Katherine Graff
MY VISION Session
9, Page 04 , Activity 02
EDUC 5329
M.Ed.T, Secondary, Foreign Languages (Arabic)
ACTFL, NCPTS (
Content practice test NOT TAKEN
TExES content exam NOT TAKEN
PPR practice test NOT TAKEN
TExES PPR 8-12 NOT TAKEN
Defining My Vision
Below are questions posed by our text,
“Classroom Management” (2001, Powell, et al.) to address my views on various
aspects of my expectations and plans for teaching in a diverse classroom
environment. I have answered each
question to the best of my ability and I left in each heading to organize my
paper. Enjoy your reading!
My Position on Teaching in a Diverse Classroom
What would you expect to be the problems you
would encounter?
I expect and currently have the following issues
of enacted curriculum: racism,
personality conflicts, uncooperative behavior, language barriers, lack of or
resistance to an understanding and acceptance of persons with different
backgrounds, learning disabilities, violence and/or threatening behaviors, resistance
to learning because of all the above.
All of these stem from one or more reasons-congenital, socio-economical,
social, political, family and cultural, ability, military
service, personal, etc…
In the southern
Do you think it would be rewarding? In what ways?
I love it.
All of my classes are ethnically diverse-its like reaching into a mega
sack of Dum-Dums and getting a new exciting flavor
each time (No pun intended-I swear!).
Variety is the spice of life, and it keeps me on my toes and keeps my
job interesting! I enjoy the challenges
each class brings-it is like putting together a puzzle. I look back after
completing it without having a box top to look at and feeling an overwhelming
sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
In my case, if I can show my students that “Yes, you can do this”, it
may lead to lives saved, and open doors of opportunities career wise that my
students had slammed in their faces before.
That makes everyone’s life better in the long run.
How do you think it would be different from the
images you have about the task of teaching?
Not much since I am currently teaching, but we
all have to remember that classes are all like snow flakes-no two are ever the
same and we have to admire their beauty for the short time that we have them
before they move on.
To what extent has your personal biography
influence your attitudes?
I think due to experience with labeling and
prejudice, serving in war, and classroom experience, I have a very honest and
respectful view of all people. Plus,
labeling does not bother me anymore, and I realize that words are just that,
and that enables me to help others get through troubling experiences with
labeling. I believe that all people
deserve a basic level of respect until they prove otherwise.
To what extent have your attitudes been shaped
by what you have heard from others?
I grew up with preconceived notions about people
that were different from me-different was bad.
When I left home and made my own way in the world, I realized that what
I was brought up to believe was incorrect and that all people have innate good
and people will react to the way they are treated. First impressions are everything-like opening
exercises to start a school morning. You
“get off on the right foot”, life goes much smoother
for everyone. I have learned to listen
to people with a grain of salt and go with my gut feelings about people.
How do you think your attitudes would influence
your ability to achieve success in a diverse classroom?
I think learning those hard lessons (about being
labeled chunky, nerdy, athletic, teacher’s kid and a ginger) and developing
diverse friendships all over the world in the Marine Corps has prepared me well
to be successful in a diverse classroom environment. I am a resilient person and am well equipped
to help students that may face some of the same difficulties that I had “when I
was their age”.
I am comfortable with who I am because I
recognize and understand my individual strengths and weaknesses and I am
cognizant of their consequences. Since I
am comfortable in my own skin, I am not afraid to experiment and take risks with
new techniques and ideas in the classroom to meet the needs of students that
learn differently from me. If I fail, I
analyze the process and start all over again until I get it right. If teaching were easy-everyone would do it!
Having a background in foreign languages and
cultures has fueled my strong value of others for whom they are and I appreciate
others’ natural talents even though they might not be “main stream”. I can turn anything into a lesson-if you will
recall my plan for counteracting the fart jokes from Richard. Richard naturally wanted to tell jokes for
attention, and I turned his “gas” into fuel for my environment lesson.
I also keep up with Pop Culture (MTV, for
example) and military news so that I can get to know my students better and
build strong, successful relationships.
What actions can you take to develop an attitude
that will facilitate your success?
My current attitude is that anyone can be taught
as long as they have the personal motivation to learn. On the flip side, I need to study more on
special needs students, more specifically ADD, ADHD, and Dyslexia. I have students in my classes with these
issues and they do not believe that they can learn a foreign language. I tell them I do not believe that they cannot
learn Arabic, but I have to make them believe it because their attitudes are
their biggest obstacle. I would love to
have more tailored activities for each of my lessons to help them learn. I believe that this will boost my confidence
and make me a more effective instructor for these special needs students. I
smell a thesis brewing…
Organizing the Academic and Social Curriculum
What parts of the curriculum do you think would
be the easiest to change?
