Lecture Notes

Module 6, Session 1

Content Notes:

Goal:

To understand the dynamic affect that attitudes of teachers, students, parents and support personnel play in determining successful outcomes within educational settings.

Your attitude determines your altitude.

This adage is an important message to carry on your life journey. It is an essential mantra by which to work while building the foundation of successful classroom experiences and parent/support groups.

While doing the “quick write” exercise, what conclusions did you make about the relationship between attitudes and successful outcomes?

Teaching is not a static experience.

As teachers you have an obligation to constantly observe your environment. An environment which includes many variables including:

a. You
b. Your students
c. Administrators
d. Parents/Guardians
e. Outside resource personnel

The attitudes of everyone within your environment will have a direct impact on student success. Your mission is to insure that the impact remains positive.

KNOW THESE TRUTHS: You can only change your own attitude.

Through modeling, you can help your students develop positive attitudes.

You can lead administrators to see the success achieved by positive attitudes of you and your students.

You can mentor parents in developing new positive attitudes.

You can ally yourself with outside resource personnel who exemplify the attitude and spirit you wish to foster within your environment.

Being Different
You are entering the world of alternative education. It’s called alternative because it is different from “regular school”. The students are different, teachers are different and parents are different.

Webster defines different as: not the same, separate, distinct, unusual. These definitions, while only words, aptly describe the alternative education arena and its inhabitants.

Being Different:

To be successful, alternative ed programs have to be different. WHY? BECAUSE THE SAME OLD THING DOESN’T WORK WITH THE SPECIAL ED STUDENT.

So, as you move forward, your mission is to THINK DIFFERENTLY, REACT DIFFERENTLY AND EXPECT DIFFERENTLY.

Small Group Activity:

Divide your class into small groups
Each small group will work on the same set of tasks
Each group should consist of 4 – 6 students
Divide the group into two working groups
This activity should take 30 minutes of working discussion and recording
Each group should report their findings
It is helpful to chart the groups’ findings

Supply each group with activity sheets (Small group Activity Sheets – Session 1)

Group Reporting

Have each group, in turn, report their findings. A group member may be responsible for charting the findings.

Be prepared for some discussion.

Application Activity:

This is done on an individual basis (Application Activity Sheet – Session 1)

This work should be turned in and reviewed based upon the student’s depth of synthesis of concepts presented.