Over this past year I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from three professional communities that supported me throughout the year. Through my time at Woodland Academy, in the rounds process, and in my small mentor group I grew and reflected as a teacher. These groups gave me outlets to reflect on my teaching, collaborate with other teachers and MATs to better my units and practice, and support me through the ups and downs of being a first year teacher. I am so thankful for all of the advice, guidance, and feedback that I have received, and am a more reflective and effective teacher because of it.

Woodland Academy

Working at Woodland Academy was a unique experience. The school community is truly collaborative. When walking through classrooms across grade levels, you see consistency in the language and expectations set for students. The Woodland core values are posted throughout the school, and traditions like the annual dodgeball tournament help build a proud school community. The teachers at Woodland Academy are all passionate educators, using creative lessons and management to help engage and support all students. The collaboration creates a strong sense of community and support among teachers, and showed me how important this is for a successful school.

The Rounds Process

The rounds process is a unique part of Clark’s education program. It is modeled after the medical rounds, where doctors learn from visiting each patient and discussing their treatment. At Clark we planned lessons and invited other MATs, professors in the Education Department, and our mentor teacher to watch and reflect on our practice. We asked guiding questions that centered around student inquiry and our own teaching. We begin by hosting a pre-round and providing background information on the lesson. Next, guests watch the lesson and write observations on a sheet the host has provided. Afterwards, the host leaves with the observers to reflect on their practice and discuss the strengths and challenges. The rounds process ends with the host analyzing the lesson, the feedback they received, and possible next steps for future lessons.

The rounds process was a unique opportunity to gain feedback and think about aspects of your lesson that you may have overlooked. It allowed me to look back at my methodology and think about what worked well and what didn’t.

On Site Seminar and Mentor Groups

Throughout the year, our small group of MATs would meet each week with our program advisor, Holly, to check in, discuss best practices, and emotionally support each other. These meetings were a highlight in my week, as it was a safe space to ask all the questions we had about education, public schools, or our experience. It was also a time to reach out to peers and Holly about experiences we were having in the classroom, and gain advice and support.

Holly, ever supportive, visited us weekly in our classrooms and observed our teaching. She was always a welcome source of feedback. She helped me stay mindful of the aspects of teaching I wanted to work on, and reflect on my growth throughout the year.