe a

Change is difficult, making changes in schools can be extremely difficult. Schools have many moving components; students, teachers, parents, the community and the required curriculum. Schools have to contend with numerous outside factors that are beyond their control. With all the things that contribute to the running of a school change is not easy, making significant changes can be extremely challenging. Change cannot be facilitated if the problems or concerns are not identified. The identification of problems can be one of the most difficult steps. When identifying problems, it is best to use data to support the need for change rather than personal feelings.

I have taught students ranging from five years old to nineteen years of age. Hence, being an educator, I have learned that learning is always shifting, therefore I must keep improving with the incessant changes. As a little girl, I have always dreamt of being a teacher and I have carried out that dream. My career journey started as a substitute teacher, a floater between classrooms, an assistant teacher, a teacher, a center supervisor, and an educational supervisor. I presently work as an Educational consultant for Danya International LLC. As an Educational Consultant, I able to review and aid with the learning environment of teachers and educational management in a school

Having discovered my calling to work with nontraditional students, I took a position with St. Charles Youth and Family Services as a Teacher of Experiential Education. This position allowed me to interact with urban students from MPS who were expelled, court ordered or Special Education students who were deemed best suited to self-contained program. I loved the challenge every day. Every student was so different, but they all wanted and craved the same thing… acceptance and unconditional love. I wanted more.

This interview was conducted with Wes Jensen the current principal of Mountain View Middle School. He has been the principal at his current school for two years, and was vice principal of the Blackfoot High School for two years. Before he became an administrator he was a classroom teacher for seven years, giving him 11 years of experience in education. The school has a very diverse population comprised of many different ethnicities including Native American, Hispanic, and Caucasian. The economic situations range from wealthy to highly impoverished. As the principal of this school he is a very professional man who holds high expectations for his staff.

For this experience, I chose to visit an elementary school and its feeder middle school. I chose this because students leave this elementary school with a high rate of student achievement, yet in middle school the scores plummet. I wanted to investigate how this gap could be minimized. Comparing philosophies, expectations and leadership styles for schools within the same community was also a goal.

A sit-down interview, in the interviewee’s classroom, on April 22, 2017, results in responses from Rachel, a female Elementary Education teacher at Deerfield Elementary School, in Deerfield, Wisconsin. Containing eight initial questions and two response follow-up inquiries, this interview represents a 4-year Kindergarten grade level perspective, and utilizes eleven years of teaching experience. As a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, Rachel began her career in Milwaukee before accepting her current position of nine years. With extensive knowledge of the field, Rachel qualifies as an excellent resource, both when actively pursuing plans to become an Elementary Education

Despite the many challenges I face daily, remembering that I significantly influence the lives of each my students will help me in becoming a better teacher leader. Reason and Reason (2011) states that a mission will not come to fruition without ownership and ownership cannot be stimulated without consistently reminding everyone why they come to work each day. It is my mission every day to transform lives in my classroom and school environment. I have chosen a career in education because I believe that it is one of the most important functions performed in our culture. I believe that teachers individually and collectively have the ability to not only change the world but to improve it.

As a leader in urban education, working in under-served communities, I found that KIPP strategies worked! A highly functional learning community is an energizing place for teachers. I share KIPP’s belief that all students can and will learn, and with continued supportive guidance will succeed in life. In my current program, success and growth are the expectation with 100% of 5th graders receiving academic awards annually, and K-2 students growing five levels on the Fountas & Pinnell system during camp. These achievements are the shared results of teacher commitment and student grit.

But the second I was into the classroom a different persona is taken. I felt like I had a responsibility not to just get a good grade for the class but to actually teach the students something so they can gain knowledge. Which is what I find to be the true meaning of being a teacher. Going to class not just for a pay check but to make a lasting impact on the students and give them valuable knowledge to help them move forward in lie. Preparing my lesson to teach gave me a new outlook on how teachers think.

Throughout my educational experience, I have been presented with different educational and social challenges that I have had to overcome to prepare me for where I am at now at Loras College. My family has moved to different towns and school districts several times during my 13 years of education. We moved because of my father’s occupations in school administration. By starting as a teacher then moving up the ranks to being a principal, and eventually becoming a superintendent, my father has shown me the true meaning of achieving a goal and understanding why my family is where we are at today in

Through my vast experience within a diverse range of schools has ultimately cultivated my teaching pedagogy to display proficiency and approval to teach K-6 whilst providing outstanding student outcomes. I am a teacher who endeavours to create excellence and success through opportunity and innovation, whilst implementing up to date effective classroom practice and adjusting to the needs of each individual student. My NSW approval to teach is sustained through my:

George Esposito is a Graduate of Saint Francis College in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in Social Studies. He has a Master’s Degree from Brooklyn College in Social Studies. He has taught at David A. Boody Junior High School for 4 years. George Esposito has been a Teacher Leader for two years where he led teams in analyzing student data, teaching practices, and common planning teams. Throughout his career, George has spoken at the Gates Foundation and Learning Forward Conferences on teacher leadership. George has presented at several locations around the country on Micro-Credentialing and Teacher Leadership.

First, “Public school teachers are often provided an array of ideas and methods through preservice training, in-service training, professional conferences, and personal study,” (Thomas 2073). Public schools can be far from picture-perfect, but even though there are some deficiencies, such as bullying, finance, gangs’ violence, there are willing to go above and beyond to teach a

During the 21 years I have spent working with teachers and students in public education, I have witnessed amazing, tear-jerking success as well as horrific, heart-wrenching failures. The failures, occasionally, cause me to question my choice of career. The daily successes keep me coming back year after year. I have overflowed with joy. I have exploded with rage. I have drowned in defeat. I have soared with pride. When you think about it, where else can you live this kind of roller coaster? Having worn many hats in this field including teacher, student, leader, mother, peer, evaluator, and advocate, I bring a lot of experience to this program and have a strong motivation to complete it. It is my hope, with this degree, I can effect positive