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**//__ARTIFACT 1__//** __Proposition 1:__ Teachers are Committed to Students and Their Learning -They are concerned with their students’ self-concept, their motivation and the effects of learning on peer relationships.

__Rationale and Reflection__ This principle deals with getting children to realize the importance of being able to work in either a group or individual setting and succeed. The attached lesson allows for both group and independent work. The success of the group influences the success of the individual. Furthermore, the activities are geared for multiple intelligence, involving interpersonal skills, oral communication skills, written skills, visual/spacial skills, as well as mathematical skills. Attached, please find a lesson plan dealing with teaching about sequencing using The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The lesson would be geared for either a first grade class or a lower level second grade class. The final project has proven to make a beautiful showcase display! This is such a meaningful artifact because it allows students to interact. Students work in groups to complete hands on activities. The lesson includes a well known children’s picture book and focuses on skills needed for daily life – sequencing and the days of the week. Because the activities involve various intelligences, everyone in the group will have a chance to “be good at something,” thus raising a students’ self-concept. I’ve also found that allowing younger students to have an opportunity to cut, color and glue is a motivating factor for learning any subject! 

**//__ARTIFACT 2__//** __Proposition 2:__ Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students -They are able to use diverse instructional strategies to teach for understanding.

__Proposition 3:__ Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning. -They use multiple methods for measuring student growth and understanding, and they can clearly explain student performance to parents.

__Rationale and Reflection__ These propositions deal with Multiple Instructional Strategies through differentiation. As an educator, one must remember that students learn in different fashions. Knowledge of how to address multiple intelligences is key. The following is a lesson plan dealing with the teaching about magnets (geared for a second grade classroom). The lesson plan allows for a Read Aloud (linguistic intelligence) along with a follow-up discussion (inter-personal intelligence) as well as a hands-on project (kinesthetic and spatial intelligences). The artifact is meaningful in a variety of ways. First off, it meets state standards for science. Additionally, it allows for students to learn using a multitude of activities. The lesson is also cross-curricular, a necessity in today’s classroom (so much to teach, so little time to teach it all).  

**//__ARTIFACT 3__//** __Proposition 3:__ Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning. -NBCTs deliver effective instruction. They move fluently through a range of instructional techniques, keeping students motivated, engaged and focused. -They know how to engage students to ensure a disciplined learning environment, and how to organize instruction to meet instructional goals.

__Rationale and Reflection__ These propositions deal with teaching children in ways that are meaningful to real life. As both a student and an educator, I feel that it’s easier to internalize a concept if it can be applied to everyday life. This activity deals with math skills using a fictional pet shop concept. 

**//__ARTIFACT 4__//** __Proposition 4:__ Teachers Think Systematically about Their Practice and Learn from Experience. -NBCTs model what it means to be an educated person – they read, they question, they create and they are willing to try new things.

__Proposition 5:__ Teachers are Members of Learning Communities. -NBCTs collaborate with others to improve student learning.

__Rationale and Reflection__ Proposition 4 deals with modeling – showing students that we as educators also go through the same processes they do to learn. In this lesson plan, the teacher models a think aloud for comprehension strategies. The ultimate goal of the lesson is to be able to draw conclusions about the characters. Proposition 5 deals with the collaboration of teachers within their learning communities. The lesson is designed for a Collaborative Team Teaching (a.k.a. Integrated Co-Teaching) classroom environment. Both the general education and special education teachers must work together to determine how the students in the particular class will learn the lesson best. They must then work together to determine the groupings for the students as well as the pacing of the lesson. 

**//__ARTIFACT 5 and 6__//** __Proposition 5:__ Teachers are Members of Learning Communities. -NBCTs collaborate with others to improve student learning. -They work with other professionals on instructional policy, curriculum development and staff development. -They know how to work collaboratively with parents to engage them productively in the work of the school.

__Rationale and Reflection__ Below is a sample of the November Newsletter for Grade 3. The newsletter is sent home on a monthly basis to help involve the parents. It describes the topics that will be taught during the following month. It also highlights any important events such as concerts, class trips, and celebrations.

Additionally, you can find a spreadsheet of curriculum maps designed for 3rd grade reading and writing units (September-June). Mapping is submitted monthly. Each grade is responsible to collaboratively write teaching points for the month's units as well as select materials to model with. 