Inquiry Project

    My name is Andrea Winters and my Teaching Across Borders placement is in the small city Idaho Falls in the state of Idaho, United States. There are estimated around 57,000 residents in Idaho Falls.  Idaho Falls is a low crime city. The general family income is approximately $47, 000 dollars. It is the largest city of Eastern Idaho. It began as a site on Montana Trail for travelers migrating west. Interestingly, this city was named on National Geographic's list of one of the top cities to visit for outdoor activities since it is close to historic outdoor sites.

            One of the historic places I've visited most recently in Idaho Falls is the  Colonial Theater to see a performance of Stepping Crew with my grade one class and all other grade one classes in the District.  I have also walked the Green Belt and viewed the majestic Snake river. There is a spectacular fireworks show July fourth sponsored by Melalucea where the local radio station plays music to the fireworks show that last about 40 minutes.

            Currently I am teaching at Fox Hollow Elementary in a grade one class. This school is 1 of 25 Public Elementary Schools in Idaho Falls. I am in the classroom Tuesday through Friday in the mornings until lunch and recess. I have been teaching Oral Language, Shared Reading, Guided Reading and taking on teacher responsibilities such as collecting homework, marking, and attendance through Power School. The teacher that is my mentor, Ms. Reed, has been a teacher for over 25 years. Her wisdom , fairness, educational experience, organization and classroom management serve as an excellent example of teaching for my final year in the Bachelor of Education program through the University of Calgary. There is a document camera in the classroom, and a Smart Board set up in the computer lab for the entire school. Students have computer lab usually on Wednesday mornings.

     I chose the Teaching Across Borders experience to learn more about diversity, special education, and culture in a different area to help broaden my knowledge and experience for teaching. The diversity in Idaho Falls is different from Calgary with regards to community and the school population. Many of the students are either Spanish Speaking or English Speaking, with a predominantly white culture, though the second most predominant culture would be Mexican. Calgary is more multicultural with a diverse population of peoples of various backgrounds and languages.

            There are many opportunities to learn about special education in Calgary, though I was surprised by the support given to students in Idaho Falls. Students who are considered special needs can qualify for a Medicaid program that is not dependent on income. This means parents of any income can get help for their children with special needs in the public school system. Each student is qualified to get their own personal aid or tech person in the classroom full time, paid for by the state. This help is available currently from pre-school through grade 12. Most elementary schools in Idaho Falls have Pre-school programs run in their school for special needs pre-school age children that are paid for as public education. In Alberta there has been immense cuts for teacher assistants in the classrooms and from my experience in the two schools I taught at there was only 1  part-time teacher aid for 3 or more classrooms.










 Culture is different in a small city compared to a large city such as Calgary. In Idaho Falls for example on one of busiest streets, 17th Street, locals do not regularly go the speed limit, just as much of the school culture is laid back and steady moving.  


  A couple of days a ago there was a police officer handing out paper warnings to drivers to stop at the stop sign lines as a warning before they came out the next day to give tickets to those who were not stopping fully. In Calgary the police force would not give out gratuitous warnings before fining. The same leniency is given in my classroom to students who do not complete their homework. The purpose of the homework is to have the children practice math facts, but also to teach responsibility. The children can bring their homework in whenever they complete the work and they will get credit for it. Most students bring their homework in on time or by the next day.  In the streets of Idaho Falls, there are special turning lanes on every  main street in the middle so drivers don't have to slow down for people turning left.  In the classroom, students work at their own pace, though if they fall behind they end up either taking the work home, not finishing it, or going to the resource room. The staff of the school work together and try to help the struggling students out as best they can by spending extra time  doing guided reading or listening to struggling readers during class time. The school zones differ from Idaho Falls to Calgary. There are lights that only if they flash yellow drivers need to slow down to 20 miles per hour in the school zone areas, and then when they are not flashing yellow the regular speed limit is permitted. This is different than in Calgary where the posted school zones are in effect from 7 or 8 am until sunset.


