How might you discuss the edTPA with your cooperating teacher? Do you feel you have enough knowledge to begin working on your context? How so?
After working with my cooperating teacher over the last week putting together the classroom and attending meetings, we have discussed the edTPA several times. This year seems to be a very different year for my cooperating teacher, and at times it feels a little chaotic. That being said, we have found a few times to go over the basics of what I need to do to fulfill my requirements for the edTPA.
As of now, two days before the school year starts, I do not feel like I have all of the knowledge to being working on my context. I feel rather unprepared at this time (which probably has something to do with nerves as well) but I hope once I'm in the trenches so to speak I'll feel more comfortable. I believe a good deal of why I am feeling anxious and unprepared because my cooperating teacher has been placed in an unusual situation, in that she not only will be teaching a new subject (in addition to her usual subject) but also had to move to a new classroom, and there are two teachers that will be substitutes out of the four that are normally teaching. Needless to say, this is not a normal school year and with the teachers being not as confident with their situation as they usually are, it makes me anxious and not as confident as well. My feelings are that if the teachers who are seasoned are unsure, how can I be? Additionally, I have been under the assumption that I would have to write lesson plans, but my school uses unit plans, which we didn't cover in class as extensively as we did lesson plan writing.
As of now, two days before the school year starts, I do not feel like I have all of the knowledge to being working on my context. I feel rather unprepared at this time (which probably has something to do with nerves as well) but I hope once I'm in the trenches so to speak I'll feel more comfortable. I believe a good deal of why I am feeling anxious and unprepared because my cooperating teacher has been placed in an unusual situation, in that she not only will be teaching a new subject (in addition to her usual subject) but also had to move to a new classroom, and there are two teachers that will be substitutes out of the four that are normally teaching. Needless to say, this is not a normal school year and with the teachers being not as confident with their situation as they usually are, it makes me anxious and not as confident as well. My feelings are that if the teachers who are seasoned are unsure, how can I be? Additionally, I have been under the assumption that I would have to write lesson plans, but my school uses unit plans, which we didn't cover in class as extensively as we did lesson plan writing.
Overall, I am very grateful for my cooperating teacher taking on mentoring me while her schoolyear is already not a normal one. While I feel that I am unprepared to being working on my context, I do believe that this will be a very educational experience and I am working towards finding my direction for my context.
I will do my best to help you through the edTPA process. It's perfectly understandable the anxiousness and overwhelming feelings you are having especially since your CT is also experiencing a great deal of changes in her teaching arrangements. When I see you next week I'll help you try to fit everything into place. For now may I suggest to get started with edTPA...1. Give the students an interest inventory or survey (you can create your own or probably find one on Pintrest or Teachers Pay Teachers) and take some of your observation time to gather the information for your Context for Learning document. The interest inventory will help you address the commentary for Task 1 rubric 3 and some of the information you need for lesson planning. #2 Get permission slips for ALL your students to be video taped. #3. Decide what subject/group you will use for your learning segment. You need at least 4 students in your group. So if you are using centers or co-teaching small groups for anything you may want to use one of those groups rather than the whole class. #4 start taking over the teaching of the group/subject that you will be using for your edTPA. Put off taking over the other groups/subjects until you get established with this project. This will give you a little breathing room and time for your cooperating teacher to get her program up and running. #5 Call me, email me, or text me ANY questions you might have. I want to support you through this process! and a final #6 Take deep breaths and know that it will fall into place eventually and then be over before you know it!
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