Set up a brief (15-minute) interview with a teacher or a teacher's aide. The interview may be in person, by phone, via email, or in an instant message chat. Include the following questions in your interview:

* What are some examples of typical, quick decisions teachers make on a daily basis?
* What were the 5 most difficult school-related decisions you made this week? What made them difficult?
* What was the impact of those decisions on the classroom environment? Were the decisions effective?
* In addition, develop two other pertinent questions related to the characteristics of
* classrooms as discussed in Ch. 2 of the text.

Write a 750- to 1,000-word reflection on the interview that addresses the following:

* Sort each of the 5 most difficult decisions into the five characteristics of classrooms discussed in Ch. 2, beginning on p.54. Explain how each situation fits into each of the classroom characteristics.
* Describe the complexities the teacher or aide faced when making their decisions.
* Do you agree with the decisions he or she made based on the situation(s)?
* What would you have done if you were in his or her shoes? Depending on the
* situations, what resources would have helped to ease decision-making?
* What rationale would you base your decisions upon?
* Include your reaction to the responses of the two additional questions you asked.

your paper according to APA guidelines.