This ethnography examines many different components of my coming to the teaching profession as well as my first year within the field. Through research and an in depth analysis of my students and their environment, my teacher effectiveness and abilities have also been defined. This ethnography is composed of four cohesive parts, each detailing a different part of my teaching practice. Part A explains the reason why I chose to become an educator, Part B follows the journey of three focus students within my first classroom and the action plan I created for them to find success, Part C details the different communities in which I work and my students live, and Part D is a final comprehensive analysis of my teacher effectiveness within my first year of teaching. The purpose of this ethnography is to clarify my teacher’s ambition as well as provide research and data on my students as a whole as well as three focus students. In addition, by examining these students and their growth throughout the year, another purpose of this ethnography is to provide an analysis of my effectiveness as a first year teacher as well as create a goal and plan for my future in the education field.

This ethnography allows me to build relationships with my students and their families by looking beyond my own assumptions and biases. By looking at my schooling experience, teaching vision, students, classroom, and first year of teaching experience, I have been able to compare how my schooling influence my teaching visions. By using my teaching visions in my classroom, I can examine whether my visions were ideal, successful, or unsuccessful. Within the classroom, I was able to gain knowledge on three focus students. With these three focus students, I observed those students in the classroom as well as at home. Along with this, home visitations and family interviews were conducted to further improve relationships with students and their families. In addition to these three focus students and their families, I also broaden my knowledge of my class as a whole by analyzing data and identifying strengths, weaknesses, and growth. In addition to understanding my classroom, I studied the community my students are apart of as well as how school and education fit into the community. By communicating with diverse individuals and getting to know their personal story I have been able to develop and grow as an individual and professional in education.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

<p> The purpose of this single-case research study was to examine the use of process drama to improve the quality writing and increase on-task behaviors of students in a third-grade classroom. Four students diagnosed with ADHD participated in nine different process drama sessions. Quality writing samples along with observational data were collected on these four students. Social validity questionnaires were also administered to the students, two teachers, and four parents as a component of the research. Changes in students&rsquo; quality writing and on-task behaviors were examined using an ABAB withdrawal design. Visual analysis was employed to determine if there was a functional relationship between process drama and an improvement in the participants&rsquo; quality writing and on-task behaviors during process drama intervention. Results indicated that all four participants scored higher on their quality writing samples and had an overall increase in their on-task behaviors. These findings supported the use of process drama intervention to increase quality writing and on-task behaviors of students with ADHD.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine if positive teacher-to-student relationships impacted student academic performance. This case study involved examination of the results of data collected from 43 students who participated in a mentor adoption program initiated with the intent to enhance positive teacher-to-student relationships for the 2013-2014 school year. Archival data of students who participated in the mentor adoption program were compared to data from a stratified group of students who did not participate in the mentor adoption program. Data from English language arts (ELA) and mathematics (MA) Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scale scores, attendance rate, and number of discipline referrals were compiled and analyzed using paired-samples t-tests. The results of the study showed students who participated in the mentor adoption program demonstrated a significant increase in MAP ELA scale scores, increase in MAP MA scale scores, and significant decrease in the number of discipline referrals. Students who did not participate in the mentor adoption program showed significant improvement only in MAP MA scale scores. Perceptual interview data were gathered and analyzed from 10 teachers who participated in the mentor adoption program to determine teacher perceptions and feelings about the program. The results indicated teachers believed the mentor adoption program had value and should be continued in Elementary School A. The analysis of these data showed student academic performance was significantly impacted by the use of a mentor adoption program in Elementary School A.</p>

<p> This dissertation seeks to investigate the term <i>joyful learning </i> as it applies to the learning process. Using methods of narrative inquiry, the collected stories of students serve as the nucleus around which the understanding of joyful learning is built. This inquiry is grounded in the literature of joy in the learning process, whole child learning theory, deep learning, agency in learning, and educational wounds. In this narrative inquiry, 15 students ranging from kindergarten to twelfth grade were asked to tell the story of their experience with learning. A domain analysis was completed on the stories of wounds and celebrations in the interviewees&rsquo; varied learning experiences and the identification of commonalities served as a catalyst for an enhancement of education theory and laid the foundation for future research on the importance of joy in the learning process of human beings. The themes emerging in this narrative inquiry were joy, engagement and disengagement in learning, connected learning, motivators and de-motivators, peer influence, positioning, relationship between the student and the teacher, agency, forced learning, standardized assessment and meaningful assessment, educational wounds, and the significance of education. Evidence of educational wounding surfaced in all 15 stories, illuminating a connection between the wounding and the replacement of student-centered learning practices with compulsory, standardized reforms.</p>

<p> In 2000, the National Reading Panel (NRP) identified scientifically based reading instructional practices in the five key areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency vocabulary, and comprehension. The purpose of this study was to determine the strength of the relationship between the degree of implementation of scientifically based reading instruction in K-3 and Grade 3 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Reading achievement in school districts in Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA). Research indicates that throughout the past decade, these same instructional practices were found to be effective. As educators in K-3 worked to prepare students for high-stakes testing in reading, the degree of implementation of these instructional practices were being examined. In this quantitative study, 132 K-3 classroom teachers in 20 schools completed the Revised Teacher's Implementation of Scientifically Based Reading Instruction (TISBRI) survey to determine the school-wide level of implementation of scientifically based reading instruction. Teacher experience within each school was also studied. The results of the survey were compared to the 2012 Grade 3 PSSA Reading mean scale score for each school. Inferential statistics determined that no correlation existed between the level of implementation of scientifically based reading strategies and Grade 3 PSSA Reading achievement. There was a correlation between years of teaching experience and level of implementation of scientifically based reading strategies. The study also concluded that scientifically based fluency instruction correlated to scientifically based reading instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension.</p>

<p>Throughout the history of Catholic schools in Los Angeles, the mission of Catholic schools and the Archdiocese governing its schools has been clear: Catholic schools must strive to serve children with varied learning needs. However, despite calls for inclusion from the Vatican, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and efforts from trained administrators and professionals to help facilitate inclusion in schools, Catholic inclusive programs are not able to include all learners. </p><p> Using qualitative research with semi-structured interviews, focus group, and document review, this study uses the framework of ableism and disability studies to research and analyze the two questions regarding inclusive practices in one Catholic elementary school that has had a program running for five years. The research questions are as follows: 1) What are St. Mary teachers' beliefs, experiences, and perceptions about disability and inclusive education? 2) What do St. Mary teachers and administrators think are the best ways to foster acceptance of inclusive education in the school? </p><p> Despite the fact that Catholic educators recognize that Catholic schools, as a matter of social justice, should be teaching all children, it is challenging and frustrating for them. Due to a lack of resources and support, limited exposure and experience of people with disabilities, and technical special education training, even the most dedicated, talented, and sympathetic Catholic educators wanting to serve children with special needs have difficulty doing so. Reasons relating to inconsistent teacher training, beliefs and experiences that students with special needs are "trouble," limited resources, and teachers' perceptions of fairness, time, and equity, all contribute to teachers' frustration and limitations when including learners with special needs in their classrooms. </p><p> The significance of this research study lies in documenting a Catholic school's experience of developing, evolving, and establishing a working model of an inclusion program in one Los Angeles Catholic elementary school. To this end, this study provides larger contextual data to those in similar Catholic school settings across America about Catholic teacher training and the implementation of inclusive practices in Catholic schools. Also, this study hopes to further the discussion in the field of Catholic education about the right(s) of all Catholic children, regardless of ability, to a Catholic education, since, according to the Vatican, that it is a matter of human dignity that they receive a spiritual and emotional education as well as one that is appropriately academic. </p>

<p> Full inclusion of a student with disabilities in the general education setting has the potential to positively influence both students with special needs as well as their typical developing peers. One strategy to aide in this effort is the use of an ability awareness program to increase understanding and relatability amongst all students. This study will look at the effectiveness of an ability awareness program to evoke change in the attitudes of elementary school children towards their peers with disabilities. </p><p> The study consists of second grade students (<i>n</i> = 46), third grade students (<i>n</i> = 15), and observations of first through third grade students with autism (<i>n</i> = 8). Students' attitudes were measured through the use of an attitudinal questionnaire before and after the program. Qualitative data was collected through observation to document the frequency and duration of interactions between general education students and students with autism.</p>

<p> Reading is an essential skill taught during elementary academic years. The Sunny Day School District recognized the need of locating a reading program tailored to effectively meeting the instructional needs of students. A preliminary question was, "how do we increase the reading achievement of all our students?" In response to this instructional concern, the Sunny Day School District decided to implement the Missouri Reading Initiative (MRI), a state program created to assist teachers with scientifically research based reading instructional strategies. This study addressed the problem of a lack of a program evaluation for the MRI program as implemented within the elementary schools of the Sunny Day School District. </p><p> Qualitative and quantitative approaches added depth and authenticity to the data collection process and the intention was to triangulate the data in order to obtain a holistic picture of the MRI program in one school district. Design features were inclusive of the following study elements: administrative interviews, surveys, classroom observations, and MAP Scale Scores. Statistical tools used to analyze the MAP Scale Scores comprised of two <i>z</i>-tests for proportions calculated to find differences in opinions and an ANOVA to find any variances between MAP Scale Scores of grades 3-5 during the years of this research study. </p><p> An alignment of the research questions, observations, and surveys to the interview questions was completed then linked with the literature. Interviews and observations revealed valuable details of the implementation process of the MRI program. Emerging themes added data about the implementation processes and were reflective of management and classroom facilitation. Survey results did suggest MRI was beneficial for assisting teachers with research based instructional strategies. Two <i>z</i> tests for proportions of the survey results were in the critical range causing the rejection of the null hypotheses. An ANOVA of the MAP scores did not show a significant change in any one year over the five-year period. Before deciding on implementing an extensive reading program similar to MRI, other districts carefully consider the evaluation methods of teachers. Factors not considered in this study, such as evaluative measures (cognitive coaching versus traditional methods), may yield different program implementation results.</p>