Allison Mascolino

Ms. Fabricius
9/2/2020
First Student Teaching Reflection

In relation to InTASC Standards 9 & 10 (Category 4) I have noticed that my cooperating

teacher(s) do an excellent job at engaging in ongoing learning. I’ve noticed this more with my
cooperating teacher, Jay Hefel. Mr. Hefel has been teaching for a long time and everyday I’ve been able
to see him engage in ongoing learning in many ways. With both of my cooperating teachers I have
noticed the ongoing learning with remote teaching. Each of my cooperating teachers engage in all of the
instructional meetings for remote teaching and continue learning different tactics of remote teaching by
partaking in ongoing learning. While partaking in ongoing learning of how to teach remotely, I have also
noticed that both of my cooperating teachers have in some way gained a deeper understanding of their
frame of reference. This can be seen through how my cooperating teachers have to use online learning for
both in class and remote learners. They cannot assign all of the in-class students mandatory online work
because not every student may have access to a computer at home.
In addition to engaging in ongoing learning, both of my cooperating teachers have been sharing
responsibility for decision making and the accountability for each student’s learning. Even before classes
started at WDHS my cooperating teachers and myself were going over what the first few weeks of classes
would look like for our students in regards to what we would be teaching. Students in the Western
Dubuque School District are taught about the Civil War and Reconstruction in the 8 th grade. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, 8th graders in the WDSD were unable to learn their Civil War Unit. My
cooperating teachers made the decision that even though those 8 th graders won’t be taking U.S History for
another 2-3 years that it is important to start including Civil War into the curriculum of their U.S History
classes starting this year so that they can adjust to teaching it as well as to use the lesson as review for
their juniors currently in the class (often times they forget what they learned in the 8 th grade).
While working with my cooperating teachers I have seen both leadership and ethical practice in
the ways I’ve been working with them. I have been able to adjust my lessons so that when the time comes
they are suitable for both the in-class students as well as the remote students. I have also noticed that my
responsibilities have changed just over these 2 weeks. I have taken online classes before but never have I
had to TEACH an online class. I had to learn how to use an online learning platform that was completely
new to me. Both my cooperating teachers and myself have both been in the process of the ongoing
learning of remote teaching and instruction.
Overall, in my opinion, Category 4 of the InTASC standards is extremely relevant and applicable
to all teachers now because now is a time that the professional responsibility of all teachers is
COMPLETELY CHANGING. Not just because of the ongoing learning of remote teaching but also
because of the new guidelines that all teachers are required to follow to prevent the spread of the COVID-
19 pandemic.