Conceptual Framework
Robert L. Slater
ECOMP 6102
The cornerstone of my beliefs regarding teaching is that teaching is a
calling. Most great teachers are great teachers whether they are
in the classroom or in the boardroom or in the garage. To teach
one must wish to open up minds, share knowledge and skills, and foster
growth.
I believe in giving students opportunities to learn that will serve
them well in their future work, relationships and personal
pursuits. One of my classroom policies is that students have the
right, even the responsibility to question me if an assignment I give
seems to have no bearing on their life and learning. At times,
the answer may be, "Trust me," but it will be addressed. I
believe that if I cannot come up with a rationale for an assignment it
doesn't belong in my class.
As a Language Arts teacher I focus on building communication skills in
a variety of media. In any given English course I may have
students in any or all grades from 9 through 12. This forces me
to create curricula that has real-world applications for all my
students. In addition it forces me to develop and redevelop my
curricula. This keeps it fresh.
Some of the important written works and concepts in my development as a
teacher include: Lerner: Surplus Powerlessness, Blythe, et al: Teaching
for Understanding Guide, Gardner: Multiple Intelligences, Glasser: The
Quality School, Wiggins and McTighe: Understanding by Design. My
most recent and significant reading has been Stiggins: Student Involved
Classroom Assessment.
Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs is the all-important basis on which my
teaching is based. At our alternative high school most of our
students have about 10 years of experience in the public schools being
slighted, maligned, fought or ignored. My students are in need of
safety. For most of them we provide the first school they have
wanted to go to since kindergarten. We focus on safety, love, and
esteem in our CORE class. We also try to give students a basis to
begin thinking about self-actualization
I believe I am an innovative teacher. I run my classes
differently than any other teacher I have ever heard of. I have
borrowed from many, but my biggest source is my own brain and a habit
of thinking outside the box. “There’s a box?” I try to be
extremely aware of how my students are responding intellectually and
emotionally to the work we are doing in class. Though our school
district is primarily Apple Computer-based, I have endeavored to get
our students access to Windows-based computers as well. Our
school built a network of donated PCs and when I arrived I helped to
renovate and expand that network. When I wrote our Senior Project
and Portfolio for At-Risk Kids (SPPARK) grant I chose a Windows
XP-based computer lab.
I am not a teacher who can teach the same lesson, the same way
twice. I have begun utilizing computer, the internet: web logs
and web pages to hold many of my assignments, because that way when I
modify the assignments I don’t have to print out a whole new stack of
papers. A focus I have brought to each of the schools I've taught
at is on fully utilizing and respecting resources. We re-use
D.O.O.S. paper, (Dirty on One Side), to print rough drafts. One
paradigm I've been trying to shift over the years is to change our
habits from using so much hard-copy printing/photocopying for our
classes. Creating Efolios to save exemplary work reflects
this focus.
In my own small corner of the world I believe I am already a
leader. I served on Options High School's Site Council. I
currently serve on Clearview High School's Advisory Council and
Ferndale School District’s Technology Committee. In addition I have
been a Regional Representative for the Washington Association of
Learning Alternatives for the past two years. I share as many of
my successful ideas with as many of my colleagues as I can. I
have created mini-clearing house e-mail lists for alternative high
school teachers.
At Clearview we strive to be a student-centered school in our
governing, in our consideration for curricular needs and in our
discipline practices. Our school name and our mission statement
were created primarily with our students and then secondarily with
input from staff, community, parents and administration.
Our school has very collaborative decision making processes.
Since we are so small; three full-time teachers, one full-time
paraeducator, a part-time administrator and a part-time counselor; we
can and do work most decisions collaboratively. We, as a staff,
plan the schedule of classes based on student need. We plan major
projects to fulfill roles in more than one course whenever
possible. We integrate learning goals into all-school field
trips. This year we will focus on improving community support and
outreach through community service, fundraising and bringing in outside
programs to offer our students greater growth opportunities.
Our population is very diverse. As I note on our website:
Our
population spans the gamut from poverty to wealth. More than sixty
percent of our students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Some of
our students are unwed mothers, emancipated minors, teen offenders on
probation, recovering substance abusers, and other students that did
not find a place to belong at comprehensive high schools.
We reach these students by building individual relationships with
them. I get to know them. This is an opportunity I have because I
have students multiple times per day/school year. Eventually, I
truly do know their strengths, their fears, their capacities and their
growth. I can push firmly and gently and rely on the personal
relationship to support the students in their growth. Our Mission
Statement addresses this as well.
Clearview High School Mission Statement
Clearview is a personalized educational experience emphasizing
life-long learning. We build relationships in a progressive
educational community with high expectations, tolerance,
integrity, personal growth and humor.
I am passionate about my work as a teacher and proud and honored
to truly be a member of a community that is making a difference in the
way students learn.
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