Initially, it is unrealistic to walk into a
school as a first year teacher and rock the boat. I think the first step is to tailor
activities inside the classroom to the needs of the students socially and
academically. Planning more group activities
and cooperative interaction, assigning responsibilities and making social
contracts and discipline plans, and creating solid instructions and grading
rubrics are just a few simple steps that will decrease risk and strengthen
cooperation and positive social classroom interaction.
Researching the local community for cultural
patterns and traditions would be an excellent tool for creating socially
appropriate activities and behavior inside the classroom. This can be done online or out in the community.
After establishing a pattern of social and
academic interaction (decided what works and what does not) and feeling
comfortable with performance results, I would poll the other teachers and try
to get them onboard for a wide scale curriculum change if need be. We discussed this before with the tracking
system that Powell experienced in school.
I am still not convinced that this system is horrible, but I do believe
it needs some tweaking for today’s diverse environment.
How would you develop the concepts of shared
power and mutual respect through the academic curriculum?
Initially, the class would agree upon a social
contract and appropriate discipline plan to be posted where everyone can see it
unobstructed, everyday.
Guidance and mediation techniques definitely
come into play on this one. Again, more
group activities after milestone achievement and development of negotiation
powers will be enacted to foster peer tutoring, cooperation, and student
control over learned information.
Active listening techniques are great for
displaying mutual respect because it discourages the perception of the teacher
personally attacking a student(s).
Preconceived labeling will be avoided at all
costs to avoid unconscious communication gaps and unnecessary learning
blocks. Everyone deserves a chance to
let their value shine through. This
includes other teachers and staff members, not just students.
Granting students a voice in overall academic
and school administrative decisions would give students a sense of reassurance
that their needs are being heard and addressed.
What would your management plan include?
Initially, my plan is a management style to
establish a solid routine and get students into their comfort zone. Students are generally uncomfortable during
the first couple of weeks of school, and they need structure until they are accustomed
to the Formal Curriculum, are secure in their abilities and can shed their
anxieties about a “foreign” subject. The
opening activity suggestion on page 71 in Classroom Management (2001, Powell,
et al.) was awesome-I am using that everyday now and it makes a big difference
in daily performance. I also write
homework assignments on the board in Arabic in the same place and in the same
order everyday to bring a sense of organization and reassurance to my
students. Additionally, students are
often unwilling to work together at this stage and sometimes do not know how to
think for themselves, so they need a rigid routine.
After students get their footing and show progress,
I can slip into a guidance mode and foster a more flexible supervisory style
versus a demanding learning, rigid teaching style. Partner and group activities are a major part
of this learning style and happen to be my favorite method of instruction. This teaching/learning method provides more
choices on the part of the instructor and the student, and students benefit
greatly by taking control of their learning.
Students get to know each other and learn from the hidden curriculum of
how the other students think, speak, act, assess and perform the language no
matter where the students are from or how they were in high school. This management technique also satisfies the
needs of all learning styles and students that come from a cooperative living heritages
(Hispanic, African-American, and Asian, for example)
Toward the end of the course, I have become
brave and initiated some mediation activities with much success. The other Arabic instructors and I allow the
students to conduct their own Check Point Vocabulary Classes outside the
classroom-taking total control of all aspects of the class including choice of
group members, vocabulary and methods practiced, peer instruction for military
methods, and peer tutoring and correction.
Mediation only works for about 15-20 minutes maximum, so I need to
revert to guidance or traditional management until we refocus, and then we can
begin again.
How would you engage the parents in your plan?
I cannot have parents involved at this time, but
I like the idea of sending a bilingual note home outlining the plans for the
classroom at the beginning of the year and having the parents sign them.
I would also keep a website with the plan posted
and encourage parents to visit the site and contact me via e-mail if they have
any questions.
I also like the idea of meeting and
collaborating with the parents respectfully instead of “telling” the parent
what his/her kid has done and laying down the law to them “You have to do X,Y, and Z with your kid”.
I like having everyone as part of the solution rather than part of the
problem-I think that is more effective.
I also think inviting the parents to see some
classroom activities would be beneficial.
