Professional Goals/Growth Plan

Name: Casey Penner

School: Noble Central School
Teacher Mentor: Phil Uren
School Administrator: Kathy Oviatt
Practicum Dates: Sept.-Dec. 2014
A. Professional Goals
Goal
#1: Increase my repertoire of cross-curricular literacy strategies to help increase literacy in
Social Studies.
Related K.S.A.s: #1, 4, 7, 10, & 11.
Rationale: In consideration of the school and division goal to increase literacy, I have
made it one of my goals to introduce differentiated literacy strategies in my pedagogical
skillset to help students increase their ability to read, understand, and deepen comprehension
of social studies texts.
Goal
#2: Increase my repertoire of ways and tools to communicate with parents.
Related K.S.A.s: #1, 2, 6, & 10.
Rationale: The nature of my previous practicum placements have restricted my
opportunities to establish contact and connections with the parents or guardians of students. I
felt that the environment of this school, the support available, and the length of my internship
provided the best opportunity to achieve this goal.
B. Strategies
Strategies for addressing Goal #1:
o Attend any professional development opportunities associated with literacy:
Divisional Professional Development Session, Fountas and Pinell
Testing.
Professional Development Session, What to Do When the Text Gets
Tough, hosted by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst.
o Consult with fellow teachers and co-workers on various strategies:
Divisional Collaboration Group, Literacy Strategies for Middle
School/Junior High.
o Read various books associated with literacy strategies:
Notice and Note, by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst.
Book Love, by Penny Kittle.
Why Do I Have To Teach Reading? by Cris Tovani.
o Research various literacy strategies.
o Implement various strategies in the classroom.

 Strategies for addressing Goal #2:

o Read the book: Knowing What Counts: Conferencing and Reporting, by Caren
Cameron, Anne Davies, & Kathleen Gregory.
o Attend the Meet the Teacher night and introduce myself to parents and
guardians of students.
o Send a letter of introduction home with my contact information and invite parents
to feel free to contact me.
o Research various methods to increase communication with parents and guardians.
o Consult with fellow teachers and co-workers on various ways to increase
communication with parents and guardians.
C. Indicators of Progress Towards Goals
Indicators of Progress for Goal #1:
o Student feedback after the use of various strategies:
Observation, exit slips, questionnaires, and one-on-one discussion.
o Comprehension demonstration:
On assignments, discussion, and performance tasks.
o Observation during and after the use of various strategies.
Personal reflections.
Indicators of Progress for Goal #2:
o Parent/guardian attendance the amount of parents and guardians met.
o Anecdotal records of contact with parents/guardians.
o The amount of parents/guardians met through school events, and assemblies.
o Personal phone calls home to parents/guardians to introduce myself, if we have
not yet had the opportunity to meet through initial school events, Meet the
Teacher night, or parent-teacher interviews.
Continued communication with parents/guardians.
D. Timeline for Completion: September December 8, 2014.
.......................................................................................................
E. Summary of Growth and Goals Achieved
Goal #1:
My first goal was achieved through the use of research, collaboration, implementation,
and evaluation. I was first inspired to research cross-curricular literacy strategies when I read the
book, Book Love by Penny Kittle over the summer. This goal was further inspired upon
learning of the school and divisional goal of increasing student literacy. I was provided with and
read the book, Why Do I Have to Teach Reading? by Cris Tovani, and have also read the

