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“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Part 1: Ideology
Why teach?
Long story short, I teach because there are children. Children are society’s
precious gems. In them, we see reflections of the past as they internalize the goals of
our civilization, and take on our traditions. We see flashes of the future. In time, their
curiosity and ambition will rearrange the building blocks of our civilization. I believe all
children deserve to have a stake in this decision-making process. People must have the
freedom to choose elected leaders, career paths, where we live, and who we associate
with, without undue influence from socioeconomic issues of birth. In our society, this
freedom is not free for all. The culture of power has many gatekeepers. Lisa Delpit says
there are many codes of power, from ways of talking, to how one dresses. These codes
are a reflection of the middle and upper class because they define economic, political,
and social success in our society.
I believe all members of society, regardless of class or culture, should have the
chance to redefine these codes as time progresses. As Delpit says in Other People’s
Children, “ I also do not believe we should teach students to passively adopt an alternate
code. They must be encouraged to understand the value of the code they already
possess as well as to understand the power realities in this country. Otherwise they will
be unable to work to change these realities” (40). Giving students access to the culture of
power is not my primary goal. The word “access” seems too passive. I want my
students to take a leadership role in redefining the culture of power. Freire says “The
more people become themselves, the better the democracy” (145). I want to help create a
world where people see themselves reflected in institutions of power.
1. Be curious: To have a genuine interest in learning about the world. Not immobilized
by fear of what they do not know or the hubris of thinking they know everything.
2. Develop their own process of research and investigation: To be confident in their
ability to use their skills to investigate the world and figure things out.
3. Solve problems: To make value judgments using evidence and use these value
judgements to solve intra- and interpersonal problems.
4. Work in a diverse community: To feel like valued members of a community and use
interdependence to meet community goals.
5. To persevere: To set goals for themselves and have strategies for when they do not
meet their goals on the first try.
These five traits are a combination of content knowledge, metacognitive strategies, and
social skills. State and district content standards, school goals, and the goals of parents
are important. I will help students devise their own standards of success while meeting
the goals others have for them.
- Focus on building relationships and bridging communities: Students are building their
self-identities in school and figuring out how they fit into different communities.
Students must have experiences at school that affirm the codes they have learned in
their homes and communities. Families are the first source of student learning and
students want to be active members in their home communities as well as their school
communities. Schools should focus on the idea of community membership and
validate the many communities students serve. Students must have the experience of
working within a learning community. In school, students should have the
opportunity to ponder social issues, talk about solutions, and begin to enact these
solutions.
Community-building goes through phases. I use the word phase rather than
stage because students will not progress in concrete steps. They will phase in and out of
behaviors at different rates and with differing levels of consistency. Although I put a
time period estimation on each phase, the behaviors of my students will be the gauge of
which leadership strategies I use, responsibilities my students have, and social goals. I
highlight the community-building mechanisms of each phase in the following tables. I
follow the advice of Gibbs’ Reaching All by Creating Tribes Learning Communities,
Charney’s Teaching Children to Care, Kagan et al’s Win-Win Discipline, and other sources.
The year begins with a high level of teacher-control and students take
responsibility as the year progresses. Instructional strategies are increasingly student-
driven as I learn about students, and the students feel safe in the community. We will
transition from lecture and whole class learning, to cooperative learning, and finally, to
discovery learning activities. I direct lecture and whole class learning. Cooperative
learning features students working in groups based on topics and strategies I initiate. In
discovery learning, I select the topic and students choose how they are going to explore
the topic, share their knowledge, and evaluate themselves. I facilitate problem-solving,
use questions to alert students of new opportunities, and make sure students have the
resources to complete their project. The following tables show which instructional
strategies I will use as the year progresses.
5
Journaling (as a part of readers’ and Low to high. For example, in the To organize information, reflect,
writers’ work shop as well as first weeks of school when students form relationships with other
science, math, and other domains) are learning how to keep math and students and the teacher, and
science notebooks, I might give practice communication in all
them a format for organizing their subject domains.
information. In readers’ and writers’
workshop, I will give them advice
for strategies but will not make them
use strategies.
Investigation and case study Low to medium. As students learn Math talks and science
(students are presented with a strategies for conducting investigations. Most domains will
question or problem and have to investigations, they will need less have investigation activities.
work through possible solutions prompting.
with their peers or individually)
Debate, mock trial, role-playing, Low to medium. When students need to internalize
and readers’ theater type activities meanings and see things from a
new perspective.
Readers’ and Writers’ Workshop Low to high. I model strategies for Language arts
students, they practice the strategies
as a whole class, then write or read
on their own.
