Sean Donovan

MSIT 4311 Fall 2017

Middle Level Project II/Standard 3 Reflection

Contents

Part A:
Working With Family Members & Communities
Collaboration to Increase Motivation
Related Evidence

Part B:
Middle Level Programs, Practices, & Schools
Middle Level Leadership
Middle Level Advocacy
Related Evidence

References
 AMLE Standard 3 Reflection Part A
In an article written by Darren W. Woodruff (1996), Woodruff makes note that “A mostly untapped

bridge between urban teachers and more desirable levels of student knowledge is the local community itself”.

Through this statement, Woodruff is making the point that most resources that can be found through interacting

with the local community are usually untapped because of poor interaction between the student’s parents and

the school community. Because of this lack of communication between parents and the school community,

adequate and efficient development of adolescent education is impossible (Woodruff 1996, 281). Parent’s can

provide an integral connection to students based on the degree of involvement between the school environment

and a students family. Teachers can build significant rapport through the acknowledgment of a student's active

family or home life, or the opposite, an inactive family, as well. An article written by Stephanie McGenecy

(2011) states that “students of all socioeconomic strata require a quality nurturing and developmentally

appropriate early learning experience.” To achieve this, a teacher must establish contact with not only the

student but also the community that the student is most familiar with. Parents are part of the solution to

advocating for students. By including them in the education system, parents can throw their voice towards

important school budget and policy decisions. McGenecy (2011) states “We believe that parents have the most

authentic voice and need support to strengthen (or begin) organized advocacy efforts to ensure that young

children and youth remain at the forefront of policy and budget debates.”

Within the Internship 1 program, I found that several of the parents that I met were involved through the

school board, or that they were directly a member of the school faculty. In most instances, the parents of my

students would occasionally check in on them. One such case was when a student of mine forgot to bring her

lunch to school. As a way of finding a solution to this problem, the parent wound up messaging my mentor

teacher and stating that she was on her way during lunch to bring her child some food. While it’s admirable that

she brought her child’s lunch to school, it is notable that the parent felt comfortable enough messaging the

teacher with a forewarning. This shows that my Mentor teacher had built a significant amount of rapport with
that specific parent to make operating the classroom a smoother process. Seeing this also showed me the

relevance of having that positive effect on the students day through the close relationship between my mentor

teacher and that student’s parent.

In the future, when I am a teacher, I will strive to create an environment much like the one that my

mentor teacher created. The environment will be tailored to the individual needs of my students. These needs

can range from forgetting lunch to forgetting homework, with an open atmosphere that tells parents that they are

welcome in the classroom any time they choose. Of course, rules would have to be explicitly created,

paperwork signed, and an understanding that they are there for their child as much as I am. To maintain the

positive learning environment, they have to be willing to let their child discover new things on their own.

Keeping this in mind, I would have a parental visitation policy that revolved around the parents coming in and

assisting with the lesson on a specific day. This would help me manage the classroom, as well as create rapport

with the parents of my students.

The most important aspect of a student’s learning is to have the goal of achieving a higher education. It

is our duty as teachers to motivate our students to achieve higher academic success. One such teacher, Cheryl

Frye, motivates her students by giving them the California State Science standards. Next, to these standards

students have a checkbox and a notes area where they write down what they have learned. For the students that

have gone through the school year and kept track of the work that they have completed Frye (2010) states that

“once students experience success, their self-motivation improves”. This is true for the studious student, but

how do we motivate the student with behavior problems?

For my mentor teacher’s class, students were motivated to do better in the classroom because they would

receive candy and a voucher to sit at a booth with their best friends during class, watch a movie, or eat lunch

with the teacher, which were activities that didn’t regularly happen. However, this hinged on whether or not

they were able to stay respectful of the rules inside and outside the classroom. By giving the students this
 loophole in the regular classroom procedures, students were motivated to act better and to perform better in

class. I saw as the semester progressed that several students who suffered from constant behavioral problems

were more compliant when it came to the possibility of receiving a reward. One such student, whom we will

call D, would consistently get into trouble for disrupting the class. When the reward system rolled out, and D

was unable to get a reward due to his bad behavior, he realized the correlation and started to act better inside

and outside of the classroom.

