Megan Breeden Educator Portfolio

Reflecting on Professional Growth

Overall Growth as a Teacher

As a novice educator, I have experienced significant growth in both my subject matter knowledge and pedagogical practices. Through a combination of formal and informal professional development activities, I have been able to refine my teaching strategies and enhance my ability to connect with students on a deeper level.

Deepening Subject Matter Knowledge One specific professional development activity that has significantly deepened my knowledge of literacy instruction is a district-wide training on vocabulary instruction. This training provided me with a comprehensive understanding of effective vocabulary strategies, such as context clues, word roots and affixes, and using dictionaries and thesauri. By implementing these strategies in my classroom, I have been able to enhance my students' comprehension of complex texts.

Enhancing Content Pedagogy A recent professional development workshop on second language acquisition has had a profound impact on my classroom practice. This workshop emphasized the importance of creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment for English Language Learners. By incorporating strategies such as visual aids, simplified language, and cooperative learning, I have been able to better support the needs of my English Language Learners.

Collaborating on Student Data

Influencing Instruction I recently collaborated with my grade-level team to analyze student performance data from a recent reading assessment. By examining the data, we identified specific areas of strength and weakness among our students, particularly in phonics and phonemic awareness. Based on these findings, we developed targeted interventions, such as small-group phonics instruction and explicit phonics lessons, to address the needs of struggling learners. Additionally, we adjusted our future lesson plans to incorporate more opportunities for systematic phonics instruction and phonemic awareness activities.

Personal Growth Collaborating with my colleagues on student data has helped me grow as an educator by fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility. By working together, we were able to gain valuable insights into our teaching practices and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, this collaborative experience has enhanced my problem-solving skills and my ability to think critically about student learning.

Professional Educational Organization

As a member of the National Education Association (NEA), I have access to a wealth of resources and professional development opportunities. Through NEA, I have been able to stay informed about current educational issues, connect with other educators, and advocate for the needs of students and teachers. By participating in NEA conferences and workshops, I have been able to develop my leadership skills and enhance my understanding of educational policy.

Future Professional Growth

Goal

My goal for future professional growth is to become a highly effective literacy instructor, with a focus on implementing evidence-based practices rooted in the science of reading. I want to develop my skills in systematic phonics instruction, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Professional Growth Activities

To achieve this goal, I plan to participate in the following professional growth activities:

Science of Reading Professional Development: I will attend workshops and conferences focused on the science of reading to deepen my understanding of the research-based components of effective literacy instruction.
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): I will actively participate in PLCs focused on literacy instruction to collaborate with colleagues and share best practices.
Action Research: I will engage in action research projects to investigate specific instructional challenges related to literacy and implement evidence-based solutions.

By actively pursuing these professional growth opportunities, I am confident that I will be able to make a significant impact on the literacy development of my students.