1. SED 422

2.  Quickwrite  Naming and listing issues of concern  Inquiry technique: Problem-solving  Locating resources  Creating an action plan  Goal for today: choose an issue and develop an action plan.

3.  Let’s celebrate the progress you have made so far! How have you grown in your teaching, or what do you now know how to do that you didn’t six weeks ago? Name at least three things. This can be about pedagogy, building community, developing relationships, time management, etc.  Share at least one triumph with the class.

4.  List 5-6 issues or problems that are really bothering you in your student teaching practice. These issues/problems must:  -improving performance is within your control, given your role and the time frame of student teaching.  -have something to do with teaching and learning.  -are of personal concern to YOU.  Example: Students are not doing their homework.

5.  Rank the issues as far as what you think is most important to the effectiveness of your teaching RIGHT NOW.  Frame #1 in the form of a question (s). Example: What can I do to motivate students to do their homework?  (Notice that the question is framed in terms of what YOU can do)

6.  State 1-2 clear goals in terms of this question.  Immediate goal: I want students to do the homework I assign.  Stretch Goal: I want students to develop the habits of mind and motivation to do work on their own.

7.  Some students have difficulty completing HW because of factors outside my (and sometimes their) control.  My cooperating teacher wants me to assign HW anyway, plus the pace of the curriculum requires it.  When the majority of students don’t complete their HW, I can’t teach the next lesson as I planned.

8.  Am I providing the support (explicit directions, graphic organizers and other materials, etc.) that students need to complete their HW?  Are the assignments I’m giving within most students’ ZPD? Or do I need to differentiate?  How do these assignments enhance student learning and my goals/objectives for the unit?  Do most students see these assignments as worthwhile and meaningful?

9.  Students should learn to do work on their own, because it’s important to develop good study habits and independent thinking, particularly if they want to go to college.  Some students may not receive support from their family members and friends to do HW.  If some of my students don’t perceive HW as worthwhile, they aren’t willing to complete it.  I am not willing to give up the integrity of a lesson in a power struggle over doing HW.

10.  I could…  Ask my students what factors are at work when they choose to do or not do HW.  Ask them what they need from me in order to do HW. More explicit directions? More connection to the work in class?  Tell the students what I need to accomplish as their teacher, and see if we can’t come to a happy medium, given their concerns and mine.  Offer fun incentives, such as the person who completes the most HW assignments in a 2-week period receives a prize. (doesn’t have to be expensive—a pencil or candy bar is fine).

11.  Given that many of my students may still choose not to do their HW, I could adjust my teaching in the following ways:  Develop my lessons so that they are NOT dependent on students doing HW.  Give students time in class to start or finish HW.  Be available before school, at lunch, and/or after school for students who want help with their HW.  Develop a HW afternoon once a week where kids can have a safe place to do their HW. Provide snacks.

12.  Partners, help generate ideas. What are some different ways to solve this problem?

13.  Read over the Instructional Decision-making artifact from your TCWS.  How do these requirements connect with what we did in class today?

14.  Develop a plan for how you want to tackle your issue this week. Which approaches will you try first? Try 1-2 strategies—not everything at once.  Share with the class.  Look through the resources that you have and that I brought.  Post your question, your plan, and what happened to the discussion forum this week. What was successful? What was not? What new issues and questions arose as a result of this endeavor?

15.  Teaching is about experimentation and inquiry. Some things work, some things don’t. If your plan didn’t work, you can try:  Reframing your goal and/or the question. Maybe there’s an alternative way to go about this.  Other ideas from your list of solutions.  Researching the topic on the Web, particularly within NCTE discussion forums.  Let this issue rest for awhile and choose another from your list.