A Cat in the Doghouse Worksheets
Name:______Date:___
I-1 (p. 6) Educational Binoculars
Think of your dog and cat students and how they do in the two tubes of the educational binoculars.
A. Initials of two students who are more dog-like: ______& ______
What are 2-3 traits that indicate that they are dog-like:
B. How do they do in terms of the management tube? Are they easy, average or hard to manage? Explain your answer.
C. How independent are they academically when they are given an assignment with few guidelines? Explain your answer.
D. Initials of two students who are more cat-like: ______& ______
What are 2-3 traits that indicate that they are cat-like:
E. How independent are they academically when they are given an assignment with few guidelines? Explain your answer.
Reflection: Explain if you agree or disagree with this statement, “Dogs are easier than cats to manage, but cats can handle unstructured learning better than dogs.”
Name:______Date:___
I-2 (p. 8)Benefits
There were 12 benefits listed on p. 8. List three of them and explain the benefits you have found from A Cat in the Doghouse.
1st Benefit
2nd Benefit
3rd Benefit
Name:______Date:___
I-3 (p. 9)Cautions
A Cat in the Doghousesuggests three cautions:
- The concept of dog and cat are not absolute but a continuum from Golden Retrievers to German Shepherds to Burmese to Siamese.
Describe what degree of dog or cat you are as a teacher:
- The concept is based on the culture you come from.
Describe the family / community that you come from:
- The culture that you are in now (e.g., what grade level you teach and if the school is elementary, middle school, or high school).
- Describe when you increase your dog-ness and when you increase your cat-ness:
Name:______Date:___
I-4 (p. 10)Bake like a Dog; cook like a Cat
A Cat in the Doghouseends the Introduction with the suggestion that you have a dog part of you and a cat part of you. Schools have seasons. Some seasons have lots of routines and other times there are breaks in routines (first snow fall, early release, last days before a holidays).
Explain when it is appropriate to increase your cat part and why.
Explain when it is appropriate to increase your dog part and why.
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-1 (p. 12) Origins of My Self-Image
Our self-image is formed mainly from our family and school social life. Use the following graphic:
Put the appropriate letter next to your parents and grandparents:
•a lowercase “c” if the person was somewhat of a cat.
•a capital “C” if the person was definitely a cat.
•a lowercase “d” if the person was somewhat of a dog.
• a capital “D” if the person was definitely a dog.
Using this informal genealogy,describe your attitude towards Cat, cat, dog, and Dog and how it affects your self-image. If pertinent, mention if there is any family tradition of dog and cat being connected to gender.
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-2 (p. 13) Cat & DogChart
Page 14 lists 25 categories where one’s dog-ness and cat-ness could appear. Because A Cat in the Doghouse encourages teachers to see themselves as having dog parts and cat parts, do the following activities:
Dog-part
Select two categories where your dog part increases.
Name of categories: ______& ______
Describe evidence of how your dog part is exhibited in these two categories:
Cat-part
Select two categories where your cat part increases.
Name of categories: ______& ______
Describe evidence of how your cat part is exhibited in these two categories:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-3 (p. 15) Position and Person Axes
There are four quadrants in the graphic on page 16. Select people (real or fictional [movies, TV, books]) other than yourself for each of the four quadrants.
High person and low position
What is the name or initials of the person:______
What are two examples/traits of this person:
High position and low person
What is the name or initials of the person:______
What are two examples/traits of this person:
Low person and low position:
What is the name or initials of the person:______
What are two examples/traits of this person:
High person and high position
What is the name or initials of the person:______
What are two examples/traits of this person:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-4 (p. 18)First Correlation: Grade level
What grade level(s) do you teach:______
Describe how much you operate from your dog part and how much you operate from your cat part.
Describe how your operating style matches or mismatches your innate personality/temperament:
Initials of a teacher whose personality/temperament mismatches what is the operating norm that the teacher teaches____
What are some consequences of the mismatch:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-5 (p. 19)Second Correlation: Number of students
Give an estimate of the number of students you are responsible for in a week:
______.
Comment if there is a correlation between your level of dog-ness vs. your level of cat-ness (you might find it profitable to discuss this concept with several teachers who have a variety of students they are responsible for in a week):
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-6 (p. 19)Third Correlation: Years of Teaching
How long have you been a teacher:______
Mention any pertinent variables (continuous years vs. breaks; number of years on the grade level that you are currently teaching; your age when you started to teach full time):
Share your reflections on any differences between new teachers vs. veteran teachers regarding the degree of dog-ness or degree of cat-ness they operate from:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-7 (p.20)Increase your cat
A Cat in the Doghouse suggests that as one’s level of responsibility increases, it is appropriate to increase operating from one’s cat part.
