Introduction

My name is Vanessa Armendariz, a recent Grand Canyon University graduate. I was able to dual major in Elementary and Special education. While my teaching career has yet to begin, I have some years of experiences in a school setting. I have worked at a charter school in south Phoenix for five years. Though I started as a dance teacher, I eventually became the after-school coordinator at the school. There I worked with teachers, students, and parents to create a run an after-school program serving about 200 students. Additionally, I have run two summer school programs in collaboration with From One Hand To Another (FOHTA). All of these roles have allowed me to work closely with teachers, students, administrators, and parents in order to serve our community to the best of our ability.

I pride myself in serving the community that I grew up in and place the same expectations others had on me towards my own students. Within any classroom, it is important that the environment is friendly, welcoming, and one where mistakes can be made. Mistakes are proof of learning and are simply part of any classroom. Additionally, I am a firm believer that students will not care how much you know until they know how much you care. By creating a welcoming classroom environment, all students are more likely to succeed.

I fell in love with the special education resource setting, but within my community, I feel a disconnect and know that it is still a bit strange to acknowledge mental disabilities. My hope is to enlighten and bring awareness to these disabilities. The process of getting a child diagnosed, writing an IEP, implementing it, and much more can get confusing fast, but my goal is to bring comfort to parents and students. Being bilingual, it makes me feel that much closer to the community I serve. While I may not have all of the answers right away, I will attempt to bring comfort to the parents and students I serve during the process.

Teaching Resume

Resume

Professional Dispositions Statement Assessment:

Professional Dispositions Assessment

“Please indicate your level of agreement with each statement listed below using the response scale of 1-5. Use this assessment to inform your Professional Dispositions Statement.

1 = Strongly Disagree    2 = Disagree 3 = Undecided    4 = Agree 5 = Strongly Agree

Professional Dispositions Criteria	1	2	3	4	5
I believe a teacher must use a variety of instructional strategies to optimize student learning.				X
I understand that students learn in many different ways.				X
I demonstrate qualities of humor, empathy, and warmth.				X
I am a thoughtful and responsive listener.				X
I assume responsibility when working with others.			X
I believe that all students can learn.					X
I believe it is important to involve all students in learning.				X
I believe the classroom environment a teacher creates greatly affects students' learning and development.					X
I view teaching as an important profession.					X
I understand that teachers’ expectations affect student learning.				X
I view teaching as a collaborative effort among educators.				X
I understand that students have certain needs that must be met before learning can take place.					X
I am sensitive to student differences.			X
I communicate caring, concern, and a willingness to become involved with others.				X
I am punctual and reliable in my attendance.		X
I maintain a professional appearance.				X
I believe it is my job to create a learning environment conducive to the development of students’ self-confidence and competence.				X
I respect the cultures of all students and am sensitive to cultural norms.					X
I honor my commitments.					X
I treat students with dignity and respect at all times.				X
I am willing to receive feedback and assessment of my teaching.					X
I am patient when working with students.				X
I am open to adjusting and revising my plans to meet student needs.					X
I communicate in ways that demonstrate respect for the feelings, ideas, and contributions of others.				X
I believe it is important to learn about students and their communities” (GCU).					X

My personal professional disposition of learners is that all students should be held to a high expectation, but it is my job as a teacher to provide the tools for them to be able to live up to those expectations. Though they all have the same expectations, they do not all have the same abilities and talents, which is why they must receive instruction tailored to their needs. Expectations include

• Be kind to those around you, encourage others through your words, actions, and self.
• Never give up, because you simply can’t do it YET.
• Honesty is the best policy, as the truth will always come to light.

Looking through my self-assessment, I found that many of the statements that I strongly agreed with were statements that were sensitive to the student's cultures and believed that all students can learn. Personally, I believe that this has only strengthened through my studies. Within my mentor classroom, there is one particular student who is far below her classmates. Though she is not learning at the same rate and is below her classmates, she is making her own personal strides and is learning at her own pace. While a standardized test may disagree with her learning, it is clear to me that she is progressing, and that is exactly what is expected of her. Additionally, knowing the student's communities and backgrounds are an important part of identifying what additional resources the students need. For example, if a student is homeless, they may be focused on the fact that they are hungry or in need of something rather than the materials that are presented to them in class. As a teacher, it is important to be empathetic and work with these additional needs rather than against them.

Some areas that I hope to improve on are my punctuality and commitment to my student teaching. At the moment I have several commitments including student teacher and two additional jobs; this has caused me to spread myself thin. I have left early on two separate occasions to tend to work-related matters. I hope to lessen this as time progresses. Additionally, I am looking to take on more leadership roles as I go forward in my program. I find that I can be a leader, and hold an administrator role at one of my jobs, but I tend to only play this role when I am assigned to do so. I have yet to put myself out there and take initiative without being asked to. One way that I will attempt to do this is by giving feedback and being more responsive during meetings at my mentor school. Since I am there to learn, I do not have many opportunities to be a leader, but I would like to let my voice be heard.

