Scenario 1: Chat About It

Ms. Armanjani is a second-year, world history teacher. She emigrated from Syria as a young girl. She both feels integrated into American society and deeply values her Middle Eastern traditions. She was outspoken as a young girl, and her parents always told her that she would be a leader someday. She is determined to help her high school students discover the leaders within themselves.

During the last few class discussions, Ms. Armanjani felt that students were unprepared and indifferent. She likes opening up her classroom as a forum for discussion, but she often hears "Do we need to know this?" "Will this be on the test?" "Do events on the other side of the world really affect me?" Ms. Armanjani wonders why students feel this way. Do they feel disconnected from their own families, and thus disconnected from the whole world? Is it just normal behavior for this age group? Is there anything I can do to make them care more deeply about world history and current issues?

Ms. Armanjani launches her email program and sees a message from Ms. Henderson, the "lead" history teacher at the high school. Ms. Armanjani began emailing her at the beginning of the school year and finds it a convenient way to communicate and gain support. The teachers email responses at their own convenience and take extra time to reflect, if needed. After each topic of conversation is complete, Ms. Armanjani prints out the series of emails and files them in a notebook for future reference. The most recent thread of emails follows:

Today we began a unit on the Middle East, focusing first on Afghanistan. I always like to start with cultural information and artifacts to grab students' attention. We even ate a traditional dessert similar to baklava called asabia el aroos. A local market near my home sells Middle Eastern products and baked goods.

Two of my classes really seemed to like the lesson but my tough class in the afternoon was not into it at all. A couple times I caught Jake Cranston glaring at me and rolling his eyes. Somebody whispered, "Who cares? They're all the same out there anyway." I don't know who said it so I just ignored the comment. I want the content of my course to change their minds.

I want to bring up tough subjects like stereotyping, bias, and racism but I'm not sure how to engage the tough students and bring them out of their shells. I want them to see how current events often stem from thousands of years of history. How do I do this when all they care about is prom in two months?

Good to hear from you! I like the way you brought in cultural items and spiced things up with traditional food. That's a great way to gain students' attention. It also provides students with a familiar framework before introducing new, more complex information.

Your unit introduction also gave your students a window into who you are and into your experiences as an immigrant from the Middle East. They may feel embarrassed or shy about discussing controversial issues like racism and stereotypes because they don't want to offend you. Many may not feel informed enough to talk about the issues.

If you haven't used the "Teaching Tolerance" Web site before, now is the time to check it out! The home page is at: http://www.teachingtolerance.org/ where you can find a huge archive of classroom activities. Use the dropdown menus to select your grade level, subject, and tolerance topic. I found several activities you may be able to use immediately. One is called "Student as Interviewer" (http://www.tolerance.org/teach/activities/activity.jsp?p=0&38;amp;ar=272&38;amp;pa=2). In this activity, students write interview questions and talk to older and younger Muslims to break down stereotypes. Another activity is called "New Kids on the Block" (http://www.tolerance.org/teach/activities/activity.jsp?ar=537), which explores the difficulties that teen immigrants experience. It is a good place to start!

1			Ms. Armanjani is a reflective teacher who cares deeply about her students and the issues she teaches. In an effort to improve her instructional practices, she uses which of the following methods of reflection?
			A)	Action research
			B)	Portfolio
			C)	On-campus lab
			D)	Dialogue journal
2			Reflective practitioners share certain characteristics. Which of the following characteristics does Ms. Armanjani not demonstrate in the scenario?
			A)	routine and purposeful deliberation
			B)	inquiry into relevant learning theory
			C)	open-mindedness
			D)	eagerness to improve her teaching practices
3			Teachers who are reflective about their own teaching gain many benefits. If Ms. Armanjani continues to engage in reflection, which of the following statements describes a possible benefit to her?
			A)	She will be able to rely on trial and error in her classroom.
			B)	She will be prepared for every situation that occurs in her classroom.
			C)	She will be able to examine and analyze classroom events rather than simply observe them.
			D)	She will be able to have an emotional, unpredictable classroom environment.