We are trying this with our current students. We are publishing a schedule of events for
graduation week in which “parent” units can come and view group activities,
partner activities, and individual “unofficial” assessments to support their
Marines and Sailors.
How would you involve the students in your plan?
This class, I started having students voice
their opinions about various punishments for crimes committed in the classroom,
and it worked very well. They
surprisingly came up with punishments appropriate for the infractions.
I also began allowing students to grade
themselves and other students on presentations in the classrooms. The grading was right inline with grades I
gave other students, but when it came to grading themselves, students were much
harder on themselves. So lesson
learned-they can grade each other, but not themselves. I am proud of my students and proud of myself
for conquering my fears of passing on that power torch to my students! Yay!
I have passed on more authority to my students
by giving them more responsibilities in class.
I have them hand out worksheets, take up worksheets, police classroom
narcoleptics, take charge of more classroom cleanup activities. Today I had them give each other activity
instructions while I purposely left the room.
It was an experiment to see if they could accomplish the task, and it
worked marvelously. Everyone was
successful.
Collaboration, Guidance and Mediation in My
Classroom
How willing are you to share your failures and
concerns with another teacher?
I am very willing to share my failures and concerns,
and I have done so on several occasions.
I believe that we can all learn from each other, good or bad. I value my co-workers experiences and I look
to them for advice on both good and bad classroom happenings.
Are you threatened when someone else gives you
advice on how to teach?
Honestly, it depends on the teacher. Usually I am not, per my answer above. I welcome the advice of others who have
experiences and different perspectives on issues that I never had. But if it is a teacher that I do not respect
because s/he has not earned it, I do not appreciate the “sage wisdom” they
impose upon me. I politely say,
“Interesting point of view, I will take that into consideration-thank you”, and
go about my business to avoid petty professional conflict. And I think about how I can incorporate that
little gem of info into one of our graduate papers. I never said I was sweet ;
) And do not judge me because you will
all run into one of those teachers!
Meeting and conferencing with parents is a major
concern of many teachers. What do you
fear when working with parents?
My biggest fear is that the parents will not
care about the kid and that I will be fighting an uphill battle between
maintaining a healthy classroom and trying to be supportive of a child’s
situation at home. If I do not have any
support at home, there is no consistency or reinforcement of positive
behaviors, and I feel like I am wasting my time and energy, but if I do not,
that parent will be the first in line to sue me because “I did not do my job as
a teacher”.
What are some things that you can do to build
parental support for your program?
Again the collaborative effort between
administrators, faculty and parents is the strongest, most effective way to
build support. I like the idea of
sessions specifically for non-English speaking families.
Relaying clear and concise expectations of
students throughout the year can keep parents informed of what their child
should be doing/learning in class.
A website is another alternative for keeping
parents informed of policies, assignments and contact information.
Again, I would love to invite parents to view or
participate in classroom activities.
I also know that parents have insight to their
children and their community that I may not have. I would certainly welcome any ideas or
assistance that they are willing to offer to myself and/or the class. This would certainly be a special section on
my webpage “Share your talents and ideas with Mrs. Graff”.
How is this idea different from traditional
approaches to resolving conflict?
Viewing the teacher as a leader and passing more
responsibility onto the students is an ideal classroom environment. No one likes taking orders day in and day out
for nine months, so why should students unless behavior warrants it? I think students deserve a chance to prove themselves worthy.
I am incorporating guidance much more now into
my classrooms and I have developed 6 more group / partner activities that I
introduced this class and 5 out of 6 have been successful.
How comfortable would you be using mediation?
I am trying it in small doses in my current
class, and it is working well in 15-20 minute increments. Students’ minds begin wondering around that
time hack, so I have to revert back to guidance or traditional management to
regain their concentration before continuing the activity. It is more like a “Cycle of Social Curriculum
Management” than anything as I have stated in a previous paper.
What specific skills would you need to learn in
order to apply mediation in your classroom?
In order for mediation to exist, students must gain
a certain amount of experience in a subject and achieve predetermined
milestones to be effective mediators. All
parties involved must also possess strong negotiation skills. Many students do not possess these skills and/or
students are taught not to question persons in a position of authority over
them. Bodine
and Crawford (1998) have nailed down six types that are necessary for conflict
resolution programs:
1) orientation abilities: values, beliefs,
and attitudes which promote nonviolence, empathy, fairness, justice, trust,
tolerance, self-respect, respect for others, and appreciation for controversy.
