Letter to LTM 612 Students Dear LTM 612 Students,

I am writing this letter as I organize my portfolio in preparation for student teaching. I am in my thirteenth year of teaching a variety of social studies classes at a private high school. I entered the LTM program at Alverno because I never earned my teaching license and I am actively seeking ways to improve my craft as an educator. The Alverno experience has been informative in terms of theory and methodology, as well as practical in terms of providing meaningful experiences through engaging discussions in courses and completing field work. It has been an inspiring reminder that learning is a lifelong process and that all educators benefit from ongoing professional development.

A particularly insightful example of the impact of ongoing education came in LTM 632 where we analyzed a number of different assessment strategies. One enduring concept for me was to realize the difference between inside-out and outside-in assessment planning. My experience often leads me to planning assessments with the inside-out approach because I have accumulated many lessons and learning activities over the years, but the challenge for me is to take all of my work and align it to standards. Many of my peers in the LTM program are working with the outside-in approach because they are starting with the standards and are looking for lessons and learning activities that will align. In my opinion it is important to plan lessons from both perspectives so that you develop a rich and thorough understanding of the value of effective assessment. Starting with an assessment to design a lesson is a valuable exercise, as is envisioning an ideal learning activity and then working to align it to a set of standards. Alverno provides an opportunity to work either inside-out or outside-in using the Alverno Advanced Education Abilities and the Wisconsin Standards for Educator Development and Licensure. Effectively supporting student learning through activities, lessons, and assessments will only occur if educators deliberately align their course, unit, and lesson plans to a clear set of standards to meet content and skill goals. Teachers are important models of learning for their students, and professional development geared towards the Alverno Advanced Education Abilities and Wisconsin Standards for Educator Development and Licensure ensure

that learning is meaningful. Teachers working towards goals and learning targets seem more likely to build a positive learning environment to support student learning. In my opinion it is important to combine experience with ongoing professional development to ensure the creation of a positive learning environment.

Another important conversation in education while I am working on my portfolio is on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). While the CCSS have become a controversial political topic, many school systems and individual teachers are working diligently to implement the standards to have a positive impact on student learning. I am confident that there will be new standards in the not too distant future, but it is important to remember that standards exist to support learning. Teachers have to be flexible and maintain a professional attitude about aligning their work to standards to ensure that students are given every opportunity to achieve. There will never be an ideal or perfect set of standards and educators are responsible for ongoing professional development to build positive and effective learning environments in classrooms.

Education is a challenging and exciting endeavor as a profession. Teachers are most effective supporting student learning when they themselves are actively engaged in ongoing professional development. Learning is a process that can always be improved and educators should be dedicated to actively seeking ways to advance their work.

Sincerely,

Luke A. Meuler