Rose,+Timothy

=**Timothy Rose**=

=**Assignment #1 ( Biography & Course Belief Statement )**=

**A Short Biography:**
Late in the 70's and deep in the heartland of the United States, my twin brother and I were born kicking and screaming. We did this for the next eighteen years. When not kicking and screaming, we read piles of books, fished with our dad, played sports until the sun went down and learned to love and hate and love each other again. He's now a park ranger in Yellowstone National Park and I sometimes think I heard cats for a living and would swap jobs with him most days. I became a teacher thanks to coaching when in high school and leading outdoor trips in university. I really cut my teaching teeth at Camp Buckskin in Ely, Minnesota where I led 10 day canoeing trips for inner-city students who opted for the Boundary Waters instead of Summer School. Those kids came from some very challenging backgrounds and were very challenging individuals themselves, but taught me priceless lessons about who I was and what a relationship with a child/human being should be. After university, I moved to Winslow, Arizona where I taught primarily Navajo and Hopi students. My school district had one of the poorest budgets and GDP/Tax basis in the state and many of my students either had parents working for the state penitentiary or residing there. I poured my young heart and best intentions into those students and again, learned more than I ever taught. I traveled all over North America hiking and camping during my breaks and when the aftermath of 9/11 and No-Child began to accumulate, I decided to move overseas. I spent the next five years in breathtaking La Paz, Bolivia, teaching the future leaders of the world! International teaching was certainly and eye-opener and a much different clientele than I was used to working with. The stakeholders and school dynamics may have been different, but the needs and hearts of students were the same. When not teaching MS Humanities and AP Courses at the High School level, I was exploring the continent through bikes, hikes, buses, tents and broken Spanish. I learned never to drink from the tap and never invite an Australian backpacker home to your place for a weekend. My wife has never left me since and we continue to venture on. My wife pursued her new degree in Public Health by taking UN positions in Fiji and Bangkok. To be closer and to live next to even higher mountains, we relocated to Kathmandu, Nepal for the next 3 years. What a beautiful country filled with steadfast, big-hearted people and mind-blowing cultural history. We made countless hiking trips into the Andes and Tibet and I made some lifelong friends biking there as well. However, with the impending earthquake and the pollution and congestion in the capital, we knew it was not a place to start a family, so it was time for a new continent, of course! It's a small world people! We have been happily living in Nairobi, Kenya for the last three years. For better and worse, Kenya is dynamic hub of East Africa and is so diverse that you never need to leave the country on holiday. We spend our time just as before, but only with our 2 year old daughter riding shotgun on safari's. Teacher here is exciting and challenging as the International School of Kenya grows into a world-wide leader in education.

**Beliefs about Conflict Resolution & Course Work :**
As an English teacher, I discuss and explore the idea of conflict in literature often. I explain that no one wants to read a story where someone wakes up feeling great, has a wonderful breakfast, goes about their day in a sunshine and lollipop fashion, only to return home to a loving family and lovely meal and then off to bed. That would be the dullest story ever and would not connect to an audience because it's not real. Conflict defines out lives by providing contrast and makes things challenging and there by, interesting. I believe a course in conflict resolution would look at the definitions of both of these words as they are big and ambiguous in todays context. Since these terms are very large ideas vague in definition, I would presume that there are many theories and models surround that will be used for identification and understanding in this course. I would also presume the course would explore how conflict resolution pertains in Education, both professionally in the classroom and how it applies to school as an institution. I would imagine that the course would examine several processes on how to mange these principals in within this process, I would suspect that identification of stakeholders and recognition of values would be a part of this as well. Just as conflict in inherent in our own lives, it is an obvious fact in schools, in every aspect big and small. I think this course will prove to be very interesting and relevant and look forward to exploring the ideas surrounding this course.

