Professional Growth Plan

Established Date Sept, 2017

Name Alaina Wittke
Review Date Dec 7, 2017

Goal #1
Engage students in more active participation, by asking more thought-provoking, inquiry-based,
and open-ended questions. Plan engaging lessons, where most students are able to be physically
and mentally involved.
Related KSA(s)
e) all students can learn, albeit at different rates and in different ways. They know how (including when
and how to engage others) to identify students different learning styles and ways students learn. They
understand the need to respond to differences by creating multiple paths to learning for individuals and
groups of students, including students with special learning needs;
i) there are many approaches to teaching and learning. They know a broad range of instructional
strategies appropriate to their area of specialization and the subject discipline they teach, and know
which strategies are appropriate to help different students achieve different outcomes;
Indicator(s) of Success
Most, if not all, students will participate in answering questions
Students will be visibly engaged in the activities (working on the topic, staying on task)
Action Resource(s) Timeline
Differentiated planning Teacher Mentor, internet Daily
Finding students interests and learning styles TM, students, parent Sept 5 onward
notes and conversations
Self-evaluation/reflection after lessons me Daily
Incorporate students home life into school
students, parents Daily
subjects
Goal #2
Use effective classroom management techniques, including having smooth transitions between
activities and extension activities for those students who finish early. Incorporate mindful
techniques to help create a positive classroom climate.
Related KSAs
g) students needs for physical, social, cultural and psychological security. They know how to engage
students in creating effective classroom routines. They know how and when to apply a variety of
management strategies that are in keeping with the situation, and that provide for minimal disruptions to
students learning;
Indicator(s) of Success
Students will know where to go once they are done their work.
Students will show confidence in knowing our classroom routines by doing what they
should be when transitioning between activities without multiple prompts.
 Students respond to feedback with the correct actions.
Students will execute mindful techniques to help self-regulate their emotions.
Action Resource(s) Timeline
Create valuable, differentiated TM, teacher resources, library, internet Before each lesson, ongoing research
extension activities

Create and apply consistent and TM, peer teachers, internet Sept 5-ongoing
effective transitions between
lessons
Immediate intervention, re- Me, Educational Assistants Daily
teaching, and feedback to
students when not going as
planned
Effective classroom management TM, peer teachers, books, parents, Oct 2017( have some in place)
techniques internet Ongoing (new techniques to try)
Implement a daily mindfulness MindUp curriculum, internet, books, Daily
program peer teachers, personal experience
Reflection
Looking at my first goal, I feel that this was something I was aware of with each lesson I planned. When making my
lesson plans, I would think up questions ahead of time that would be open-ended in order to allow more than one
response during whole group discussions, and to steer away from asking too many questions that only have a
right answer. I wanted to engage the higher order thinking for those who were able to stretch, and start the
others to thinking with this capacity. An example of a lesson in which I incorporated this open-ended questioning
was in a discussion about what peace is/what does peace mean on International Peace Day. The children
brainstormed ideas about what peace could look like to them, as well as what it looks like in the whole world.
I will keep working on this goal with every lesson. I continue to wonder about each lesson, asking myself if there is a
more engaging and hands-on way for the entire class to participate in a meaningful way.

I was aware of my second goal of improving my classroom management techniques every day. At the beginning of
the year I paid attention to my Mentor Teachers methods and techniques, and then incorporated them into my own
teaching practices. Using common little tunes helped the students to recognize how they were to respond to the
directions to sit at the carpet, quiet down, or clean up, and then they were able to respond and comply quickly and
effectively. I also used small games or activities to occupy the students, and then released them in smaller groups
to do an activity. For example, I would have the children stick their feet into the centre of the circle to see their
shoes, then asked them to shake them back and forth, and would call a certain colour on their shoes to go take
them off (if you have black on your shoes, go take them off). This would allow our transition to go home to be
smoother and more controlled at the exit.

I am feeling more comfortable executing my classroom management techniques and am more aware of what works
with this group of students. I can address behaviours right away and quickly choose an appropriate technique, and
resolve the issue at hand with confidence. Some days I still scratch my head as to why something that normally
works well did not work at all. I still wonder how I can manage strong, disruptive behaviours during whole group
discussions without stopping the entire class. Perhaps implementing a warning, then sit in a chair outside of the
group would be effective to solve problems quickly and with minimal disruption. I struggle to think ways where the
disruptive student remains within the group and deal with the behaviour without stopping my lesson. I will
continue to investigate different methods with my teaching peers and other resources in order to continually
improve my classroom climate.