Metro RESA Gifted Endorsement Cumulative Self Reflection Assessment for End of Course

Rena Ingram
View the PPT “MRESA Programming for High Ability Learners—A Review to Prepare You for Your Cumulative
Self Assessment”.
This summative assessment provides an opportunity for you to reflect upon your growth toward this goal:
“Our goal for all endorsees is that they not only become advocates for gifted children, but are empowered to
exert positive leadership in their school settings while becoming more effective teachers of ALL students.”

I. Of objectives for gifted education listed below, what would you say are two strengths of your
understanding and planning for high ability learners and what is one area of weakness on which you intend to
work? Explain each choice in detail.

 creative expression
 thinking skills
 self-awareness in order to learn to cope with weaknesses and to explore and appreciate strengths
 communication with peers of similar ability and interests
 decision-making
 acceptance of challenges, stipulations and competitions with others and self
 interest in the fine arts
 training in various career fields of interest
 a positive attitude toward mankind
 self-direction
 the ability to cope with, change and foresee the needs of the future
 understanding and expression of quality and excellence in one's performance

I believe that my first strength is understanding the severity of creative expression. As a person that loves to express
themselves through various artistic forms, I understand and deeply value the need of creativity. There are two interrelated
purposes of gifted education: 1) to help gifted children and adults become more self-activated creative individuals and 2)
to better enable gifted learners to make creative, positive contributions to society; however, and in many classrooms
around the world, the gifted learner is often left bored and unmotivated because they aren’t challenged to their ability nor
are they allowed the freedom to express themselves due to lack of differentiated instruction. In order for the gifted learner
to truly thrive, they need to be in an environment that not only presents them with rigorous content but allows them to
creatively explore to their hearts desire. Gifted learners can be creative both academically or artistically, and even both, so
it is important that opportunities for such are provided as it has a beneficial affect on their intellectual growth and their
emotional well-being. Instructional strategies driven by differentiation and creativity, such as Creative Problem Solving
and Metaphorical Expressions, provide them with opportunities to personally connect with the content, highlight the
originality they are often singled out for, become true explorers that increase their depth of feeling and higher-level
thinking skills. However, what’s especially significant is making sure the students feel comfortable expressing their
creativity which can be provided in an environment that celebrates their risk taking, praises their originality, and shields
them from the taunting of their peers (Think: Rules for Creative Brainstorming and Consensus Building).

I believe that my second strength is acknowledging the importance of providing student with opportunities to train in
various career fields of interest. Gifted students are often presented with this opportunity in their 11 th and 12th grades years
through the Internship/Mentorship Service Model implemented within their school’s curriculum. Gifted students require
purposeful instruction that includes depth and challenge which is often not provided in a traditional classroom, thus,
explorations driven by their desired career interest allow the subject to be brought to life for them and push them into
reaching new, rewarding academic heights. One of the most unforgettable experiences I had as a high school senior, was
the internship time I spent at University Hospital conducting research with a forensic focus (more specifically DNA
Polymorphism) because it was a field, I was interesting in pursuing. That type of exploration was considered our “Senior

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 Metro RESA Gifted Endorsement Cumulative Self Reflection Assessment for End of Course

Project” that required us to present our research and a thesis-structured paper to a panel for a grade, yet the lasting impact
came more from the experience obtained and the mentor-mentee relationship that was produced alongside it. Ultimately,
one of the most rewarding experiences for the gifted learner is having exposure to a mentor in their desired career field(s)
of interest that is willing to share time, skills, talents, and advice with them as it provides not only encouragement, but
inspiration, heightened determination, and so much more.

I strongly believe that the area of weakness I have is standing firmly in the decision-making process. Quite frankly,
although I’m a very self-determined person, I’m also extremely indecisive about even the simplest things (which is a
headache), so how can I urge others to be intentional decision makers? Throughout their academic matriculation, gifted
learners have to make important decisions for themselves, i.e. acceleration, and their ability to make effective choices is
imperative for them to be successful in life beyond school walls. I am committing to working on this trait within my own
life in order to be a better advocate for its purpose to my students while also incorporating it within my lessons. For
example, utilizing the Decision-Making Instructional Strategy in order to present them with more opportunities to be more
responsible and aware of their needs, as well as how they desire them to be met.