Inclusion (Gibbs) First weeks of the - Time to meet I have the same - Building and Students:
year (September - peers, learn needs as the practicing - Call peers by their
Whole Class late October). names, and start students, plus: classroom names
Learning (Charney) making personal - To get to know agreements and - Can locate
connections parents’ hopes, procedures classroom
- A forum to expectations, and - Discuss I- materials
express hopes, goals Messages, conflict - Cleanup after
expectations, - To start learning resolution, and themselves
strengths, and about students’ reconciliation - Can listen to each
needs academic strengths procedures other at meetings
- Acknowledgemen and curiosities - Personalizing the and make
t from peers and - To begin to learn classroom space comments directed
the teacher small-group and (ex: making to the class rather
- To deliberate whole class laminated than the teacher
about and create dynamics placemats with - Have had social
classroom - To start to learn drawings and and academic
agreements about the school pictures from success in whole
- To know parents culture home; a self and group and
are a part of the family portrait temporary group
decision-making activity instruction
process and there - Whole-class
is a home school instruction and
connection work in temporary I:
- To feel successful small groups - Know student
- To feel a personal - Establish safety names
connection to the signals - Can identify
curriculum - Guided discovery leaders, less
of objects and popular students,
classroom spaces friends, and
- Instructional students who have
objectives include lapses of
scaffolding work judgement more
students will do in often than their
small-groups later peers
in the year - Have made at least
- Establishing one meaningful
connections with positive phone-call
parents and the home
community - Know guardians
- Build relationships by first name
with my students - Help parents
by participating in explain the
whole class academic and
discussions and social goals they
doing interactive have for their
journaling children
- Have class - Spend time in the
experiences like staff room, at
gardening district functions,
- Guardians, and at professional
students, and I development
craft social goals activities
- Assign classroom
jobs
- Use “mouths,
bodies,
materials” (MBM)
to direct students
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Influence (Gibbs) From early - To feel safe I have the same - Introduce Students:
November until the expressing diverse needs as the permanent tribes - Choose tasks and
Paradoxical Groups start of winter opinions, working students, plus: and cooperative workspaces when
(Charney) (Called break. on areas of - Keep parents learning given choices
paradoxical groups improvement, and informed about - “Freeze” situations (individual or
because you teach asking questions student progress and help students small-group)
pretend to teach the - To have - To continue to use I-messages and - Cooperate during
small group while challenging trust my students problem-solve in teacher-led and
actually teaching the academic and even when periods groups peer-led groups
whole class) social experiences of restlessness and - Create - Moderate volume
where they can try conflict arise (and opportunities for and physical
out strategies to see these students to share movement
- To respect conflicts as a their heritage and - Stay on-task most
differences positive sign discuss differences of the time and
- Begin to share students feel safe - Guardians, engage in
leadership enough show students, and I problem-solving
responsibility frustration) craft academic when they are not
- To start keeping - To collaborate with goals on-task
track of progress colleagues and - Start class, tribe,
- To have experience pull together and individual
working through school resources to reflection and I:
conflict in whole help students progress tracking - Assign successful
class, tribe, and - To begin to systems that heterogenous
individual settings transfer include writing, groups
- To reach out to responsibility and graphical - Use classroom
other classrooms decrease my representations, activities, PTA
and the control and portfolios groups, and other
community - To involve myself - Help students experiences to build
- To show their in positive aspects practice and rotate a parent community
heritage of the school group roles -Invite the principal,
- To deepen culture - Start small group my colleagues, and
relationships work and try to parents to observe
use heterogenous my classroom
groups when - Acknowledge and
possible solicit constructive
- Go on field trips criticism from
- Craft individual students, colleagues,
and tribal contracts and parents
including self- - Can identify
monitoring, self- “funds of
instruction, and knowledge”
self-reinforcement students bring from
- Use the heritage home
board and other
activities to help
students
understand when
culture of power
and heritage
language and/or
norms apply
- Instructional
objectives shifts to
strategies (ex: how
to choose a ‘just
right’ book and
choose a place to
read)
8
Community (Gibbs) From the middle of - To share I have the same - Discovery-based Students:
January until the responsibility for needs as the learning activities - Identify problems
Independence and end of the year. tribe and class students, plus: - For some projects, and solution
Responsibility outcomes - To feel comfortable all members of the strategies without
(Charney) - To acknowledge letting students group receive the teacher
success in others have a higher same grade intervention - call
- To give and receive degree of choice in - Groups collaborate for problem-
constructive the academic with me to design solving class
criticism from curriculum and rubrics, projects, meetings,
peers classroom and timelines reconciliation, and
- To celebrate management - Students have conflict resolution
accomplishments strategies experiences where on their own
- To choose activities - To celebrate they choose - Set-up and care for
with an increasing growth from all individual, group, materials and
degree of challenge members of our and class problem- spaces
- To take control of community solving strategies - Choose strategies,
classroom (including myself) - Students lead make a plan for
management - To assume a higher student-parent- work time, and
structures degree of teacher conferences stick to the plan
leadership in the - Some classroom - Choose rewards
school community assignments have a and logical
- To facilitate parent community impact consequences
interaction with - Help students
other members of identify growth I:
the school over the whole - Make a
community year and think professional
optimistically development plan
about the next year with input from
my colleagues
- Look for
opportunities to
raise concerns at
staff, district, or
union meetings
- Join professional
organizations
9
Words of Acknowledgement:
“I notice lots of different ideas and ways to draw trees. It’s cool that people have different
ways to do things.”
