MS. LATHAN'S TEACHING PORTFOLIO
Respected Teacher
University of Northern Iowa; May 2018
Hello and welcome to my E-portfolio! My name is Tre'Chiondria (Tray-shawn-dree-uh) Lathan and I have a B.A. in both Elementary and Middle-Level education. In middle school, I am certified to teach math, science, and social studies. I also have a minor in Instructional Technology. Here, you can find information about my my education background, information about me, my teaching philosophy and artifacts that show proficiency in the Iowa Teaching Standards. Enjoy!
ABOUT
Under The Teacher Hat
I love teaching, but my life has lead me to become most passionate about serving children who have experienced trauma & adversity using therapy. When I think about my own upbringing, I didn't have many people to help me process my emotions as I navigated through obstacles that were thrown my way. As a child, I dealt with a multitude of traumatic experiences such as emotional neglect, death of a loved one, substance abuse, household dysfunction, & more.
Luckily, in college, I was able to take advantage of the mental health services offered on campus. In therapy, I was able to begin healing from my past trauma. I learned how to set healthy boundaries & advocate for myself. I even gained insight about how exposure to ongoing toxic stress can affect both neurological & physical development of children. Therapy provided me with answers about my own life that academics never did. It taught me that we cannot be our best selves if we do not take care of our mental health. It was in therapy, my desire to serve children who have had similar experiences was ignited.
As a teacher, I have used what I've learned about trauma-informed practices to ensure that students feel safe, loved, and valued. I teach my students how to self-regulate using various calming strategies, name their emotions, practice mindfulness, & the importance of self-care. In my classroom, students' mental well-being will always be my first priority.
In the future, I aspire to become therapist for children. After that, I'd like to be a professor so I can continue teaching others about the importance of mental health. However, for now, teaching is exactly where I want to be.
Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
TRAUMA INFORMED TEACHING
As a teacher, it is important to be informed about the ways that traumatic experiences affect children because these experiences can have a detrimental, long-term impact on brain development and health. It can impede cognitive, social, and emotional development. Exposure to adversity can lead to difficulties in all areas of life such as academic achievement, behavior, social skills, and more. These difficulties can even follow children into adulthood depending on the severity of their trauma. As educators, we must remember that we cannot control what students are coming into our classrooms and we don't know what life at home is life for them. To me, it is just as important to accommodate students emotionally as much as we do academically. By implementing trauma-informed practices in schools, it can help students to begin building the skills they need to be successful and improve their overall well-being.
I implement trauma-informed practices by teaching students self-regulatory skills, how to name their feelings, the importance of self-love and self-care, mindfulness practices, and various coping mechanisms that help reduce stress. For children who are exposed to excessive amounts of trauma and stress, it is important to provide them a safe, predictable, and stable environment to work in. Trauma-informed practices not only benefits students exposed to trauma, but also students who have yet to be exposed to trauma, and even educators. By practicing these skills, there are minimize disruptions and increase productivity all because students are better equipped to focus, problem-solve, and more. That is why I value trauma-informed teaching.
REPRESENTATION
I believe that it is important for students to see and have teachers who look like them because the world is full of different ethnicities and cultures. As a child, I did not have my first African American teacher until I was in the 8th grade. I remember how shocked and excited I was to have a black teacher because I had never had one before. Having a teacher with the same colored skin as mine inspired me: for the first time, I saw that I could become a teacher one day if I wanted to. It's not as if I didn't feel it was possible prior to this experience. I had never seen it, so it was never something that crossed my mind up until that moment. To me, representation matters regardless if it's in a classroom, a doctors office, or construction site. I believe when children see people who look like them or share the same culture as professionals, it instills a belief that they too can be successful. A large part of why I became a teacher is to show young students, particularly African American students that they can also become a teacher one day. Now that I am a teacher, it's beautiful that I get to see students react the same way I did.
