Make Up for Missed Seminar

Week 16 - December 18, 2025

Important reminders:

Be sure to still submit your Home Learning for the week
All make-up assignments are due 1 week following the missed seminar by 4:59pm

Procedure for making up a missed seminar:

Go to the Canvas page of the missed seminar
Watch the recording and view the slides
Respond to the prompts below in order to receive credit for your missed seminar
Link this completed document in your In-Class Journal for the week
Submit your In-Class Journal on Canvas
If you have questions about key ideas, concepts, please reach out to your instructor

Desired Outcomes
Directions: Copy and paste tonight's outcomes. Refer to these outcomes throughout class to self-monitor your learning. Then, in your reflection, self-assess the extent to which you achieved tonight's desired outcomes.
Essential Question	Enduring Understanding
I can reflect on my learning and how my teaching practice has evolved over the course of the first semester. I can celebrate my teaching cohort.
Learning Goals
Knowledge Candidates will know...	Skills Candidates will be able to...
The key content covered throughout the semester (classroom culture and community, lesson planning, formative assessment); the requirements for passing Reach 221 and expectations for Reach 231 in Spring semester; what factors contribute to successful teaching experiences	Reflect meaningfully on their growth and learning over the semester; identify specific instructional practices worth continuing; articulate how knowing students' assets impacts learning outcomes; recognize and appreciate the support systems that contributed to their success

My Notes
Directions: Use the space below to jot down any important notes, names and contact info of classmates, to insert screenshots, or to bookmark and describe helpful links from class which you may want to reference later.
Opening	Check in: My favorite December tradition is making tamales with my family. It's one of those things where the whole process - the shopping, the cooking, the assembly line we create in the kitchen - matters as much as the food itself. It's chaotic and tiring but I genuinely look forward to it every year. I also appreciate having time to rest and not think about lesson plans for a little while.
Learning Activity 1:	Key Takeaways: Independent Time asked us to review the 221 topics (Building Positive Classroom Culture, Universal Design for all Learners, Restorative practices, Implicit Biases, CRT & The Brain, Ignite Chunk Chew Review, Lesson Planning, Opening & Closing routines, Formative assessment & Checks for Understanding, Monitoring Learning & Dignifying Student Responses, Giving effective feedback) and write about a personal success in one of these areas. My reflection and/or connection to my practice: A personal success I experienced this semester was with Building Positive Classroom Culture. Specifically, I worked on creating opening routines that made students feel welcome and set the tone for art class. The specific actions I took included greeting students at the door and starting each class with a brief visual prompt that connected to their lives. What contributed to this success was consistency - doing it every single day even when I was tired or behind schedule. What made this different from other attempts was that I stopped trying to make it complicated. Simple, repeated rituals worked better than elaborate activities.
Learning Activity 2:	Key Takeaways: Triad Time involved the Success Analysis Protocol where groups of three would share success stories. The structure was: 3 min for the presenter to describe their success, 1 min for clarifying questions, 5 min for the group to reflect while the presenter stays silent and takes notes, then 1 min for the presenter to reflect. Groups would then compile a list of success factors and discuss how those factors could be applied more broadly. My reflection and/or connection to my practice: Since I was unable to attend this seminar, I could not participate in the triad discussions. However, reflecting on my own predictors of success this semester, I would say the factors that contributed most were: (1) building relationships with students before expecting engagement - knowing what they care about made my lessons land differently, (2) being willing to adjust in real-time rather than sticking rigidly to a plan that wasn't working, and (3) having colleagues I could text when things felt overwhelming. The support system piece has been just as important as any instructional strategy.
Learning Activity 3:	Key Takeaways: Gallery Walk - look through the other breakout room slides and read through the main takeaways from other groups (2 minutes). My reflection and/or connection to my practice: N/A - I was unable to attend this seminar and the gallery walk required viewing content that cohort members created during the live session.
Exit Ticket	Revisit the learning goals for this seminar. After watching the recording and going through the slides, have you met the learning goal? If so, justify your reasoning. If not, what are your next steps (what will you do, when, and who will hold you accountable?) to get yourself closer to meeting the learning goal? I feel I have met the learning goals for this seminar. Even though I was not able to attend live, going through the slides and recording allowed me to reflect meaningfully on how my teaching practice has evolved since August. I can identify specific areas of growth - particularly in building classroom culture and using formative assessment - and I can articulate what contributed to my successes. While I missed the opportunity to celebrate with my cohort in real time, I appreciate what we have built together this semester and the ways we have supported each other through challenging weeks.
Closing	My Next Steps (copy from above or write new next steps): Complete all coursework and ensure everything on the Completion Checklist is submitted; Submit CalTPA Cycle 1 on Pearson; Begin the Reach 231 readings over break (IDEA history, LRE/FAPE, Section 504, IEPs vs. 504s); Rest during winter break; Check with my Field Supervisor about when January observation cycles will begin

