Portfolio Synthesis: Personal Statement/Reading & Reflection/Observation/1st Day of School

Respect, Engagement, Knowledge, and Positive

Expectations Promote Intellectual Growth

     Youth instinctively can and even want to learn; it is an inborn trait.  They can overcome great obstacles when young with curiosity and the drive to learn something new, even with a language barrier, as clearly shown in the TED talk by Sugata Mitra on The child-driven education.  But at some point this curiosity and ambition seems to be knocked out of students, especially when it comes to science and math.  The question is why, and what can we do to reverse this process?  How can we facilitate a learning environment that fosters growth; encourages students once again to want to learn and to believe that they can achieve their goals?

     Traditional style teaching is likely a major contributor to the disengagement and reduced ability to learn as students transition to higher grade levels.  How can it be otherwise when the main focus is generally centered on the teacher rather than on the student?  The traditional style teacher is ineffective if she is too authoritarian in nature and if she:  primarily lectures, hands out worksheets, uses the text as her teaching guideline, assigns a lot of reading and note taking, is not consciences of self-assessment, and does not practice pre-assessment or progressive assessment of her students and by her students.  Also inherent to the traditional style is the idea of teaching content knowledge (CK) versus pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) where the latter includes process learning in the form of critical thinking with hands-on activities and inquiry projects.  A more successful model would include both CK and PCK, where CK provides the foundation for inquiry and experimentation with projects that accommodate different types of learners (e.g., visual, kinesthetic, analytical, auditory, etc.).

     A successful teacher would utilize tools that work to the students’ advantage.  For instance, she would understand that learning is a social process that has begun from the time a person is born, as discussed by Vygotsky, Cambourne, and the article How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom.  Individuals learn from many people around them throughout their lives, and this process can be taken advantage of in the classroom with group work where students can help one another and learn from each other.  The successful teacher would teach and model by building on existing schema through speaking in a familiar language or a story that is easily understood while introducing new ideas (with an explanation as to why they are learning these, why the ideas are important) to be accommodated or assimilated in the process.  These new ideas or terminology would be repeated several times throughout lessons to help ensure that they will be transformed and seated into long-term memory, which in the end essentially enables them to synthesize relevant information (old with the new).  She would also use hands-on activities and inquiry projects that are fun, engaging and stimulating with no penalty for approximations.  Once students learn that it is okay to make mistakes, and that mistakes are in fact a necessary part of the learning process, they will be more likely to foster a growth versus a fixed mindset, thus continue to increase their intellect.  The following perspectives on learning environment would be beneficial to all teachers and students for learning (How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom):     1.  The learner-centered lens encourages attention to preconceptions, and begins instruction                      

           with what students think and know
     2.  The knowledge-centered lens focuses on what is to be taught, why it is taught, and what

          mastery looks like.
     3.  The assessment-centered lens emphasizes the need to provide frequent opportunities to

          make students’ thinking and learning visible as a guide for both the teacher and the student       

          in learning and instruction.
     4.  The community-centered lens encourages a culture of questioning, respect, and risk taking.

     As a new teacher, I would use the above mentioned tools.  I would increase the success of engagement and learning by understanding who my students are.  The observation project allows us to explore the culture of our students.  In observing, we can gain an understanding of what youth from different cultures do, how they interact, what their interests are, and what appears to be important to them.  In attempting to understand these factors, we can better relate to them, find commonalities to share, celebrate differences, and reduce lingual, pedagogical and cultural barriers by incorporating things that are of interest to them into lesson plans that will not only engage them, but offer real world experiences that they can relate to.  Fortunately, all cultures in Grand Rapids and the greater surrounding area share a common interest, which is technology in the form of internet with smart phones, iPads, and computers.  These technological tools can be used as a hook to elicit engagement and motivation in learning while simultaneously tapping into creativity.  Priceless!