“Before we use the computers, remind me, what are the three things you need to do?”
“I see you wandering around the room, remind me, what’s your job right now?”
“Look at Abigail’s face! She seems pretty happy you complemented her work!”
Examples Taken from Charney, Kohn (Five Reasons to Stop Saying “Good Job!”), and Blevel
and Jordan.
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Moment of Disruption
Time Out, Bargaining Meeting, There is a familiar, predictable, and Charney, Gibbs, Blevel and Jordan
Centering Time (also a logical consistent procedure for students.
consequence) Some students need to take a break
to cool down while others can use
the “centering time” approach to
think through better choices. At the
end of the time out, a bargaining
meeting can be used to negotiate re-
entry into the activity.
Reinforce/Remind/Redirect, Hints See words of acknowledgement box Charney, Blevel and Jordan
Freeze, Run the Movie Backward, “Freeze! Rewind the video tape - Gibbs
What’s Happening?, Picture it Right what do you see? What do you
hear? How should it look?”
12
I-Messages “I feel confused when people shout Gibbs, Nelsen and Lott, Gordon,
at me.” Blevel and Jordan
Proximity Moving close to students who need Blevel and Jordan, Jones
to make better choices. Making
physical contact (hand on the
shoulder).
Silence, Selective Listening This is usually for attention-seeking Blevel and Jordan
behavior. I do not focus on
inappropriate student behaviors.
Instead, I go about my business or
focus on students who are on-task.
Altering the Setting If students are bored by whole class Blevel and Jordan
activities, break them into groups
and use jigsaw, think/pair/share,
etc.
These structures are used to enhance social learning. I will use some of these at
the the moment of disruption or use them after the moment has passed. I emphasize
reflection, individual or group problem-solving, self-monitoring, listening to others,
goal-setting, and optimism. Charney says logical consequences must respond to choices
and actions rather than character, address of the demands of the situation rather than
authority, be applied with structure and empathy, and cannot be applied until after the
teacher assesses the situation. As the year progresses, students can call problem-solving
meetings to order, decide which logical consequences to apply to a situation, and lead
conflict resolution sessions. Crisis management involves using a combination of
moment of disruption structures, goal-setting, progress-monitoring, and community
13
problem-solving activities. I want negative phone-calls home and trips to the principal’s
office to be the last line of intervention rather than the first.
Let’s Talk, Client-Consultant, Tribal These are Tribes strategies where Charney, Gibbs
Agreements, Problem-Solving Class students talk through problems.
Meetings, Behavior Baskets Over time, students lead these
strategies. Parents, specialists, and
other community members can also
be involved.
Caring Menu, Reparation, Students design a list of ways to Coloroso, Charney, Blevel and
Restitution/Resolution/ repair damage from poor choices. Jordan
Reconciliation, Apology of Action Choices often include: making a
card, writing a letter, greeting a
person in morning meeting, helping
someone go to the nurse, and
helping clean up a spill.
When my students walk into the room, there are five things I would like them to
notice:
1. Their progress and life connections. I want the work of the students to dominate the
space. I will work with students to display work in stimulating ways and show work
in all stages of completion. During the first days of school, students will start the
process of personalizing the space. One of the first lesson plans I have thought about
is having students bring in photos, draw pictures, and use collage methods to create
placemats that I will laminate and use for table spaces. There is a dedicated
unfinished work display space in the corner of the room. By the end of the year, I
want students to make choices about which projects we display and how they want
15
make decisions that influence the classroom (agreements, steps to reconciliation, etc),
I will have students put this information into a book or posters we can display in the
room. This way, when students break classroom agreements, we can reference these
items.