=**Assignment #2: A Discussion Regarding American History X**= The late 90’s were a decade that was marred by racial tensions, confusion and conflicts. Unfortunately, these deep seeded beliefs and hatreds still linger under the surface of the culture of the United States and there has been little healing or resolution if the recent riots in Baltimore and East St. Louis are any indication. I was a freshman in High School when the Rodney King beating took place and was shocked initially at the brutality, but more so by the subsequent riots and the cultural division in opinions and political beliefs. A few years later when I watched American History X I loved the moved, even though it was difficult to watch and I never would have watched it with my parents. Decades later, it was interesting to examine the roles of schools, teachers and mentors in the film as well as examining the powerful forces of nature and nature. Schools are the fishbowls of our society and in many cases, young fish do not choose who they have to cohabitant with. The role and power of the school in the film seemed very insignificant and overwhelmed to deal with the youth and societies problems they were dealing with. There were no outreach programs and it seemed that the school had been producing products of negative nurture for several generations, only to be repeated in prison and society later on. The teachers however were a much more significant force. For better or worse, it seems that their personal values and beliefs (nature) dictated their attitudes towards the students. Dr. is the champion of his student’s “nature” and beliefs they and their better qualities can overcome poor nutururing, unlike some his his contemporaries, which probably represent the majority. However, the paramount influence someone can have in their lives is that of a true mentor. Not all teachers have the capacity to be mentors and while we in the profession like to throw this term around, I really don’t think it’s in the job description. Mentors are those your respect, connect to and are willing to reciprocate these feelings and admiration to the nth degree for whatever reason…both positive and negative. Regardless, a mentor’s power is most effective when it is based in action and not merely word and rhetoric. There are many instances of this is in the film and one could certainly consider this to be a key message. Chronologically speaking, when Derek’s father first advises him that “I’m not telling you what to do, I’m really not. But don’w swallow everything he’s feeding your. It’s nigger bullshit and Affirmative Black-tion!”, these words are the roots of his hatred towards blacks and his rebellion against the mentorship of Dr. Sweeny. The subsequent death of his father sends both brothers into a downward spiral of negative influence and mentorship at the hands of Cameron, who is perceivably only filling the void left by the father, who did not share such drastic views regarding or race, perhaps in words, but certainly not action. This spiral is only broken by actions after the course of many years propaganda and Nazi rhetoric, when Dr. Sweeny mentors both brothers through actions and not just words (the post-prison visit and the assignment given instead of expulsion). The actions of Derek’s laundry coworker are mirrored behind his words until the very end, but ultimately provide for his protection and ultimate enlightenment. In regards to the lenses of Nature vs. Nurture, I think analysis of motive is practical and convenient, but not realistic in human experience as no one premise acts independently of either. They are elements that dictate our psyche, motive and decisions in conjunction of many other constructs of being. However, for analysis of this film, it is convenient and there is no need to be quite so philosophical. Along with the message regarding the power of actions over words, human nature is the paramount force in peoples lives. By the end of the plot, Derek has unlearned the rhetoric and propaganda that has filled the void or fed his hatred since his father’s death. Thanks to the actions of his laundry coworker and the betrayal of his white brotherhood (a very violent action to his argument of words over their actions in contradiction to their rhetoric), he nows believes that minorities aren’t inherently immoral, just products of their environment or poverty. Which is exactly what was discussed and argued at the disasters dinner earlier in the film, by his mother and her liberal, professor boyfriend. Both, which one could note, had many words, but no actions other than surrender to his hate mongering defense when he says, “Riots are not frustrated and confused anger, but opportunism. There is a racial commitment to crime. It’s not a riot, it’s rage. It’s not crime, it’s poverty. Lincoln freed the slaves 130 years ago, but we should go easy on the black man because of historic social injustices?” This of course, is the argument of a racist who learned this behavior because of his environment, circumstance and nurture. By the resolution of the film this behavior has be “unlearned” and nature prevails, and while this is a promising and positive message, I’m not sure if it’s realistic or true. Of course the directors are unsure as well, as one generation is cured, but as what cost? When Danny is gunned down suddenly in the resolution, we are reminded of the Dr. Sweeny’s statement in the prison that he used to blame everyone and everything for his suffering. That it was anger projected by nurture and circumstance, so he blamed white people, blamed god and blamed society. But clearly we are not just the product of out teaching, even if we are taught to hate the people our parents’ hate. I too was brought up in a pretty rough neighborhood, minus the Neo-Nazi folk, and while the “N”-word was thrown around a fair bit and “affirmative black-tion” was a belief, my knowledge, empathy and embracement of people of color came about at an early age, as it was my nature and not my nurture. Unfortunately, this lesson was lost on more than few of my generation. However, despite my philosophical differences and definitions, you can’t argue with Derek when he suggests you end with a quote or Lincoln when he states, “ We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. I would argue that mystic chords have been a bit forgotten in just one generation and hope to see a bit more resurrection in the swelling of the better angels of our nature.

= = =**Assignment #3: Oscar Arias & Peace in Education**= A) It would have forums where people had an empowered voice with a forum for listening and speaking. It would have adequate services to suffice Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It would have real service projects that required people to work together to achieve a common good. It would have activities that seek to eliminate differences and enlighten those who stayed in cliques. Listening Speaking Sharing of Ideas Providing Feedback for Clarification and Understanding It would NOT tolerate: Bigotry Slander Stereotypes Agression Personal Attack Inappropriate or Offensive Language It WOULD tolerate: Free Speech and sharing of any opinion or idea! Years of tough conversations have to be said and heard. After some research online, I found these to be most applicable… Be the bigger person and rise about the circumstances…seek communication! Check for understanding by providing feedback and examine your own assumptions carefully. Make the expectations of communication clear and upfront. Seek positive partnerships and avoid negative or pointless talk. Speak up and don’t hold back, that is the purpose after all. Commit or do not commit…don’t be passive aggressive. Don’t blame or make excuses! Be precise and impeccable with your language. Everyone has the right to speak in turn. Everyone listens in turn.
 * What would a peaceable school or community look like?
 * What elements of communication would be included?
 * What would be tolerated and what would not be tolerated?
 * What would the rules be?
 * Would would the expectations be?