     In consideration of my first day of school, it is crucial that I establish a warm, welcoming environment where communication is shown to be a key factor.  I want the students to realize that I have a sincere interest in each and every one of them, and that I believe that each person can learn and grow.  Just as important, I hope to earn their trust and to be able to convince every student to believe in his or her own growth potential.  A Code of Conduct is in the student handbook, therefore, I should not have to go over what is expected of the students regarding their behavior in accordance to school rules.  These students are in high school; they already know the difference between right and wrong and what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior.  I will not insult their intelligence or assumed level of maturity by creating a negative atmosphere with a list of rules. Maybe I will simply have one rule, which may be silly or may be something like, “remember to treat others how you wish to be treated.”  I would then be sending the messages of both respect and positive expectations. The issue, therefore, would be to keep students focused on being productive.  I will attempt to mediate or reduce disruption and irresponsibility by using intervention procedures in the form of reminders or discussion on the Rebel Code of Ethics, but primarily through classroom management as instruction (with interesting, engaging, relevant material as well as the use of Bellwork from the onset).  This will be aided by my continual preparedness and organization of course material and lessons, while at the same time aiding student organization with goals, learning targets, and graphic organizers.  However, consequences will be implemented for those who prove to be problematic, as I will not allow the learning environment to be dysfunctional.  But I think that awareness of what the students are doing at all times followed by eye contact and perhaps some mild body language while saying someone’s name can halt a conversation and get a student back on track with the task at hand.  Alternatively, I could pull a student aside or take him out in the hall before major disruption occurs, as simply talking and being heard may be all that he or she needs.

    It is my hope that we will work together as a team(s) in the classroom with an understanding of the importance and practice of pro-social behavior (respect, kindness, and consideration) using the Rebel Code of Ethics as our model.  Notice I used the word we.  I will model behavior that I expect from them as common sense and previous experiences suggest that one receives what one gives, which has also been my style of parenting—and it works.

     Ultimately, my goal will be to keep students engaged and busy enough with interesting lessons and projects that not only will they want to arrive to class on time and look forward to what will be learned each day, but the thought of acting out or disruption will not even cross their minds.  If I can achieve a well-managed classroom through the methods described above, then learning will naturally occur and I will have achieved my goal of creating a facilitated learning environment in which my philosophy will have been proven and fulfilled:  Respect, engagement, knowledge, and positive expectations promote intellectual growth.

Race	National	State of MI	Wyoming	GLPS
Latino	16%	4.5%	19%	70%
African American	12.5%	14%	6.5%	12%
White	72%	80%	68%	15%

Observation Updates: Rivertown Crossings Mall

Update to list below with additional observations, thoughts

17.  Who and what: Adolescents not so separated by race, there were many mixed groups

Now what? I need to be careful not to make assumptions about a student's parents; they many not all be the same race--could be two different races of parents, could be adopted.  In fact, kids could be being raised by grandparents, or aunts and uncles, cousins...

18.  Who and what: Almost all of the workers were white

Now what? Why was this the case?  Do whites have more access to transportation to get to a job?  Are Latinos and blacks not able because they have responsibility jobs at home taking care of siblings?  Do they work at other jobs closer to home?  Do they take the public transit buses to the mall more than others?

19.  Who and what: The great majority of the shoppers are white and in high school, some middle schoolers.

Now what? Do the white families tend to have more money?  If so, would the Latinos shop more if they had the money?

20.  Who and what: Pac-Sun, Charlotte Ruse, Hollister, Ambercrombie & Fitch, and Spencers are stores teens shop at; one girl shopped at Younkers

21.  Who and what: All of the girls and boys looked nice, dressed to look good at the mall

Now what?  It seems that most teens care about their appearance

22.  Who and what: Very few parents with teens in the evening (Fridays) 

Now what? The mall is a big hangout for teens in the afternoon, but much more so in the evenings.  Is this a place that parents are comfortable letting their teens go to because they think it is a safer place than other places?  Malls have a lot to offer: food, drinks, stores to browse or shop, theatres, air-conditioning.  It is obvious that friends are important--they are very social creatures.  :)

23.  Who and what: It appeared that whites wore the more obvious name brands than other races

Now what?  Is this because they have more money?  or are some races more materialistic than others?  Do I make judgments based on the clothing I see others wear?