II. Considering the processes and topics listed below,

describe how the use of two of these in this course have
positively impacted your classroom practice and what you learned from that process.

Tickets In/Out the Door Learning Style/Teaching Style Inventories Curriculum Strategies

Special Populations Research Formal Lesson Plan Process Social Emotional Research

Creativity/Critical thinking Internship Formative/Summative Assessment

Differentiation Parenting and Counseling Information Questioning

Referral and Eligibility Process

I’ve never viewed teaching as a one-size-fits-all model but learning more about the characteristics of the gifted learner in
Course I and the instructional strategies that highlight differentiation in Course II brought that into a more refined focus
for me. Throughout this school year, I was able to implement three of the instructional strategies (Graduated Difficulty,
Metaphorical Expressions & The Six Thinking Hats) and was able to see firsthand how the implanted differentiation
positively impacted the students at their individual levels of ability. Differentiation helps challenge gifted learners because
it is a teacher’s response to the learners’ needs guided by adapting one/more of the curricular elements (content, process,
and product) based on one/more of the students’ characteristics (readiness, interest, and learning profiles) at any point in a
lesson/unit. Thus, this course has taught me the importance of being a kid watcher by seeing them more as individuals
rather than a group and being sure to continuously ask how the class is working for them and how to make it work better
to fit their needs (student-centered).

Last year, my school required us to CISS our students for the Reported Screening process and although we received
training on it prior to, I didn’t fully understand its underlying principles nor its overall purpose. Thus, this course has
taught me a lot about the referral and eligibility process of for the gifted learner which make me more effective as an
inclusive educator. Furthermore, the experience that impact me the most was seeing the process from the other side of the
table. For example, for there to be 150+ teachers in the building and be less than half that used CISS to assist the program
in identifying students was eye-opening and showed a big reason behind the disparity in schools lacking to identify gifted
students. Additionally, getting the hands-on experience with compiling the CISS reports, administering the test, and
scoring provided even more insight regarding how students are identified through the second phase of eligibility.
Ultimately, going forward the overall experience allows me to be more of a program advocate that supports not only the
TAG chair in identifying students but help students (as well as parents) understand the eligibility process within itself.
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 Metro RESA Gifted Endorsement Cumulative Self Reflection Assessment for End of Course

III. As a concluding synthesis. Reflect on how this yearlong course has impacted your understanding of high
ability students of many kinds, your planning for your classroom and your teaching practice. Refine your
philosophy in light of your experiences. Your final product for this part of the assessment should be the final
written copy of your teaching philosophy.