B. Additional Research for Oscar Arias

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C) If a wandering SUNY Buffalo professor would happen to venture to my classroom in Nairobi, Kenya, I would like to think he or she would a see a peaceable classroom, but perhaps not a school community. Every student feels that my classroom is a warm and safe environment where they can be themselves, share their ideas without fear of retaliation or retribution. They would see students raising their hands (most of the time) to be recognized and given the right to ask questions or share ideas. Students also know they have to be aware of other’s feelings and emotions, but can laugh and have fun in discussions when appropriate. This International School provides the most culturally mixed classroom I’ve ever worked in and student’s are encouraged to take pride in their heritage and experience. If an angry incident does occur (not often), students are asked to take a time-out from the situation and then share their sides of the story with me and with each other. I think some of the evidence the professor would see relates back to the welcome speech made by Oscar Arias. Much of my course work in “history" includes a State of the World Atlas ( [] ) where we discuss the environments and star of the world’s peoples throughout the lenses of: gender, discrimination, GDP, domestic violence, employment, education, health and many others. This book also allows us to have tough conversations about topics they have often wondered about, but have not studied or discussed. Ignorance is often at the root of many conflicts. There is very little talk of battles and in fact, I teach my students to examine TRADE as the most influential force in human history, not warfare. To promote peace in my classroom community, I need to make peace a value that I model and better entwine in my curriculum. I also need to discuss a few facts I’ve learned regarding malaria, missiles, Al-Qaeda and AIDS. I also need to reintroduce a unit about Islam that was dropped my first year at the school, because it is a source of ignorance for many, on the front pages of the newspapers here in Kenya and we all need to know the nature of Jihad. While my classroom may be very peaceable, my school community at large is not always a model. I think this is due to perceived inequities by staff members and constant change. I think some upfront expectations should be established and accepted, namely, equity amongst teaching is not achievable or desirable and a school without change is an education stagnation. However, all stakeholders need to be given a personable and sincere forum for their concerns and opinions, google-surveys and bar graphs will resolve few conflicts.

=**Assignment #4: Perceptions of Violence**= In regards to the Violence Perception Quiz, all of my answers were correct, so well done me. However, my field of participants were very split in their answers and opinions. My sample included people from the UK, Scotland, Australia and France and I was the only American. I can surmise that the media is to blame for this, since this is where the sample participants would have gained their perceptions. The old saying “drama sells” certainly is the case and one I find true after living abroad for so long. My friends and family were terrified for my family and I during the ebola outbreak, no realizing the enormity of the African continent. Unfortunately, I believe the media to be a self-perpetuation influence on the rates of violence in the United States, along with desensitization through certain video games (Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty) and movies and TV shows of a graphic nature. The ages at which children are exposed to these influences seems to go lower every year as it seems no one enforces the “18 years and older” rules anymore. I found the Monkkonen article to be very insightful and a great companion to the big picture of violence and its frequency. While violence is decreasing in the Western Hemisphere in spite of industrialization and urbanization, thanks to education, reduction of poverty, provisions for our hierarchy of needs, the rates in the United States are current and have always been significantly higher than the rest of Europe. It is reassuring that despite humanities current nurture which is the rise and increase of sprawling cities and giant industries that the instances of deviance, crime and violence have actually gone down and that perhaps our better nature has prevailed. Except of course in the United States, where the percentage of instances is still irrationally higher and “American homicides are a medieval phenomenon occurring in a modern-world nation.” Unfortuanatly, as I write this journal entry, the tragedy in Charleston has just unfolded, and President Obama has been stated that it’s time for the nation to “reckon with the facts that this type of mass violence doesn’t happen in other advanced countries.” Facebook followers are quick to point out that it does in other countries, and especially when it involves extremist and Muslims. They obviously haven't read Monkkonen or Obama should have explained they don’t happen with the same frequency. However, Obama is using this tragedy to call for more gun control which Monkkonen and Moore point out is not statistically significant thanks to the gun ownership in Canada. I do cohere with the observations about the types of guns owned and the motives behind them made in the article. Since 9/11, it seems male ownership of quasi-assault type weapons has become the new machismo fashion status. Many of my friends will proudly display their new wares to me on my return, much to my dismay. What will they possibly use these guns for except on a range, and to show off how realistic their video game fantasies have now become? But if an increase in gun ownership is not the cause, what is it then? Monkkonene argues that the difference between the United States and Europe may be influences by mobility, federalism, slavery and tolerance, however, while only hypotheses, I don’t really believe either one adequately explains the difference. Mobility is only increasing in frequency and in motivation. Federalism is an interesting idea, arguing that consistency in punishment and enforcement is to blame, and has the most merit I believe. While the horrible stains of slavery run deep into they psyche of the United States, the prominence of slavey in the United States is historically over wrought. We do not observe the same homicide rate differences in Brazil or the Caribbean where the vast majority of slaves resided under much harsher conditions. The hypothesis of tolerance as a cause is interesting as well, but one might as well argue that we are (or should be) more concerned with AIDS and malaria because they are statistically bigger problems or sadly…it’s simply in the American nature. Regardless of the reason, violence in the United States is part of the culture and I don’t foresee the nation taking necessary federal steps to change it anytime soon.

