Bryan Van Pelt's bportfolio

Standard 1 states teacher leaders model moral and ethical behavior. Upon reflection, it makes sense this is the first of twelve standards in the program.   It does not matter if we have the best classroom management, assessments, or differentiation strategies.   If an educator is not moral and ethical toward the students and fellow faculty and staff there is a massive problem. How we carry ourselves as individuals is highly important.   This is step one of many.   It all starts with who we are as people.   To fulfill this standard I engaged in the course Moral Issues in Education.   Through numerous books and lengthy discussion posts I have a much clearer idea of what it means to teach with integrity, morals, and love.   Response :             My preconceptions prior to this course and standard were highly selfish.   “I know what it means to be moral” and “I am a respo...

Standard 7 states teacher leaders utilize instructional frames to improve teaching.   This standard was taught mainly through the “Leadership in Education” taught by Dr. Bond, a wonderful leader himself.   During this course I had numerous opportunities to reflect not on my teaching practice, but more so on my internal character qualities.   Dr. Bond engaged us in discussion, presentations, and assignments all aimed at peeling back layers of our own personalities and dissecting what it means to lead.   As we all learned, there are numerous ways in which one can effectively lead.   However, with that said I have come to realize some central ideas when it comes to leadership. My prior thoughts pertaining to the course were mostly positive.   I remember reading the syllabus and thinking how straightforward the course appeared as well as thinking to myself “We are actually addressing leadership in a straightforward manner?” In prior courses the i...

Standard 4 states teacher leaders “engage in analysis of teaching and collaborative practices”. Though this standard can be applied to many courses in the Teacher Leadership degree program, the main course of focus was “Accomplished Teaching”.   In this course I engaged in a multitude of activities and assignments in which I grew as both a reflective and collaborative educator.             At the beginning of this course my thoughts regarding accomplished teaching were shallow and vague.   Are students engaged? Does the teacher possess the appropriate skill set?   Is the classroom managed?   These were the big picture ideas that came to mind prior to this course. After many readings, discussion board posts, and face-to-face interactions my definition changed in many ways.   Some thoughts remain intact but many ideas and principles have changed into something deeper, pointed and more meaningful....