Lauren Normoyle Reflective Narrative

Reflective Narrative
While there is an innate part of us as humans that are driven to communicate
with others, I believe it is my responsibility to facilitate how students develop language
by shaping the environment and experiences, through communication with parents,
friends, and teachers, and providing constant feedback (e.g., positive and negative
reinforcement). My philosophy is based on my belief of how language is learned and
how I can facilitate language development. While I always kept my philosophy in mind
while providing services for students, my experiences at Franklin Middle School allowed
me to meet all of the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC)
Standards (InTASC Teaching Standards, 2011).
Standard #1: Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow
and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary
individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and
physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and
challenging learning experiences.
I worked with three students who struggled to learn within the classroom setting.
Therefore, I pulled these students out of their social studies class for speech therapy
and was required to teach them the curriculum that they were missing within the
classroom. I learned that these students required a visual (e.g., pictures, graphic
organizer); therefore, everything that we did in the speech therapy room with these
students had a visual prompt. For example, we made a road out of food while we were
discussing how Romans created roads. The layers from top to bottom included: wafer
cookies for stone, cool whip for concrete, chocolate chips and pudding for rock and
mortar, and crushed graham cracker for sand. In addition, speech and language goals
were being implemented into the session (i.e., taking turns and answering wh-

Lauren Normoyle Reflective Narrative

questions). This related back to my philosophy because I was able to shape the
learning environment and experience in a meaningful way for these students. I met
Standard #1 by recognizing that these students required visuals and interactive
activities in order to learn. The visuals allowed the students better access to the
curriculum while still being challenged.
Standard #2: Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual
differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning
environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
Standard #4: Content Knowledge. The teacher understands the central concepts,
tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates
learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for
learners to assure mastery of the content.
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety
of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding
of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in
meaningful ways.
This semester, I provided speech and language therapy for two students within
the reading classroom. During the semester, we read Number the Stars in small groups.
Before we began reading the book, we discussed the World War II and other
background knowledge. However, during the discussion one of the students did not
know what it meant to be Jewish. I proceeded by relating it back to the student and
asking her what nationality/ethnic group she was and gave an example by sharing my
own nationality. The student had no idea what nationality she was or what the word
nationality meant. Therefore, this was a cultural difference because in my family we
discussed our nationalities all of the time so I just assumed the student and her family
did as well. I recognized this difference in our cultures and in order to enable this
student to understand the book, Number the Stars, we spend the majority of our time

Lauren Normoyle Reflective Narrative

that day discussing different nationalities. In addition, the next day that I saw this
student she was excited to tell me her nationality after speaking with her father. This
connection made the experience very meaningful for the student and it allowed her to
master the understanding of the background knowledge she needed to know in order to
understand the unit. This is a perfect example of how I met Standard #2 and how it
related back to my philosophy by understanding that this was a cultural difference and
providing the student with the background knowledge necessary to understand the unit
in order to meet high standards. I met Standard #4 through this experience because I
was able to make it personal and more meaningful for the student. I met Standard #8
through this experience because the personal experience allowed the student to
develop a deep understand of what nationalities are by making a personal connection to
the content.
Standard #3: Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create
environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that
encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self
motivation.
This semester, I implemented a behavior plan for a student. In addition to
decreasing negative behaviors, the behavior plan increased the students motivation to
want to do better in school. For example, when the student met his goal for the week he
was reinforced with a $5 gift card for an online game. Every time the student earned a
point (i.e., signature from the teacher) for being in class on time, with all of his materials,
and worked hard throughout class he would come to our room and tell us with a big
smile. In order to implement this behavior plan, I collaborated with his general education
teachers and described why this was being implemented and what was expected of the
student in order to earn a teachers signature. This related back to my philosophy

