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The University of Memphis
College of Education
Instruction & Curriculum Leadership
Writing Assignment 1: Parent Interviews (children enrolled in Memphis City Schools).
The principal of the PreK-8 school where you are employed as a teacher wants to improve the involvement of parents/families in the life of the school. You have been asked to interview four parents to determine their present level of involvement as well as find out the kind of involvement they think is important. These must be in-person interviews (face-to-face), not completed by telephone or questionnaires completed by the interviewee (s). You will report your results to the principal in a 6 to 8 page essay (maximum), typed double-spaced. Summarize each interview including items 1-7, then, complete items 8-9 as if all parents had children enrolled in the same school. Assignment meets 2 (of 10) clock hours of field experience requirements for this course.
Date Due: October 6
Requirements:
Interview four parents (mother and father of the same child count as one interview) of children enrolled in grades PreK-8 to obtain the information listed below. Your completed report must include items 1-7 for each interview completed. Items 8-9 should be based on information obtained from all interviews.
1. Description of person interviewed, i.e., mother, father, grandmother (must be one of the primary caregivers for the target child).
2. Age of child, gender, and grade level in school
3. Name and type (i.e., preschool, elementary, middle, or high school) of school child is attending and section of city in which it’s located.
4. Strategies used by the school to get parents involved in activities of the school, i.e., how are parents invited to participate, ex. telephone calls, newsletters, home visits, notes sent by children)
5. List of school activities in which the parents interviewed are involved
6. Extent of involvement of interviewed parents--number of hours per week, month or year
7. In parents’ opinion (not yours), of what value or benefit is their participation in the education of their child.
8. Recommendations to your principal regarding the parent involvement program at your school, based on the information gathered from the four interviews. Be very specific. Use ideas from textbooks, the Internet, and videos shown in class.
9. A discussion of how the information gained from these interviews provides insights as a prospective teacher as you plan to work effectively with families of the children you will teach. Be very specific.
Evaluation Criteria:
You must include all the topics noted in the “Requirements” section and follow the criteria for essays that’s included in your course packet. PLEASE STAPLE ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS. DO NOT SUBMIT IN REPORT COVERS OR FOLDERS!!
The University of Memphis
College of Education
Instruction & Curriculum Leadership
Writing Assignment 2: Family Involvement/Education Plan for One School Year--A Group Project. As the teacher team leader for the Family Involvement/Education Committee at your elementary, middle school, or high school, you have been asked by the principal to develop a plan for the entire school year, from September through May. Provide details in your plans regarding what you propose for each month using the requirements that follow. Remember to consider data from your parent interviews, sample parent survey, themes being studied in your classroom, and seasonal classroom activities in which children may be involved. Your plan should be an estimated 9 to 12 pages and typed using the exact format shown below. Use complete sentences to describe your plans.
Date Due: November
Required Format: (double-space between items, single-space within items)
Month of:
Title of monthly meeting or workshop session:
Type of group meeting format proposed (Read chapter 6 of Berger book for examples of groups meetings):
Leader(s) for session: (i.e., panel of parents, nutritionist, dentist, classroom teachers)
Strategies used to invite parents to attend or participate in session (Include incentives for getting parents to attend meetings as well as "how" parents are invited to attend meetings. Read chapter 5 of Berger book for successful strategies):
Narrative description of plans for the meeting (Include purpose of the session, a summary of content, See chapters 4, 5, & 6 of Berger book for helpful ideas for this section):
Related activities for the month (This section should include activities you may plan for parents and/or children):
Evaluation Criteria:
You must include all the elements noted above for each month and follow the criteria for essays included in your course packet.
The University of Memphis
College of Education
Instruction and Curriculum Leadership
Assignment 3: Classroom Management Observations and Participation. As part of the new teacher induction program at your elementary, middle or high school, you will be required to complete eight (8) hours of observation/participation in the classroom of a veteran teacher to gain insights on the application of effective classroom management techniques learned in your university classes. The course instructor will make school and classroom assignments. You will complete a report based on criteria determined by the course instructor. This assignment meets 6 clock hours of field experience requirements for this course. The course instructor will select the school, while school personnel will make specific classroom assignments.
Date Due for Written Report: December 1
Requirements:
- Clinical hours should be planned for a minimum of two (2) hours for each visit. In some cases, students may be permitted to complete most of the requirements in a two-day block because of work and/or school responsibilities. The details should be worked out with the classroom teacher.
Ø Session 1-Classroom Procedures and Organization (1 hour)
Ø Session 2-Behavior Management and Discipline (1 hour)
Ø Session 3-Classroom Participation (6 hours). Participation in classroom activities as a teacher assistant as assigned by the classroom teacher. Examples include reading story to small group or whole class, tutoring small groups or individual students, escorting students to lunch, restroom or support.
- Complete observation/participation form or checklist provided by course instructor for each classroom visit. Use complete sentences to respond to questions on the checklists and write responses in past tense. Make a copy of each checklist for recording notes in the classroom. You may use black or blue ink (or type) to complete the final draft of the forms to be submitted to the course instructor.
- Complete sign-in sheet for each session spent in the classroom. The sign-in form will require the signature of the classroom teacher.
- Complete a three to five-page summary (typed double-spaced) of your field experiences based on the criteria included on the three-observation/participation checklists. Your summary should be written in the past tense. Your completed report should be submitted in the order that follows: 1) completed checklists A, B & C, 2) summary, and 3) sign-in/signature sheet. The summary should include the following headings: classroom procedures and organization, behavior management and discipline, and classroom participation.