2) perception abilities: ability to
understand how oneself and others can have different, yet valid, perceptions of
reality
3) emotional abilities: the ability to manage
and effectively communicate a range of emotions, including anger, fear and
frustration
4) communication abilities: active listening
skills, speaking to be understood and listening to understand
5) creative-thinking abilities: the ability to construct cognitive
models and to perceive and solve problems in new ways.
6) critical thinking abilities: skills to
contrast and compare data, predict and analyze situations, and construct and
test hypotheses.
(Jones, http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/cr-education.cfm)
MY VISION -
Buddy Response A
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Message no. 2391 |
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Author: Stephanie Bohn |
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Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2007 12:16pm |
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Name:
Stephanie Bohn Courses
enrolled in: LIST 5326, EDUC 5329 Program: Initial Teacher Certification Only Seeking
Certification: Secondary English National
Standards: NCTE State
Competencies: TExES
English Language Arts/Reading, Grades 8-12 Content
practice test: not yet taken TExES Content exam: not yet taken PPR
Practice test: not yet taken TExES PPR: not yet taken Katherine, I definetly respect your honesty and openess
in your paper. I think you made some very vallid points and comments that I do not think others
would admit, i.e. taking advice from other teachers. Where are
most of your students families from? Do parents ever come to the base? I liked your idea of the website for parents to
see. I think that's a great way for
parents to stay on top of what their children are
learning. Is this something that you
do now, or soemthing that you have considered? Nice
Vision and well thought out! I think
it would be a success!! |
MY VISION - *My
Response* to Buddy Response A
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Message no. 2427 |
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Author: Katherine Graff |
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Date: Thursday, November 8, 2007 11:53am |
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Hi
Stephanie, I
appreciate the kind comments! My
students’ families are from all over the world, and
they have no influence or power over my students’ abilities or performance (unfortunately!). I
have had three families attend students’ graduations, but with the cost of airline tickets and gasoline, it would be
a lot to ask for the parents to attend.
The nearest
major airport to us is 3 hours away in into I
currently do not have a website for my class, but we have been liasing with the college about creating an Arabic site on the www.coastal.cc.nc.us website. Right now it is just in limbo because we are waiting to hear what they
want. Plus, the only person that could
or would
maintain the site is me, and they would have to grant me special access to
design tools and all this requires red tape and
paperwork, blah blah blah. So I am working on that now.
Plus, with grad school and kids and working full time, I do not have
time to develop a working site on my own at this
time. If you go to
www.lycos.tripod.com, you can set up a free, user friendly site of your
own (no code knowledge needed!). Which segways me into my advice explanation. I cannot stand teachers that are not willing to
participate or give effort to projects that are for the betterment of
everyone (students and/or teachers).
These are the teachers I call “Leechy”
teachers. They do not want
to lift a finger, but are more than willing to volunteer their ideas and
create more work for everyone else “because it would be
so awesome if we had this…”. Then they run
the other way when it is time to make it happen, but then leech off of your
hard work and try to take credit for the awe-inspiring
job you have done. Then, they want you to
tweak your ideas to fit their specific needs that apply only to their
classroom “for the benefit of the students”. These people make me very, very angry. I have a very internal locus of control, can you
tell? These are the people to whom I
was referring that I do not
welcome advice, so I politely snub them because these exact people are the ones that start petty fights at work. I am not saying I am the greatest teacher
in the world, but
we all have to work together and take care of each other to be successful and
I am more
than willing to put in a little for a big pay out. Thanks
again for the commentary! You always
have great questions and I enjoy answering
them : ) |
MY VISION -
Buddy Response B
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Message no. 2449 |
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Author: Erica Bensik |
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Date: Thursday, November 8, 2007 3:41pm |
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Hi
Katherine: What a
thoughtful and thorough response. You had so many great things to say about a
wide variety of matters and I took a lot away
from your response, as usual! I would
really like to say that I appreciated your comments about how much you enjoy teaching in a diverse classroom. After really thinking about my views and
expectations for teaching, my vision has totally
shifted. I think I heard so many
educators speak negatively about diverse students that I
began to accept these thoughts as my own.
It seems that
teachers work hard and gain seniority to reach the highest goal in public
high school: teaching the honors and AP
students. I now think this is a really
sad and unfortunate way to think. I have noticed
through my observations that the more diverse classes appeal to me more than some of
the AP courses. I know that as a first year teacher, I will have little say in what
courses I teach. Thank you for sharing
your thoughts and inspiring me to teach
classes that some teachers see as undesirable. |
MY VISION - *My
Response* to Buddy Response B
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Message no. 2457 |
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Author: Katherine Graff |
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Date: Thursday, November 8, 2007 6:05pm |
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Hi Erica, I had the
same experiences in the beginning. I
was told how wonderful the AP and advanced classes were and how horrible
the "lower track" students were.
