Example 1
- Date: April 19th, 2023
- Artifact: Military-themed gym class
- Connection to the standards of practice: Being a leader involves recognizing individual strengths and weaknesses, and the strengths and weaknesses of the entire group. Before my practicum placement even started, my associate teacher warned me that the students did not work well together in gym class. In this slightly less structured gym setting, the students would struggle to listen and stay on task, they would cheat in games, and they would be mean to one another. This collective weakness of the students also highlighted one of my own areas for growth as a sometimes too passive and quiet speaker. To create the collaborative, safe, and supportive learning community that I was looking for in the gym, I needed to be a leader. So, once I gained the students’ trust, I took on the fun make-believe role of a “drill sergeant”. I surprised the students by showing up to class as Sergeant Park, complete with a military uniform, a whistle, and a headset speaker. I had the students march down the hallway to the gym, and then participate in a series of physical training exercises and squad races. The students were asked to salute, stand at attention, and do other military-type actions throughout the gym class. They loved the competition, teamwork, discipline, and dramatic role-play. Everyone worked very well together, and at the end of the “mission”, they were all “promoted in rank” with a paper badge of honor. The speaker headset and whistle acted as a prop, but also served as assistive devices for speaking more loudly and gaining the students’ attention.
- Relevance to my growth as a professional: This gym class was a valuable leadership experience for me as a professional, and for the students who were learning to work as a team. I realized that students respond very well to structure and discipline when it is presented in a fun and creative manner, and when they trust you as a teacher. I learned that I could use a headset speaker simultaneously as a prop and an assistive device that would help everyone to hear me more clearly. The students learned to cheer each other on and support one another during races and drills, instead of working competitively against one another.
Example 2
- Date: December 2023
- Artifact: The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi.
- Connection to the Standards of Practice: For me, leadership involves anticipating and preparing for potential problems, before they arise. By reading Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) books, such as The Magical Yet, to young students, you can create a positive, growth mindset before a fixed mindset develops.
- Relevance to my growth as a professional: I fully support the incorporation of SEL activities and lessons into the classroom on a regular basis. Especially for young children, I think developing positive mindsets, healthy communication skills, emotional control, stress management skills, healthy coping mechanisms, and self-confidence are all very important. These foundational social-emotional skills will benefit students for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, when these skills are developed early in the school year, it will create a more respectful and safe learning environment for all students.