Desired Outcomes
Directions: Copy and paste tonight's outcomes. Refer to these outcomes throughout class to self-monitor your learning. Then, in your reflection, self-assess the extent to which you achieved tonight's desired outcomes.
Essential Question	Enduring Understanding
I can reflect on my learning and how my teaching practice has evolved over the course of the first semester. I can celebrate my teaching cohort.
Learning Goals
Knowledge Candidates will know...	Skills Candidates will be able to...
Key content from the semester: classroom culture, lesson planning, and formative assessment; Requirements for passing Reach 221 and expectations for Spring semester	Reflect meaningfully on growth and identify practices worth continuing; Articulate how knowing students' assets impacts learning

My Notes
Directions: Use the space below to jot down any important notes, names and contact info of classmates, to insert screenshots, or to bookmark and describe helpful links from class which you may want to reference later.
Opening	Check in: For winter break, I'm planning to actually rest - like genuinely rest, not just catch up on grading while calling it a break. I also want to spend time with family and maybe do some art for myself, not for teaching purposes. It feels strange to have time that isn't structured around observation cycles and assignments.
Learning Activity 1:	Key Takeaways: Independent Time (8 min) - Review 221 topics and write about a personal success in one area. Topics included: Building Positive Classroom Culture, Universal Design for all Learners, Restorative practices, Implicit Biases, CRT & The Brain, Lesson Planning, Opening & Closing routines, Formative assessment & CFUs, Monitoring Learning & Dignifying Student Responses, Giving effective feedback. My reflection and/or connection to my practice: My success was in Formative Assessment. I got better at using quick checks during art class to see if students actually understood the vocabulary and techniques before moving on. The action I took was building in more "pause points" where I would walk around and observe student work before the whole class moved to the next step. What made it work was keeping it simple - thumbs up/down or quick sketches rather than elaborate exit tickets. What made this different from my earlier attempts was that I stopped seeing assessment as separate from instruction.
Learning Activity 2:	Key Takeaways: Triad Time (27 min total, 9 min per person) - Success Analysis Protocol: 3 min to describe success, 1 min clarifying questions, 5 min group reflection while presenter is silent, 1 min presenter reflects. Then groups compile success factors to discuss how they might apply to all work. My reflection and/or connection to my practice: I was not able to attend this session, so I could not participate in the triad activity. Thinking about what factors have contributed to my successes this semester, I would identify: (1) patience with myself when lessons didn't go as planned - I stopped expecting perfection and started expecting learning curves, (2) being honest with students about being a new teacher, which actually made them more patient with me, and (3) my mentor teacher, who modeled what it looks like to stay calm when things feel chaotic. I think the biggest factor was accepting that teaching is genuinely hard.
Learning Activity 3:	Key Takeaways: Gallery Walk (2 min) - Look through other breakout room slides and read the main takeaways from other groups. My reflection and/or connection to my practice: N/A - I was unable to attend this seminar and the gallery walk content was created during the live session.
Exit Ticket	Revisit the learning goals for this seminar. After watching the recording and going through the slides, have you met the learning goal? If so, justify your reasoning. If not, what are your next steps? Yes, I have met the learning goals. Going through the slides allowed me to reflect on how much has changed since August - in my practice and in my understanding of what teaching actually requires. I missed the in-person celebration, but I feel connected to my cohort's growth through the work we have done together all semester.
Closing	My Next Steps (copy from above or write new next steps): Complete all coursework and submit CalTPA Cycle 1; Begin Reach 231 readings on IDEA, LRE/FAPE, Section 504, and IEPs vs. 504s; Rest over winter break; Connect with Field Supervisor about January observation cycles