24.  Who and what: A few white middle school girls were dressed like they were older than they were; makeup, skimpy tops, very short denim shorts.  They both wiggled their rears to the max.  This really bothered me.

Now what? Girls begin young trying to attract attention to their faces and bodies.  Though as an adult it concerns me that they are attracting the wrong kind of attention as well as attention from those they are not intending to attract, I guess I need to step back when I see this and consider why they are doing it.  They want to be more mature and grow up, they want to have a boyfriend, they are trying to build their self-confidence, and they may actually think this is what they should do and they think that they look good and mature doing it. 
25. Who and what? Latino girl that looked like she was in high school.  She had a baby, stroller, diaper bag, etc.  She was there with a friend or sister close in age.
Now what? How common is teenage pregnancy and having babies in the Godfrey-Lee district?  How important is getting married young and starting a family? Is this something that is important in their culture? Can I inspire females to get a higher education before and even after having children?  Can I give them the impression that it is ok to do both? 

  

What do I know from the observations at Rivertown Crossings Mall?

1.     Who and what:  Adolescents like to hang out at the mall as couples, threesomes, groups, and with family. The central meeting area is the food court and most of them eat together and or visit. 

Now what?  The mall is a place that all age groups and family members go to.  This seems to be an acceptable and fun outing for families of all ages and races.  They share common ground and interests here.

2.   Who and what: Big family groups with black and Latino.  Did not see this with Asians.  Small white family groups (especially with Moms and often with Grandmas as well). 

Now what? Blacks and Latinos appear to have bigger families and bring siblings along with them.  Whites and Asians appear to have smaller families.  Why didn't I see more Asian families at the mall?   

2.      Who and what: Most have cell phones or smart phones.

Now what?  Cell phones are common to everyone.  How prevalent are the smart phones?  I am told most have access to smart phones.  Therefore, this would be a good technology tool to use in lessons to grab attention and motivate students to do work and learn more.

3.      Who and what: Younger (middle schoolers) are more active, louder, and playful.  The boys tend to wear hats.  When the group separates to explore the mall or stay behind, they separate by genders (males together, females together), then come back together as a mixed group.

Now what? Teaching middle school students may be more of a chore in the sense of getting them to sit still and listen. They have a lot of energy and probably need to move around a lot.  What can teachers do to keep them from fidgeting and being interruptive?

4.     Who and what:  High school students hang out as couples; not so much with middle school;

Now what? Boyfriend/girlfriend relationships are very important to teens; perhaps I need to keep in mind that it isn't only family babysitting obligations that are keeping students from doing homework--maybe they are smitten and want to spend all of their free time with the boy or girl they are in a relationship with.

5.      Who and what: Even at the mall students may be bored as evidenced by a few middle school girls while the boys were away.

Now what? This is a sure sign that we as teachers have to work really hard to make things interesting enough to keep students' attention.

6.      Who and what: It seemed to me that the groups or trios were primarily comprised of the same race

Now what? Some groups associate by race, and further observations show that they are also mixed.  I cannot make quick assumptions.  Do I even need to make assumptions?  Why would/should this be important to me?  To watch for certain groups aggregating and picking on other groups (especially when racially homogenous)?  But this wouldn't apply just to race--it could be popular kids picking on those they don't feel are like them, etc.

7.      Who and what: High school girls like shopping at Charlotte Ruse.

8.      Who and what: High school and middle school boys shop at Pac Sun and Abercrombie and Fitch.

9.      Who and what: Most purchases were made by students in high school.

Now what? Because more of them have jobs?  They are given more allowance and more freedom? 

10.  Who and what: Group of 3 Latino high school boys wearing non-name brand clothing.

Now what? As addressed above: is this because they have less money and/or are less materialistic?

11.  Who and what: All ages and sexes like going to movies.

Now what? Everyone likes movies.  Talking about or using something about movies can elicit attention in the classroom and perhaps engage more shy students to speak?

12.  Who and what: African Americans primarily in larger groups, may be mixed in age bringing along younger siblings.

Now what? Family togetherness is important to African Americans and Latinos.  Their family values may not encourage individuality and autonomy as many white families might.