DIVERSITY
As an educator, I believe exposure to diversity among students and staff is extremely important for a variety of reasons. To begin, exposure to diverse groups of people help children to become more comfortable around individuals that they may not interact with in their own personal lives. Diversity helps to break down barriers and humanize peope through simple conversations. Personally, I believe that racism, microaggressions, and stereotypes exist as a result of ignorance, lack of exposure, and the way groups are sensationalized on television. It can be scary and intimidating to be around groups you have not interacted with before. and, to be frank, you don't know what you don't know. Diversity allows students to feel more sympathetic and compassionate for people who may look and communicate differently. It also promotes an appreciation and respect for others, resulting in a more inclusive community. As teachers, we are responsible with helping to prepare students for life after high school. When students are exposed to a diverse group of individuals in schools, it aids in preparing students work with diverse group throughout their adult lives.
COLLABORATION
Within education, collaboration on a variety of levels is key. I believe that it is important to do so with fellow teachers, administrators, community members, and parents/guardians. Collaboration, as a teacher, depends on what the day requires. It might mean popping into a different classroom to ask about accommodations for students, covering someones lunch duty, or teaming up with a parent to address a behavioral issue. Through collaboration with my grade-level team, I am able to depend on them for advice ranging from implementing routines to establishing interventions and everything in between. Within my school I work collaboratively to establish school-wide practices such as PBIS. When we work collaboratively at any level, it creates a cohesive community with one shared goal: the success of students.
ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
As an educator, I believe that it is important to engage in ongoing professional development opportunities. Within an ever changing world, it is our job as educators to stay up to date on what best practices to use with our students. New studies are constantly being researched and released in an effort to improve the effectiveness of educators and student success. To do so, I like to purchase and read books written by educators and therapists to hone my teaching philosophy and apply knowledge that I find applicable to my classroom. Within my school, I participate in weekly professional development opportunities surrounding a variety of topics such as blended learning, online resources, and trauma-informed teaching. I also actively seek out training --Foss Kits and English Language Proficiency Standards (2019)-- whether required or non required by my district. As teachers, we must commit to being a lifelong learner and humble ourselves in understanding that our degrees do not mean we know everything there is to know about teaching. To me, if you truly care about your students, the best way to show it is to continue educating yourself. This will not only benefit us as professionals, but also provide support to and promote the success of students academically, behaviorally, and emotionally. Engaging in ongoing professional development reinforces what's most important about our job: doing what is best for kids.
ARTIFACTS BY STANDARD
Artifacts are organized by standard. Click a standard to view the artifacts associated with it.
STANDARD 1
Demonstrates ability to enhance academic performance and support for implementation of the school district's achievement goals.
Criteria
The teacher:
A. Provides multiple forms of evidence of student learning and growth to students, families, and staff.
At the end of each trimester, report cards are shared with students and families as evidence of learning and growth. Each student is assigned a binder where all evidences are collected for the following subject areas: math, reading, writing, science, social studies, interventions, and specials. Resources mention in section C are also shared with students, families, and staff during conferences, professional weekly development meetings, and PLC's as evidence of student learning and growth.
B. Implements strategies supporting student, building, and district goals.
Within our district, school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are used to promote school safety and positive behavior. All teachers, including myself, are required to teach PBIS lessons to our students that align with goals set by administrators and staff. At my school, we promote students and staff to be "Grizzly Great" by being respectful, responsible, and resilient. To view the PBIS Matrix for my school, click this link. To view our PBIS Lessons, click here.
C. Uses student performance data as a guide for decision making.
To plan for instruction, I assess students using a variety of resources such as Fastbridge, Phonological Awareness Screeners for Intervention (PASI), exit tickets, Lexia, Dreambox, daily work, and homework. Tools such as these allow me to monitor the progress of students and adjust instruction according to their needs. This ensures that instruction is appropriate and contributes academic success.
D. Accepts and demonstrates responsibility for creating a classroom culture that supports the learning of every students.
In my classroom, I use Class Dojo to positively reinforce appropriate behaviors and self-regulation among students, as well as, Trauma-Informed practices to support learning.