As a teacher, I would create a similar plan. However, based on experiences that I have heard from more

skilled teachers, I would use a point system that is controlled by the whole class. This way I can use the method

of motivating students through reward to both control student behavior, enact self-policing, and reward and

reinforce good behavior so that students will know what is expected of them in the classroom. This method of

controlling student behavior in the school will most definitely be difficult to do at first, but with enough

patience and effort, I believe that students will be able to achieve a considerable amount of motivation to

participate successfully and academically within the classroom environment. It also gives students a long-term

goal to work towards instead of just completing the semester.

Letter Home
September 11, 2017

Dear Parents/Guardians,
 My name is Sean Donovan. I am a senior in the University of Central Arkansas’ Middle-Level Education Program
and will be interning at your child’s school this semester. I come from the small town of Mountain View, Arkansas. I’m
majoring in middle-level education with a focus on language arts and social studies. I hope that as a teacher I can
bring more to the table for students.
I will be attending Mayflower Middle School every Monday from 7:40 a.m. until 4:30, and Wednesday from 7:40 a.m.
until 12 starting from September 11th to December the 4th. I am ecstatic to work with the teachers and students of the
Mayflower School District. By being an intern, I am gathering valuable information on what life will be like as a teacher
and hopefully influencing your children as much as I know they will influence me. If you have any questions about
either me or the internship program, please feel free to contact Ms. LyBrand.

I look forward to meeting you,

Sean Donovan
University of Central Arkansas
Middle-Level Education Program - Language Arts and Social Studies

September 11, 2017

Dear Parents/Guardians,

My name is Sean Donovan. I am a senior in the University of Central Arkansas’ Middle-Level Education Program
and will be interning at your child’s school this semester. I come from the small town of Mountain View, Arkansas. I’m
majoring in middle-level education with a focus on language arts and social studies. I hope that as a teacher I can
bring more to the table for students.
I will be attending Mayflower Middle School every Monday from 7:40 a.m. until 4:30, and Wednesday from 7:40 a.m.
until 12 starting from September 11th to December the 4th. I am ecstatic to work with the teachers and students of the
Mayflower School District. By being an intern, I am gathering valuable information on what life will be like as a teacher
and hopefully influencing your children as much as I know they will
influence me. If you have any questions about either me or the
internship program, please feel free to contact Ms. LyBrand.

I look forward to meeting you,

Sean Donovan
University of Central Arkansas
Middle- Level Education Program - Language Arts and Social Studies

Notes to Students A
 This is a letter to a student of who was in the first class I interned at. She
was a sixth grader and was a member of the gifted and talented program. I had given the
letter to her hands on October 10, 2017. The reason I choose to give her one of the two
notes is because there have been multiple times where I have sat down with her, and
given her the chance to vent out all the frustrations she has about her life at school.
Mostly I want to write this note to reassure her that the struggles she faces now are only
temporary and that I can see the strength and determination she has for her passions as
well as the veracity she directs towards completing all the tasks set before her. I want to
remind her that these qualities make a person a great leader and that she has all the
qualities that can guide her to success in the future. I plan on throwing an allusion to Jack
from the musical Newsies because it is a character that we both know very well of and I
believe the analogy would get the message across a lot clearer than any amount of writing
could possibly do.