13.  Who and what: All ethnicities appear to favor Monster energy drinks.

Now what? Is this a fad?  or do teens really feel they need the extra energy?  Are they getting enough sleep?  I know that sleep is very important for developing teens and they need a lot of it.  I also know that their circadian rythems (body clocks) are not geared to wake up early in the morning and are geared more towards being awake late in the evening.  Odd that schools do not take this into consideration with early starting hours...

14.  Who and what: Some families are mixed races.

15.  Who and what: Adolescents were with families more during the early part of the afternoon; late afternoon and early evening, they were without parents much more

16.  Who and what: Several teens worked at clothing stores or restaurants; girls mostly at clothing stores.

Race	National	State of MI	Wyoming	GLPS
Latino	16%	4.5%	19%	70%
African American	12.5%	14%	6.5%	12%
White	72%	80%	68%	15%

Code of Conduct: Godfrey-Lee

Godfrey-Lee has several codes.  They begin with the code of ethics called the Rebel Code (named after their school nickname).  This highlights expectations of students to contribute positively to their school with responsibility, school pride, self pride, striving for excellence, good manners, listening, respect, sharing talents, and building community by being kind, courteous, and considerate to others. 

This is followed by a commitment: to support of student success by parents, to success by students, and to a successful learning environment by faculty/staff.  The commintment by parents and students basically states they will support appropriate behavior by following the Code of Student Conduct, attend school regularly, be respectful, communicate with school when important, support reading through lessons and newsletters, and support completion of homework.  The faculty/staff commit to a successful learning environment by providing a safe, positive learning environment that helps each student become responsible for his/her own learning, set high instructional standards and deliver a quality curriculum, communicate academic progress and attndeance, and help parents to support learning and positive behavior at home and at school.

Achievement of the goals of student, classroom, and school success is expected to be a result of collaborative efforts of commitment along with adherence to essential codes. 

Responsibility for good conduct ultimately rests on the students.  The Code of Student Conduct really covers everything that students could do to misbehave and what the consequences may be.  In fact, they are covered so well that a teacher should not have to cover the rules in class, provided the students have read/are aware of these rules, which I am sure they are.  The violations are numbered 1, 2, and 3 with an increase in severity as the number increases.  Consequences for violating attendance and rules are enforced by various methods from warnings, to reprimanding dialogue, to detention, Friday school session, suspension or expulsion. So, this school and the teachers participate in behavioral modification with consequences (punishment).  While a lot of school rules must be followed, the teacher runs the classroom and may use the type of classroom management as they see fit (as a system, as a community, as instruction).  School rules and the intervention strategies are at their disposal to control or modify behaviors when necessary.  Most #1 violations are implemented by the teacher, whereas #2 and #3 violations are handled by administrators or other staff. 

I was surprised by a few of the codes of conduct such as prohibition of note writing even during lunch and the no hand-holding rule. Bullying is a level 2 violation and I was glad to see that this included consequences for online bullying and defamation as well.  No cell phone cameras or other cameras are allowed (for protection of students and their identity) without permission from classroom teacher, however, cell phones for communication with parents are allowed, though time of use is very restricted.  It sounds like it is up to the teachers if they allow them in their classrooms for academic purposes--no mention of iPads. Godfrey-Lee is a closed campus (no one enters or leaves without permission and they also have to stay inside the lunchroom until lunch hour is finished) and hall passes are required.  I was glad to see that students have an agenda book where they list all assignments to keep themselves organized.  This agenda book also serves as the hall pass where I assume that the teacher signs it for permission.

