If you would like a copy of any of these study guides for your personal use or for preservice and professional development training, please e-mail Julia Thompson at thompson_juliag@yahoo.com or click on the "Quick Link" at the left.
Chapter 1 Professional Development Begins with You
Questions for Group Discussion
1. Your school has a strict policy on the instructional materials that can be photocopied
and distributed to students. Your supervisor keeps rejecting your handouts. How can you solve this problem?
2. A supervisor assigns you an extracurricular task that you can’t possibly do well. You want to be regarded as a team player at your new school but you know you can’t fulfill this particular responsibility. What should you do?
3. You and your students want to be responsible in how you manage classroom resources
such as paper and electricity. How can you accomplish this without sacrificing
a great deal of instructional time?
4. You need to maximize how efficiently you use your planning period each day. What can you do to ensure that you don’t waste valuable time?
5. You have had a stressful day at school in which nothing seemed to go as you had planned. What can you do to remain confident while learning from the events of this tough day?
Section 1
The Discipline Dilemma: Crowd Control or Self-Discipline?
1. On page 2 the author states, “If you have discipline problems during the school year, take heart. Everyone who teaches does. Everyone.” Do you agree with this assertion? What are the implications of this belief for your classroom practices?
2. Although all teachers may face similar discipline dilemmas, not all teachers have serious discipline issues in their classrooms. Recall a teacher in your past who never seemed to experience serious discipline issues. What techniques did that teacher use that you could implement in your class? What are some positive and negative factors that affect the discipline climate in your classroom?
3. In “55 Ways to Handle Discipline Problems” on page 8, which of these methods seem to be applicable for your classroom needs? In your past experience, which ones have not been as effective as others? What other methods of handling discipline issues can you add to this list?
4. What are some examples of the intense negative peer pressure that teens face today? What examples of positive peer pressure do you notice among your students? How can you help students cope with negative peer pressure as you boost the impact of positive peer pressure?
5. If, as the author believes, adolescents do not want absolute freedom, how can teachers provide their students with structure and boundaries as well as freedom and choices? Cite an example of a specific strategy that could accomplish this.
6. Read “The Basis of a Good Teacher-Student Relationship” on page 15. Use the information there to create a graphic organizer that identifies the integral qualities necessary for a good relationship between teacher and student. What can you add from your own experience? How can you enrich your own relationships with students?
7. Because it is crucial to teach positive classroom behaviors, choose a behavior that you would like to integrate into the culture of your classroom and design an activity that will allow you to teach that behavior.
8. Use the self-assessment titled, “How Well-Disciplined Is Your Class?” on page 20 to evaluate the discipline practices you are currently using. What can you learn from this? How can you improve your discipline climate?
9. How can teachers benefit from professional introspection or self-reflection? Many teachers find it difficult to find the time for this. How you find the time? What methods of introspection work best for you?
10. On page 28 the author states, “Conventional wisdom tells us that it isn’t the problems we face that determine our successes or failures. It is our attitude about our problems that ultimately determines whether our teaching is a success or a failure.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? What positive attitudes can you cultivate that will make a difference in your classroom?
11. How important is it to become a proactive teacher? How do students and teachers benefit when the teacher is proactive? In what ways are you already a proactive teacher? What other steps can you add to the five already listed in “Becoming a Proactive Teacher” on page 29?
Section One
Get a Good Start in Your New Vocation
Essential Question: How can I develop myself into a successful professional?
1. In this section, you’ll find the “good news” about your new profession. Do you agree that the items listed are all positive aspects of a teaching career? What are some other positive features of a career in education? What negative aspects can you anticipate? How will you cope with these negatives?
2. Identify a teacher in your past who exhibited many of the values described in “Core Values of Professional Educators.” Which values did this teacher exemplify? Which of your own core values will help you become a competent and inspiring educator?
3. Use “Self-Assessment 1.1” to examine some of the assumptions that you may have about teaching. What did you learn about your beliefs from this quick assessment? What can you predict about your assumptions at the end of your first year as a teacher?
4. After reading “You Are the Solution,” do you think teachers are the solution to many of the problems young people have to cope with today? What character traits and experiences do you bring to the profession that will make you part of “the solution”?
5. After completing “Self-Assessment 1.2,” determine which of your personal character traits will help you become an excellent teacher. How can you use this knowledge to your advantage?
6. Read “How to Avoid Ruining Your Career.” Did any of these tips surprise you? What can you do to avoid mistakes that can ruin your career? What other mistakes can you add to this list?
7. Why is it important for you to feel confident of your ability to perform well as a teacher during your first year? Who will benefit from your self-assurance? Which of the common-sense steps described in this section will boost your confidence?
8. What are some strategies that you can use to create a supportive collegial network? In what ways can this network help you as well as your colleagues?
9. What words would you like to use to characterize your teaching experiences at the end of the term? What words would you like to use to describe your students then? What words would you like to have your students use to describe you at the end of the term? What actions do you have to take to make these words into a reality?
10. Explore the author’s Web site (www.juliagthompson.com) to learn more teaching strategies and to access a wide variety of up-to-date information about your new vocation.