This was a letter to a student who had frequent

behavioral problems in class. However as of Wednesday
October 4th, he was a transformed student. The most important
aspect of this situation is that he was on the wrong medication. I
believe he has a behavioral issue, but I did not pry into it
because as an intern I didn’t feel as though I was necessarily
privileged to that information. The note itself is more so directed
to tell him how proud I am that he paid such close attention in
class and managed to stay quiet and well behaved throughout
the entire class period. I feel as though this little push of
positivity will give him the desire to continue acting good in
class. In the letter I wouldn’t mention the medicine. Only that I
noticed that he was acting very good and that I was proud of
him for being good. After giving him the note, I realized that his
demeanor had changed as a result and he was much more
compliant throughout the rest of the day. He also reacted by
giving me a hug and thanking me for the note.
Notes to Students B
Coby
On Wednesday, November 15, 2017 I chose to give a
note to a student of my 4th period class. The reason that
I chose to give this note to him was because out of all of
my students that participated in my observed lesson, he
was the first to get up and share the rap that he had
created. The student himself is usually a quiet and
reserved student that tends to keep to himself. While I
have never heard him talk out loud, I was extremely
surprised to see that he was willing to get up and share
what he created with the class. The first thing that I
noticed was that he was about to cry when I gave him
the letter. He was so moved that out of all the students
that I could have chosen, I chose him as one of the
recipients of my letter. When he got the letter the first thing he did was thank me. He also gave me a hug and
repeated thank you as he walked away. Needless to say, I believe that he was profoundly moved by the letter
and the fact that he was a recipient.

Dominick

On Wednesday, November 15, 2017 I chose to give a

student from my homeroom class a handwritten note.
Throughout the entire semester he had persisted with
me. He has complimented my teaching ability, stated
commonalities between the two of us, and helped to
keep the class under control when I am around. Though
there have been moments where he is generally quiet. I
find it remarkable that he constantly seeks to become
more knowledgeable about my interests and hobbies,
though the interests and hobbies usually revolve around
games which he and I are both fond of. I want to share
this letter with him as a thank you note for being an
exceptional and friendly student. I also want to
commend him for putting up with group work despite having a severe headache during the time I taught my
lesson. When I gave him the letter, the first thing that he did was ask for a handshake. I of course happily
obliged, and even gave him a high five, at his request. More than anything I believe that it gave him a boost in
his self esteem and his overall attitude for the day. He was definitely happier when he left the classroom.
School Event 1
 On October 16, 2017 I attended a game in Conway, Arkansas that took place at the Boys and Girls Club
of Conway Arkansas that was being played on Field 8. In the game two of my 6th grade students played a fierce
and hard game of baseball against each other with one team as the Saint Louis Cardinals and the other as the
New York Yankees. At the end of the skirmish, both teams tied 7 to 7 and the fierce spirit of competition went
on to live another day. Part of the reason I wanted to go to this game was so that I could get to know their
parents, but also so I could see them outside of school. This gave me the perfect opportunity to get extra rapport
with my students, but more importantly, to cheer them on in something that
they love.
An essential understanding that I learned was that they were thrilled
to not only to see me there but also to see Mrs. LyBrand there as well. I feel
as though the reason that teachers actively participate in the social events of
their students is genuinely a multi-tiered teaching strategy. To best
summarize it, going to the baseball game best fulfilled the concept of the
second AMLE standard. The standard states that “Middle-level teacher
candidates demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of young adolescent
development. They use this understanding of the intellectual, physical,
social… -to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning
environments for all young adolescents…”. As teachers, it’s vital that we
play an essential role in the everyday
lives of our students. Both Mrs.
LyBrand and I know that by showing up
to our student’s baseball game, we will
become closer to them socially and they will be more attentive in class
knowing that we show an active interest in not only their academic well
being but their social well being as well. Plus, being near them outside of
the school helps to humanize us as people in their eyes instead of merely
being authority figures that force students to listen to from 8:00 a.m. to
3:30 p.m. 5 days a week.

In addition to the aforementioned AMLE standard, I learned the

effect that being at a student’s athletic event has on not only the student,
but also the parent. When I went to the game I had the privilege of meeting
the parents of my students. By meeting them at a social gathering, and
openly showing my support for the success of their children, I believe that I was able to put their mind at ease
concerning who I was and what I was doing in their child’s classroom. More importantly, I was becoming more
knowledgeable about my student, fulfilling the 7th characteristic of the This We Believe 16 Characteristics,
“Leaders are committed too and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practices”,
which helped me to become a more committed leader both in and outside of the classroom. This is because to be
a successful teacher I know that it is vital for me to take an interest in the activities of my students. By attending
the baseball game, I was able to learn more about the competitive personalities of my students and see them
enjoying life outside of the classroom. Going forward, I can use this knowledge to create the structure for their
lessons, books they read in class, or even examples that I use to help teach them a new concept in a lesson.
School Event 2
On October 23, 2017, I attended the Mayflower Middle School Halloween dance. Students from 5th,
6th, 7th, and 8th grade were present which made it the best opportunity to get a feel for what the students of
each class were like. This engagement also provided ample time for me to get to know the parents of students
specifically from the grade that I teach as well as the parents who came to chaperone the event while their child
attended. By showing up for the event I was able to also grown in rapport with the students that I already know
as well as the students I’m struggling to get to know better.