The world of science is a melting pot of ideas developed from the many contributions of knowledgeable scientists
around the world. The most compelling fact about these scientists are that each of them come from different cultural
backgrounds, beliefs, customs, and lifestyles, yet, their scientific findings – as a whole – are continuously directed by a
genuine interest that was created while they were young students in a classroom who were given the opportunity to
explore.
Although I only have a few years of education under my belt, my teaching method is student-centered as I
wholeheartedly believe that it is impossible for a young learner to learn in a teacher-directed environment that restricts
their authentic need to engage, interact, and explore. Moreover, their depth of learning can only reach its maximum
capacity if we help each other. As a teacher, I expect the students in my classroom to come prepared to learn, however, it
is also understood that their requirement of me is to do the same. It is necessary for me to put the same amount of work
into learning about who my students are, what they like to do, and who they want to become, in order to properly reach
them where they are.
The foundation of my teaching style comes in a four-component structure: 1) establishing a relationship, 2)
providing students with culturally relevant and rigorous instruction, 3) maintaining a high expectation of learning, and 4)
humility. I personally believe that is very essential s to build a relationship with my students that branches far beyond the
classroom. One that is built off not only their trust in my understanding of the subject I am teaching them, but trust that I
have their best interest at heart while doing so. I enthusiastically believe that it is my duty to invest in the character of my
students by supporting them in their recreational activities, i.e. school sports games, recitals, etc. This will not only
develop a level of rapport with my students but will allow me insight on how to best reach my students in the classroom.
In addition, I incorporate activities throughout the school year to assist in my effort to achieve this goal. For example, on
the first day of class, I implement a “Graffiti Walk” activity on the first day of class that asks the students to list their
favorite movie, TV show, food, vacation spot, sport, etc. which I use to help me 1) get a better understanding of the
dynamic amongst the students and 2) construct various assignments that would target their interest. Additionally, I find it
equally important to respect where the students come from and how they learn, which at times affects one another. In an
effort to do so, I idolize the need for developing an educational framework that allows me to provide culturally relevant
and appropriate instruction that present connections of the content to each students’ environment, and methods of
scaffolding and differentiation that allow each student to learn in ways that are best suitable for them. Within the third
component, I stand firmly in my aim to continuously hold my students to a high expectation of purpose – an expectation
that’s established on the very first day of class with a spatial reasoning activity. Within the activity, students are presented
with four pieces of paper with various shapes and instructed to compose a square which they usually create rather quickly;
however, once they successfully do so, I surprisingly throw in another piece and instruct them to create a brand new
square that incorporates it’s shape which challenges them far beyond their expectation and takes them much longer to
create. This activity not only presents me with an opportunity for an initial observation of how my students think
(especially how they adjust when presented with new information), but it gives me an opportunity to let the students
understand that I will hold them to the same standard that they showed, “It won’t always be easy to master, but regardless
of how hard it gets, never give up.” Lastly, the most important goal of my teaching is to always remember that I once was
who and where they are. By remembering how things were at that young stage of my life, how I was affected by my
environment, and the classroom environments that resonated with me the most, I believe I will be most efficient in my
duty to them as a teacher.

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 Metro RESA Gifted Endorsement Cumulative Self Reflection Assessment for End of Course

The characteristics of my classroom include an inclusive environment, student engagement, and assessment. I find
it mandatory that my classroom remains a safe zone for all students at all times, based upon the principles of respect for
others and their uniqueness, including race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Within the first few days of school, a
classroom contract will be established where sensible expectations from both myself and the students for our classroom as
a whole will be established, signed by each of us, and publicized. These expectations remain visible throughout the school
year and are referenced whenever necessary. Students are expected to interact throughout the course as natural scientist by
engaging in class discussions and willingly collaborating with different groups of students during each instructed
assignment. Students are also allowed the opportunity to engage in design inquiry-based labs tailored to their interest and
it is in those moments that my students are reassured that experiments do not produce incorrect results as it is only a
matter of being able to scientifically support those results – most importantly, trial and error is okay…a principle they can
apply to their life. Assessments are both formative and summative. Formative assessments serve more as a tool for me
through real-time data supplied through various technology, such as Kahoot! or Socrative, which allows me to gauge
student understanding and comprehension of the subject being taught. If I notice that my students aren’t thriving, I adjust
my teaching style in order to help my students successfully obtain the information. Summative assessments will be
implemented after every unit.
In summary, the student is the most important person in a classroom at all times. Hence, a teacher must be willing
to adjust to help their students of all cultures, characteristics, learning abilities, and learning styles learn to the best of their
ability. Students must also be assured that they have a voice in how they learn. In my dearest opinion, I have a strong
belief that I am responsible for each person in my classroom no matter the amount of time required, and I diligently put in
110% effort into each of my students to make sure they are efficiently learning at their fullest capacity while teaching
them how to become more responsible for themselves as constant learners. Moreover, although I can never expect that
each student will leave my classroom wanting to become a Chemist, I can expect that they know Ms. Ingram will always
love them unconditionally and will continue to push them to be their best selves even after they depart from my room.

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