COURSE TITLE: Core I: The Middle School/Teacher and Student Roles
HOURS: 3 Semester hours
COURSE PREFIX AND NUMBER: MGED 3111

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to enable the student to analyze and examine the nature of student and teacher roles in the Middle Grades classroom and the relationships which undergird teaching and learning. The student(s)/teacher relationship will serve as the context to examine problem solving management strategies when working with early adolescents. The unique needs and characteristics of students as adolescents and as individuals, including special needs students, will be studied. Further, students will examine multiple roles and relationships teachers take on with not only students, but parents, administrators, community members and colleagues.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK PRINCIPLES ADDRESSED:
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
2. understand how students learn and develop and be able to provide developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.
5. use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
6. use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and information technology techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
9. be a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and actively seeks the opportunity to grow professionally.
10.foster relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support the learning and well being of all students.

SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Throughout the course students will demonstrate ability to:
1. examine and analyze the multiple roles of the classroom teacher as related to fostering effective learning in the classroom.(NCATE/NMSA 6.1, 6.2, 7.2; PSC II, IV, VI; NB IX, X, XI: CF 5, 9)
2. analyze and develop strategies to collaborate with students, parents, community members, administration and other education professionals.(NCATE/NMSA 2.2, 6.1, 6.2; PSC VI; NB I, IX, XI; CF 10)
3. identify specific developmental characteristics and needs of early adolescent students and how these needs affect teaching and learning.(NCATE/NMSA 2.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 7.2;
PSC II, III, IV; NB I; CF 2)
4. analyze and develop strategies to work with middle grade students as individuals to meet their needs, including special needs students.(Special Education Module) (NCATE/NMSA 2.1, 5.1; PSC II, III, IV, VII, IX; NB I, IV; CF 2, 6)
5. identify potential causes of classroom conflict and management concerns based on student needs as individuals and early adolescents (problem solving/personal) and develop problem solving skills to deal with these management issues.(Management Module)(NCATE/NMSA 2.1, 5.1, 5.6; PSC II, III; NB I, IV, X; CF 2, 5)
6. use knowledge of student and teacher roles to analyze and develop strategies to establish a positive rapport with students to foster learning (pro-active/environmental). (Management Module) (NCATE/NMSA 2.1, 5.1, 5.6, 7.2; NB I, IV, X; CF 2, 5)

COURSE OUTLINE

The Middle Grades Program is founded on the premise that instructors model the practices they espouse that students employ in an effective classroom. The course outline is designed to provide topics essential for students to attain the intended course outcomes and objectives. Specific time lines, reading assignments, and assessment dates are not included so that the instructor can model how these are determined along with students to assure that their learning needs are met and questions are addressed from a student centered/student driven perspective.

TOPICS
1. Teacher as:
a. researcher
b. content knowledge/pedagogy specialist
c. facilitator of knowledge development and thinking skills
d. collaborator with colleagues, community, students, administrators and the family/parents
e. professional: educational leader/change agent
f. reflective practitioner
g. technology application expert
h. student centered: student advocate, diversity, adolescent needs
i. management module :Problem solving/personal management concept specialist
j. special education module 2: Characteristics of special needs student expert

2. Student as:
a. active learner: application oriented, reflective, constructing knowledge, research based
b. decision maker: collaboration with peers and teachers
c. thinker: creative, problem solving, inquiry
d. technology based learner

3. Student/teacher relationship:
a. developmental needs and characteristics of adolescents
b. family/social/cultural context
c. health and safety
d. individual differences: incorporating learner ideas, learning styles, diversity, (Special Education Module 2/)exceptionality and special needs students, multiple intelligences
e. counseling/advisory, peer issues
f. management Module :relationship/needs as context for classroom management strategies/motivation, internal locus of control.

ASSESSMENT

Performance based standards for each assignment/activity will be determined and explained prior to each assignment. Students will work toward successful attainment of all standards. Assignments which do not meet all standards will be graded returned with specific improvements to be made as built in intervention. The assessment is designed to require use of higher level thinking skills and to provide authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate learning, as inherent to sound middle grades practice. Assessment of the course objectives may include but is not limited to methods such as: simulation, debate, research, micro-teaching, reflective teaching, lesson/unit development, analysis of interviews and observations, self and peer evaluation.

The course assessment must include evidence of student learning, reflection and self assessment in relation to the following for inclusion in a comprehensive portfolio:

• characteristics of adolescents (CF 2)
• characteristics/roles of an effective middle grades teacher (CF 9)

collaboration with students, colleagues, parents and community (CF 10)
• how to meet/address diverse student needs including the use of technology (CF 2, 6)
• rapport/relationship with middle level students (CF 5)

Block I: Exploration of Self and Middle School: The field component of this block is designed to cause the student to evaluate self as a middle grades teacher. Students will examine the multiple roles of a middle grades teacher, partnership roles within the greater school community, a variety of contexts of middle grades teaching, and an examination of the characteristics of adolescents in multiple school settings. Areas to be examined include:

• self as a middle grades teacher
• student characteristics
• the middle school environment
• home/community contexts
• overview of middle school methods

A. Variety of observations in schools looking at the teacher role, student characteristics and relationships/interpersonal/ environmental issues during half of the semester

• observations in a variety of school settings/grade levels/content areas
• observations should be focused on elements being studied in block: student teacher roles/relationship/rapport, environment, management, student developmental characteristics, instructional approaches, curriculum-how being taught and defined
• make transition to instruction with small groups looking at these concepts

• shadow principal, nurse, counselor, observe school setting
• include a mini experience in a community organization (1-2 weeks) to see the context/social issues of the students
• work on identifying own strengths/preferences/self evaluation as teacher

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 

Anderson, L. (1989). Learners and learning. In Maynard Reynolds, (Ed), Knowledge base for the beginning teacher. New York: Pergamon Press.

Caussy, G. Early adolescents: Understanding the 10-15 year old. Insight Books.

Doda, N. (1991). Teacher to teacher. Columbus, Ohio: National Middle School Association.

Glasser, W. (1986). Control theory in the classroom. New York: Harper and Row.

Hargreaves, D. (1972). Interpersonal relations and education. London & Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Jackson, P. (1986). The practice of teaching. New York: Teachers College Press.

Johnston, H. (1990). The new American family and the schools. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Kohn, A. (1996). Beyond discipline: From compliance to community. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum.

Manning, L. (1994). Celebrating diversity: Multicultural education in middle level schools. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

McEwin, K. (1995). A vision of excellence: Organizing principles for middle grades teacher preparation. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

McNeil, L. (1988). Contradictions of control. New York: Routledge.

Myers, J. (1985). Involving families. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Price, S. (1995). Vision 2010: Families & adolescents. Minneapolis, MN: National Council on Family Relations.

Scales, P. (1994). Growing pains: The making of America's middle school teachers. Columbus, OH: National Middle
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Scales, P. (1991). A portrait of young adolescents in the 1990's: Implications for promoting healthy growth and development. Carrboro, NC: Center for Early Adolescence.

Schultz, F. (1996). Multicultural education: Annual edition. Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing Group.

Stevenson, C. (1992). Teaching 10 to 14 year olds. White Plains, NY: Longman Publishing.

This we believe: Developmentally responsive middle level schools. (1995). Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Tomorrow's teachers. (1986). US Dept. Of Education. East Lansing, MI: The Holmes Group.

Turning points: Preparing American youth for the 21st century. (1989). New York: Carnegie Corporation.

Van Hoose, J. (1988). Young adolescent development and school practices: Promoting harmony. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Wright, J. (1983). Teaching the gifted and talented in the middle school. Washington, DC: NEA Professional Library.