Journal Laurie- This is the same journal I uploaded for last week.

I uploaded it before I got your email about not submitting journals/lesson plans for last week! Thanks!

Practicum Student: Elizabeth Curtin

Date of Entry: 11/13/12

Describe an instructional interaction that is: ______problematic ___X__effective Over the course of the semester, I have watched my coop act as a great advocate for our students. She is consistently focused on her students needs, and will always make their education her first priority. Specifically, my coop is an awesome advocate when it comes to ensuring her students receive all of their weekly related services. For example, last week two of our students missed their social work and speech therapy. My coop keeps a weekly related services schedule, and marked that these students did not receive services because the providers were out of the building. My coop then made sure to collaborate with the speech pathologist and social worker to ask when they would be making up my students minutes. I have watched her do this various times through the semester, and it shows her commitment to her students development. As well, being able to watch her work collaboratively and communicate effectively with the service providers allows for positive relationships to be formed. Mark the learning variables that made it problematic/effective: _Task difficulty _ _Curriculum meaningfulness __Prompting _ Consequences __environmental considerations _ _clarity of task materials _X__ advocacy

If the scenario above was problematic, describe solutions to variables mentioned. If the scenario was effective, describe how the variables were used correctly. In the above scenario, my coop advocated for her students needs and services. She followed the services outlined in each of her students IEPs and ensured that every student receives what they are entitled to. This is extremely important because it ensures that all students are receiving services that will help them to develop in a variety of ways. Rather than simply letting the students miss their minutes for a given week, my coop is committed to the students education, and acts as a great advocate for them. By collaborating with and reminding the service providers that they need to make up minutes, my students were able to receive all the services they needed on Tuesday. As well, this collaboration and teamwork creates positive relationships and allows my coop to work closely with her colleagues.

Based on your reflection above, describe one action you choose to use to be effective and explain why. As a teacher, I will be sure to model my coops advocacy for students, specifically regarding related services. In every other placement I have had, I have never had a coop who would ensure that her students received each and every minute they were entitled to. I am very impressed by my coops advocacy and commitment to her students, and I will be sure to bring this to my future classroom. I place large importance on related services, and I believe they are essential components to a students success. Thus, I will be sure to collaborate and communicate with future service providers to guarantee my students IEPs are being followed. I believe this will lead my students toward success.