  Ways I prepared for my TAB placement in Idaho Falls was to take Spanish lessons, study sign language, study special education, (focusing on Autism Spectrum disorder) and researching the Idaho Falls Elementary school Curriculum. Before coming to Idaho Falls, I took Spanish lessons from Spanish Mania in Calgary. It is an advertised service through the Calgary Fish Creek Community Association. I was able to learn first words in Spanish, how to ask simple questions,  and learn some unique ways about writing. This has helped me understand and communicate with the 8 students that are Spanish Speaking in the classroom. The students are teaching me ways of communicating in Spanish as well at Fox Hollow Elementary.

             I studied books on American Sign Language. A few books that are useful for learning sign language are American Sign Language book,  Art of sign language, and Teach your baby to sign. Some simple videos from Baby Einstein are very useful for getting common words and phrases in sign language. I've also researched the American Sign Language website. I have bits of sign language in my placement, but more for enrichment activities since the children all speak and understand English or Spanish.

There are many special education books available.  A couple I have read are Special Diets for Special Kids by Lisa Lewis, and Louder than words by Jenny McCarthy. I reserved books from the Doucette library about how to teach children with disabilities through Alberta Education, and read a couple of fiction novels where the characters had autism or Asperger's Syndrome. Autismweb is a website that focuses on Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Autism Today is a journal with articles about Autism Spectrum Disorder. The best ways I've learned about autism spectrum disorder since it is such a broad spectrum is dealing with individuals that have been diagnosed, such as the grade one student in my practicum class.

 The Idaho Falls Elementary Curriculum is similar to the Alberta Curriculum. In Reading, Language and Writing, students are required to learn such things as learning how to write, revise, edit, recognize nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs. There seems to be more emphasis on vocabulary and spelling at Fox Hollow Elementary than in the two schools I taught in Calgary. The entire district of Idaho Falls is using the same Unit book for Oral Language, Shared Reading, Writing, Spelling and Journaling. This unit book also has excellent ideas for integrating curriculum with Social Studies and Science.  The book is a series called Reading Street by Scott Foresman. For each week, there are lesson plans, questions, journaling ideas, stories from the Reading Street children's texts that follow the unit theme. The theme the children have been studying since January in grade one are about Changes; changes in moving, growing up, nature, seasons, animals, and weather. The curriculum guides in Alberta are less restricted, though equally rigorous. I do not believe the Calgary Board of Education has a set Unit book that all teachers are required to teach from.


  Preparations in diversity of language, special education, and  Curriculum have taught me important differences and similarities when comparing Idaho and Alberta Education. Speaking Spanish seems more prevalent in the state of Idaho than in Calgary public schools.  The ESL students can spend time during the day with an ESL teacher and are pulled out of classroom time to work on their English. This extra help will benefit the students as they get older, as they will no longer need extra support. Though Alberta has excellent programming for children with special needs, the state of Idaho is giving more supports in the classroom for individual students than in Alberta. In the state of Idaho, students who are referred by their teachers for extra help in the classroom often receive help from the ESL Teacher or Special Education Teacher.

             When it comes to supports for special education, it is much easier to get an education assistant in Idaho Falls. As I learn more about autism spectrum disorder, I can advocate for students like Genesis in my grade one class. She reads at a grade 3 level, and contributes well to class discussion, but is easily led by her peers and can get distracted in large groups.  Receiving help from the special education teacher and ESL teacher, Genesis is able to complete some of her grade one assigned work in the resource room.  Ms. Reed voiced an end goal for Genesis is to participate fully in class without having to go to the resource room or receive extra supports outside the classroom. From talking with a few pre-school educators, the goal of having special education preschool classrooms available to the public is to have early intervention and education for the children with disabilities. This will enable the children to have a better chance at being independent and successful in the regular classroom without as much intervention in the later grades.

            The Curriculum in Idaho Falls and Calgary is similar yet unique with what the focus of learning is, be it inquiry, rote learning, or a mix  of both. Based on my experience, I had the most opportunity to work with new technology and inquiry in my first placement in a grade 3/4 classroom in Calgary. More money is being spent on Smart Boards, lap tops, Nanos, I-Pads and so forth with Alberta Education than in the State of Idaho.

   The community of Idaho Falls has many  respectful, responsible, caring citizens who work peacefully to provide a  good education for their children. The Elementary school I am placed in at Fox Hollow Elementary is a strong knit, respectful school community and the teachers and many staff are dedicated to the education and success of the students.