E. Creates an environment of mutual respect, rapport, and fairness.
Please refer to sections B, D, and F.
F. Participates in and contributes to a school culture that focuses on improved student learning.
To participate and contribute to a school culture that focuses on improved student learning, I attend weekly professional development meetings that address a variety of topics such as assessing and interpreting district assessment data, learning about trauma-informed practices, and accommodating students who are above grade level. At these meetings, we discuss topics like these with our grade-level teams and as a staff.
G. Communicates with students, families, colleagues, and communities effectively and accurately.
I actively communicate with students, families, colleagues, and communities through email and Class Dojo.
STANDARD 2
Demonstrates competence in content knowledge appropriate to the teaching position.
Criteria
The teacher:
A. Understands and uses key concepts, underlying themes, relationships, and different perspectives related to the content area.
For science, students did an Solids and Liquids unit. Within this unit, students observed, described, and sorted objects according to their properties. To apple what they've learned, students did a home/school connection activity called "I spy a solid object". For this activity, students were given a worksheet with words to describe solid objects such as flexible, transparent, and flat. Next to each wed, students drew or wrote the name of the solid they spied that matched the word. To view the I spy a solid object activity, click Learn More beneath the section titled Solids and Liquids: I Spy below. Then, scroll to the I Spy section to view the activity students completed.
B. Uses knowledge of student development to make learning experiences in the content area meaningful and accessible for every student.
Within our Solids and Liquids unit, students learned about structures and how they are built. To do so, students were given the task of building a tower using objects and materials that provide stability and strength at each level. If you would like to view the presentation used to guide students throughout their investigation, click Learn More under the section titled Solids and Liquids: Towers and Structures below.
C. Relates ideas and information within and across content areas.
As a part of the Air and Weather unit, students learned what a thermometer is, how it's used, and how to read and tell the temperature. To do so, I used a tea maker to produce hot water and a pitcher of ice cold water to show how the mercury moves according to the temperature of the water when the thermometer is place. This provided a cross-curricular connection between math and science as we talked about how to tell what the temperature was and how to count by 5's. To view the presentation used to guide students throughout the investigation, click Learn More under the section titled Air and Weather: Thermometer & Telling Temperature below.
D. Understands and uses instructional strategies that are appropriate to the content area.
For science, to learn about air resistance, students made parachutes using string, a napkin, sticker dots, and a paper clip. Once finished, students held their napkins so the string and paperclips hung down. Then, the gently released them or observe how the air pushed back on the parachute to make it fall slowly. To view the presentation used to guide students throughout the investigation, click Learn More under the section titled Air and Weather: Parachutes and Air Resistance below.
STANDARD 3
Demonstrates competency in planning and preparing for instruction.
Criteria
The teacher:
A. Uses student achievement data, local standards, and the district curriculum in planning for instruction.
To plan for reading small groups and math interventions, I use students aReading, aMath, and CBMReading scores on Fastbridge as a guide for how to place my kids and provide appropriate instruction.
To view standards that I teach and assess students over, click here.
2nd Grade Curriculum includes The Superkids Reading Program, EnVision Math 2.0, Foss Kits, and Social Studies curriculum by TCI.
B. Sets and communicates high expectations for social, behavioral, and academic success of all students.
To ensure that students understand expectations, I use PBIS lessons provided by our behavior support team.
I use Class Dojo to positively reinforce behaviors such as showing kindness and bring prepared.
Students engage in class-wide discussions to problem solve and create solutions that help our classroom function appropriately. For example, students agreed to make it a rule that we raise our hand to speak as a way to make sure we are showing respect, kindness, and can hear what the speaker has to say.
C. Uses student's developmental needs, backgrounds, and interests in planning for instruction.
To use student's interest in planning for instruction, I provided opportunities to choose a book read in small groups.
D. Selects strategies to engage all students in learning.
To engage students in learning, I have taught them how to show that they agree and/or disagree with someone using sign language.
Throughout the day, I use GoNoodle as a break and to get kids moving.