There were quite a lot of things to gain

insight into when attending this dance. Most of what
I learned came from the interaction with the kids
themselves. I made sure to positively comment on
every costume that a student who knew me was
wearing. If I didn’t know who they were, or what
they were, I inquired about it. I feel as though this
best represents my willingness to build report, which
in turn helped me fulfill the 17th characteristic of the
AMLE standard. This standard states that “Every
student’s academic and personal development is
guided by an adult advocate.” By ensuring that a
student feels positive about their costume, even
about the way they look in general, I as a teacher am
creating a positive environment that nurtures individuality amongst students rather than a situation that shuns it.
With this outlook presented to the students, they are then able to carry on throughout the rest of their time in
middle school reiterating that overarching acceptance of a person’s individuality. This positive environment can
lead to some things from a decrease in behavioral issues to growth in the willingness for a student to express
themselves inside and outside of class.

The dance also helped to foster an environment for the growth and building of meaningful relationships
amongst not only the students but the faculty as well. This dance, in turn, helps to accomplish the 15th AMLE
characteristic which states that “Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful
relationships.” What this means mostly is that the school was able to create an environment that made it
possible for students and faculty to create bonds in a school controlled environment that didn’t take place within
the confines of a classroom. Not only does a situation like this put the student at ease, but it also puts the faculty
member at ease as well. This situation could help students to model their future encounters with an environment
designed to be socially explored. Furthermore, students will have a deeper understanding of what to do in an
environment with multiple different ages, interests, and experiences. Students will in the future be able to
engage with those of various backgrounds; much like how the students from the different grades were able to
speak and engage with one another despite the differences in their experiences as students of Mayflower Middle
School.
 AMLE Standard 3 Reflection Part B
To advocate for students means to apply yourself in every asset of their education. For teachers that can

mean a plethora of things. To advocate for their school funding, a teacher may submit applications for grants to

buy new materials. To change a policy that the teacher and students view as unfair or a disruption more than a

help. In most instances, a teacher will advocate for the student who has a problem with education not providing

enough for them to the capacity that it needs to. What I mean by this is that a teacher advocates for the students

who are developmentally disabled, educationally challenged, or merely struggling to some degree or capacity.

In this particular instance, the teacher or education system advocates for their students by renovating a

dilapidated school building. An article written by Kevin Dwyer and David Osha (2000) states

“Some of the environmental characteristics that a school may examine include the following: Number

and types of exits. Location and design of bathrooms. Design of the cafeteria, common areas, and the

playground. Patterns of supervision. The density of traffic patterns throughout parts of the school during various

times of the day. Lighting. Isolated areas. Bell and class schedules and the mixing of students from different

grades. Length of time students stand in line to wait for a bus or to wait for lunch.”

As a teacher, it is our responsibility to ensure that areas and details like the following are strictly

scrutinized for the betterment and wellbeing of the students.

One such instance in my Internship 1 placement consisted of the school updating the sidewalks on

either side of the school. From my inquiry, I had heard that students and teachers alike had tripped over the

uneven surface of the sidewalk multiple times. When I looked at some of the student body, it began to pop out

to me who the students most likely to suffer would be. There was always at least one student with a cast on,

using crutches, or in a wheelchair in the school. These students could seriously injure themselves if they tripped

over a cracked, uneven, sidewalk slab. The school didn’t stop at replacing the sidewalk pavement though. They

also installed an elevator for the students stuck in more severe modes of transportation like wheelchairs. By

doing this, many of the school’s faculty and staff advocated for the rights of their students. Even the tiniest
renovations like changing the gutters out so that students would not get poured on after a rainfall, or that the

integrity of the school's ceilings were not compromised, showed that the school was taking into account the

wellbeing of the students.

When going forward into the rest of my academic career, I plan on implementing strategies to make the

environment of my classroom and the school I teach at as safe for my students as I would want it for my

children. I will advocate the use of desks for students in wheelchairs, ramps, and elevators for students with

mobility issues, and even have open seating so that students who need more sitting space are not cramped in

small desks. This was an issue that I had in school, and it made me extremely uncomfortable to sit in the

classroom when I knew the desk was too small for me. Even if it is not a disability, it can be considered

something that lessons the security of the environment for the student both socially and mentally. Therefore I

want to address all aspects of security that may hamper my learning environment, no matter how small they

may be.

Chris M. Cook, Shawn A. Faulkner, and Penny B. Howell (2017) state in their article “The

Developmentally Responsive Middle School: Meeting the Needs of All Students” that “members of the school

community understand the developmental spectrum and uniqueness of middle grades students”. For Middle-

Level educators, it is essential to put the developmental needs of every child at the forefront of any academic

pursuit. This means that if a teacher notices a child has a developmental disability, they are responsible for

creating an Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or a 504 plan. In an IEP the specific needs of a student in

the classroom environment are expressly written and must be adhered to. Craig Spiel and Joshua Langberg

(2017), authors of the study “Evaluating the Content of Individualized Education Programs and 504 Plans of

Young Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder”, state “Approximately one quarter to one-

half of students with ADHD receive additional education services”. These students are only a fraction of the

massive quantity that teachers as a whole are responsible for in the school system. To care for those students,

middle-level teachers, support personnel, and administrators have to work together to devise a strategy and
create developmentally responsive plans to address the needs of these individual students. By creating these

plans, all manner of school faculty can advocate for the right of their students to learn despite their disabilities

and adhere to the principles of persistence that make a teacher great.

In my Internship 1 placement, I was made aware of the planning that goes into an IEP or 504 when I was

asked by my mentor teacher to gather some papers that she had just printed off. When I saw the papers, I

realized that I was staring at an IEP plan that she was writing out for several of the students in my class. This

required her to make judgment calls based on the amount of information that she had through teaching the

students. She then had to send the completed forms in so that she could get the materials required for the

students to have an adequate and efficient learning experience. Several of the students that the IEPs were being

made for were students who I found myself working with quite often in the classroom. On one such occasion, I

found myself working with the student helping them decipher what the questions that they were being asked

meant. While to me it seemed like a natural question, to the student it was as if she were reading a foreign

language. Later on, after inquiring about any education problems that the student may have based off of my

interactions with the student, my mentor teacher confirmed that the student was indeed on an IEP. This showed

the magnitude of experience that my mentor teacher had in regards to handling both regularly achieving

students and education assisted students.

Looking into the future, I will be more practical about analyzing everything that my students do. This

will more than likely involve me taking a hard look at their work and familiarizing myself even further with the

Individualized Education Program creation process and what materials are available at my school to benefit my

students to a higher degree. By enacting these practices, I can further my student's development when it comes

to making decisions that have a direct impact on the abilities that my students have. When going forth with my

career as a teacher, my first task will be thoroughly investigating the academic background of each of my

students, no matter the number. When I go into my second week of teaching, after all the introductions are done,

and we get to the real content of the class, my goal will be to have all the IEP and 504 modifications for my
lessons in place so that I can adequately teach all my students no matter their educational background. I feel like

going into the classroom environment with this mindset will be the most effective way to teach my students

meaningful content in an absolute and respectable manner.

One of the most critical aspects of the academic environment is making sure that the programs enacted

are the most significant benefit to the students. For most middle schoolers this can be tackling the massive

problem of bullying. An article written by Jackie Hester, Yvette Bolen and Lisa Hyde (2014) states that

“According to the American Psychological Association, it is estimated that approximately 70% of all

adolescent students experience bullying; however, only 20-40% report it. The short-term and long-term

implications for victims of bullying are massive: anxiety, anger, depression, and suicide are among an

exhaustive list of the negative consequences” .

