Standard10

= Standard 10 = =** Teachers are connected with other teachers and the community. ** =

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The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support pupil learning and well-being and acts with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner. ======

**Evidence 1:** http://www.wawm.k12.wi.us I have chosen the school district’s website as the evidence for standard 10. The website the district provides is a tool for teachers, administrators, students, parents, and the community to find out vital information to support student learning. The website was developed for the entire West Allis-West Milwaukee School District. The parts of the website that I use the most to foster relationships with school colleagues, students, parents, and others is the Infinite Campus grading and behavior program and the district provided email. Three weeks ago I was in serviced on how to use the district’s Build Your Own Curriculum Builder. I have used the grading program and email to keep in touch with students, fellow teachers, administrator, parents and organizations.
 * Rationale 1: **

Being able to use these programs to keep in touch with all these people is important in my development as a teacher because it shows that by using these forms of communication allows for student success. Using email and keeping my students grades up to date in the Infinite Campus grading program allows students to know what they are missing. Students and parents who have access to this information can see immediately what is missing and where improvement needs to be made. Being able to use these types of programs is important to the development as a teacher because it allows me to use a technology when communicating with others. As the District has improved their website I have found it very useful not only for myself but showing students some of the resources that are on it. For instance are school district’s recreation program hires students to help with the after school safe program and I have showed several students how to get the application off the computer. I believe being able to use and show students how to use the district’s website allows for me to use technology as a resource to which aids in student success. I can’t wait until the fall to create a website for myself that will go on my school’s website.

Working in the same school district for the past twenty years I have seen a big change in the students’ environment outside of school and the influence it has on students’ lives and learning. For example in the past five years we have seen an increase of families that are at or below the poverty level and receive funding for school meal programs, fees and other needed supplies. We have an increased population of English as second language families so it is important to be able to communicate to both those students and their parents. One nice feature of the Infinite Campus program is that it gives me a lot of information about the student and their family. Being able to have this information at my finger tips can help me when communicating with the student and their needs to help with future success.
 * KSD **
 * 10. K. 2 **
 * The teacher understands how factors in the students’ environment outside of school (e.g. family circumstances, community environments, health, and economic conditions) may influence students’ lives and learning. **


 * 10. S. 4 **
 * The teacher establishes respectful and productive relationships with parents and guardians from diverse home and community situations and seeks cooperative partnerships in support of student learning and well being. **

Using the email, phone and other means to communicate to parents and guardians is very important. With the twenty years of experience I feel that I do establish respectful and productive relationship with parents and guardians and two incidents that have happened in the past school year. For example, when I went back to school last fall I had a student who came to me for some advice and she was no longer a student of mine. The girl was pregnant and wanted me to help her find information on where to go for an abortion she didn’t think that she was mature enough to be a parent and wanted to go to college. I looked at her and asked her if she had told her mother and thought about the other options? I have had several of her siblings before and knew what her mother’s feelings might be on this topic, due to the religious message that was recorded on their home phone. Fortunately she was able to graduate at semester and I was so proud that she came to me to for help. Once the baby was born I was delighted that she allowed me to hold her little bundle of joy and to see that she felt that she had made the right decision.

Then this past spring I had a student who was very close to not graduating due to a change in his medication. The young man was on a reduced schedule and was having medication problems that affected his ability to be in class. I worked with his mother and him on those good days and kept in touch with his mom. On graduation day he was so proud to be able to graduate that he thanked me and gave me the biggest hug I think I have ever received from a student.


 * 10. D. 1 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The teacher values and appreciates all aspects of a child’s experience. **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">With such a diverse population of student’s I think it is great when my students respect me and will share with the class or me personally about things that they experience when the example is appropriate. This past spring I took two individuals to a state competition. One of the students was telling me about her home life and how she sometimes would have to go get her mother at a bar time so she didn’t drive home under the influence. I would have never in a million years have guessed that she had this type of responsibility at home and could come to school with all of this on her shoulders as well as dealing with being a teenager. Sometimes when kids do tell me stories about their home lives I just can’t believe that they are doing as well as they are in school and socially. I try to help them and ask them how I can help.

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