To get students attention, I use many strategies. Those strategies include call-and-response, a sound bowl, and hand signals.
E. Uses available resources, including technologies, in the development and sequencing of instruction.
For math, reading, science, and social studies, I use instructional materials provided by my district. These include The Superkids Reading Program, EnVision Math 2.0, Foss Kits, and social studies curriculum by TCI. For each resource, there are pacing guides that outline sequencing of instruction.
I use pacing guides shared by curriculum specialists in our districts. To view Superkids pacing for 2nd grade instruction, click here.
In my classroom, students share 6 iPads and 1 chromebook. I use these devices for a variety of reasons such as reinforcing skills that have been taught, interventions, and for progress monitoring. Programs used in my classrom include Superkids Online Fun, Lexia, Dreambox, and Osmo.
Students use our schools literacy lab and library as a resource as well. Students can check out books from our library and, in our literacy lab, student use Typing Club to practice typing on a keyboard.
EMPATHIZE
EDUCATE
EMPOWER
STANDARD 4
Uses strategies to deliver instruction that meets the multiple learning needs of students.
Criteria
The teacher:
A. Aligns classroom instruction with local standards and district curriculum.
sequencing of instruction.
For math, reading, science, and social studies, I use instructional materials provided by my district. These include The Superkids Reading Program, EnVision Math 2.0, Foss Kits, and social studies curriculum by TCI. For each resource, there are pacing guides that outline sequencing of instruction shared by curriculum directors.
B. Uses research-based instructional strategies that address the full range of cognitive levels.
Within my small groups, I differentiate to ensure that students are working at a level that is appropriate for them. For example, students who struggle with phonemic awareness, I use Lexia,
C. Demonstrates flexibility and responsiveness in adjusting instruction to meet student needs.
To adjust instruction for students who were performing below grade-level, I had meetings with tother teachers, interventionists and special education teachers to ensure that independent work in the classroom was appropriate for them to do. For example, for students struggling in reading, I exchanged materials with 1st grade teachers to use in my small groups with students who were struggling with phonemic awareness.
D. Engages students in varied experiences that meet diverse needs and promote social, emotional, and academic growth.
To promote social growth, I have created a point system for Class Dojo where students can earn rewards individually and as a whole team. This helps students to realize that we all must work together in order to accomplish our goals each day, hold one another accountable, as well as themselves. To view my point system, click here. Students also work as a team using Stem Kits.
To promote emotional development, at the beginning of the year, I teach students the importance of mindfulness and self-love. At the beginning of the year, I taught students a simple sun salutation sequence that we use to stretch and take care of our bodies each morning. Click here to listen to the video we use. On Valentine's Day, students do a self-love activity called Loads of Love. I also teach students various coping mechanisms to help them calm down when they are having strong feelings such as coloring, reading, and breathing techniques.
To promote academic growth, I continuously reinforce that all of my students matter and they are smart by telling them directly, mindfulness activities, and goal setting. For example, I progress monitor students using CBMR on Fastbridge. Before students read to me, they set a goal for how many words they want to read correctly in a minute. We also view their progress graphs to share and talk about growth and strategies they can use to improve.
E. Connects students' prior knowledge, life experiences, and interests in the instructional process.
To connect student prior knowledge, interests, and life experiences students discussed what they knew about air before our experiments surrounding air resistance, clouds, and temperature.
F. Uses available resources, including technologies, in the delivery of instruction.
For math, reading, science, and social studies, I use instructional materials provided by my district. These include The Superkids Reading Program, EnVision Math 2.0, Foss Kits, and social studies curriculum by TCI.
In my classroom, students share 6 iPads and 1 chromebook. I use these devices for a variety of reasons such as reinforcing skills that have been taught, interventions, and for progress monitoring. Programs used in my classrom include Superkids Online Fun, Lexia, Dreambox, and Osmo.
Students use our schools literacy lab, classroom library, and school library as a resource as well. Students can check out books from our library and, in our literacy lab, student use Typing Club to practice typing on a keyboard learn about the importance of digital citizenship.