In regards to the water boarding video, I kind of want to try it now! Not because of some weird S&M fetish, but because much like the reporter for Playboy, I too, did not think it would be that bad. After watching the ordeal and hearing his description it sounds absolutely horrible. Much like violence, torture appears on the nightly news with some frequency as well. I think many Americans would argue “an eye for an eye” and that this at lease will not physically hurt the victim, much like the guy running the exercise believes; that this is only invoking an existing fear, not causing physical pain. Of course, I’m against torture of any kind and support the UN’s Convention Against Torture and all of its definitions and beliefs. However, as many popular movies and TV series would have us believe that their are times when lives are at risk or bigger stakes to be considered, and thus it is justified to damage the life of one to save the many? Check out the movie Prisoners ( [] ) as a study of moral beliefs and sacrifices. I just honestly hope that I’m never in a situation where my beliefs are tested to such extreme and undesirable outcomes.

Overall this assignment has been very enlightening and reflective. While I had a good grasp of the current cultural situation and realities regarding violence in the United States, but was surprised by the perceptions of others, that regard us gun slinging cowboys stuck in the middle ages. Monkkonene’s article would suggest the same (without the hyperbole) and the root causes of this propensity to violence must be identified and understand of we are to move forward as a more compassionate and moralistic society. W.F. Burns Middle School’s approach to active shooting scenarios was something I’ve never even heard of or considered. Af first I thought the title referred to a type of video game (first-person shooter)! It is a technique practiced in some part by 1500 districts across the US and teachers the practice of attacking the shooter with available objects like textbooks or canned food items. In its defense, at least you aren’t requiring teachers to carry guns into their classrooms every day, which is a bad idea on so many levels. I suppose it is empowering and provides a bit more security and confidence to students, parents and board members who need this and want to implement policies to “protect” schools. On a humorous note (if there is one), baseball players would absolutely love this idea and the drills themselves would be very exciting! A video I watched (3+ million views) promotes this practice as a last possible option after running and hiding don’t work. When I think about the recent terrorist attacks here in Kenya however, the runners and hiders were the ones that made it out of the shopping mall, the 147 students killed in Garissa university were not so lucky. However, I still think this is not the best option in protecting our schools in the USA. I think having students aware of this practice helps instills the fear of violence the is promoted by the news and our media as a whole. It makes violence begat violence and ignores other powers of change at our disposal. In my current school, we lock doors, shut-off lights and hide behind our desks. We also have many, many security guards on campus that I believe would prevent the worst case scenarios from happening. Also, I think this practice may actually hinder security personal from doing their jobs effectively and would ultimately put more students at risk of injury. Never bring a bring a can of corn to a gun fight! When I went to school, we collected canned food items for the homeless and food shelters. Times have changed, but I think it’s important to note that the worst school attacks have not occurred in the United States but in Pakistan, Norway and Iraq.

Spencer, Richard. "The World's Five Worst Terror Attacks Involving Children." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, n.d. Web. 19 June 2015. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/11297108/The-worlds-five-worst-terror-attacks-involving-children.html

"RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.Â® Surviving an Active Shooter Event - English." YouTube. The City of Houston, n.d. Web. 19 June 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcSwejU2D0

=**Assignment #5: Amygdala Hijacking & Non-Verbal Communication**=

The Amygdala hijack is a flight, fight or freeze reaction by the amygdala before the neocortex can think and ration. It is pure emotion (post positive and negative), immediate, evolutionary significant and made up three stages: “strong emotional reaction, sudden onset, and post-episode realization if the reaction was inappropriate.” (I couldn’t find the forward to Goleman’s book, but read the introduction about the culture significance and gain in popularity of EI, very enlightening!)

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 June 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amygdala_hijack

When I was in college, I worked at a special needs camp in northern Minnesota. Most of these students were inner-city kids from the twin cities or Chicago. They has many challenges and social emotional disorders, but the most common was a simple label of ADHD, which was most often the most minor of their issues. I saw Amydala hijacking occurring everyday by counselors and campers alike. The “staff” did a week long training which included a brief introduction to EI as well as many behavior modification strategies. I will always look back on my time there like a teaching boot camp because I really did cut my teeth there and have many encountered extreme circumstances and behaviors I have never seen in a classroom. One of my campers was a suspected to have Tourette syndrome, but was undiagnosed. When faced with uncomfortable stimuli or an unwanted request, he would scream profanities at the top of his lungs until removed from the group and given time to calm down. He would have moments of post-episode realization, but also the stimuli that warranted the behavior was often varied. He was a very nice and charismatic child when not demonstrating this type of behavior and I would guess that at least in part, it was all attention seeking. We had high school students as well and one boy was over 300 lbs. In extreme cases and as a last resort, counselors and staff were authorized to use restraints on campers if they posed a threat to themselves. I was supervising an activity and another counselor initiated an ill advised restraint in an altercation between other females. I had to intervene and the whole mess ended with the large camper falling over on the wet grass and breaking my ankle in tree places. In this case, I believe it was the counselor who had the hijacking and acted out of irrational fear and action, when words and space or timeouts would have been more effective. Regardless, each and every day was a case study in Amygdala Hijacking.

