Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Packet
Greetings Future
Educator,
Save this completed packet for your Education Capstone Course, (EDU 299)
and pay particular attention to items marked with an (* asterisk) as these
will be especially helpful in completing your Classroom Management,
Diversity, and Differentiated Instruction presentation in EDU 299. Your CSN
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instructor will let you know whether you will be handwriting directly in this
packet, in a separate reflective log, or word processing responses to the
following requirements and assignments.
1. Contact your assigned school by telephone and ask the office manager, or other
contact person, for the best day/time to come and meet your assigned cooperating
teacher. School phone numbers, locations and other information can be found on
the CCSD web site at http://ccsd.net/schools/
2. Preplan an on-time arrival, and make sure that all interaction with CCSD
employees and students is respectful, courteous, and professional. You are a guest
in their school, and a representative of this CSN class and institution. The school is
allowing you to visit to further your understanding of the profession. It is imperative
that your actions reflect a willingness to learn, and are reflective of a future
professional educator.
*Instruction Question 6: Are there any students isolated from the rest of the
class for any reason? Why?
Yes, there are many students isolated from the rest of the class. These
students are working on the Edgenuity program that the school district
provided for its students. Edgenuity is a online program that provides a
constructed online learning environment for students to complete their
work and get the required grades to earn credit for the class. Mr.
Flickinger put more students onto the program while I was observing
his class because the second semester had just started and there was
a lot of students who needed the extra help. Out of all the students he
put on Edgenuity, Mr. Flickinger was most proud of three of his
students. These three boys before starting Edgenuity were failing his
class and school in general. They did not participate in any class
activities and showed a lack of care for anything. Now that they are
working on Egdenuity, they are passing his class and have improved
their grades. They come to class ready to work and complete most
assignments before arriving to class.
*Instruction Question 9: List ways that the teacher attempts any “attention
getting” commands? (Ex: Countdown, Light flicker, Heads on Desk) How
effective are they?
Mr. Flickinger did not need to use any on the “attention getting”
commands, he simply started talking and the class would quite down.
In the days I was there, he only had to raise his voice in a few classes
to get their attention when they had gotten to loud. This was usually
when he was forming small groups for projects and the class was
moving around and not working together. His rule of showing respect
to the teacher was followed must of the time when he was speaking.
*Instruction Question 10: What specific behavior issues does the teacher
have to deal with? How does the teacher deal with these behavior issues?
Be specific.
Mr. Fickinger did not have behavior issues in his class. At Silvestri,
they have an in-class suspension classroom that Mr. Flickinger worked
in during his second period. The students in the classroom worked on
Edgenuity for their science credit.
*Instruction Question 11: Are there any policies or procedures in place that
help or hinder instructional time? If so, explain them and how they help or
hinder use of instructional time.
The only policy or procedure in place that I was aware of was the
dress code. For teachers, having to enforce the dress code hindered
their instructional time especially when the administrative did not
enforce it when students where since to the office. Other than the
dress code policy, I was not aware of any policies or procedures that
helped or hindered instructional time.
2. Next, study the interior of the school: halls, floor coverings, lighting,
doors, windows, hall colors and decorations and entrance security.
Inside the hallways, the students had decorated with their art projects
and the teachers had decorated their doors. The halls were painted a
tan beige color and the flooring was carpeted. Staff could be seen at
entrances for security and teachers were required to do hallway duty,
watching the students pass, between class periods.
Culture of the School: Read, listen and observe to determine the climate,
values, and atmosphere within the school.
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School motto:
"Where Success Is Taught"
School mascot:
Shark
2. Analyze staff and visitor interactions in the main office. Note student and
faculty interactions in other areas of the school.
The main office was friendly and kind every time I was there. The
visitors used a sign-in station that printed out a label every time I
signed in. The main office faculty interactions with other teachers
seems friendly and happy with each other. I did not see many
students in the main office, just parents looking for their children.
The student I did see where in the dean’s office while I was walking
through the main lobby.
3. Look at the formal practices: school day schedule; ages of students;
calendar of events; size of school; grouping of students.
School day schedule:
Period 1: 8:15 – 9:05
Period 2: 9:09 – 9:59
Period 3: 10:03 – 10:53
Period 4: 10:57 – 11:47
Lunch: 11:51 – 11:21
Period 5: 12:21 – 1:11
Period 6: 1:15 – 2:06
C. Culture of the Classroom: Each classroom has its own culture and way
of life.
*1. Look for teacher(s) expectations for learning and success, interactions
with students, and his/her personality.
Mr. Flickinger expected the students to finish their work in class,
but also allowed the students to be social, it was just a part of their
age group. His interactions with students were brief and ended with
students leaving with the answers they needed. I think his laid back
and friendly personality worked well with his students
*2. Evaluate the level of student participation in the class. Who
participates? Who does not?
The student participation in the class was easy to see, the students
did all their work on the chrome books. Students trying not to work
had to angle their laptops to a degree the teacher come spot from
any location. Students working on Edgenuity completed most of
their work while the rest of the students worked on the
assignments. When working in groups some students found
themselves working alone and other groups worked well together.
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Question 7: What requirements are placed on you for reporting progress to parents?
Mr. Flickinger: The online, the Infinite Campus…As I mentions to you before…I try to assess everything
we do and I am a very good about keeping my grade book up to date so that way if students don’t do
something or they need to redo something, or they need to improve on something, they get the
feedback as soon as possible as well as their parents. Using Google Classroom, parents can also be
invited there so they can follow their child’s work kind of a like the old fashion agendas and things like
that, that they used to sign. So, they can get that immediate feedback. But the biggest thing, and I know
if all teachers do it, is using the online gradebook. If it is done properly, it’s a good means of parent
communication.