March 16, 2012

Log 2




         Cultural norms are similar and different when comparing Idaho and Alberta. During supervision with Ms. Reed Thursday mornings, the grade 1/2 students are at the playground, Grade 5/6 students are near the field area, grades 3/4 another section, and Kindergarteners line up outside the front door until the bell rings. Students file in to their classrooms in the shoes or boots they wear to school and wear them all day. During Parent Teacher conferences on March 9th, there was one mom who only spoke Spanish. The ELL teachers for Spanish speaking students are available as interpreters for the parent teacher conferences. My partner teacher is fluent in Spanish so she did not need an interpreter. As a student teacher in Alberta, there was no need for Spanish speaking interpreters for parent-teachers conferences. The resource room teacher collaborates with Ms. Reed about 3 students in her class who need special education. The ELL Spanish teacher also collaborates with Ms. Reed and some of the math and reading curriculum is completed in ELL room with the Spanish speaking students.



            Teaching in Idaho Falls requires tools for teaching I may not need as strongly in Alberta. Teaching in Idaho Falls will require more Spanish classes and speaking to communicate effectively with the Spanish -speaking families in the school community. I read a book about the SIOP model for teaching ELL students in a general classroom that I would like to implement in  my future classroom. The SIOP model involves assessing how well material is delivered to students in a variety of ways, accommodating needs of students so they can be successful learners.


            Assessment is a main component in teaching, and I have been fortunate to practice assessment in Language Arts and Math with Ms. Reed's grade one students. My partner teacher has shared 3 books on assessment: "assessing reading: Multiple Measures for kindergarten through eighth grade" (CORE Consortium on Reading Excellence INC. Arena Press (1999)). ; "Student-Involved Classroom Assessment" 3rd Edition, Richard Stiggins (2001). ; and "Classroom Instruction that works: Research -Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement" Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane Polluck (2001). In "assessing reading" there are specific tests that can be copied to give to students to assess their reading skills and accurately place them in the correct reading level. Some examples of the assessments are: Phonological Awareness; Representing phonemes with letters; Decoding and Word Attack: Core phonics curve; San Diego Quick Assessment of Reading Ability k-11; and Comprehension: McCleod Assessment of Reading Comprehension ( Resources for Assessing Reading p. 150. (1999).



            There are various ways the Community supports the schools in the Idaho Falls area.  Recently in the Community for District 93 on March 15, local residents voted  on spending money on a new school for the district  and  to help renovate old schools. The Elementary schools are overcrowded in the district. By the time the new school opens in 2 years it will be almost to capacity. The community voted in favor of building a new school and renovate old schools in the district.  Another way the schools are supported in the community are through "box tops". They can be found on cereal, yogurt, and snack items. Each ticket found on a box can be given to a designated school to help the school earn money for supplies and equipment. During parent-teacher conferences there was a book fair and a portion of the proceeds is given back to the school.   The Idaho Falls Library offers excellent resources for the community to support school curriculum. An online database called Novelist  K-8 plus has fiction and non-fiction literature chosen to support the school curriculum. There are also data bases for teachers such as Lili database, ERIC (Education Resource Information Center), and other Education sites. In the schools I have learned about children's education sites such as ABCya.com, Spelling City, and Starfall.  Services for children on the Autism Spectrum such as Speech and Language Clinic offers ways for the community to support their cause of helping children's language skills through fund-raising events and billboards advertising their business.


            One way I have learned more about the Special Needs programs in Idaho falls is attending two Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings to support two children, one in pre-school, and one in Kindergarten. In each meeting I received a Procedural Safeguards notice from the district  under the IDEA act for all parents  who have children with special needs. There are 46 pages of information regarding parent and special needs child rights and safeguards for the proper treatment from the school and the programming students are entitled to. In the meetings I met the occupational therapist, speech pathologist, school psychologist, principal, special education teacher, and general education teacher of the schools. The IEP plans were goals around speech and communication. The pre-school student does not speak much though intelligent and gentle with people. He establishes eye contact and communicates by leading people to what he wants or needs. The general education pre-school teacher gave me a lesson on how to use PECS : Picture Exchange Communication System. In Idaho Falls, the public schools offer Pre-School for children with Special Needs. In the Pre-School teachers' classroom, she uses the PECS program for all of her students. The success rate on the children developing communication skills is high using PECS. In the Kindergarten IEP meeting, parent and staff were given assessment forms to fill out about the child, and some tests were performed by the psychologist, speech pathologist, occupational therapist to determine  the child's strengths and weaknesses.  The child has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. He is thought by the psychologist to be gifted in many areas.  The general education teacher commented on his excellent reading and math skills. The results were in favor of helping the student by providing him with a developmental therapist (student aid), to help him focus on class work and develop social and communication skills, and the speech pathologist to help with speech. The student will be in the general classroom at least 80% of the school time and will receive speech and language services from the speech pathologist 30 min/ week and developmental therapist 30 min/ day.


