Collaboration
Teaching is collaborative by nature. It is collaborative whether I'm planning a unit, co-leading a lesson, or simply learning alongside colleagues and students. Standards 7 and 10 remind me that good instruction doesn’t happen in isolation. Planning for effective teaching (Standard 7) means staying responsive to students, yes, but it also means drawing from the expertise and perspective of those around me. In the same vein, leadership (Standard 10) isn’t about being in charge, but it's rather about contributing to a shared vision, being open to feedback, and helping build a stronger learning community.
In both of my placements, I’ve seen firsthand how collaboration improves planning, builds school culture, and ultimately supports student growth. I’ve also learned how important it is to approach collaboration with humility, creativity, and a team-first mindset. These standards push me to not only build strong relationships with students, but with the adults who support them, too.
"Poetry Madness"
Possibly the most popular project across all my classes, Poetry Madness gave my 10th graders the chance to analyze poetry through a non-traditional, tournament-style bracket - it was unlike anything I’ve done before. This project worked because it was designed with collaboration and student strengths in mind from the very beginning. While the foundation of the project focused on key ELA standards like analyzing theme, form, and figurative language, I also intentionally planned to tap into skills students were building in other areas - especially their creative work from graphic design class.
As a class, we co-constructed the criteria we would use to evaluate the poems. This required students to collaborate, reflect, and think critically about what really makes a poem work. In small groups, students used our criteria to narrow down the “Red Bracket” to a top-tier “Green Bracket.” From there, the eight students each selected a finalist poem to analyze in depth.
For the final product, students created posters that included a close reading of the poem, research into the poet’s life, and a visual design that showcased their composition and layout skills. With this, it turned into more than just a poetry project - it was an interdisciplinary showcase of critical thinking, research, design, and collaborative planning.
This artifact reflects Standard 7 because it shows intentional planning that responds to student interests, strengths, and cross-curricular connections. It also demonstrates aspects of Standard 10, as it relied on shared decision-making and student voice throughout the process.
Professional Communication
Building strong professional relationships has been a priority for me since the start of my teacher training, and this email represents one of the earliest examples. Before beginning my first placement, I drafted an introduction email to my mentor teacher that not only shared my background and interests, but also offered my support wherever it might be useful - hoping to open the door for collaboration and shared planning from day one.
In the email, I asked if there were any texts I should review or materials I should prepare in order to hit the ground running. That small step paid off immensely - due to an unexpected scheduling change, I actually ended up leading the class on the very first day. Because I’d already done that early outreach, I felt more prepared and better equipped to step in smoothly.
Even before that, I had reached out to the school’s principal and assistant principal to schedule a tour of the building and introduce myself. That meeting helped me understand the school’s culture and expectations before ever walking into a classroom, and it directly shaped how I connected with students from the start.
This artifact reflects Standard 10 through my commitment to professional communication, early initiative, and relationship-building with colleagues. It also connects to Standard 7, as that early communication laid the groundwork for thoughtful instructional planning and collaboration once I was in the classroom.
Standard #1: Learner Development
The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
Standard #2: Learning Differences
The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
Standard #4: Content Knowledge
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) they teach and create learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
Standard #5: Application of Content
The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.
Standard #6: Assessment
The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction
The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross- disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies
The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate their practice, particularly the effects of their choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.