This summary should also include a problem behavior or potential problem behavior identified during your classroom observations, along with suggestions about how you might solve the problem in your own classroom. Use your textbooks as references and information from the Internet (a minimum of five sources). A great site for this assignment is: www.disciplinehelp.com. Use APA guidelines for footnotes and reference list.
Some common behavior problems include completing homework, being prepared, haring materials, working independently, leaning back on chairs, cliques, interruptions, using profanity, temper tantrums, hitting, stealing, withdrawn behavior, lying, acting out on bus or field trips, cheating, bullying, gossiping, thumbsucking, distractibility, passing notes, fighting, refusal to obey, tattling, throwing food in the cafeteria, noise in the cafeteria, bossiness, poor sportsmanship, whining, and class clown.
- You will be expected to work out the dates and times of each visit with the school contact person or assigned classroom teacher. All visits should be completed within the time frame specified by the course instructor. Once a schedule is worked out, you are expected to attend faithfully. If an emergency occurs, you must notify the contact person or classroom teacher immediately and reschedule the visit as soon as possible. School contact information may vary each semester.
- Dress code, conduct and professionalism. Professionalism requires proper dress, conduct, and adherence to professional ethics. You are expected to conform to the dress and conduct standards of the cooperating school. Law provides for the privacy of student records and information. Information on students in cooperating schools is not to be revealed or discussed outside the professional realm. Students’ real names are not used when discussing experiences.
Evaluation Criteria: You must complete the three observation/participation forms designed for the clinical experiences and follow the criteria for essays included in your course packet.
ICL 4001/7709 Classroom Management Observation Checklist
Form A: Classroom Procedures and Organization
Name: Date:
Directions: Remember to complete every item listed. Write in black or blue ink, use complete sentences written in the past tense, and use whiteout if corrections are required.
Yes No N/A
1. Transitions
- Does the teacher prepare the students for
upcoming transitions? ______
- Are there clear routines for transition? ______
- Do transitions have clear beginnings and endings? ______
2. Procedures
- Are there established procedures for beginning and
ending of class? ______
- Does the teacher have procedures for distributing
materials and supplies? ______
- Is there a set procedure for bathroom breaks? ______
- Is there a set procedure for using the pencil sharpener
and drinking fountain? ______
- Are there set procedures for handing in student work? ______
- Are there established procedures for student use of
equipment and supplies? ______
3. Activities for children with special needs
- Does the teacher use any particular procedure for
managing “pullouts” efficiently? ______
- Does the teacher make modifications of assignments
for special needs students? ______
- Does the teacher use flexible assessment procedures? ______
4. Students active involvement in learning process
- Does the teacher reinforce participation? ______
- Do the students have ample opportunity to ask questions? ______
- In this class is it safe to make mistakes? ______
- Are a variety of teaching strategies used by the teacher? ______
- Are hands-on activities used frequently? ______
5. Room organization
- Is the general appearance of the room pleasant and
attractive? ______
- Is the room neat and organized? ______
- Can all the students see the presentations clearly? ______
- Can the teacher see all the students from the teacher’s
desk? ______
- Are the main traffic patterns clear and uncongested? ______
- Is it easy for students to access commonly used materials
and equipment? ______
6. When were the students allowed to talk?
7. What were the strengths and weaknesses of teacher?
8. Were there things this teacher did that were unique and creative? If so, what were they?
9. Use the space below to sketch the layout of the classroom with regard to student desks, teacher desks, aisles, learning centers, storage areas, etc.
ICL 4001/7709 Classroom Management Observation Checklist
Form B: Behavior Management and Discipline
Name: ______Date: ______
Yes No N/A
1. Atmosphere of caring and respect
- Does the teacher avoid embarrassing students? ______
- Does the teacher avoid using humiliation? ______
2. Clear and understandable rules
- Are the rules posted in prominent place? ______
- Are there a reasonable number of rules (5-8)? ______
- Do students know the consequences for breaking
the rules? ______
3. Does the teacher monitor student behavior
- while conducting whole class activities? ______
- during small group activities? ______
- during independent seat work? ______
4. Are class rules enforced immediately and consistently? ______
5. Does the teacher use frequent praise? ______
- Is it delivered contingently? ______
- Does it specify what the accomplishment was? ______
- Does the praise sound natural and genuine? ______
- Does the teacher recognize effort? ______
- Does the teacher nurture intrinsic motivation? ______
6. Does the teacher make effective use of rewards for good
behavior? ______
- Are there group rewards or reinforcing events? ______
- Are there individual rewards that the students can earn? ______
- Does the teacher reinforce appropriate models for good
behavior? ______
7. Which of the following nonverbal and verbal interventions
for minor misbehavior does the teacher use?
- ignoring misbehavior ______
- facial expressions ______- eye contact ______
- hand signals ______
- proximity ______- direct command ______
- stating student’s name ______- rule reminder ______- calling on child to participate ______- I-message ______
Yes No N/A
8. Which of the following other consequences for misbehavior
does the teacher use?
- heart to heart ______- response cost ______
- behavior file ______- time out ______- parent contact ______
- send to office ______
9. What did the teacher do to build the self-esteem of the
students?
10. What did the teacher do to develop a family atmosphere?
11. Did the teacher have a general motivation system, like a token economy or merit program? If so, briefly discuss how it worked.
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