            When comparing Idaho and Alberta Curriculum, there is a more general focus in Idaho and specific focus in Alberta. The Idaho State Education website has information about State- wide tests, Assessment, Special Education, Education Alliance of Idaho, and General information about Teacher certification . The Curriculum for the Schools are found on the District Websites. On the Alberta Education website, one can find general information, Teacher certification, and Curriculum. Not all district websites offer the same access to the Curriculum. For district 93, the entire curriculum is open for parents, teachers, community. On the district 91 website, only staff with a password can see the entire curriculum, and a separate summary page is for the parents. When comparing Idahoan Language Arts and Albertan, there are some unique differences of the curriculum standard layout. The curriculum content is similar, but more specific in Alberta. Idaho has Idaho Achievement Standards. Standard 1 for grade one students in Language Arts is Reading Process. Following are goals 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 related to the Reading process. Standard 2 is Comprehension and Interpretation; 3 is Writing Process; 4 Writing Applications; 5 Writing Components: and 6 Communication. ( District 93 website Curriculum).  In Alberta Education, there are General Learner Expectations and specific learner expectations. The design is similar, but the details in the  General and specific learner expectations are lengthy and in depth. For example General Outcome 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral print. (Alberta Education Language Arts grade 1 ). All grade levels are presented up to grade k-9 on the website in one document. In Idaho the Curriculum is divided into subsections for each grade.  The outline for the Math Curriculum for Idaho is set in the exact format as the Language Arts component. There are Standards followed by goals under each standard. The standards are : 1 Number and Operation; 2 Concepts and Principles of Measurement; 3 Concepts and Algebra functions; 4 Concepts and Principles of Geometry (Idaho Curriculum District 93 website). The Math Curriculum in Alberta has different names for the Program of Studies: Number, Patterns and Relations, Shape and Space, 3-D and 2-D objects (Alberta Curriculum 2012).  There was not an emphasis on 2-D 3-D shapes in the Idaho Curriculum, although the other sections are similar to one another in both Idaho and Alberta Curriculum. Visually the reader can view the expectations of kindergarten through grade 2 across a continuum on the page on the Alberta website, while for Idaho each grade is separately viewed. There is more emphasis on Information and Communication Technology in the Alberta Curriculum and Inquiry-based learning. The inquiry-based Alberta curriculum and emphasis on technology give Alberta students advantage in the technological, global world. The Idaho districts and community collaborate collectively to support the Curriculum and provide students with support to succeed academically.


                As a student teacher thus far in Idaho Falls I have learned to keep high student behavior expectations, consistent discipline, and efficient planning. One day this week I was reading a story as part of the Oral Language component of Language Arts. Some children were talking and I had already sent about 3 students back to their desks for not behaving and had since called them back to the group. I realized this was too many children to be sending back to their desks. I stopped the reading and explained we were going to practice being completely quiet for one minute and we would practice until we got it right.  For that minute no one made a sound. The students knew I meant business and I did not have to practice with them again that day. I have also learned a great deal about the importance of having variety in transitions. Instead of having students put their heads on their desk when they were done their work, or transitioning co-teaching with Ms. Reed, I used a variety of transitional tools. One day I said "After you've put your work away, point to something orange in the room" Another day I said "point to the letter D in the room".  I have also done clap rhythms to get their attention. Another attention getter is  " clap once if you can hear me; clap twice if you can hear me". Any time the children start to get off task, I can take time to have them practice correct behavior in the classroom. My partner teacher has also taught me a great deal of being efficient in my planning, assessment and teaching. When appropriate, the students mark their own work, such as for math fact assessment. Any homework that is turned in is collected first thing in the morning, and then thrown away because the parents have already seen the work since the children are to have their parents check their work. The homework routine teaches responsibility and gives the students practice with math facts and problem solving. Marks are recorded after assessment. Ms. Reed has taught me to not take work home if possible. The way to not get overwhelmed in teaching is to be efficient during the school day. Much of the planning and work can be done the week before, months before , year before planning. Arriving a little earlier in the morning is a time to see that all materials are ready for the day. Acquiring knowledge about my students, supporting community, studying curriculum, practicing effective assessment, consistent classroom routines and classroom management, and proper planning are valuable preparations for teaching.