STANDARD 5
Uses a variety of methods to monitor student learning.
A. Aligns classroom assessment with instruction.
To assess understanding of standard 2.OA.B.2: Add and Subtract within 20, my second grade team and I created a CFA that would allow us to gain a better understanding of how where students were in their number sense. Not only would students have to solve each equation but also identify the strategy they used. Examples include using a hundreds chart, fingers, and counting on. To view CFA's used, click here.
B. Communicates assessment criteria and standards to all students and parents.
At the end of each trimester, I am required to sit down with parents to share conference reports and materials to communicate what students are being assessed over and how they are doing. To organize and schedule conferences, I use signupgenius.com. To view previous sign-ups that I created or a conference report, view the gallery below.
C. Understands and uses the results of multiple assessments to guide planning and instruction.
To guide and plan for instruction, I use a variety of resources such as Fastbridge, Phonological Awareness Screeners for Intervention (PASI), exit tickets, Lexia, Dreambox, daily work, and homework. Tools such as these allow me to monitor the progress of students and adjust instruction according to their needs. This ensures that instruction is appropriate and contributes academic success. For example, after giving the PASI to identify skill deficits, I aligned student needs with the Superkids pacing guide to plan for independent reading work during small groups.
D. Guides students in goal setting and assessing their own learning.
To guide students in goal setting and assessing their own learning, before progress monitoring students using CBMReading on Fastbridge, we review and discuss their progress graphs. Then, we review what helps build fluency and I have students set a new goal for how many words they want to read in a minute. To view one of my students progress monitoring graph, view the gallery below.
E. Provides substantive, timely, and constructive feedback to students and parents.
To provide substantive, timely, and constructive feedback to students, I try to review their work and get it back to them within 1-2 days. If students do well, I write a note on their work or give positive feedback to them directly. If students are a little unclear on how to complete their work, I write suggestions on their papers or circle where they've made a mistake. If students have attempted to do work multiple times, I write "see me" on their papers to guide them through it.
To provide feedback to parents, I share successes or struggles that their children may be having by email. I also share resources that can be used at home such as worksheets, games, and interventions to support areas in reading, math, science, and socil studies.
F. Works with other staff and building and district leadership in analysis of student progress.
To work with my 2nd grade team, we meet for PLC's each Tuesday to discuss student data, form interventions, and share ideas to improve instruction.
To work with other staff and district leadership, I participate in weekly professional development meetings that are held after school on Thursdays. Professional development meetings cover a range of topics such as school assessment data, PBIS behavioral data, and more.
STANDARD 6
Demonstrates competence in classroom management.
Criteria
The teacher:
A. Creates a learning community that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement, and self-regulation for every student.
To create a learning community that encourages positive social interactions, active engagement, and self-regulation for every student, I use Class Dojo. Class Dojo is an online behavior management system.
To help promote self-regulatory skills, I mindfulness games and a calm-down corner. The calm down area is located in a secluded part of the classroom. There, students choose from a selection of strategies they can use to help calm themselves down. Once finished, students write a reflection to tell why they were in the calm-down area, what strategy they used, and how it helped them to feel better.
B. Establishes, communicates, models, and maintains standards of responsible student behavior.
As a way to establish and model standards of responsible student behavior, all teachers at my school use these PBIS lessons by engaging students in a class-wide discussion and having students model appropriate behaviors.
I also give students points on class dojo that coincide with school-wide expectations such as being prepared, showing kindness, and being on task.
C. Develops and implements classroom procedures and routines that support high expectations for student learning.
To view the schedule that I created with my grade level team, click here. This ensures that students instructional time is used effectively as well as create a safe and purposeful learning environment.
D. Uses instructional time effectively to maximize student achievement.
An example of how I use time effectively maximize student achievement is my reading small groups. During small groups, students engage in learning independently, with a partner, and in groups to reinforce or refine skills. Within small groups, students, lessons, and texts are grouped according to their abilities.
Please refer to section C to view my daily schedule used to teach my 2nd Graders.
