Introduction I am interested in applying for the Lead Teacher Position in Third Grade. I hold a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in Mathematics. I have been in the Education System for 11 years. I taught Kindergarten for 7 years. Out of those seven I taught ELL students for three years. I am currently teaching Third Grade being this my fourth year. I think I should be hired for this position because I am highly qualified. I am a responsible person. I feel strong in the area of classroom management and lesson planning. I am also bilingual and hold a Structured English Immersion Endorsement.

Philosophy of Education My responsibility as a teacher is to help my students grow academically so they can succeed in the future. I always motivate my students to learn. Once they are successful they will keep working for the best. Parents are notified of my class expectations and can or call me if needed. Important Values: Commitment and determination, effort, and patience. Learning environment: Create a positive and respectful environment so students participate in activities. I teach connecting new concepts with real life experiences. That way they can understand the concept taught. After a lesson, I check for understanding and intervene.

Classroom Management Plan As a classroom teacher my ultimate goal is to provide my students with the necessary tools to succeed in the future. It is essential to have a plan to facilitate a learning environment (Newman, 2013). A management plan in the classroom should include rules and expectations where students and the teacher create rules at the beginning of the school year. Teacher expresses what is expected from the students. The students share what they are expecting from their teacher.

Implementation of a School Model The best way to prepare students to be successful is to challenge them to be creative, critical thinkers, problem solvers, and also to learn to be independent. Along with these skills technology plays an important role in the classroom. I will recommend the school to use technology as a complement of whole group instruction. Students can access online programs where teachers can individualize activities according to their needs. These activities allow them to think, create, and analyze situations. Students also use them while the teacher is working with a small group. This way the school will be working with ISTE standards for teachers to improve students learning and have different tools to grow stronger academically.

Effective Lesson Planning Choose a good learning goal using the CCSS and Using Bloom’s taxonomy to create it. Good learning objectives guide our instruction. When they are based on the standard they shape the instructional unit (Childre, Sands, Pope, 2009). We want to challenge our students to answer higher question for them to be successful (Newman, 2013). Risks in planning an effective lesson: First, teachers main interest is on hands on activities that will keep students engaged. Second, teachers main goal is to cover all material in a book without having a clear goal (Newman, 2013). To avoid errors teachers need to use Backwards Design Approach which focuses on 3 steps. (Newman, 2013). Backwards Design Steps: Define which standard will be taught, create an assessment for students, and plan activities that will complement with the lesson (Newman, 2013).

Assessment Matters An assessments is an important tool to consider when teaching our students. This tool will be a guide to adjust my instruction or move to the next step in my lesson. An assessment gives us the necessary information to assist students in meeting their needs. Formative assessments are used in my daily instruction. They help me measure my instruction and my students’ learning (Newman, 2013). I use this tool throughout the lesson to check for understanding. I can also adjust my lesson and see students that need help during small group instruction. Examples: White boards to show answers, thumbs up or down to show understanding. (Newman, 2013) Summative assessments are used to inform students’ accomplishments in a specific area in a certain time. It summarizes what students know (Newman, 2013).Examples: Quarterly assessments, End of Module test, State Tests.

Professional Learning Communities A teacher is a dedicated person that is continuously acquiring knowledge and focuses on the success of the community of teachers, support staff, and students. Leaders influence the school community to improve teaching and learning so students can learn and achieve their goals. Some roles of leaders are: resource providers, instructional specialist, curriculum specialist, classroom supporter, learning facilitator, mentor, school leader, data coach, catalyst for change, and learner. A teacher should always set goals to improve instruction. As a teacher I need to identify the areas in which I want to improve and determine how I will measure my growth. Information from (Newman, 2013).

Professional Learning Communities As teachers, being part of an existing professional organization would help us stay connected to new ideas and practices. Being part of an organization gives teachers an opportunity of acquiring a larger view on education, be connected with other teachers, and communicate with people around the world that share the same profession. Information by Newman, 2013.

References Arizona Department of Education (2015). K-12 Academic Standards. Retrieved from Childre A., Sands J., Pope S. (2009). Backward design. Designing challenging curriculum. Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 41 No. 5 p Retrieved from International Society for Technology in Education. (2008) ISTE Standards Teachers. Retrieved from Newman, R. (2013). Teaching and learning in the 21st: Connecting the dots. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc