Teacher Quality Standard One
Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach. The elementary teacher is an expert in literacy and mathematics and is knowledgeable in all other content that s/he teaches (e.g., science, social studies, arts, physical education, or world languages). The secondary teacher has knowledge of literacy and mathematics and is an expert in his or her content endorsement area(s).
Element A
Teachers provide instruction that is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards, their District’s organized plan of instruction, and the individual needs of their students.
Character Foil Writing Assessment and subsequent District Meeting
Included is the agenda for a district-wide meeting held March 25, 2025 for 9th grade ELA teachers in the Thompson School District to collaborate on a common grading rubric for writing assessments. We focused on a Character Foil Writing Assessment that teachers throughout the district assigned for our respective readings of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. I contributed writing samples from my own 9th grade Honors English classes and collaborated with my fellow teachers to grade these and their contributions across a common rubric so that we could standardize our grading practices.
Element B
Teachers develop and implement lessons that connect to a variety of content areas/disciplines and emphasize literacy and mathematical practices.
Historical Context for Romeo and Juliet
Before I started reading Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare with my 9th grade Honors English classes, I created this document as valuable context for students to use to aid comprehension of the play’s setting and historical context. We went over the document in class together, and though students weren’t asked to memorize or commit the entire document to heart, I did create a trivia game (with prizes for incentive) using information from the document. Through this, students got some history lessons about Elizabethan England as we prepared to read our first Shakespeare play together.
Element C
Teachers demonstrate knowledge of the content, central concepts, inquiry, appropriate evidence-based instructional practices, and specialized characteristics of the disciplines being taught.
Poetry v. Prose Assessment and Sonnet Lesson Plan
These slides were taken from 9th grade Interactive Notebooks and concern elements of poetry that I have used to instruct students throughout our reading of Romeo and Juliet. With Prose v. Poetry I was able to introduce freshmen to what iambic pentameter is and how Shakespeare uses this writing form, along with prose, to inform us about the social classes of the characters speaking. As it concerns sonnets, we looked closer at the sonnets in Romeo and Juliet and were able to classify these as “Elizabethan” and looked at various other forms of sonnets like Petrarchan and nontraditional.
Teacher Quality Standard One Reflection
For the first teacher quality standard which addresses my expertise of the subject area, I believe I am quite accomplished. Through my own education at Colorado State University in English, I have been able to master the English language and have translated this mastery into teaching my Honors English 9th and 10th grade classes. Following closely the state standards of Colorado, my students and I have undertaken a journey where we share the roles of teacher and student. I have used my skills and knowledge of English Language Arts to teach students but have often been presented with questions and feedback that have made me stop and question myself and the ways I have been trying to teach. In this way, my students are my teachers as I navigate how to explain the same concept in different ways–to reach each student in the unique way they need to be reached. This has impacted my growth as a teacher as I realize we don’t all learn the same way, but this doesn’t mean we can’t all be taught. My students have also realized that I have just as much to learn from them as they do from me, and they have been so understanding of my position and the role I am playing in their educations. A highlight from this standard is my historical context document, which I so enjoyed sharing with my students and seeing how this context played a role in their readings of Romeo and Juliet. A professional goal for me, moving forward and in light of reflection, would be to get to know your students (or co-workers, or anyone one works with) and let these relationships dictate the way that you teach/reach people. Without knowing who you’re teaching, you won’t be able to reach them. But if you make that effort and get to know your students, their interests and passions, you’ll be able to relate to them and cater what you’re doing with them in mind.