Assignment

For the Final Paper, you will demonstrate an understanding of the complex set of issues that must be considered as you embark on your professional preparation to become a classroom teacher. The best way to do this is to conduct an interview of an educator to get a realistic perspective of the teaching profession. It is hoped that after the interview, you will have a better understanding of the daily work a teacher does and how the teaching philosophies and learning theories guide the teacher in making classroom decisions. In addition, you will then have an opportunity to reflect on your own "goodness of fit" as a future educator.

Please be courteous of the teachers you are interviewing. Plan ahead and schedule your interviews early. It can be difficult to secure an interview date with the teacher. Writing or emailing a thank-you note to the teacher you interviewed is good professional practice.

Requirements: You will interview one teacher at the elementary level (K-5) or secondary level (6-12) depending on where your own teaching interests lie. Please ask your teacher the following questions and record their responses:

• Why did you decide to become a teacher? What was your motivation and what attributes do you think are important for a teacher to exhibit to be effective? (Attributes/Motivation)

• What is your philosophy of education? What is the role of the teacher and the students? (Teaching Philosophy)

• What are your learning goals for your students? How do you effectively meet their needs? (Learning Theory)

• What do you believe are the most effective methods for teaching? (Learning Theory)

• What is your comfort level with technology and how do you integrate it within your lesson planning? (Technology)

• How do academic standards drive your instruction? Do you feel a need to teach to the test? Why or why not? (Academic standards)

• What types of assessment do you use in your classroom? Can you give me an example of a formative and summative assessment? (Assessment)

• How do you incorporate elements of multicultural education in your classroom. Can you provide a specific example? (Diversity)

• How do you effectively manage a classroom? What is most challenging about issues related to discipline and classroom management? (Discipline and Classroom Management)

• How do you foster a positive relationship with students, parents, and the community? (Relationships)

• What are the best and worst parts of the teaching profession? What concerns might you have for the future of our education system? (Contemporary Concerns)

• As you have gained experience, has your philosophy of education changed?

If there are any additional questions you would like to ask that are not on this list, please do so.

You will then prepare a 8-10 page paper to include the following:

• Introduction: An introduction that includes demographic information (teacher name, school, grade or discipline taught, number of children at that school, other pertinent information).

• Summary of Interview Questions: Summarize the answers the teacher gave to the interview questions. It should be clear that your summary includes all elements of teaching exhibited in the interview questions. If you asked additional questions, please provide the question you asked and why you included the questions(s); what did you want to learn?

• Connecting to Content: Analyze how the teacher responses aligned or didn't align with the information presented in your text and at least two other scholarly sources. Show how the responses of the teacher supported or possibly didn't support what you learned in this class. Make reference to the following topics: Motivations/Attributes, Philosophy of Learning, Embracing Diversity, Using Standards and Assessments to Drive Instruction, Implementing Technology, Contemporary Concerns, and Discipline/Classroom Management.

• Conclusion: End your paper by redefining your specific career goal in the field of education. Discuss your experience with the research portion of this final assignment. What surprised you most about the information you learned from your informational interview? Do you think you are a "good fit" for your particular career goal? Why or why not? Consider the attributes that you exhibit that make you a good fit and what motivates you to pursue the career you have identified. What concerns do you have and how might you resolve them? End with a powerful, inspirational statement that leaves your reader satisfied.

Paper should be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center and must include a title and reference page. You must use a minimum of two scholarly sources in addition to the course text.