E. Creates a safe and purposeful learning environment.
I use yoga, mindfulness activities, and teach breathing strategies to create a safe learning environment for students.
Please refer to section C to view my daily schedule used to teach my 2nd graders.
CLASS DOJO
MY CALM DOWN CORNER MATERIALS.
SUPERKIDS READING SMALL GROUPS
With Class Dojo, I have created a point system that allows students to earn rewards individually and as a classroom. To view what I've created for my classroom, click here. If you are interested in learning more about Class Dojo, click Learn More below.
STANDARD 7
Engages in professional growth.
Criteria
The teacher:
A. Demonstrates habits and skills of continuous inquiry and learning.
To accommodate students who struggled with phonemic awareness, I contacted our Literacy Instructional Support Specialist about resources I could use to promote academic growth with struggling students. phoneme grapheme mapping was a resource shared that I used. For more information about how to use phoneme grapheme mapping, click here.
B. Works collaboratively to improve professional practice and student learning.
As a grade-level team, we meet for PLC's once a week to problem solve, plan for interventions, review data, and share resources.
C. Applies research, knowledge, and skills from professional development opportunities to improve practice.
After attending a district wide professional development meeting, I learned about how to incorporate mindfulness and yoga into the classroom and why they are beneficial for students from a representative of Challenge to Change, Inc. Since then, I have used resources that were shared for my students. To view some of those resources, click Learn More next to the Challenge to Change section below.
D. Establishes and implements professional development plans based upon the teacher's need aligned to the Iowa teaching standards and district/building student achievement goals.
At a professional development meeting, teachers from surrounding schools discussed the highs and lows of using the Superkids Curriculum as well as the various ways it's been implemented in our classrooms.
I've also participated in district mandated Superkids training and Foss Kit straining. This helped me to gain a better understanding of the new reading curriculum that is being used in K-2 classrooms and Science Curriculum.
To view the Superkids Training information, click Learn More next to the section titled Superkids Training.
To view the invoice showing that I attended a science training for the Solids and Liquids Unit, Click Learn More next to the section titled Solids and Liquids.
E. Provides an analysis of student learning and growth based on teacher-created tests and authentic measures as well as any standardized and district-wide tests.
Please refer to Standard 5, Sections C-F.
SUPERKIDS
Training
To view the training information for Superkids, click Learn More Below.
CHALLENGE TO CHANGE
To view tips and benefits shared shared by the Challenge to Change Inc. representative, click Learn More below.
Tips and Benefits
SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS
To view the invoice showing that I attended the science training about Solids and Liquids, click Learn More below.
Invoice
STANDARD 8
Fulfills professional responsibilities established by the school district.
Criteria
The teacher:
A. Adheres to board policies, district procedures, and contractual obligations.
As a new teacher, I was required to be observed and evaluated by my building principal. To view a signed evaluation document, click Read More below the section titled Evaluation Document.
B. Demonstrates professional and ethical conduct as defined by state law and policy.
To view the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics, click Read More beneath the section titled Iowa Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics.
C. Contributes to achieving district and building goals.
To view reading and math data to show who, in my classroom, met or did not meet benchmark or CFA proficiency, click here. You can also click Read More below Benchmark and CFA Data.
D. Demonstrates an understanding of and respect for all learners and staff.
To demonstrate an understanding of respect for all learners and staff, I participate in weekly professional development meetings that cover a variety of topics such as social emotional learning, curriculum, or data analysis.
To demonstrate an understanding and respect for families, I create a signup that parents can use to schedule conferences. This allows them the flexibility they need to accommodate their schedules and discuss different parent perspectives on student progress.
E. Collaborates with students, families, colleagues, and communities to enhance student learning.
To maintain communication and collaboration with students, families, colleagues, and communities, I use emailing, Class Dojo, professional development meetings, conferences, and attend weekly PLC's.
GET IN TOUCH
Contact Ms. Lathan to discuss experience, pedagogy, and collaboration opportunities or any other inquiries.