Personal Teaching Philosophy Video Reflection:

Professional Growth Plan:

	Goal #1: I will find a form of communication that is approachable to parents (95% of parents respond with appropriate timing)  and comfortable for myself.	Goal #2: I will develop a routine  for classroom activities that will maximize students classroom time.	Goal #3: I will look to create a  child study team for the school that will maximize efforts of the special education program. Progress monitoring will occur on a monthly basis.
Rationale: Why did you choose this goal? How do you expect it to improve the outcomes of your future students?	I chose this goal because I find that there are so many ways to reach out to parents, and as technology advances, I imagine there will be even more forms of communication to pick from. My goal is to find a matter of communication where parents are able to feel welcomed, but still gives me my own personal space. Applications like Class Dojo give the sense of accessibility, but can interfere with personal space. Sending home flyers and logs can give a teacher a sense of personal space, but may not allow parents to ask questions or the comfort of a phone call. I also like leaving a paper trail, to ensure that if anything does need to be clarified, it can be reviewed by anyone involved or a third party. If there is good communication between parents, teachers, and myself, the student is able to see that they have clear expectations in all areas of their life. Making them more likely to reach those expectations.	This goal is primarily based off of my schedule as a student teacher. I would find myself jumping around from activities with students and I think it would be best for myself and the students if we found a routine and set activities that we can rely on. Since I anticipate to work with students in a special education resource classroom, many of them thrive on routine. If we are able to find a routine that works with our schedule, and the kids needs, I think we can maximize our learning.	I have been working at the same school for about five years now. Within my time there, we attempted to start a child study team, but the teachers at the time were not knowledgeable on how the team is there to help when they have a concern about a student. My mentor teacher brings up a good point, that their school and mine have about the same special education caseload, but we are about 200 students less than they are. This may be because they are quicker to classify students with special education services rather than finding ways to intervene and strategies that can be used by their general education services. I think a child study team will begin the process of finding the students LRE before they even go into testing. This will allow students who can be successful with certain strategies without being classified as special education.
End Date: By when do you expect to accomplish this goal?	I hope to accomplish this goal as soon as possible. I do think that there will be plenty of trial and error. Ideally by January of 2020, I will have a system in place for myself and the parents.	I hope to accomplish this goal by the end of my first year teaching, or by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. I think finding something that I am comfortable with and works with the students needs may be a matter of trial and error, but students will see all of the benefits.	I hope to have a child study team up and running by the end of the 2020 school year. I do expect it to take a couple of additional school years to be fully functioning and serving the school properly.
Action Timeline:What steps will you take to complete this goal, and by when will you take them? Example:  1/31/18: Join AACTE	I will look to try a variety of methods to see what yields the best results. I hope to try: newsletters, Class Dojo, Remind, Parent Alert, weekly progress reports, emails, phone calls, and whatever else is recommended to me. I will look to see what works best with parents, and my comfort with the communication method. Ideally, I would also like to talk to teachers who have implemented the strategy in the past to see how it can become more comfortable for myself and how to yield the best results.	I will attempt to implement some of the strategies that I was taught during my student teaching first. My mentor teacher has a great schedule that is easy for her and her students to understand. She also emphasized that things won't always go as scheduled, and that students will need more time to work on assignments, and that is ok. If I am unable to apply her strategies in my classroom, I will look to find guidance in others. I will be having a co-teacher who has years of experience, who I hope will be able to assist if I need guidance. Additionally, I will look to rely on my studies and attempt to find my own strategies that work with my kids needs and my teaching style.	My hope is that I can negotiate starting a child study team before the school year begins and get it in motion by the start of the school year. Ideally we will identify where we need to grow and only get better from there. My hope is that members within the team can attend different trainings, such as Special Summer Camp and an Orton Gillingham workshop in order to identify strategies that may benefit students who need the additional support.
Resources: What resources are available to assist you in accomplishing your goal?	I will turn to my co-teacher who has years of experience in special education and is bound to have strategies to assist me. I will also do my own research to identify what strategies will yield the best results. I do think there will be some trial and error in the process. I will look to log parents responses in order to monitor success of the strategies.	I will require the schools master schedule to ensure that students are being pulled during the end of their general education instruction. The goal is that students receive their teachers instruction, but are pulled during the application portion of the lesson.	I will look to have members in the child study team attend a variety of workshops to get them familiar with terms, strategies, and much more. I will also look to educate myself on what makes a successful child study team. My current mentor teacher has been great help and I am sure she will get bombarded with questions once I begin achieving this goal.