“Increase in levels” Least Recommended
Describe a situation (at school or home) where you or someone else (it is OK to use a movie scene, TV, or literature) had an increase in their level of responsibility and DID NOT increase their cat:
Describe what happened (for example the person felt sorry for themselves, became exhausted…):
“Increase in levels” Recommended
Describe a situation (at school or home) where you or someone else (it is OK to use a movie scene, TV, or literature) had an increase in their level of responsibility and DID increase their cat:
Describe what happened:
“Decrease in levels” Least Recommended
Describe a situation (at school or home) where you or someone else (it is OK to use a movie scene, TV, or literature) had a decrease in their level of responsibility and DID NOT decrease their cat:
Describe what happened:
“Decrease in levels” Recommended
Describe a situation (at school or home) where you or someone else (it is OK to use a movie scene, TV, or literature) had a decrease in their level of responsibility and DID decrease their cat:
Describe what happened:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-8 (p.22)Challenge
The book shared the story of the legendary William “Red” Hill … a person who accepted several challenges to rescue people. The extreme end of cats is pioneers and peak performers. Share a story about someone who pioneered something or accepted a challenge. Mention any obstacles they had to overcome. And if pertinent, write how “cats land on their feet.”
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1–9 (p. 24)Review in third person; program in first person
Describe a day that was difficult:
Describe how you would normally review that day in first person:
- Rewrite the review in third person (e.g. “the teacher…”).
- Describe how you laughed at least twice.
- Describe how you programmed how you’ll (first person) plan to handle similar situations in the future.
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-10 (p. 25)Ambition
Initials of someone you know (it is OK if it is you) who was/is ambitious: ______
Describe the objective, outcome, or goal that they sought:
Describe what they did to gain what they sought and mention any obstacles they overcame. If pertinent, mention the three stages they may have gone through:
- Their distaste for the norm.
- Their attempt to do anything but the norm (often done randomly).
- Where they finally ended up.
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-11 (p. 26)Risk
The initials of someone you personally know (sorry, can’t use someone you have not met) who does risky things ______
Describe one or two things that this person did that is/was risky (“risky” can be physical, emotional, cognitive, professional, etc.)
What is the riskiest thing that you have ever done? Explain/describe what was risky about doing this activity/adventure.
Share your reflections on the following: What is your criteria that determines if any activity/adventure is risky? What are the conditions where you won’t do an activity/adventure? What have you learned about yourself?
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-12 (p. 27)Tension
What level of tension is comfortable/acceptable for you? Is the amount of tension that is acceptable differentinvarious arenas (physical, emotional, cognitive, professional)? Explain:
What are the initials of someone who operates on a higher tension level: ______
Interview the person and write up their experience of tension; if pertinent, describe if the tension is connected to creativity. Are they in the arts / performance / high levels of expertise?
Share your reflections on the following: What is your criteria that determines if tension is acceptable or not? What are the conditions where you won’t accept a certain level of tension? What are the conditions where you will accept a higher than normal level of tension? What have you learned about yourself?
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-13 (p. 30)Cat Teachers Becoming Charismatic:Dog-ability
[Worksheets Ch. 1-13 and Ch. 1-14 are a pair; as are Ch. 1-15 and Ch. 1-16.
Either fill out the first set or the second set on yourself.]
What are three evidences/examples that you operate like a cat:
On pages 29-30 there are eight (bullets) suggestions for increasing your dog-ability. Select three of them and practice doing them for a week and then report on what you do and effects on others:
First suggestion:
Describe how you specifically practice this skill:
Describe the effect of practicing this skill had on you and/or others:
Second suggestion:
Describe how you specifically practice this skill:
Describe the effect of practicing this skill had on you and/or others:
Third suggestion:
Describe how you specifically practice this skill:
Describe the effect of practicing this skill had on you and/or others:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-14 (p. 31) The Cat Teacher Practices Approachability
[Worksheets Ch. 1-13 and Ch. 1-14 are a pair; as are Ch. 1-15 and Ch. 1-16.
Either fill out the first set or the second set on yourself.]
On pages 30 (bottom) - 31 (top half) there are nine (bullets) suggestions to increase your approvability. Select four of them and practice doing them for a week (it can NOT be the same week you do Ch.1-13), then report on what you do and its effects on others:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-15 (p. 33)Dog Teachers Becoming Charismatic:Cat-ability
[Worksheets Ch. 1-13 and Ch. 1-14 are a pair; as are Ch. 1-15 and Ch. 1-16.
Either fill out the first set or the second set on yourself.]
What are three evidences/examples that you operate like a dog:
On pages32-33 there are eight (bullets) suggestions for increasing your cat-ability. Select three of them and practice doing them for a week, then report on what you do and its effects on others:
First suggestion:
Describe how you specifically practice this skill:
Describe the effect of practicing this skill had on you and/or others:
Second suggestion:
Describe how you specifically practice this skill:
Describe the effect of practicing this skill had on you and/or others:
Third suggestion:
Describe how you specifically practice this skill:
Describe the effect of practicing this skill had on you and/or others:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-16 (p. 35)The Dog Teachers Practices Credibility
[Worksheets Ch. 1-13 and Ch. 1-14 are a pair; as are Ch. 1-15 and Ch. 1-16.
