About Me

Hi, my name is Kimberly Mendoza. I am an Elementary Education major at Houston Baptist University. I will graduate on December 12, 2015. I had the wonderful opportunity to student teach at Poe Elementary. I had two placements, which were 1st grade and 4th grade. I have to say that student teaching was the best experience of my life. I loved every single moment of it and will treasure every student that I got to know. This experience was challenging, fun, valuable, and enlightening. I believe that every child has a gift and is special in their own unique way!

Texas Educator Standards

Standard I.* The teacher designs instruction appropriate for all students that reflects an understanding of relevant content and is based on continuous and appropriate assessment. This standard includes:
  • Planning instruction that considers developmental characteristics, varied learner needs, background, skills, interests and cultural and socioeconomic differences;
  • Matching the appropriate Instructional Goals and Objectives with the correct content and pedagogy.
  • Managing resources as they plan for coherent instruction, and assessment of student learning.

Standard II.* The teacher creates a classroom environment of respect and rapport that fosters a positive climate for learning, equity, and excellence. This standard includes:
  • Creating an environment with respect for diversity and individual differences is fostered along with active engagement among students
  • Communicating expectations for students
  • Managing classroom procedures
  • Managing student behavior
  • Creating an environment that is physically and emotionally safe and productive

Standard III.* The teacher promotes student learning by providing responsive instruction that makes use of effective communication techniques, instructional strategies that actively engage students in the learning process, and timely, high-quality feedback. This standard includes:
  • Using spoken language that is appropriate to students ages, backgrounds, and interests
  • Effectively crafting questions and leading student discussions
  • Engaging students in the learning
  • Providing for timely, constructive, and substantive feedback that demonstrated flexibility and responsiveness to the students learning.

Standard IV.* The teacher fulfills professional roles and responsibilities and adheres to legal and ethical requirements of the profession. This standard includes:
  • Communicating and interacting with families
  • Participating in problem-solving and engaging in collaborative decision making with other educators to support students’ learning and well-being
  • Assuming professional responsibilities and duties outside the classroom as appropriate
  • Engaging in a variety of professional development opportunities to enhance content and pedagogical knowledge
  • Identify personal and professional strengths and challenges and set goals to achieve improved teaching performance. 
  • Adhering to legal and ethical requirements for educators as it relates to student records, administering state exams, and working within the local and state educational system. 

Artifacts that fullfill Texas Educator Standards 

Educator Standard
Artifact

Standard 1
Scrapbook 
  • The scrapbook was a great tool for organizing and collecting useful resources. I used a website called Delicious that helped me store many different websites, online games, lesson plan or unit plan ideas, images, and videos. 
Technology Rich Unit Plan 
  • This unit plan had a great variety of technology within it. It is a very fun unit plan. This unit plan models the type of unit plan that I would love to incorporate in my future classroom. I was able to implement the technology that students love so much. It is the best way to reach digital natives' minds. 
Yearly Plan 
  • The yearly plan was a great learning experience. I got to explore all the components needed to put a yearly plan together, such as resources, materials, TEKS, pacing guides, rationale, objectives, and goals. It is very time consuming and hard work, but very enriching. 
Outley Elementary Lesson Plan

Stadard 2
Collage
  • A collage project wouldn't only be helpful for introductions, but it would also be helpful as a learning project. Students could present a topic in this format about whatever it is that they are learning. It would help to spark some enthusiasm, interest, creativity, and desire to learn more.
Case Study 
  • I learned that acquiring a second language has many components to it. There are many different things that need to be considered when teaching or working with a second language learner. If I were to have a second language learner in my classroom, I would use many visuals, repetition, corrective feedback, and modified interaction. I would also allow the student to work with a partner. Additionally, I would use gestures to enhance understanding, stress high frequency vocabulary words, and provide one-on-one tutoring when need. But most importantly, I would create a positive learning atmosphere. 
Age and Second Language Acquisition
  • This helped me to be aware of diversity from a different perspective. I learned that it doesn't matter what age you start learning a second language. You aren't necessarily more efficient if you start learning at a young age. There are benefits to acquiring a second language as an adult or as a child.
Famous Person 
  • This taught me that that it doesn't matter what disability that you have, you still have a chance at reaching your goals. It helps with having higher expectations, greater appreciation, and more understanding to students with special needs. I created a Smore presentation. It is a great presentation tool that can be used to present many different things. It keeps students engaged because they aren't just seeing the typical power points or prezis. 
Special Education Technology Apps 
  • This  assignment was a great way to find how different types of applications could be used with students who have disabilities. It is a way of helping, involving, and enhancing their education. 

Standard 3
Graphic Organizers Chapters 1 and 2, and Chapters 4 and 5
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  • These graphic organizers are great for students to creatively organize their ideas about what they learned. They require higher critical thinking in order to condense two chapters worth of information on one page. It is a fun way to list main ideas of chapters. 
Tease
  • The Tease video was my favorite technology incorporated activity. It was much more difficult then I thought it would be, but it was very fun. I could definitely see myself using this and creating more in the future. It is the best way to engage your classroom when introducing a new unit. 
Treasure Hunt 
  • The Treasure Hunt was a great way to have students incorporate technology to learn something new. The students can explore a topic in many different varieties, such as games, interactive books, and videos.

Standard 4
Copyright Law
  • This copyright presentation taught me all the rules, regulations, and restrictions according to the copyright laws. It was very helpful to learn the correct ways of using online resources that aren't my own. I think that making the presentation itself was a helpful way of remembering the new information I learned. 
Parent Interview
  • This interview was very interesting. I loved it because I learned so much from the parent that I interviewed. I actually had about 20 extra questions than what I listed on my assignment because I was very intrigued and wanted to learn more. I was mostly surprised that the parent felt that the general education teachers are more willing to help and to provide weekly progress updates, than her daughter's special education teachers. I also admire this parent's passion and future expectations of her daughter.