Question 11: How long does it take to prepare lessons for the day/week?
Mr. Flickinger: That’s a good question, again that would depend on the type of lesson. We have some
virtual labs and some things of that nature, just like you would have different projects, different subjects
that span over multiple days. So if it’s something that spans over multiple days sometimes there is
some upfront planning that takes some time but then other days it’s a continuation of what you
previously did. I think t be an effective teacher, you have to constantly be evaluating what you are
doing, what it is you have already done, what works, and kind of reflect upon that. If you just bus out the
same lesson every single year, you know some things work some things don’t. And if you are willing to
invest the time that pot of lessons are going to improve, so.
Question 12: What procedures or strategies do you use to maximize instructional time?
Mr. Flickinger: I think getting the instructions out instantly at the beginning of class, getting students
moving and motivated and actively engaged, I think that is the biggest thing, I think the best way to
maximize your time is to have them doing something that is both meaningful and engaging. I think that
is the best way of putting that.
Question 13: What positive reinforcement programs have you had success with?
Mr. Flickinger: Just have a good repertoire with the kids. That they know you are spend the time and
that you are respect them as a human being not just as another student sitting in a seat. I think that
have that repertoire, goes a long way, they want to please the teachers that they know are making an
effort to make them better people.
Question 14: What behavioral consequences seem most effective with this age group?
Mr. Flickinger: The best thing that I think is not putting them on the spot in front of their peers. You
know, you can give them redirection but if that does not work find the time after class or outside the
class where they are not put in a corner where they have to fight to get out.
Question 15: How are specialist teachers involved in the instructional planning
process?
Mr. Flickinger: I think those positions have sadly gotten less and less support do to the standardize
testing however it does give students more hand-on life type skills that are necessity throughout the
day. Obliviously, at this age they don’t have recess, but they do need those kinds of things where they
are actively engaged in somethings, be it cooking, sewing, physical education class as opposed to the
academic side.
Question 16: How often are you evaluated, and what measurement tool(s) is used by the
administration for determining your own performance?
Mr. Flickinger: I am in a special situation, I have received tenure in Pennsylvania after teaching for 16
years however coming here I start out fresh. I have three formal evaluations for three years and we use
the Nevada Professional Educational guidelines for our review, I think.
Question 17: What consequences are there if your evaluation is not favorable?
_______________________________________________
Interviewed school administrator’s name/title:
B) Ask your cooperating teacher if you may observe part of the time in the
GATE (Gifted and Talented classroom, or another classroom that is
considered Advanced Placement) Remember… some schools do not have these programs,
so this assignment for some will be optional. Specialist classroom visits are strongly encouraged IF
THEY CAN BE ARRANGED.
1. Do you notice any social and academic differences between the kids
in this class and in the regular education classes?
Mr. Flickinger taught two advanced science classes and only
difference I could see were they worked quicker and formed groups
better than the other classes. Another than that, I found them to be
just as social as the regular classes.
2. What is the curriculum like in comparison to the regular education
class?
The curriculum was the same in both classes.
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3. Describe the GATE/AP teacher’s instructional style.
As the teacher was the cooperating teacher, Mr. Flickinger, his style
was progressivism.
4. Would you rather be in this class or the regular education class?
Why?
For me, either class would have been fine, all classes were learning
the same thing and on the same page when it came to learning. Both
classes, the advance and the regular were great students what
complete their work and stayed engaged while in class.
5. How are student needs being met?
Their needs were met through the work they completed in class.
C) Ask your teacher for permission to visit the rooms of any specialized
programs at the school: Special Education, SEC (Severely Emotionally
Challenged), Autism room, Deaf/Hard of Hearing rooms, etc. Remember… some
schools do not have these programs, so this assignment for some will be optional. Specialist
classroom visits are strongly encouraged IF THEY CAN BE ARRANGED. Maintain your
professionalism at all times. Do not write a student’s name down when you are writing
observation notes. Maintain the student’s right to privacy by referring to a student as
Student #1, Student #2 etc.
1. Do you notice any social and academic differences between the kids
in this class and in the regular education classes?
2. What is the curriculum like in comparison to the regular education
class?
3. Describe the SPED teacher’s instructional style.
4. What are the challenges these students possess?
5. How are student needs being met?
1. Please summarize the setting, the lesson that was given, if the student
was on task and engaged in the lesson, and what you uncovered about
putting yourself in a lesson from the student’s point of view.
While in the classroom on Friday, March 31, 2017 the students had
begun working on their prezi assignment, creating slides about the
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plate boundaries. I began watching one student who had turned to
face the table behind him. He wanted to work with the girls that seat
there, but he was not really working on his assignment. He was not on
task or engaged in the lesson at all. During this time, I had been
moving around the room watching other students and asking them
questions about the assignment when I returned to him. I had
suggested many times to him to turn back to his seat and focus on his
work but it was ignored. Towards the end of class I found him sitting on
the lab station, not his table, and finally working on the assignment. I
asked him why he was up there and he told me the girls kept turning
off his computer and it had started to upset him so he moved away
from them. I climbed up next to him and we worked on the first two
slides together until the bell rang. He had Friday Brain and was
thinking about the weekend and not the assignment or the quiz that
was going to take place on Monday. I found the lesson to be engaging
and entertaining, for me get would have been a great way to learn the
different plate boundaries in a way I would have remembered. But if I
was to put myself in a student’s place I would have been distracted
with my computer. I would have been looking up other stuff on the
internet and not working on my assignment just like the student I
observed.