APS 10: An effective teacher is an ethical, responsible, contributing and ever-learning member of the profession.

As a Teacher Candidate at Allenbrook Elementary I held many duties and responsibilities. These included a morning and afternoon duty such as cafeteria monitor and the overseer of the van rider line, 4th grade team meetings t o to three times a eek, staff meetings three times a month, and presentation of a ards to students at the end of the !uarter. "oth morning and afternoon duties ere very important because in the morning the students have to come in and eat breakfast !uickly and report straight to class or they ill miss very important instructional time. #or a school here all students attend breakfast every day this as a task that needed constant regulation. The van duty as important as ell because it is al ays important to kno ho all students are reaching their afternoon destinations. I as in charge of ensuring each student reported to the correct van daily. Team meetings ith the 4th grade teachers ere very informational and helpful. $e met as a team t o or three times per eek. $e revie ed data for the previous eek as ell as recent assessment scores. $e discussed and gave strategies and advice for behavioral issues. This helped and actually decreased in behavior problems. $e ere able to see hat orked for students in another class ith the same behavior concerns and try it in our o n classes and it helped a lot. $e developed e%it tickets for the upcoming eeks& lessons and created pacing guides for the upcoming eeks& lessons. 'ne of my most influential moments in one of the meetings as hen I suggested that e try implementing group teaching strategies. "ecause I taught all fourth grade students I mentioned seeing some of the same patterns in students needing e%tra help in all classes. I suggested that during the science and social studies period a fe times a eek the students needing e%tra help in math could receive that help in math, students needing e%tra help in E(A could receive that help in E(A and the students ho e%cel in both sub)ects could attend science and social studies class. Each teacher ould teach the sub)ect of their particular strength and present hat lessons to be taught the prior eek. $e have been doing this since the eek of *ovember +,th and e have seen great improvement in this t o eek span. -taff meetings are every $ednesday. I attended these three times per month and fully participated. These meetings ere for updating information about school policies, district changes and pro)ect lift or Title I ne s. In addition to the updates e participated in professional development. This professional development included. /ini-(essons, $ord $ork, -uccessful conferencing ith parents, $riting Across the Curriculum, 0aagan -trategies and /aintaining1'rgani2ing your room for 3eader&s $orkshop. $e ere also all asked to sign up for committees hich ould meet on $ednesdays after the staff meetings t o times per month. I signed up for the literacy task force committee. This committee as in charge of getting our students interested in reading by scheduling fun in school and after school gatherings for parents and students to attend and participate in together for reading encouragement. 'n *ovember ,th e celebrated the end of the !uarter and students ere recogni2ed for e%cellence in academics. I as honored hen I as asked by one of the teachers on the team to present her students& a ards. "ecause I had been teaching them for the previous five eeks I felt part responsible for their success. This assembly as held in the gymnasium in front of the 4rincipal, Assistant 4rincipal, all administrators, all staff, parents and students. "efore reading the recipients names of each category I had to give a speech about their success and e%press ho proud of each of them I as. I found this to be surprisingly easy. I found that hen it as time to speak about ho proud I as and ho great each of these students ere and ho deserving each of them ere, it as a simple task to con!uer.