While each classroom may choose its own management style, the school itself also implements a reward and punishment system.  A specific example is that of senior privileges.  Seniors in good standing may be awarded open campus during their lunch period and may register for a reduced class load (above 4 classes).  In addition, there are those who can get a senior honor card with a GPA of 3.25 or higher and completed at least 22.5 trimester credits by the start of the senior year, has maintained a good discipline and attendance record, and has no indebtedness to the school or cafeteria.  The card allows these seniors to 1) call themselves in for all-day absences, 2) sign themselves out for scheduled appointments, 3) park in the staff parking area in front of the school, 4) enter the school bldg. in the morning prior to official opening time and remain in the school after the time limit set for other students, 5) use their honor card as a hall pass, and 5) open campus lunch.  These privileges offer incentive to achieve higher academically and to be model students. This also teaches students to set long-term goals, and if they put in sufficient effort, they can be realized.

How does the district's plan relate to the model you feel most comfortable with?  I really like the code of ethics and how it is the first portion of the handbook, followed by student, parent, and teacher/staff commitment.  This shows a positive attitude and positive expectations first and foremost.  I like that I can run my classroom pretty much as I see fit, as long as the health (heart, body, and mind) of students is not endangered.  I like that there are codes of conduct with consequences readily accessable if my own classroom interventions or management as a system and as instruction are not enough.  Student safety and a positive, disruption free environment that is conducive to optimal learning are at the top of the list.  My model does not conflict with the school; I see it as my backup and supporting resource.

Based on the district policy from a student's perspective, I would say that the students could view the teacher and principal as having fairly equal power.  While the principal has the ultimate power, the students spend the most time with the teacher, and the teacher has the power to implement #1 violations and ultimately report them to the principal or other administrators.  They could also view the teacher as having a lot of knowledge about them that the principal is likely unaware of that the teacher could reveal later if the student continues to push the limits.  They could also place blame on the teacher for turning them in, thus having the perspective that the teacher had the power to send them to the punishments implemented by the school.  Honestly, it comes down to the individual student's perspective.  I came to this decision by trying to think like an adolescent would think.  They often want to blame someone else for their mistakes, and a teacher can be an easy target in this sense.  They will see the school and prinicipal as the big enforcers of the rules, but who will they see as the ultimate source of power for making them have to suffer the consequences?  It depends on the situation and student.

Reading Groups/Chapter 12 ECM

3 methods of conflict resolution: mediation, negotiation, and consensus decision making.
Mediation usually involves a teacher as a mediator (or a neutral third party which could be a peer), where the mediator insures that the debate does not escalate, guides the process of conflict resolution by making sure that each party gets to present their side and ensures that each side is heard.  With all three methods, it is the process and end result/negotiation that is important.  Who is right or who is wrong is not the focus.  The students come up with the negotiation, not the teacher, but she can guide with questions and helps to ensure that they follows the steps of the conflict-resolution process (set the stage, gather perspectives, identify interests, create options, evaluate options, generate agreement).

Negotiation: the two students who are in conflict may go to a quiet area and resolve the issue between themselves.

Consensus-decision making: by the classroom as a whole.

Central to this concept is the teaching of prosocial behavior and for students to learn to resolve conflicts as this is something they will deal with throughout their lives.  It promotes social growth, increases listening skills, involves critical-thinking and problem solving--skills which are basic to all learning.  Specific benefits to resolving conflict are that students who can resolve conflict constructively:  are  healthier psychologically, develop socially and cognitively in more healthy ways, are happier more of the time, have more positive and supportive interpersonal and intergroup relationships, have a greater sense of meaning and purpose in life, are more engaged with the school and its academic program, make more friends and have stronger relationships, have more successful careers, achieve higher academically, and show more empathy and less prejudice.
Especially important to me as a teacher is to be aware that the reasons for the conflict occurring are more complex than one might think.  It could stem from not understanding another person's actions because their perception which differs from another based on the fact they come from different backgrounds (ethnicity, race, etc.).  Alternatively, there could be underlying anger from issues outside of school such as problems at home with divorce, abuse, drugs, poverty, etc.

Observation Report 1/Draft

Respect, engagement, knowledge, and positive expectations promote intellectual growth.

Observation purpose:

To gain an understanding of what youth from different cultures do, how they interact, what their interests are, and what appears to be important to them.  In attempting to understand these factors, we can better relate to and understand them, find commonalities to share, celebrate differences, and incorporate things that are of interest to them into lesson plans that will not only engage them, but offer real world experiences and tools that they can relate to, thus hopefully diminish a cultural learning barrier that we may be unaware of. Awareness:  I realize that I have to be open to watching for biases within myself.  Effective teachers enable effective learning.