This means that practically every student within the young adolescent demographic suffers from bullying

throughout their time in a middle school environment. As teachers, we strive to make every facet of school a

safe learning environment. “One important factor in battling bullying within the school is being sure to provide

a snitch-free environment. After administering surveys and student discussions, one of the primary concerns

with adolescents was the fear of being labeled a “snitch” among their peers” (Hester et al. 2014, 79 Figure 1).

To combat bullying within their school, North Alabama introduced the P.R.E.S.S program which was designed

to create the best environment for students possible. The program functioned with a button on the school’s

website where the students could report any act of bullying anonymously. This allowed students to advocate for

each other while protecting themselves from social scrutiny.

In my Internship 1 placement, I noticed multiple occasions where students would stand up for one

another. One such instance was during P.E. where a student purposefully threw a basketball at another smaller

female student with much more force than necessary. The student who threw the ball was known to be
somewhat of a bully and tried to get out of being in trouble. Though it didn’t work, I noticed that nobody but the

female students friends stuck up for her and no one stood with the bully. This awkward and uncomfortable

atmosphere ruined what could have been a fun learning experience for many of the students. In hindsight, the

situation could have been disastrous had the PE teacher and I not been there to mitigate the situation. This

wasn’t the only instance of bullying that occurred at my placement. There were racial and homophobic slurs

that occurred between students and even a few fights that broke out during my time in Internship 1.

To mitigate instances like this in the future, I would ensure that my students were able to post

information anonymously through a classroom operated group me. This way students would be able to message

me privately and their names and information would be withheld when confronting the instance of bullying

head-on. By doing this, I as a teacher ensure that I am practicing withitness, by being aware of what my

students are doing, and that I am ensuring that the structure of the learning environment is as safe and

productive as humanly possible. I also offer students the feeling of security within the classroom environment.

Students spend a majority of their adolescent life in the classroom, and it is our jobs as teachers to ensure that

this second home is more than adequate in being safe and secure for our students in both social and mental

aspects. Thinking of scenarios in which I fail to provide a sound learning environment for my students because

of an act of bullying aggravates and pushes me to perform better as a student advocate, as a teacher, and as a

caregiver.
Parent/Community Interview
On October 9th, 2017 Laurie Nick, Celina Mize, and I interviewed a Jodie York, the parent of “Ella” a
student of Celina and I share. This interview took place at the Mayflower Middle School’s conference room.
The reason we chose to interview Jodie York was due to the fact that it came from the recommendation of Paige
LyBrand, my mentor teacher. She recommended Ms. York because she has had multiple students in middle
school and due to this knowledge know more as a parent about involvement in both the school and community
aspects of raising a middle school student.

There were a plethora of things that I learned from my interview on October 9th. Namely, I learned that
the parents of students instinctively have a strong idea of what makes a teacher good. This comes from Ms.
York’s response to question number 4 in which she stated that a teacher needed patience and compassion.
Namely she said that you needed to be able to whether their moods because middle schoolers are usually going
through hormonal changes at the time, and as teachers we need to be able to cope with their changing
mentalities. She also said on number 5 which states that teachers should not show favoritism to any student.
These profiles are more aligned with concepts that we’ve learned inherently through our courses in the
education program than I think realized by many parents. We are always reminded to be as patient with students
living in a constantly changing world because like us, they need time to adjust. With these aspects of a teacher
persona in mind, I feel like I can make every parent like Ms. York feel safer about the education that their
student is receiving.

Another thing that I learned was that parents aren’t just worried about the quality of education that their student
is getting but the quality of the tools and methods employed to enrich that education. For instance, Ms. York
was fully aware that Mayflower was making strides to make the education provided for their students more
technologically advanced. With the addition of Google Chromebooks to every class, Mayflower was helping
students that would otherwise be technologically disadvantaged through normal means have access to
technology that allowed theme to transform their work and themselves in the process of completing their work.
Another highlight was that students were separated by sections in the middle school itself. Ms. York felt as
though this separation reflected how students felt about themselves. Meaning that the higher up in grade they
went, the more the school acknowledged their maturation into young adults. As the students grew into sixth
grade, they were realized more as being mature and responsible, and as such were moved physically closer to
being in High School.