Scenario 2: Portfolio Assembly

Mr. Hernandez has been teaching middle school science for three years. His performance reviews typically yield high marks. His recent review, however, was average. Written comments on the review included, "Needs to communicate lesson objectives more clearly" and "Displays good rapport with students, but needs to spend more time on task." At first glance, Mr. Hernandez is shocked by the comments.

Prior to the beginning of the school year, Mr. Hernandez attended a professional development workshop focused on portfolio development. He decides to begin a portfolio project in order to address the issues raised in his performance review. Mr. Hernandez writes daily notes and observations in a journal. He collects lesson plans and even tape-records selected lessons to "see himself in action." His students help run the camera and like the idea of being part of his portfolio project.

Mr. Hernandez sifts through the collected portfolio materials. He puts three particularly successful lesson plans in the portfolio binder, including associated worksheets and activities.

A separate section in the binder is reserved for student artifacts. Mr. Hernandez files several "before and after" assessments for two students who performed poorly at the beginning of the year. Now, four months later, they have improved their grades and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the material. Mr. Hernandez feels that these tests reflect well on his teaching.

Now it's show time! Mr. Hernandez watches the videotaped lessons. The first lesson shows him introducing a new science unit on force and motion. At first, Mr. Hernandez feels that the camera timer must be defective. He doesn't start the lesson until ten minutes into the class. He watches himself talking and laughing with several students and spending a lot of time roll taking. Mr. Hernandez re-starts the video to keep track of the time. He confirms that he spent a full ten minutes socializing and performing administrative duties.

When he finally begins the lesson, Mr. Hernandez wants to make up for lost time, so he quickly runs through the three objectives listed on the board. He asks if anyone has questions and although a few students look confused, he continues with the lesson.

Mr. Hernandez pauses the video and grabs his journal. He reflects upon the anecdotal comments written in his performance review. "The comments were accurate after all!" he writes. After writing his initial reactions, Mr. Hernandez plays more of the video. For subsequent lessons, he consistently takes 8-10 minutes at the beginning of class taking attendance. In some cases, he spends several minutes gaining the students' attention or dealing with behavior issues.

Again, Mr. Hernandez pauses the video and writes in his journal. "I recognize the importance of maintaining positive student rapport, but not at the expense of learning. I will socialize with students in the hallway, at lunch, or during other "down" times. To more effectively take roll, I can stand near the doorway and record attendance as students enter the room. I'm going to follow up with other teachers to find out what strategies they use to reduce wasted time."

Mr. Hernandez also notices that setup and cleanup routines during hands-on projects can be improved. Some students still don't seem to know what to do after five months of school. Mr. Hernandez brainstorms strategies for facilitating more effective classroom routines. He consults the Internet for literature and research about time on task. Several Web sites offer helpful information such as "Educational Time Factors" (http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/4/cu8.html) and "Classroom Management" (http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/edpsyc/firstwk.html).

4			Three processes are typically associated with portfolio development. Which of the following sequences correctly identifies the processes, as illustrated by Mr. Hernandez?
			A)	reflect, implement, evaluate
			B)	collect, select, reflect
			C)	collect, assemble, evaluate
			D)	interview, record, reflect
5			Which of the following statements describes the most important part of the portfolio process for Mr. Hernandez?
			A)	Mr. Hernandez receives a performance review.
			B)	Mr. Hernandez collects samples of successful lesson plans, associated assignments, student assessments, and videos.
			C)	Mr. Hernandez selects materials that best illustrate his instructional practices.
			D)	Mr. Hernandez reflects on his performance review and analyzes his performance in the classroom.
6			Imagine that Mr. Hernandez successfully implements new classroom management strategies that increase time on task. Mr. Hernandez wants to know whether the increased time on task has benefited his students, so he decides to take his reflection one step further. Which of the following methods of reflection should Mr. Hernandez use to answer his question?
			A)	Action research
			B)	Discussions with colleagues
			C)	On-campus laboratory experience
			D)	Dialogue journal