Group plan: use Prezi to share what we have learned about the culture of adolescents from our combined observations (Tammy, Ellyssa, Anne, and Ana).

What do I know from the observations at Rivertown Crossings Mall?

1.      Adolescents like to hang out at the mall as couples, threesomes, groups, and with family (especially with Moms and often with Grandmas as well).  The central meeting area is the food court and most of them eat together.

2.      Most have cell phones or smart phones.

3.      Younger (middle schoolers) are more active, louder, and playful.  The boys tend to wear hats.  When the group separates to explore the mall or stay behind, they separate by genders (males together, females together), then come back together as a mixed group.

4.      High school students hang out as couples; not so much with middle school;

5.      Even at the mall students may be bored as evidenced by a few middle school girls while the boys were away.

6.      It seemed to me that the groups or trios were primarily comprised of the same race.

7.      High school girls like shopping at Charlotte Ruse.

8.      High school and middle school boys shop at Pac Sun and Abercrombie and Fitch.

9.      Most purchases were made by students in high school.

10.  Group of 3 Latino high school boys wearing non-name brand clothing.

11.  All ages and sexes like going to movies.

12.  African Americans primarily in larger groups, may be mixed in age bringing along younger siblings.

13.  All ethnicities appear to favor Monster energy drinks.

14.  Some families are mixed races.

15.  Adolescents were with families more during the early part of the afternoon; late afternoon and early evening, they were without parents much more

16.  Several teens worked at clothing stores or restaurants; girls mostly at clothing stores.

Portfolio Synthesis Draft: Observations/Personal Statement/Readings & Reflection/First Day of School

Respect, Engagement, Knowledge, and Positive

Expectations Promote Intellectual Growth

     Youth instinctively can and even want to learn; it is an inborn trait.  They can overcome great obstacles when young with curiosity and the drive to learn something new, even with a language barrier, as clearly shown in the TED talk by Sugata Mitra on The child-driven education.  But at some point this curiosity and ambition seems to be knocked out of students, especially when it comes to science and math.  The question is why, and what can we do to reverse this process?  How can we facilitate a learning environment that fosters growth; encourages students once again to want to learn and to believe that they can achieve their goals?

     Traditional style teaching is likely a major contributor to the disengagement and reduced ability to learn as students transition to higher grade levels.  How can it be otherwise when the main focus is generally centered on the teacher rather than on the student?  The traditional style teacher is ineffective if she is too authoritarian in nature and if she:  primarily lectures, hands out worksheets, uses the text as her teaching guideline, assigns a lot of reading and note taking, is not consciences of self-assessment, and does not practice pre-assessment or progressive assessment of her students and by her students.  Also inherent to the traditional style is the idea of teaching content knowledge (CK) versus pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) where the latter includes process learning in the form of critical thinking with hands-on activities and inquiry projects.  A more successful model would include both CK and PCK, where CK provides the foundation for inquiry and experimentation with projects that accommodate different types of learners (e.g., visual, kinesthetic, analytical, auditory, etc.).

     A successful teacher would utilize tools that work to the students’ advantage.  For instance, she would understand that learning is a social process that has begun from the time a person is born, as discussed by Vygotsky, Cambourne, and the article How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom.  Individuals learn from many people around them throughout their lives, and this process can be taken advantage of in the classroom with group work where students can help one another and learn from each other.  The successful teacher would teach and model by building on existing schema through speaking in a familiar language or a story that is easily understood while introducing new ideas (with an explanation as to why they are learning these, why the ideas are important) to be accommodated or assimilated in the process.  These new ideas or terminology would be repeated several times throughout lessons to help ensure that they will be transformed and seated into long-term memory, which in the end essentially enables them to synthesize relevant information (old with the new).  She would also use hands-on activities and inquiry projects that are fun, engaging and stimulating with no penalty for approximations.  Once students learn that it is okay to make mistakes, and that mistakes are in fact a necessary part of the learning process, they will be more likely to foster a growth versus a fixed mindset, thus continue to increase their intellect.  The following perspectives on learning environment would be beneficial to all teachers and students for learning (How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom):     1.  The learner-centered lens encourages attention to preconceptions, and begins instruction                      