Technology
Homework
I agree with Alfie Kohn when he says we need to rethink homework. It is my job
to help students develop healthy study habits at home. If assigned thoughtfully,
homework can build home-school connections, serve as a running assessment, and give
students time to reflect on their school activities. I will assign 15 minutes of reading six
nights per week and have a reading log for parents to sign. This can be silent reading,
reading to a family member, helping a parent read a recipe or directions, or listening to
a read aloud. Three - four nights per week I will assign math, science, or social studies
homework. I will make sure students do not spend longer than 20 minutes on these
assignments. If I assign math homework, it will take the form of data collection from
home, one required problem and an optional challenge problem (both will require
students to show written work), playing math games, or doing practical math using
recipes, newspaper advertisements, and other sources. Science homework might take
the form of open-ended probes, data collection, and scientific sketching. Social studies
homework might include polling family and friends, reacting to news or historic events
we covered in class, bringing in items that reflect their heritage, and working with
newspapers. Whenever I assign homework, I will preview it in class and brainstorm
strategies with students. In the second phase of the year, I will have discussions with
students about which homework assignments are helpful, how long it takes them to
complete their homework, and the system we should use for grading homework.
have the school provide childcare or allow other children and family members to attend
meetings, and host events in convenient community locations. I will give parents many
ways to contact me: phone, email, blog, and office hours. Parents will be invited to
volunteer in the classroom and learn with children during bi-weekly brunch,
community reading, and board game events. Other ideas include include themed
workshops for families (example: math night), giving parents volunteer opportunities at
home (sending scissors and papers to be cut out for class), and developing parent tribes.
Many of these ideas require collaboration with other teachers, school leadership, and
community leaders.
Professional Development
Principle three of the New York State Code of Ethics for Educators is “Educators
commit to their own learning in order to develop their practice”. The first step of my
professional development is to learn about the culture of my school, students, and
surrounding communities. I must form relationships with my colleagues, students, and
parents so I am aware of strengths and goals. I will eat in the staff lounge, attend
professional development sessions, and find other ways to learn about my colleagues.
Next, I will collaborate with within my
grade level and find mentors. The topics Professional Organizations
of collaboration can range from planning
academic lesson plans, to parent - National Science Teachers Association
partnership events, and field trips. I - National Education Association
would like the opportunity to observe - National Council of Teachers of
classrooms in my school and Mathematics
neighboring schools. After I become a - National Board for Professional Teaching
part of the school community, I will seek Standards
memberships in professional - Teacher Leaders Network
organizations, write grants for my
classroom and school, attend
conferences, and find leadership opportunities. Within the first year, I would like to
fulfill all of the requirements to turn my conditional initial certificate to a regular initial
certificate. After three years, I will become a National Board certification candidate.
Mind Map
Mind Map
Works Cited
Charney, R. S. (2002). Teaching Children To Care: Classroom Management for Ethical and
Academic Growth, K-8 (2nd ed.). Massachusetts: Northeast Foundation for Children.
Delpit, Lisa D. (2006). Other people's children : cultural conflict in the classroom. New York :
New Press : Distributed by W.W. Norton.
Gibbs, Jeane. (2006). Reaching All by Creating Tribes Learning Communities. Windsor, Ca:
CenterSource.
Horton, Myles and Paulo Freire. (1990). We make the road by walking : conversations on
education and social change. Philadelphia : Temple University Press.
The IRIS Center. "Module: You're in Charge! Developing Your Own Comprehensive
Behavior Management Plan." The IRIS Center. Vanderbilt University. 01 Nov. 2008
<http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/par2/chalcycle.htm>.
Kohn, Alfie. (2001). "Five Reasons to Stop Saying 'Good Job!'" Young Children. Alfie
Kohn. 01 Nov. 2008 <http://www.alfiekohn.org/articles.htm#null>.
Kohn, Alfie. (2007). "Rethinking Homework." Principal. Alfie Kohn. 01 Nov. 2008
<http://www.alfiekohn.org/articles.htm#null>.
Kohn, Alfie. (2008). "The Risks of Rewards." ERIC Digest. Washington, D.C. 01 Nov.
2008. Path: Http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/ror.htm.
Kohn, Alfie. (2008). "Why Self-Discipline is Overrated." Phi Delta Kappan. Alfie Kohn. 1
Nov. 2008 <http://www.alfiekohn.org/articles.htm#null>.