Domain III: Professional Development
1:40-2:30 p.m.

Elaboration:
Today I was a part of the grade level meeting. Today’s discussion was on adjusting the fluid groupings in the third grade. We talked about numbers, academics, and behavior in considering which children needed to stay or move rooms. We ended up switching just a few children. The main things that we talked about academically were recent STAR test scores and classroom achievement. There was even some opportunity for me to provide input on one of the children.

Analysis:
The meetings for the teachers are only monthly meetings. Every nine weeks they discuss the classes and whether they should be regrouped. I think that this is important because often time students are put in a specific group and then left there for the entire year. Many students grow throughout a year and may need more intervention or a more challenging atmosphere. I also thought that it was good that the teachers did not only use test scores to determine groupings. Some children do not test well, so classroom achievement is a better gauge. I am gaining one student into my class, so I have been thinking about what the best ways will be for me accommodate her. One other nice thing about being a part of this meeting was seeing how well the teachers work together. They were all willing to do their part and do what was best for the children.