After teaching at my
school and doing observations for EDUC 5310, I discovered that teaching a
diverse body of students is so much more FUN! I enjoyed the classes so much more! The personalities were so entertaining and there
is rarely a dull moment! My
"advanced" students
(for the most part)usually are all business, which has its good points, but
man they are BORING!
Sure, we have our days when students do not want to work and we get cooped
up with each other so long that we just end up with friction, but overall, I
will take the diverse students hands down! I think the teachers that relayed this
advice to me did not
have the right attitude for teaching a diverse population, therefore they
were not successful.
Always remember: Anyone can
learn. You just have to figure out how
they are
able to learn-it just takes a little digging and experimentation : ) I think you will see that
you will have a great time after you get into a routine and everyone figures
out the rules and establishes goals. Good luck to you and thank you so much for
the insightful response! It is nice to know that you are on the same
page with me about teaching diverse students. I view what many see as a never ending
abyss as a golden opportunity, and your post made me feel a
little less lonely : ) Cheers! |
MY VISION,
Response 1 to a Classmate’s Work
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Message no. 2430 |
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Author: Katherine Graff |
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Date: Thursday, November 8, 2007 12:06pm |
|
Katherine
Graff MY VISION Session 9, Page 04 , Activity
02 EDUC 5329 M.Ed.T, Secondary, Foreign Languages
(Arabic) ACTFL,
NCPTS ( Content
practice test NOT TAKEN TExES content exam NOT TAKEN PPR
practice test NOT TAKEN TExES PPR 8-12 NOT TAKEN Hi Stephanie, It is
awesome that you are honest to admit you would be overwhelmed. Identifying this puts you at an advantage. If you are aware of and recognize that
there are cultural differences
between you and the students and display acceptance of your students for who they
are and show you are willing to work together, everything else sort of falls
into place over time.
And you are 100% correct about success = equality. Everyone has potential
in different areas, not just academically, so we cannot label students based upon book learning: ) There may be another way to reach their
talents! Great attitude! I also
love your idea of a “Parental Lunch Day”- how fun would that be! Nice work and I think your
ideas are very intelligent and you are on your way to having a very
successful classroom! |
MY VISION,
*Classmate’s Follow-Up* Response
1 to a Classmate’s Work
NONE as of 9 PM EST
MY VISION,
Response 2 to a Classmate’s Work
|
Message no. 2433 |
|
Author: Katherine Graff |
|
Date: Thursday, November 8, 2007 12:21pm |
|
Katherine
Graff MY VISION Session 9, Page 04 , Activity
02 EDUC 5329 M.Ed.T, Secondary, Foreign Languages
(Arabic) ACTFL,
NCPTS ( Content
practice test NOT TAKEN TExES content exam NOT TAKEN PPR
practice test NOT TAKEN TExES PPR 8-12 NOT TAKEN Hi
Frankie, Great
work! You have brought up an excellent
point about an age-old conflict that many teachers have-balancing time dedicated to
the school and time for family. We
just have to do as
much as we can for the school during certain times, but after 5 o’clock I
have to make myself wind down, put all of my ideas on
hold and shift back into family mode.
It is great that you are willing to try new
methods of teaching in your classroom.
I think your self
assessment here shows that you are well on your way to having a successful teaching career. Thanks again for sharing! |
MY VISION, *Classmates
Follow-Up* to My Response 2
NONE as of 9 PM EST
MY VISION,
Response 3 to a Classmate’s Work
|
Message no. 2447 |
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Author: Katherine Graff |
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Date: Thursday, November 8, 2007 3:19pm |
|
Katherine
Graff MY VISION Session 9, Page 04 , Activity
02 EDUC 5329 M.Ed.T, Secondary, Foreign Languages
(Arabic) ACTFL, NCPTS
( Content
practice test NOT TAKEN TExES content exam NOT TAKEN PPR
practice test NOT TAKEN TExES PPR 8-12 NOT TAKEN Hi Amy, Wow-Biggie
Smalls-I have not heard his name in a while!
Takes me back….hahahahaha! I agree with you about the questionnaire,
that was recommended in another
class I took in Foreign Language classroom management - great recommendation.