Desired Outcomes
Directions: Copy and paste tonight's outcomes. Refer to these outcomes throughout class to self-monitor your learning. Then, in your reflection, self-assess the extent to which you achieved tonight's desired outcomes.
Essential Question	Enduring Understanding
I can reflect on my learning and how my teaching practice has evolved over the course of the first semester. I can celebrate my teaching cohort.
Learning Goals
Knowledge Candidates will know...	Skills Candidates will be able to...
The major content areas covered this semester: classroom culture and community, lesson planning, and formative assessment; What is required to pass Reach 221 and what to expect in Spring semester with Reach 231	Reflect on their growth as educators and identify practices they want to continue; Recognize how understanding students' assets has shaped their teaching

My Notes
Directions: Use the space below to jot down any important notes, names and contact info of classmates, to insert screenshots, or to bookmark and describe helpful links from class which you may want to reference later.
Opening	Check in: My school is having a winter celebration this week with performances and classroom parties. It's chaotic but the students are genuinely excited, which makes the chaos worth it. I'm looking forward to the energy shifting - it's been a long semester and everyone (myself included) needs the break. My favorite winter-time food is champurrado, which my family makes during the holidays.
Learning Activity 1:	Key Takeaways: Independent Time (8 minutes) - Review the list of 221 topics and write a short description of a personal success in one of these areas: Building Positive Classroom Culture, Universal Design for all Learners, Restorative practices, Implicit Biases, CRT & The Brain, Ignite Chunk Chew Review, Lesson Planning, Opening & Closing routines, Formative assessment & Checks for Understanding, Monitoring Learning & Dignifying Student Responses, Giving effective feedback. My reflection and/or connection to my practice: To be frank, I think my biggest success was in Monitoring Learning & Dignifying Student Responses. I got better at responding to student work without shutting down their thinking. The specific action I took was pausing before correcting mistakes - asking questions first to understand their reasoning. What contributed to this was genuinely being curious about how students think, not just whether they got the "right" answer. What made this different from earlier in the semester was that I stopped seeing incorrect answers as problems to fix and started seeing them as windows into student understanding. It's still hard to do consistently, but the shift in mindset has been real.
Learning Activity 2:	Key Takeaways: Triad Time (27 minutes total, 9 minutes per person) - Follow the Success Analysis Protocol: 3 min Presenter Describes the Success (in as much detail as possible, group takes notes); 1 min Group Asks Clarifying Questions; 5 min Group Reflects on the Success Story (presenter is silent and takes notes); 1 min Presenter Reflects. Repeat for each triad member, then share success factors as a group. My reflection and/or connection to my practice: I was unable to attend this seminar, so I could not participate in the triad discussions with my cohort. However, I can speak to my own success factors from this semester. I think the biggest contributors were: (1) my cohort group chat - having people I could text at 9pm when I was spiraling about a lesson that didn't work made the hard weeks survivable, (2) learning to distinguish between what I could control and what I couldn't - I spent too much energy early in the semester trying to fix things that weren't mine to fix, and (3) creating art outside of school, for myself, to remember why I love this work. The creative practice grounded me when everything else felt chaotic.
Learning Activity 3:	Key Takeaways: Gallery Walk (2 minutes) - Look through the other slides and read through the main takeaways from other breakout rooms. My reflection and/or connection to my practice: N/A - I was unable to attend this seminar and the gallery walk required viewing content created by cohort members during the live session.
Exit Ticket	Revisit the learning goals for this seminar. After watching the recording and going through the slides, have you met the learning goal? If so, justify your reasoning. If not, what are your next steps (what will you do, when, and who will hold you accountable?) to get yourself closer to meeting the learning goal? I feel I have met the learning goals for this seminar. Going through the slides and reflecting on these prompts allowed me to take stock of how much has shifted since August - both in my practice and in my understanding of what good teaching actually looks like. I've grown in how I think about student responses, how I approach my own mistakes, and honestly, in how I handle the emotional weight of this work. I did not get to celebrate with my cohort in real time, but I know we've been holding each other up all semester. That mutual support has been just as important as any content we have learned.
Closing	My Next Steps (copy from above or write new next steps): Finish all coursework and ensure everything on the Completion Checklist is submitted; Submit CalTPA Cycle 1 on Pearson; Start the Reach 231 readings over break - IDEA history, LRE/FAPE, Section 504, and IEPs vs. 504s; Actually rest during winter break, because I think I need it more than I've been admitting to myself; Check with my Field Supervisor about when January observation cycles will begin