Growth Mindset

I maintain a growth mindset through dedication and hard work, in several ways:

Actions

Continuous Learning: I am commitmented to lifelong learning by engaging in professional development opportunities, attending workshops, and furthering education.
Embracing Challenges: I view challenges and obstacles as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks.
Positive Climate: I surround myself by a positive environment that allows me to take risks. I choose friends and colleagues that support my endeavors and celebrate my achievements with me. Celebrating milestones and achievements also helps maintain motivation and enthusiasm for teaching.
High Expectations: I set high standards for myself and my students. Continuous improvement reinforces the belief that abilities can be developed over time.
Encourage Reflection: I reflect on the progress I made towards my personal and professional goals.
Flexible and Adaptive: Flexibility and openness to new ideas are essential components of a growth mindset.
Goal Setting: By breaking down larger goals into smaller, achievable steps, I see my progress more clearly and stay motivated to continue growing.
Positive and Optimistic: Maintaining a positive and optimistic outlook has been essential for me to maintain a growth mindset. I focus on what I can control and approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset.
Connecting with a Professional Learning Community: Engaging with a professional learning community (PLC) provided me with opportunities to collaborate, share ideas, and learn from other staff members. Whether it's through department meetings, online forums, or informal networking, connecting with colleagues has allowed me to exchange best practices, receive support, and gain fresh perspectives on teaching and learning.
Having Fun: In everything I do, I have fun.

Artifact 1

I have always put in a lot of effort into my students and classroom. I believe pictures are worth more than words can ever describe. You can see below, that each year I tried to make learning fun and engaging for my students. Ifostered enthusiasm for learning and curiosity within my students. I showed passion for my subejct(s) and demonstrated learning beyond the classroom.

Artifact 2

I consider myself to be a life-long student. I enjoy learning to new software programs and the latest technology in education. Last year, I taught 5th grade and had a student that could not read. He was learning sight words. With limited time and limited resources in a 5th grade classroom, I wanted to create an app that would help students like him in the future.

I used Swift to develop the app and Photoshop to create all illustrations, buttons, logos and backgrounds for the app. I also used Photoshop to create the book illustrations. I used my home studio and audio editing software on my home computer to create audio files.

I'm proud to say this reading app is available on the IOS Apple store (Ipad and Iphone) and I give free access to educators. Check it out: www.kidsredables.com

Artifact 3

I love learning new things. Over the course of my teaching career I've developed many new skills including 3-D printing, CAD software, Photoshop, Canva, Illustrator, LightRoom, Video and Audio Editing, Coding, Green Screen, and many others. During the pandemic, teachers across the county struggled with student engagement during virtual learning. I worked extra hard to engage my students. An example of this is after learning about a popular online game, I made a replica of the game and tied in science standards. My students were blown away! I was able to adapt the game the following year for my 5th grade students. Although it is not an exact replica of the game. It is extrememly close. Click the "Local" button below to play it yourself!