The final jewel of wisdom that I learned from the interview with Ms. York was that she considered her
child intrinsically motivated to come to school. In her own words she felt as though her daughter felt “happy to
come to school because the teachers made it fun to come to school.” With all of that in mind I believe that this
interview showed aspects of the 11th quality of the This We Believe characteristics. This quality states that “The
school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all.” I say this because it is evident in the way
Ms. York spoke about her child’s education and how Mayflower’s effort reflected the safety, not only physically
but academically, that she felt was provided for her child and her child’s education. For at Ms. York, Mayflower
was doing exactly what it was intended to do, educate the young and put at peace their parents.
Counselor Interview
On November 8th, 2017, I along with Laurie Nick and Celina Mize conducted an interview of
Mayflower Middle School’s counselor inside the counselor’s office. This interview was mainly to gain a more
appreciative insight into the well being of the students, who is in charge of that wellbeing, and they do their job.
For Mayflower Middle School this meant interviewing Ms. Lee.

During the interview, I learned a variety of

things that concerned the wellbeing of the students
of Mayflower Middle School. These mainly fell
under the responsibilities of Ms. Lee when
introducing new students to the school. For instance,
in my class alone there are two students who were
just introduced at least a week ago. The
responsibility of introducing the students to their
classes was left in the capable hands of Ms. Lee.
This responsibility fulfills the 16th characteristic of
a school environment which states that “The School
environment is safe, inclusive, and supportive of
all.” The very definition of the counselor profession
is to make the student feel as safe, comfortable and
supported as possible. By guiding students into their
new classroom environment, Ms. Lee is fulfilling
every aspect of the 16th characteristic. However, her
job doesn’t stop there. During the winter times, Ms.
Lee also helps the school partner with local
businesses to help garner presents for the
underprivileged students that attend Mayflower
Middle School as well. This allows students to foster
a sense of self-worth where they may have issues
like social anxiety because of their social status. By
providing these presents for underprivileged students, Ms. Lee helps to ensure that all students can see the
world in a positive light.

Another characteristic that I feel Ms. Lee fulfills in spades is the 8th AMLE characteristic which
declares that effective educators should “demonstrate courage and collaboration.” The school has a built-in
tornado shelter, along with active disaster relief should the need arise. A prime example is a recent Tornado that
went through Mayflower in April of 2014. During events like this, citizens from all over Mayflower gather into
the Tornado Shelter for cover. The doors have to be opened by someone who has the key, however. If neither the
principal or the superintendent is available, the job is left to Ms. Lee to help the citizens of the town get to
safety. In the midst of tornadic weather, I believe that these actions are the very definition of what it means to
not only operate for your community but to be brave while doing it as well.

The final characteristic that I believe Ms. Lee serves in full capacity is the 12th AMLE characteristic.
This makes clear that “Every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate.”
Part of the primary function of the Counselor of the school is to provide well constructed and carefully thought
out 504 plans that individually address the needs of every student. By providing these plans, Ms. Lee is directly
responsible for the academic success of challenged students within the school environment. By doing this, Ms.
Lee ensures that any need for a student that can affect their academic success is met fully by any staff member
of Mayflower Middle School. This can encompass anything from extra work time to after-school tutoring and
can help students to generate better academic achievement in their day to day lives.
 Administrator Interview
“Keep in contact with the parents for the good and the bad.”
~advice from Mrs. Koch

On October 11, 2017 Ms. Nick, Ms. Mize, and I interviewed Mrs. Koch, the
assistant principal of Mayflower Middle School. The reason that we chose to
interview Mrs. Koch was because she was not only highly regarded by many of
the teachers at Mayflower Middle as a competent administrator, but also because
she herself has a daughter enrolled in Mayflower Middle school. By interviewing
Mrs. Koch we gained valuable insight into the mindset of someone who is directly
responsible for the school’s involvement with both the students and the programs
that help them succeed.