Classroom Management

Classroom management and engagement work together seeing as they are both required before proper learning can begin. When establishing ones classroom management, there are specific things that one must consider in order to ensure that it is as effective as possible. A teacher must consider how the two work together, how they will be established, and how the students culture will impact the classroom culture. When all three are considered, the rules apply to all and can lead to engagement that is authentic.

The most common way that engagement and classroom management are linked is with students behavioral engagement (Emmer & Sabornie, 2015). For example, students are on task, showcase effort, and persevere when things get tough (Emmer & Sabornie, 2015). Personally, I think that this is the foundation of engagement, and it is done by setting expectations for students. If students know that they are expected to at least try the work that is placed in front of them, they are more likely to attempt the work and continue to try to get it right (Emmer & Sabornie, 2015). Perseverance can only be taught if teachers encourage mistakes and offer skills to learn from mistakes. This is yet another way that engagement and classroom management work together; emotionally, students should feel comfortable in the class that they are in. They should feel enthusiastic and interested. Once they do, a teacher can captivate them with whatever material they present to them.

Establishing procedures, routines, and expectations changes depending on the grade level that one is working with, but essentially, it requires a lot of repetition and consistency all across the board. Repetition will allow students to see how the same rule should be applied in different scenarios, and also gives the teacher the opportunity to showcase how the same rule applies all throughout. In The Handbook of Classroom Management, they state: “Repetition, cueing, and coaching are necessary to transform discrete skills into socially competent and responsible behavior across different situations” (2015). Consistency is just as important and can be the difference between ineffective and effective classroom management. If a teacher is not able to keep consistent standards, students will quickly catch on that they are not necessarily required to uphold these standards. Sometimes they are applicable, while other times they can bend the rules and get away with it. Though consistent standards are important, it is crucial that teachers recognize that not all students will be able to meet the same standards.

While there are some standards that can apply to all students such as, do your personal best, two students personal bests may look completely different. A students culture, family structure, and ability may affect their ability to participate or engage in the classroom. As a teacher, it is crucial that you consider students cultures when devising classroom rules. Personally, I have found that the “look me in the eyes” rule has been hit or miss. Within some cultures, children are not supposed to look adults in the eyes as it is a sign of disrespect; some students may be practicing this at home and having it be a standard in the classroom may conflict with their personal beliefs. Similarly, a students family structure may impact their ability to practice these standards outside of the classroom. Students may have absent parents, be preoccupied with other tasks, or they simply don’t have the same structure as they do in the classroom. Parent engagement may not always be an option, which is why it is important to translate some of their expectations into real life scenarios they can apply on their own. A students ability can also hinder their ability to follow classroom rules. A learning disability may hinder their ability to perform the same academically, while a behavioral disorder may impact their overall behavior and emotional ability. A situation like this may require the assistance of a special education teacher, and varied depending on the student.

Engagement and classroom management go hand in hand. Classroom management can ensure that students are engaged through the task by encouraging them to participate and achieve their personal best. Yet a teacher must be able to provide tools that allow students to learn from their mistakes. The most effective way to establish rules and expectations is through repetition and consistency; with these two, students can see that the rules are to be taken serious and will be enforced throughout their time in the classroom. Yet it is important that the expectations work with the students cultures, family dynamics, and ability. By doing so, all students are welcomed in the classroom and proper learning can begin.

Emmer, T.E., & Sabornie, E., (2015). Handbook of classroom management. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=XUhsBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=engagement+in+classroom+management&ots=qZZb6-m-uW&sig=uRIKPjIOqmhYhmVLJV_pKEi9hoI#v=onepage&q=repetition&f=false

Sample Artifacts

For Parents: 

This newsletter gives a quick snapshot of what assessments look like and how professionals obtain the results to make a decision on the student's eligibility for special education services.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZqS4xdOqe2AyjQ3oItUEhg5ZjCZ_LYKNCdOGg22oiPY/edit#heading=h.uwtpzkmp9874


In the Classroom:

We host a social skills class which is primarily play based. Here students are learning how to get along with their peers and what proper social interactions look like. One of the games we played, which aligned directly to their different goals was Jeopardy. This template has been a life saver and allows us to tackle a variety of different lessons in a fun competative way outside of the social skills class.

Clinical Evaluation 1

This was my first evaluation, and it was primarily based around the professional dispositions of learners, those being: fairness, professional dispositions, reflection, curiosity, honesty, compassion, advocacy, and dedication. This evaluation took place in a general education, first-grade classroom, but the professional dispositions, in my opinion, reflect how a teacher will treat ALL students. Of course, all of these dispositions are essential to being an educator, but I think that advocacy is my strongest disposition. 

I hope to work within a special education classroom, but within my own community, I know that it is not as accepted as I would like it to be. In my experience, parents are afraid of that special education title and it carries a negative connotation when it really shouldn't. Advocacy and fighting for my student's rights is an important part of my job. I hope to collaborate with parents, teachers, and service providers to ensure that my students get the services they need to be successful.