Description

A Teacher Work Sample (TWS) is designed to assess the impact of teacher candidates
instruction on students learning as well as provide evidence of candidate's teaching
performance during the Student Teaching Experience. The TWS assignment includes
the following tasks:
I.Professional Goal Setting and Reflection
II.Contextual Information
III.Instructional Design and Implementation (five lessons)

Task I: Professional Goal Setting

Objective: Candidates set a professional goal, identify the action strategies they will use
to achieve that goal, and reflect on their learning and growth (as it relates to that goal)
near the end of their student teaching experience.
Resources: Candidates will use the NSU Conceptual Framework (see table below) as a
guide for determining their professional goal.

NSU Conceptual
Framework
Categories

Knowledge of Self
as an Individual

Knowledge of the
Learner

Knowledge of
Content

Potential Category
Outcomes
(You will choose one of
these outcomes as the
basis for your goal)
Respect and Concern
for Students

Commitment to Health
and Safety

Developmental Needs

Student Diversity

Understanding Subject
Matter

Description

Knowledge of Self as an Individual recognizes the

educators influence in the lives of students and
emphasizes the importance of building trust
relationships, and setting positive examples.

Knowledge of the learner focuses on an

understanding of growth and development of learners
in the contexts in which development takes place and
an understanding of how student diversity interacts
with the learning process.

Knowledge of Content implies a broad understanding

of the centrality of content knowledge for teaching,
and ability to organize central concepts and principles
of a subject matter, and a responsibility for acquiring
new knowledge.

Knowledge of
Pedagogy

Knowledge of Self
as a Teacher and
Member of a
Learning
Community

Planning
Implementation
Assessment
Classroom
Management and
Organization
Instructional Materials
and Technology

Pedagogical Knowledge includes those principles and

strategies necessary for effective teaching, including
the planning, implementation, and assessment of
instruction, classroom management and organization,
knowledge of curriculum and instructional materials,
and integration of technology.

Parent and Community

Involvement
Commitment to
Teaching
Interpersonal Relations
Professional Growth
and Development

Knowledge of Self as a Teacher and Member of a

Learning Community calls for a collaboration among
teachers, students and their families and communities
that embraces diversity, promotes a positive sense of
personal identify, and enhances the possibilities for
academic success.

1. Conceptual Framework Goal Statement, Action Plan, and Reflection:

a. Identify the Framework Category to which your goal aligns:
Knowledge of Content
b. Identify the specific Category Outcome you will use to determine your goal:
I will ask my cooperating teacher how she felt I did with some of the
content areas. I will also grade myself on how comfortable I felt teaching
about the information. Students are very good at reading body language.
They would be able to see when a person is not confident in what they
teach. I have always been told by teachers and retired teachers that
confidence is everything and if you dont know show confidence that you
do know what you are talking about. I can also use the students, to gauge
the outcome of the goal. If I see the students are getting confused about
different concepts, I know that I didnt do a good job explaining the
concepts.
c. Based on the outcome you selected, write a specific goal for this experience.
After your goal statement, provide a brief narrative explaining the reasons as to
why you chose this goal.
I will gain knowledge in areas that I am not as familiar with. A reason why
knowledge of content is so important because there is a vast array of
content areas that a science teacher might have an opportunity to teach.
So, getting a wide background on the content during this experience will
be beneficial. Not only will it reduce my preparation time, it will also
encourage more student engagement and student achievement.

d. Describe the action plan (steps/strategies and resources) required to accomplish

this goal
I will achieve this goal by absorbing content from my cooperating teacher
as she is teaching it. I will do this by taking notes, recording best
practices, and ideas. Reading over her PowerPoints will help as well. I
will ask for a textbook and read ahead to become familiar with the content
as well. I also will watch a lot of videos to gain better understanding with
the content. Videos will also help me with pronunciation of a lot of the
anatomy word.
e. Reflect on your progress/growth toward achieving this goal:
As you are teaching, you are not only teaching but also learning. A
person can never have enough of knowledge. My goal was to learn more
about the subjects that I was not as familiar with. For Anatomy, I was
refreshing and relearning the names of the bones and muscles. I did
watch videos on YouTube for better understanding and preparing for
class. I feel that I did well because, if I wasnt familiar with a topic, I
looked up help with the subject. I would read more about, watching
videos, or getting information from my cooperating teacher. YouTube
videos really helped with pronunciation of the name of the bones. I would
watch videos a few times to get better understanding. I did also mention
to my students, that watching videos are a great way to learn and gain a
better grasp of the knowledge.

I feel that I showed confidence in what I was teaching. If a student had a

question that I could not answer, I would tell the students I am not quite
sure and I would get back to them on that. Then I would research a bit
and provide the correct answer. After watching the videos for Anatomy
and watching my cooperating teacher teach, I felt very confident in my
teaching.

Being a teacher you must learn how to read body language. I feel this
experience has helped me strengthen that skill. This would help me see if
the students are not understanding a concept or if instructions were
unclear. If I would notice that the students are showing confusion, that is
my key to slow down and recover the concept. Or I might have them do a
partner discussion.