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PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER THREE: Final Report

Teacher Mentor: Emma Lenz

Intern Teacher: Melissa Gillam

Teacher Mentor Comments:

Melissa Gillam has been an intern in my grade 2-3 multiage CES classroom since the first day of school this year. We met three times over
the summer to plan. I knew immediately that we were going to make a great team. Melissa brings a maturity and a wealth of experience to the
elementary classroom. Right from the start, her ability to plan and her talent for seeing the “big picture” were evident. With close attention to
the curriculum in the subjects that she was responsible for (social studies, art, and P.E.), she “hit the ground running”.

As is to be expected in teaching, even the best made plans need adjusting. Melissa was able to make adjustments by reflecting on student
progress, welcoming feedback and through daily self-reflection. She thoroughly considered the curriculum outcomes while preparing her
detailed lessons.

Mrs. Gillam was able to think on her feet. This is a necessary quality for an educator. Her strong organizational skills helped to provide a good
foundation for her lessons. This was especially evident in art classes, where she was meticulous in preparing materials so that lessons could
move smoothly. Her love for art was reflected in the lessons and the students picked up on her passion. She also taught several students to
finger knit at recess and incorporated knitting into social studies and writing lessons.

By the beginning of October, I took back teaching P.E. and Melissa assumed the leadership role in reading and writing and efficiently
instructed the mini-lessons. We worked as a team during reading and writing, and had the opportunity to discuss student progress in literacy
on an almost daily basis. Using the Lucy Calkins rubrics gave us the opportunity to collaborate while assessing student writing. Although she's
new to this program, Melissa quickly understood the framework and did a wonderful job of implementing her reading and writing lessons and
evaluating student progress. Melissa rose to the challenge of taking on the Words Their Way program for word work. This is a highly
differentiated words study programs which requires dedication, organization, and classroom management skills. Melissa showed growth in all
these areas through the duration of this program.

Mrs. Gillam displayed utmost professionalism throughout the practicum. She assumed the roles and duties of a classroom teacher, including
recess supervision, attendance at staff meetings and professional development days, and even volunteered after hours at the annual Turkey
Bingo,. She assisted in taking on daily routines including, but not limited to, submitting attendance, bringing students in from recess and
organizing the fridge for food program. As part of her Professional Growth Plan, Melissa made special arrangements to observe other
classroom teachers during her practicum, in order to discover new management strategies and routines. Early in the term I was terribly sick,
and the substitute remarked on what a great support Melissa was, knowing all the students and their routines.

The incorporation of technology could be seen in her social lessons, with the use of teaching videos and a Kahoot online unit test. She also
infused literacy into her lessons, using a chapter book about Peru during social and a picture book during art.

“It's so calm in here,” remarked a staff meeting when coming in during a writing lesson. Melissa uses music to add to a peaceful atmosphere
in the classroom. As part of her Professional Inquiry Project, she researched the effect of different styles of music on the atmosphere in the
room and made a website available to staff to share her findings.

It has been an honour to work with Melissa Gillam. She has successfully completed the requirements for her third professional semester.

Teacher Mentor Signature Date

This page is to be returned to the UC to be included in the PS III Final Report.

U of L: PS III Final Report: (Revised: January 2018) Page 4 of 5