TEACHER PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN

Name: Megan Fong

School: St. Patricks Fine Arts Elementary School

Goal #1 Timeline
Establish relationships with other staff members at the school. To be completed
within the first three
weeks of practicum
Strategies & Other Considerations
Participate in PD session
Get involved in an extra-curricular activity (Division I or II choir)
Have conversations with EAs, asking for their input and experience
Evidence Resources KSA(s)/Competencies
Ability to approach other grade 4 - Teacher Associate Competency #1
teacher, music teachers, and KSA n)
EAs asking for additional
resources or assistance.
Reflection
Through the progression of my practicum, my definition of relationships within a school setting has
changed. I was concerned that because I did not feel comfortable talking to all the staff in the staff room
at lunch, I was not accomplishing my goal. However, I was told that it was the quality of the relationships I
established during my time in practicum that matter, not the quantity of the relationships.

During my practicum, I began to notice that my TAs room was the hub for teachers to gather and talk.
Whether these teachers wanted lesson advice or wanted to catch up, every free minute before and after
the students had left her classroom; my TA was having a conversation with one of her colleagues. I
realized that my TA is purposeful with the time she invests in her relationships with her colleagues. She
makes a genuine effort to spend time with her fellow teachers whether shes asking them about their
family or participating in staff book clubs. Not only does my TA invest time in her colleagues, she also
invests time getting to know every students name at the Elementary School. She establishes relationship
with each student whether its a simple saying or handshake.

As practicum progressed, I began feeling more comfortable having conversations with certain staff
members. I began asking EAs for advice regarding instructional strategies or dealing with specific
students. I also sat in on multiple choir rehearsals at lunch times and music classes, making me feel
comfortable enough to approach the music teacher and ask her about her instructional strategies. Finally,
I was invited to participate in a staff retreat that took place at the Galt Museum. Normally, I would feel
nervous to participate in an activity in which I dont have any friends, but I made it my goal to participate
fully, build relationships, and help-out as needed.
Goal #2 Timeline
Explore classroom management in a variety of settings. To be completed
within first three
weeks of practicum
Strategies & Other Considerations
Teach at least 5 P.E. lessons
Observe students during at least 5 library blocks

Evidence Resources KSA(s)/Competencies

Classroom management - Teacher Associate KSA g)
expectations are consistent in - Other staff members Competency #3
every area of my teaching. - UC
- Peers
Students react appropriately to
teacher direction with whole
body listening.
Reflection
During my practicum placement, I was fortunate enough to be offered a variety of classroom subjects. I
had the opportunity to teach my homeroom Grade 4 class L.A., Social Studies, Drama, and P.E. as well
as Grade 2 Drama and Social Studies to the other Grade 4 class. Each class, grade, and classroom
subject had their own unique classroom management needs, and I found myself having to quickly
establish expectations and procedures for the students as well as preemptive thinking during my lesson
planning to avoid having to correct behaviour and hand out consequences in the moment.

As I was planning my first P.E. lesson, I knew I would have to establish a procedure for stopping the play
and getting the students attention. I decided to implement a verbal attention getter and after practicing it
multiple times, I was also able to implement it into my Drama lessons. However, when I attempted to use
the attention getter in a classroom setting, I found it provided students too much time to refocus their
attention and they required a quick to-the-point attention getter for a classroom setting. As I progressed
in practicum, I began using short attention getters that they used in class and also began using my
teacher stare. Im not entirely sure what my teacher stare looks like, but it works like a charm! Within
seconds the majority of the students are refocused are those who arent get shushed by their peers. I
found it interesting how some attention getters work well in some settings, but are not suited for other
settings.

During my first Grade 2 Drama lesson, I found myself correcting behaviour and redirecting attention
constantly. After conversation with my TA, she informed me that not only do Grade 2 students have a
short attention span, but this particular Grade 2 class also had some behavioural challenges. Upon this
realization, I began incorporating more active whole class activities as a preemptive classroom
management procedure. After the integration of these activities, I was able to minimally redirect student
behaviour and fairly, and consistently, implement consequences for misbehaviour.