   Student Teacher: Andrea Winters

Field Advisor: Greg Long

April 10, 2012

Log 3


            The Teaching Across Borders experience in the Idaho Falls area has been one of enrichment in learning more about English Language Learners, Curriculum, and Students with Special Needs. Having travelled to Eastern Canada, Australia, and various states in the United States I have come to realize that much of the way people live similar. Cultures and unique ways of life differ though there is a commonality in citizenship and global identity.


            The Teaching Across Borders experience has changed me as a teacher in that I have learned more about English Language Learners since there are a high percentage of Mexican Immigrants in Idaho Falls. Over 30% of Ms. Reeds' first grade class is Spanish speaking as a first language. A book on  Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP model) entitled "Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The Siop Model" by Jan Echevarria, MaryEllen Vogt and Deborah J. Short discussed various ways of teaching that would improve academics and understanding among English  Language Learners. Most of the ELL students in Ms. Reed's class were high achievers in Language arts and Mathematics. Following the SIOP model will not only help with Spanish speakers but learners of any first language. The Reading Street teaching manuals also have ideas to extend learning to ELL in each unit of the manual.


            The curriculum for Idaho Falls and Calgary are similar and different. In Alberta Curriculum teachers in the Calgary Board of Education and Rocky view School Divisions are given recommendations for Curriculum books and materials. Many schools will adopt a program and the teachers in that school or school division will conform. In the Rocky view School Division at a  Professional development seminar for Kindergarten teachers I attended, it was recommended to use the Handwriting without Tears series for students learning to print letters. Comparatively in the Bonneville Joint Idaho Falls School District 91, all teachers in grades 1-5 are using the Reading Street series manuals of books to teach Reading , Writing and Language Arts These books are a mandatory part of the teaching the Curriculum. 
There are Common Core State Standards for Language Arts and Mathematics that are like the curriculum on the Alberta Education website. The standards are research and evidence based, aligned with college and work expectations, rigorous, and internationally benchmarked (Common Core State Standards- Bonneville Joint School District 93 Idaho Falls website).  The focus is on reading , writing, speaking, listening, language and mathematics. The focus of the Curriculum is to build students who are competitive and able learners to attend College and University. The Key Design Considerations are CCR (College and Career Readiness) cross disciplinary, focus on results rather than means, integrated model of literacy , and research and media. They use the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress). The Standards for Literature are lengthy and begin with Reading Standards for Literature from grades K through 5th grade. In each section there are goals and objectives for Kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2 and third through fifth grade on each page to see the progress the student will make with each succeeding grade to be at academic grade level. An example to compare the K through 2nd grade Curriculum for Reading goals are: Kindergarten; prompt and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text;  Grade 1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text and 2nd grade: Ask and answer such questions a s who, what, where, when why, how, to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text (Bonneville Joint School District 93 Common Core State Standards). Their focus is on 5 Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language for Language Arts.


The Alberta Education mandate on Language Arts for Alberta students has a  focus on producing "contributing citizens and lifelong learners" more than on preparing for college and career. The details in the outline for Alberta Language Arts Education are more refined and have a stronger sense of social responsibility and community. (Alberta Education website 2000). Language development from infancy to adulthood is explored and the importance it plays in lives as individuals and lifelong learners. There are 6 Language Arts that are listed and integrated.: Listening and speaking, reading and writing, viewing and representing. (Alberta Education website Language Arts Curriculum 2000). These are broken down into 5 General  Outcomes: "Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to: 1-explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experience;2- comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral print and other media texts; 3- manage ideas and information;4 enhance the clarity and artistry of communication ; 5- respect, support and collaborate with others" (Alberta Education Language Arts 2000). There are also general outcomes and specific outcomes province- wide for science and social studies whereas for Elementary Curriculum in Idaho there is emphasis only on Language Arts and Mathematics state standards.




            Ms. Reed has provided excellent resources, one being assessing curriculum with students. As teachers are more experienced they can differentiate learning more easily and provide universal access by knowing each students' academic needs. As a new teacher I will need tools such as formal assessments to give students to develop a program that will meet their learning needs. In the book "assessing reading: Multiple Measures for kindergarten through eighth grade" by CORE (Consortium on Reading Excellence, INC. Arena Press Novato. California 1999) it gives numerous assessments a teacher can give students to determine their reading level, spelling and comprehension. I can use a reading assessment to group my students into appropriate reading levels and they can progress from their current level. Other ways I have been taught to assess are through student in- class writing. Questions to assess student writing are  what thought do they put into writing in their journals? How many sentences are thy developing? Do they understand how to retell a story or do a summary? Students wrote summaries of Shared Reading stories such as "Lady in the Moon"- about a tradition in China where children write poems and sing songs to the Lady in the Moon so she will bring blessings to their villages. They celebrate with food and socializing. In Math the students take home work home and have their parents correct the work and bring it back the next day. This gives them practice with their math facts and teaches responsibility. It is also a way of assessing students without extra marking work.




             There are many examples of scaffolding in my teaching experience as I taught Language Arts to Ms. Reeds' Grade One Students. During Shared Reading after we discussed the genre of the story and did a picture walk, I read the story.  The next day we read the story together and discussed plot, setting, characters, and experiences related to the story. Students wrote in their journals about a theme in the story or did a summary. Day four we re-read the story and used a pair and share technique, where students re-tell the story using pictures.  We ended the story unit and week with extensions to literature that talked about the theme. In the story "Peter's chair there is an enrichment activity where Peter is e-mailing his Grandma that he feels okay giving up his chair to his little baby sister.  The last story I read with the children during Oral Language was about a young boy who helped on elderly lady in a retirement home get her memory returned by sharing his own objects and memories that were special to him. The theme about the stories and activities of the week was about sharing. Children wrote in their journals about sharing a toy with their siblings or a friend.  In another example of scaffolding there are word enhancements where I say the word, the student says the word, and spells the word. We use the word in a sentence to get the meaning of the word. I continue with this process through a list of words in the enhancement binder. The students come across these same words in their stories for the week.


                        Questioning techniques in my teaching were enriched with students being able to respond openly as I was guided to ask them open- ended questions throughout our story readings. The text helped me develop questioning skills  I needed to enhance and practice as a new teacher. The questions naturally started to develop with practice and students created questions of their own.


            In the area of special needs I learned the importance other staff in the school are to the general education teacher to co-teach and collaborate for optimal learning for students. Presently in Alberta there have been cut backs on teacher assistants which is not only creating less jobs but it is taking away resources general education teachers need to build inclusive classrooms. Teachers do not have the in-class support they need to properly help special needs students on their own. Special Needs students need a resource teacher to assist them as a out of class advocate when they need more one on one help to do their in -class work. Ms. Reed co-teaches with the Resource teacher to help a grade one student Genesis be successful in class. Genesis is on the autism spectrum and has ADHD. Through help from both teachers she can do her class work in class, and in the resource room when she needs a more quiet and less busy space to complete her work. I would like to have spent more time with the resource teacher and how she manages co-teaching with other teachers in the school. Through IPP programming students can receive the specific focus on teaching they need to be successful students.


            As a new teacher I will take experience and knowledge to build an inclusive classroom. The principal, psychologist and other staff  to be supportive for a general education teacher to have a successful classroom of community learners. Students need other teachers and staff to support them in the school besides their general education teacher. Tools I can use to begin my teaching practice are practicing classroom management routines at the start of the year, collaborating with other staff and following recommended and mandatory manuals and curriculum. Building positive rapport with parents, staff and students will give my students greater opportunity for achieving a sense of community and to be lifelong learners.