I found Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk insightful and her message reinforced many things that I thought about the power of non-verbal communication. The new concept I learned was that non-verbals can dictate how we feel about ourselves. I was excited about her experiences with “faking it until you make it and faking it until you own it”. I think this concept is a very powerful tool for my students and I plan to discuss and utilize some of these strategies when teaching my public speaking unit at the beginning of the year. I have an excellent rapport with my students and I think my use of novn-verbals in the classroom is pretty effective. However, when examining the power poses identified in Cuddy’s video, I started analyzing when I use them, but more importantly why. I think this lens could be very useful in recognizing others true feelings and thoughts in meetings in the future. I conducted some additional research in this area to access my previous knowledge on the subject and relearned that everything communicates, even silence. Words are have limitations and often nonverbal signals are more powerful and genuine.

Rollman, Alan. "INTRODUCTION IN NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION." Scribd. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 June 2015. [|http://www.scribd.com/doc/23571012/INTRODUCTION-IN-NONVERBAL-COMMUNICATION#scribd]

=**Assignment #6: Conflict & Conflict Resolution**=

//What is Conflict?// Conflicts are an essential element of life and obstacles that we face every day. Merriam-Webster defines it as such: a conflict (noun) is “a fight, battle, or war; a competitive or opposing action of incompatibles: antagonistic state or action (as of divergent ideas, interests, or persons);” a “mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands;” or “the opposition of persons or forces that gives rise to the dramatic action in a drama or fiction.”

//What is Conflict Resolution?// Conflict resolution is one of the most necessary skills for success in personal and professional life. Merriam-Webster defines it as such: “…the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict, problem, etc, the act of resolving something.” How you go about this is as diverse and varied as the types of conflicts themselves. In the classroom, I’ve always used the mantra of Firm-Fair-Friendly to guide most of my interactions. I like to make my expectations clear and upfront, explain the consequences and stick to them. Professionally, I always listen more than I speak and seek out the views and opinions of all the stakeholders involved.

Merriam-Webster online dictionary. www.merriam-webster.com

The most interesting and intense conflict I dealt with professionally this year happened outside of the classroom and involved teachers, administration and the school board itself. Our campus has undergone major construction changes and one of the biggest was the new staff housing build across from the school. This was a wise investment by the school, given the constant rise in rent prices and the security concerns of living in Nairobi. The units are all very nice, modern and offers some of the most western convinces in the city. There are enough units to accommodate about 75% of the international staff, but the policy for filling the units was undefined. Many new staff moved in directly and some previous staff also volunteered to give up their current housing allocations in favor of an upgrade. However, this left about 15 units unfilled and the school board saw this as a major financial deficit. So they mandated that the administration and housing committee fill these units for the start of the next year. They chose to conduct a surprise meeting at the end of Q#3 (with 3 months left in the year) to inform the most recently hired staff that they would have to move at the end of year! What poor planning and timing! Many staff members had an instantaneous Amygdala hijack when they perceived and unwanted to change to their quality of life. I have never witnessed a meeting of professionals go so poorly, so quickly. Emotions skyrocketed, profanities were used, crying ensued and the administration and house committee members quickly went on the defensive and were upset as well, demonstrating what I would call a reverse Amygdala hijack. This poor exchange of ideas, words and emotions went on for 20 minutes before the director wisely called an end to the meeting and set up a better forum for discussion and resolution. The forum used was all-staff email send out for all teachers to state their opinions on the matter and asked for other solutions as well. In my opinion, it got a bit impersonal after that, but maybe that’s what was called for since the conflict did end up resolving somewhat amicably. I learned that a professional’s quality of life is not something to be taken lightly and such changes should not be just dumped on someone without warning. I think it’s also important to educate yourself about the values and concerns of all stakeholders involved in a conflict before a resolution is proposed.

=**Assignment #7: I-Messages**= //Classroom I-Messages (Hypothetical)://

When you decide to open other links other than educational resources during our workshop time, I believe that you are off task and wasting time, and I worry that you may not adequately complete the assignment.

When you ask more questions in class, you are more likely to understand the lesson and successfully complete the assignment, and that makes me feel we have a better educational relationship and I have more confidence that you will succeed.

When you honestly reflect on your HOL’s (Habits of Learning), you evaluate yourself as a learner and a member of our educational community and I feel more confident that you are learning about your capitalizing on your strengths and improving on your weaknesses.