Lauren Normoyle Reflective Narrative

because I collaborated with teachers and provided positive reinforcement in order to

facilitate this students learning. I met Standard #3 because I actively worked with others
in order to create an environment, in which resulted in active engagement in learning
and self-motivation.
Standard #5: Application of Content. The teacher understands how to connect
concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking,
creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global
issues.
I worked with a group of students within the speech and language room while
they were working on a compare and contrast activity on different tsunami events in the
world. The students on my caseload were working on pragmatic skills; therefore, I
modified the lesson and required the students to discuss and choose the five most
salient similarities and differences between the 3 events. This related back to my
philosophy because if I would not have modified the lesson for these students they
would not have been engaged in a discussion that allowed them to problem solve and
be engaged in a different learning experience. I met Standard #5 by engaging the
students to work on pragmatic skills, engage the students in discussion, and
collaboratively problem-solve the five most salient answers.
Standard #6: Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods
of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner
progress, and to guide the teachers and learners decision making.
Throughout the semester, I used a checklist of the articulation hierarchy with
each student who was targeting an articulation goal. In Middle School it is very
important that the student takes ownership in his/her goals. There was a separate
checklist in the students folder for each sound that was being targeted. The students
checked off the levels on their own in order to monitor their own progress. This allowed

Lauren Normoyle Reflective Narrative

the student to take ownership and it constantly assessed the student on which level of
the hierarchy he/she was at. In addition, students were engaged in this because they
could see their own growth. This related back to my philosophy because it was
constantly providing the student with the visual reinforcement. I met Standard #6
because I used a method of assessment to engage the learning in his/her own growth
throughout the articulation hierarchy.
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports
every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of
content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as
knowledge of learners and the community context.
Every week I had a morning articulation group with four students in the speech
therapy room. Each student is at a different level and in different grades. Therefore, I
prepared activities that each student could be successful at while still challenge each
student. This related back to my philosophy because I was able to shape these students
learning environment and supported our innate desire to communicate with others. I met
this Standard #7 because even though the therapy session was in a group, I supported
each student at the level he/she needed.
Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. The teacher engages in
ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her
practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others
(learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice
to meet the needs of each learner.
This semester, I had an incredible supervisor who provided me with constructive
criticism. This allowed me to be engaged in ongoing professional learning. In addition, I
participated in Augmentative Communication and Janesville Autism Spectrum Team
(JAST) with my cooperative SLP in Janesville, WI. I felt that I learned a lot at these

Lauren Normoyle Reflective Narrative

meetings including relevant information that I could implement into my session with
students with an AAC device or students with Autism. I met Standard #9 because I grew
as a clinician and continuously adapted my clinical practice to the needs of each
student. This related back to my philosophy because consulting with my cooperating
SLP and attending informational meetings allowed me to learn new ways shape the
environment and experiences for my students.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration. The teacher seeks appropriate
leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to
collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and
community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.
A 6th grade general education teacher and I met each week to plan the
communication arts class schedule for the following week. This experience allowed me
to see how successful collaborating can be with a general education teacher. The
teacher appreciated planning with us because of our background and education in
language. We provided her with multiple visual aids including visuals for inferences,
context clues, and citing evidence. This related back to by philosophy because I was
able to shape the experience that the students had by collaborating with the general
education teacher. I met Standard #10 because by collaborating with the teacher, I was
taking responsibility for students learning by providing different opportunities for all
children to learn within the general education class.
Conclusion
I gained a tremendous amount of experience this semester that allowed me to
grow as a clinician. Each InTASC Standard was met through my experience at Franklin
Middle School. In addition, my philosophy has remained consistent: While there is an
innate part of us as humans that are driven to communicate with others, I believe it is

Lauren Normoyle Reflective Narrative

my responsibility to facilitate how students develop language by shaping the

environment and experiences, through communication with parents, friends, and
teachers, and providing constant feedback (e.g., positive and negative reinforcement). I
will carry my philosophy with me in my future as a speech language pathologist.

Lauren Normoyle Reflective Narrative

References
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards: A Resource for State Dialogue (2011).
Retrieved from Council of Chief State School Officers website:
http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Publications/InTASC_Model_Core_Teaching_St
andards_A_Resource_for_State_Dialogue_(April_2011).html#sthash.IHAoSNeM.
dpuf