           with what students think and know
     2.  The knowledge-centered lens focuses on what is to be taught, why it is taught, and what

          mastery looks like.
     3.  The assessment-centered lens emphasizes the need to provide frequent opportunities to

          make students’ thinking and learning visible as a guide for both the teacher and the student       

          in learning and instruction.
     4.  The community-centered lens encourages a culture of questioning, respect, and risk taking.

     As a new teacher, I would use the above mentioned tools.  I would increase the success of engagement and learning by understanding who my students are.  The observation project allows us to explore the culture of our students.  In observing, we can gain an understanding of what youth from different cultures do, how they interact, what their interests are, and what appears to be important to them.  In attempting to understand these factors, we can better relate to them, find commonalities to share, celebrate differences, and reduce lingual, pedagogical and cultural barriers by incorporating things that are of interest to them into lesson plans that will not only engage them, but offer real world experiences that they can relate to.  Fortunately, all cultures in Grand Rapids and the greater surrounding area share a common interest, which is technology in the form of internet with smart phones, iPads, and computers.  These technological tools can be used as a hook to elicit engagement and motivation in learning while simultaneously tapping into creativity.  Priceless!

     In consideration of my first day of school, it is crucial that I establish a warm, welcoming environment where communication is shown to be a key factor.  I want the students to realize that I have a sincere interest in each and every one of them, and that I believe that each person can learn and grow.  Just as important, I hope to earn their trust and to be able to convince every student to believe in his or her own growth potential.  A Code of Conduct is in the student handbook, therefore, I should not have to go over what is expected of the students regarding their behavior in accordance to school rules.  These students are in high school; they already know the difference between right and wrong and what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior.  I will not insult their intelligence or assumed level of maturity by creating a negative atmosphere with a list of rules. Maybe I will simply have one rule, which may be silly or may be something like, “remember to treat others how you wish to be treated.”  I would then be sending the messages of both respect and positive expectations. The issue, therefore, would be to keep students focused on being productive.  I will attempt to mediate or reduce disruption and irresponsibility by using intervention procedures in the form of reminders or discussion on the Rebel Code of Ethics, but primarily through classroom management as instruction (with interesting, engaging, relevant material as well as the use of Bellwork from the onset).  This will be aided by my continual preparedness and organization of course material and lessons, while at the same time aiding student organization with goals, learning targets, and graphic organizers.  However, consequences will be implemented for those who prove to be problematic, as I will not allow the learning environment to be dysfunctional.  But I think that awareness of what the students are doing at all times followed by eye contact and perhaps some mild body language while saying someone’s name can halt a conversation and get a student back on track with the task at hand.  Alternatively, I could pull a student aside or take him out in the hall before major disruption occurs, as simply talking and being heard may be all that he or she needs.

    It is my hope that we will work together as a team(s) in the classroom with an understanding of the importance and practice of pro-social behavior (respect, kindness, and consideration) using the Rebel Code of Ethics as our model.  Notice I used the word we.  I will model behavior that I expect from them as common sense and previous experiences suggest that one receives what one gives, which has also been my style of parenting—and it works.

     Ultimately, my goal will be to keep students engaged and busy enough with interesting lessons and projects that not only will they want to arrive to class on time and look forward to what will be learned each day, but the thought of acting out or disruption will not even cross their minds.  If I can achieve a well-managed classroom through the methods described above, then learning will naturally occur and I will have achieved my goal of creating a facilitated learning environment in which my philosophy will have been proven and fulfilled:  Respect, engagement, knowledge, and positive expectations promote intellectual growth.

Race	National	State of MI	Wyoming	GLPS
Latino	16%	4.5%	19%	70%
African American	12.5%	14%	6.5%	12%
White	72%	80%	68%	15%