Either fill out the first set or the second set on yourself.]
On page35 there are seven (bullets) suggestions to increase your approvability. Select four of them and practice doing them for a week (it can NOT be the same week you do Ch.1-15), then report on what you do and its effects on others:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 1-17 (p. 35)Influence and Power
Describe if you are more comfortable with operating from Influence or more comfortable with operating from Power:
Describe two behaviors you practiced/did this last week that were the style (influence vs. power) that you are least comfortable with:
Describe how you felt practicing these two behaviors.
Describe how others responded to you practicing these two behaviors.
Share your reflections on the need to be comfortable with operating both from power and from influence. Also mention how your first preference is to operate from influence (the exception is a dysfunctional class).
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 2-1 (p.43)If you kick …
Have a chat with one or more of your colleagues, then write up two examples of students that are in an abusive/neglected environmentand yet don’t want to risk changing to a new living arrangementor they unfairly blame themselves or life circumstances.
- Student’s initials: ______
Describe the situation the student is in:
Describe their distorted view of the situation:
Describe any attempts to change their perspective and their reactions:
- Student’s initials: ______
Describe the situation the student is in:
Describe their distorted view of the situation:
Describe any attempts to change their perspective and their reactions:
- The examples above indicate that students can feel responsible for chaotic conditions. Share your reflections of the class feeling guilty/unsafe when a teacher inappropriately and harshly manages a cat student.
Name:______Date:___
Ch.2-2 (p.46)Is the student operating from a lose-lose?
The second prerequisite for being an effective manager is checking the template the cat student is operating from.
- Initials of a cat student operating from “win-lose:” ______.
Describe the behaviors that led you to see the student as operating from win-lose:
Describe what you did, and what the effect on both the student and the class was:
- Initials of a cat student (it can be the same student as above) operating from “lose-lose:” ______.
Describe the behaviors that led you to see the student as operating from lose-lose:
Describe what you did, and what the effect on both the student and the class was:
Share your reflections on how responding to a student operating from win-lose is different than a student operating from lose-lose:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 2-3 (p.47)Can the class function with the student in the room?
- Initials of a student who has shocked or confused the class: ______
Describe the evidence that the class is either shocked or confused by the inappropriate behavior(s) of the student:
Describe the student’s inappropriate behavior(s):
Describe the evidence that the class is either shocked or confused:
Your goal is to try to keep the student – who is acting inappropriate – as a member of the class. Describe your attempts and the class’s response to your attempts:
B. Initials of a student who has annoyed the class: ______
Describe the student’s inappropriate behavior(s):
Describe the evidence that the class is annoyed by the inappropriate behavior(s) of the student:
Your goal is to try to either remove the student or teach the class to ignore the inappropriateness of the student. Just report on your attempt to remove the student.
Describe your attempts and the class’s responses to your attempts:
Share your reflections on how the class’s reaction to the inappropriateness of the student directs your goals and the course of action you take.
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 2-4 (p.51)Ignoring
Initials of a student (acting inappropriately) that the class is annoyed at and you are unable to remove: ______
Describe the student’s inappropriate behavior(s):
Describe the evidence that the class is annoyed by the student:
Describe your attempts to remove the student:
Describe your attempts to teach the class to ignore the student’s inappropriate behavior(s) and the class’s reactions:
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 2-5 (p. 52)Removing a Student
Initials of a student (acting inappropriately) that the class is annoyed at and you are able to remove: ______
The methods/timing of removing a student can take several forms based on what you estimate the student’s level of cooperation will be.
Describe:
- Your estimation of the student’s level of cooperation.
- What that’s based on.
- What method/timing did you attempt.
- Whether your estimation was accurate.
Share your reflections on how you can improve your estimation of the student’s level of cooperation, and what other methods/timing you could consider in the future.
Name:______Date:___
Ch. 2-6 (p. 54)Gender Differences and Recovery Time
This worksheet is intended for you to chat with several adults of both genders – both at school as well as in your private world.
Home
Describe a situation that can occur in someone’s private work, where there was a difference between how the different genders reacted:
Describe how the female reacted and how long before she was able to calm down:
Describe how the male reacted and how long before he was able to calm down:
School
Describe a situation that can occur in a professional setting,where there was a difference between how the different genders reacted:
Describe how the female reacted and how long before she was able to calm down:
Describe how the male reacted and how long before he was able to calm down:
Share your reflection on the differences between female and male reactions to situations, the length of time it took to recover and how you understand yourself better.
Name:______Date:___
Ch.2-7 (p. 56)Lower Metabolism
A Cat in the Doghouse pages 54-55 list eight behaviors that can lower a student’s metabolism (as well as your own).
Describe a situation that warranted lowering a student’s metabolism:
Describe one of the eight behaviors you attempted: