This essay is specifically designed to further your reflective practice on the impact you have had working with youth and children, as well as to help you establish measurable learning and professional development goals for your growth within the program. In addition, you will begin to anchor your self-examination within the language of the Touro College Candidate Learning Outcomes (CLOs).
Your essay should be limited to no more than 500 words. It is to be completed in two parts: Looking Backwards: Reflective Practice and Looking Forward: Goal Setting. You must construct your work in a narrative format but can cite relevant educational literature to support your work.
PART ONE – Looking Backwards: Reflective Practice
Examine your prior experiences working with youth and children and their impact on your professional practice (in your classroom(s) or other educational setting(s)). Consider the grade/functional levels and the content/disciplines for which you designed and implemented instruction. Consider the learning outcomes that resulted, the challenges you faced, and your core beliefs about teaching and learning. Afterwards, address the following questions:
• Name and describe impacts you have had on P-12 students’ learning.
• Discuss ways in which you have used feedback from your instructors or supervisors to improve your practice.
• Identify a minimum of two Touro GSE Candidate Learning Outcomes (CLOs) that you view as your strongest attributes and discuss why. Identify the specific outcomes and corresponding elements by name.
• Discuss any areas of concern you might have regarding the development of your ability to meet the needs of diverse learners and explain why.
PART TWO – Looking Forward: Goal Setting
For this section you will construct two (2) professional goals, anchored by your Looking Backwards: Reflective Practice exercise. Your goals should address areas of growth that you wish to develop early in your program. Each goal should be measurable with a clear outcome (e.g., To move from a primarily lecture style of course instruction to the use of interactive learning in mathematics; To establish ongoing communication with parents/guardians for an 80% homework completion rate in my class; Strengthen my classroom management skills for a decrease in time off task during whole group instruction).
Once you have established clear, measurable goals, enumerate each:
1.
2.
Next, explain how each is aligned with a particular Touro Candidate Learning Outcome
FINISHING UP –
Be sure to review and edit your work, checking for clarity, grammatical errors, and thoroughness. It is important that you address each area of the Looking Backwards Looking Forward Essay for admission and that your writing is free of errors. Your submission will be used later in your program to help guide your professional development. You will need to keep a copy of your submission for future use during coursework, should you be admitted.
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