Candidates create professional partnerships to create learning opportunities for themselves and their students.

The candidate creates productive relationships and promotes current best practices with individuals and agencies to meet the diverse learning needs of P-12 students, both at school and in the community.

I demonstrate proficiency in creating productive relationships with other people and other agencies to meet the learning needs of students by having local missionaries speak in class about their experiences, and by participating in class community service trips to a local old folks’ home and having students reflect on the experience. As part of the service-learning component of the 8th Grade curriculum, students make a total of three to four trips to the assisted-living facility and to a local elementary school, both institutions with which Morrison, through Jim Multra’s initiative and my assistance, has developed a strong working relationship. As Schukar (1997) describes it, involving students in the community beyond the school, particularly through service learning projects, is one of the best ways to promote authentic learning and foster community development.

I am consistently impressed by the enthusiasm with which students approach service learning, and the appreciation they have for people who are doing mission work in Taiwan. Even reluctant students quickly open up to the idea of helping in whatever way they can, and the opportunities for application of the curriculum, particularly language arts (reflections, essays, etc) are manifold. I just want to be careful not to take the pleasure and authenticity out of the students' experience by making too much of an assignment out of it.

Jim Multra, 8th Grade Humanities Instructor, observed this exhibit.

Replace this text with a description of any hard evidence, meaning data, that can show your P-12 students improved their learning as a result of this activity (consult help for more details)