I am currently on my Summer holiday so I don’t have my usual classroom guinea pigs to try these out on. However, I can speculate what their responses might be. I think the corrective I-message will be very valuable as it honestly explains how I feel about the situation. Often the students who are being irresponsible online in class are the same ones who have trouble completing the assignment in a timely fashion for the exact same behavior issue at home! I plan to use this one early and often. The second positive I-message will be useful when collaborating with my ESOL and ESL students who are the most reluctant and shy in class, but need the most formative feedback. The third positive I-message is a bit wordy, but I would like to use it at the beginning of the year when I’m teaching my HOL expectations. Perhaps, I can break it down into small ones, as students are initially ver reluctant to take time to reflect on their progress and needs as a learner.

//Messages to Gigi// Corrective: Dear Gigi, When you choose to come into my home when I’m not there and borrow things without my permission, it makes my life more difficult and less organized and I feel very frustrated and

Positive: Dear Gigi, When you stay out of my house when I’m not home and ask to borrow things ahead of time, you allow me to be more organized and give me my privacy, which makes me feel more respected by you and secure in our relationship.

=**Assignment #8 (Behavior Contract)**=

This past school year I had a student about fail 7th grade because of his poor academic performance. I teach Humanities which incorporates two core classes ( Social Studies and Langauage Arts) and up until the end of the 3rd Q, he had failed 2 of the 3 in both courses. This would be the only student that had failed in my school’s MS in a five year history. It began with consistently late assignments, which always had an excuse. I assigned him an after school club for completing homework and he did not attend most sessions. I contacted his mother on several occasions, but got no response. I then got our counselor involved who managed to contact her with limited success. Just before the end of semester one, the student began not completing major assignments and would constantly make up blatant lies when confronted. After the holiday break, the student had an appendectomy and missed the first two weeks of school. When he returned, we created an adjusted curriculum for him to get caught up, only to have him continue to lie about his progress and increase his deceptive behavior. By the end of Q#3, we had little if any summative scores in which to evaluate him on. We reviewed his grades and realized he was in serious trouble, so we called the mother in and had her meet with our 7th grade team. She was very remorseful about not being more involved and vowed to follow through with the terms of his academic probation (which was much like a contract…more to follow). We also investigated his previous academic records and discovered that he technically should have not passed the previous grade because of the exact kind of behaviors we were trying to modify. Things improved for about a week and then the student returned to his previous behavior even after being given an extra workshop to complete his work. The MOST frustrating thing was that this student was in the upper 10% in reading comprehension, aced most in class quizzes and was more than capable of producing work above expectations! So what the hell was his problem? I went out of my way and offered this student every chance to succeed and my ability to motivate and contact with my students has always been one of my strongest attributes as s teacher. According to the article by Jonathan C. Erwin, I should have been very successful, because I was trying very hard to provide this student with every thing he needed to succeed. Alas, he started not meeting the conditions of his probation and with 2 months left in school year we had a final meeting with his mother present and unleashed the “stick” and simply stated that he would be repeating the 7th grade if his efforts remained the same. After many tears by the student and an aloof response from his mother, we feared the worst, but the student did manage to pass with some last minute heroics and some liberal interpretations of his grades and our school policy.

Below I have created a contract that I would have liked to have implemented in the second quarter in hopes that we could have corrected some his behavior before it got to near disastrous consequences. I have made it as simple as possible, because I believe the requirements for his final Academic Probation intervention were too many and too late. The simplicity also allows the teacher to keep concise records and easy reporting, sense self monitoring would and one more “task” would not have been productive. This contract focuses on both intrinsic and external motivations as it focuses on this students desires and natural consequences. He had a strong love of sports and organized play and this was the main reason why he was skipping his homework clubs. Nothing was getting done at home and many of the negative influences in his life and performance were happening there, so it made no sense to involve the parents. Also in this vein of thought, I kept the supervision and consequences within the realm of the school setting, and only completed by the teachers concerned and the counselor who could help intervene with the problems at home and the possibility of an eventual academic probation.

**MS Behavior Contract**

I ___ (N/A) agree to the following terms.

**These are my goals:**

I will consistently complete my major projects and summative assessments in an appropriate amount of time.

**Threshold:** All assignments and summative assessments will be turned in by the end of the quarter and within two class periods of the due date.

2. I will complete my homework when assigned for each class period.

Threshold: There will be no more than three missing homework assignments or formative assessments throughout the quarter.

These are my rewards/reinforcers if I meet my goals:

1 less homework club meeting per week (to be tallied and implemented after each two week review).

Can play in Spring League Soccer Club

These are the consequences if I do not meet my goals: Academic Probation (see student handbook for terms) No Participation in the Spring League Soccer Club

This Behavior Contract will be reviewed every two weeks by Humanities Teachers and the Middle School Counselor.

