PLANNING AND PREPARING FOR UNDERSTANDING The teacher is Responsible for designing plans that meet the needs of each student by: • Being familiar with the KMIDS Mission Statement and core values • Being familiar with, and participating in the development of the KMIDS Essential Agreement • Having a working knowledge of all aspects of the Kindergarten • Participating in weekly collaborative planning meetings, by offering suggestions, and input into the planning and development of the program. • Participating in collaborative planning strategies, information exchanges, and resource sharing with members of the Grade School, Kindergarten, and Specialist teams • Planning and developing the PYP units of inquiry to be delivered in depth, ensuring that they are significant, relevant, challenging and engaging • Ensuring that the KMIDS learning expectations/outcomes are included in the planning process and are in the context of a coherent and school wide program. • Participating in planning which builds on students experiences and prior knowledge • Enhancing the classroom curriculum by using a variety of resources, i.e. fieldtrips, assemblies, parent and community visitors to provide multiple perspectives • Planning that accommodates a range of ability levels • Planning that accommodates the needs of second language students • Addressing assessment throughout the planning process both within the teaching team and with the students • Ensuring open communications with specialist teachers to promote a transdisciplinary program with the integration of all subject areas, kindergarten integration and promote the transdisciplinary curriculum • Maintaining open communication and supporting a collaborative environment within the teaching teams to ensure continuity and integration between classes and grade levels. INSTRUCTION THAT PROMOTES UNDERSTANDING The teacher is responsible for demonstrating instructional strategies that meet the needs of each student by: • Using a variety of teaching strategies to ensure a quality, developmentally appropriate program that meets individual learning styles of the learner • Building on what students already know • Creating a learning environment that engages all students and is conducive to the development of the PYP five essential elements, concepts, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and action: as well as promoting the student profile • Empowering students to take action and feel responsible for their own learning • Pursuing open ended inquiry and real-life investigations • Maintaining a constant awareness of the needs of second language learners • Working in a team-teaching environment to collaboratively deliver the program • Setting and maintaining standards for learning and achievement • Maintaining open communications with parents; providing opportunities for parent meetings and informative discussions relating to the program and the KMIDS mission statement, i.e. termly coffee meetings, open house, back to school night, concerts and celebrations as well as individual conferencing, on an as needed basis. ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING The teacher is responsible for the ongoing and authentic assessment of students, involving them in the process, using the information gathered to further develop the learning process, and provide documentation for the reporting procedure: • Viewing planning, teaching, and assessing as interconnected process • Developing a repertoire of assessment strategies to monitor and evaluate students’ progress and learning accurately and effectively • Providing adequate and ongoing record keeping ensuring accountability for reporting the progress of student learning • Facilitating the development of student portfolios to be used as a tool for assessment and during student led conferences • Involving students, parents, and colleagues in the assessment process • Compiling termly report cards for each student and conferencing with parents • Reviewing and updating the Student Cumulative Portfolios, ensuring information and assessments are up to date, these documents are to be used as a transfer document and assist in student transitions between grades • Ensuring classroom displays reflect the learning process. • Assessing classroom resources and ordering materials relevant to the grade level and that support the kindergarten units of inquiry • Enabling students to self-assess as a means of describing their learning • Involving students in shared reflection at the end of each unit • Evaluating the program collaboratively using agreed flexible systems