Christine E.

Davis Personal/Professional Goal Statement To me, teaching is not a big enough word for what I do; I am a mentor, guide, and leader for my students. I am a mentor to my students when I support them in pursuing their passions, helping them to master a skill and then encouraging them to demonstrate proficiency in unique ways that encompass their own interests and goals. I guide my students toward personal success, differentiating to meet each individual at their level of understanding and providing the scaffolding they need to show personal growth and improvement. I am a leader in my classroom. I provide procedural transparency for my students so that they know the direction I am leading them in and feel confident following me towards new understandings.

After graduating from the University of Maine at Farmington in May, 2009, I chose to accept a job at RSU 57 as an Eighth Grade Language Arts Teacher. What drew me to this job was the groundbreaking work that is happening regarding the implementation of a Performance Based Education (PBE) model, where students learn at their own pace and are assessed on a Standards Scale. I am now in my third year at Massabesic Middle School, and in that time our school has gone from reporting out on a traditional grading scale using the Maine Learning Results as a guide, to reporting out on Standards and creating assessment rubrics for the Common Core. This experience has shifted the way that I view education, and holding students accountable for their learning has magnified the need for a sound, continuous, and differentiated curriculum.

In the Fall of 2011 I was invited by my Administrators to be the middle level representative on a Vertical Team that would meet to discuss the efficacy of the Language Arts curriculum K-12, and that would work with Bea McGarvey of the Marzano Research Lab to begin developing accurate assessment scales for each of the Learning Targets that would also align with Marzano's taxonomy of knowledge. Through this work my interest in Curriculum and Instruction has grown, and as I also further my training in implementing a PBE Model through professional development days, I feel a strong need to further my education in differentiation and instructional strategies as well. The MsED Curriculum and Instruction program would provide me the knowledge and tools necessary to even further develop my skills as a classroom teacher, as well as give me the confidence to contribute to my professional community by becoming involved in more groups like the Vertical Team in my district and beyond.

I am eager to begin the program and see the online format as uniquely suited for my interests and needs. I use technology in my classroom on a daily basis, from iPads and Laptops to student response blogs and Google Tools. I have used BlackBoard previously during my coursework at the University of Maine at Farmington, and am a leader in the use of technology at my school, having offered technology workshops during professional development days in my district.

By completing this program I believe that I will be better equipped to meet the needs of all learners in my classroom, and also to be a more active member of my Professional Learning Community. I am passionate about the changes being made in my district, and I believe that the MsED program in Curriculum and Instruction will give me the tools necessary to show how successful the PBE Model can be, inspiring change in educational communities beyond my own.