book, Notice and Note by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst. Divisional Professional
Development opportunities provided me the opportunity to attend a Professional Development
Session on the Fountas and Pinell Literacy Testing, join a divisional collaboration group on
Literacy Strategies for Middle School and Junior High, and to attend a session hosted by Kylene
Beers and Robert Probst titled, What to do when the text gets tough. Greatly valuing the
knowledge and experience of fellow teachers and support staff, I would also consult with them
when contemplating the use of certain strategies and the outcomes following implementation.
All of the above books, collaboration, and opportunities provided me with various strategies
which I then adapted to incorporate into planned lessons for social studies. I would first
introduce the strategy to students, and explain the procedures for completion. I would then
model use of the strategy, then together we would use it as a class. Once I felt that the students
were comfortable with certain aspects of the strategy I would allow them to work in partners or
in small groups. The final step would be to provide them the opportunity to use the strategy
independently. At the end of various stages I would always pause and allow time for whole class
discussion to help clear up any misunderstandings, address any remaining questions, and solidify
understandings. At the end of the lesson or completion of the strategy I would gather feedback
from students through the use of exit slips, comment cards, the handout used, or from discussion
observation.
Goal #2:
My second goal was achieved by first sending a letter of introduction home to
parents/guardians, which provided them with my contact information, and invited
parents/guardians to attend Meet the Teacher night. I was able to meet several parents and
guardians at this event. Following this I began making phone calls home to parents/guardians
that I had not yet met. I would also take every opportunity to introduce myself to
parents/guardians at school events, assemblies, and sports events. In the mornings I would
position myself by another teacher in the entry way of the school and with her guidance as to
who were the parents/guardians of who, I would introduce myself and welcome them to contact
me anytime. I would also take this opportunity to mention a few things about their student (I am
enjoying having them in the class, they are very good at, I love how they alwaysIs there
anything you feel I should know). Every week I would make a few phone calls, I was able to
speak with some parents, but most of the time I was sent to a messaging system and did not
receive any calls back. In November I was able to meet more parents at Parent-Teacher
Interviews. I was solely responsible for the individual comments and marks on report cards and
as such conducted the interviews with parents/guardians. Through this event, I was able to
increase the number of parents/guardians met, it also made me more recognizable around the
community, and have stopped and talked with parents at the local store and restaurant.
Following the Parent-Teacher Interviews I have continued to take every opportunity presented to
introduce myself and talk with parents/guardians about their student(s). I have also read the
book, Knowing What Counts: Conferencing and Reporting, by Caren Cameron, Anne Davies,
& Kathleen Gregory. This book is filled with great ideas about how to involve students with the
communication process with home. Although my time has run a little short, there are definitely
some strategies in here that I would like to use in future teaching opportunities. As part of an

intervention plan for a few students who have been struggling getting homework done and
handed in, I must sign their individual agendas daily and record any work that needs to be
handed in. For my class, this strategy has been a success, and those students have ceased
handing in late and incomplete assignments. More recently my family and I attended the
schools annual Turkey Bingo Fundraiser; here I was able to catch up with a lot of
parents/guardians. To further increase my experience here, I have also volunteered my time and
have become an assistant basketball coach for the junior high girls basketball team. This has
also provided me with opportunities to meet with parents/guardians.

F. Reflections on Professional Growth

Goal #1:
Oh my, where to start. This goal has given me so much in so many areas of professional
growth. Through my journey into literacy strategies I have read some amazing materials,
attended engaging professional development sessions, and have collaborated with some very
extraordinary individuals. I have learned, even more, the value of staying abreast with the latest
literature and research. There are some very progressive ideas out there and if one is willing to
sort through to find strategies that can be adapted across the curriculum, the results for students
can be astounding. I have had so many students come up to me after the implementation of a
new strategy and tell me that they love it and have used it in other classes. This makes me so
proud, not only because I was able to find a strategy, but that I found one or two that students
continue to use in other classes and find effective. I am even prouder still that the levels of these
students vary, so it is particularly amazing that differentiated learners continue to use them.
Although this journey began as one focused on literacy strategies, I also experienced a
professional growth in an area I did not predict professional collaboration. Through divisional
professional development opportunities I was allowed the opportunity to join a divisional
collaboration group on literacy strategies for middle school and junior high. I met some truly
extraordinary teachers, and was fortunate enough to experience professional collaboration at its
best. We shared strategies, sources, processes and results. It was a wonderful opportunity to
work with experienced and beginning teachers through this process. The support was incredible.
Literacy is a huge topic of discussion in education, especially with the advancements in
technology, it is of the greatest importance to find strategies that students will find useful and
carry with them as they move through their educational experience. Despite the success I have
had in finding strategies that help students, it is definitely an on-going research and professional
development goal of mine to continue to increase my repertoire of differentiated literacy
strategies to help increase literacy in social studies.
Goal #2:
After great consultation with fellow teachers, support staff, and students, I learned that
my initial ideas of establishing web-based communication were not entirely realistic, given the
dynamics of the community, not many have internet access. Ultimately, I began investigating
new ways to establish communication with parents/guardians. I found that the most effective
way in a school and community of this size and nature was face-to-face contact, and a letter

home. To be completely honest, I do not think that I would have enjoyed web-based
communication as much as face-to-face contact. I really enjoyed meeting parents/guardians and
speaking with them face-to-face, the personal nature of this communication helped me to feel
more comfortable with the students. It also gave us opportunities to share concerns on a much
more individual and personal level, I do not believe web-based communication would have
offered this. I would still appreciate the opportunity to engage some of the research I have found
in regards to web-based communication, however, the nature, size, and environment of this
school provided me with an extremely valuable experience, the significance of professional
personal connections.