Reference Letter: Chris Rzepa (Vice-Principal, John Ross Roberstson P.S.)



 Portfolio Entry # 1

Topic: Letter of Reference

Friday November 26, 2010                                                 

Foundations of Professional Practice or Ethical Standards:   This entry reflects ongoing professional learning and development.

Description of the learning experience

This letter of reference from Chris Rzepa, Vice-Principal at John Ross Robertson P.S. represents over a month of learning and immersing myself in an elementary school environment.  I invited Mr. Rzepa into the class to observe one of the lessons I taught on structures.  It was nice to receive his feedback as well as the reference letter he wrote after observing me teach. 

What I learned from this experience:

This experience has given me insight into the daily life of an elementary school teacher.  I came to realize the importance of working as a team with the other teachers as well as the administrators.  A friendly environment where teachers share their resources and ideas is a key factor in creating a good atmosphere among school staff.  This type of atmosphere flourishes with good leadership and community development within the school.

How this learning experience will affect my classroom programming:

This learning experience has given me new perspectives on teaching and working as part of a team.  When I have my own classroom I will feel comfortable having people come in to observe me.  It is a great way to grow as a teacher and receive feedback about my teaching style and where it has room to improve.  I have also come to realize that schools where the staff work together as a team are far more successful in creating a good learning environment for students.