Signatures

Student

Teacher

Parent

=**Assignment #9 (Personality Assessments)**= I found this personality profile to be very enlightening and practical for the classroom. While I didn’t completely agree with my results and found some of the questions a bit leading, it was still a tool I would like to use at the beginning of the year in my 7th grade humanities class in order to establish more self-awareness amongst my students and allow me to understand their personalities better and to make more informed decisions when creating collaborative groups. Of course one trait is not better than the other, but they certainly are more productive and comfortable in certain settings. Of course, all are very important and necessary in the school environment. The ISK (my current international school) AIMS (desired student attributes) and many mission statements would take all of these qualities. I think we all have unique personalities that are made up of these and it’s important to identify these characteristics in out students as well. I was surprised by the majority of my results, but not my weakest attribute, as anyone who knows me personally would easily attest to. I love “people” professionally and believe my rapport with my students and colleagues is one of my strongest attributes, but after work, I put that aside and like just my family and a few close friends to interact with. I hate parties, most social networking sites and rarely go looking for new friends. The majority of my votes fell within the realm of a “Learned Expert”, which I would have chosen as my number 2, or second least like my personality if guessing before hand. I was especially put-off by the descriptor that says I would rather “read about an adventure than actually have one.” I do like my books, possess an adequate vocabulary, love writing papers and prefer a logical sequence however, so perhaps the shoe fits! I would have picked project manager as my second greatest strength and the creative problem solver as my third. However, my totals came out as: People Person 16, Learning Expert 32, Creative Problem Solver 28 and Project Manager 26. The survey I conducted with my best friend was spot-on by his assessment and there were no surprises. He is a teacher in the high school level and we both commented on the practicality of this assessment and remarked how useful it could be at the beginning of the year. Gardner’s Survey of Multiple Intelligences would be more useful later on when looking at independent projects, but when you are trying to build a class dynamic and learn what “works” with your students, this is gold! This survey would also be useful when examining conflicts within groups and provide insights into next-steps, protocol and resolution.

=**Assignment #10 (Film Comparison)**= Conflict resolution is a journey that has little process, more like dry fly floating down a river, adapting and falling as it goes, but listening to the environment and finally luring the trout or solution in. The 1990’s films, American History X and October Sky examined the conflicts between families and especially sons, who have to battle and overcome who they are versus the circumstances of where they are, and examine the many stakeholders involved in any life conflict.

When comparing the roles of fathers in the two films, the fathers had an enormous influence on the attitudes and actions of the sons, and illustrated the idea that actions speak much louder than words in conflict resolution. In October Sky, the dad expects him to go out for football and only focuses on athletics. Hence, he values the older brother more because of his success in football and his scholarship. He does not understand or relate to Homer’s passion about rockets and calls him a menace to the community and even crushes his dreams and embarrasses him publicly. Perhaps he is afraid for him to be better and more successful? He wants him to be like him and join in the mines to become a man and tells him “to take an interest in his town and not Cape Canaveral. Homer’s father always has time for games, but not for rocket launchers. When Homer is accused of starting a forest fire, he yells that “I’ve been confused by ya & frustrated with ya, but it’s the first time I’ve been ashamed of ya.” But, as a test to his character he then protects his friend from the drunken stepfather and tells him how great his dad was…I was lucky to know him!” When Homer has to join the mines because of his father’s injury, he states that “Homer’s not a boy anymore, I don’t think I can tell him anything.” Thanks to his work in the mines, Homer is proud of his father and respects him and relizes that, “even thought I (Homer’s Father) don’t have that piece of paper from college, they listen to me..you know why? Because they know more than they do! I know the mine son…I was born for this…guess it shouldn’t surprise me that you were too.” This pride is short lived, as Homer chooses his passion and enters the science fair thanks to the influences of his teacher, eventually adjuring that, The coal mine is your life…not mine!” The film concludes with his father accepting Homer’s dreams and even supporting him thanks to his mother’s influence. When examining the father in American History X, one can’t help but notice his unfortunate absence and wonder how things might have ended better if he had been there. The son is left with an unfortunate set of comments (see previous summary) to base his understanding of the world around. If his dad had been there to provide love, context, boundaries and ultimate expectations, then things may have ended better. I believe Danny’s true nurture from both his mom and dad would have overruled his tough environment much sooner in his life. Regardless, the eventual actions of Homer’s father and support help him become the man he want’s to be.

Both Homer and Derrick grow up in challenging environments (nurture), but have have strong relationships with powerful individuals that help them overcome this and realize their true dreams and aspirations (nature). The crime ridden community filled with minorities depresses Derrick and outrages him when he sees good men killed or oppressed because of the environment and government. Homer lives in a very white and close-knit community, but because of the lack of job opportunities, it is no less toxic to his dreams. Both protagonist have personalities and character traits in their nature that make them admirable and successful in the end. They are loyal to friends, brave, compassionate and have the guts to listen to their hearts and follow the paths that they believe in. However, had it not been for the actions of teachers, parents and Principals that believed in their better natures, they would have never overcome their circumstances.

