Running Head: TELLING MY STORY

Assignment 1B: Telling My Story Using My PDQP

A Look Backward
Sarah Shoemaker
National University
November 27, 2016
TED 690
Professor Clifton Johnson

Running Head: TELLING MY STORY

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Abstract

This paper serves as partial fulfillment of the requirements for Assignment 1: Developing a
Professional Development Quest Portfolio (PDQP). It serves as a reflection to evaluate my
progress in achieving competencies in my TPE Domain of choice. This paper identifies my
strengths and needs for improvement associated with my chosen TPE Domain, and discusses
potential competencies to be used in my PDQP. Finally, it includes rationale for selecting and
completing areas of professional needs and goals as evidenced in the three artifacts for my
chosen TPE Domain thus far.

Running Head: TELLING MY STORY

The career of a teacher is a journey of constant reflection, change, and growth. From
beginning as a novice, to becoming experienced, and finally developing into an expert, there is
continually more to learn and add to ones teaching practice. One of the trademarks of an
effective teacher is the ability to plan thoroughly, implement plans efficiently, reflect on the
implementation, and make necessary changes. The California Teaching Performance
Expectations (TPEs) outline additional goals and competencies for teachers as they progress as
professional educators, upon which reflection and growth should be based. The six Domains of
the TPEs are as follows (Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2013, p. 1):
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.

Making Subject Matter Comprehensible to Students

Assessing Student Learning
Engaging and Supporting Students in Learning
Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for Students
Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning
Developing as a Professional Educator

The TPE Domains form the basis for the organization and development of my PDQP. As such, I
begin a look backward at my teaching journey to this point by focusing on Domain A.
I teach at the secondary level. Because California does not yet have a credential in dance
and because the courses I teach qualify for PE credit toward graduation, my chosen area of focus
for this reflection is TPE 1B: Subject-Specific Pedagogical Skills for Single Subject Teaching
Assignments, with respect to physical education (Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2013,
p. 1). I began my teaching career approximately ten years ago as a dance instructor in a private
high school. I had graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts, and so I had mastered the subject areas
of drama and dance. However, with no previous plans to go into education my start in teaching
was very much on-the-job training. I developed certain competencies across the TPE Domains,
not because I read that I was supposed to, but because necessity required it in the classroom.
Now that I have ten years of experience in diverse situations and have gone through the

Running Head: TELLING MY STORY

credential and M.Ed. program at National University, I have more developed and well-founded
competencies, particularly within Domain A.
My areas of strength and areas for growth within TPE 1B competencies are outlined in
the following table:
Domain/TPE
A. Making Subject Matter
Comprehensible to Students
TPE 1: Specific Pedagogical Skills
for Subject Matter Instruction
TPE 1B: Subject-Specific
Pedagogical Skills for Single
Subject Teaching Assignments
Teaching Physical
Education in a Single
Subject Assignment

Strengths

Areas for Growth

Teach the state-adopted academic Enable students to develop skills

content standards
and knowledge needed to become
active for life
Design curriculum accessible to
all students and that meets the
Balance focus of instruction
needs of all students
between information, concepts,
and skill development
Demonstrate sensitivity to
students cultural and ethnic
Include activities of global
backgrounds
interest
Motivate students to embrace a
Teach students to read,
healthy lifestyle, think critically
comprehend, and evaluate
and analytically, and solve
instructional materials
problems in the content area
independently, and write
expository and argumentative
Create environments that ensure
text
safe and productive participation
Provide opportunities to use and
evaluate media and technology as
integral tools
(Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2013, p. 11)

The artifacts that I have included in my PDQP for Domain A align appropriately with
TPE 1B demonstrate competency in the areas of strength outlined above. Artifact #1 is a lesson
plan with rationale, Artifact #2 is an observation by my University Support Provider (USP) from
my TED internship, and Artifact #3 is a literature review of a relevant article about dance
pedagogy. Artifact #1 supports my ability to teach the content standards, design curriculum
accessible to and meeting the needs of all students, demonstrate sensitivity to students cultural
and ethnic backgrounds, and create environments that ensure safe and productive participation.
Artifact #2 is a report of a first-hand observation of my teaching with specific regard to TPE
Domain A that supports my ability to teach the content standards, make curriculum accessible to
all students, and use a variety of media and technology as tools in the classroom. Artifact #3
provides evidence of my ability to motivate students to embrace a healthy lifestyle, think

Running Head: TELLING MY STORY

critically and analytically, and solve problems. It also demonstrates my awareness of changing
and evolving pedagogy in my subject area. Yet these are merely three artifacts and do not
necessarily provide complete evidence of all competencies in the TPE Domain.
The other potential competencies to be evidenced in my PDQP from Domain A, TPE 1B,
include enabling students to learn skills and knowledge needed to become active for life;
balancing focus of instruction between information, concepts, and skill development while
including activities of global interest; and teaching students to read and write independently in
various formats and at increasing complexity in the content area. Addressing these competencies
will require including more diverse artifacts. As St and Viskus note, The role of the
teacheris note merely the teaching of dance steps but rather a conscious guidance in a world of
different possibilities with the skills of teaching how to dance (2014, p. 298). I would like to
include artifacts such as course syllabi, dress code, and participation policy to demonstrate
student engagement and accessibility, which are areas of strength. To address areas for growth, I
would like to include artifacts of student work in multiple formats, including writing, photo, and
video. I would also like to include diverse lessons, including written plans, video-recordings of
teaching in action, and reflection on lesson implementation. I have these artifacts available, and
through their inclusion I can effectively demonstrate my growth in the relevant competencies.
Teaching is an evolutionary process. This has been made clear to me through the initial
development of my PDQP, the purpose of which is to show evidence of growth and achievement
of professional benchmarks (Constantino & De Lorenzo, 2009). Beginning with Domain A, TPE
1B, has allowed me to focus on competencies specific to my subject area that are covered more
in-depth in the other Domains. Likewise, as my experience increases, my depth of understanding
and the complexity with which I demonstrate TPE competencies will increase and evolve.

Running Head: TELLING MY STORY

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References

Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2013). California teaching performance expectations

[PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/standards/adopted-TPES2013.pdf
Constantino, P. M. & De Lorenzo, M. N. (2009). Developing a professional teaching portfolio: a
guide for success (3rd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
St, A. & Viskus, E. (2014). Contemporary approaches to dance pedagogy the challenge of
the 21st century. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 112, 290-299. Retrieved
from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042814011847