Running head: TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS

Research Proposal: Chapter One ARE UNIVERSITY SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS PREPARING OUR TEACHERS TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR? Courtney Weber-Flesher California State University, San Bernardino EDUC 700 6 November 2012

TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS Problem Statement A special education teachers primary role is to deliver instruction in a modified way so all students have access to specific knowledge. University special education teacher preparation programs do a superb job of preparing our teachers to be effective instructional leaders utilizing a plethora of learning modalities. Yet some programs fail to prepare new teachers in classroom management and responding to student misbehavior, which must a top priority before effective instruction can happen. Teacher preparation programs must include courses for teachers on

classroom procedures, scheduling, organization, transitional practices, and responding efficiently to student misbehavior. According to an article published by Oliver & Reschly (2010), little research has been conducted to determine the extent to which special education teacher preparation programs provide teachers with adequate instruction on classroom organization and behavior management techniques. Instead, courses are only providing nominal reactive strategies. The researchers reviewed 26 college syllabi and found only 27% provided an entire course targeting classroom management strategies. Teachers also have to be systematically aware that they can reinforce misbehavior with their responses. For example, a student who is loud and disruptive may be seeking adult and/or peer attention. If the teacher responds to the student and provides attention, the students misbehavior has been inadvertently reinforced. How to teachers delicately balance function of student misbehavior while teaching lessons with a classroom full of children? Research Questions Are California university special education teacher preparation programs (grades K-5) preparing our elementary special education teachers to effectively manage classroom behavior- especially student misbehavior? What are the personality characteristics of teachers who effectively

TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS manage classroom environments while providing highly engaging students in lessons? Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to evaluate special education teacher preparation programs

effectiveness in preparing teachers to manage student misbehavior, while teaching with rigor and high expectations. How can teachers be proactive when setting up classroom their classroom environment and procedures while having student engagement? As a new teacher, I was illprepared for the amount of student misbehavior I had to tend to on a daily basis, before I could actually provide any instruction. The most common student misbehavior included defiance and disrespect- which disrupted the educational process for the entire class. I had very few tools or resources as a new teacher to pull from, which resulted in a frustrating and exhausting first couple of years teaching. Yet, my university teacher preparation program only had one class, out of fifteen for graduating requirements, which dealt specifically with classroom management and misbehavior strategies. Teacher preparation programs may need to target managing classroom behavior first, before saturating its students with instructional pedagogy theories. This research will benefit university administrators and college professors in designing effective teacher preparation programs to create useful courses, as well as school administrators looking to hire effective special education teachers. This research will also assist special education teachers in organizing their classroom for a positive classroom environment.

TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS Chapter Two: Literature Review Plan Special Education History Purpose CA by-laws Special Education Elementary Teacher Preparation Programs Purpose University vs. Alternate Routes Student Engagement Instruction Management Elementary Classroom Management Procedures Classroom Organization Student Misbehavior Teacher Retention Rates Special Education vs. General Education Burn out Ongoing Professional Development Disruptive Students Job Satisfaction Teacher Personality/Temperament Characteristics Myers-Briggs. Or something else

TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS References Delman, D. (2011). Systemize classroom management to enhance teaching and learning. Education Digest, 77(2), 56-57.

Martin, S. (2004). Finding balance: impact of classroom management conceptions on developing teacher practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 20, Issue 5, July 2004, Pages 405422. http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.csusb.edu/10.1016/j.tate.2004.04.002 Mundschenk, N., Miner, C., & Nastally, B. (2011). Effective classroom management: An air traffic control analogy. Intervention in School and Clinic, 47(2), 98-103. Oliver, R. , & Reschly, D. (2010). Special education teacher preparation in classroom management: Implications for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 35(3), 188-199. Roberts, T. , Harlin, J. , & Briers, G. (2007). The relationship between teaching efficacy and personality type of cooperating teachers. Journal of Agricultural Education, 48(4), 55-66.