I second your opinion about the class seating arrangement-my students love “circle time” when we do
group activities. It certainly makes
learning time more effective when they are enjoying
themselves. Bringing culture to the
class through the several different mediums you suggested is a
fantastic idea as well. Students have so many
different interests, you never know what is going to be the key to peak their
interest.
Thank you for sharing your work-I really think you have the right idea
about making your classroom an effective and
comfortable place to learn. : ) |
MY VISION,
*Classmate’s Follow-Up* Response
3 to a Classmate’s Work
NONE as of 9 PM EST
MY VISION RUBRIC
Your Attitude Toward Teaching in a Diverse
Classroom
I addressed the current
problems I had in the classroom (violence, unacceptance, resegregation
of schools, etc…) and stated possible reasons for the causes. I described how much I love teaching in a
diverse classroom and that I would not want it any other way. I illustrated how my personal experiences
with labeling, military service, and classroom experience have prepared me well
to handle issues stemming from diversity in my classroom. I explained how I learned that first
impressions are everything, and that is how you set the tone with the class on
the first day and everyday. I
rationalized that since I am comfortable in my own skin, I have the confidence
I need to take risks in the classroom to meet my students’ needs and if I fail
the first time, I just analyze the problem and try it again until I get it
right. I justified that with a
background in foreign languages and culture I have the ability to value others
for their natural talents. I stated that since I know and freely admit my
strengths and weaknesses and am willing to work on both, I am aware of the
consequences of each characteristic. I
admitted that my weak points were certain categories of special needs that
could be benefited by further exploration and lesson development. 10
Organizing the
academic and Social Curriculum
My first steps as a new
teacher would be to adjust individual classroom activities to the social and
academic needs of my students (i.e., designing clear rubrics and giving concise
directions, assigning responsibilities, social contracts) to decrease the risk
in the class. Then I would spend time researching the community for established
cultural patterns I could use to develop socially appropriate activities. After
verifying set patterns of social and academic interaction with performance
results, I would then begin to collaborate with the other teachers to visit a
wide-scale curriculum change. I will and
do employ more active listening techniques and guidance and mediation to
promote class cohesion and mutual respect.
I will also seek the counsel of students to resolve issues within the
room before taking drastic measures. Initially, the traditional management style
will be used to establish structure and routine. After certain achievement milestones are met,
I will shift into a guidance style peppered with mediation exercises in small
increments for spice. My plan to engage
parents includes a bilingual notice home outlining plans for the classroom in
the beginning to be returned with a signature.
I will also keep a website of class policies, assignments, contact
information and links to other educational sites so that information is
accessible 24/7 for parents with computers.
I am adopting the idea of parental collaboration when students have
behavioral or other issues in class instead of parental dictation where the
parent has no voice, only compliance responsibilities. I will also invite parents to see classroom
activities, not just on special days or holidays. I have passed on more authority to my
students this class by allowing them to grade each other on major
presentations, by deciding which punishments are appropriate for their
classmates crimes, and having them take care of each other in general. 10
Collaboration,
Guidance, and mediation in Your Classroom
I explained that I
currently share my failures and concerns with other teachers and welcome
others’ advice most of the time-unless that teacher has not earned my
respect. I noted that my biggest fear in
working with parent(s) is that the parent will not care about the child as much
as me. I listed some strategies for
keeping parents engaged, like relaying clear expectations for the students to
the parents all year and maintaining a website that they can check anytime
since parents work a plethora of schedules.
I would also make clear that parents’ thoughts and ideas are welcome
anytime. I said that the view of the
teacher as a leader rather than a boss was an awesome way to illustrate the
ideal classroom. I expressed that I am currently using mediation in small
increments after students meet predetermined social and academic
milestones. I am achieving success but
need to revert back to traditional and guidance styles of management after
about 15-20 minutes. I also listed
several skills needed to conduct mediation.
10
Defining Your Vision
This area was a little
unclear to me because according to the directions (“Write up your vision in an
outline format”), the outline was the defining of my vision. I answered all of the questions in great
detail to the best of my ability and kept the outline format as directed at the
bottom of the rubric. I am not sure if
that was what you wanted, but I did my best.
8
Responded to three members
of your learning team and replied to all responses to your original post.
I initiated discussions
with Stephanie Bohn, Wenyung Chung
and Amy Rubel
and I received original
commentary about my paper from Stephanie
Bohn and Erica Bensik. 10
Total Possible 40
points My score 38 My percentage 95%