The roles of the two contrasting communities Derrick and Homer come of age in are powerful and important. Derrick’s community is, at least in part, the source of his angst and hatred, and are the reason he ends up supporting White Power and convicted of man-slaughter, resulting in prison. Derrick has no father to guide him and feels betrayed and disenfranchised by his community and family. In order to find guidance and belonging, he finds another community to support him, the White Power organization. Things would have been much better for his development and the movie would have never been if he had grown up in Homer’s community. However, Homer had his own community obstacles to overcome and felt no less discouraged and disenfranchised by his community than Derrick did. Homer states that, “everyone is much more interested in what is below the earth and not what is above it.” when expressing his disgust with the mining centered dogma of his community. Even his partners in crime state that, “We are hillbillies! It is our fate to be coal miners.” Homer was very wrong in this and soon found friends and mentors willing to support his dreams in the sky. From the very beginning, Homer finds a friend in the mine’s machine shop willing to mill valves for his rocket and great risk to his employment status and families’ financial future. Then a resident expert and ex-air force African-American befriends the boys and becomes their most important ally in obtaining the proper steel and experimenting with different mill angles for the valves. At first his friends alienate him for hanging out with the weird, brainy kid, but soon they are out in droves, complete with cheerleaders to support and cheer his rocket launches. In the end, Homer realizes the importance of his community and rightly thanks them for their support and efforts, knowing that they were inspired by his dreams and rockets and that they would have not succeeded with out them. Regardless of the positive or negative influences, the community weights heavily on young men and it takes a village to raise a boy to a man.

Regarding the roles of mothers in the two movies, both are positive influences, but with opposite amounts of effectiveness, due to their presence and assertiveness. Derek’s mother was the exact opposite of his shared belief system with his father. She was liberal and compassionate when concerning minorities and politics. However, all she did was argue with him and show disgust. She provided much rhetoric, but little actions to back up her beliefs and wishes for him. Home’s mom however, had the same sort of wishes and beliefs for her son, but backed them up with countless acts and support. She offered to let them use the garage to build the rocket and sees this as an opportunity for her son to better himself. She provides protection from his father, gets a signed picture of his hero for his birthday an attends many of his rocket launches. She is furious that he doesn’t want to finish high school and leads by example when she befriends the African-American engineer and providers the missing part of the rocket to save Homer’s award winning presentation. She is even willing to leave her husband if he doesn’t embrace Homer’s dream and support him. So again, ultimately it is actions and not words that resolve this conflict.

Regarding the roles of the two teachers in Homer and Danny’s lives, it is a night and day contrast of influence. Danny’s teacher just wanted to be done with him; devoid of interest or promise and time serpent teaching him. Whereas Homer’s teacher is a driving force of inspiration, commitment, defense and above and beyond effort. Miss Reilly is attractive, young, vibrant, open-minded, inspiring and dying. Miss Reilly initially protects their aspirations from the principal and plants a spark about college scholarships via the county science fair. She is honest and frank when she confronts Homer about his poor math scores and the complicated formulas required for his field and rises to the challenge. This nurturing is capitalized when she gives him a physics book for his birthday that the principal thinks is wasted on him (but is secretly impressed by, because how many coal boys would even read a book like that?). Homer does indeed master the math because of his teachers support, prodding and inspiration, and she defends his mistakes and mastery by telling the principal that she, “has to believe in the unlucky ones, I have to, or I’d go out of my mind.” As she is dying and in their final meeting, she gives Homer some profound advice and tells him that “sometimes you can’t listen to anyone else but your own heart”, and clearly states that he doesn’t belong in the mines because he himself has made other plans. She truly embodies the impact and influence that a teacher can have on a student’s future, both positive and in the case of American History X, a negative one.

The roles of the Principals in these two young men’s lives are both powerful and life changing. Mr. Sweeny ultimately had the most influence of course, by providing touch love and support outside of the classroom right from the beginning. He was the influence that got Danny through prison and changed his beliefs and life for the better. His actions saved this young man. Homer’s principal had much less influence and was initially a hinderance in his progress in achieving his dreams. He was afraid of change and wanted all of the boys to achieve the status quo of working in the mines for the rest of their lives. He stated that it was the school’s “job to give these kids an education, not false hopes!” He resented the rockets in the school and did not intervene or support them when they were accused of starting the forest fire with a misfired rocket. Only when Homer proved this error with trigonometry was he duly impressed and believed in his students dreams and promise. Fortunately, he completely changed his ways and gave them support in winning the science far and ultimately their college scholarships. Regardless of their character, both of the Principal’s actions allowed these young men to resolve their conflicts and achieve their dreams.

Conflict resolution is journey and a process that must be persevered through by a person’s better nature and with the support, influence, and nurturing of one’s communities, families and mentors. Bother Derrick and Homer had to overcome many conflicts, both internal and external. Both faced apathy, abandonment, rejection, anger, angst, prejudice, adverse social pressures, fate, negative expectations and plain evil in Derrick’s case. However, thanks to their inherent beliefs in themselves and their dreams and the actions of those who believed in them, they became the men they were meant to be.