In the interview Mrs. Koch stated that the way that students are kept motivated through everyday
instruction is through the teachers keeping the students engaged in the lessons that they teach. She revealed to
us that they do this through things like character awards and good behavior trips that keep students feeling
positive about school, but more importantly about themselves and the hard work that they put into their own
attitudes in school. Another type of reward that Mrs. Koch let us in on was the ability for well behaved students
or those with good grades to earn school originated, not national, semester test exemptions. In most instances,
Mrs. Koch said that the most effective means for students to be motivated was through forms of nearly instant
gratification. These are usually left up to the teacher and include things like eating food inside the classroom or
being able to get on the computer. Through means like this, a school like Mayflower Middle school is actively
acknowledging their students hard work and rewarding them for it, and as a result causing a purposeful learning
and meaningful relationship to be built. Thus, these are actions reflective of the 10th This We Believe
characteristic.
An important aspect that correlates with the 15th characteristic of This We Believe is that the school
involves parents in the education of their children through multiple mediums. In the interview Mrs. Koch states
that the school does a weekly reach call that tells parents about various events and functions going on at the
school. They also have a google calendar, remind text, and newsletter to name a few of the other mediums that
help to keep parents informed about their students and the progress that those students are making. By doing
this, Mayflower and Mrs. Koch are ensuring that parents have the utmost access to their students progress,
information, and any issues that result from poor behavior. Using mediums like eschool.com to keep parents
updated on school assignments, current grades, and even the amount of time that a student has missed allows a
parent to be involved in a student’s schooling as much as the students themselves.
For a future educator like me, this commitment from schools to not only include parents in the schooling
of their children, but also motivate those students to succeed and progress at their utmost capacity is inspiring to
aspiring teachers like me. It shows the determination and persistence needed for teachers to show their students
that they can succeed.
Site-to-Site Collaboration Meeting
On November 17, 2017 I along with the interns of the Internship 1 program of the University of Central
Arkansas came together at the Mashburn building room 106 to discuss the use of educational practices to
benefit the students at each of our respectively assigned internship locations. We as interns were assigned to do
this meeting so that we could apply the knowledge of what we had learned throughout the year to our internship
locations and see whether or not our school was effective at helping students grow both mentally, socially, and
physically.
 References
Cheryl C., F. (2010). Motivating middle school students to monitor and assess their learning. Science
Scope, (1), 61. Retrieved from https://ucark.idm.oclc.org/login?
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live&scope=site
Cook, C. M., Faulkner, S. A., & Howell, P. B. (2016). The Developmentally Responsive Middle School:
Meeting the Needs of All Students. Middle School Journal, 47. Retrieved from
https://ucark.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1130804&site=eds-live&scope=site
Darren W. Woodruff, a. (1996). "Keeping It Real": The Importance of Community in Multicultural
Education and School Success. Theory Into Practice, (4). Retrieved from
https://ucark.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.1477253&site=eds-live&scope=site
Dwyer, K., Osher, D., Warger, C., American Institutes for Research, W. P., & National Association of
School Psychologists, B. M. (1998). Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools.
Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED418372
Hester, J., Bolen, Y., & Hyde, L. (2014). INVOLVING COMMUNITY TO STRENGTHEN A
SUCCESSFUL MIDDLE SCHOOL BULLYING PROGRAM. Review Of Higher Education & Self-
Learning, 7(25), 76-82. Retrieved from https://ucark.idm.oclc.org/login?
url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=109210426&site=eds-
live&scope=site
McGencey, S. (2011). The time is now: Creating opportunities for young children to succeed. National
Civic Review, 100(4), 56-58. doi:10.1002/ncr.20088
Spiel, C. F., Evans, S. W., & Langberg, J. M. (2014). Evaluating the content of Individualized Education
Programs and 504 Plans of young adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. School
Psychology Quarterly, 29(4), 452-468. doi:10.1037/spq0000101