An effective communicator is one in who communicates and recieves ideas, messages, or information through appropriate spoken, written, and non-verbal forms. So far this semester, I have portrayed two different effective communication strategies with my students' parents. I have attended one parent-teacher conference in which I interacted with several parents, took notes, and made a few different comments to the parents. I have also written a welcoming letter to the families of my students explaining who I am and my hopes for the classroom this semester. I proved that I was an effective communicator through both of these artifacts because during the parent-teacher conference I was communicating one-on-one with the parents and recieving their messages. With the welcoming letter I was displaying effective communication by relaying my ideas to the families through written material.
A reflective practitioner is one who attempts to make sense of events in the educational environment and who critically examines choices to inform practice. I believe I have several artifacts of being a reflective practitioner, particulary my reflections at the end of every lesson plan. These reflections for each lesson plan provide evidence of my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher and what went well and didn't go well during the lesson. Also speaking with my mentor teacher about my lessons and taking notes on what she says is also a way to reflect as a practitioner. I can learn from my mentor teacher while reflecting on her suggestions and become a better teacher, myself. The reflections at the end of my lessons are excellent ways to be a reflective practitoner because that helps me to make sense of the choices I made while teaching. My mentor teacher's experience as an educator and her reflection's toward my lesson also help me to understand to a greater degree and influence my teaching each and every day.
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Meighan I love one of the artifacts that you discussed for communication. A welcome letter is such a wonderful way to make contact with the parents since we don't always have that opportunity as parents. Characteristic #8 deals with being a reflective practitioner you talked a bit about how you reflect and discuss your lessons with you mentor teacher. This type of artifact could also easily fit with Characteristic #2 being an effective communicator. In my opinion, part of the mentor relationship is being an effective communicator. You can learn so much just from having conversations with your teacher. It gives you the opportunity to get their opinions, collaborate and learn more about your class and the students that are in it. Its not only a great way to reflect (like you discussed) but it's also something I feel we should all have the opportunity to do during our class visits. Starting these practices early on in student teaching can help it to become a habit. It can then become something that you do with professors, peers and then with coworkers in your future school.
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