Subject: Spanish, Caitlin Dark

TEACHING SITUATION

During her internship, Caitlin taught beginning level Spanish throughout the year, and
added advanced Spanish during her lead-teaching time. During this time, she was
responsible for teaching four classes on a daily basis for a ten-week period. Everett High
School has a student population of 1680 and includes grade levels 9th to 12th. The
student population is economically and ethnically diverse, with 46.5% being African-
American, and 4.8% being of Asian, 13.6% Hispanic, or 0.5% Native American descent.

SUBJECT MATTER TEACHING

Caitlin has a good command of the Spanish language. She tries to use as much Spanish as
possible in class each day. Caitlin uses a wide variety of classroom activities to build
upon students’ interest and knowledge of Spanish. She incorporates activities to build on
listening, speaking, reading and writing skills on a daily basis. She focuses on the goal of
communication in the language in a relaxed and non-threatening environment.

Caitlin is consistent in carrying out her lesson plans. She makes sure that standards are
incorporated into lesson planning. She also tries to design lessons with as much details as
possible. She designs instruction that helps maze connections between new content and
prior knowledge and then modifies the task or the environment, as needed, to support
students’ continued learning.

Caitlin has great enthusiasm for teaching. She is devoted to creating authentic scenarios
to help students learn Spanish in meaningful contexts and immerse them in the languages.
For example, she created scenarios of shopping and dining in restaurants for students’
activities. In this way, she helped her students utilize Spanish in a simulation of daily life.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Caitlin demonstrates an understanding of and respect for culture, racial and ethnic
diversity, and gender. She has a good rapport with students; she is also there to provide a
firm yet guiding hand when needed. She makes her expectations clear to her students, and
provides the leadership necessary for her students to meet those expectations. This
leadership can range from enforcing school rules to staying after class to answer students’
questions.

Caitlin manages student behavior through multiple strategies including nonverbal cues,
proximity, changes in voice or intonation, and names on the board. The consequences for
inappropriate behavior are fair and appropriate, and require that the student self-evaluate
his/her behavior, accept responsibility, and work on improving. Most importantly, she
makes students feel trusted to behave in classes.
Caitlin uses a wide variety of classroom activities to engage all students in the learning
process. Activities include teacher-led activities with the entire class, small group
activities, paired work, individual work, and an assortment of games for teaching or
reviewing material. In her instruction, she identifies and acknowledges the feeling of her
students. Instruction is adapted to accommodate students’ response, area of interest, ideas,
and needs.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RELATIONSHIPS

Caitlin respects and cares about all students; she relates well to them and is concerned
about their learning and performance. She considers various learning styles in her lessons
(visual aids, aural aids, kinesthetic aids). She is also polite and patient with students, yet
firm when necessary, and has earned their respect.

Caitlin is very professional in her dress and demeanor. She is poised, and self-confident.
She has been punctual, well prepared, and has had an excellent attendance record. She is
prompt in carrying out responsibilities. She is dependable and trustworthy and has dealt
respectfully and professionally with administrators, faculty, parents and students.

Caitlin identifies with the school community and cooperates with other teachers in the
school. She observes other teachers’ classes and learns from them. She helps to plan field
trips, supervise standards tests, and with the Hispanic Heritage Month assembly. She also
works with student in the Latino Club. She has established a good communication with
parents. She talks with them in conferences, has meetings with them, and contacts parents
before important work dues for students.

CONCLUSION

Caitlin demonstrates on a regular basis, a love of the Spanish language and culture,
unending enthusiasm and poise, and the desire to see students learn and appreciate the
Spanish language and cultures.